Backbench Business Committee

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The Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. [1] It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee on Reform of the House of Commons in its report of 12 November 2009. [2]

Contents

Remit

The committee is responsible for determining, on behalf of backbench members (i.e., members who are not Ministers of the Crown or shadow ministers), the business before the House for approximately one day each week. This includes Thursday sittings in the parallel debating chamber, known as Westminster Hall, which are considered half days. The amendments to Standing Order 14 give the committee 35 days per session, of which at least 27 are taken on the floor of the House (as opposed to Westminster Hall). The one-and-one-half-hour Topical Debates, which count as quarter days, are also within the ambit of the committee. [1]

Membership

As set out by Standing Order 152, the committee consists of a chair and seven other members to be elected at the beginning of each session. The chair, who must be an opposition member, is elected under the alternative vote method in a manner similar to other select committee chairs. The other members are selected under the single transferable vote method with the stipulation that the eight members (including the chair) reflect a distribution of the seats made by the Speaker, which is to reflect the party composition of the House of Commons. In addition, at least two men and two women must be elected. Ministers of the Crown, Parliamentary Private Secretaries, and 'principal opposition frontbench spokespersons' are prohibited from standing for election as chair or as a member. [1] The committee's Chair is currently Ian Mearns. [3] As of June 2023, the membership is as follows: [4] [5]

MemberPartyConstituency
Ian Mearns MP (chair) Labour Gateshead
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Kevin Foster MP Conservative Torbay
Patricia Gibson MP SNP North Ayrshire and Arran
Chris Green MP Conservative Bolton West
Nigel Mills MP Conservative Amber Valley
Wendy Morton MP Conservative Aldridge-Brownhills
Kate Osborne MP Labour Jarrow

Changes since 2021

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
2 November 2021 Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) Orpington → Duncan Baker MP (Conservative) North Norfolk Hansard
15 March 2022 Duncan Baker MP (Conservative) North Norfolk → Chris Green MP (Conservative) Bolton West Hansard
David Johnston MP (Conservative) Wantage Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative) Broadland
3 May 2022 Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Independent) Wakefield →VacantResignation of member from Parliament [6]
21 November 2022 Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative) Broadland → Wendy Morton MP (Conservative) Aldridge-Brownhills Hansard


2020 election

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020, with members being announced on 2 March 2020. [7] [8]

MemberPartyConstituency
Ian Mearns MP (chair) Labour Gateshead
Nickie Aiken MP Conservative Cities of London and Westminster
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Fiona Bruce MP Conservative Congleton
Patricia Gibson MP SNP North Ayrshire and Arran
Nigel Mills MP Conservative Amber Valley
Lia Nici MP Conservative Great Grimsby
Claudia Webbe MP Labour Leicester East

Changes 2020-2021

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
20 July 2020 Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative) Cities of London and Westminster → Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) Orpington Hansard
18 January 2021 Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative) Congleton → Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Conservative) Wakefield Hansard
1 March 2021 Lia Nici MP (Conservative) Great Grimsby → David Johnston MP (Conservative) Wantage Hansard

2017 election

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with members being announced on 11 September 2017. [9] [10]

MemberPartyConstituency
Ian Mearns MP (chair) Labour Gateshead
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Rehman Chishti MP Conservative Gillingham and Rainham
Patricia Gibson MP SNP North Ayrshire and Arran
Jess Phillips MP Labour Birmingham Yardley
Alex Sobel MP Labour Leeds North West
William Wragg MP Conservative Hazel Grove

Changes 2017-2019

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
16 October 2017New seat→ Robert Courts MP (Conservative) Witney Hansard
23 October 2017 Rehman Chishti MP (Conservative) Gillingham and Rainham → Chris Davies MP (Conservative) Brecon and Radnorshire Hansard
19 March 2018 Robert Courts MP (Conservative) Witney → Nigel Mills MP (Conservative) Amber Valley Hansard
23 April 2018 Chris Davies MP (Conservative) Brecon and Radnorshire → Colin Clark MP (Conservative) Gordon Hansard

2016 election

The chair was elected on 24 May 2016, with members being announced on 13 June 2016. [11] [12]

MemberPartyConstituency
Ian Mearns MP (chair) Labour Gateshead
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Kevin Foster MP Conservative Torbay
Wendy Morton MP Conservative Aldridge-Brownhills
Gavin Newlands MP SNP Paisley and Renfrewshire North
David Nuttall MP Conservative Bury North
Jess Phillips MP Labour Birmingham Yardley
William Wragg MP Conservative Hazel Grove

Changes 2016-2017

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
31 October 2016 Wendy Morton MP (Conservative) Aldridge-Brownhills →Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Hansard
30 January 2017Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) Central Suffolk and North Ipswich → Robert Courts MP (Conservative) Witney Hansard

2015 election

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 20 July 2015. [13] [14]

MemberPartyConstituency
Ian Mearns MP (chair) Labour Gateshead
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Peter Bone MP Conservative Wellingborough
Philip Hollobone MP Conservative Kettering
Gavin Newlands MP SNP Paisley and Renfrewshire North
David Nuttall MP Conservative Bury North
Jess Phillips MP Labour Birmingham Yardley

Changes 2015-2016

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
14 December 2015New seat→ Kevin Foster MP (Conservative) Torbay Hansard

2014 election

The chair was elected on 11 June 2014, with members being elected on 30 June 2014. [15] [16]

MemberPartyConstituency
Natascha Engel MP (chair) Labour North East Derbyshire
David Amess MP Conservative Southend West
David Anderson MP Labour Blaydon
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Oliver Colvile MP Conservative Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
John Hemming MP Liberal Democrats Birmingham Yardley
Ian Mearns MP Labour Gateshead

2013 election

The chair was elected on 15 May 2013, with members being elected on 10 June 2013. [17] [18]

MemberPartyConstituency
Natascha Engel MP (chair) Labour North East Derbyshire
David Amess MP Conservative Southend West
David Anderson MP Labour Blaydon
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Jane Ellison MP Conservative Battersea
John Hemming MP Liberal Democrats Birmingham Yardley
Marcus Jones MP Conservative Nuneaton
Ian Mearns MP Labour Gateshead

Changes 2013-2014

DateOutgoing Member
& Party		Constituency→New Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
4 November 2013 Jane Ellison MP (Conservative) Battersea → Mark Spencer MP (Conservative) Sherwood Hansard
4 November 2013 Marcus Jones MP (Conservative) Nuneaton → Oliver Colvile MP (Conservative) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Hansard
Mark Spencer MP (Conservative) Sherwood Alec Shelbrooke MP (Conservative) Elmet and Rothwell

2012 election

The chair was elected on 16 May 2012, with members being elected on 12 June 2012. [19] [20]

MemberPartyConstituency
Natascha Engel MP (chair) Labour North East Derbyshire
David Amess MP Conservative Southend West
David Anderson MP Labour Blaydon
Bob Blackman MP Conservative Harrow East
Jane Ellison MP Conservative Battersea
John Hemming MP Liberal Democrats Birmingham Yardley
Marcus Jones MP Conservative Nuneaton
Ian Mearns MP Labour Gateshead

2010 election

The chair was elected on 22 June 2010, with members being elected on 29 June 2010. [21] [22]

MemberPartyConstituency
Natascha Engel MP (chair) Labour North East Derbyshire
David Anderson MP Labour Blaydon
Peter Bone MP Conservative Wellingborough
Philip Davies MP Conservative Shipley
Jane Ellison MP Conservative Battersea
John Hemming MP Liberal Democrats Birmingham Yardley
Philip Hollobone MP Conservative Kettering
Alison Seabeck MP Labour Plymouth Moor View

By-elections 2010-2012

Date of resignationOutgoing Member
& Party		ConstituencySourceDate of by-electionNew Member
& Party		ConstituencySource
3 November 2010 David Anderson MP (Labour) Blaydon Hansard 8 November 2010 Ian Mearns MP (Labour) Gateshead Hansard
Alison Seabeck MP (Labour) Plymouth Moor View George Mudie MP (Labour) Leeds East

Review

When it created the committee, the House resolved to review the committee's work at the beginning of the 2011/12 session. The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, stated that the purpose of the review was to help reach the next phase of implementing the Wright Committee report: setting up a committee to manage substantially all House business. [23]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 House of Commons Votes and Proceedings, 15 June 2010
  2. ↑ "The House of Commons - Reform of the House of Commons Committee". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  3. ↑ "Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced". UK Parliament. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Backbench Business Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Committees Volume 722: debated on Tuesday 8 November 2022". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022. That Kevin Foster be a member of the Backbench Business Committee.
  6. ↑ Hinton, Megan (3 May 2022). "Imran Ahmad Khan quits as Wakefield MP after sexually assaulting 15-year-old boy". LBC. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 670. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 27 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 672. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 2 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
  10. ↑ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 611. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 24 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 611. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 13 June 2016.
  13. ↑ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 20 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "G7". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 582. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 June 2014.
  16. ↑ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 583. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 30 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "English Baccalaureate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 563. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 16 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "BACKBENCH BUSINESS". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 564. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 545. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 16 May 2012.
  20. ↑ "Backbench Business Committee". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 546. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 June 2012.
  21. ↑ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 512. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 22 June 2010.
  22. ↑ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 512. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 29 June 2010.
  23. ↑ House of Commons Debates 15 June 2010 v511 c782
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