Outline the arguments for Parliamentary Reform
It has been argued over the years, especially since Labour came into power, that the issue of parliamentary reform needs to be raised particularly in certain aspects concerning the House of Lords.
Within the House of Commons there are two types of committee, they are official and unofficial and they can be further subdivided. The two principle types are the standing and select committees, though the house also makes use of a form of hybrid, know as special standing committees. When a Bill has received its second reading, it reaches the committee stage. The Bill is then sent to a standing committee who examine the details of a bill within the confines of the Bill’s general principles which are approved at the second reading. Standing committees have been criticised for taking excessive time to carry out their work and because they operate on adversarial party lines. This makes there out come really predictable. It is also argued that these committees have inadequate information at their disposal since they are not permitted to take evidence from outside bodies or individuals. Norton has responded to these criticisms and has recognised some possible reforms that could make the Standing committees work far more effectively in covering the main departmental work.
