HAVING watched some of the televised coverage of the Commons debates on the Lords amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill, two aspects of Parliamentary procedures stand out as requiring reform.
Firstly, whenever a debate ends and a Division is called a vote has to be taken which, due to the archaic voting system, takes significant time to accomplish which could otherwise be spent on debating the next motion. Surely it is time to introduce an instant electronic voting system to make the best use of the time available for debate?
Secondly, as I understand it, if as happened yesterday the Commons votes to reject a Lords amendment, the matter has to be referred back to the Lords for their reconsideration in what is known as the ping-pong procedure. The Lords then debate it again and if they maintain their proposed amendment it goes back to the Commons for a decisive debate and vote. How can all this time-wasting procedure be justified? The unelected Lords had their opportunity the first time to give the elected Commons the benefit of their advice , and if the Commons then rejects that advice, as happened yesterday, that should be an end to the matter.
Alan Fitzpatrick,
10 Solomon’s View, Dunlop.
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