Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:33 am Post subject: Another 2 headed monster, or sane views on the wayward..?
The Commons has approved plans to create new regional select committees, although the chairmen will not be paid.
After a bitterly fought debate in the House on Wednesday MPs backed the plan to create eight new grand committees for the English regions by 254 votes to 220.
The bodies will seek to scrutinise the work of the government's regional ministers, as well as regional development agencies and strategic health authorities.
But opponents have criticised the fact that they will have government majorities even in areas where the Labour Party does not have the most MPs and that in some cases members will not be from the relevant region.
And a rebel amendment from Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay proposing that the chairmen of the committees are not paid additional salaries was passed by just two votes, by 239 to 237.
The proposal was originally put forward by the prime minister last year. But it was only backed by the Commons modernisation committee on the casting vote of its chairwoman, government minister and leader of the House Harriet Harman.
Critics claimed that the committee will based on "artificial" boundaries and create an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and administration at an additional cost to the taxpayer.
However Harman argued that, on the contrary, the committees would ensure value for money.
"In our current economic climate it's even more important that we ensure taxpayers' money is being used in the most effective and efficient way in every region," she said.
"The regional committees we propose plug the accountability gap and provide the House with a means to conduct effective investigations and make clear recommendations for change."
But shadow Commons leader Theresa May warned the cost of running the select and grand committees could amount to £2m.
"We are told that the annual running costs of the committees could amount to just over £1m. I suspect it will be considerably higher," she said.
"I suspect that with the outlay on grand committees, which are also being proposed by the government, this will be a bill fast approaching £1.5 if not £2m a year. And I think that is money that could be rather better spent."
And she added that: "Regional select committees would duplicate the work of existing committees.
"They risk disrupting the work of departmental select committees. They will duplicate the scrutiny work already taking place in the regions.
"They will significantly increase the demands on House resources and put a significant increased burden on members' time, taking more members away from this Chamber.
"They were not the collective wish of the modernisation committee. They are being introduced by government for its own ends, not in the interests of this House."
Wed 12th Nov 2008
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