Sixth Report - The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
Select Committee
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
HC 167
15 September 2020
Government response
Sixth Special Report - The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011: Government’s response to the Committee’s Sixth report of Session 2019–21 · published 9 Dec 2020
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
5
Recommendation
Accepted
Para 34
The Committee welcomes the Government’s commitment not to rush through replacement legislation and to provide...
Recommendation
The Committee welcomes the Government’s commitment not to rush through replacement legislation and to provide adequate time for full scrutiny. We also appreciate the Minister’s commitment to forging cross-party support for whatever replaces the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. The first step, …
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Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, stating it has already tabled and passed a motion for a Joint Committee to review the FTPA and conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill, ensuring proper parliamentary consultation.
6
Recommendation
Accepted
The Committee does not recommend a particular composition for the review committee beyond that set...
Recommendation
The Committee does not recommend a particular composition for the review committee beyond that set out in the Act. But the Committee believes that the review committee should be a Joint Select Committee, subject to parliamentary approval and not an …
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Government Response Summary
The government has accepted the recommendation, having already tabled and agreed a motion in the House of Commons to establish a Joint Committee of both Houses to review the FTPA and scrutinise the draft Bill.
9
Recommendation
Accepted
Para 63
The two-thirds ‘super majority’ required to trigger an early election under the Act can, like...
Recommendation
The two-thirds ‘super majority’ required to trigger an early election under the Act can, like any statutory provision, be circumvented by passing an Act of Parliament to set an election date. As was made clear to the Committee the option …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees that the two-thirds super majority is an undesirable feature of the FTPA that hindered elections. Its draft Bill repeals the FTPA and revives prerogative powers, thereby removing the super majority requirement as advised by the committee.