A report by a committee of MPs made a series of recommendations designed to enhance Parliament's control over its own agenda, timetable, and procedures. It also suggested that the public should be given some direct say over what MPs debated, through devices such as e-petitions.
Source: Rebuilding the House, First Report (Session 2008-09), HC 1117, House of Commons Reform Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | UCL press release | Hansard Society press release | Unlock Democracy press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
The watchdog for standards in public life (chaired by Christopher Kelly) published a report calling for fundamental reform of the system of expenses and allowance for Members of Parliament.
Source: MPs' Expenses and Allowances: Supporting Parliament, safeguarding the taxpayer, Twelfth Report (Session 2008-09), Cm 7724, Committee on Standards in Public Life, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | CSPL press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report by a committee of peers expressed concern that the government concentrated too much on the creation of new secondary legislation, and did not properly review what was already in place and whether it worked or not.
Source: What Happened Next? A study of post-implementation reviews of secondary legislation, 30th Report (Session 2008-09), HL 180, House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Nov
The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill was published. The Bill was designed to place the Civil Service Code of impartiality and professionalism on a statutory footing, and make any change to the Code subject to Parliamentary approval; remove the hereditary principle from the House of Lords, and allow for the disqualification of peers found guilty of serious criminal offences; repeal the legislation that limited protests around Parliament; and remove the Prime Minister from involvement in all judicial appointments in England and Wales. Plans to reform the role of Attorney General (contained in the draft Bill) were dropped.
Source: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 21 July 2009, columns 131-132WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard (1) | Hansard (2) | MOJ press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that, despite having carried through major reforms, the government had not developed any consistent process for constitutional reform. Further reform needed to be underpinned by a set of constitutional principles, based on a proper understanding of the position and role of Parliament in relation to the other institutions of state.
Source: Constitutional Reform and Renewal, Eleventh Report (Session 2008-09), HC 923, House of Commons Justice Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jul
A 'blueprint' was published for reform of the House of Commons. It recommended the creation of a Business Committee to put control of the parliamentary timetable in the hands of a cross-party body of MPs rather than the executive; a Parliamentary Finance Office, designed to provide individual MPs with independent expertise and advice on financial matters, empowering them to improve scrutiny of public spending and taxation proposals; a shift towards a committee-based culture, with select committee chairs and members elected by MPs instead of selected by party whips; a system of 'e-petitions' to help revitalize public engagement with Parliament; and the appointment of a chief executive to professionalize the organization and operation of the House of Commons.
Source: House of Commons Reform, Representative Democracy Briefing Paper 1, Hansard Society (020 7955 7459)
Links: Paper | Hansard Society press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published a plan for Britain's future, describing it as 'a radical vision for a fairer, stronger and more prosperous society'. It included a programme of democratic and constitutional reform, including plans for a smaller and democratically constituted second chamber.
Source: Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, Prime Minister's Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | Cabinet Office press release | TUC press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Jun