There have been questions about how the overseas secretary could be held to account given he’s now not an MP.
MPs are contemplating utilizing an arcane parliamentary mechanism to drive Lord Cameron to take questions in the House of Commons.
There have been questions about how Lord Cameron – who was appointed a peer to permit him to be overseas secretary in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle – could be held to account given he’s now not an MP.
MPs are contemplating calling the overseas secretary to the bar of the Commons, the white line on the chamber flooring which marks the boundary past which visitors or guests could not cross when the House is sitting.
Calling Lord Cameron to the bar would permit him to be quizzed in the chamber although he isn’t an elected MP.
Traditionally, solely MPs are allowed to sit on the inexperienced Commons benches.
According to the New Statesman, MPs on the Procedure Select Committee favour the transfer – which has not been used for nearly 70 years – and are set to advocate MPs undertake the measure to permit the overseas secretary to be scrutinised in individual.
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At current Lord Cameron provides statements in the House of Lords, whereas a junior overseas workplace minister takes questions in the Commons. He has additionally appeared in entrance of choose committees for questioning.
A committee spokesman mentioned: “The Procedure Committee has undertaken an inquiry into how members of the House of Commons can scrutinise secretaries of states in the Lords.
“The committee will report back with its proposals shortly.”
Downing Street mentioned it might consider any suggestions made and Penny Mordaunt, the Commons chief, not too long ago instructed the committee Lord Cameron was “keen to accommodate what the Commons’ optimal solution is” for permitting MPs to maintain him to account.
However, Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart instructed the inquiry the committee must be conscious that any suggestion for Lord Cameron to take questions in the Commons might have “unintended effects”.
“Starting to have secretaries of state in the Lords and them coming to the Commons to give evidence would probably lead over time to more secretaries of state being in the Lords,” he mentioned.
“It might, over time, lead to prime ministers being in the Lords. That is not inevitable, but it is something that the committee might wish to bear in mind.”
He revealed that the Duke of Wellington was requested in 1814 to come to the bar of the House to thank the Commons for its help after the Peninsula War in Spain, and that the final time the process was used was in 1957 when journalist Sir John Junor was reprimanded for contempt of parliament.
Lucy Powell, Labour’s shadow Commons chief, instructed the panel’s inquiry on 18 December that forcing the overseas secretary to the bar was “not the optimal option”.
Instead she mentioned a big committee room in parliament might be used to act as a Grand Committee throughout which Lord Cameron might face questions.
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A Number 10 spokeswoman mentioned: “The overseas secretary gives proof to choose committees and takes questions in the House of Lords.
“He can also be represented by a minister of state in the Commons answering questions, so in that respect he’s totally accountable to parliament.
“Any suggestions or studies coming by way of from varied committees could be checked out in the same old manner.
“We are assured we have now the correct preparations in place to make sure that the federal government is held to account and scrutinised in each Houses.”
