[Sir Gary Streeter in the Chair]

Colleagues, welcome to this interesting Committee, as we get stuck into this important Bill. We are now sitting in public and the proceedings are being broadcast. I have taken my jacket off, so feel free to disrobe in any way that you feel is appropriate. I have a few preliminary announcements. Hansard colleagues would be grateful if Members could email their speaking notes, if they exist, to hansardnotes@parliament.uk. When I was first elected, we never had to say such things, as we did not have emails. Please switch electronic devices to silent. Tea and coffee are not allowed during sittings.

We will first consider the programme motion on the amendment paper. We will then consider a motion to enable the reporting of written evidence for publication and, if we need to, a motion to allow us to deliberate in private about our questions before the oral evidence session. In view of the time available, I hope that we can take those matters without debate. I call the Minister to move formally the programme motion in her name, which was discussed yesterday by the Programming Sub-Committee for the Bill.

Ordered,

That—

(1) the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 9.25 am on Tuesday 8 November) meet—

(a) at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 8 November;

(b) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 22 November;

(c) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 24 November;

(d) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 29 November;

(2) the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following Table:

Date

Time

Witness

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 9.50 am

Sir Stephen Laws KCB KC

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 10.25 am

Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor of European & Employment Law, University of Cambridge; Professor Alison Young; Sir David Williams, Professor of Public Law, University of Cambridge

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 10.55 am

Tom Sharpe KC, One Essex Court; Martin Howe KC, 8 New Square

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 11.25 am

The Bar Council; Eleonor Duhs, Bates Wells

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 2.35 pm

Sir Richard Aikens, Brick Court Chambers; Barnabas Reynolds, Shearman and Sterling; Jack Williams, Monckton Chambers

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 3.05 pm

Sir Jonathan Jones KC, Linklaters; Hansard Society

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 3.35 pm

Trades Union Congress; Unison

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 4.20 pm

Green Alliance; Wildlife & Countryside Link; Unchecked UK; RSPCA

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 4.40 pm

The Scottish Government

Tuesday 8 November

Until no later than 5.10 pm

Law Society of Scotland; Charles Whitmore, Research Associate, Cardiff University; Dr Viviane Gravey, Senior Lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast

(3) proceedings on consideration of the Bill in Committee shall be taken in the following order: Clauses 1 to 10, Schedule 1, Clauses 11 to 20, Schedules 2 and 3, Clauses 21 to 23, new Clauses, new Schedules, remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(4) the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5.00 pm on Tuesday 29 November. —

The Committee will therefore proceed to line-by-line consideration of the Bill on Tuesday 22 November at 9.25 am.

Resolved,

That, subject to the discretion of the Chair, any written evidence received by the Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.—(Ms Ghani.)

Copies of written evidence that the Committee receive will be made available in the Committee Room and circulated to Members by email.

The next motion relates to deliberating in private. We may not need to move this motion, colleagues. My suggestion is that I will start every panel by turning to the Labour lead to ask the first questions. We will then go across the Committee. Indicate to me if you wish to ask a question to the particular witness, bearing in mind that the knives are absolute; we have 15 or 20 minutes, or whatever, with each group of witnesses, and we cannot go beyond that.

It would be helpful, if you are asking a question, and if there is more than one witness at the time—particularly if we have witnesses on Zoom and witnesses in person—to indicate who in particular you would like to answer the question, or whether you would like them all to answer. That would be quite helpful, but you will probably forget that after about 10 minutes. Are we happy to proceed on that basis without going into a private session to agree how we will ask the questions? If everyone is happy, that is that.

This is a serious moment, colleagues. Before we start hearing from the witnesses, do any Members wish to make a declaration of interests in connection with the Bill? No. In that case, we will now hear oral evidence from Sir Stephen Laws, former First Parliamentary Counsel, who is waiting patiently for us on Zoom. Before calling the first Member to ask a question, I remind all Members that questions should be limited to matters within the scope of the Bill, and we must stick to the timings in the programme motion that the Committee has agreed. For the first witness, we have until 9.50 am.