Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Paragraph: 69
It is clear that the inability for the House of Commons to set the date...
Conclusion
It is clear that the inability for the House of Commons to set the date combined with an apparent lack of trust in the Prime Minister, contributed to the paralysis last autumn. There was support in our evidence for the view that allowing the Queen to set the date on the advice of a Prime Minister was a deficiency in the drafting of the Act. Given the Government’s stated reasons for seeking to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, it is important that consideration is given to mechanisms providing the House of Commons with the power to set the date of an early general election. The Committee recommends that the review committee consider this issue and the advantages and disadvantages of the power to call an early election and to set the date for that election being held by different institutions or whether the election state should be set in statute with a limited power of delay, as is presently the case in regards to the scheduled election date.
Paragraph Reference:
69
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
It has long been the position that the date of the election is set by Royal Proclamation on the advice of the Prime Minister. This was reflected in the FTPA and will continue to be the case under the legislation which repeals the FTPA. In taking the decision to seek a dissolution of Parliament, any Prime Minister will be mindful of the fact that the electorate at the polling booth can judge for itself the Government’s actions in such matters. The be provided to the House of Commons or subject to Parliamentary approval. Having considered the constraints the FTPA placed on the Government in the last Parliament (and the fact that one-off legislation had to be introduced to bring about an early election), a return to the tried and tested system of Parliament being dissolved by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, without a vote on the floor of the House, ensures the effective and efficient operation of our democracy.