HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

“That the House do now resolve itself into a committee upon the
bill.”
8.77 This motion is sometimes used as an opportunity for a general
discussion on the amendments or on the procedure to be followed in
committee or on whether to go into committee at that time. The motion
may be opposed by reasoned amendment or by an amendment to
postpone the committee stage or to discharge the order of commitment
and to commit the bill instead to another committee, though opposition
to the motion seldom occurs. When the committee stage lasts more
than one day, the motion moved on a subsequent day “That the House
do again resolve itself into a committee upon the bill” may provide an
opportunity to raise matters relating to the progress of the bill.
8.78 When the motion that the House go into committee has been
agreed to, the Lord on the Woolsack leaves the Woolsack, takes the
Chair at the Table of the House 1 and puts the formal Questions
postponing the long title and any preamble (no motion being moved).
Powers and duties of Chairman
8.79 The powers and duties of the Lord in the Chair are the same as
those of the Lord Speaker or Deputy Speaker when the House is sitting
(see paragraph 4.07). They are generally confined to the calling on of
clauses, Schedules and amendments to bills referred to the committee,
and putting the Question thereon. The Lord in the Chair also makes the
formal report of the committee to the whole House. Like any other
member, the Lord in the Chair may vote; he does not (as in the
Commons) have a casting vote.
Powers of Committee of the whole House
8.80 A Committee of the whole House can only consider those
matters which have been referred to it, including any instruction to the
committee given by the House. Where a bill has been committed to a
committee, the whole bill is the committee’s order of reference. A
Committee of the whole House has no power to adjourn the sitting or
to adjourn its consideration of a bill to a future sitting (though
Committees of the whole House may interrupt their consideration of a
1 SO 62.
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