84A   General Committees / Public bill committees

A public bill committee shall be appointed for the consideration of each bill committed to such a committee, subject to paragraphs (4) and (5).

A public bill committee to which a bill is, or certain provisions of a bill are, committed by means of a programme order under Standing Order No. 83A (Programme motions) shall have the power to send for persons, papers and records.

A public bill committee given the power (under paragraph (2) of this order or paragraph (2)(b) of Standing Order No. 63 (Committal of bills not subject to a programme order)) to send for persons, papers and records may hear oral evidence at such meetings as the committee may appoint, and, unless the committee otherwise orders, all such evidence shall be given in public. The oral evidence shall be printed in the official report of the committee's debates and the committee shall have power to report written evidence to the House as if it were a select committee.

A Scottish public bill committee shall be appointed for the consideration of-

(a) each bill certified by the Speaker as relating exclusively to Scotland and committed to a public bill committee, and

(b) each bill committed to a Scottish public bill committee.

The Committee of Selection may not nominate a public bill committee in respect of a private Member's bill while proceedings in another public bill committee on a private Member's bill are still active, unless notice of a motion in support of that nomination has been tabled by a Minister of the Crown: Provided that, if a private Member in charge of a bill for which a public bill committee has been nominated informs the Committee of Selection that he does not intend for the time being to proceed with the committee stage of his bill, the committee may nominate another public bill committee; but in such cases the first public bill committee may not meet until the second public bill committee has concluded its proceedings.