Backbench Business Committee Explained

The Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order.^[1] It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee on Reform of the House of Commons in its report of 12 November 2009.^[2]

Remit

The committee is responsible for determining, on behalf of backbench members (i.e., members who are not Ministers of the Crown or shadow ministers), the business before the House for approximately one day each week. This includes Thursday sittings in the parallel debating chamber, known as Westminster Hall, which are considered half days. The amendments to Standing Order 14 give the committee 35 days per session, of which at least 27 are taken on the floor of the House (as opposed to Westminster Hall). The one-and-one-half-hour Topical Debates, which count as quarter days, are also within the ambit of the committee.^[1]

Membership

As set out by Standing Order 152, the committee consists of a chair and seven other members to be elected at the beginning of each session. The chair, who must be an opposition member, is elected under the alternative vote method in a manner similar to other select committee chairs. The other members are selected under the single transferable vote method with the stipulation that the eight members (including the chair) reflect a distribution of the seats made by the Speaker, which is to reflect the party composition of the House of Commons. In addition, at least two men and two women must be elected. Ministers of the Crown, Parliamentary Private Secretaries, and 'principal opposition frontbench spokespersons' are prohibited from standing for election as chair or as a member.^[1] The committee's Chair is currently Ian Mearns.^[3] As of November 2023, the membership is as follows:^{[4] [5] [6]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Mearns MP (chair)	Labour	Gateshead
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Kevin Foster MP	Conservative	Torbay
	Patricia Gibson MP	SNP	North Ayrshire and Arran
	Chris Green MP	Conservative	Bolton West
	Nigel Mills MP	Conservative	Amber Valley
	Wendy Morton MP	Conservative	Aldridge-Brownhills
	Kate Osborne MP	Labour	Jarrow

Changes since 2021

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
nowrap	2 November 2021		Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative)	Orpington	→		Duncan Baker MP (Conservative)	North Norfolk	Hansard
nowrap rowspan=2	15 March 2022		Duncan Baker MP (Conservative)	North Norfolk	→		Chris Green MP (Conservative)	Bolton West	Hansard
David Johnston MP (Conservative)	Wantage	Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative)	Broadland
nowrap	3 May 2022		Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Independent)	Wakefield	→	Vacant			Resignation of member from Parliament^[7]
nowrap	21 November 2022		Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative)	Broadland	→		Wendy Morton MP (Conservative)	Aldridge-Brownhills	Hansard

2020 election

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020, with members being announced on 2 March 2020.^{[8] [9]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Mearns MP (chair)	Labour	Gateshead
	Nickie Aiken MP	Conservative	Cities of London and Westminster
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Fiona Bruce MP	Conservative	Congleton
	Patricia Gibson MP	SNP	North Ayrshire and Arran
	Nigel Mills MP	Conservative	Amber Valley
	Lia Nici MP	Conservative	Great Grimsby
	Claudia Webbe MP	Labour	Leicester East

Changes 2020-2021

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
nowrap	20 July 2020		Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative)	Cities of London and Westminster	→		Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative)	Orpington	Hansard
nowrap	18 January 2021		Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative)	Congleton	→		Imran Ahmad Khan MP (Conservative)	Wakefield	Hansard
nowrap	1 March 2021		Lia Nici MP (Conservative)	Great Grimsby	→		David Johnston MP (Conservative)	Wantage	Hansard

2017 election

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with members being announced on 11 September 2017.^{[10] [11]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Mearns MP (chair)	Labour	Gateshead
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Rehman Chishti MP	Conservative	Gillingham and Rainham
	Patricia Gibson MP	SNP	North Ayrshire and Arran
	Jess Phillips MP	Labour	Birmingham Yardley
	Alex Sobel MP	Labour	Leeds North West
	William Wragg MP	Conservative	Hazel Grove

Changes 2017-2019

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
nowrap	16 October 2017	New seat			→		Robert Courts MP (Conservative)	Witney	Hansard
nowrap	23 October 2017		Rehman Chishti MP (Conservative)	Gillingham and Rainham	→		Chris Davies MP (Conservative)	Brecon and Radnorshire	Hansard
nowrap	19 March 2018		Robert Courts MP (Conservative)	Witney	→		Nigel Mills MP (Conservative)	Amber Valley	Hansard
nowrap	23 April 2018		Chris Davies MP (Conservative)	Brecon and Radnorshire	→		Colin Clark MP (Conservative)	Gordon	Hansard

2016 election

The chair was elected on 24 May 2016, with members being announced on 13 June 2016.^{[12] [13]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Mearns MP (chair)	Labour	Gateshead
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Kevin Foster MP	Conservative	Torbay
	Wendy Morton MP	Conservative	Aldridge-Brownhills
	Gavin Newlands MP	SNP	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
	David Nuttall MP	Conservative	Bury North
	Jess Phillips MP	Labour	Birmingham Yardley
	William Wragg MP	Conservative	Hazel Grove

Changes 2016-2017

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
nowrap	31 October 2016		Wendy Morton MP (Conservative)	Aldridge-Brownhills	→		Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative)	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich	Hansard
nowrap	30 January 2017		Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative)	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich	→		Robert Courts MP (Conservative)	Witney	Hansard

2015 election

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 20 July 2015.^{[14] [15]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Mearns MP (chair)	Labour	Gateshead
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Peter Bone MP	Conservative	Wellingborough
	Philip Hollobone MP	Conservative	Kettering
	Gavin Newlands MP	SNP	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
	David Nuttall MP	Conservative	Bury North
	Jess Phillips MP	Labour	Birmingham Yardley

Changes 2015-2016

2014 election

The chair was elected on 11 June 2014, with members being elected on 30 June 2014.^{[16] [17]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Natascha Engel MP (chair)	Labour	North East Derbyshire
	David Amess MP	Conservative	Southend West
	David Anderson MP	Labour	Blaydon
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Oliver Colvile MP	Conservative	Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
	John Hemming MP	Liberal Democrats	Birmingham Yardley
	Ian Mearns MP	Labour	Gateshead

2013 election

The chair was elected on 15 May 2013, with members being elected on 10 June 2013.^{[18] [19]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Natascha Engel MP (chair)	Labour	North East Derbyshire
	David Amess MP	Conservative	Southend West
	David Anderson MP	Labour	Blaydon
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Jane Ellison MP	Conservative	Battersea
	John Hemming MP	Liberal Democrats	Birmingham Yardley
	Marcus Jones MP	Conservative	Nuneaton
	Ian Mearns MP	Labour	Gateshead

Changes 2013-2014

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
nowrap	4 November 2013		Jane Ellison MP (Conservative)	Battersea	→		Mark Spencer MP (Conservative)	Sherwood	Hansard
nowrap rowspan=2	4 November 2013		Marcus Jones MP (Conservative)	Nuneaton	→		Oliver Colvile MP (Conservative)	Plymouth Sutton and Devonport	Hansard
Mark Spencer MP (Conservative)	Sherwood	Alec Shelbrooke MP (Conservative)	Elmet and Rothwell

2012 election

The chair was elected on 16 May 2012, with members being elected on 12 June 2012.^{[20] [21]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Natascha Engel MP (chair)	Labour	North East Derbyshire
	David Amess MP	Conservative	Southend West
	David Anderson MP	Labour	Blaydon
	Bob Blackman MP	Conservative	Harrow East
	Jane Ellison MP	Conservative	Battersea
	John Hemming MP	Liberal Democrats	Birmingham Yardley
	Marcus Jones MP	Conservative	Nuneaton
	Ian Mearns MP	Labour	Gateshead

2010 election

The chair was elected on 22 June 2010, with members being elected on 29 June 2010.^{[22] [23]}

Member		Party	Constituency
	Natascha Engel MP (chair)	Labour	North East Derbyshire
	David Anderson MP	Labour	Blaydon
	Peter Bone MP	Conservative	Wellingborough
	Philip Davies MP	Conservative	Shipley
	Jane Ellison MP	Conservative	Battersea
	John Hemming MP	Liberal Democrats	Birmingham Yardley
	Philip Hollobone MP	Conservative	Kettering
	Alison Seabeck MP	Labour	Plymouth Moor View

By-elections 2010-2012

Date of resignation	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	Source	Date of by-election	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
3 November 2010		David Anderson MP (Labour)	Blaydon	Hansard	8 November 2010		Ian Mearns MP (Labour)	Gateshead	Hansard
	Alison Seabeck MP (Labour)	Plymouth Moor View	George Mudie MP (Labour)			Leeds East

Review

When it created the committee, the House resolved to review the committee's work at the beginning of the 2011/12 session. The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, stated that the purpose of the review was to help reach the next phase of implementing the Wright Committee report: setting up a committee to manage substantially all House business.^[24]

Notes and References

1. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmvote/100615v01.htm House of Commons Votes and Proceedings, 15 June 2010
2. Web site: The House of Commons - Reform of the House of Commons Committee . Parliament.uk . 2010-06-06.
3. Web site: Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced. UK Parliament. 22 June 2015.
4. Web site: Backbench Business Committee . 2023-06-16 . UK Parliament.
5. Web site: Committees Volume 722: debated on Tuesday 8 November 2022 . . 8 November 2022 . hansard.parliament.uk . UK Hansard . 2 December 2022 . That Kevin Foster be a member of the Backbench Business Committee..
6. Web site: Business without Debate Volume 741: debated on Monday 27 November 2023 . . 27 November 2023 . hansard.parliament.uk . UK Hansard . 7 December 2023 . That Bob Blackman, Kevin Foster, Patricia Gibson, Chris Green, Nigel Mills, Wendy Morton and Kate Osborne be added to the Backbench Business Committee.—(Rebecca Harris, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.).
7. News: Hinton . Megan . Imran Ahmad Khan quits as Wakefield MP after sexually assaulting 15-year-old boy . 6 July 2022 . LBC . 3 May 2022 . en.
8. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement: Select Committee Chairs . House of Commons . 27 January 2020 . 670 .
9. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Committees . House of Commons . 2 March 2020 . 672 .
10. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement: Select Committee Chairs . House of Commons . 12 July 2017 . 627 .
11. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Business without Debate . House of Commons . 11 September 2017 . 628 .
12. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 24 May 2016 . 611 .
13. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Business without Debate . House of Commons . 13 June 2016 . 611 .
14. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 18 June 2015 . 597 .
15. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Committees . House of Commons . 20 July 2015 . 598 .
16. Parliament of the United Kingdom . G7 . House of Commons . 11 June 2014 . 582 .
17. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Business without Debate . House of Commons . 30 June 2014 . 583 .
18. Parliament of the United Kingdom . English Baccalaureate . House of Commons . 16 May 2013 . 563 .
19. Parliament of the United Kingdom . BACKBENCH BUSINESS . House of Commons . 10 June 2013 . 564 .
20. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 16 May 2012 . 545 .
21. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Backbench Business Committee . House of Commons . 12 June 2012 . 546 .
22. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 22 June 2010 . 512 .
23. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 29 June 2010 . 512 .
24. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100615/debtext/100615-0010.htm#10061550000001 House of Commons Debates 15 June 2010 v511 c782