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House of Representatives                                Ch 10                                                 p 369

Schedules

With the exception of a schedule containing an Agreement to be given effect by a bill in which it is contained, a schedule to a bill can be amended ¹ or omitted and another schedule substituted ² and is treated in the same manner as a clause. Traditionally, the questions proposed were ‘That the schedule (or ‘Schedule 2’, for example) be agreed to’. ³ When a schedule has been amended, the further question is put ‘That the schedule, as amended, be agreed to’. ⁴

With the introduction of the practice of including substantive amendments to existing Acts in schedules ( see p. 340), some schedules became very extensive, possibly consisting of hundreds of items. In such cases amendments could be moved to individual items, items could be omitted, or omitted and other items substituted, and items could be inserted or added. ⁵

In the case of amending bills, schedules are considered in their numerical order before the clauses, and items within a schedule are considered in their numerical order. Consecutive items which amend the same section of an Act are considered together, unless the House otherwise orders. ⁶

See for example VP 1974-75/227; VP 1993-95/2390-1 for alteration of terms within a schedule; VP 1976-77/555 for an amendment proposing to add a Part at the end of a schedule.

VP 1956-57/199-200.

VP 1993-95/2394.

VP 1993-95/2342;VP 1996-98/321.

E.g. VP 1996-98/319-332, 453-7;VP 1998-2001/378-9.

S.O. 149(d)(iii). Amended in February 1997 following Procedure Committee recommendations in response to concerns that the new drafting practice, in conjunction with the practice of taking schedules as a whole, had removed the right of Members to debate and vote on individual amendments. Standing Committee on Procedure, Bills—consideration in detail: Review of the operation of standing order 266 .