Amendments to heads of Estimates in Finance Committee

“72. (1) No amendment shall be moved in Finance Committee under this Standing Order until one clear day after that on which notice of the amendment was given to the Clerk of the Assembly.

(2) An amendment to any Head of Expenditure to increase the sum allotted thereto in respect of any item or sub-head or of the Head itself may only be moved by a Secretary who shall signify to the Committee the recommendation of the Executive Council to the increase in accordance with paragraph

(3) (g) of Standing Order No. 57 (Procedures in Committee of the Whole Assembly on Bills). Every such amendment shall take the form of a motion “That Head………………………… be increased by $…………………………………. (in respect of Sub-Head……………………………. Item ……………………..) (Sub-Head……………………)”. (3) An amendment to increase a Head, whether in respect of any item or sub-head of the Head itself, shall take precedence over an amendment to reduce the Head in the same respect, and if it is carried, no amendment to reduce the Head in that respect shall be called.

(4) An amendment to any Head of Expenditure to reduce the sum allotted thereto in respect of an item therein may be moved by any member, and shall take the form of a motion “That Head……………………… be reduced by $…………………………… in respect of (or by leaving out) Sub-Head………………… item…………………………”

(5) An amendment to reduce a Head in respect of any sub-head or by leaving out a sub-head shall only be in order if the sub-head is not itemised.

(6) An amendment to reduce a head without reference to a sub-head therein shall only be in order if the Head is not divided into sub-heads.

(7) An amendment to leave out a Head shall not be in order, and shall not be placed on the Order paper.

(8) In the case of each Head, amendments in respect of items or sub-heads under that Head shall be placed upon the Order Paper, and considered in the order in which the items or sub-heads to which they refer, stand under the Head in the Estimates.

(9) When notice has been given of two or more amendments to reduce the same item, sub-head, or Head they shall be place upon the Order Paper, and considered in the order of the magnitude of the reductions proposed, the amendments proposing the largest reduction being placed first in each case.

(10) Debate on every amendment shall be confined to the item, sub-head of Head to which the amendment refers, and after an amendment to an item or sub-head has been disposed of, no amendment or debate on a previous item or sub-head of that Head shall be permitted.

(11) When all amendments standing on the Order Paper in respect of any particular Head of Expenditure have been disposed of, the Chairman shall again propose the question “That the sum of $………………………………… for Head ……………….. stand part of the Schedule”, or shall propose the amended question “That the (increased) (reduced) sum of $………………………. for Head………………………….. stand part of the Schedule”, as the case may require. There shall be no debate on any such question.”