Professor David Farrell:

This is where there are some differing views among the political scientists. I am on record as asking why do we have to have committees apply for each and every vote, why not, for example, have it that it applies for money votes, if one is a Government member, or, perhaps, votes that are very specifically relating to manifesto promises by one's party, that maybe one should identify those areas as areas where the Whip system should apply. One is a signed up member, one fought the election, therefore, one should sign up to the agenda of one's party, but that in other respects the committee system should be relaxed and we should be relatively more relaxed about Governments occasionally losing votes. That is the type of views I have set out in the past but others have suggested that one is on a slippery slope if one does that.