Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I wonder if you or the clerk could advise me of what the Standing Orders and the rules and procedures actually are. It's one thing to be able to vote at committee; I don't know if those rules are exactly the same for being able to speak or ask questions at the committee.
In the past, members of the House of Commons have been allowed to attend various committee meetings, even as independent members or members without official party status, in order to ask questions of witnesses. We've had agreements—I guess maybe unwritten agreements—to be allowed to do that. I'm seeking clarification on whether the rules about being able to question witnesses or take the floor are the same as the rules when it comes to being able to vote on a question put before the committee.