OTTAWA -- The Harper government will allow greater scrutiny of its massive, omnibus budget implementation bill.

It has agreed to a Liberal proposal to let nine House of Commons committees examine different aspects of the 400-plus-page bill, which makes changes to some 60 pieces of legislation.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had pushed the government to go much further, seeking to split the behemoth bill into 12 separate legislative chunks.

But that motion did not receive the necessary unanimous consent.

This is the second omnibus bill the Conservatives have introduced to implement last March's budget.

The first mammoth bill last spring triggered an opposition filibuster that brought Parliament to a virtual standstill for several days.