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Mr. Nick Hawkins (Blackpool, South): On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will be aware of the serious events that took place in the Committee Corridor late yesterday afternoon. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson), who is a cricketing friend of mine and has apologised to me, was one of the sponsors of a meeting in Committee Room 14. At the conclusion of that meeting, when those attending were not accompanied by any hon. Member, they refused to leave, thus preventing another meeting taking place, which I and some of my hon. Friends were planning to attend.
The Serjeant at Arms had to be informed, and a large number of police officers summoned. Hon. Members on both sides of the House were prevented from passing and re-passing the Committee Room on their way to and from other meetings in that Corridor. Worst of all, those attending the meeting, who were socialist militants, insisted on continuing, and not only to obstruct the business of this House, but to chant socialist slogans in a most offensive way. That exploded for ever the myth of new Labour.
I know that the hon. Member for Nottingham, South has written to you to apologise, and to indicate his stance on the matter. What steps will you take to ensure that hon. Members are aware that they never allow those they have invited into this place to remain in Committee Rooms unaccompanied by any hon. Member?
Mr. Alan Simpson (Nottingham, South):
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) for raising this matter, and giving me the opportunity to repeat the apology that I made to you in writing last night, to hon. Members who booked the subsequent meetings, which were disrupted, and to the many hon. Members with whom I spoke in the corridors during what seemed to be a large part of yesterday evening.
I owe the House an apology and an explanation. The meeting was booked--
Madam Speaker:
Order. No explanation is necessary. It is perfectly legitimate for hon. Members to book rooms in this House for a meeting. What disturbs the House and me is that the hon. Member responsible for those lobbyists did not see them off the premises. That is the point, and I think that the hon. Gentleman is giving some explanation and making an apology.
Mr. Simpson:
Although I had made assiduous efforts to ensure that everyone came in properly, my error in failing to make the exit equally uneventful was seriously misjudged. I was the last to speak at the meeting, and left it only to inform the police and staff on the Corridor that I had been told that those attending were about to depart. My mistake was that I went down to the Lobby to pick up a full copy of the Budget briefing papers.
Only when I was then informed by the Serjeant at Arms that the meeting had not disbanded did I realise that I had not discharged my responsibilities fully and properly, and for that I apologise to the House in the way that I apologised to you last night.
Madam Speaker:
That matter was brought to my attention at the time. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) and I have exchanged correspondence. He is left in no doubt as to what I feel about that neglect of duty yesterday. The matter is now closed.
Mr. Peter Luff (Worcester)
rose--
Madam Speaker:
Sit down. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South has apologised to the House and to me. I am sure that there are lessons to be drawn from that incident, and that it will not happen again.
Mr. Mike O'Brien (North Warwickshire):
May I draw to your attention an incident in my constituency, on which I wish to raise a point of order, Madam Speaker? Coleshill high school in my constituency received an Office of Standards in Education report from the schools inspector. An attempt was made to withdraw the report a couple of days later, apparently because of some of the contents.
A second report was filed which had had some of the contents of the first report deleted. What was deleted was criticism of the Government.
Madam Speaker:
Order. What is my responsibility in the matter?
Mr. O'Brien:
I am just coming to exactly that point. The situation raises serious questions about the way in which such reports are prepared and about the whole process. Is it not exactly the sort of--
Madam Speaker:
Order. The hon. Gentleman must come to my responsibility in the matter of this report.
Mr. O'Brien:
Is it not exactly the sort of incident on which you should insist that the Secretary of State for Education and Employment should make an urgent statement, because it raises such profound issues?
Madam Speaker:
I have no authority or influence over Ministers making statements. The hon. Gentleman has not raised a point of order; he has wasted the House's time. If a statement is to be made by a Minister, it is always on
Mr. Luff:
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. This is not a bogus point of order. I am sure that the whole House will appreciate the apology offered by the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson)--
Madam Speaker:
Order. Allow me to deal with this. The hon. Gentleman will resume his seat for a moment.
Madam Speaker:
He will resume his seat. If he has a different point of order, I will of course hear it, but the other matter is now closed.
Mr. Luff:
My understanding is that the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) had also booked that Room, and I hope that you will draw his attention to what you have said about the other matter, and clarify to all hon. Members the fact that, when they make bookings, as the right hon. Member for Chesterfield also did, they have a responsibility--
Mr. Secretary Howard, supported by The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Lilley, Mrs. Secretary Shephard, Mr. Secretary Hague and Miss Ann Widdecombe, presented a Bill to amend and supplement the Immigration Act 1971 and the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993; to make further provision with respect to immigrants and the employment of immigrants; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time tomorrow and to be printed. [Bill 8.]
Order read for resuming debate on Question [28 November].
Motion made, and Question proposed,
(i) zero-rating or exempting supplies of goods which are, or are to be, subjected to a fiscal or other warehousing regime; or (ii) zero-rating or exempting supplies of services on or in relation to such goods;
Madam Speaker:
I must put a 10-minute limit on Back-Bench speeches.
Mr. Gordon Brown (Dunfermline, East):
The House may recall that in Easter this year the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the feel-good factor would probably not return for two years--until after the election. We now know what he meant, because the central challenge for the Budget--to acknowledge and tackle the real weaknesses of the British economy--was to encourage new and sustained investment, to close the investment gap with our competitors and to move people out of welfare into work and so reduce the huge bills for social security.
That it is expedient to amend the law with respect to the National Debt and the public revenue and to make further provision in connection with finance; but this Resolution does not extend to the making of any amendment with respect to value added tax so as to provide--
(a) for zero-rating or exempting any supply, acquisition or importation otherwise than by--
(b) for refunding any amount of tax otherwise than to persons constructing or converting buildings in cases where the construction or conversion is not in the course of furtherance of a business;
(c) for varying any rate at which that tax is at any time chargeable; or
(d) for relief other than relief applying to goods of whatever description or services of whatever description.--[Mr. Kenneth Clarke.]
6.11 pm
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