| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Business of the House
4.6 pm
The President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mrs. Margaret Beckett): With the leave of the House, I should like to make a short business statement about the business for Wednesday 1 March.
The business will now be, first, a motion to approve the Fifth Report of the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges; followed by Second Reading of the Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Bill; followed by Second Reading of the Nuclear Safeguards Bill [HL]. That is to be followed, at 7 o'clock, by an Opposition Day [6th Allotted Day, first part], when there will be a debate entitled "Tax Cuts and Public Services", in the name of the Liberal Democrats.
Sir George Young (North-West Hampshire):
The Opposition have no difficulty with that change of business, but I should like to ask two quick questions. First, if for whatever reason the House has inadequate time to debate either or both of the two Government Bills by 7 o'clock, am I right to assume that the Government will not seek to secure a Second Reading of one or both Bills? Am I also right to assume that the Government will not suspend the 10 o'clock rule?
Secondly, will the Leader of the House say who--in the absence, on ill-health grounds, of the Chairman of the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges--will be moving the motion on the Committee's report?
Mrs. Beckett:
I cannot give the right hon. Gentleman the assurance that he seeks that it will not be possible to deal with any of that business, nor can I give him any undertaking that the business will not be proceeded with after 10 o'clock. He also asked who will deal with the business on the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges. I anticipate that, in the circumstances of the Chairman's ill health, the deputy Chairman will deal with it.
Mr. Nick St. Aubyn (Guildford):
Today's Order Paper contains a suggested amendment, tabled by me, to the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill. It deals with a matter of concern to teachers across the country, but has not been debated by the House at any point in the Bill's progress, in either the previous or the current Session. Will the Leader of the House provide, at this late stage--today--for a debate on that important matter?
Madam Speaker:
Order. If the Leader of the House wishes to respond to that point, of course she must do so. However, the point deals with a matter that was not included in her business statement, and the hon. Gentleman was rather mischievous in raising it. A business statement is a business statement, and it did not deal with today's business.
Order for Second Reading read.
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 90 (Second Reading Committees), That the Bill be referred to a Second Reading Committee.--[Mr. Clelland.]
[Relevant documents: First Report, Session 1999-2000, on the OCCAR Convention, HC 69, and the Government's response thereto, HC 224; Second Report, Session 1999-2000, on the Ministry of Defence Annual Reporting Cycle, HC 158; Sixth Report, Session 1998-99, on the Reserves Call-out Order 1999 and Progress of Territorial Army Restructuring, HC 860, and the Government's response thereto, HC 220 of Session 1999-2000; Seventh Report, Session 1998-99, on the Strategic Defence Review: Defence Medical Services, HC 447, and the Government's response thereto, HC 221 of Session 1999-2000; Eighth Report, Session 1998-99, on the Committee's Major Procurement Projects Survey: The Common New Generation Frigate Programme, HC 544, and the Government's response thereto, HC 222 of Session 1999-2000; and Ninth Report, Session 1998-99, on Defence Research, HC 616, and the Government's response thereto, HC 223 of Session 1999-2000.]
Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Doubtless your office will have told you about this. My right hon. Friend the Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) is unlikely to be able to be here. What is the technical situation regarding moving the amendment?
Madam Speaker:
The mover does not have to have his name attached to the amendment. Any hon. Member can move the amendment, but I note that the hon. Gentleman has already spoken in the debate, so it will have to be someone who is to speak today.
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar):
I pay tribute to the late hon. Member for Romsey, Michael Colvin. Hon. Members of all parties will, I know, be shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic fire at his home last week. The House will recall that he served with great distinction as the Chairman of the Select Committee on Defence from 1995 until the general election in 1997, and continued to play an important role in the Committee after that. Indeed, hon. Members will recall that only last Tuesday, on the first day of this debate, he spoke for 25 minutes and remarked that he had been sorry to leave the Committee. We are all saddened that his contribution is lost not only to the Committee but to the House, and our thoughts are with his family.
Mr. Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):
With your indulgence, Madam Speaker, I would like to follow that up and say how shocked and horrified Conservative Members were to see the pictures and to understand, finally, by the weekend, that Michael Colvin and his wife, who were both much liked in the party, had perished in the fire. It is especially poignant for me as I listened with interest to his speech and had a small conversation with him afterwards about some points that he raised and also about his hopes and desires for defence and his involvement in it, notwithstanding the fact that he was no longer to be on the Select Committee.
I agree entirely with the Minister's comments. Michael Colvin was liked and respected throughout the House, and especially by his friends and colleagues. During the past few days I have read in newspapers that he never made it to ministerial office, as though that were some badge of dishonour. I am sure that it was not meant like that, but I want to say for the record that, for us in the House and for the general public, being a Back Bencher who is good at the job is just as important as being a Minister, if not more so. That is a badge of honour that he takes with him.
Mr. Terry Davis (Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
rose--
Mr. Menzies Campbell (North-East Fife)
rose--
Madam Speaker:
Order. We are in debate, so the Minister must respond to one intervention before taking another. We must carry out our proceedings properly here.
Mr. Spellar:
I am sure that the House fully endorses the comments of the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith).
Mr. Campbell:
On behalf of my right hon. and hon. Friends, I associate myself with the tributes that have been paid from both Front Benches. Michael Colvin was a man of great personal charm and distinction. I had the honour to serve with him on the Defence Committee for seven years, during which time I got to know both him and his wife. We will remember him in his prime last Tuesday. His passing is something that the whole House will regret very deeply.
Mr. Spellar:
The late hon. Member for Romsey was prominent not only in the Defence Committee but in the Council of Europe, of which my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis) is also a prominent member.
Mr. Terry Davis:
I am most grateful to my hon. Friend. As he said, Michael Colvin was a member of the delegations to both the Council of Europe and the Western European Union. As leader of the delegation, I offer the sympathy of all its members to the family of Michael and Nichola Colvin.
Michael Colvin was highly respected in the House for his knowledge, expertise, experience and interest in defence matters. In recent years, as a member of our delegation, he had become equally respected at international level. Indeed, very recently he was elected the leader of federated group of Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the Western European Union Assembly. That was evidence of the respect in which he was held by the members of the Conservative and Christian Democrat groups. He was also widely respected by members of other political groups.
4.10 pm
| Next Section
| Index | Home Page |