House of Commons
Wednesday 20 June 2001
The House met at twenty-five minutes past Eleven o'clock
PRAYERS
[Mr. Speaker in the Chair]
Message to attend her Majesty:
The House went; and having returned:
The sitting was suspended until fifteen minutes past Two o'clock, and then resumed.
Members Sworn
The following Members took and subscribed the Oath, or made and subscribed the Affirmation required by Law:
Humfrey Jonathan Malins, Woking
Owen William Paterson, North Shropshire
Michael St John Trend, Windsor
Sir Edward MacMillan Taylor, Rochford and Southend East
Piara Singh Khabra, Ealing Southall
Right honourable Gavin Steel Strang, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Seamus Mallon, Newry and Armagh
James Gerald Douglas Howarth, Aldershot
Andrew John Bower Mitchell, Sutton Coldfield
Robert Michael Spink, Castle Point
David Michael Chaytor, Bury North
Right honourable Alan John Williams, Swansea West
Matthew Owen John Taylor, Truro and St Austell
John Vincent Cable, Twickenham
Christine Margaret Russell, City of Chester
2.25 pm
2.30 pm
SESSIONAL ORDERS
Elections
That all Members who are returned for two or more places in any part of the United Kingdom do make their Election for which of the places they will serve, within one week after it shall appear that there is no question upon the Return for that place; and if any thing shall come in question touching the Return or Election of any Member, he is to withdraw during the time the matter is in debate; and that all Members returned upon double Returns do withdraw till their Returns are determined.
That if it shall appear that any person has been elected or returned a Member of this House, or endeavoured so to be by bribery, or any other corrupt practices, this House will proceed with the utmost severity against all such persons as shall have been wilfully concerned in such bribery or other corrupt practices.
Witnesses
That if it shall appear that any person has been tampering with any Witness, in respect of his evidence to be given to this House, or any Committee thereof, or directly or indirectly has endeavoured to deter or hinder any person from appearing or giving evidence, the same is declared to be a high crime and misdemeanour, and this House will proceed with the utmost severity against such offender.
That if it shall appear that any person has given false evidence in any case before this House, or any Committee thereof, this House will proceed with the utmost severity against such offender.
Metropolitan Police
That the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis do take care that during the Session of Parliament the passages through the streets leading to this House be kept free and open and that no obstruction be permitted to hinder the passage of Members to and from this House, and that no disorder be allowed in Westminster Hall, or in the passages leading to this House, during the Sitting of Parliament, and that there be no annoyance therein or thereabouts, and that the Serjeant at Arms attending this House do communicate this Order to the Commissioner aforesaid.
Votes and Proceedings
That the Votes and Proceedings of this House be printed, being first perused by the Speaker.
Outlawries
A Bill for the more effectual preventing Clandestine Outlawries was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time.
Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means
That Sir Alan Haselhurst be Chairman of Ways and Means, and that Mrs. Sylvia Heal and Sir Michael Lord be First and Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means.--[Mr. Robin Cook.]
Queen's Speech
Mr. Speaker: I have to acquaint the House that this House has this day attended Her Majesty in the House of Peers, and that Her Majesty was pleased to make a Most Gracious Speech from the Throne to both Houses of Parliament, of which I have, for greater accuracy, obtained a copy.
I shall direct that the terms of the Gracious Speech be printed in the appropriate place in the Votes and Proceedings. Copies are available in the Vote Office.
The Gracious Speech was as follows:
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
My Government's central objectives are economic stability, and investment and reform in public services, leading to a more prosperous and inclusive society.
To this end, my Government will continue to secure low inflation and sound public finances.
My Government's main priorities for the forthcoming Session will be reform in education, health, crime and welfare.
My Government will introduce legislation to reform education. An Education Bill will be introduced to promote diversity and higher standards, particularly in secondary schools. It will provide new opportunities for school sponsorship, more options for tackling failing schools, and greater freedom for successful headteachers and governors.
My Government will introduce legislation to reform health services. A Bill will decentralise power and direct resources to National Health Service staff, give patients greater influence on the running of the NHS, and strengthen regulation of the health professions.
Legislation will be drafted to reform the provision of health services in Wales.
Legislation will be brought forward to reform sentencing and rules of evidence, with measures to tackle corruption and sex offenders.
A Bill will be introduced to increase powers against money laundering, establish a Criminal Assets Recovery Agency, and make it easier to recover the proceeds of crime and drugs.
Legislation will be brought forward to help the police fight crime, ensure that they can co-operate effectively across police force boundaries and establish a new complaints system.
Legislation to reform the criminal courts system will be drafted in the light of the forthcoming recommendations from the review by Lord Justice Auld.
Legislation will be introduced to extend the life of the Football (Disorder) Act.
My Government will introduce legislation to reform the welfare system. A Bill will include measures to help more people back into work. Legislation will also be brought forward to introduce the new tax credits system, and to establish the new pension credit for pensioners.
My Government will introduce legislation to encourage enterprise, strengthen competition laws, and promote safeguards for consumers.
A draft Bill to create a single regulator for the media and communications industries and reform the broadcasting and telecommunications regulations will be published.
Members of the House of Commons
Estimates for the Public Service will be laid before you.
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
In Northern Ireland, my Government will continue to work closely with the political parties and the Irish Government to secure the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
My Government maintains its commitment to devolution in Scotland and Wales.
Following consultation, my Government will introduce legislation to implement the second phase of House of Lords reform.
My Government will prepare legislation to allow political parties to make positive moves to increase the representation of women in public life.
My Government will publish draft legislation to take forward the recommendations of Lord Cullen's inquiry into rail safety.
Legislation will be introduced to reform the system of land registration to promote greater electronic conveyancing. The Bill to reform the purchase of freeholds by leaseholders and to create commonhold, a new form of tenure for flat owners, will be reintroduced.
My Government will introduce legislation to make the age entitlement for concessionary travel fares the same for men and women at the age of sixty.
A Bill will be introduced to reform adoption law to make children's interests paramount, and tackle inter-country adoption.
My Government will enable a free vote to take place on the future of hunting with dogs.
Other measures will be laid before you.
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
The Duke of Edinburgh and I were delighted to pay a State Visit to Norway at the end of May. Similarly, we were pleased to receive the State Visit of His Excellency the President of South Africa and Mrs. Mbeki last week.
The Duke of Edinburgh and I look forward to attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Australia and subsequently visiting New Zealand in October. We also look forward to receiving a State Visit by the King and Queen of Jordan this autumn.
My Government will work with our partners to make sure that Europe has the most competitive knowledge- based economy in the world. It will work for rapid progress on the enlargement of the European Union and will introduce legislation to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the Treaty of Nice and implement the Berlin Own Resources decision on the Union's future funding.
NATO will remain the cornerstone of Britain's national security, and my Government will work for a still more effective Alliance defence. In this context, and to enable the European Union to act where NATO chooses not to do so, my Government will work to improve the European Union's capacity, and Member States' capabilities, for humanitarian, peace-keeping and crisis management tasks.
Legislation will be introduced to improve the transparency of export controls and to establish their purpose.
Tackling climate change and making a reality of sustainable development will be a priority for my Government. It will fulfil the United Kingdom's international obligations arising from the Kyoto Protocol.
My Government will work for an early and comprehensive World Trade Round, which will benefit industrialised and developing countries alike.
In the United Nations, my Government will support a more modern and representative Security Council, and work to make conflict prevention and peacekeeping more effective.
My Government will work to encourage universal observance of human rights, including throughout the Commonwealth.
My Government will continue to work for a more effective global effort to reduce poverty, and will reintroduce its Bill to entrench and strengthen the poverty focus to development work.
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.
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