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Mr. Andrew Robathan accordingly presented a Bill to make provision for direction to police forces to enforce the law equally as it applies to settled communities and to Travellers; to amend the law on trespass; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Thursday 5 May, and to be printed [Bill 106].
Mr. John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings) (Con): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. About a fortnight ago, 1,600 of my constituents queued for seven hours to register with a national health service dentist. I wrote to the Prime Minister about that immediately afterwards, asking him to take action. I seek your guidance on this matter. Before the forthcoming dissolution of Parliament, what pressure do the rules allow to be brought on the Prime Minister to reply to my letter and reassure my constituents who, as you will understand, are anxious about this crisis? I feel that I owe them a duty to answer their proper questions, and that the Prime Minister owes me a duty to answer me, so that I can answer them. What pressure can I bring to bear on the Prime Minister to deal with the NHS dental crisis?
Mr. Speaker:
That is not a matter for me but, as a Member of Parliament in my own right, with my own constituency, I would telephone Downing street. That is what I would do.
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Business of the House
12.43 pm
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Peter Hain): I beg to move,
(1) any motion made by a Minister of the Crown may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour, and shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House;
(2) proceedings on Lords Amendments or any subsequent Lords Message in respect of any Bill may be considered forthwith without any further Question being put and shall be brought to a conclusion (unless already concluded) one hour after their commencement (subject to paragraph 3(1));
(3) Standing Orders Nos. 83D to 83H and 83I(2) to (6) (conclusion of proceedings, &c.) shall apply to proceedings to be taken in accordance with this Order (but with the omission of Standing Orders Nos. 83D(2)(c) and 83E(2)(c));
(4) notices of Amendments, new Clauses or new Schedules to be moved in Committee on any Bill may be accepted by the Clerks at the Table before the Bill has been read a second time;
(6) the Speaker shall not adjourn the House until any Messages from the Lords have been received and any Committee to draw up Reasons has reported.
2. At the sitting this day the following business shall be brought to a conclusion (unless already concluded) at the time after its commencement shown in brackets at the end of each sub-paragraph—
(1) any motion made by a Minister of the Crown for the reading of specified Resolutions of 22nd March, presentation and first reading of any Finance (No. 2) Bill brought in on those resolutions and remaining proceedings on any such Bill (four hours);
(2) any motion made by a Minister of the Crown for the bringing in of an Appropriation Bill, presentation and first reading of any Bill brought in in pursuance of that motion and remaining proceedings on any such Bill, to which Standing Order No. 56 (Consolidated Fund Bills) shall apply (forthwith);
(4) Committee of the whole House and remaining proceedings on the Disability Discrimination Bill [Lords] (one hour); and
(5) Committee of the whole House and remaining proceedings on the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill [Lords] (one hour).
3. At the sitting tomorrow the following business shall be brought to a conclusion (unless already concluded) at the time after its commencement shown in brackets at the end of each sub-paragraph—
(1) proceedings on any Lords Amendments to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill which may be received (one and a half hours);
(4) second reading and remaining proceedings on the International Organisations Bill [Lords] (one and a half hours).
(2) the Speaker shall not adjourn the House until a Message has been received from the Lords Commissioners.
6. If any Finance (No. 2) Bill, or the International Organisations Bill [Lords], is read a second time, it shall stand committed to a Committee of the whole House.
7. The Orders that the Disability Discrimination Bill [Lords] and the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill [Lords] be committed to a Standing Committee shall be discharged and the Bills shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House.
8. A reference in this Order to proceedings on or in respect of a Bill includes a reference to proceedings on any Money Resolution, Ways and Means Resolution or Order of Consideration motion in relation to those proceedings.
9. The Order of Consideration motion of which Maria Eagle has given notice in respect of the Standing Committee on the Disability Discrimination Bill [Lords] may be moved by a Minister of the Crown in respect of the Committee of the whole House to which the Bill is committed under paragraph 7.
10. Paragraph 2(1) shall have effect notwithstanding the practice of the House as to the intervals between stages of Bill brought in upon Ways and Means Resolutions.
11. If the sitting this day continues after 11.30 a.m. on Thursday 7th April, this Order shall have effect as if any reference to the sitting on Thursday 7th April or Friday 8th April included a reference to the sitting this day.
12. If the sitting tomorrow continues after 9.30 a.m. on Friday 8th April, this Order shall have effect as if any reference to the sitting on Friday 8th April included a reference to the sitting tomorrow.
This is a motion designed to facilitate our business between now and Prorogation, and it may help the House if I say something about its effect.
The motion provides that today, Wednesday, after we have concluded our consideration of this Business of the House motion, we will proceed as follows. First, we will take all stages of the new Finance Bill, for up to four hours. Instead of seeking to amend the original Bill, which would require a complex Committee stage, the Government will—on the advice of the Clerks and with the agreement of the Opposition—withdraw that Bill and reintroduce part of it as a new Bill.
Secondly, we will take all stages of an Appropriation Bill, without debate. Thirdly, we will debate the remaining stages of the Inquiries Bill for up to one hour, followed by Committee of the whole House and remaining stages of the Disability Discrimination Bill for up to one hour. We will then take Committee of the whole House and remaining stages of the Public Service Ombudsman (Wales) Bill for up to one hour. Finally, we expect to take some Lords amendments or messages for up to an hour on each Bill.
Tomorrow, Thursday, we will consider the following, although not necessarily in this order: Lords amendments to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, for up to one and a half hours; remaining proceedings on the Education Bill for up to one hour; the motion to suspend the Crossrail Bill for up to one hour; Second Reading and remaining stages of the International Organisations Bill for up to one and a half hours. During the course of the day, we may consider other Government motions, including motions relating
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to Lords amendments or messages. I hope and intend that we will conclude our business and be prorogued on Thursday evening.
The motion makes general provision for debate on Government motions to continue until any hour without the need for motions at the moment of interruption. Amendments to be moved in Committee may be tabled before Second Reading. There will be no deferred Divisions and Mr. Speaker will not adjourn the House until any Lords messages have been received and any Reasons Committee has reported.
The motion provides that there will be no sitting in Westminster Hall on Thursday.
I hope that the House will agree to this motion swiftly so that we can proceed to consider the important legislation before us.
Before closing, I would like to thank all the staff and Officers of the House for their hard work during this Parliament. Without them this House would not operate as effectively as it does. I would also like to pass on my thanks for all the work undertaken in Departments, private offices and parliamentary sections. In particular, I thank my two private offices: the Leader's Office and the Wales Office. The hard work, professionalism and integrity of the civil servants in both those offices have served me and my predecessors well.
I commend the motion to the House.
12.46 pm
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