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Point of Order
12.32 pm
Paul Flynn (Newport, West) (Lab): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I raise with you a matter of the gravest importance that arises from your duties to protect the rights of Back Benchers? This is an instance in which the right of Back Benchers to scrutinise Government decisions has been obstructed in a most serious and deliberate way.
You were kind enough to allow me a debate in November on the decision to grant a novel indemnity to the American-led company that has taken over Sellafield, an indemnity that could cost taxpayers many billions of pounds in the future. At the time, I raised the concern that I, along with other Members who had shown an interest in the subject, would have no opportunity to debate it in the House because the minute came from the civil servants, from the Government, 75 days after the final day on which we could raise objections.
In the Adjournment debate, the Minister said that that was simply a clerical error. Now, 140 pages have been released under freedom of information legislation, many of them heavily censored, but it is clear from them that this was a deliberate, calculated attempt to ensure that the House was not informed about the decision until after the recess when no objection could be raised.
It was also suggested in the document and the debate that informing a single Chairman of a Select Committee is a substitute for informing the entire House, but the decision of one Select Committee Chairman, however distinguished, is no substitute for the historic right of Parliament to decide these matters. This a matter of the gravest importance, involving a contract of £22 billion, and possibly a £1 billion-plus subsidy for taxpayers in the future. Will you ensure, Mr. Speaker, that there is some way of reversing this decision, certainly calling the Minister to the House to explain how the rights of Back Benchers have been so flagrantly abused?
Mr. Speaker: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice of his point of order. Members are responsible for the accuracy of their speeches; that is not a matter for the Chair. However, I always expect Ministers, who are accountable to Parliament, to provide accurate information to the House, as they are bound to do so under the resolution of the House in 1997 on ministerial accountability. The hon. Gentleman also raised the matter of how the contingent liability in relation to Sellafield was handled. I will ensure that he receives a response on that issue as soon as possible.
Bills Presented
Autism Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mrs. Cheryl Gillan, supported by Jon Cruddas, Mrs. Joan Humble, Roger Berry, Mr. Russell Brown, Mrs. Sharon Hodgson, Mr. Gordon Marsden, Mrs. Caroline Spelman, Mrs. Jacqui Lait, Angela Browning, Mr. Tim Boswell and Sandra Gidley, presented a Bill to make requirements relating to the collection and dissemination of information on people with autism; to make provision about support for people with autism; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 27 February and to be printed (Bill 10).
Fuel Poverty Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. David Heath, supported by Mr. Peter Ainsworth, Mr. Paul Burstow, Mr. Martin Caton, Alan Simpson, Mr. John Gummer, Peter Bottomley, Colin Challen, Mrs. Linda Riordan, Mr. David Amess, Susan Kramer and Dr. Alan Whitehead, presented a Bill to make further provision about fuel poverty; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 20 March and to be printed (Bill 11).
Statutory Redundancy Pay (Amendment) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, supported by Mr. David Crausby, Mr. Terry Rooney, Ian Stewart, Tony Lloyd, Jon Cruddas, John Bercow, Geraldine Smith, Mark Hunter, Mr. Bob Laxton, Mr. David Drew and Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, presented a Bill to provide for a mechanism for statutory redundancy pay which links it to average weekly earnings; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 13 March and to be printed (Bill 12).
Small Business Rate Relief (Automatic Payment) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Peter Luff, supported by Mr. Adrian Bailey, Roger Berry, Mr. Brian Binley, Mr. Michael Clapham, Mr. David Heath, Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, Miss Julie Kirkbride, Mr. Andrew Love, Robert Neill, Mr. Mark Oaten and Mr. Mark Prisk, presented a Bill to require small business rate relief payments to be made automatically; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 6 March and to be printed (Bill 13).
Royal Marriages and Succession to the Crown (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Dr. Evan Harris, supported by Mr. Edward Leigh, Ms Katy Clark, John Bercow, Dr. John Pugh, Mr. Andrew Dismore, Andrew Mackinlay, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Mary Creagh, Mr. John Grogan, Sir Menzies Campbell and Mr. Elfyn Llwyd presented a Bill to make provision to remove discrimination in respect of Royal marriages and succession to the Crown.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 27 March and to be printed (Bill 29).
Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies and Credit Unions Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Malcolm Wicks, supported by Dr. Vincent Cable, Mr. Adrian Bailey, Sir John Butterfill, John Bercow, Mark Lazarowicz, Mr. Don Touhig, Linda Gilroy, Meg Munn, Mr. Andrew Love, Mr. Andy Reed and Alun Michael, presented a Bill to make provision for societies to be registered as co-operative or community benefit societies and to re-name the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts; to apply to registered societies the provisions relating to directors’ disqualification and to make provision for the application of certain other enactments relating to companies; to confer power to make provision for credit unions corresponding to any provision applying to building societies; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 24 April and to be printed (Bill 14).
Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Peter Ainsworth, supported by Mr. Martin Caton, Colin Challen, Greg Clark, Mr. Andrew Dismore, Mr. Nick Hurd, Mr. Oliver Letwin, Mr. Eliot Morley, Alan Simpson, Steve Webb, Dr. Alan Whitehead and Bill Wiggin presented a Bill to define the term “green energy”; to promote its development, installation and usage; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 8 May and to be printed (Bill 15).
Scottish Banknotes (Acceptability in United Kingdom) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
David Mundell, supported by Mr. Ben Wallace, Mrs Eleanor Laing, Miss Anne McIntosh, Mrs. Jacqui Lait, Mr. Graham Stuart, Mr. Mark Lancaster, Angela Watkinson, Mr. Robert Goodwill, Mr. Crispin Blunt, Mr. Peter Atkinson and Mr. Tobias Ellwood, presented a Bill to make provision about the acceptability of Scottish banknotes throughout the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 6 March and to be printed (Bill 16).
Leaseholders’ Rights Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mrs. Jacqui Lait, supported by Mrs. Cheryl Gillan, Simon Hughes, Mr. Lee Scott, Grant Shapps, Mrs. Caroline Spelman and Sir George Young presented a Bill to confer rights on leaseholders relating to the management and maintenance of their properties; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 26 June and to be printed (Bill 17).
Protection of Children (Encrypted material) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Sir Paul Beresford, supported by Mr. Dominic Grieve and Mr. John Randall presented a Bill to amend the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to increase the penalty where a person fails to comply with a notice requiring disclosure of protected material where it is likely that the material contains an indecent photograph of a child or where the offender has been previously convicted of a sexual offence involving images of children; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 20 March and to be printed (Bill 18).
Children in Care (Custody) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Stephen Crabb, supported by Mr. Iain Duncan Smith, Mr. Graham Allen, Mr. Gary Streeter, Mr. Edward Timpson, Mrs. Nadine Dorries, Julie Morgan, Mr. Douglas Carswell, Kate Hoey, Simon Hughes and Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, presented a Bill to make provision about the services provided by local authorities in relation to the care of children in care in custody; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 27 March and to be printed (Bill 19).
Palliative Care Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mrs. Caroline Spelman, supported by Mrs. Cheryl Gillan, Mrs. Jacqui Lait, Mr. Frank Field, Anne Main, Mr. David Amess, Mr. Gary Streeter, Mr. David Burrowes, Steve Webb, Alistair Burt, Jim Dobbin and Andrew Selous, presented a Bill to confer on patients a right to choose where to receive palliative care; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 24 April and to be printed (Bill 20).
Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Jeremy Browne, supported by Lorely Burt, Dr. Evan Harris, Mr. Adam Holloway, Paul Holmes, Simon Hughes, Norman Lamb, Peter Luff, Mrs. Madeleine Moon, David Taylor, Malcolm Wicks and Derek Wyatt, presented a Bill to provide for an organ donation scheme based upon presumed consent; to make provision in relation to safeguards for such a scheme; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 13 March and to be printed (Bill 21).
Schools (Health Support) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Jim Cunningham, supported by Mrs. Betty Williams, Helen Southworth, Mr. Adrian Sanders, Mr. Kevin Barron, Mr. Bob Laxton, Mr. Brian Jenkins, John Bercow, Dr. Brian Iddon, Sir George Young, Mr. Philip Hollobone and Mr. John Leech, presented a Bill to amend the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to establish standards in schools for the support of children
with specified health conditions; to make provision about the inspection of such support; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 8 May and to be printed (Bill 22).
Presumption of Death Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Tim Boswell, supported by Mr. Humfrey Malins, Bob Russell, Ian Stewart, Helen Southworth and Mr. Phil Willis, presented a Bill to make provision in relation to the presumed deaths of missing persons; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 6 March and to be printed (Bill 23).
Lending (Regulation) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Russell Brown, supported by Gordon Banks, Miss Anne Begg, Mr. Ian Davidson, Mrs. Sharon Hodgson, Mrs. Joan Humble and Mark Lazarowicz, presented a Bill to impose requirements on lenders relating to the calculation of interest rates; to regulate the promotion of lending; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 27 February and to be printed (Bill 24).
Industrial Carbon Emissions (Targets) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Charles Kennedy, supported by Mr. Michael Meacher, Peter Bottomley, Mr. Martin Caton, Mr. Mike Weir, Malcolm Bruce, Andrew Stunell, Simon Hughes and Mr. Roger Williams, presented a Bill to make provision for the establishment of carbon emissions performance targets for electricity generating stations; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 3 July and to be printed (Bill 28).
Equality and Diversity (Reform) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Philip Davies, supported by Mr. David Davis, Miss Ann Widdecombe, Mr. Peter Lilley, Mr. John Whittingdale, Mr. David Heathcoat-Amory, Mr. Greg Knight, Mr. Graham Brady, Ann Winterton, Mr. Christopher Chope and Sir Nicholas Winterton, presented a Bill to prohibit the use of affirmative and positive action in recruitment and appointment processes; to repeal the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 October and to be printed (Bill 25).
Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
John Bercow, supported by Mr. Lee Scott, Annette Brooke and Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, presented a Bill to make provision for further training of teachers and specialist staff; to make requirements relating to access to specialist services; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 15 May and to be printed (Bill 26).
Forces Widows’ Pensions (Equality of Treatment) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr. Michael Mates, supported by Mr. Bruce George, Sir Menzies Campbell, Patrick Mercer, Mr. Michael Clapham, Nick Harvey, Sir Peter Viggers, Simon Hughes and Sir Michael Spicer, presented a Bill to provide for the equal treatment of forces widows’ pensions in respect of retirement from military service for the periods before 1973 and between 1973 and 2005; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 19 June and to be printed (Bill 27).
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