Business without Debate

Tuesday 21st February 2012 Commons Chamber

European union documents

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 119(11)),

Annual Growth Survey 2012

That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 17229/11 and Addenda 1 to 4, relating to a Commission Communication: Annual Growth Survey 2012; supports the Government’s view that this document sends important messages about the urgency of pursuing both fiscal consolidation and structural reform; further supports the tough decisions being taken in the UK to bring the deficit under control and stimulate economic growth; welcomes the focus on EU-level reforms such as the liberalisation of services and the development of the digital single market as a complement to Member States’ reform efforts but considers that an even greater effort is required at EU level to stimulate growth; and agrees that the survey should not focus on taxation, as it is important for Member States to retain the flexibility to shape their own tax policies to suit their economic circumstances.—(Mr Dunne.)

18:39

Division 473

Ayes: 291

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Conservative: 236
Liberal Democrat: 48
Democratic Unionist Party: 6

Noes: 200

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Labour: 188
Scottish National Party: 5
Plaid Cymru: 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Independent: 1
Conservative: 1
Alliance: 1

Delegated Legislation

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)),

Licences and Licensing

That the draft Licensing Act 2003 (Diamond Jubilee Licensing Hours) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 12 January, be approved.—(Mr Dunne.)

Question agreed to.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

We now come to motion 8, on the Adjournment of the House.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. As you will know, and as is stated in Standing Order No. 21, oral questions may be taken on a Monday, a Tuesday, a Wednesday or a Thursday. However, the Standing Order makes no reference to a Friday. Can you confirm that Standing Order No. 11(4) nevertheless allows the Speaker, on a Friday at 11 am, to make provision for questions of an urgent nature to be answered, or, for that matter, for Ministers to make a statement? I ask because the motion that we are about to consider does not allow us to sit on Wednesday 28 March, and some of us fear that that might be because the Prime Minister is frightened of answering questions in the House—[Interruption.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. If I am to give a ruling one way or the other, I must be able to hear the question that I am being asked.

[Chris Bryant]

In particular—[Interruption.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. I must say to Sir Peter Bottomley that I will not know the answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question until he has completed it.

[Chris Bryant]

In particular, we note that 28 March is the anniversary of the last occasion on which a Prime Minister was ousted by virtue of a vote of confidence. Can you confirm, Mr Deputy Speaker, that if we were to sit on 23 March, which is a Friday, it would be perfectly possible for there to be questions to the Prime Minister, and indeed a statement from the Prime Minister, if the Government tabled a motion to that effect?

[Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) (Con)]

Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Would it be sensible—whether generally or just in the case of the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant)—for Members to be asked to submit their points of order in writing, so that we could be spared the words that are unnecessary to the making of the actual point?

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Let me say first that things can happen on a Friday, as was suggested by the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant), and secondly that the hon. Member for Worthing West (Sir Peter Bottomley) has certainly got his point on the record.

ADJOURNMENT (EASTER, MAY, WHITSUN, SUMMER, CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER AND CHRISTMAS)

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 25),

That this House—

(1) at its rising on Tuesday 27 March 2012, do adjourn until Monday 16 April 2012;

(2) at its rising on Thursday 3 May 2012, do adjourn until Tuesday 8 May 2012;

(3) at its rising on Thursday 24 May 2012, do adjourn until Monday 11 June 2012;

(4) at its rising on Tuesday 17 July 2012, do adjourn until Monday 3 September 2012;

(5) at its rising on Tuesday 18 September 2012, do adjourn until Monday 15 October 2012;

(6) at its rising on Tuesday 13 November 2012, do adjourn until Monday 19 November 2012; and

(7) at its rising on Thursday 20 December 2012, do adjourn until Monday 7 January 2013.—(Mr Heath.)

18:55

Division 474

Ayes: 292

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Conservative: 242
Liberal Democrat: 49

Noes: 197

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Labour: 178
Democratic Unionist Party: 6
Scottish National Party: 5
Plaid Cymru: 3
Conservative: 2
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Independent: 1
Alliance: 1

[Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. If we now go on to the private business for three hours, which will take us beyond 10 o’clock, is it the case that it will not be possible to have a substantive vote on motion 11 on sittings of the House and motion 12 on the business of the House and private Members’ Bills?

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

There may be Divisions, but they would be deferred.

Estimates

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 145),

That this House agrees with the Report [8 February] of the Liaison Committee.—(Mr Heath.)

Question agreed to.

[Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would be grateful if you would help the House with the Speaker’s ruling relating to the question of whether this next private Bill affects a public Bill and whether, in accordance with the precedents of the Bill dealing with the Piece Hall in Halifax in 1983-84, because of that clash with a public Bill it ought to be ruled invalid, as Speakers have previously ruled in former times.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

Mr Rees-Mogg, you have a copy of a letter from the Speaker dated 17 February 2012, which goes into detail in response to the question that you have raised. You are an intelligent chap, and I am sure that you fully understand it.