Business of the House
Debate between Bob Blackman and Lindsay Hoyle(1 week, 5 days ago)
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Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
The good news is that the Backbench Business Committee will be meeting on Tuesday. We are open for business, and a steady series of applications has started, particularly from one of our long-term season ticket holders. We are going to be open for requests for 90-minute or half-day debates; it would be very exceptional for us to grant a full day’s debate. We are also going to keep a very close eye on whether those people who make or support applications actually turn up and speak in the debates that are allocated. We had a very good meeting with the Leader of the House earlier this week, and I am looking forward to her announcing time for the Backbench Business Committee to allocate debates.
Mr Speaker, you have very graciously granted us the use of Speaker’s House for the Diwali reception on Monday, for which we thank you. To Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, I wish Shubh Deepavali for today, and Nutan Varshabhinandan for Saturday.
Business of the House
Debate between Bob Blackman and Lindsay Hoyle(2 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am looking forward to the magical words “business to be nominated by the Backbench Business Committee” in future weeks. I think there is one remaining member of the Backbench Business Committee to be appointed, which prevents us from meeting, so I urge the House to get on with that. May I suggest to the Leader of the House that it would be helpful if she announced the business to be held in Westminster Hall at these sessions? That would elevate the status of Westminster Hall debates.
Today we have seen the Charity Commission publish a damning report on Mermaids, which concludes that the charity’s poor governance has led to mismanagement. That has serious implications following the statutory inquiry into not only Mermaids, but other charities that look after vulnerable children. Could we have a statement from the Government about what action they will take to ensure that vulnerable children are protected, and that charities do not mismanage the resources they are provided with?
Business of the House
Debate between Bob Blackman and Lindsay Hoyle(1 month ago)
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Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
On 9 July 1944, Lily Ebert arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau with her mother, brother and younger sister, who were all murdered in the gas chambers. Somehow Lily escaped. She dedicated her life to spreading awareness of the horrors of the Holocaust and recounting her story, and hundreds of millions of people around the world have seen videos of her reciting her story. She died earlier this week. Despite the efforts of the Nazis, she leaves behind 10 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; so the attempts of the Nazis to wipe out her family failed. But we have a problem. Lily dedicated her life to spreading the word about what happened in the Holocaust, and we send condolences to her family. As the Holocaust survivors sadly pass away, it is even more vital that we get the Holocaust memorial and the education centre built alongside this place. The Holocaust Memorial Bill is going through its stages in Parliament. Will the Leader of the House do everything she can to speed up that process, so that before the last Holocaust survivor sadly leaves us, they can witness the monument to making sure that it never happens again?
Business of the House
Debate between Bob Blackman and Lindsay Hoyle(2 months ago)
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Mr Speaker
I call and welcome the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I urge the Leader of the House to publish the membership numbers for Select Committees, and urge the usual channels to get on with populating those Committees, in particular of course the Backbench Business Committee, so that we can start to schedule the debates that Back Benchers, rather than the Government, want to table.
The Leader of the House has not announced when the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will come back. In Committee, I and many Labour Members proposed amendments to the then Government’s Bill that we will want to progress. I realise that the matter will be considered by the Health Secretary. Will the Leader of the House also take away and consider the view that shisha lounges and the sale of paan need to be included in the measures? Otherwise, we will leave escape clauses for those who want to resist taking action on mouth, throat and lung cancer.