Recall of MPs Bill
Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Julian Huppert(10 years ago)
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Dr Huppert
I beg to move amendment 9, page 6, line 30, leave out subsections (4) and (5) and insert—
‘( ) The Minister may, by regulations, having consulted the Electoral Commission, prescribe or amend the wording which must be included on a petition signing sheet.’.
This amendment allows for the Minister to bring forward detailed wording for the petition-signing sheet after having consulted the Electoral Commission.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs Eleanor Laing)
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
Amendment 10, page 6, line 40, leave out
“a by-election will not be held, as a result of the petition”
and insert
“therefore no by-election will be held.”.
This amendment clarifies wording prescribed for the petition-signing sheet.
Amendment 11, in clause 19, page 13, line 7, leave out subsection (1) and insert—
‘( ) If a relevant circumstance arises, the functions of the Speaker under or by virtue of this Act (“the Speaker’s functions”) are to be performed by the Chairman of Ways and Means or a Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means’.
This amendment clarifies that only a post-holder elected by the House will be able to exercise The Speaker’s functions under this Act.
Amendment 12, page 13, line 12, leave out second “or” and insert—
‘( ) a recall condition has been met in relation to the Speaker, or’.
This amendment provides for circumstances where The Speaker meets a recall condition.
Amendment 13, page 13, line 14, leave out subsections (3) and (4).
This amendment is consequential on the clarification that only a post-holder elected by the House will be able to exercise The Speaker’s functions under this Act.
Dr Huppert
After all that excitement, I will try to be brief in presenting these minor and technical amendments. Amendment 9 seeks to deal with some of the awkward wording throughout the Bill on what is required for a recall petition. It simply states that the Minister should talk to the Electoral Commission and then come up with the wording. That would make for a much more flexible approach. I hope that the Government will agree that that is a cleaner and better way forward.
Amendment 10 deals with some particularly ugly wording. The current wording on the petition signing sheet states:
“If less than 10% of eligible registered electors in the constituency sign the petition, the MP will not lose [his/her] seat, and a by-election will not be held, as a result of the petition.”
Perhaps it should state
“and therefore no by-election will be held.”
The amendment seeks to turn what is on the petition signing sheet into something approaching the English language. Again, I hope that is not controversial.
Amendments 11, 12 and 13 deal with some errors that were pointed out in Committee—[Interruption.]
Madam Deputy Speaker
Order. Other Members should not be standing and speaking in the Chamber. The hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert) is making important points about important amendments and must be heard.
Dr Huppert
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I thank all the Members in the Chamber.
Clause 19 deals with the performance of the Speaker’s functions by others. The Speaker has a critical role in the recall process. The Bill, as currently drafted, states that the Speaker can appoint somebody to perform those functions. That seems very strange for a number of reasons, so amendment 11 proposes that, rather then the Speaker being able to appoint somebody, the Chairman of Ways and Means or a Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, such as you, Madam Deputy Speaker, would be the obvious person to take on those responsibilities.
Amendment 12 picks up on the point, made in Committee, that one of the exceptions would be if the Speaker was subject to a recall. In such circumstances it would be odd to expect the Speaker to set in train the process of recalling him or herself, and that raises the question of what would happen if they refused to do so. Would another recall petition be sought against them for failing to fulfil the first?
Amendment 13 is entirely consequential on the other two amendments. I hope that all five amendments will not prove controversial and that the House will support them unanimously. In the interests of time, I will not push any of them to a vote if there is dissent within the House. However, I hope that the House will agree to them so that they can be made to the Bill as minor, technical and corrective measures.
National Health Service (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill
Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Julian Huppert(10 years ago)
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Dr Huppert
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The right hon. Gentleman claimed earlier that one of the bidders at Hinchingbrooke was an NHS provider, but according to the National Audit Office there was Circle, Serco and Ramsay. Can he now either correct the record for the House, or let us know which of those three he believes is an NHS provider?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs Eleanor Laing)
The hon. Gentleman makes a perfectly good point of debate, but it is not a point of order.