Budget Resolutions

Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Lord Clarke of Nottingham

1st reading: House of Commons
Tuesday 28th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs Eleanor Laing)]

Order. This is not a speech.

[Mr Clarke]

In its period of office, the Labour party was so out of control and so wrong in its reaction to events that early on it almost started to repay the national debt at the time of the dotcom boom, which boosted tax revenues to an extraordinary extent. The Labour Government found that their tax revenues had been boosted for reasons that they did not properly analyse, and they just carried on borrowing on top of that. The figures looked quite respectable until suddenly the floor fell away. There was the credit crunch. Down went the tax revenues. They were left exposed, with an accumulation of errors that led to the soaring deficit and the soaring debt that are a burden on us now and will be a burden for our children.

European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill

Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Lord Clarke of Nottingham

Committee: 1st sitting: House of Commons
Monday 6th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[The First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means (Mrs Eleanor Laing)]

Order. Before I call the next colleague, let me say that it will be obvious to the Committee that a great many people wish to speak. There are in excess of 50 new clauses and amendments to be discussed, and we have two hours and 45 minutes left to do so. I hope that Members will be courteous to others and keep their remarks as brief as possible. I appreciate that these are complicated matters, and it is good to have interventions and proper debate and discussion, but let us avoid repetition and rhetoric for its own sake.

[Mr Kenneth Clarke]

On a point of order, Mrs Laing. It is quite obvious that the programme order will not allow for proper debate by the vast majority of Members. I have never known a debate on any European issue be given such limited time before. Has anyone approached you and asked to re-address the programme order so that we can have the sort of sensible, protracted discussion of these issues that we have had almost to excess on previous occasions such as the debates on the Maastricht treaty?

[Mr Harper]

Further to that point of order, Mrs Laing. When I considered the Government’s programme motion, it seemed to me that for a two-clause Bill, two days—extraordinarily—on Second Reading and three full days of protected time to allow us to sit late where there are statements was, if anything, an excess of generosity.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Lord Clarke of Nottingham

Tuesday 25th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Clarke]

Which point I made earlier?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs Eleanor Laing)]

Order. Is the Minister giving way?

[Mr Clarke]

indicated assent.