Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Turner Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Ian Austin—not here.

[Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con)]

3. What his policy is on the House sitting later into the evenings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Dr Thérèse Coffey)]

The Government currently have no plans to bring forward changes to the sitting hours of the House.

[Mr Turner]

A large majority of Members are simply unable to get home in the evenings, and we did not come to London to be given lots of free time. As we have so many new Members, may we ask again whether it is the will of the House that we sit later on Tuesdays and Wednesdays? I would certainly vote in favour of such a proposal, and I know that many other right hon. and hon. Members would agree with me.

[Dr Coffey]

Hon. Members had the opportunity to vote in the previous Parliament, and I suspect that my hon. Friend and I were in the same Lobby at the time. The Procedure Committee revisited the situation, and could do so again if Members made representations to it, but I repeat that the Government have no plans to change the sitting hours of the House.