Point of Order

Barry Gardiner Excerpts

Thursday 26th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Barry Gardiner (Brent North) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Have you received a request from the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to come to the House to clarify previous statements made to this House? Those statements made reference to the supposed report for the London Olympics by the Commission for a Sustainable London as the justification for the appointment of Dow Chemical as a sponsor, when the resignation of Ms Meredith Alexander this morning has in fact proved that no such report was prepared by the commission at all. Indeed, 12 out of the 13 members of the commission knew nothing about it until the letter from Shaun McCarthy to my right hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell).

[Mr Speaker]

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman, but the short answer to his question is no. I have received no such communication, but the concern that he has registered will have been heard by the Leader of the House and others on the Treasury Bench.

BILL PRESENTED

Financial Services

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, supported by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary Vince Cable, Danny Alexander, Mr Mark Hoban, Mr David Gauke, Miss Chloe Smith and Mr Edward Davey, presented a Bill to amend the Bank of England Act 1998, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Banking Act 2009; to make other provision about financial services and markets; to make provision about the exercise of certain statutory functions relating to building societies, friendly societies and other mutual societies; to amend section 785 of the Companies Act 2006; to make provision enabling the Director of Savings to provide services to other public bodies; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Monday 30 January, and to be printed (Bill 278) with explanatory notes (Bill 278-EN).