Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle(9 months, 4 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Speaker
Order. Sorry, Minister, but we cannot both be standing at the same time.
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
Has the Minister had a chance recently to talk to the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police, which has been in special measures since 2022, and is now being sued by seven former and serving women police officers for failing to deal with rapes, emotional abuse and beatings over a number of years? What can he do to reassure the public in Devon and Cornwall that these allegations will be thoroughly independently investigated and any wrongdoing acted on?
Ministerial Code: Investigation of Potential Breach
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle(1 year, 7 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
Will the Minister update the House on the status of the special advisers’ code, given that the Home Secretary’s special adviser apparently lied repeatedly to journalists, in clear breach of the special advisers’ code, yet the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary have done absolutely nothing—[Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. If hon. Members want a conversation, they should please take it outside and not across the Chamber.
Points of Order
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle(1 year, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. You may have heard that today the Church of England bishops have recommended no substantial change to the Church’s current ban on same-sex couples being married in church in England, although of course it is already possible in Scotland and will soon be possible in Wales. Many Members across the House—the majority, I would judge—believe that by continuing to exclude lesbian and gay people from its full rites, the Church is no longer compatible with its established status, which confers the duty to serve the whole nation. Has the Second Church Estates Commissioner indicated to you whether he will come to this House and make a statement on this very serious state of affairs and its potential constitutional consequences?
Mr Speaker
The answer is no—nobody has come to speak to me—but the Second Church Estates Commissioner is here with us and may wish to answer the right hon. Gentleman.
Replacement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle(2 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Speaker
Let us put this to bed. It is not for me but for the Government to put forward Ministers to respond to urgent questions once they are granted. It is not a matter for the Chair. The hon. Member has put the point on the record, and I note that the Prime Minister is now in her place.
Mr Speaker
Order. Mr Bradshaw, I expect better. I want you to be silent while I read this out, as it is very important.
Before I call the Chancellor to make his statement—[Interruption.] Yes, I should think so. This has happened a few times today. That is the third apology, and I do not want any more.
Before I call the Chancellor to make his statement I would like to point out that a British Sign Language interpretation of proceedings is available to watch on parliamentlive.tv. I now call the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Points of Order
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. In Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions we had the ludicrous spectacle of the farming Minister refusing to answer my question about the devastating impact on the cider industry of the Government’s proposal to have a minimum alcohol price because he has cider farms in his constituency. He was perfectly happy to answer numerous questions on dairy farming, beef farming and every other type of farming, which he also has in his constituency. Will you please seek clarification, Mr Deputy Speaker, from the permanent secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this ludicrous ruling? Will Education Ministers not be allowed to answer questions because they have schools in their constituency? It is totally absurd.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
It is not for the Chair to decide who will answer a question from the Front Bench; it is for the Government. I am sure that people will have noticed the right hon. Gentleman’s point of order, and it will be on the record.
Points of Order
Debate between Ben Bradshaw and Lindsay Hoyle(14 years, 1 month ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Mr Deputy Speaker
I will certainly bring that to the attention of the Speaker. You have got it on the record.
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. In his statement, the Business Secretary said that the many questions that hon. Members had would be answered in the White Paper, but that document was not in the Vote Office when he stood up to make his statement and when most Members were already in the House. May I ask that when the Government make statements on White Papers in future, they ensure that Members of this House have the document before the Secretary of State stands up?
Mr Deputy Speaker
I believe that what the right hon. Gentleman says is true, but the document is now available to Members.