Business of the House

Bob Blackman Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I call the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

I thank Mr Speaker for hosting a Diwali event in Speaker’s House last night.

In addition to the business that the Leader of the House has announced, on Thursday 19 November there will be a statement from the Education Committee on its report, and on Thursday 26 November there will be a statement from the Transport Committee on its report. Given that the second debate on 19 November is on the emerging risks of advanced AI and was squeezed out on a previous occasion, would the Leader of the House consider giving that debate some form of protected time, to ensure that the large number of Members who want to speak are able to do so?

In addition, the business in Westminster Hall is as follows. On 17 November, there will be a debate on the performance of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. On Thursday 19 November, there will be a debate on support in the NHS for patients with learning disabilities, followed by a debate on inequalities in access to therapy for disabled children. On Tuesday 24 November, there will be a debate on the role of an MP, and on Thursday 26 November there will be a debate on access to stroke services in remote areas, followed by a debate on Islamophobia Awareness Month. On Tuesday 1 December, there will be a debate on nursing staff.

I gently remind the Leader of the House that we are still one down on the Backbench Business Committee. That is very important, because a number of colleagues are away from the estate on parliamentary business next week, and the quorum for our meetings is very tight.

Madam Deputy Speaker, you will know that executions of political prisoners in Iran are frequent. Indeed, Iran is the centre of executions of people who just want to stand up for their human rights. Later this evening, I shall be presenting the Magnitsky award for outstanding human rights activist to Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani. He has been in prison in Iran for six years for his part in the protests of 2019. He is on death row for the simple reason that he is a political protester. Can we have a statement to this House from a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister on what the Government will do to call out not only this potential execution but all the other potential executions of prisoners in Iran?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

On the matter of the business for 19 November, I will certainly look at how best to protect the time. That includes whether we need statements at the start of the day, but as the hon. Gentleman knows, it is a balance between keeping the House informed of important matters and ensuring there is sufficient time. I will also think about protected time, but as I have said to him before, having protected time is not the panacea we sometimes think it is, because it can lead to false assumptions about what can be allowed at the beginning of the day, and it does not always help.

As for the Labour Member on the Backbench Business Committee, I put my hands up and apologise sincerely to the hon. Gentleman. He knows that I take these matters seriously, and I apologise that we have not been able to fill that space, but discussions are ongoing, and we hope to be able to appoint a member soon.

On human rights in Iran, I know the hon. Gentleman takes these matters extremely seriously. There is abhorrence at the surge in executions of political prisoners in Iran. The Government oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Iran’s consistently high rate of executions is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. He is right to stand up against that, and the Government stand up against that. I will raise his specific concern with the FCDO and get him a response.