Private Members’ Bills Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Private Members’ Bills

Bob Blackman Excerpts
Tuesday 25th October 2016

(7 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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The convention for many years, under successive Governments, has been that the Government make their view on private Members’ Bills plain during the course of a Second Reading debate. I return to the point that a private Member’s Bill that enjoys genuine majority support within the House has a decent chance of success.

Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
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This Friday, I will have the opportunity to present my Bill, which has all-party support and has been properly scrutinised before getting to this place. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should not have a lottery to get serious legislation on to the statute book, but require the case to be argued before a Committee before we get to that stage?

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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In the light of the Procedure Committee’s recommendations, I would be genuinely interested in whether my hon. Friend’s suggestion represents the view of the House as a whole, or whether more Members feel that they might lose out through the abolition of the lottery, which very many Back-Bench Members in all parts of the House prize as a great annual occasion.