Business of the House

Chris Bryant Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hague]

This is a matter of fairness for the whole of the United Kingdom. My right hon. Friend raises now, and has raised before, this very important issue. Discussions are taking place within the Government under the auspices of the committee that I chair. I have also invited Labour Members to attend that committee and put forward their own proposals. As I have said publicly, I believe we need to set a deadline and say that if we do not have cross-party agreement by the end of November—the same timetable as that for Scotland—then it will be important to test the opinion of the House.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

On 5 September, the House granted a Second Reading to the Affordable Homes Bill, which will go some way towards getting rid of the bedroom tax. So far the Government have not yet tabled the money resolution that would allow it to go into Committee. Will the Leader of the House please commit this afternoon to tabling it by the end of business tomorrow?

[Mr Hague]

I will not make any commitment about that. Two private Members’ Bills went through in September. The Government are examining the money resolutions in the usual way, and we will make announcements in the usual way.