Prime Minister (Temporary Replacement) Bill

Eleanor Laing Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 14th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Bone]

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. That line has been argued forever. I am not in the position to go back and ask who would make the decision in the situation that I described, but if my hon. Friend wants to intervene to tell me, I would be most interested. She cannot, because it is impossible: there is no designated survivor, as she calls it. I am not talking about something that might not happen and I will later give a clear example of what happened, why there was a problem and the two reasons why there was a problem.

Let me turn to the Bill, which is very simple and has only two clauses, the first of which deals with the situation I have just been talking about and the second of which says the Bill applies to the whole United Kingdom. Nothing in my Bill would prevent Her Majesty from—[Interruption.] Did I hear the Chinese, who have got in again?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)]

Order. If something has been heard—I did not hear it—can it be either repeated or ignored? Was something said?

[Mr Bone]

I think it was an electronic device heckling me and I cannot give way to an electronic device.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

We will not be having that. Let us make sure that all electronic devices are disabled.

[Mr Bone]

Let me go back to where I was. The Bill has two clauses and one schedule. Clause 2 says the Bill applies to the whole United Kingdom, clause 1 deals with the detail and the schedule lists the order in which people would take over as Prime Minister. The list starts with the person who is designated Deputy Prime Minister, then goes to the person designated the First Secretary of State, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and all the way down to paragraph 1(w), which lists the Chief Whip, and paragraph 1(x), which lists the Attorney General. Actually, I made a mistake with that list: I should obviously have put the Chief Whip last. Nevertheless, under the Bill someone would automatically be in charge as acting Prime Minister, with all the powers to decide what happened. In the case I was talking about, that person could say, “Yes, you shoot down that aeroplane,” or “No, you don’t,” so there would be no confusion.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Clarkson]

I would hate to leave Members on a cliffhanger—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)]

Order. A cliffhanger we have. [Laughter.]