Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Fiona Mactaggart Excerpts
Thursday 22nd July 2010

(14 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Fiona Mactaggart Portrait Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)
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May we have an urgent debate on the right of Back-Bench Members to hold the Government to account? On 15 July, a Communities and Local Government Minister said that no local authority had faced cuts larger than 2%. That statement has not since been corrected, although it is not true. Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the war in Iraq was illegal—apparently in a personal capacity, although without informing the House of that fact. What can Back Benchers do, faced with this uncertainty about how Ministers take responsibility?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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The hon. Lady has raised that issue in a week when we have had the first debate in Back-Bench time in 400 years on one reckoning and in 12 years on another. We are anxious to give Back Benchers more powers. She is perfectly entitled to ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the question that she has posed about funding for Slough. She will get an answer.