Oral Answers to Questions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

9. What the implications are of the Smith commission report for further discussions of devolution in the House.

[Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con)]

10. What the implications are of the Smith commission report for further discussions of devolution in the House.

[The First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr William Hague)]

The Government are committed to publishing draft clauses based on the Smith commission report by 25 January 2015. I will report to the House in due course on further progress in relation to the devolution of powers within the United Kingdom, and on the consequences for England.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hague]

It is of course important for the whole concept of the northern powerhouse to work for people throughout the north of England and for rural as well as urban areas to benefit from it. Given the locations of our constituencies, my hon. Friend and I will both be very insistent that that should happen. It is certainly possible for the whole of the north to benefit from the uplift in prosperity, skills, transport infrastructure and superfast broadband, because the Government have put together a stronger set of measures for the north of England than any other Government in recent decades.

[Geoffrey Clifton-Brown]

I am sure my right hon. Friend is well aware that my constituents are very keen on English votes for English laws. How will he implement that, and how does the Smith commission recommend that it—as well as devo-max in Scotland—should be implemented in a way that will not lead to a break-up of the Union?

[Mr Hague]

The Government will shortly publish a Command Paper setting out the options for what have become known as English votes for English laws, as well as plans for further decentralisation within England. I hope to publish it before Christmas, and will seek to make a statement in the House, following which we shall all be able to consider together how to proceed with those plans.