Oral Answers to Questions

Helen Grant Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd May 2012 Commons Chamber

The Deputy Prime Minister was asked—

[Mrs Helen Grant (Maidstone and The Weald) (Con)]

2. What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on the rules governing succession to the Crown.

[Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North) (Con)]

5. What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on the rules governing succession to the Crown.

[The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)]

We are working closely with the New Zealand Government to secure the agreement of all the Commonwealth realms to the introduction of UK primary legislation on royal succession. Legislation will be introduced once we have secured this agreement and when parliamentary time allows.

[Mrs Grant]

If the birds and the bees of the romantic Isle of Anglesey were to conspire and bless our future King of England and his wife with the patter of tiny feet before this law was enacted, and if that royal baby turned out to be a little girl, would she succeed to the throne?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor-General]

If there is any good news to be had out of that terrible case, it is that the chief Crown prosecutor for the north-west, Mr. Nazir Afzal, revisited that decision, overturned it and ensured that the defendants were prosecuted, and prosecuted to conviction. I hope that the hon. Lady will be pleased by the result of that case.

[Mrs Helen Grant (Maidstone and The Weald) (Con)]

Does the Solicitor-General agree that the increased number of rape crisis centres opened by the Government helped to increase the number of rape prosecutions?

[The Solicitor-General]

Yes. It will be one of the many factors that have done so, and I hope that we will see them being better used and with greater efficiency in future.