Ian Lavery
Main Page: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)Department Debates - View all Ian Lavery's debates with the Leader of the House
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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Lucy Powell
Yet again, the hon. Gentleman has raised a serious issue relating to religious freedom. We regularly monitor the situation in Algeria, and we are aware that some groups have found it difficult to obtain the permissions that they need in order to operate. We will continue to raise these matters with the Algerian authorities. I note that the hon. Gentleman has been successful in obtaining a Backbench Business debate this afternoon on freedom of religion in Pakistan; I am sure he will continue to proffer considerable numbers of applications to the Backbench Business Committee, and this too might be a good topic for a debate.
Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)
Huge congratulations are due to the volunteers and voluntary groups who received the prestigious King’s Award earlier this month, including six in Northumberland and one in my constituency: the Empire school of boxing, led by the phenomenal Les Welsh. May we have a debate in Government time to allow other Members to express their gratitude to the volunteers and voluntary groups in their areas? After all, they are the cornerstone of all our constituencies.
Lucy Powell
I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the winners of the King’s Award. I know from recipients in my own constituency how much it means to people to receive such a prestigious award from the King, and the boxing school in my hon. Friend’s constituency sounds like a worthy winner.
The contribution of volunteers to our communities is often raised in business questions, so I think that if Members came together for a debate—and I see that the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), is present—it would be very well attended.