Sittings of the House

Debate between Joan Ruddock and Robert Smith

Wednesday 11th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Dame Joan Ruddock]

The hon. Lady might also feel that if she gets home a little earlier in the evening, perhaps she has more time to talk to her family.

[Sir Robert Smith]

It is important to remember that we are talking about the moment of interruption. When we bring forward the moment of interruption, as we have done on Wednesdays, the business managers often find it convenient to schedule business for after the moment of interruption, because the House is sitting more normal hours. There is no guarantee that people planning their diaries will know what time is available after the moment of interruption until the week before, when the business statement is made.

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Debate between Joan Ruddock and Robert Smith

Tuesday 19th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Joan Ruddock]

I thank my hon. Friend for that extremely important point, and I hope that it has been heard on the Government Benches.

[Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)]

When the boundaries were drawn last time, how was under-registration taken into account by the Boundary Commission?

[Joan Ruddock]

That is a matter for the Boundary Commission; I was not party to its deliberations.

I was talking about people who are not able to be at home, people whose first language is not English, and people who live in houses in multiple occupation. Every one of us who has a constituency where there are houses in multiple occupation will have seen properties in which there is a sea of mailed documents and leaflets on the floor and nobody picks them up. There are major problems in reaching people in such places, particularly those who are living in bad housing conditions. In my constituency, regrettably, we have many thousands waiting for social housing.