Sustainable Livestock Bill

Joan Walley Excerpts

Friday 12th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) (Con)]

When I was a child, I had a mug that detailed the wonderful and famous lines:

“Let the wealthy and great

Roll in splendour and state.

I envy them not, I declare it,

For I eat my own lamb,

My own chickens and ham;

I shear my own fleece and I wear it.

I have lawns; I have bowers.

I have fruits; I have flowers,

The lark is my morning alarmer.

So jolly boys now,

Here’s God speed the plough.

Long life and success to the farmer.”

[Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Evans. I have come here today to support the Bill promoted by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Robert Flello) and to introduce the Second Reading of my Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill, on behalf of many thousands of people in the UK who care about food, who do not want poetry recited in the House of Commons and who, in the run-up to the 800th anniversary celebrations of the Magna Carta, want this place to be dealing with real issues about sustainable food. Is it not time that the business leaders of the House of Commons, with Mr Speaker and you, Mr Deputy Speaker, find a way to deal with Bills such as mine, which are not mischievous, which deserve to go into Committee to be properly discussed, in the interest of public health, and which are supported by organisations such as Sustain? People expect the House of Commons to give a proper hearing to the real debate, so what can be done?

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I will bring the hon. Lady’s comments to the attention of Mr Speaker on Monday morning. I know how frustrating a private Members’ day can be when you have the second, third or fourth Bill to be presented; I am a veteran of Friday mornings and I have been fortunate enough to have had several private Members’ Bills, one of which had fair wind from the Government and sailed through. The others did not, so I know how frustrated she might be. The procedures we are following are set down in Standing Orders and, as I say, I will bring her comments to the attention of Mr Speaker on Monday morning. Before Mr Rees-Mogg resumes his speech, may I say that I hope he will confine his comments to the Bill and there will be no further repetitions of the poetry, as interesting as it was?