Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Joan Walley Excerpts

Tuesday 15th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

rose—

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

rose—

[Mr Harper]

Let me just answer the hon. Gentleman’s point first. Then, I shall try to take points from Members according to the order in which they rose.

Having read other contributions from Professor Johnston and his colleagues in their British Academy report on the matter, I note that they made it quite clear that local inquiries resulted in little change, and that those arguments raised at local inquiries which had not already been raised in writing did not have any bearing on the result.

We listened carefully to arguments for allowing people to have their say in person, however, and we particularly wanted a process that was more accessible to the public, not just to political parties and their lawyers. Those in the other place—Cross Benchers in particular—were content with our proposals.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Harper]

I think that the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (Joan Walley) has first dibs.

[Joan Walley]

Given that not all of us have been party to all the debates in the other place, can the Minister tell us how local people will have their say? Whatever the Government are saying about localism, I cannot see how, under the new arrangement that he is bringing to the House, people will understand how they are going to have their say. It might be all right for Cornwall, but it might not be for Stoke-on-Trent.

[Mr Harper]

When the boundary commissions decide to hold their public hearings, they will of course publicise them. We have set out that the commissions will be able at the beginning of those public hearings to lay out the details of the proposals on which they are hearing from local people. I would have thought that the hon. Lady’s constituents in Stoke-on-Trent were as capable of participating as those in Cornwall and in other parts of the United Kingdom.