Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Lord Excerpts

Wednesday 16th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jones]

I realise that some Opposition Members have huge difficulty with the proposition that people should be allowed to organise their own lives in the way that best suits them, rather than such matters being delivered top-down by big Government. However, there are signs that it is slowly dawning on the Leader of the Opposition at least that the big society may be rather a good idea. When he launched Labour’s policy review recently, in which I think the right hon. Member for Neath (Mr Hain) played a part, he said:

“We have got to take that term ‘big society’ back off David Cameron”.

[Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con)]

2. What assessment she has made of the outcome of the referendum on devolving primary law-making powers to the National Assembly for Wales.

[Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) (Con)]

4. What assessment she has made of the outcome of the referendum on devolving primary law-making powers to the National Assembly for Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Mrs Cheryl Gillan)]

I welcome the clear yes result announced on 4 March. The vote in favour of primary law-making powers for the Assembly will enable the Welsh Assembly Government to get on with the job of delivering better public services in Wales.

[Jonathan Lord]

I thank the Secretary of State. I note that there are now 20 devolved areas of policy for the Welsh Assembly and that Scotland has had similar powers for many years. Has she had conversations with other Ministers about the commission that we have been promised, or preferably legislation, so that only English MPs can vote on English laws that affect English residents, and thereby maintain the parity—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We are grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but we must move on.