Points of Order

Judith Cummins Excerpts

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. As you know, when we have a Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers the Budget and then the Red Book, with all the fine detail, the numbers and the graphs, is immediately made available to MPs, so that they can at least glance through it and ask the Chancellor questions. Conversely, this afternoon we just have spent nearly an hour and a half debating a statement about a Bill and a very important remedial order that we were quite deliberately not allowed to see. Surely it would have been better if hon. Members had been allowed to receive the Bill and the remedial order—at least to glance at it for a few minutes—so they could have asked much better informed questions of the Secretary of State. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State has organised this cynically to prevent that. Madam Deputy Speaker, how do we prevent that from happening again?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his point of order, but as is usual practice, when the Bill is presented, it will be available in the Vote Office.

[Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Over the summer, I was the subject of two online death threats, which the police are investigating. These were posted in response to a video published by the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore). The video accused me of not telling the truth on a very sensitive subject: the horrific abuse of children by grooming gangs. If the hon. Member had made those remarks in Parliament, they would have been deemed unparliamentary. As well as the death threats, that video elicited a torrent of misogynistic, racist and offensive comments, which remain online.

As Members of this House, it is incumbent on us to do all we can to prevent the escalation of abuse. The actions of the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley were at best irresponsible, and at worst inflammatory. I call on him to apologise, to withdraw the video, and to commit to refrain from personal attacks against me and other elected officials in future. Online abuse has a psychological impact on all of us who are subject to it—on our staff, our families and our friends. It has a chilling effect on democracy, stifling debate, putting good people off standing for election and creating a climate of hate. Therefore, I also hope that the Committee on Standards will review the code of conduct, to ensure that the same standards expected of Members in this place are upheld in their words and behaviours outside this place, particularly online.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of her point of order, and I am aware that she has notified the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley in advance of raising this matter in the Chamber. Although it is not strictly a point of order for the Chair, Mr Speaker takes the security and safety of Members very seriously, and I would always encourage Members to treat each other with courtesy and respect.

Bills Presented

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Secretary Hilary Benn, supported by Secretary John Healey and Secretary David Lammy, presented a Bill to make new provision to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 310) with explanatory notes (Bill 310—EN).

Hospices and Palliative Care Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Alison Bennett, supported by Helen Morgan, Helen Maguire, Dr Danny Chambers, Ian Sollom, Pippa Heylings and Charlotte Cane, presented a Bill to place a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure the availability of hospice services for all people at the end of life; to require the Secretary of State to report annually to Parliament on the adequacy of funding for children’s and adult hospice services, including an assessment of whether any funding increases are necessary to maintain such services; to require the Secretary of State to publish a five year plan for hospice funding; to make provision about the availability of specialist palliative care in emergency care services in hospitals; to make provision about supporting patients receiving palliative care in the community in certain circumstances; to require the Secretary of State to prepare and publish a workforce plan for hospice services; to require palliative care advice to be available through non-emergency NHS advice services; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time Friday 31 October, and to be printed (Bill 311).

Young Carers (Educational and Employment Support) Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Liz Jarvis, supported by Daisy Cooper, Alison Bennett, Rachael Maskell, Mr Will Forster, Sorcha Eastwood, Dr Ellie Chowns, Cameron Thomas, Alex Brewer, Sarah Dyke, Siân Berry and Tessa Munt, presented a Bill to require schools to maintain a record of pupils with caring responsibilities; to make provision about support in schools for pupils with caring responsibilities, including requiring schools to designate a member of staff as having responsibility for supporting young carers; to require schools to provide specified academic and other support to pupils with caring responsibilities, including support in relation to public examinations and provision of counselling; to make provision about support for future employment for pupils with caring responsibilities, including through mentoring and a programme of skills development; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 31 October, and to be printed (Bill 308).