Lindsay Hoyle
Main Page: Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker - Chorley)(11 years, 9 months ago)
Commons ChamberIt is a big surprise. I spoke to the hon. Gentleman before the debate and asked for his permission to intervene, and I thank him for allowing me to do so.
Order. This is an intervention so you do not need to worry about that. I was more bothered about the fact that you came into the Chamber after the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Tristram Hunt) had started.
I appreciate that, and you are very gracious, Mr Deputy Speaker. The hon. Gentleman has spoken eloquently about the issue in Staffordshire and England. This is a devolved matter for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but does he feel that we need a UK-wide policy and strategy, and legislative change that would include the whole United Kingdom—Great Britain and Northern Ireland—so we could fight this issue together for all these reasons?