Fixed-term Parliaments Bill Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Fixed-term Parliaments Bill

Nigel Evans Excerpts
Monday 13th September 2010

(14 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jack Straw Portrait Mr Straw
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On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Will you confirm that, as “Erskine May” makes very clear, when a Minister seeks to quote in detail from a document, it must be laid on the Table of the House?

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
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I understand that “Erskine May” states that, but how much detail has just been given is open to debate. I call Mr Clegg.

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that I have merely referred in passing to a court case, which, as I said, confirms that courts will not involve themselves in internal parliamentary proceedings.

The Bill explicitly confirms that the Speaker’s certificate

“is conclusive for all purposes.”

So the decision is for the Speaker, not the courts or the Executive.