Points of Order

Nigel Evans Excerpts

Monday 29th April 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. During the urgent question on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on 17 April, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the hon. Member for Macclesfield (David Rutley), speaking on behalf of the Foreign Secretary, said that the Government wanted an “independent review” of the terrible killing of British aid workers by the Israel Defence Forces. That followed the Foreign Secretary himself posting on X that “a wholly independent review” was required.

However, in response to my written question, the Deputy Foreign Secretary said that the Prime Minister had called for a “transparent investigation” into that terrible attack. A transparent investigation is not the same as an independent investigation. Given that the whole point of my question in the Chamber was to highlight that investigations conducted by the IDF into its actions are not independent, this answer troubled me. Given also that the Foreign Secretary refuses to come to this Chamber to be held accountable, can you advise me, Mr Deputy Speaker, how I can clarify whether the Minister did not accidentally mislead the House in saying that the Government wanted an independent investigation when they are only calling for a transparent investigation? All those who seek accountability for the actions of the IDF want to know what the Government’s position is.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I thank the hon. Lady for giving notice of her point of order. Clearly the Chair is not responsible for the answers of Ministers, but those on the Treasury Bench will have heard the point of order and will make sure that the Minister is able to respond to her.

[Dawn Butler (Brent Central) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek your advice on how we in this House can ensure that the National Security Online Information Team investigates the Facebook groups that Greenpeace exposed at the weekend, of which the Tory mayoral candidate, Susan Hall, is a member. People have put on this group that they plan to kill our current Mayor, Sadiq Khan. How can we make sure the Government are investigating that?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I thank the hon. Member for her point of order and for giving forward notice of it. I am sure she could make contact herself with any organisations that can investigate the serious allegations she has just made.

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Earlier today the Minister for Schools said that the statistic I quoted on secondary teacher recruitment targets was “incorrect”, often repeated and “not right”. I am afraid it is the Minister who is incorrect. The Department for Education’s own website states—in bold—that 50% of the initial teacher training recruitment targets for secondary teachers were reached in 2023-24, which is what I said. In raw numbers, that is 13,102 secondary school teacher trainees recruited on to courses, out of the 26,360 the Government said were needed. We do not need maths to 18 to work out that that is less than 50% of the target.

Furthermore, I said in my question that some subjects were missing those targets by 50%, yet in many subjects they are missing them by way more—for instance, physics only met 17% of its target. Have you had any indication, Mr Deputy Speaker, that the Minister plans to correct the record? If not, how do you suggest I go about securing a correction?

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I thank the hon. Lady for her point of order and for giving forward notice of it. Again, the Chair is not responsible for ministerial responses, but those on the Treasury Bench will have heard her remarks, and of course we would expect any alterations or corrections to be made as soon as possible. I will now hand over to Dame Rosie Winterton for the rest of the business.

Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill (Programme) (No. 2)

Ordered,

That the Order of 20 March 2024 (Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill (Programme)) be varied as follows:

(1) Paragraphs (2) to (5) of the Order shall be omitted.

(2) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House, any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be completed in one day.

(3) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption.

(4) Any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption.—(Robert Largan.)