Health and Social Care Bill (Programme) (No. 2)

Owen Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 21st June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Bone]

If I am put on the Committee, I shall certainly make up my own mind. I know that that concept is foreign to Labour Members, who have always done what they are told and voted how they are told. Conservative Members are different—we vote according to conscience.

[Owen Smith (Pontypridd) (Lab)]

As a member of the Committee, I point out to the hon. Gentleman that throughout all 38 sittings I watched Conservative Members dragooned by the Whips and not once voting according to their conscience, if they have one, but with their Front Benchers.

[Mr Bone]

I am afraid that I did not serve on the Committee, and my bid to get on it still stands. I hope that this new-found way of doing business will eventually make progress. If this House is ready to take back control of business, that is the way it has to be.

I welcome what the Government have done throughout this whole process, and I welcome today’s debate. I have reservations about the programme motion, and I will make up my mind on how to vote at the end of the debate. When the Bill comes back to the House on Report, I hope that there will be enough time for Members to deal with all the amendments and new clauses, because at the moment only members of the Committee can do so. In general terms, I welcome the new process and congratulate the Secretary of State for Health.