Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Peter Bone Excerpts
Thursday 27th January 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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It is very important that we establish whether the shadow Chancellor is on the same wavelength as his leader on deficit reduction. On that point, I was interested to see that the former Chancellor under the last regime said that the key to getting growth in the long term is first to get the deficit down. That is not exactly what the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday.

Peter Bone Portrait Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)
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Yet another of the Government’s excellent moves to put Parliament first is to allow Government Back Benchers free votes in Committee. When the BlackBerrys go off now notifying a Division, we are not told how to vote. We are no longer lobby fodder. May we have a statement next week from the Chief Whip so that this policy can be expounded further and he can get the congratulation that he deserves?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I would not wish to raise my hon. Friend’s expectations by suggesting that my right hon. Friend the Chief Whip has any plans to come along. In any case, I do not think that my hon. Friend was ever regarded as lobby fodder.