Oral Answers to Questions

Rehman Chishti Excerpts

Tuesday 18th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Harper]

I look forward to the right hon. Gentleman’s speech introducing his Bill. Discussions are under way, as has been confirmed in this House and in the other place. He knows that the Statute of Westminster states that those matters must be amended in all the other realms of which Her Majesty is Queen, and it takes only a moment’s thought to see that that is not as straightforward a process as some who would wish to move more quickly might think.

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

4. What progress he has made on plans to introduce a statutory register for lobbyists.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark Harper)]

My hon. Friend should know that the Government plan to carry out a wide-ranging consultation later this year and then to bring forward legislation in the second Session of this Parliament.

[Rehman Chishti]

Does the Minister agree that for the statutory register to be effective and fit for purpose, it must be robustly transparent?

[Mr Harper]

I do, and that is a very important point. Lobbying is a perfectly reputable industry for making sure that the voices of charities and businesses are heard, but it should be transparent so that people know who is talking to those in Parliament. That is what the Government intend to do—mainly to clean up the dreadful behaviour that we saw last year, which has resulted in some former Members having their passes removed.

--- Later in debate ---

The hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

3. What representations the Church Commissioners have made in support of Christians in Pakistan.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry)]

It is a sad and terrible fact that Christian minorities who have lived peacefully in Muslim countries for generations are finding themselves subject to increasingly violent persecution. Churches have recently been attacked in Egypt, Iraq and Nigeria, and the assassination in Pakistan of Salmaan Taseer for defending a Christian woman who had been sentenced to death was particularly horrible. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Bishop of Lahore and, indeed, the Christian community as a whole in Pakistan are working hard to foster inter-faith collaboration in Pakistan during this time of difficulty.

[Rehman Chishti]

Will my hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to the former assassinated Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, for the work that he did on this particular issue? Will my hon. Friend ensure that representations are made to the Government of Pakistan to ensure that the excellent work of Governor Taseer can continue?

[Tony Baldry]

Salmaan Taseer was an incredibly brave man and his death is a tragedy for Pakistan. We would all do well to remember the words of Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, who said in terms that

“you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship”.

What I suspect every Member of this House hopes for is that there shall be freedom of religion throughout the world, and I am sure that, as a Chamber, we will continue to campaign for that wherever we have the opportunity.