All 1 Debates between Robert Syms and Philip Hollobone

Ministerial Statements

Debate between Robert Syms and Philip Hollobone
Monday 5th December 2011

(13 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Philip Hollobone Portrait Mr Hollobone
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That is a helpful intervention—I shall refer my remarks to all three major parties, if that is better.

All Governments, whether this Government, the previous Government or the one before that, have leaked information, and that is not how our great House of Commons ought to be treated.

Robert Syms Portrait Mr Robert Syms (Poole) (Con)
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Can my hon. Friend name me any Government who have not leaked information to the press?

Philip Hollobone Portrait Mr Hollobone
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No, I cannot. This increasingly has become standard practice, but it is fair to say that it has got worse over the past five, 10 or 15 years. I am sure, however, that it was prevalent before.

Today, we have a golden opportunity that is, in many ways, unique: for the first time, thanks to the Leader of the House and other Ministers of the Crown, we have the Backbench Business Committee, which has been able to bring this motion to the Floor of the House for resolution tonight. Although hon. Members in past decades will have been frustrated by how the Government of the day leaked information, this is the first time that the House has had the opportunity to do something about it.