Offshore Gambling Bill

John Bercow Excerpts

Friday 25th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Miss McIntosh]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. It was, I think, predictable that the intervention of the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly) would provoke the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies). I simply say to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Miss McIntosh) that there is a substantial canvas available to her in offering the House a speech on her Bill, but it does not extend to covering the merits or demerits of an in/out referendum on the European Union.

[Miss McIntosh]

I hope that I might please you, Mr Speaker, even if I disappoint other hon. Members, when I say that I have no intention of going down that path today. I do not wish to enter into a competition about who is the most assiduous or distinguished member of the Select Committee. Suffice it to say that I yield to no one in my admiration for the members of the Committee here today.

--- Later in debate ---

[Philip Davies]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. May I just say, with reference to what has been said, that periodic reference to and use of the word “offshore” because it is part of the title of a Bill does not render orderly an intervention that is otherwise disorderly?

[Philip Davies]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way, but would she accept that most of the corruption she mentions with regard to sport and gambling has had nothing to do with any UK-based company or even one based in Gibraltar? It has been fuelled by illegal activity in the far east—perhaps that is why she got mixed up on China earlier. Any changes to regulation here would make no difference at all to that illegal betting activity in the far east.