John Bercow
Main Page: John Bercow (Speaker - Buckingham)
Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wish to draw this House’s attention to a vote in the other place, of 320 to 139, in favour of setting up a Committee of both Houses to examine the issue of English votes for English laws. I hope that the Government will look at this matter, in the interest of going forward in a cross-party way, before they come back with new proposals in the autumn.
Mr Speaker
Of course, in common with most attempted points of order, this is a not a matter for the Chair. That said, I can confirm that the House of Lords has communicated by message that it has resolved that a Joint Committee should be appointed to consider the Government’s proposals on English votes for English laws, a resolution to which it desires the agreement of the Commons. This message will be printed in the Votes and Proceedings in the usual way. There is nothing for me to add at this stage, except to say that the hon. Gentleman looks duly satisfied that he has made his point and it is on the record.
On a point of order, I call the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar.
Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker—excellent pronunciation, yet again. On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Following the point of order last night from my hon. Friend the Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart) asking that the furniture be altered in this House so that the real Opposition could actually be in a place of opposition, is it in order that the party should change the seating instead, so that the actual Opposition—the SNP 56—sit in the right place, in opposition to the Tory party?
Mr Speaker
I do not want to be accused, least of all by the hon. Gentleman, on this, the last day before we rise for the summer recess, of lacking a sense of humour, but I think he might be being just a tad facetious.
After my little effort—well intentioned, though perhaps inadequate—to name his constituency, I should just say, in all humility, that I am quite open to lessons, either from him or from any of his colleagues arrayed across the Opposition Front Bench, in pronunciation or elocution, if they think that I would be a suitable pupil. We will leave it there for now.