Point of Order

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Thursday 26th May 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Have you had any notice about whether a Communities and Local Government Minister intends to make a statement on devolution to a combined authority in East Anglia? As we speak, the chief executive of Adnams brewery and Lord Heseltine are shuttling around the three counties of East Anglia offering jobs, offering budgets, getting rid of public bodies and, in short, rearranging this country’s constitutional settlement on the hoof. Is it not incumbent on Ministers to explain to the House what changes are envisaged and to demonstrate that there is proper accountability for such decisions in respect of existing and future legislation?

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

I have just checked, so I can say that we have received no notice—[Interruption.] The hon. Gentleman might be interested to hear the response, although I presume he knows it already. I assure him that we have had no notification at this stage. Nothing has been received by the Clerk or the Speaker’s Office. I can, however, tell him that Government Front Benchers are all ears and will be taking that point away. It is certainly now on the record.

Let us see whether we can now make some progress.