Media Bill

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Nigel Evans

2nd reading
Tuesday 21st November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Thangam Debbonaire]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise to the House for neglecting to mention at the start of my remarks that I have recently accepted hospitality totalling £345 from Sky, a broadcaster, to see Madonna—it was unforgettable. I apologise for failing to mention that in my remarks, and I wish to correct the record. I hope that is acceptable. Thank you for your guidance.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I thank the hon. Lady for her point of order and for correcting the record as quickly as possible, for which I am grateful.

Points of Order

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Nigel Evans

Thursday 8th June 2023 Commons Chamber

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is about communication today between the shadow Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), and the Home Secretary. To give a quick recap, on Monday the Home Secretary gave what I understand to be inaccurate information to Parliament when she claimed that the asylum decision backlog is down by 17,000 since the Prime Minister’s statement. That contradicts what the Home Office’s published statistics say; they seem to make it very clear that the “asylum initial decision backlog”—it uses those precise words—has increased from 131,292 to 137,583 for the main applicants since the end of November and from 160,919 to 172,758 for total applications in the first quarter, which is clearly an increase. The shadow Home Secretary raised this with the Home Secretary first in the House on Monday, and the record was not corrected by the Home Secretary then or since, to my understanding. My right hon. Friend then wrote to the Home Secretary this morning.

Mr Deputy Speaker, have you received any notification from the Home Secretary of her intention to correct the record since Monday’s statement, and can you confirm that the ministerial code requires that

“Ministers should give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity”?

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I thank the hon. Lady for forward notice of her point of order. In response to question No. 1, no; and to question No. 2, yes. However, as she knows—this has been noted before—Ministers are responsible for the content of their answers, and it is therefore not a matter for the Chair. Those on the Government Front Bench will have heard her concerns and the Table Office can advise further on how she and other Members may pursue the matter.

Independent Review of Net Zero

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Nigel Evans

Thursday 9th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I call Kerry McCarthy.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

Hear, hear.

Point of Order

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Nigel Evans

Thursday 22nd July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek guidance from you on what options are open to me. I regret that I was not able to raise this with the Leader of the House personally beforehand, because this relates to something that has happened in the course of the last hour. Unfortunately, and I hope that the Leader of the House is doing this unintentionally, he made use of an extremely offensive racist term—I find it really difficult to understand, but I am sure it may be possible that he was not aware that it was—in relation to the Liberal Democrats. It would be really helpful if he could reconsider his words. He has spoken powerfully and correctly over the last few months about the scourge of racism and his commitment to ending it. I would like to know, Mr Deputy Speaker, what guidance you can offer to Government Ministers, Front Benchers and to all of us here about how we can be more temperate with our language. This use of casual racist phrases, however unintentional, has a corrosive impact on the fight against racism, which I know the right hon. Gentleman shares as an aim.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I think that every Member needs to redouble their efforts as far as that is concerned. I do not know a single racist Member of this House, to be honest. I think the Leader of the House is indicating that he may wish to directly respond to the issue at hand.

Delegated Legislation

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Nigel Evans

Tuesday 20th July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I should inform the House that the Speaker has selected the amendment standing in the name of the Leader of the Opposition, and I know that the Leader of the Opposition wishes to move the amendment, which means that the motion will be contested. That in itself constitutes an objection, and I am therefore not able to proceed to put the Question, other than to say that the objection is taken.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance on the matter that you have just described. Could you advise the House whether you have received any intelligence from the Government about whether they will grant time for the full motion, and any amendment tabled by any Member, to be properly debated and voted on before the summer recess? Staff should have an assurance that where any Member may have committed any offence to which the Recall of MPs Act 2015 should apply if the motion and amendment were agreed to, it can be properly considered and voted on by the House. I seek your guidance on whether that intelligence has been received.