Business of the House

Debate between Tom Brake and Kevin Brennan

Thursday 7th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)]

Will the Leader of the House make time available for a debate on why the Government have conducted an impact assessment into gravity foul sewers and lateral drains, but not into the UK leaving the European Union?

[Kevin Brennan]

Smells!

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Brake and Kevin Brennan

Thursday 23rd October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Tom Brake]

My hon. Friend will be aware that the time set aside for topical questions to the Deputy Prime Minister was extended owing to demand. The issue is that we have a limited amount of time in this House available for questions and extending questions in one area inevitably means cutting them in another.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of September sittings of the House.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake)]

The House performs its functions effectively in September just as it does in other months of the year.

[Kevin Brennan]

Before anyone gets too excited, may I just make it clear that I am not suggesting that we have fewer sitting days? September sittings were introduced early in the 2000s but ignore the facts of the party conference season, which was originally at the end of September and into October because of the availability of cheap rooms in seaside resorts. That is no longer an issue for parties. Have there been any discussions about bringing party conferences forward in September so that we can avoid this very expensive two-week period when the House is brought back to life?

[Tom Brake]

The Deputy Leader of the House is responsible for a limited number of things and party conferences is certainly not one of them. Members would agree that the September sittings that we have just had were essential. We debated some essential matters and there might well have had to be a recall of Parliament had we not had those sittings. I was pleased to note that on Friday 5 September there was the largest turnout of Labour MPs ever—subject to my being corrected by the Labour Whips—on a private Member’s Bill. I was pleased to note that the hon. Gentleman’s name followed mine in the list in Hansard of those who voted.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Brake and Kevin Brennan

Thursday 19th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Tom Brake]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. The House will sit for roughly 150 days, which the Procedure Committee believes is appropriate. I cannot give an exact figure because we cannot predict whether there will be the opportunity or need to recall Parliament.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

Instead of having a November recess, why not get rid of the ludicrous September recall, bring the party conferences forward to earlier in September, and have a straight run through to Christmas? Would that not save a lot of money and make a lot more sense?

[Tom Brake]

I am sure Members of the House would like to consider that proposal, but the introduction of the September sitting was to avoid the long gap between the end of July and October when the House returns. Members, I hope, will agree it is useful to have that opportunity for the House to meet, because there may be important matters that we want to discuss in September.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Brake and Kevin Brennan

Thursday 28th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

3. If he will introduce a procedure to inform all hon. Members when written ministerial statements deemed to be too commercially sensitive to be listed in the Order Paper are published.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake)]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that all written ministerial statements issued to the House are listed on the Order Paper.

[Kevin Brennan]

That is not quite true, is it? A few weeks ago, a written ministerial statement about the extension of the First Great Western rail franchise was not listed in the Order Paper because it was deemed to be too market sensitive. I had an exchange with the Leader of the House about that matter at business questions. Should not some sort of guidelines be brought in to ensure that, when that occurs, Departments inform Members directly as soon as that information becomes available rather than our having to learn about it through the press or through the superior knowledge of the Leader of the House?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Brake and Kevin Brennan

Thursday 17th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Tom Brake]

I understand my right hon. Friend’s point. The Government have sought to address his concerns by providing more time on Report, but he might want to consider making a submission to the Procedure Committee, which is looking at programming. I am sure that the Government will want to consider his submission, along with others, when the report is published.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

8. What assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of new sitting hours on managing the business of the House.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake)]

No assessment has been made of the effect of the new sitting hours on managing the business of the House.

[Kevin Brennan]

I think the Deputy Leader of the House should make an assessment but should not listen to those who are calling for private Members’ Bills to brought into the middle of the week. Would it not be a ludicrous outcome if those who argued for our hours to move to earlier in the evening were then to vote for private Members’ Bills to be discussed after 7 o’clock so that the hours were extended from 11.30 am to 10 pm instead of running from 2.30 pm to 10 pm, which is what applied before?

[Tom Brake]

Clearly, the House has made a decision in relation to sitting hours, but the Procedure Committee is looking at the matter, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman’s concerns will be taken on board as part of that process.