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Tuesday Volume 512 22 June 2010 No. 19 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 22 June 2010 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2010 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 143 22 JUNE 2010 144 size of the House of Commons lower than it currently House of Commons is, and to have greater equality between the sizes of constituencies. I do not think that anybody will quibble Tuesday 22 June 2010 with the principle that people’s votes should count equally, wherever they so happen to live. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr Speaker: Order. From now on we must have PRAYERS timely progress, with short questions and short answers. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) (Con): Will my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS there will be no move to hold a referendum on voting reform on the same day as any other elections, after the LONDON LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR ruling given by the House of Lords Select Committee LONDON (NO.2)BILL [LORDS] on the Constitution, which said: Lords message (15 June) relating to the Bill considered. “we recommend there should be a presumption against holding Resolved, referendums on the same day as elections”? That this House concurs with the Lords in their Resolution.—(The Chairman of Ways and Means.) The Deputy Prime Minister: As I have said, we will shortly come forward—I hope to do so well before the TRANSPORT FOR LONDON (SUPPLEMENTAL TOLL summer recess—to set out our plans for a referendum PROVISIONS)BILL [LORDS] to give people in this country the choice to choose, if Lords message (15 June) relating to the Bill considered. they so wish, to change the electoral system to an Resolved, alternative vote system. That this House concurs with the Lords in their Resolution.—(The Chairman of Ways and Means.) Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab): May I welcome the right hon. Gentleman to his position and give thanks to him for implementing a Labour party manifesto Oral Answers to Questions commitment that was not in the Conservative or Liberal Democrat manifestos? Will he reflect on the fact that in February the Liberal Democrats in this House proposed that an additional question—on the single transferable DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER vote—should be asked in any referendum? If that was proposed again by his colleagues on the Liberal Democrat The Deputy Prime Minister was asked— Benches, would he vote for or against it? Alternative Vote System The Deputy Prime Minister: This from a party that 1. Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab): back in 1997 had a manifesto commitment to hold a When he expects to publish the timetable for a referendum on a change to the electoral system. The referendum on the alternative vote system for general previous Government had 13 years to do that, and they elections. [3357] did absolutely nothing. I am delighted that the right hon. Gentleman, having sat on his hands for 13 years, is The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg): The finally displaying some urgency about getting on with Government have made clear their intention to introduce the political reforms that his Government failed to legislation providing for a national referendum on the deliver. Our coalition agreement is absolutely clear: we alternative vote for future elections to the House of are going to hold a referendum on whether people want Commons. The appropriate timetable for that legislation to have a new electoral system—the alternative vote and the subsequent referendum is currently being considered system. within Government. Further details will be announced to the House in due course. Fixed-term Parliaments Mr Cunningham: Given that answer, why has the Deputy Prime Minister prioritised boundary changes, 2. Julian Sturdy (York Outer) (Con): What steps he as opposed to a date for a referendum on the electoral plans to take to establish fixed-term Parliaments. [3360] system? Can he answer that question, or has the Prime Minister leaned on him? The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark The Deputy Prime Minister: The coalition agreement Harper): My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is clear. We want to proceed with the preparations for a and I have been working with colleagues across Government referendum, giving people the choice to choose a new to develop our proposals, and we will announce them to electoral system—the alternative vote system—and, in the House shortly. parallel, to proceed with a review of boundaries. Reviewing boundaries in this country is not a new thing. If the Julian Sturdy: I am grateful for that response, but hon. Gentleman would care to look back at the does the Minister agree that it is vital to bring forward Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, which establishes legislation as quickly as possible, if this new Parliament the provisions for reviews of boundaries, he will see that is indeed serious about restoring public trust and confidence the legislation imposes a requirement on us to keep the in the House? 145 Oral Answers22 JUNE 2010 Oral Answers 146 Mr Harper: I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. 6. Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab): What criteria My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wants to bring were used to decide on a 55% majority for a vote in the forward those proposals—he will be the first Prime House to trigger a dissolution of Parliament. [3364] Minister who has given away the power to seek a Dissolution of this House at his choosing—and to give The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark that power to this House, which is a promise that the Harper) rose—[Interruption.] right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown) made but never delivered on. Mr Speaker: Order. I recognise the extreme disapproval on one side of the House, but we must conduct proceedings Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in an orderly manner. 3. Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab): What recent Mr Harper: I am grateful, Mr Speaker. Labour Members representations he has received from hon. Members on clearly do not want to listen to answers to their questions. Government policy on the Independent Parliamentary The answer is that we want to make sure that no single Standards Authority. [3361] party in this House is able to seek a Dissolution for its own party political advantage. That is why the coalition The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark agreement makes the provision that it does. Harper): A number of hon. Members have submitted a number of written questions, which I have answered, Chris Leslie: Is it not an outrage that the Deputy and I was also pleased to listen to their representations Prime Minister makes such a transparent attempt to rig in the very full Westminster Hall debate last Wednesday. the way in which this House of Commons holds the Government to account? What an outrage that he sold Ian Lavery: Is the Minister aware that, as a result of his soul to the Conservatives to ensure that he is in the policy created by IPSA, many loyal and dedicated office, even when his own colleagues try to undo the members of staff face the prospect of redundancy or, at mess. the very least, of savage cuts in their wages, terms and conditions. Will the Minister tell us what plans he has to Mr Harper: I was having trouble detecting a question ensure that hon. Members’ staff are protected and not in that rather intemperate rant, Mr Speaker. I have unfairly punished as a result of the expenses scandal? already made it clear that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, who chose to walk in at exactly that Mr Harper: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for moment, was the first Prime Minister to give away the that question. He will know that Ministers have policy power to seek a Dissolution of this House. He has given responsibility for IPSA, but are not responsible for its away his own power and given it back to this House. internal workings. He will also know that my right hon. The hon. Gentleman should be grateful for that move Friend the Leader of the House has been making sure forward. that, where the IPSA rules make it difficult for Members of Parliament to carry out their duties, information on those rules is made available. He will also know that, Kevin Brennan: If this proposal passes with the support next week, the Speaker’s Committee on IPSA will have of fewer than 55% of Members, will the Minister still its first meeting. A motion on today’s Order Paper attempt to impose it? provides for the appointment of five Members to that Committee. At that meeting, they will consider how Mr Harper: The hon. Gentleman should know that there can be accountability to this House. our proposal is about improving the powers of this House; it does not change the rules for the confidence Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD): Since last Wednesday’s procedures—[HON.MEMBERS: “Answer.”] If Opposition Westminster Hall debate, in which the right hon. Member Members listen, I will. This will be taken through on the for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir John Stanley) made it Floor of the House and the hon. Gentleman, along clear that IPSA was in breach of parliamentary privilege, with all his hon.