Before we move to the main business—the Opposition day motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats—I have a very brief and, I hope, pertinent statement to make.

I am grateful to the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) for raising on a point of order on Monday the question of whether Members who have incurred losses with Equitable Life can vote on the first motion today.

As in previous debates on Equitable Life, any Members speaking in the debate should follow the advice of the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests dating back to 2003 and declare their interests, whether or not they are formally registrable.

In relation to voting, I can only repeat the words of Mr. Speaker Weatherill in January 1986 in relation to members of Lloyd’s:

“In matters of public policy, it has been the long-standing practice of the House—originally formulated as far back as 1811 by Mr. Speaker Abbot—that there is no obligation on an hon. Member to refrain from voting on a matter of public policy.”—[Official Report, 14 January 1986; Vol. 89, c. 1013.]

I appreciate that that does not solve the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s problem—that, without speaking in the debate, he cannot put on the record his interest when voting—but he has himself done so by raising this as a point of order.