House of Commons
Tuesday 17 December 2019
The House met at half-past Two o’clock
The House met on the first day of this Parliament, pursuant to Proclamation. John Benger, Clerk of the House of Commons, Sarah Davies, Clerk Assistant, and Colin Lee, Principal Clerk of the Table Office, attended in the House, and the other Clerks attended, according to their duty.
Sir Richard Heaton, Deputy Clerk of the Crown in Chancery in Great Britain, delivered to the said John Benger a book containing a list of the Members returned to serve in this Parliament.
Sir Peter Bottomley, the Member for Worthing West, took the Chair (Standing Order No. 1).
Message to attend the Lords Commissioners
Message to attend the Lords Commissioners delivered by the Lady Usher of the Black Rod.
The House went up to hear the Commission for opening and holding the Parliament, and the Lords Commissioners directed the House to proceed to the Election of a Speaker and to present the Speaker-Elect in the House of Peers for the Royal Approbation.
The House returned.
Election of Speaker
Under the provisions of Standing Order No. 1A, I am now required to ascertain whether Sir Lindsay Hoyle is willing to be chosen as Speaker.
First, I would like to thank the constituents of Chorley for allowing me to put myself forward as Speaker, and I would also like to welcome all the new Members to the House. May I offer many congratulations to you on your new role as Father of the House, Sir Peter? Of course, this is nothing new to your family; as you know, you have great history in this Room. You have served this place and your constituents for 44 and a half years—it just goes to show all the newcomers that this really can be a job for life—[Laughter.] And I do not think this is the end just yet.
It has been an absolute privilege to serve as a Deputy Speaker for the past nine years and as Speaker for a full two days; I have to say that that made the election pretty easy. Of course, Parliament was dissolved last month and it would be an honour to serve again in this Parliament—I hope that this time it would be for a little longer.
As I have said before, a Speaker has to be trusted, and I believe I was trusted as Deputy Speaker. I have a proven track record of being impartial, independent and fair, allowing Members to exercise their right to speak regardless of the length of their service. [Interruption.] I would have thought the new MPs would have given me a bit of a boost on that—do not let those who have been here a lot longer start dictating already! Having served on the Back Benches for 13 years myself, I understand how important it is for Back Benchers to be able to hold the Government to account and to promote the causes that are dear to them. On that basis, I submit myself to the House as your Speaker and your champion. I will ensure that my office is open to all.
I beg to move, That Sir Lindsay Hoyle do take the Chair of this House as Speaker.
I am delighted to propose someone who has been a great friend, not just to me but for many of us from all parts of the House. When I arrived in this place nearly 10 years ago as a newly elected MP, it was a daunting experience. For those of us who have not spent most of our lives in buildings like these, it can be incredibly overwhelming. As the former Member for North West Durham, Laura Pidcock, said when she arrived, this place reeks of privilege. Finding our confidence and our voice for our constituents takes practice and time, but it also takes friendship and support from other people.
It should be of comfort to all new Members of this House to know that they will find a great friend in our Speaker. With his typical Lancashire warmth, Members will always find his door open for a mug of Yorkshire tea—[Interruption]—and, of course, a Hobnob. A few years ago I was told the story of when Lindsay arrived unannounced, as he often does, in another MP’s office. He sat down and said, “Right, put the kettle on then.” “Yorkshire tea?” said the MP. “Absolutely,” said Lindsay, with enthusiasm, adding, “There are only two good things about Yorkshire: the tea and the M62 taking you back to Lancashire.” [Laughter.] If any Yorkshire MPs would like to change their minds, now is the time, but I am sure they will not, because above all else Lindsay has always been a fair and non-partisan Deputy Speaker, even to those who hail from God’s own country. He knows that to privilege some voices over others is to silence people in our communities up and down the country.
Lindsay can take his lack of partisanship a little bit too far. In 2017, he asked me to come and launch his general election campaign in what was then his marginal constituency of Chorley. It is one junction on the motorway from Wigan to Chorley. I was driving down the motorway and I started to see these enormous billboards looming up out of the distance: great big blue billboards saying, “For a strong and stable Chorley”. I started to panic and thought, “My God, they are targeting this place. Lindsay hasn’t got a hope. I have to get there, motivate his supporters and get people out.” Then, I looked closer, and on these billboards was Lindsay’s face: “Vote Lindsay Hoyle for a strong and stable Chorley”. I think the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) will be pleased to have inspired such mischief. That slogan may not have worked out so well for the other side, but it certainly worked out well for Lindsay, who was returned to this place and became Deputy Speaker again.
Lindsay has always made the effort to work with people and respect people from all sides of the House. Many of us on the Opposition Benches are deeply saddened by the loss from this place of our friend, the former MP for Bolsover, but it is a comfort to know that Lindsay has a cat named Dennis Skinner. The House should be reassured that he never picks sides: he also has a parrot called Boris.
There is a more serious point to make. When we chose Lindsay Hoyle to be our Speaker, someone back home said to me, “I can’t believe that he was allowed to do it.” Wigan and Chorley are right next door to each other, and they are towns where people have felt for a very long time that things are not working for them. Just let that sink in for a moment: “I can’t believe that he was allowed to do it.” What does it say about how people feel in those communities—communities that have just sent shock waves through the political system, many changing hands for the first time in 100 years? What does it say that they see Parliament as a whole as a bastion of privilege, where ordinary people like them cannot wield power?
All of us in the House, whether we have won or lost, have done this place a service by electing to be our face and our voice someone who people many miles distant from here see as one of their own. Many of us in this place have known for some time that the system is not working. I have had those conversations in the Division Lobby and behind closed doors with Members of Parliament from all political parties. We can feel the ground crumbling beneath our feet. We have seen it and we have felt it, and we must give voice to it. That is why I am relieved, proud and honoured to propose that Sir Lindsay Hoyle takes the Chair today.
Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 1A), That Sir Lindsay Hoyle do take the Chair of this House as Speaker.
Question put and agreed to.
Sir Peter Bottomley left the Chair, and Sir Lindsay Hoyle was conducted to the Chair by Lisa Nandy and Mr Nigel Evans.
(standing on the upper step): Before I take the Chair as Speaker-Elect, I wish first to thank the House for the honour that it has again bestowed upon me. I am aware that it is the greatest honour it can give to any of its Members. I pray that I shall justify its continuing confidence and I propose to do all within my power to preserve and to cherish its best traditions.
The Speaker-Elect sat down in the Chair and the Mace was placed upon the Table.
Before I call the Prime Minister, I just say that we have a very busy day ahead of us, with further ceremony in the House of Lords and most returning hon. Members having to be sworn in. I therefore encourage short speeches from party leaders and discourage other Members from seeking to catch my eye. As much as I would like to bask, it is more important to get Members sworn in. That is my commitment to the House.
Mr Speaker-Elect, I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending condolences to the families and friends of Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, who were murdered in the terrorist attack near London Bridge during the election campaign. We pay tribute once again to the emergency services and to members of the public for the bravery they showed.
Mr Speaker-Elect, I congratulate you on your office, and the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) who has just spoken. I do not know about you, Mr Speaker-Elect, as you survey the House from your eminence, with the characteristic beam that has brought you such deserved popularity, but I mean no disrespect to those who are no longer with us when I say that I think this Parliament is a vast improvement on its predecessor. Indeed, I would say it is one of the best Parliaments that this country has ever produced, with more female Members than ever before and more black and minority ethnic Members than ever before. It is also, incarnated in your person, Mr Speaker-Elect, a vastly more democratic Parliament, because it will not waste the nation’s time in deadlock, division and delay. On Friday, this Parliament will put the withdrawal agreement in the popty ping, as we say in Wales. Then this new democratic Parliament—this people’s Parliament—is going to do something. I wonder, Mr Speaker-Elect, if you can guess what it is. What is this Parliament going to do? We are going to get Brexit done. [Hon. Members: “Get Brexit done.”] Even your parrot would be able to recite that one by now.
We are going to get on with delivering the priorities of the British people—transforming the NHS; investing massively in education and the police; and uniting and levelling up across the whole UK. It is my belief that most hon. Members in this House believe we should resist the calls of those who would break up the United Kingdom. As the Parliament of the United Kingdom, we should politely and respectfully defend that partnership and the Union. I can tell the House that, after three and a half years of wrangling and division, the Government will do whatever we can to reach out across the House to find common ground, to heal the divisions of our country and to find a new and generous spirit in which we conduct all our political dealings with one another that will last beyond the immediate season of Christmas goodwill.
In that spirit, Mr Speaker-Elect, I congratulate you once again on your election and I look forward to the months and years ahead under your guidance.
May I join the Prime Minister in remembering the horror of what happened at London Bridge just three weeks ago? It is the third time in the last two general election campaigns that we have witnessed appalling and depraved terrorist attacks on our communities. Our hearts must go out to the families of Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt. When the Prime Minister and I attended a memorial event at the Guildhall, I had the honour of meeting many of the students who had been at college with Jack, and they were just devastated. In his memory, they wanted his work and his message to carry on. We should also remember the very good words of his father David about how proud he was of his son on that day. That attack was an attempt to damage our democracy, to halt the process. It did not succeed and it never should succeed, because we have to make sure that our democracy is fully intact.
I would like to offer my congratulations to the Prime Minister on winning the election and being returned to office, and I want to pay tribute to those Members, from my party particularly, who sadly lost their seats in the election and therefore will not be here. In particular, although many will be remembered, obviously Dennis Skinner is somebody who comes very much to mind on this occasion.
In the campaign, the Prime Minister made many promises and therefore has tremendous responsibilities to live up to. He will be judged on whether he keeps those promises by the communities that he has made them to. Our job in the Labour party will be to hold the Government to account and stand up for the communities we represent and for the more than 10 million people who voted for our party in the general election. Because that is what parliamentary democracy is about—holding the Government to account and representing the people who sent us here on their behalf.
I also offer my congratulations to the hon. Member for Worthing West (Sir Peter Bottomley) on taking up his position as Father of the House. I first encountered him at the Woolwich West by-election in 1975. I was a trade union organiser at the time, and I made a very strong recommendation to all the members of my union that they should vote for the Labour candidate, not him. Some of them went to see him, came back and said—it was quite embarrassing—“He seems such a very nice man. We might well vote for him.” I do not want to tarnish his reputation further, but whenever I was trying in the past to get an all-party consensus together on an early-day motion—sometimes a difficult task—he would often give it a Conservative character by supporting such moves. I thank him for that and wish him well as Father of the House.
May I take this opportunity to welcome all newly elected Members to the House? It is a very daunting day for them—their first day here after being elected to this place on behalf of their constituents, with all the responsibility that goes with that. There is no greater honour than to be elected to this House to represent our constituents, and one of the greatest strengths of our political system is that every one of us represents a community and every one of us has a constituency. We are here to represent the homeless and the desperate as well as those who are better off and lead more comfortable existences. We are here to represent all of them, and that surely ought to be the watchword of our House and our democracy.
This is the first time that a majority of Labour MPs are women, and I congratulate them all on being elected. Twenty of the 26 newly elected Labour MPs are women, which compares rather favourably with the Conservative party’s performance in that regard. This is also the most diverse Parliament in history, and I am proud that 41 of the 65 black and minority ethnic MPs are on the Labour Benches. I know they will do a fantastic job representing their constituencies and wider community interests.
Finally, Mr Speaker-Elect, I offer my warmest congratulations to you as you resume your place in the Speaker’s Chair. It is great to see you back. Your role goes beyond the pomp and ceremony, as you well understand. I am keen to work with you, as many others are, on all the issues facing this House. This House cannot function without Members’ staff and House staff—security, administration, caterers, cleaners and officials—who do so much good work here; they all make a contribution to ensure that our democracy functions properly. But there is also enormous pressure on MPs, staff and many others, and I know that you take very seriously the mental health and wellbeing of us all. I hope that we in this House ensure that that is taken seriously.
Mr Speaker-Elect, there are portraits of all your predecessors in Speaker’s House. One of the most famous, of course, is Speaker Lenthall, who resisted the autocracy of Charles I in support of the freedoms of Parliament. Our democracy needs you as a Speaker who will stand firm against abuses of power by the Executive or anybody else. In doing so, you are defending the rights not just of this House, but of millions of people who put their faith in a democratic system to elect a Parliament, and therefore a Government, who are answerable to them. Our rights and freedoms are always precious, but also often precarious. Democracy is not a given. It is something that we have to extend and defend. I am sure that you, in your role as Speaker-Elect—and hopefully Speaker very soon—will do exactly that. I congratulate you on your election and look forward to working with you.
The whole House will want to join in the expression of the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister about the tragedy at Fishmongers’ Hall and London Bridge.
Let me tell the Leader of the Opposition that he only heard half the Woolwich West story, since I was a member of the 1/128 branch of the Transport and General Workers’ Union in Transport House and knew quite a lot about what was going on. For instance, I knew which MPs were not standing again—such as Peter Shore—because they had not applied for re-sponsorship and the like. It was a marvellous experience for me. Let me also say to the Leader of the Opposition that none of us is always right and none of us is always wrong; and on the issues where he and I have agreed, I think we have been right.
Mr Speaker-Elect, the advice that you might give in private—but which I will give in public—to those joining us for the first or even the second time is that they should listen to their Whips, obey the Chair, think of the interests of their constituency and the nation, and do what they think is right. I think that is the kind of thing that Speakers would remind us to do. May I conclude by saying that there are many good things to say about many of your predecessors, but I do not think that any of them have been such a welcome choice as Speaker, and Speaker again, as you?
May I associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition about the absolutely dreadful attacks at Fishmongers’ Hall and London Bridge? We must all stand together against terrorism and stand up together for democracy.
Mr Speaker-Elect, the expanded SNP Westminster group welcomes you to your new role. In the previous Parliament, I appreciated the fair and balanced approach taken by the last Speaker, and I have no doubt that you will conduct proceedings with the same vigour and transparency. These are uncertain and challenging times. The public are now looking to this place for leadership. We owe it to all those who put their trust in us to conduct debate here with respect and to treat each other with dignity.
I give you, Mr Speaker-Elect, the best wishes from the Scottish National party, and I look forward to taking on the case for Scotland in this new Parliament with integrity and with dignity. All the very best to you, Mr Speaker-Elect.
May I, Mr Speaker-Elect, give you heartfelt congratulations from those on the Liberal Democrat Benches and wish you the very best as you manage the proceedings of this House? In your election in the last Parliament, you struck a chord with many Members when you spoke about improving the security of Members, staff and our families. It is sad to say that you were right to lead on this, not least as we remember the two young victims of the terrorist attack on London Bridge—Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, two young people dedicated to helping others to whom we should pay tribute today as this House returns.
Mr Speaker-Elect, I was delighted that in your acceptance speech before the election you spoke eloquently and positively about the speaking rights of smaller parties. I can assure you, Sir, that Liberal Democrat Members want to make their voices heard, not least on behalf of the 3.7 million people who voted for us last Thursday. Under proportional voting, we would now easily be the third largest party in this House with 70 MPs—a fact that I know, Sir, you will take account of.
You will appreciate, Mr Speaker-Elect, that the past few days have been difficult for my colleagues and I, having seen our friend Jo Swinson lose her seat. Jo consistently said during the election that there is an issue even bigger than Brexit—namely, the climate emergency. On these Benches, we will be seeking your help as we raise this issue and argue for the radical climate change policies that Jo advocated. Thank you, Mr Speaker-Elect.
On behalf of the Democratic Unionist party, Mr Speaker-Elect, I want to associate ourselves with the remarks of the Prime Minister. Coming from Northern Ireland, we know all too well the impact that terrorism can have and the devastation it wreaks on families, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of that atrocity.
I congratulate you, Mr Speaker-Elect, on your re-election as Speaker. We regard you as someone who is fair and upholds the rights of all Members in this House, and we look forward to working with you.
I also congratulate the Prime Minister and the Conservative party on their victory in the election. We look forward to working with them going forward, particularly in relation to the matters that the Prime Minister spoke of—the Union of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As the Prime Minister takes forward his proposals on Brexit, we want to ensure that Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom is secured and that the economic, political and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom is respected.
May I, Mr Speaker-Elect, pay tribute to my colleagues the former Members for Belfast North, Nigel Dodds, and for Belfast South, Emma Little-Pengelly, who are not with us but who made a massive contribution to the work of this House in the last Parliament—and indeed, in the case of Nigel, over many years? I welcome my hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart) to our ranks, but also the other Members from Northern Ireland who are today taking their seats for the first time in this House. We welcome the fact that they are here and take their seats—unlike others—and will no doubt make a contribution to this House and to the democratic process.
So, Mr Speaker-Elect, we wish you and all colleagues well in this Parliament. We look forward to outlining the voice of Northern Ireland along with our colleagues and ensuring that our place in this Union is secure.
Diolch yn fawr, Mr Darpar-Lefarydd, a llongyfarchiadau i chi yn eich parchus, arswydus swydd newydd. Thank you, Mr Speaker-Elect, and congratulations to you on your respected, sublime new role. I and many people here were present on 22 March 2017, and there is no doubt in my mind that the leadership and care that you showed us on that day have inevitably given us the faith to return you with pleasure today. Of course, we sympathise with all the victims of terrorist attacks in the intervening time.
Let me take the opportunity to call on you, Mr Speaker-Elect, to work with the Llywydd in our Senedd in Wales, the Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly in the spirit of equality and mutual respect. I call on you also to continue to develop the principles of equality, including equality of voice and equality of opportunity, much of which was upheld in the Speaker’s intern scheme, an excellent scheme that has brought people into this place who would not otherwise have had the opportunity.
I close by saying that all Members here were returned in exactly the same way: by their—our—constituents. Those constituents all stand equal, regardless of whether their MP is a member of the Government or the Opposition; of a large party or a small party; or, indeed, the single representative here. All those constituents are equal and they deserve respect. I have every confidence, Mr Speaker-Elect, that you will ensure that their representatives here will have that equality of voice so that they can best represent their constituents.
I join those who have paid tribute to the two young people who were tragically killed on London bridge.
Mr Speaker-Elect, on behalf of an admittedly small party, but one with a lot of ambition, I should like to add my congratulations to you. I know from my own experience just how serious you are when you say that you will champion the interests of all of us from smaller parties. With our democracy being tested to its limits in recent months, I look forward to seeing your strong sense of fairness prevail, so that we can ensure that we hold the Executive to account, especially by continuing to uphold your long tradition of giving Back Benchers the opportunities to be heard and to play our part, no matter the size of the political party from which we hail.
I have to signify to the House the pleasure of Her Majesty that the House should present their Speaker this day at 3.45 pm in the House of Peers for Her Majesty’s Royal Approbation.
The House is suspended until 3.45 pm.
Sitting suspended.
On resuming—
MESSAGE TO ATTEND THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS
Message to attend the Lords Commissioners delivered by the Lady Usher of the Black Rod.
The Speaker-Elect, with the House, went up to be presented to the Lords Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Royal Approbation; and returned.
I have to report that this House has been in the House of Lords where Her Majesty has been pleased, by Her Majesty’s Commissioners, to approve the choice made of myself for the office of Speaker.
My first duty to the House is to repeat my respectful acknowledgements and my grateful thanks for the great honour you have conferred on me in placing me in the Chair, and to renew the assurances of my entire devotion to the service of this House.
Members Sworn
I must now call on the Members of the House, according to the usual custom, to take the Oath of Allegiance or to affirm at the Table of the House, first doing so myself.
The Speaker first, alone, standing on the upper step of the Chair, took and subscribed the Oath required by law.
I should remind hon. Members that, until they take the Oath or affirm, they must not sit during any debate or vote in any Division of the House, and they will not receive any salary—a big temptation. The arrangements for swearing in are as set out in the Chamber information sheet and a guidance note is also available from the Table Office and the Vote Office.
I propose to call first the Father of the House, then members of the Cabinet, then members of the shadow Cabinet, then all Privy Counsellors not included in those two groups, wherever they may be sitting, and then other Ministers. Thereafter, I shall call other hon. Members broadly according to the Parliament of their first entry, or, for those with broken service, that of their most recent entry. The first batch will be those who have been Members since before the 2010 election. Thereafter, I shall proceed to call Members by successive Parliaments. I do not expect to call new Members until tomorrow.
I propose to remain in the Chair until 5.45 today and to return at 6.45, continuing until 8.45, with a later session if necessary. The House will sit again tomorrow at 11.30. I propose to be in the Chair for swearing in tomorrow from 11.30 until 1.30, to return at 2 until 4, and again from 4.30 until 5.45, with a later session if necessary. I hope that, by the end of tomorrow afternoon, we will have made sufficient progress to enable all Members to swear in who wish to do so. However, if required, we will sit for swearing in at 2 o’clock on Thursday before the opening of the debate on the Queen’s Speech.
I remind Members that the swearing in, as a proceeding of the House, is recorded by television cameras: anything said or done by Members may appear on television or be picked up on microphones. It will assist the broadcasters if new Members state their name and constituency when they come to the Dispatch Box. Progress will depend, of course, on the number of Members wishing to swear in at any particular time. I advise Members to watch the annunciators to establish progress, and to speak to their Whips.
The following Members took and subscribed the Oath, or made and subscribed the Affirmation required by law:
Sir Peter James Bottomley, for Worthing West
Right honourable Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Right honourable Priti Sushil Patel, Witham
Right honourable Dominic Rennie Raab, Esher and Walton
Right honourable and learned Robert James Buckland, South Swindon
Right honourable Jacob William Rees-Mogg, North East Somerset
Right honourable Sajid Javid, Bromsgrove
Right honourable Michael Andrew Gove, Surrey Heath
Right honourable Thérèse Anne Coffey, Suffolk Coastal
Right honourable Mark Steven Spencer, Sherwood
Right honourable Robert Edward Jenrick, Newark
Right honourable Robert Ben Lobban Wallace, Wyre and Preston North
Right honourable Alok Kumar Sharma, Reading West
Right honourable Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom, South Northamptonshire
Right honourable Brandon Kenneth Lewis, Great Yarmouth
Right honourable Grant Shapps, Welwyn Hatfield
Right honourable Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng, Spelthorne
Right honourable Gavin Alexander Williamson, South Staffordshire
Right honourable Elizabeth Mary Truss, South West Norfolk
Right honourable Matthew John David Hancock, West Suffolk
Right honourable and learned Charles Geoffrey Cox, Torridge and West Devon
Right honourable Theresa Anne Villiers, Chipping Barnet
Right honourable Rishi Sunak, Richmond (Yorks)
Right honourable Oliver James Dowden, Hertsmere
Right honourable Stephen Paul Barclay, North East Cambridgeshire
Right honourable James Spencer Cleverly, Braintree
Right honourable Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, Islington North
Right honourable Nicholas Hugh Brown, Newcastle upon Tyne East
Right honourable Valerie Carol Marian Vaz, Walsall South
Right honourable Diane Julie Abbott, Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Jonathan Michael Graham Ashworth, Leicester South
Right honourable Emily Thornberry, Islington South and Finsbury
Right honourable John Healey, Wentworth and Dearne
Dawn Petula Butler, Brent Central
Richard Burgon, Leeds East
Catherine Jane Smith, Lancaster and Fleetwood
Andrew John Gwynne, Denton and Reddish
Peter Christopher Dowd, Bootle
Nia Rhiannon Griffith, Llanelli
Barry Strachan Gardiner, Brent North
Andrew Joseph McDonald, Middlesbrough
Right honourable Robert Henry Halfon, Harlow
Ian Lavery, Wansbeck
Afzal Mohammed Khan, Manchester, Gorton
Anthony Joseph Lloyd, Rochdale
Right honourable Theresa Mary May, Maidenhead
Right honourable Dame Cheryl Elise Kendall Gillan, Chesham and Amersham
Right honourable Margaret Mary Beckett, Derby South
Right honourable and learned Sir Oliver Heald, North East Hertfordshire
Right honourable Alexander Jesse Norman, Hereford and South Herefordshire
Right honourable Edward Samuel Miliband, Doncaster North
Right honourable Dame Rosalie Winterton, Doncaster Central
Right honourable Ian Blackford, Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Right honourable Hilary James Benn, Leeds Central
Right honourable Sir David Anthony Evennett, Bexleyheath and Crayford
Right honourable Mark Gino Francois, Rayleigh and Wickford
Right honourable James Peter Brokenshire, Old Bexley and Sidcup
Right honourable Christopher Stephen Grayling, Epsom and Ewell
Right honourable David Michael Davis, Haltemprice and Howden
Right honourable Sir Roger James Gale, North Thanet
Right honourable Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh, Gainsborough
Right honourable Sir Desmond Angus Swayne, New Forest West
Right honourable Sir George Edward Howarth, Knowsley
Right honourable Nicolas John Gibb, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
Barbara Mary Keeley, Worsley and Eccles South
Right honourable Stephen Crabb, Preseli Pembrokeshire
Right honourable and learned Jeremy Paul Wright, Kenilworth and Southam
Right honourable Damian Howard Green, Ashford
Right honourable Caroline Fiona Ellen Nokes, Romsey and Southampton North
Right honourable Julian Murray Lewis, New Forest East
Right honourable Maria Frances Lewis Miller, Basingstoke
Right honourable David Lindon Lammy, Tottenham
Mary Josephine Robinson, Cheadle
Right honourable Karen Anne Bradley, Staffordshire Moorlands
Right honourable Andrew William Murrison, South West Wiltshire
Right honourable Mark James Harper, Forest of Dean
Right honourable Philip Martin Dunne, Ludlow
Right honourable David Gordon Mundell, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Right honourable David Ian Jones, Clwyd West
Right honourable Christopher James Skidmore, Kingswood
Right honourable Esther Louise McVey, Tatton
Right honourable Sir Edward Jonathon Davey, Kingston and Surbiton
Right honourable Alexander Morrison Carmichael, Orkney and Shetland
Right honourable Gregory William Hands, Chelsea and Fulham
Right honourable Gregory David Clark, Tunbridge Wells
Right honourable and learned Harriet Ruth Harman, Camberwell and Peckham
Right honourable Dame Margaret Eve Hodge, Barking
Barry John Sheerman, Huddersfield
Rosemary Elizabeth Cooper, West Lancashire
Yasmin Qureshi, Bolton South East
Virendra Kumar Sharma, Ealing, Southall
Mohammad Yasin, Bedford
Karen Patricia Buck, Westminster North
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch, Saffron Walden
Julia Louise Lopez, Hornchurch and Upminster
Nadine Vanessa Dorries, Mid Bedfordshire
Right honourable Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt, South West Surrey
Right honourable Liam Fox, North Somerset
Right honourable Dame Eleanor Fulton Laing, Epping Forest
Right honourable Mark Richard Tami, Alyn and Deeside
Judith Mary Cummins, Bradford South
Lyn Carol Brown, West Ham
Jessica Elizabeth Morden, Newport East
Shailesh Lakhman Vara, North West Cambridgeshire
Stephen William Hammond, Wimbledon
Right honourable Stephen Creswell Timms, East Ham
Michael Lee Amesbury, Weaver Vale
John Derek Twigg, Halton
Right honourable George Iain Duncan Smith, Chingford and Woodford Green
Iain Aitken Stewart, Milton Keynes South
Sir Robert Andrew Raymond Syms, Poole
Caroline Julia Dinenage, Gosport
Justin Paul Tomlinson, North Swindon
Right honourable Owen William Paterson, North Shropshire
Right honourable Kevan David Jones, North Durham
Right honourable Alan Campbell, Tynemouth
Right honourable Penny Mary Mordaunt, Portsmouth North
Right honourable and learned Michael Tyrone Ellis, Northampton North
Graham Charles Stuart, Beverley and Holderness
Right honourable Sir John Henry Hayes, South Holland and The Deepings
Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle
Right honourable Robert Goodwill, Scarborough and Whitby
James McMahon, Oldham West and Royton
Stephen James Morgan, Portsmouth South
Mark Robert Timothy Garnier, Wyre Forest
Andrew James Bridgen, North West Leicestershire
Right honourable Damian Patrick George Hinds, East Hampshire
Right honourable Alec Shelbrooke, Elmet and Rothwell
Wendy Morton, Aldridge-Brownhills
Kevin John Foster, Torbay
Johanna Peta Churchill, Bury St Edmunds
Thomas Christopher John Pursglove, Corby
Graham Eric Stringer, Blackley and Broughton
Pauline Elizabeth Latham, Mid Derbyshire
Angela Eagle, Wallasey
Alister William Jack, Dumfries and Galloway
Right honourable Samuel Wilson, East Antrim
Conor Patrick McGinn, St Helens North
Gavin James Robinson, Belfast East
Edward John Comport Argar, Charnwood
Heather Kay Wheeler, South Derbyshire
John David Penrose, Weston-super-Mare
Margaret Olivia Hillier, Hackney South and Shoreditch
Marie Elizabeth Rimmer, St Helens South and Whiston
Catherine Malloy Hollern, Blackburn
Right honourable Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, Lagan Valley
Richard Michael John Ogilvie Graham, Gloucester
Andrew George Stephenson, Pendle
Margaret Ann Throup, Erewash
Yvonne Helen Fovargue, Makerfield
Imran Hussain, Bradford East
John Robert Lamont, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Douglas Gordon Ross, Moray
Right honourable Sir John Alan Redwood, Wokingham
James Whiteside Gray, North Wiltshire
Sir Graham Stuart Brady, Altrincham and Sale West
Robert James MacGillivray Neill, Bromley and Chislehurst
Right honourable John Francis Spellar, Warley
Maria Eagle, Garston and Halewood
Anneliese Jane Dodds, Oxford East
Daniel Owen Jarvis, Barnsley Central
Right honourable John Martin McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Slough
Seema Malhotra, Feltham and Heston
Timothy Paul Loughton, East Worthing and Shoreham
Sir Charles Ashley Rupert Walker, Broxboume
Shabana Mahmood, Birmingham, Ladywood
Christina Elizabeth Rees, Neath
Christopher John Bryant, Rhondda
Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead, Southampton, Test
Christopher Philip James Elmore, Ogmore
Carolyn Harris, Swansea East
Gerald Jones, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Simon James Hoare, North Dorset
Victoria Mary Boswell Prentis, Banbury
Robin Caspar Walker, Worcester
Craig Whittaker, Calder Valley
Lilian Rachel Greenwood, Nottingham South
Preet Kaur Gill, Birmingham, Edgbaston
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena, North East Hampshire
Leo Docherty, Aldershot
Gregory Lloyd Campbell, East Londonderry
Right honourable Christopher John Pincher, Tamworth
Right honourable Andrew John Bower Mitchell, Sutton Coldfield
Catherine McKinnell, Newcastle upon Tyne North
Anna Rhiannon McMorrin, Cardiff North
Atta-Ur-Rehman Chishti, Gillingham and Rainham
Catherine Elizabeth West, Hornsey and Wood Green
Jonathan Simon Djanogly, Huntingdon
Chinyelu Susan Onwurah, Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Paul Stuart Scully, Sutton and Cheam
Sir Alexander Paul Beresford, Mole Valley
Sir Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown, The Cotswolds
Right honourable John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale, Maldon
Royston Matthew Smith, Southampton, Itchen
Stephen Anthony McPartland, Stevenage
Nigel Martin Evans, Ribble Valley
William James Quince, Colchester
Marcus Charles Jones, Nuneaton
Alberto Castrenze Costa, South Leicestershire
Sheryll Murray, South East Cornwall
Nusrat Munir Ghani, Wealden
David Thomas Morris, Morecambe and Lunesdale
Andrew Richard Rosindell, Romford
Lucy Claire Frazer, South East Cambridgeshire
Right honourable Alun Hugh Cairns, Vale of Glamorgan
Sir David Anthony Andrew Amess, Southend West
Alexander Cunningham, Stockton North
Christian John Patrick Matheson, City of Chester
Marsha Chantol De Cordova, Battersea
Christopher Laurie Malthouse, North West Hampshire
William David Wiggin, North Herefordshire
Sir William Nigel Paul Cash, Stone
Sitting suspended.
On resuming—
The following Members took and subscribed the Oath, or made and subscribed the Affirmation required by law:
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds, for Torfaen
Joanna Meriel Stevens, Cardiff Central
Michael Joseph Patrick Kane, Wythenshawe and Sale East
James Morris, Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch, Chatham and Aylesford
Nadhim Zahawi, Stratford-on-Avon
Matthew Robert Warman, Boston and Skegness
Stephen Daniel Double, St Austell and Newquay
Robert William Henry Seely, Isle of Wight
Benjamin David Bradley, Mansfield
Right honourable Conor Burns, Bournemouth West
Laurence Anthony Robertson, Tewkesbury
Robert Alexander Stewart, Beckenham
Stewart Hosie, Dundee East
Henry Edward Millar Smith, Crawley
Paul Christopher Maynard, Blackpool North and Cleveleys
Robert John Blackman, Harrow East
John Philip Glen, Salisbury
Richard Quentin Fuller, North East Bedfordshire
Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty
Karl MᶜCartney, Lincoln
Sir Gary Nicholas Streeter, South West Devon
Adam Afriyie, Windsor
David Thomas Charles Davies, Monmouth
Fabian Hamilton, Leeds North East
Gillian Furniss, Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
Colleen Margaret Fletcher, Coventry North East
Miriam Jane Alice Davies, Mid Sussex
Timothy James Farron, Westmorland and Lonsdale
Christopher Heaton-Harris, Daventry
Daniel Robert Kawczynski, Shrewsbury and Atcham
Rebecca Faye Pow, Taunton Deane
James Stephen Heappey, Wells
Right honourable Sir Gregory Knight, East Yorkshire
Peter Wishart, Perth and North Perthshire
Patrick John Grady, Glasgow North
Carol Frances Monaghan, Glasgow North West
James Ian Mearns, Gateshead
Anthony James Holland Mangnall, Totnes
James Philip Duddridge, Rochford and Southend East
Victoria Grace Ford, Chelmsford
Kelly Jane Tolhurst, Rochester and Strood
Nicholas Desmond John Smith, Blaenau Gwent
Philip Andrew Davies, Shipley
Right honourable Damian Howard Green, Ashford
Angus Brendan MacNeil, Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Martin John Docherty-Hughes, West Dunbartonshire
Alison Emily Thewliss, Glasgow Central
Emma Louise Lewell-Buck, South Shields
Gordon Leonard Henderson, Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Kevin Denis Brennan, Cardiff West
Jeremy Mark Quin, Horsham
Simon Richard Clarke, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Debbonaire, Bristol West
Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie Abrahams, Oldham East and Saddleworth
Maria Colette Caulfield, Lewes
Fiona Claire Bruce, Congleton
Karin Marguerite Smyth, Bristol South
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt, Reigate
Michael Whitney Freer, Finchley and Golders Green
Nigel Paul Huddleston, Mid Worcestershire
Damien Moore, Southport
Abimbola Afolami, Hitchin and Harpenden
Jonathan Cruddas, Dagenham and Rainham
Christopher James Evans, Islwyn
Stuart James Andrew, Pudsey
Luke Anthony Hall, Thornbury and Yate
Christopher Lionel John Loder, West Dorset
Neil Quentin Gordon Parish, Tiverton and Honiton
Daniel Joseph Carden, Liverpool, Walton
Neil Charles Gray, Airdrie and Shotts
Andrew Hanson Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough
Paul Bristow, Peterborough
Greg Smith, Buckingham
Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet
Holly Jamie Lynch, Halifax
Julie Elliott, Sunderland Central
Mark Andrew Menzies, Fylde
Giacomo Lopresti, Filton and Bradley Stoke
Andrea Marie Jenkyns, Morley and Outwood
Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Patricia Gibson, North Ayrshire and Arran
David James Duguid, Banff and Buchan
Jack Edgar Brereton, Stoke-on-Trent South
Joanna Mary Gideon, Stoke-on-Trent Central
Marco Longhi, Dudley North
Alexander John Gervase Chalk, Cheltenham
Robert Alexander Courts, Witney
Andrew Iain Lewer, Northampton South
Craig Paul Tracey, North Warwickshire
Paul Christopher Blomfield, Sheffield Central
Matthew Raymond Western, Warwick and Leamington
Katherine Anne Green, Stretford and Urmston
Steven John Baker, Wycombe
Jacqueline Doyle-Price, Thurrock
Simon Anthony Hart, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
David Henry Rutley, Macclesfield
Stephen James McCabe, Birmingham, Selly Oak
Michael Robert Hill, Hartlepool
Michael Louis David Fabricant, Lichfield
Guy Thomas Opperman, Hexham
Daniel Stephen Zeichner, Cambridge
Ian Murray, Edinburgh South
Clive Stanley Efford, Eltham
Michael James Tomlinson, Mid Dorset and North Poole
Derek Gordon Thomas, St Ives
Peter William Bone, Wellingborough
Naseem Akhtar Shah, Bradford West
Matthew Thomas Pennycook, Greenwich and Woolwich
Amanda Jane Solloway, Derby North
William Roffen Esterson, Sefton Central
Stuart Campbell McDonald, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
George William Freeman, Mid Norfolk
Helen Olivia Bicknell Whately, Faversham and Mid Kent
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, North Antrim
Julian Charles Sturdy, York Outer
Mark Ian Jenkinson, Workington
Bridget Maeve Phillipson, Houghton and Sunderland South
Janet Jessica Daby, Lewisham East
Ruth Lorraine Jones, Newport West
Steven Mark Ward Reed, Croydon North
Kirsten Frances Oswald, East Renfrewshire
Stella Judith Creasy, Walthamstow
Amanda Anne Milling, Cannock Chase
Mark Julian Francis Pawsey, Rugby
Robin John Millar, Aberconwy
Philip Thomas Hollobone, Kettering
Clive James Charles Betts, Sheffield South East
Stephen John Doughty, Cardiff South and Penarth
Peter James Guy Aldous, Waveney
Tahir Ali, Birmingham, Hall Green
John Eugene Joseph Dromey, Birmingham, Erdington
Elizabeth Louise Kendall, Leicester West
Rachel Jane Reeves, Leeds West
Right honourable Patrick Bosco McFadden, Wolverhampton South East
Kieran John Mullan, Crewe and Nantwich
Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Brighton, Kemptown
Thomas William Randall, Gedling
James Nelson Grundy, Leigh
Dean Russell, Watford
Nicholas Anthony Fletcher, Don Valley
Kate Ofunne Osamor, Edmonton
Lisa Eva Nandy, Wigan
Lucy Maria Powell, Manchester Central
Stephen Nathan Kinnock, Aberavon
William Paul Girvan, South Antrim
Imran Nasir Ahmad-Khan, Wakefield
Lisa Cameron, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Margaret Ferrier, Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Ronald Jack Cowan, Inverclyde
John Joseph Mc Nally, Falkirk
Matthew Toby Perkins, Chesterfield
Richard James Shannon, Strangford
Robert Largan, High Peak
Martyn Day, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp, Croydon South
Ruth Margaret Cadbury, Brentford and Isleworth
Charalambos Charalambous, Enfield, Southgate
Karl Turner, Kingston upon Hull East
Victoria Jane Foxcroft, Lewisham, Deptford
Tracy Lynn Brabin, Batley and Spen
Jacob Young, Redcar
Jason McCartney, Colne Valley
Luke Pollard, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
Sarah Ann Jones, Croydon Central
Right honourable Liam Dominic Byrne, Birmingham, Hodge Hill
Antonia Louise Antoniazzi, Gower
Chloe Rebecca Smith, Norwich North
Peter John Kyle, Hove
Owen George Thompson, Midlothian
Geraint Richard Davies, Swansea West
Gareth Andrew Bacon, Orpington
Ben Spencer, Runnymede and Weybridge
Mark Peter Fletcher, Bolsover
Emma Ann Hardy, Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
Margaret Greenwood, Wirral West
Rebecca Long Bailey, Salford and Eccles
Sir Mark Phillip Hendrick, Preston
Fay Alicia Jones, Brecon and Radnorshire
Simon Robert Maurice Baynes, Clwyd South
Christopher Mark Clarkson, Heywood and Middleton
Wayne David, Caerphilly
Christian Wakeford, Bury South
Paul John Holmes, Eastleigh
Jonathan Edward Gullis, Stoke-on-Trent North
Justin Piers Richard Madders, Ellesmere Port and Neston
Sharon Hodgson, Washington and Sunderland West
Rachael Helen Maskell, York Central
Clive Anthony Lewis, Norwich South
Siobhain Ann McDonagh, Mitcham and Morden
Mary Elizabeth Twist, Blaydon
Sitting suspended.
On resuming—
The following Members took and subscribed the Oath, or made and subscribed the Affirmation required by law:
Right honourable Elizabeth Saville Roberts, for Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Ben Morgan Lake, Ceredigion
David Jonathan Edwards, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Hywel Williams, Arfon
Mary Theresa Glindon, North Tyneside
Feryal Demirci Clark, Enfield North
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin, West Worcestershire
John Michael Howell, Henley
Nicola Faye Richards, West Bromwich East
Richard John Holden, North West Durham
Peter Alexander Gibson, Darlington
Jane Marion Hunt, Loughborough
Aaron Stuart Bell, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Dehenna Sheridan Fareham, Bishop Auckland
Anne Marie Morris, Newton Abbot
Paul Howell, Sedgefield
Adjournment
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Nigel Huddleston.)
House adjourned.