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Commons Chamber

Volume 669: debated on Tuesday 17 December 2019

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.

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.