Ben Obese-Jecty
Main Page: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)(1 week, 3 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate
Madam Deputy Speaker
I am grateful to the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. I understand that he has notified the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake) that he intended to raise this matter in the Chamber. I remind all hon. Members that they must inform colleagues in advance whenever they intend to visit another colleague’s constituency, except for purely private purposes, and that as a matter of courtesy, that notice should not be left until the last minute.
Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. On Thursday 10 April, the Home Secretary visited my constituency with the Prime Minister. While the Prime Minister had the courtesy to inform me three hours ahead of his visit, the Home Secretary did not. This was not an isolated incident; last month, I raised a point of order regarding the Environment Secretary and the farming Minister, the hon. Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), not informing me of their visit. Several hours after that visit, the Home Secretary’s team contacted me to say that they were informing me in accordance with paragraph 10.10 of the “Ministerial Code”. Paragraph 10.10 clearly states that a Minister
“must inform in advance, and in good time, the MPs whose constituencies are to be included within the itinerary.”
The Home Secretary’s notification was neither in advance nor in good time. Could you please advise me whether, in this instance, the Home Secretary has broken the ministerial code?
Madam Deputy Speaker
I am grateful to the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. I understand that he has notified the Home Secretary that he intended to raise this matter in the Chamber. Again, I remind all hon. Members that they must inform colleagues in advance whenever they intend to visit another colleague’s constituency, except for purely private purposes, and that as a matter of courtesy, that notice should not be left until the last minute.