Business of the House

Brian Leishman Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

On the matter of the business for 19 November, I will certainly look at how best to protect the time. That includes whether we need statements at the start of the day, but as the hon. Gentleman knows, it is a balance between keeping the House informed of important matters and ensuring there is sufficient time. I will also think about protected time, but as I have said to him before, having protected time is not the panacea we sometimes think it is, because it can lead to false assumptions about what can be allowed at the beginning of the day, and it does not always help.

As for the Labour Member on the Backbench Business Committee, I put my hands up and apologise sincerely to the hon. Gentleman. He knows that I take these matters seriously, and I apologise that we have not been able to fill that space, but discussions are ongoing, and we hope to be able to appoint a member soon.

On human rights in Iran, I know the hon. Gentleman takes these matters extremely seriously. There is abhorrence at the surge in executions of political prisoners in Iran. The Government oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Iran’s consistently high rate of executions is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. He is right to stand up against that, and the Government stand up against that. I will raise his specific concern with the FCDO and get him a response.

[Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) (Lab)]

Does the Leader of the House agree that this House should find time to celebrate people who perform kind actions in the name of animal welfare? That includes people like Donna Dickie from Clackmannan, who found a neglected dog, Roxy, who was suffering with a tumour on her side, as well as being seriously underweight. Because of Donna’s intervention, Roxy is now in good health and living her best life. She is even the star of a 2027 calendar, with the proceeds going towards saving the lives of shelter dogs in Romania.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Absolutely, and we should do that not only because Donna has done an important thing, and but because, as we all know from our postbags, there is a great deal of care and sympathy for matters of animal welfare among our constituents. I thank Donna for what she has done, and I am delighted that Roxy is making a recovery and raising funds for an important cause at the same time.