Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Charlie Elphicke Excerpts
Tuesday 27th July 2010

(13 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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About 84% of voters in England will be voting, or eligible to vote, next May. In Scotland and Wales everybody will be entitled to vote. About 39 million people will be invited to vote next May, and it seems to me that instead of asking people constantly to go back to polling booths to cast separate votes, it is perfectly right to invite them to have their say on a simple yes/no issue on the same day, at, by the way, a lower cost to the Exchequer—it will save about £17 million.

Charlie Elphicke Portrait Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Con)
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T1. If he will make a statement on his Ministerial responsibilities.

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)
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As Deputy Prime Minister, I support the Prime Minister in the full range of Government policy and initiatives. Within Government I take direct responsibility for this Government’s programme of political and constitutional reform.

Charlie Elphicke Portrait Charlie Elphicke
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May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister about his responsibilities as regards the great repeal Bill, and whether it may be brought forward in the next Session?

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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As my hon. Friend may know, our priority in the autumn is the freedom Bill, and that will be the principal legislative vehicle to repeal and pare back many of the incursions that have occurred into our privacy, civil liberties and great tradition of freedom, which were so roundly abused by the previous Government.