Speaker's Statement Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Speaker's Statement

David Lidington Excerpts
Wednesday 14th September 2016

(7 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The Leader of the House is not under any such obligation. It has to be said that normally—I speak with some authority on this matter, as I have known him for 30 years, and we have been next-door constituency neighbours for the best part of 20 years—he is the most accommodating of colleagues.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I have a feeling that the right hon. Gentleman is about to prove the point.

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. If it will help the House, let me say that, as you rightly said, agreement was reached through the usual channels earlier this week about the reconstitution of Select Committees following the changes to Departments. It was clearly right for us to seek full cross-party endorsement for the changes, and that has now been obtained. I have therefore given instructions for the necessary resolutions and changes to Standing Orders to be drafted immediately, and we shall certainly table them as rapidly as we can get them to the House authorities.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I think that is very encouraging. I do not want to embarrass the right hon. Gentleman, but may I just say that he is in some danger, if he is not careful, of being held aloft by Members from all parts of the House? We will leave the matter there for now. I thank the Leader of the House for what he has said, which is encouraging.