Points of Order

Judith Cummins Excerpts

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. You rightly expect the Executive to provide timely information to this House. On 13 August I wrote to the Secretaries of State for Defence, for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and for Business and Trade to ask for important information about the legality of F-35 exports. We want that information ahead of a ministerial appearance before the Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls on Monday.

This is important, because the Al-Haq judgment handed down by the courts on 30 June made it very clear that under our constitution, the acutely sensitive and political issue of the legality of exports is a matter for the Executive—who are democratically accountable to Parliament and ultimately the electorate—and not for the courts. We have not had that information yet, and the hearing is on Monday. What steps can you advise me to take to get the information that the Committee needs?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I am grateful to the right hon. Member for giving me notice of his point of order. The Chair is not responsible for Ministers’ replies to correspondence, but all hon. Members should be entitled to expect a timely reply when they write to any member of the Government, particularly when they are asking for information on behalf of a Select Committee on which the House has conferred formal powers to seek information and to hold the Government to account. I am sure that those on the Treasury Bench will have noted the right hon. Member’s comments, and I hope that the Business and Trade Committee will be provided with all the information it requires as soon as possible.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Following the decision in February 2010, our national flag—the Union flag or Union Jack—must fly from the Victoria Tower every day of the year, but in summer a much larger flag is flown; in winter only a small flag is flown. Can you please ask Mr Speaker to raise with the House authorities why the larger summer flag has been removed and replaced by the smaller flag? When I last checked, British summer time does not end until 26 October, so surely the larger Union Jack should fly at least until that date. May I also say that 26 October is also Essex Day, so maybe we can fly the flag of Essex as well?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the issue of the flag flying from the Victoria Tower. I will ensure that his request is raised with both Mr Speaker and the House authorities and that he receives a response.

[Nigel Farage (Clacton) (Reform)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. My mind is filled with the horrendous images of the assassination yesterday of Charlie Kirk: an American, a conservative, a Christian, a family man—gunned down. He had attracted the following of many millions of young Americans and had a growing online presence in our country, especially after he spoke at the Oxford Union last month.

I absolutely believe in free speech, but we all understand that there are limits to free speech: incitement, constant personal vilification, the use of horrendous historical images. This is not a left/right issue. It is not a left/right debate. I think it is incumbent upon all of us—whichever side of the divide we are on, however passionately we feel—to behave with personal responsibility, and I mourn the loss of my friend.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. It serves as a timely reminder of the need for respect in this place and in our politics. While it is not a matter for the Chair, he gives the House an important opportunity to offer our condolences and to express our horror at the events in the USA yesterday.