Points of Order

Nusrat Ghani Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Along with 6.5 million fellow members, I am a member of the local government pension scheme, through my proud membership of the London Pensions Fund Authority. We are uniquely affected by the Pension Schemes Bill, which we are about to contemplate. I am therefore concerned that it should be a hybrid Bill rather than a public Bill. I seek your guidance, please, as to whether the Bill has been properly certified as a public Bill and whether, in fact, it should be referred to the examiners to decide whether it should go through the hybrid Bill process. If not, and the House decides to proceed today, could the House of Lords independently decide through its examiners whether it is, in fact, a hybrid Bill?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I am grateful to the right hon. Member for his point of order and for giving notice of it. The Bill was not referred to the examiners at the time of presentation, indicating that the view taken by the relevant House authorities at the time was that the Bill was not prima facie hybrid. He is welcome to refer to any aspect of part 1 of the Bill during today’s proceedings. The Chair cannot be expected to respond substantively today, but I will ensure that he receives a substantive written response this week. His final point was about proceedings in the House of Lords, which are not a matter for the Chair, or indeed for this House. I ask him not to refer to that matter in his speech.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Members of the House have been visiting my constituency. The right hon. Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick) visited on 1 May, and I saw social media posts of a raid. The right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) visited on 4 July, which again I saw in social media posts. I understand that Ilford South is the centre of the universe and that any wannabe political party leader would want to visit, but they have shown discourtesy according to the rules of the House in not informing me. I seek your guidance.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for notice of his point of order. Can I confirm that he has given notice to the right hon. Members concerned? They will, no doubt, be aware after this.

[Jas Athwal]

indicated assent.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

The booklet on “Rules of behaviour and courtesies in the House of Commons” is entirely clear that notice must be given when a Member intends to visit another colleague’s constituency except for purely private purposes. The hon. Gentleman has indeed put on the record that his constituency is the centre of the universe.