Business of the House

Tom Blenkinsop Excerpts

Thursday 7th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lansley]

There are two things that I would say to my hon. Friend, who makes a good point. First, the national curriculum review has revised programmes of study to ensure that teaching is directed towards a core knowledge of citizenship, including how our society is governed. That, we hope, will help young people in the future. Secondly, and perhaps more immediately and practically, the passage of legislation that ensures that the people of this country have a referendum on our membership of the European Union will educate everybody about the character of our membership of the European Union—and, I might say, about its benefits.

[Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Work and Pensions Secretary’s departure as leader of the Tory party. To commemorate that, may we have an urgent statement by him about the allegations repeated in The Times of pressure being applied to a parliamentary Committee of this House, and about whether this again is a resigning matter for the Secretary of State?

[Mr Lansley]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago—and the one before that, the one before that, and the one before that.