Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Brake Excerpts

Thursday 28th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

3. If he will introduce a procedure to inform all hon. Members when written ministerial statements deemed to be too commercially sensitive to be listed in the Order Paper are published.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake)]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that all written ministerial statements issued to the House are listed on the Order Paper.

[Kevin Brennan]

That is not quite true, is it? A few weeks ago, a written ministerial statement about the extension of the First Great Western rail franchise was not listed in the Order Paper because it was deemed to be too market sensitive. I had an exchange with the Leader of the House about that matter at business questions. Should not some sort of guidelines be brought in to ensure that, when that occurs, Departments inform Members directly as soon as that information becomes available rather than our having to learn about it through the press or through the superior knowledge of the Leader of the House?

[Tom Brake]

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is incorrect. I have in front of me the Order Paper for the day to which he refers and that written ministerial statement is listed.

[Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

The Government have form on not keeping the House fully informed and in an electronic age, surely it is not beyond the wit of even this Government to find a way of ensuring that Members’ rights and the rights of this House are fully recognised.

[Tom Brake]

Clearly, the Government are keen to make use of technology and would be very open to the idea of using it to provide written ministerial statements as early as possible. We would be very interested in pursuing that.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

This is an outrageous slur from the Opposition. This Government make everyone aware as soon as possible: we need only buy the newspapers or put on the television and we know in advance. Is this not an outrageous slur?

[Tom Brake]

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has regularly reminded Ministers, including members of the Cabinet, that it is important that they come to the House to make ministerial statements here first.

The hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, was asked—

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[Hugh Bayley (York Central) (Lab)]

8. What his policy is on the time available for private Members’ Bills.

[The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake)]

The time available for private Members’ Bills is set out in the Standing Orders at 13 Fridays in each Session.

[Hugh Bayley]

I have been a Member of the House for nearly 21 years, but my name has never been drawn in the ballot for private Members’ Bills, and those whose names are drawn rarely get their legislation through the House. Will the Deputy Leader of the House look at amending the Standing Orders to give more Back-Bench Members the opportunity to get legislation on the statute book?

[Tom Brake]

Whether to change the Standing Orders would, of course, be a matter for the House, but I point out to the hon. Gentleman that my right hon. Friend the Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight) and his predecessor have both been successful in securing private Members’ Bills while in opposition. Indeed, in the previous Session four private Members’ Bills made it to the statute book, and they were not hand-out Bills, and in this Session three private Members’ Bills have been secured in legislation, and we expect a further three to do so.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Does the Deputy Leader of the House agree that it is essential that all legislation, whether it stems from the Government or private Members, should be properly scrutinised and that we should not go down the route, as some people would have us do, of simply nodding through well-meaning legislation without proper or effective scrutiny?

[Tom Brake]

It is clear that the Government have put a heavy emphasis on the scrutiny of Bills, for example through pre-legislative scrutiny and the other mechanisms we are using with pilots to ensure that legislation in this House gets the appropriate consideration.

The hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, was asked—