PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Business without Debate - 24 February 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am genuinely astounded by the way in which the Government have responded in calling down my Bill. To be frank, I am not just astounded; I am furious about it. But just in case the Russian Federation were to think it means that this House, this Parliament or this country is wavering in its determination to see Russia fail in its illegal war, or just in case Putin thinks that it signals a lack of determination on the part of the House or the country to make Russia pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine, is it in order for me to assert that we are all on the same side in this House in relation to this war, that I shall continue to press this matter, and that I do not doubt for a single instant that the Government will end up introducing something very similar very soon?

Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I do not think I have ever heard such an inappropriate comment from a senior Member of this House. He knows jolly well what the rules are. He only printed his Bill on Thursday, there are no explanatory notes in relation to it, and he is expecting his Bill to take priority over all the other Bills just because he thinks a lot of himself and he thinks he has a good cause. Lots of us have good causes, but we do not argue the toss with the rules.

We are not going to allow further debate on this particular matter; the fact is that both points of order now stand on the record. We are going to move on to another point of order on a separate issue.

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise with regret in respect of not one, but three occasions I have recently been made aware of where a Liberal Democrat MP has visited my constituency in their capacity as an MP, without giving me prior notice. I have notified them of my intention to make this point of order. The right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey) visited on 19 March 2022, the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney) on 10 November 2022 and the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) on 22 February 2023, without informing me. Having informed them of my intention to raise this point of order, I have received apologies and explanations from them, but I hope the Chair will understand my concern that, while once may have been an error, three times seems potentially deliberate. May I ask your guidance, Mr Deputy Speaker, on whether it is still considered common courtesy to inform colleagues before visiting their constituencies, and how I can seek to ensure that this does not happen again?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his point of order and for giving notice of it. He is absolutely right: it is still common courtesy that if any Member of this House is visiting another Member’s constituency on a political matter, each and every Member should make sure that the sitting Member is notified of the visit. I am sure the hon. Gentleman has a lot of great restaurants that people visit on a social basis, and people may visit relatives who live there, but this relates to political matters. I will make sure that the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip is given notice of that particular custom of the House. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his point of order.