Points of Order
1/2On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the House, during his oration and statement, stated that the Government did not know the wording of the proposed motions for tomorrow’s Opposition day debates. Can you confirm that Opposition parties have until the end of business today to table the wordings of those motions and that that situation has not changed? May I put it on the record that the usual channels had informed the governing party of the subject of an Opposition day debate tomorrow? He knows that, and the Government Chief Whip knows that. Could you ask the Leader of the House to correct the record?
If the Leader of the House wishes to respond, he can.
Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I just want to thank the hon. Gentleman for making my point for me. He said—[Interruption.] No, he said that the Opposition have until the House rises to put down the—[Interruption.] I have not disputed that; he is simply confirming that when we made this decision, that was not clear. We did not know that.
Yes, you did!
No, we did not. The decision was therefore taken to go with the situation in Iran, rather than hang around and wait for what the Opposition might come up with. [Interruption.]
Order. We are not going to continue this debate. The hon. Gentleman asked me a question, and the answer is yes.
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Now that the new Prime Minister’s special advisers have removed by diktat the opportunity for the Opposition to hold a debate about allowing him to be scrutinised on Monday, can you provide the House with clarity on what other routes might be available for us to hear from the new Prime Minister, from whom we will not otherwise hear for over 50 days?
I think we are trying to keep the debate going. I do not have the ability to do what the right hon. Gentleman asks; I have the ability to agree to a recall, if the House wished for it, but I cannot create one, as we all know.
On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
I am sure it must be.
The Leader of the House, in his reply to me, suggested that I had cost my right hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton) her job as Chief Whip when, like him, I found myself embarrassed at the Dispatch Box because I was given an instruction. In fact, it came from No. 10 and told me that I must announce that, contrary to what had been said all day, the vote was—
Order. Sit down, Mr Stuart. You are continuing the debate, so we will leave it at that.