Speeches by Dowd.

“I will call Robin Swann to move the motion and I will then call the Minister to respond. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.”

“Order. This is a half-hour debate. I accept that people are intervening on a very important matter, but I ask Members to be careful and considerate with their interventions in such debates.”

“Order. I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called in the debate. We have an hour and a half in total, and the Government and Opposition spokespeople will have 10 minutes each. Regrettably, given that at least 14 people have indicated that they wish to speak, the time limit on Back-Bench speeches wi…”

“I now come to the Opposition spokespersons.”

“Order. This is clearly a popular subject. Lots of people had indicated previously that they wished to speak; there are obviously people who wish to speak who had not indicated beforehand, and others will want to intervene. The Minister and Opposition spokespersons have 10 minutes each. Having done the calculations, we …”

“Order. Please sit down. May I reiterate that this is a very sensitive subject, and I do not want to have to stop people in mid-flow when they are talking? This is a very sensitive issue and it would sound rude, so I exhort hon. Members to keep to the three-minute limit. It is regrettable, as this is a very important su…”

“I want to give the sponsor an opportunity to wind up at the end. I call the Minister.”

“Can I just remind Members about modes of expression? I will be diplomatic about it.”

“I call Sojan Joseph to wind up very briefly.”

“I have to say, “A Black Hole” sounds like a film to be produced by the shadow Chancellor and the Leader of the Opposition. I welcome the statement. Will the Secretary of State congratulate Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool city region, who is putting £17 million into the Hollywood of the north project at the L…”

“Thank you. On the subject of space, Minister, can I say that your tie is stellar? Question put and agreed to.”

“I will call Mr Alistair Carmichael to move the motion and I will then call the Minister to respond. As is the convention for 30-minute debates, there will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up.”

“I remind Members that if they wish to speak, they should bob—as some of you have done. Thank you for that.”

“The Deputy Prime Minister has shown that her footwork at the Dispatch Box is as good as her footwork on the dance floor. At this year’s election, veterans who brought along their veterans’ ID card to prove their identity were turned away. Will the Minister guarantee that this will change?”

“I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, as follows: Most Gracious Sovereign, We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Graci…”