Welsh Grand committee
Opposition Day — [3rd Allotted Day]
9:59 pm
Motion made,
That—
(1) the Green Paper on future electoral arrangements for the National Assembly for Wales be referred to the Welsh Grand Committee for its consideration;
(2) the Committee shall meet at Westminster on
(a) a Ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Wales, proceeded with under
(b) the matter referred to it under paragraph (1) above; and
(3) the Chair shall interrupt proceedings at the afternoon sitting not later than two hours after their commencement at that sitting.—(Bill Wiggin.)
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West, Conservative)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Motion 3 on the Order Paper includes the words,
“welcomes the Commission’s support for the Government’s efforts to reduce the deficit and set the public finances on a sustainable path”.
Is that an issue on which the Opposition could have called for a debate, rather than just a vote?
John Bercow (Speaker)
I think that the matter has already been debated in a European Committee. It is therefore not immediately obvious to me how a debate would have been sought today. The answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question—
Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Labour)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, have announced this evening that the Coryton refinery has been sold, not as a refinery, but as an import and export terminal, meaning that most of the 850 jobs will go. Have you had any indication from Ministers from the Department of Energy and Climate Change that they intend to come to the House to make an urgent statement on the implications of that announcement for UK fuel security and energy resilience?
John Bercow (Speaker)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his point of order. As of now, I have received no such indication. I recognise the importance of the matter to the hon. Gentleman and to others. What he has said will have been heard by those on the Treasury Bench.
If Sir Peter Bottomley, having exercised a modicum of restraint and patience, wishes to pursue a different point of order, he may do so.
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West, Conservative)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question that I put to you was whether the Opposition could have had such a debate, rather than whether they should have had one. The answer may be the same, but the answer that the House was given was not relevant to the question that I had put.
John Bercow (Speaker)
The answer is no. I am grateful for the linguistic clarification, but the answer is the same.