Clause 7
Finance Bill
2:45 pm
Frank Cook (Stockton North, Labour)
At this stage, I feel obliged to make an observation. Throughout this week, on Tuesday in Westminster Hall and in Committee and again today, I have witnessed a number of minor transgressions against what have been considered time-honoured practices in the House, both in the main Chamber and in Committee. When a right hon. or hon. Member is addressing the Chamber through the Chair or speaking directly through the Chair to another hon. Member, it is considered bad form and to be discouraged if hon. Members cross the direct line of address between the Member and the Chair, between the two Members or in passing messages.
I simply ask members of the Committee to remember protocols and to behave as civilised Members of the House should. You are all time-served now and fairly well seasoned in these practices. Even the youngest of you in parliamentary terms have been here since 2005. I thank you for the attention. I also ask the Financial Secretary, particularly when addressing her own side, to bear in mind that I am partly deaf—not daft, deaf. She speaks very quietly, which I applaud, but only if I can hear and understand her, because part of my job is to understand every syllable.