Summer Recess

Oral Answers to Questions — Lord President of the Council – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 June 1996.

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Photo of David Winnick David Winnick , Walsall North 12:00, 10 June 1996

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will introduce proposals to shorten the summer recess. [30633]

Photo of Mr Harry Barnes Mr Harry Barnes , North East Derbyshire

To ask the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received concerning the length of parliamentary recesses; and if he will make a statement. [30635]

Photo of Mr Tony Newton Mr Tony Newton , Braintree

I cannot yet give the House the proposed dates for the summer Adjournment, but I have no plans to make any radical departure from recent practice.

Photo of David Winnick David Winnick , Walsall North

That is unfortunate. What possible justification is there for having a three-month recess, which will commence shortly? Surely in this day and age, the summer recess should be much shorter, bearing it in mind that the House of Commons is already on a short-term week and that, often, voting takes place only on two days out of the five?

Photo of Mr Tony Newton Mr Tony Newton , Braintree

The point is that Members of Parliament have a wide range of duties other than attendance in the House and that this Parliament already sits longer than that of, I think, any other major western democracy. The balance between our sitting and our non-sitting days is about right.

Photo of Mr Harry Barnes Mr Harry Barnes , North East Derbyshire

Some people think that Members of Parliament are a waste of time, and perhaps one or two are, but are we not all a waste of time if we do not have a Parliament? If a Parliament is not sitting for three months or more, and no formal avenues are available for the asking of questions and the probing of the Executive, what is the point of having an elected Parliament? Can we not spread the parliamentary year so that the breaks are shorter and therefore do not matter so much?

Photo of Mr Tony Newton Mr Tony Newton , Braintree

I am aware that suggestions such as that have been made from time to time. Let me point out, however, that it is not very long since the House received, and subsequently debated and made decisions on, a report from a Select Committee of the House which examined all those matters carefully and made no such suggestion.

Photo of Mr Jacques Arnold Mr Jacques Arnold , Gravesham

Is not the House unique, in that we have constituency responsibilities? Do not most Members of Parliament spend the recesses at work in their constituencies, getting very close to their constituents? Perhaps those two questions are a reflection on the two hon. Members concerned.

Photo of Mr Tony Newton Mr Tony Newton , Braintree

Different Members of Parliament observably have different ways of going about the job. My hon. Friend is certainly assiduous in the interests of his constituents, and I am sure that he will continue to be so on whatever occasions the House is sitting.

Photo of Mr Barry Porter Mr Barry Porter , Wirral South

May I take this opportunity to welcome the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) back to the House following his recent illness? I am delighted to see him. Having said that, however, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House agrees that the country is infinitely better governed when we are not sitting? It has always struck me that that is so.

Photo of Mr Tony Newton Mr Tony Newton , Braintree

I hesitate to agree with that proposition, but I note that it is my hon. Friend's view.

Photo of Gwyneth Dunwoody Gwyneth Dunwoody , Crewe and Nantwich

On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will have noted that, in replying to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), the Minister for Transport in London chose to mention his official consultancy. I am not in any way opposed to that, but I wonder whether that same Minister approached you in an attempt to extend Transport questions by at least another hour. If we are to mention all the consultancies held by Conservative Members, we shall require at least as long as that before any questions are answered.

Photo of Miss Betty Boothroyd Miss Betty Boothroyd Speaker of the House of Commons

That being the case, perhaps we should not rise for the summer recess until the end of September.