Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Leader of the House – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 23 April 2007.
Nicholas Winterton
Conservative, Macclesfield
2:30,
23 April 2007
I welcome the Deputy Leader of the House back to the front bench. He is a thoughtful and kindly man who is deeply committed to the procedures of this House. Does he not accept that people are increasingly concerned that what takes place in this House is not topical, and does he not agree that if Back Benchers were represented on a business Committee of this House not only would more topical debate be part of debate during the week—not only on a Friday, although I support Mr. Allen in his question—but that would be more relevant and topical for the people of this country? That is one of the objectives of the current Modernisation Committee inquiry.
The first bench on either side of the House of Commons, reserved for ministers and leaders of the principal political parties.