Points of Order

– in the House of Commons at 3:33 pm on 18 November 2008.

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Photo of Julian Lewis Julian Lewis Shadow Minister (Defence) 3:33, 18 November 2008

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I believe you are aware of a letter that I recently received from Westminster city council saying that despite your robust statement on 28 October about the unauthorised and illegal protest noise in Parliament square, there are no plans to prosecute, because, as the council puts it,

"the Courts would be unlikely to impose a penalty much beyond a nominal fine".

Would you care to inform us whether the Government have responded to your request to be consulted about the matter? If they have not, when they consult you, will you draw to their attention the recent report that Westminster city council has ordered Debenhams to stop playing Christmas carols outside its window display, because, the council says,

"it will cause noise pollution"?

Mr. John Wilkinson, the council's noise team manager said:

"We don't think it's fair for hundreds of thousands of daily visitors to be bombarded by loud music in the street as they walk past shops."

Perhaps we should advise Debenhams to intersperse its carols with terms of abuse towards politicians and our armed forces, in order to be allowed to play them.

Photo of Michael Martin Michael Martin Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Speaker of the House of Commons, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

I am not aware of what restrictions on noise nuisance are being imposed by Westminster city council away from Parliament square. Perhaps Debenhams was putting us all in a Christmas spirit—good luck to it. I am awaiting the response of the council to the deliberations of the Joint Committee about noise affecting the House.

Photo of Eleanor Laing Eleanor Laing Shadow Minister (Justice)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this afternoon, the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mr. Khan, accused me of misleading the House—

Photo of Michael Martin Michael Martin Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Speaker of the House of Commons, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Order. I listened carefully to that. The term "misleading", as used by anyone outside the House, is not something that I would draw to the attention of a Minister or any other hon. Member, unless a Minister or an hon. Member says that an hon. Member is misleading the House. The hon. Gentleman did not say that the hon. Lady was misleading the House. Had he done so, I would have brought him to order.

Photo of Nicholas Winterton Nicholas Winterton Conservative, Macclesfield

Further to the point of order made by my hon. Friend Dr. Lewis, Mr. Speaker. You gave a good answer to my hon. Friend, but may I remind the House, through you, that the Procedure Committee, which I chaired some years ago, produced a report into the noise and other antisocial activity in Parliament square? It appears that the advice of the Committee, which was accepted by the House, has not been followed through properly by the Government and Westminster city council.

Photo of Bob Spink Bob Spink UKIP, Castle Point

On a quite different point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it not ironic that today's motion 9, entitled "Debate Europe", which promotes yet more propaganda from the European Union on how good it is for this country, cannot be debated in the House tonight under Standing Orders? Can you please do something, Mr. Speaker, to enable us to debate the motion?