– in the House of Commons at 4:21 pm on 16 March 2009.
Theresa May
Shadow Minister (Women), Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
4:21,
16 March 2009
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I seek your guidance on how I can ensure that Ministers respect statements that are made in this House. On
"we Conservatives support this Bill".—[ Hansard, 27 January 2009; Vol. 487, c. 203.]
Yesterday on the "the Politics Show", the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Welfare Reform Bill, said:
"the Bill we want to put through on Tuesday will do that, and the Tories oppose it"— a view that I believe he repeated in Work and Pensions questions this afternoon. How can I ensure that Ministers respect statements made in this House and do not make such inaccurate statements that are designed to mislead the general public?
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 must tell the right hon. Lady that I have no control over what Ministers say in this House, so it is not a matter for me. It seems to me, however, that she has put the matter on the record and put the record straight.
Jim Devine
Labour, Livingston
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday I attended a meeting in this place about Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson, who were jailed in the early 1970s for their trade union activities. Some 60 people were at this demonstration, and many of them were wearing T-shirts displaying the slogan "The Shrewsbury Two", as those two people were commonly known. Sadly, the vast Majority of those individuals were told to take their T-shirts off when they came into this place. Is that a practice that you are aware of, Mr. Speaker, or has something new happened recently?
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 well aware of the story of the Shrewsbury pickets. It was something that I was involved in. [Interruption.] Perhaps I should put that another way: I listened to their case when I was a shop steward. The dress code of individuals visiting the House is varied, so I see no reason why these people's T-shirts should have been taken from them or why they were told to remove them. I will look further into the matter and see what I can find out.
Michael Martin
Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Speaker of the House of Commons, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
If this is going to be an extension of what I have already said—
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
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Kitty Ussher
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions