– in the House of Commons at 7:01 pm on 5 November 2019.
Holly Lynch
Labour, Halifax
7:01,
5 November 2019
It is a pleasure to see you in your place, Mr Speaker.
I started a petition earlier this year on the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir. The situation has deteriorated further since the petition’s wording was agreed, and it is with great urgency that I present the petition to the House on this, the last sitting day of the Parliament.
The petition has been signed by 1,608 people, in addition to the 250 people who signed it online.
The petition states:
The petition of residents of the UK,
Declares that the security situation in Kashmir remains unacceptable with continued human rights violations;
further that recent events, particularly around the Indian General Election, have seen an increase in violence and deaths in the region.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to put further pressure on the Indian Government to resolve the long running dispute;
and further to commit to working with both parties to encourage dialogue to deliver a resolution to the status of the region;
and further to support development in the region;
and further to support calls for self-determination for the Kashmiri people by empowering those who live in Kashmir to determine their own future through the ballot box.
And the petitioners remain, etc.
[P002540]
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
In a general election, each constituency chooses an MP to represent it by process of election. The party who wins the most seats in parliament is in power, with its leader becoming Prime Minister and its Ministers/Shadow Ministers making up the new Cabinet. If no party has a majority, this is known as a hung Parliament. The next general election will take place on or before 3rd June 2010.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
