The House has directed the Speaker to make a statement at the beginning of each Session about the duties and responsibilities of hon. Members. I begin by reminding Members of their duty to observe the code of conduct and behaviour code agreed by the House, and to behave with civility and fairness in all their dealings. Unacceptable behaviour that does not meet the standard of these codes will be dealt with seriously and independently, and with effective sanctions.

The House asserts its privilege of freedom of speech. That privilege is enjoyed by Members of Parliament only in their work in proceedings of this House; as private individuals, we are equal under the law with those whom we represent. This privilege is there to ensure that our constituents can be represented without fear or favour. It is an obligation upon all of us to exercise that privilege responsibly. The Speaker does not have the power to police the accuracy of Members’ contributions—unfortunately. [Laughter.] It is incumbent on all Members to be accurate in what they say in this House, and to correct any mistakes as soon as possible.

All Members, including Ministers, should take their responsibilities in this House seriously. I remind Ministers that the Government’s own ministerial code makes it clear that important policy announcements should be made in the first instance in this House when it is sitting—some people seem to have short memories. Both Front and Back Benchers must also adhere to the courtesies of this House. That includes informing other Members in advance of visits to their constituencies, except those for purely private purposes.

I remind all Members that it is important that they are able to raise matters with me and seek guidance from the Clerks freely. For that reason, any such conversations and correspondence should be treated as confidential. I want all Members and everyone in the parliamentary community to be able to go about their work safely online, here in Westminster, and in their constituencies. We have a duty to be vigilant and to assist those whose job it is to keep us safe.

Finally, I want to say something about how we treat each other and the language we use in the Chamber. What we say in this House, and how we say things, matters. It has an impact on colleagues, on those who follow our proceedings and on wider political discourse across the country. Members should be heard courteously, whatever their views, but in this place we are all honourable Members. While I expect robust political debate, I will not accept undignified language or improper criticism of individual Members. Our constituents expect us to focus on the very serious issues that they care about, rather than make cheap attacks on each other.

If a Member falls short of the standards expected of us all, there are ways of dealing with that, but not by accusations made as sideswipes during questions or debates. If we fail to treat each other with respect in debate, it diminishes our work and risks raising the temperature of discussions outside this place—particularly on social media—which too often descend into abuse against Members and others. I expect Members from all sides to treat each other with respect.

Before moving to the first business of the new Session, I would like to express my very best wishes to all hon. Members, and to thank all those who work for the House and for Members for their continuing support. They are the unsung heroes. I thank them all for working with Members and for working in this House.