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Business of the House

The hon. Gentleman will know, because we have published the Government's draft legislative programme, that there will be legislation on housing and planning in the Queen's Speech. He mentions housing in the south-east. That issue is a classic example of why the proposals in ““The Governance of Britain”” report on regional accountability are important. Aside from through Westminster Hall, we do not have any way of making the Government accountable, through Members of the House, for actions that affect a region. The regional committees proposed in ““The Governance of Britain”” would aim to do exactly that. I am grateful for his welcome for my comments about giving him more opportunity to debate support services for autistic children and their families. I was perhaps not as aware as I should have been that the hon. Gentleman has been asking for a debate on Burma for two years; I have only been Leader of the House since July. He has raised the issue of Burma on a number of occasions, and that is why I arranged for us to have a debate.