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Business of the House

With regard to the upcoming debate on the importance of MPs communicating with their constituents, has my right hon. Friend noted the remarks made last week by the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, that the extreme complexity of the present MPs' expenses system was militating against family life and making it hard for MPs to do their job properly? Does he understand the increasing consensus in the House that we need to move towards a much flatter, less bureaucratic system to enable MPs to get on with their lives and support their constituents?