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Legislative Process

I am always happy to stick to that. My speech would have taken less than 20 minutes, but it lasted for 47 minutes because I took interventions. The problem for someone like me—people have credited me with taking care with the House—is always deciding whether to give way. I prefer to give way because interventions are an important way of holding Ministers to account. However, time and again, if one gives way, a 20-minute speech turns into a 40-minute speech, so one is criticised for taking too much time. I should add that many Back Benchers find it convenient to intervene during a Minister’s speech so that they can get themselves in the local paper and, having done so, then push off to the Tea Room.