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Business of the House

I welcome the fact that the Leader of the House has reflected on the issue of the question cycle. It is important that Departments such as the Ministry of Justice are able to have longer than the half hour that is in the current cycle. I thank her for giving us the future business, such as it is at this stage of the Session. Last week, the Leader of the House told the House that the Government were"““not committed to an equalities Bill for the Queen's Speech this November””.—[Official Report, 18 October 2007; Vol. 464, c. 965.]" Yet last month she told the media:"““We have promised a new equalities Bill next year””." Will she make a statement on what exactly is happening with the equalities Bill? This morning, the Government announced in a written statement that motorway hard shoulders will be used to curb congestion. The Transport Secretary has not come to the House to take questions from hon. Members. Can the Leader of the House confirm that that decision hides cuts to the Government's motorway widening programme; and when will the Transport Secretary come to the House to explain it? Yesterday, speaking about the changes to capital gains tax, the Minister for Trade Promotion and Investment, Lord Jones of Birmingham, said that"““medium sized businesses think it is a terrible thing””." Can we have a debate, in Government time, so that we may decide who is right about capital gains tax—the Chancellor or the Minister? The Prime Minister said:"““As far as the statement on the constitution is concerned I'm not going to pre-announce what we're going to say to the House of Commons.””" However, we have just had a statement from the Secretary of State for Justice, the details of which were reported by The Guardian this morning. It is now clear that with this Government no spin has become the new spin. Who can trust the Prime Minister on the constitution? He abused his constitutional position by planning and then bottling a general election for party political reasons. Can we have a full debate, in Government time, on the Prime Minister's abuse of the constitution? Cancelling a general election for party political purposes is cynical; making a mess of the Scottish elections for partisan reasons is unforgivable. The Gould report says that"““party self-interest was evident in ministerial decision making””." Will the Secretary of State for International Development come to the House to apologise and make a personal statement? One experienced parliamentarian has said that"““we have to approach change in electoral administration and systems on a non-party basis.””" That was the Leader of the House herself. Will she arrange a debate, in Government time, on the lessons of the Gould report? Democracy and electoral processes will undoubtedly be raised in next week's important debate on Burma. Who will be speaking for the Government in that debate—the Foreign Secretary or the International Development Secretary? The British population will increase to over 70 million by 2031, and at least 70 per cent. of that increase will be down to immigration. What is the Government's big idea on immigration? They borrow British National party slogans such as ““British jobs for British workers””—even though everyone knows that that would be illegal. Can we have a debate, in Government time, on Labour's failed immigration policy? The issues tell a bigger story. We have a Prime Minister with no long-term vision, just short-term tactics, and no serious answers, just spin. He spent a lifetime working to get to No. 10, but now he has got there, he has no idea what to do.