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Voting by Prisoners

I am not saying that at all; the hon. Lady has totally misinterpreted what I have said. Mr Hirst, who brought the case, helpfully submitted evidence to the Select Committee, in which he said that he"““calls into question the purported authority of the HoC Political and Constitutional Reform Committee to investigate a matter already decided by the highest court in Europe””." Mr Hirst further accused me, as the acting Chairman of that Committee, of ignorance of the law. Okay, I know that it is difficult to admit it this afternoon, but I was once a lawyer. He goes on to threaten:"““Neither the Council of Europe nor I will let the UK off the hook with this one.””" Well, it is time that someone stood up to Mr Hirst, given all the taxpayers' money that he has spent on legal aid in bringing this case, which is causing nothing but trouble for the Government, Parliament, our courts and our prisons.