To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) civil servants in his Department and (b) military personnel will be tasked to assist the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, the Rt hon. Member for Yeovil, in his review of the options for replacing the UK nuclear deterrent.

[121505]

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) civil servants in his Department and (b) military personnel will be tasked to assist the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, the Rt hon. Member for Yeovil, in his review of the options for replacing the UK nuclear deterrent.

[121505]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, the right hon. Member for Yeovil, has been issued with a security pass for his Department's main building; and on what date any such pass was issued.

[121506]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, the right hon. Member for Yeovil, has been issued with a security pass for his Department's main building; and on what date any such pass was issued.

[121506]

To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his intention that the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, the right hon. Member for Yeovil, will regularly attend the weekly meeting of the National Security Council.

[121507]

To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his intention that the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, the right hon. Member for Yeovil, will regularly attend the weekly meeting of the National Security Council.

[121507]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your advice. I seek your clarification on one important matter. It was my intention, as demonstrated by my previous remarks, to confine myself to one contribution, looking at the substantive motion as well as the amendment. I may be in error in so doing and...

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your advice. I seek your clarification on one important matter. It was my intention, as demonstrated by my previous remarks, to confine myself to one contribution, looking at the substantive motion as well as the amendment. I may be in error in so doing and...

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Going one stage further as one of those Members who have, perhaps, been around for longer than we ought to have been, am I right that there is a convention that votes follow voices, but that is not invariably the case?

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Going one stage further as one of those Members who have, perhaps, been around for longer than we ought to have been, am I right that there is a convention that votes follow voices, but that is not invariably the case?

I thank you, Mr Speaker, for redirecting me following my aberration after that intervention.

I thank you, Mr Speaker, for redirecting me following my aberration after that intervention.

The hon. Gentleman seems to be taking a very high moral tone, but as a person who has been serially rebuked by the Standards and Privileges Committee, is he therefore ruling himself out of any future Committee membership?

The hon. Gentleman seems to be taking a very high moral tone, but as a person who has been serially rebuked by the Standards and Privileges Committee, is he therefore ruling himself out of any future Committee membership?

I am interested to know how the hon. Gentleman managed to achieve a place on that Committee.

I am interested to know how the hon. Gentleman managed to achieve a place on that Committee.

It has been said several times that the past week has seen Parliament at its best. How would the hon. Gentleman describe what he is doing now?

It has been said several times that the past week has seen Parliament at its best. How would the hon. Gentleman describe what he is doing now?

I always have great respect for your counsel, Mr Speaker, and obviously do not seek a time when you might perhaps be advising other Parliaments in other parts of the country, or other parts of the world. [Interruption.]

I always have great respect for your counsel, Mr Speaker, and obviously do not seek a time when you might perhaps be advising other Parliaments in other parts of the country, or other parts of the world. [Interruption.]

I obviously look forward to my hon. Friend's contribution in due course. I must say that I thought the cracks about monkeys and organ grinders that the hon. Member for Devizes made did nothing to raise the standard of the debate, but as she used to work for the Chancellor...

I obviously look forward to my hon. Friend's contribution in due course. I must say that I thought the cracks about monkeys and organ grinders that the hon. Member for Devizes made did nothing to raise the standard of the debate, but as she used to work for the Chancellor...

If I could hear myself speak, I would ask my hon. Friend whether he would care to comment on the fact that the constituency of Yeovil is an English constituency, whether he has considered the make-up of the Committee that is proposed, whether he perceives that it will in fact...

If I could hear myself speak, I would ask my hon. Friend whether he would care to comment on the fact that the constituency of Yeovil is an English constituency, whether he has considered the make-up of the Committee that is proposed, whether he perceives that it will in fact...

I will shortly move on to the thrust of my argument and come to the issue of the complications or otherwise for the Committee. We do not seek to thwart the aspects of pre-legislative scrutiny, but we do object to the Government's choice of one specific individual to sit on...

I will shortly move on to the thrust of my argument and come to the issue of the complications or otherwise for the Committee. We do not seek to thwart the aspects of pre-legislative scrutiny, but we do object to the Government's choice of one specific individual to sit on...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his generosity in referring to me. He is going through the list of people nominated to the Committee. How many of them does he think know more about international financial services than the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr Laws)?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his generosity in referring to me. He is going through the list of people nominated to the Committee. How many of them does he think know more about international financial services than the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr Laws)?

I am grateful, Mr Speaker. Obviously I took some very senior counsel this afternoon from Officers of the House, as you are aware, on how to stay in bounds and perhaps go offside, to use the modern—

I am grateful, Mr Speaker. Obviously I took some very senior counsel this afternoon from Officers of the House, as you are aware, on how to stay in bounds and perhaps go offside, to use the modern—

My hon. Friend is correct. I am baffled and I would happily take clarification from the Leader of the House or the Deputy Leader of the House as to how removing one member of the Committee is tantamount to seeking to thwart the business of the House. My understanding—I am...

My hon. Friend is correct. I am baffled and I would happily take clarification from the Leader of the House or the Deputy Leader of the House as to how removing one member of the Committee is tantamount to seeking to thwart the business of the House. My understanding—I am...

I shall give way in a minute. There is an important point about who should be a Back Bencher and who should remain a Back Bencher, because within the House, some will always be fated to be Back Benchers, often at the behest of their party leader. In power, party...

I shall give way in a minute. There is an important point about who should be a Back Bencher and who should remain a Back Bencher, because within the House, some will always be fated to be Back Benchers, often at the behest of their party leader. In power, party...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am attempting simply to put across a few views that I believe would appropriately reflect the views of my constituents. I am putting no tone—high, low or otherwise—into this debate. Members are elected to come and put forward in this House what we think appropriate. One thing that my...

I am attempting simply to put across a few views that I believe would appropriately reflect the views of my constituents. I am putting no tone—high, low or otherwise—into this debate. Members are elected to come and put forward in this House what we think appropriate. One thing that my...

The hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) accused my hon. Friend of taking a high moral tone, but does he agree that surely a high moral tone is to be preferred to a low moral tone?

The hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) accused my hon. Friend of taking a high moral tone, but does he agree that surely a high moral tone is to be preferred to a low moral tone?