Conflict Decisions and Constitutional Reform

First, I want to pay tribute to my Select Committee and its members. For the last four years, we ...

On a point of clarity, given what the hon. Gentleman has said in his opening statement, are we co...

For the convenience of Members, I asked the powers that be whether it would be possible to take t...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will in a second. What that underlines to me is the need for process. In a democracy, in which ...

I am most grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He is making an extremely interesting sp...

I do not disagree with any of the facts that the hon. Gentleman has outlined. In fact, we are in ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Let me just make this argument first—

This is a central point—an absolutely central point.

—and then I will give way.

I thought you said you would give way.

If the hon. Gentleman allows me to speak and does not heckle me, he may get in a little faster th...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

The final point that I will make on this—

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will not give way any more to the hon. Gentleman. The final point that I will make on this part...

This is a matter of the gravest importance, in that the decision that we took in March 2003 resul...

Bribed?

Yes, all those words I would be happy to defend. Does my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham No...

On a point of order, Mr Weir. I am surprised that it is parliamentary to suggest that Parliament ...

I think that the hon. Gentleman was making a debating point. I do not think that he was suggestin...

I mean bribed by political favours. The full story of this is available. Is it not astonishing th...

I am probably less interested in the history of this, although we need to learn from the history ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

No.

Why not?

If I may continue—

You are supposed to be giving way.

Order.

This is a rather important issue, Mr Weir, and I know that the hon. Gentleman is agitated about i...

I am most grateful to the hon. Gentleman, although I am not quite sure what he is forgiving me fo...

You talk too much, James, that is your problem.

Order.

All I did was to seek to intervene at a crucial point in his speech. The hon. Gentleman’s entire ...

I will just let the Members present make of that what they wish.

Why not try answering it instead?

I will have to put the hon. Gentleman on the naughty step if he carries on.

I would like to...

rose—

I see that the hon. Lady would like to intervene.

I apologise to the hon. Gentleman and other Members: I mistakenly thought that a meeting with the...

Is the hon. Lady referring to Syria?

Yes.

I am happy to accept that as a statement of fact. It certainly was an interesting moment. The Pri...

As the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal (Dr Coffey) said, the vote on 29 August was one of immense...

Order. Before we proceed, I must say that interventions are becoming very long. I appreciate that...

On a point of order, Mr Weir. As you will have guessed from my interventions, I had intended to c...

That is perfectly understandable.

Our debate is lesser for the absence of the hon. Member for North Wiltshire. I am sorry that we w...

I am strictly neutral.

I know these things may come back to haunt me later.

To be serious, though, many of us—even...

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman was present yesterday at the Margaret Thatcher conferenc...

That is a very good argument to ensure that, under this new arrangement, we will make sure that t...

I had not intended to participate in this debate, but I have been stimulated into action by the h...

I shall be brief, because I am enjoying the hon. Gentleman’s contribution, as always. Of course, ...

Equalisation is an inevitable consequence of having a single currency. If there is no equalisatio...

Surely not.

I will quote just one example. Paragraph 3.9 of the Government response states:

“The Govern...

I agree with the Government on that point.

I am not even sure that the Government know what they are saying. As their response states, there...

It is a fine example of the trials and tribulations of the job of chairing these sittings that yo...

The Chair remains neutral.

It must be painful for you to do that, Mr Weir. The Committee that my hon. Friend the Member for ...

I shall make a short contribution. As I mentioned earlier, I had anticipated not being able to pa...

The hon. Lady is making a rational and sensible contribution, which echoes many of the debates th...

I respect what the Chair of the Select Committee says. I will leave that point about conflict and...

indicated dissent.

The hon. Gentleman is shaking his head, so I will accept that. I will do some more work. It is, h...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Weir. I am trying to resist the temptation ...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Weir, and to respond to two reports by the ...

I have a question about Scotland. Perhaps the Minister’s constituents are not like mine, but mine...

My hon. Friend and I share a view, which you, Mr Weir, may not share but are constrained from com...

With your leave, Mr Weir, I will respond briefly to the debate. One beauty of a five-year, fixed-...