News from Westminster
One of the important jobs of a Member of Parliament is asking questions in the House of Commons and speaking in debates. This is often seen by most people during Prime Minister’s Questions on a Wednesday lunchtime, where it can be a rather raucous affair. But most of the time the House is quieter, with MPs listening respectfully to each other.
In order to speak in a Parliamentary debate, it is convention that MPs write to the Speaker in advance. If I don’t, it is possible to contribute at short notice – and to do so requires me to “bob”. This is the rather unusual process where MPs stand up and try to catch the Speaker’s eye during a debate. If unsuccessful, I sit down again, and stand up again after the next question. This is far cheaper than going to the gym!
When MPs speak in a debate, the Speaker of the House specifies how long individual speeches by MPs may last, often revising his timings as the debate continues. This may mean changing a planned ten minute speech into a four or three-minute speech at short notice – which is why you might see MPs frantically scribbling notes before standing to speak! When an MP is making a speech, whether a back bencher, or Government minister, anyone can indicate that they would like to intervene asking “Will the Honourable Member give way?” These type of interventions must be short, and will then give the original speaker an extra minute of time for their speech. MPs do not have to give way, and may refuse to do so.
But debates in the commons are not the only way in which MPs can get answers about important questions from ministers. Questions can be asked electronically as “Written Parliamentary Questions”. This can be particularly useful to find out about constituency issues that are specific to Mid Dorset and North Poole. For example I have asked questions about government support for people who cannot got a reasonable broadband speed, and about centralised government targets affecting local plans for house building.
You can find all of my speeches and intervention on my website www.michaeltomlinson.org.uk and to see details of all my written questions and answers on the Parliamentary website www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/
I continue to have regular surgeries across the constituency, and please do keep up with everything else that I’m doing by following me on twitter @Michael 4MDNP or liking my facebook page www.facebook.com/Michael4MDNP