Hoon floats early conference season

As MPs head off for their summer recess, Geoff Hoon has raised the idea of holding party conferences earlier in the year.

Speaking during a session of business questions on Thursday, the last day of the parliamentary term, the leader of the House floated the idea as a solution to public perceptions of an 80-day "holiday".

The Commons will not sit for two weeks in September, as it has done in recent years, due to the construction of a permanent security screen in the chamber.

Therefore MPs will not meet again until October 10 following the three week autumn conference season.

Newspaper reports had earlier slammed the break as inappropriate in the wake of the recent London terror attacks.

Questions

The Conservatives called for MPs to be able to question ministers during the recess.

"Despite the events of the past few weeks members will not now have the opportunity to question the government on matters of terrorism, on other important national issues or on constituency issues until the week of October 10," shadow Commons leader Chris Grayling said.

"It is important to stress that the recess period is much more than a holiday for members, it is an essential time for all to do important constituency work.

"But does the leader not accept that people outside Westminster will not understand such a long gap when MPs cannot question the government about what it is doing?

"Will he now accept that it is time for MPs to be able to table and receive answers to written parliamentary questions right through recess periods and indeed for the government to make as appropriate written ministerial statements during the recess period? And will he ensure that this change is introduced immediately?"

Dates

Hoon replied that the Tory spokesman had failed to take previous opportunities to raise the subject.

"Perhaps it was only when the Daily Mail rang him up and asked him about it that he thought it was only appropriate to make a comment," he said.

"It may well be that the honourable member prefers to see his name in the Daily Mail rather than the pages of Hansard."

However questioned by other MPs on the issue, the Cabinet minister suggested that if the September sitting is not to be brought back, as appears likely following a change of heart among some supporters, alternative solutions to the problem might have to be found.

He raised the possibility of bringing the party conferences forward so that parliament could resume earlier.

The conference dates "might be something we will have to address" Hoon said.