Member News
Three MPs made their Commons debut yesterday during the adjournment debate on the summer recess.
Members can talk about whatever subject they like in the pre-recess debate, and as ever there was an eclectic range of contributions.
Natascha Engel (Lab, North East Derbyshire), chair of the new backbench business committee, said they had chosen to keep the pre-recess Adjournment debate format, "mainly because we have had so many insistent representations from colleagues to retain it".
"This is a rare opportunity for Members to debate issues that they have not been able to raise elsewhere, either because they have not been called to speak in a debate or because they have been unsuccessful in securing an Adjournment debate," she said.
Dennis Skinner (Lab, Bolsover) said the decision to cut the school building programme has hit his constituency hard.
"The private sector would have been involved as suppliers for Building Schools for the Future and other schools in Britain. When the public sector is culled, it creates misery for the private sector-that is roughly it," he said.
In her maiden speech Priti Patel (Con, Witham) spoke up for entrepreneurship.
"Local entrepreneurs and businesses support 83 per cent of jobs in Witham, compared to the national average of 68 per cent, and 25,000 people and their families depend on the prosperity of those businesses.
"In my view-and as they tell me-those businesses need a fair and flexible labour market and a competitive and low-tax framework to provide jobs and prosperity.
"My own deep and personal interest in what I call the economics of enterprise and small business stems from my family background.
"My parents arrived in Britain from Uganda with literally nothing, and, like the thousands of British Asians-and also the many Patels-who arrived in Britain in similar circumstances at that time, they relentlessly pursued the path of pure hard work in order to get on in life."
Graham Jones (Lab, Hyndburn) said his maiden speeches would follow tradition and "shamelessly act as a tourist bulletin" for his constituency.
"My constituency is famous for Accrington "NORI" brick-the word "IRON" was painted upwards on the chimneys when it was supposed to be painted downwards; educational standards have obviously gone up since then-which was used in the construction of the empire state building and Blackpool tower. Europe's largest collection of Tiffany glass is also in the constituency.
"Of course, there is also Accrington Stanley. The club has risen from bankruptcy and I can inform the House that it is on an assured footing under the stewardship of my friend Ilyas Khan, whose commitment to the club, passion for the area and dedication to the Leonard Cheshire disability charity I must commend."
Daniel Kawczynski (Con, Shrewsbury and Atcham) was worried about waste.
"Shropshire has exceeded the national recycling targets and is massively ahead of other suggested targets," he said.
"I am greatly worried that we will be importing waste from other parts of the UK to be incinerated in Shropshire."
Graeme Morrice (Lab, Livingston), in his maiden speech, alluded to his Commons namesake.
"I am unique in this House in that there are two of me-at least, I am one of two Members with the same name," he said.
"I share my name with my hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Grahame M. Morris), albeit with a different spelling. Some might say-my apologies to Oscar Wilde-that to have one Graeme Morrice in the House of Commons may be regarded as a misfortune, but to have two looks like carelessness.
"Like all new Members, I am absolutely delighted to have been elected to Parliament to serve my constituents and the community in which I have lived for most of my life. It is a great honour and privilege to have the trust of my constituents placed in me, and I pledge to serve them faithfully in the years to come."
Gavin Williamson (Con, South Staffordshire) said traveller sites and car boot sales cause problems in his constituency, while Kate Green (Lab, Stretford and Urmston) said social care, libraries, education, play facilities and parks in her area are all likely to be hit by budget cuts.
And John Cryer (Lab, Leyton and Wanstead) was told to mind his language by deputy Speaker Dawn Primarolo after this comment:
"I want to begin by raising an issue which I hope concerns us all, namely unemployment. You might be right-wing, you might may be left-wing, you might be a Liberal-you would be a prat, but you might be a Liberal-but I hope that the issue of joblessness concerns Members on both sides of the House."
Shadow deputy Commons leader Barbara Keeley summed up the debate, in which more than 40 MPs contributed.
"We have had subjects ranging from fishing quotas and pre-fab bungalows, to maternity services and cancer drugs, and from a much-needed bypass to much-wanted railway improvements. We have also heard three excellent maiden speeches," she said.
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