Commons Chamber Archive
Harman urges Tory to admit scuppering vulture funds bill
The Conservatives came under further pressure today to identify the mystery Tory MP who scuppered a landmark anti-poverty bill that could have stopped "vulture" bankers profiteering from the developing world's debt burdens.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Harman defends 'onward march of equality'
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman has faced close questioning about the way the equality commission is run.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Harman urged to apologise over Chilcot claims
Commons leader Harriet Harman was called on to apologise following comments made to MPs last week about the Chilcot Inquiry.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Recess dates point to May 6 election
In the clearest indication yet that the election will be held on May 6, Harriet Harman has revealed MPs will rise for the Easter recess on Tuesday 30 March, returning on Tuesday 6 April.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Transport policy 'in disarray'
Passengers are suffering at the hands of Labour's failure to upgrade the intercity rail fleet, the Tories have said.
Thursday 18th March 2010
Call for organ donor declaration
Individuals should be made to say whether or not they wish to have their organs donated following their death, MPs heard today.
Wednesday 17th March 2010
Labour 'scaremongering' over Tory tax plans
Peter Hain defended the government's handling of the Welsh economy in the Commons today, as official figures revealed Wales missed out on a UK-wide drop in unemployment.
Wednesday 17th March 2010
Cameron attacks Brown over BA strikes
David Cameron and Gordon Brown clashed over the role of the unions at prime minister's questions today.
Wednesday 17th March 2010
ePolitix.com briefing: PMQs
Prime minister Gordon Brown answered questions from backbencher MPs on industrial relations, military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan and his economic plans.
Wednesday 17th March 2010
Tories criticise delay in Equitable compensation
The government wanted to "block, frustrate and delay" the fight for justice by policyholders hit by the near collapse of Equitable Life, the Conservatives have said.
Wednesday 17th March 2010
Byrne rejects VAT u-turn claims
The chief secretary to the Treasury faced down repeated questions from Tory MPs about his comments on VAT during Commons questions today.
Tuesday 16th March 2010
Tories 'undermining' support for war
Conservative Party criticism of government defence policy is undermining public support for the war in Afghanistan, Bob Ainsworth claimed yesterday.
Tuesday 16th March 2010
Tories warn about 'hidden jobless'
Five further years of a Labour government could leave 700,000 people on a life of benefits, Conservatives warned today.
Monday 15th March 2010
Bid to end 'double jobbing' by MPs
Politicians sitting in both the House of Commons and the Northern Ireland Assembly will be banned from receiving two salaries, under government plans.
Friday 12th March 2010
Rape convictions 'significantly increased'
Rapists are now convicted at a significantly increased rate, the solicitor general has said.
Friday 12th March 2010
Bike racks replaced by ministerial cars
A Labour MP has complained that government cars are responsible for "unnecessary CO2 emissions" while waiting to pick up ministers.
Friday 12th March 2010
Harman defies 'wellderly' ban
Commons leader Harriet Harman has said she is a "victim of an unfair banning order", following a report that branded the term "wellderly" as impenetrable.
Thursday 11th March 2010
Bellamy's closure is 'reckless waste of money'
MPs clashed over the planned conversion of a House of Commons bar into a nursery today, with opinion split down party lines.
Thursday 11th March 2010
Assisted suicide law 'needs change'
Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt has called for a major public inquiry to consider the law on assisted suicide and urged Parliament to "have the courage to tackle controversial issues".
Thursday 11th March 2010
Voters complain to Speaker about PMQs
Mr Speaker has revealed he has received "a large number of letters" complaining about the behaviour of MPs at prime minister's question time.
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Cormack's last stand against Labour's buzz words
A veteran Tory MP has complained that the English language is being abused by government ministers.
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Cameron attacks Labour 'slurs' on defence chiefs
Heckling from Labour backbenches framed the exchanges between the during prime minister's question time today, as the party leaders clashed over defence spending.
Wednesday 10th March 2010
ePolitix.com briefing: PMQs
Prime minister Gordon Brown answered questions from backbencher MPs on the tax affairs of Lord Ashcroft, military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan and his economic plans.
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Tories attack personal care funding
Local councils are "furious" after being warned they may have to contribute £250m towards the free home care scheme for the elderly, the Conservatives have warned.
Tuesday 9th March 2010
Minster's accused of 'burying bad news' on jobcentres
The Department of Work and Pensions has been accused of trying to "bury bad news" by Tory MP Andrew Selous, for failing to answer parliamentary questions on time.
Tuesday 9th March 2010
MPs support Straw over Venables case
The justice secretary has said any further release of information about alleged offences by Jon Venables could "undermine the integrity" of any future trial.
Monday 8th March 2010
Gove and Balls trade accusations over education figures
Only 45 of the 80,000 children eligible for free school meals have gone on to Oxford or Cambridge, Michael Gove said today.
Monday 8th March 2010
Labour and Tory front benches defeated over Commons reform
Backbench MPs have succeeded in wresting greater power over parliamentary business from the government.
Friday 5th March 2010
Rescued banks face criticism over lending
Ministers faced further criticism from across the House today over the record of rescued banks lending credit to struggling businesses.
Thursday 4th March 2010
Harman asked to confirm budget will go ahead
The leader of the House of Commons has declined to name the date of the budget or the Easter recess.
Thursday 4th March 2010
Labour MPs line up to condemn Lord Ashcroft
Mr Speaker had a busy time during today's business questions as Labour MPs vented their anger at what one called "Ashcroft-gate".
Thursday 4th March 2010
Harman: Country 'misled' over Lord Ashcroft
Harriet Harman has accused the Conservative Party of misleading the country over the tax status of their vice-chairman and major donor, Lord Ashcroft.
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
ePolitix.com briefing: PMQs
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman answered questions from backbencher MPs on manufacturing, Lord Ashcroft's tax status and the economy.
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Parliament Square protestors to keep megaphones
An attempt to confiscate loud hailers from protestors in Parliament Square has been rejected by ministers.
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Falklands position not changed 'one iota'
MPs have sought assurances from the foreign secretary that Britain remains committed to protecting the Falkland Islands.
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Commons staff appeal against bar closure
Some 470 parliamentary staff have signed a petition criticising the decision to convert a Commons bar into a nursery.
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Defence policy run on 'a wing and a prayer'
Conservative politicians lined up to attack Labour's record on defence yesterday, with Liam Fox accusing Gordon Brown of having an "instinctive lack of interest" in the military.
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Terror suspect control orders renewed by MPs
MPs have agreed to renew the controversial terror suspect control order regime, despite concerns they undermine civil liberties.
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Ministers defend British medal haul
Ministers have today defended the performance of the British team at the winter Olympics.
Monday 1st March 2010
BBC 'nurtures talent of all ages'
The BBC was accused of being a "closed shop" in not allowing ordinary people with talent to come forward and make programmes.
Monday 1st March 2010
Harriet 'wouldn't tweet like that'
Harriet Harman has been forced to change the password on her Twitter account after fake messages were sent in her name, MPs heard today.
Thursday 25th February 2010
MPs call for debate on assisted death guidelines
New guidelines published on assisting suicide could open a "new back door to euthanasia in the UK", the Commons heard today.
Thursday 25th February 2010
MPs attack energy giants' profits
Energy companies should use soaring profits to cut energy bills, energy minister David Kidney said today.
Thursday 25th February 2010
Brown apologises to children sent to the colonies
The prime minister has expressed Britain's "shame" that thousands of children were sent to live in the colonies in the last century.
Wednesday 24th February 2010
Staffordshire failings 'breached NHS values'
The failings in patient care at Stafford Hospital had been a "fundamental breach" of the core of the values of the NHS, the health secretary has said.
Wednesday 24th February 2010
MP urges end to 'double jobbing' by politicians
The practise of politicians holding seats in two parliaments was questioned this afternoon in the Commons.
Wednesday 24th February 2010
Cameron challenges Brown about 'poison briefings'
Gordon Brown and David Cameron clashed over alleged 'poison briefings' from No 10 at prime minister's questions today.
Wednesday 24th February 2010
ePolitix.com briefing: PMQs
Gordon Brown answered questions from backbench MPs on bank bonuses, inequality and defence.
Wednesday 24th February 2010
Praise for Commons new £62,000 carpet
The new carpet fitted in the House of Commons chamber last week was held up as a symbol of Parliament yesterday.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
Burnham defends scrapping reciprocal agreement
The health secretary has defended the decision to scrap the health agreement with the Isle of Man at the end of April.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
Mactaggart defends Phillips over contempt charge
A Labour MP has said she does not think the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission breached parliamentary privilege.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
Questions should be answered 'within a week'
The Speaker has said that government departments must not use holding answers to delay giving information to MPs.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
MPs call for backbench business committee
More than 120 MPs have signed an amendment calling for a new committee to take control of all business in the Commons.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
Israel must 'co-operate fully' over faked passports
The Israeli government must co-operate with UK and United Arab Emirates investigations into the use of fake British passports by assassins in Dubai.
Monday 22nd February 2010
Call for inquiry into Afghan civilian deaths
Ministers have been urged to conduct a full inquiry into the deaths of at least 27 Afghan civilians who where killed when a NATO air strike mistook them for Taliban insurgencts.
Monday 22nd February 2010
Early prison release scheme scrapped
The programme that allowed prisoners to be released early from prison is to be brought to a close on March 12, Jack Straw has announced.
Monday 22nd February 2010
MPs to debate alleged breach of privilege
Allegations that the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission tried to influence the outcome of a Commons committee report will be debated tomorrow.
Monday 22nd February 2010
'Two-faced Tories' jibe challenged
The shadow leader of the House has asked Mr Speaker to rule on whether the use of the phrase 'two-faced Tories' is unparliamentary language.
Thursday 11th February 2010
Ainsworth announces changes to troop compensation
Soldiers injured on operations will be able to claim for increased payments, under changes to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme announced today.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Mohamed ruling's 'chilling effect' on intel sharing
The foreign secretary has told the Commons that a court of appeal ruling could affect future intelligence-sharing with the US.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
ePolitix.com briefing: PMQs
Gordon Brown answered questions from backbencher MPs including social care plans, defence and the economy.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Leaders clash over care reform
David Cameron attacked the government's plans for care reform during prime minister's questions this afternoon.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Defra 'should learn from Wales badger cull'
The Welsh Assembly government was praised today for its plans to tackle bovine TB.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Government backs election night vote count
The government has lent its support to a proposal that would ensure votes were counted on the same day as the election, rather than on the following day.
Wednesday 10th February 2010
MPs vote for referendum on AV
MPs have approved a plan for a referendum on changing Britain's first-past-the-post voting system.
Tuesday 9th February 2010