🙏 Point of Order: Rectification Procedure
Commons Chamber
Labour MP Navendu Mishra apologised in Parliament for not declaring two interests related to India when asking government questions, admitting it was a mistake. In a separate matter, Pat McFadden introduced a new bill that would allow Roman Catholics to serve as the Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, marking a significant change in eligibility criteria.
Summary
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Apology and Rectification: Navendu Mishra, MP for Stockport, apologised in Parliament for not declaring two interests when he submitted written questions to ministers. The undeclared interests were a sponsored reception at the Labour party conference by the high commission of India and a visit to India funded by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
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Church of Scotland Bill Introduction: Pat McFadden, with support from several high-ranking officials including the Prime Minister, introduced the Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill. This bill aims to allow individuals of the Roman Catholic faith to be eligible for the position of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The bill has been scheduled for its second reading on February 24.
Divisiveness
The session consists of a point of order where Navendu Mishra apologizes for failing to declare interests on certain occasions. This is followed by the presentation of a bill with no recorded opposition or debate. There is no disagreement displayed throughout the session. The point of order is handled smoothly with an apology and acceptance by Madam Deputy Speaker without further discussion. Similarly, the presentation of the ‘Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill’ is presented without any objections or debate, indicating unanimous support or at least no public disagreement. Examples of disagreement are not present in this session, thus supporting the low rating of disagreement.