📜 Point of Order

Commons Chamber

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A former Labour candidate claimed he got a sneak peek at the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill at No. 10, sparking outrage in Parliament. The Housing Secretary quickly denied any previews, insisting the bill was coming to the House first. The controversial bill, aiming to overhaul planning and infrastructure, was indeed presented and will be debated tomorrow. Another bill giving the Secretary of State more control over sentencing guidelines was also introduced, set for discussion next month.

Summary

  • Point of Order: David Simmonds raised concerns about a former Labour parliamentary candidate, David Lawrence, claiming to have been invited to No. 10 for a preview of the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Simmonds questioned the appropriateness of sharing such significant legislation outside of Parliament before it is presented to the House.

  • Response from Madam Deputy Speaker: Caroline Nokes acknowledged Simmonds’ point and noted that his comments had been heard by those on the Treasury Bench.

  • Clarification by the Secretary of State: Angela Rayner clarified that no one has had a preview of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and emphasized that the bill is coming to the House. She mentioned regular consultations with stakeholders but denied any previews before the House sees the bill.

  • Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Secretary Angela Rayner presented the Bill, supported by several key government figures. The Bill aims to address infrastructure, town and country planning, introduce a nature restoration levy, deal with development corporations, compulsory land purchases, and environmental outcomes reports. The Bill was read for the first time and scheduled for its second reading the next day.

  • Sentencing Council (Powers of Secretary of State) Bill: Robert Jenrick presented this Bill, which seeks to give the Secretary of State the power to approve or amend sentencing guidelines prepared by the Sentencing Council before they are issued. The Bill was read for the first time and is scheduled for its second reading on March 14.

Divisiveness

The disagreement displayed in this session is minimal. The main point of contention arises from David Simmonds’ point of order concerning the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and David Lawrence’s alleged private viewing of the Bill. However, this matter is quickly clarified by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, who denies any such viewing happened and assures the House that the Bill is forthcoming. This exchange effectively resolves the issue without further contention or debate.

Apart from this minor clarification, there are no other instances of disagreement or debate within the transcript. The presentation of both the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Sentencing Council (Powers of Secretary of State) Bill proceed without any objections or expressed disagreements from the members of the House.

Given the lack of significant disagreement and the quick resolution of the single point raised, a rating of 1 is appropriate for this session.