Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Bill

I warmly welcome the Bill, which seeks to provide a legislative basis for continuing the traditio...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point in support of his new clause, but will he confirm that,...

I drafted my new clause carefully. It is meant to constitute a serious contribution to the debate...

It is not just our past, though, is it? It is also our present. In Parliament, we start every day...

That sums it up: wouldn’t it be nice? No one is using the language of compulsion. Wouldn’t it be ...

In Parliament, when we start our day with prayers, we obviously start our day with prayers of the...

I think I would have been criticised if I had done that, although I should have been happy to do ...

I do not want to take up too much time because there is a lot of business to be got through this ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will give way to my hon. Friend, who is himself a prominent churchwarden.

My hon. Friend mentioned that we had to pray in order to reserve a seat. Actually, as I understan...

That is a fair point, and I will come on to that in a moment when I talk about the potential cont...

Part of the Bill is about celebrating and protecting the traditions of our land. Of course, I bel...

My right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons used to give...

Surely the right hon. Gentleman realises, as most people in the Chamber will, that in such circum...

Yes, but one can create a prayer that does not incite people to hatred but which nevertheless rem...

Each time I have risen in support of this Bill, I have sought to emphasise my reason for doing so...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Jake Berry) on his work on th...

I have a lot of sympathy with the new clause tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough...

Can we be clear? My hon. Friend refers to taking away the freedom of local authorities to decide ...

I thank my hon. Friend and near neighbour in Bury North for raising that point. I understand it, ...

I am disappointed, particularly by the Minister’s reply to, I thought, my comprehensive introduct...

You’ll get over it.

I’ll get over it.

I am also disappointed that my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and ...

I beg to move amendment 5, page 1, line 5, at beginning insert “Subject to section 138BB”.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 1, page 1, line 5, afte...

There are several amendments in my name. The first is on the need to have a local referendum befo...

I intend to follow the lead of my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Hampshire (Mr Arbut...

The hon. Gentleman said that although we say those words, sometimes they are not observed in the ...

Order. I might be able to help a little bit. We are not discussing the Prayers of the Chamber. I ...

I am grateful for your indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Politicians, whether in the national ...

I have a couple of points to make on this group of amendments.

Amendment 7 deals with a req...

Is my hon. Friend saying that if the amendment were passed, the Bill would require a money resolu...

As I understand it, the Bill already has a money resolution, so I think we can be satisfied on th...

I support the amendment tabled by my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire—

North East Hampshire!

That is the same as me—my constituency is Somerset North East and we North Easts have to stick to...

My hon. Friend is being extremely kind and, as always, courteous and articulate, but if I were to...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that intervention. I am well aware of the numbers issue...

On this group of amendments, I will reiterate what I said earlier. I am confident that councils w...

I want to clarify my remarks, because the shadow Minister may have got the wrong end of the stick...

I was agreeing with the hon. Gentleman. I am sorry: I know it is not normal, but Fridays are unus...

The Government have worked hard to get rid of burdens on local authorities and empower the public...

I have several concerns about the group of amendments tabled by my right hon. Friend the Member f...

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way on the issue of a stopwatch. I would like to ...

I can think of several church services I have been to recently where I might have wanted to take ...

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Third R...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

I shall not detain the House for l...

It is a privilege to rise again in support of this Bill. Let me express my thanks once again to t...

I rise to support the Third Reading of this Bill. As the House will be aware, the Bill received w...

My hon. Friend is making a very good point about councils needing to be represented at remembranc...

No one is suggesting that those who have no faith should not be equally able to commemorate event...

I do not wish to delay the House, but I think it is worth our reminding ourselves why the Bill is...