Another burst of Hansard trawling
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department have been suspended from duty in each month since January 2007.
And back came the answer with threes, fours, fives and one six. Apart from March when it was 18. What was going on?
Meanwhile:
"Mr. John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he next plans to review the effectiveness of the law on the export of nuclear waste; and if he will make a statement. [277928]Mr. Mike O'Brien: Current legislation, some put in place as recently as December, effectively controls the export of nuclear waste".
What about a policy of 'please, just take it off our hands - we'll pay you'.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that school pupils eat healthy meals at school lunchtimes.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: [blah]. Since September 2006 all schools have had to meet food-based standards for school lunches.
Erm, what was happening before? Testing how high the potatoes would bounce? The imperviousness of mystery meat to canteen knives?
Not a lot else happening written answer-wise.
As to debates, a barb from Greg Clark:
Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) (Con): Will the Minister of State convey our warmest congratulations to the Secretary of State and Justine on the birth of their son? We wish them much joy during the years ahead. I am lost in admiration for the meticulousness of Ed [Miliband]’s planning: he has provided himself with an excuse to go to ground this weekend that is even more convincing than John Major’s toothache.
Three cheers for Peter Lilley for getting his priorities right:
Sir Nicholas Winterton: As the House is well aware, recently the Tamil demonstration and protest meant that the access of Members and staff to the House was completely cut off and for long periods was greatly restricted. Only this week, owing to a demonstration by cyclists—representing the Green party and campaigning in the European elections, I understand—Bridge street was closed for a period, thus greatly inconveniencing Members of Parliament.
Mr. Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden) (Con): And the public!
And rather more importanlty, for this:
"Mr. Peter Lilley : First, I congratulate the Secretary of State. I want to ask the Minister whether the Government’s policy is based on ideology or science. She knows that for a theory to be scientific, it must be capable of being refuted by the evidence. Given that we have had three decades of rising temperatures, followed by a decade of stable and slightly falling temperatures worldwide, how many decades would she require before she were convinced that the theory on which she is committing £400 billion of taxpayers’ money might be slightly wrong?".
The DPRK gets a look in over in the land of red benches:
Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Governments of China and Russia to encourage a united response to the decision of the North Korean Government to conduct an underground nuclear explosion, to fire six short-range missiles, and to revoke the truce that ended the Korean War in 1953.
As noted a while back, it is shame Alton did not stay there.
Much rehearsing of pious bromides later, this laboured attempt at wit:
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, perhaps on this day it might be appropriate to ask the Minister whether he agrees that North Korea, together with Burma, is the most sovereign country in the world, that UKIP members would clearly be happy to move there and that other countries have compromised their sovereignty by international co-operation to a much greater level.
Someone pass the gaffer tape to patch up my split sides.
Labels: DPRK-watch, Parliament
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My stoat Algernon has just exploded.
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