Commons sessions could be shortened

PARLIAMENT COULD sit for fewer days in future years, a Cabinet Minister has suggested.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said she will hold talks with Speaker John Bercow and the chief whips of the various parties to establish if the number of recess dates could be increased to accommodate the SNP’s annual autumn conference.

Ms Leadsom also confirmed the Government’s intention for this year’s summer recess to start at the end of business on July 20, with MPs to return on September 5.

A brief September sitting will run until end of business on September 14 to allow MPs to attend their respective party conferences in the following weeks.

The Commons will then return on October 9.

The SNP has repeatedly bemoaned the recess dates adopted by the Westminster Parliament given that school holidays in Scotland start at an earlier date.

SNP Commons leader Pete Wishart told Ms Leadsom: “We are again, on these benches, profoundly disappointed that somehow we can’t design a summer recess that accommodates school holidays from all parts of the United Kingdom. I hope we can work together to resolve some of the difficulties around the recess.”

Ms Leadsom replied: “You mention the issue of recess dates and as we’ve already discussed, I will look at this.

“You will appreciate these dates are also set to try and work around some of the challenges in this House, in this building with work that’s already scheduled. But I will certainly speak to Mr Speaker and to the chief whips about whether there can be more in future periods to accommodate the Scottish National Party’s conference.”