Commons Baby Ban To Continue

Babies seem set to remain banned from the Commons after the Procedure Committee rejected a plea from campaigners to allow infants to be present during debates. In a new report, the committee said current guidance that restricts babies and young children being taken into the chamber except in exceptional circumstances should be kept, but backed calls for MPs’ staff to be able to attend briefings or meetings to ensure Members using a parental proxy had access to the same resources as other MPs.

Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has pushed for better parental cover for MPs, was reprimanded late last year for bringing her young child into the Commons on multiple occasions.

The committee also called for Members experiencing serious long-term illness to be provided the same proxy scheme as those using a parental proxy, urging ministers to schedule a debate ahead of recess to gauge support from other MPs.