The Speaker should recall Parliament

THE Government is in recess, MPs, Ministers, the deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minster are on holiday. There would appear to be no one who can recall Parliament. But there is... Mr Speaker.

The statement from the IFG – Institute For Government – says that in the United Kingdom, decisions as to whether the House of Commons or House of Lords should be recalled are the responsibility of the Speakers of those individual bodies, and are usually taken following a request from the government.

This follows a 2001 recommendation from the Hansard Society Commission on Parliamentary Scrutiny that “the Speaker of the Commons should have the ability to recall Parliament at times of emergency”. This is codified by the House of Commons Standing Order 13.

If I am to read this correctly... where circumstances deem it necessary – a time of emergency Mr Speaker can take representation from the leaders of the main party and, if there is a consensus, can at times of emergency recall Parliament. And, if the Prime Minister is absent for whatever reason, the deputy Prime Minister takes over and the House and Parliament can make decisions as seen necessary for the wellbeing of the country and people. Parliament can take decisions to ameliorate the emergency resulting from scheduled home heating costs.

The facts are... there are sections of the community that will be seriously financially injured, damaged and deprived by the scheduled imposition of increases in home heating charges and the government should take steps now to remove and/or mitigate these scheduled domestic fuel increases.

All sections of the community, up to and including the NHS, are demanding that actions be taken now that will secure the comfort and health of the elderly and those who will be pushed in to severe poverty.

Don Frampton Newton Abbot, Devon