ABOLITION OF DEER HUNTING BILL (Hansard, 22 June 1990)

HC Deb 22 June 1990 vol 174 c1300 1300

§ Order for Second Reading read.

Hon. Members
Object.

§ Second Reading deferred till Friday next.

§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

§ Madam Deputy Speaker
No, I shall first take the point of order from the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes).

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I wrote to the Secretary of State on Tuesday asking for an explanation of the Government's objection to the Chlorofluorocarbons (Control) Bill [Lords], to be given by today. He has been telephoned three times. There is a conference going on just over the river on the Montreal protocol, which deals with this issue. Is there anything that you can do, Madam Deputy Speaker, to facilitate an answer'? A negative answer is better than none, but a Government who say that they are in favour of the ban but who block a Bill like this are a Government whose policies are all over the place.

§ Madam Deputy Speaker
The hon. Gentleman will know that that is not a matter for me. However, as he has raised it, I am sure that those on the Treasury Bench have heard it.

§ Mr. Corbyn
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. In objecting to the Abolition of Deer Hunting Bill, would not it have been right for the hon. Member for Upminster (Sir N. Bonsor) to have informed the House that he is chairman of the British Field Sports Society? Should he not have declared that interest in blocking this Bill, which is designed to prohibit cruelty to deer through hunting with hounds?

§ Madam Deputy Speaker
That is a somewhat remote connection and I would not necessarily request that an hon. Member declare an interest at that stage.

§ Sir Nicholas Bonsor (Upminster)
Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is not usual for hon. Members to declare their interests when objecting to Bills at this stage. I do not know what interest the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) had in objecting to the Sexual Offences Bill, but none was declared at the time.

§ Madam Deputy Speaker
We should now proceed with the business.