Commons Sitting of 13 May 1997

Preamble
The House met at half-past Two o'clock

PRAYERS
[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]
Madam Speaker: It may be for the convenience of the House if I indicate that this afternoon I shall call upon all hon. Members in the Chamber to take the Oath or to affirm in order of seniority, but beginning with the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Ms Begg). If necessary, I shall suspend the sitting for a period or periods to enable all Members who wish to do so to be called today.
Tomorrow, after the State Opening of Parliament, I shall resume the Chair at 2.15 pm and hope to complete the swearing in of Members before the business of the House begins, but I hope that all Members will be present today and will be sworn in today so that it will be unnecessary, when we have our important day tomorrow, to return to swearing in.

Members Sworn
The following Members took and subscribed the Oath, or made and subscribed the Affirmation required by law:

Anne Begg, Aberdeen, South

Right honourable John Morris, QC, Aberavon

David Gordon Clelland, esquire, Tyne Bridge

Right honourable Michael Ray Dibden Heseltine, Henley

Joseph Kevin McNamara, esquire, Kingston upon Hull, North

Jeffrey William Rooker, esquire, Birmingham, Perry Barr

Joseph William Ashton, esquire, Bassetlaw

Allan Ralph Rogers, esquire, Rhondda

George Edward Howarth, esquire, Knowsley, North and Sefton, East

Peter Benjamin Mandelson, esquire, Hartlepool

Right honourable Sir Nicholas Walter Lyell, QC, North-East Bedfordshire

Right honourable David John Denzil Davies, Llanelli

Angela Eagle, Wallasey

Edward Rowlands, esquire, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

Michael John Mates, esquire, East Hampshire

Anthony David Steen, esquire, Totnes

Dr. Michael Clark, Rayleigh

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, esquire, Islington, North

Menzies Campbell, esquire, CBE, QC, North-East Fife

Dr. Lewis George Moonie, Kirkcaldy

Diane Julie Abbott, Hackney, North and Stoke Newington

David Charles Jamieson, esquire, Plymouth, Devonport

Helen Lawrie, Mrs. Liddell, Airdrie and Shotts

Hilary Jane Armstrong, North-West Durham

Ian Colin Taylor, esquire, MBE, Esher and Walton

28

David Wilshire, esquire, Spelthorne

Edward O'Hara, esquire, Knowsley, South

Brian Harold Donohoe, esquire, Cunninghame, South

Janet, Mrs. Anderson, Rossendale and Darwen

Robert John Blizzard, esquire, Waveney

Andrew Stuart Mackinlay, esquire, Thurrock

Kevin John Barron, esquire, Rother Valley

Llinos, Mrs. Golding, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Tony McWalter, esquire, Hemel Hempstead

Terence Henry Rooney, esquire, Bradford. North

Christine McCafferty, Calder Valley

Mohammad Sarwar, esquire, Glasgow, Govan

Robert Laxton, esquire, Derby, North

Seamus Mallon, esquire, Newry and Armagh

Edward Kevin McGrady, esquire, South Down

Dr. Alan Wynne Williams, Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr

Nigel Christopher Waterson, esquire, Eastbourne

Andrew John Bernard Rowe, esquire, Faversham and Mid-Kent

John Ernest Townend, esquire, East Yorkshire

Paul Anthony Truswell, esquire, Pudsey

John Timothy Grogan, esquire, Selby

Dr. Liam Fox, Woodspring

Christopher Michael Leslie, esquire, Shipley

Timothy Stephen Kenneth Yeo, esquire, South Suffolk

David James Christian Faber, esquire, Westbury

William Nigel Paul Cash, esquire, Stone

Fabian Hamilton, esquire, Leeds, North-East

Kenneth Robert Livingstone, esquire, Brent, East

Marsha Singh, esquire, Bradford, West

Colin Pickthall, esquire, West Lancashire

Richard Beecroft Allan, esquire, Sheffield, Hallam

Kerry Patrick Pollard, esquire, St. Albans

Caroline Alice, Mrs. Spelman, Meriden

James Gerald Douglas Howarth, esquire, Aldershot

Humfrey Jonathon Malins, esquire, Woking

John Robert Cryer, esquire, Hornchurch

Michael Cathel Fallon, esquire, Sevenoaks

Michael Roy Wood, esquire, Batley and Spen

James Charles Cann, esquire, Ipswich

George Philip Willis, esquire, Harrogate and Knaresborough

Gerald Edward Bermingham, esquire, St. Helens, South

Colin Edward Breed, esquire, South-East Cornwall

Damian Howard Green, esquire, Ashford

James Whiteside Gray, esquire, North Wiltshire

Wyvill Richard Nicholls Raynsford, esquire, Greenwich and Woolwich

Anthony Brian Baldry, esquire, Banbury

Dr. Evan Harris, Oxford, West and Abingdon

Claire Curtis-Tansley, Crosby

George Turner, esquire, North-West Norfolk

Cynog Glyndwr Dafis, esquire, Ceredigion

Right honourable Michael Hugh Meacher, Oldham, West and Royton

Christopher Shaun Ruane, esquire, Vale of Clwyd

Alan Campbell, esquire, Tynemouth

John Patrick Aubone Burnett, esquire, Torridge and West Devon

Steven John Webb, esquire, Northavon

Ashok Kumar, esquire, Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East

Maria Eagle, Liverpool, Garston

Rosalie Winterton, Doncaster, Central

Kali Carol Jean Mountford, Colne Valley

Brian Iddon, esquire, Bolton, South-East

Gareth Thomas, esquire, Clwyd, West

Ivan Lewis, esquire, Bury, South

Gordon Marsden, esquire, Blackpool, South

Alan Keen, esquire, Feltham and Heston

David Neil Kidney, esquire, Stafford

Dr. Ian Gibson, Norwich, North

Geraldine Smith, Morecambe and Lunesdale

Michael Kevin Moore, esquire, Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale

Jacqueline Margaret, Mrs. Ballard, Taunton

Sir Robert Hill Smith, baronet, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Teresa Jane Kingham, Gloucester

Diana Mary Organ, Forest of Dean

Anthony David Wright, esquire, Great Yarmouth

Angela Evans Smith, Basildon

Clive Stanley Efford, esquire, Eltham

David Elliott Drew, esquire, Stroud

Roger Mark Casale, esquire, Wimbledon

Helen Rosemary Brinton, Peterborough

Andrew King, esquire, Rugby and Kenilworth

Betty Helena, Mrs. Williams, Conwy

Henry Baird McLeish, esquire, Central Fife

Constance Ann, Mrs. Cryer, Keighley

Dawn Primarolo, Bristol, South

Stephen Hesford, esquire, Wirral, West

Michael Jabez Foster, esquire, Hastings and Rye

Michael John Foster, esquire, Worcester

Janet Elizabeth Ann Dean, Burton

Michael Thomas Hall, esquire, Weaver Vale

Geoffrey Robinson, esquire, Coventry, North-West

Karen Patricia Buck, Regent's Park and Kensington, North

Peter Charles Stephen Bradley, esquire, The Wrekin

Stephen James McCabe, esquire, Birmingham, Hall Green

James Dobbin, esquire, Heywood and Middleton

Graham Eric Stringer, esquire, Manchester, Blackley

Keith Ernest Darvill, esquire, Upminster

Patrick Hall, esquire, Bedford

Derek Murray Wyatt, esquire, Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Alan Arthur Hurst, esquire, Braintree

Andrew Henry George, esquire, St. Ives

John Ramsay Swinney, esquire, North Tayside

Alastair Neil Morgan, esquire, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

Barry John Sheerman, esquire, Huddersfield

Mark Fisher, esquire, Stoke-on-Trent, Central

Eric Lionel Clarke, esquire, Midlothian

John Henry Hayes, esquire, South Holland and The Deepings

David Leslie Taylor, esquire, North-West Leicestershire

Andrew John Reed, esquire, Loughborough

Dari Jean Taylor, Stockton, South

Philip Ian Hope, esquire, Corby

David Leonard Watts, esquire, St. Helens, North

Joseph Edward Benton, esquire, Bootle

Helen Mary Southworth, Warrington, South

Martin Bell, esquire, Tatton

Nigel David Jones, esquire, Cheltenham

Oliver Letwin, esquire, West Dorset

Peter Temple-Morris, esquire, Leominster

Elizabeth Marion Blackman, Erewash

Laura Jean, Mrs. Moffatt, Crawley

John Yorke Denham, esquire, Southampton, Itchen

Julia Kate Drown, South Swindon

Yvette Cooper, Pontefract and Castleford

John William Patrick Smith, esquire, Vale of Glamorgan

Michael John Gapes, esquire, Ilford, South

David Gifford Leathes Prior, esquire, commonly called the honourable David Gifford Leathes Prior, North Norfolk

Nigel Griffiths, esquire, Edinburgh, South

Jonathan Rowland Shaw, esquire, Chatham and Aylesford

Vernon Rodney Coaker, esquire, Gedling

James Murphy, esquire, Eastwood

David John Stewart, esquire, Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber

Sandra Currie Osborne, Ayr

Harry Michael Cohen, esquire, Leyton and Wanstead

Russell Leslie Brown, esquire, Dumfries

Malcolm Kemp Savidge, esquire, Aberdeen, North

Dr. Peter Brand, Isle of Wight

Robert Edward Russell, esquire, Colchester

Peter Charles Snape, esquire, West Bromwich, East

Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt, esquire, Reigate

Elfyn Llwyd, esquire, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

Tom Levitt, esquire, High Peak

Desmond Browne, esquire, Kilmarnock and Loudoun

Lynda Margaret Clark, QC, Edinburgh, Pentlands

Rosemary McKenna, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

Andrew Robert George Robathan, esquire, Blaby

Right honourable David Philip Heathcoat-Amory, Wells

Archibald John Norman, esquire, Tunbridge Wells

David Stanley Borrow, esquire, South Ribble

Robert John Walter, esquire, North Dorset

Sally Curtis Keeble, Northampton, North

George Galloway, esquire, Glasgow, Kelvin

Jane Patricia Griffiths, Reading, East

Martin John Salter, esquire, Reading, West

Julie Kirkbride, Bromsgrove

Valerie Davey, Bristol, West

John Derek Twigg, esquire, Halton

Dennis Turner, esquire, Wolverhampton, South-East

Kenneth Purchase, esquire, Wolverhampton, North-East

Bowen Wells, esquire, Hertford and Stortford

Anthony Louis Banks, esquire, West Ham

Siobhain Ann McDonagh, Mitcham and Morden

Right honourable Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell, Mrs. Bottomley, South-West Surrey

George Edward Mudie, esquire, Leeds, East

Alan James Carter Duncan, esquire, Rutland and Melton

Christopher Robert Chope, esquire, Christchurch

4.3 pm
Sitting suspended.
4.30 pm
On resuming— Richard George Caborn, esquire, Sheffield, Central

Peter John Viggers, esquire, Gosport

David Lindsay Willetts, esquire, Havant

Shona Mclsaac, Cleethorpes

Ruth Maria Kelly, Bolton, West

Frank Roy, esquire, Motherwell and Wishaw

Ross Frederick Cranston, esquire, Dudley, North

David Michael Chaytor, esquire, Bury, North

Anne, Mrs. McGuire, Stirling

ADJOURNMENT
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn till tomorrow at twenty-five minutes past Eleven o'clock.—[Mr. Mudie.]
Adjourned accordingly at twenty-four minutes to Five o'clock.