Speeches by Blackman.

“If people do not submit applications, we have to conjure them up. We maintain a calendar of the days that we are likely to get applications for, and we encourage colleagues to submit for those particular days. In terms of the Defence days, you are absolutely right. We have had relatively few Defence applications but, f…”

“No, it could not come out of that. To be straightforward, the problem with the current position is that we would have to make the judgment of Solomon: does the Petitions Committee get time in the Chamber or does another colleague who has a valid request for a debate get time in the Chamber? The time is precious, so we …”

“The key point was that when the Committee was set up, all of those various days were put into that allocation. But, as I say, we are dependent on applications.”

“That is because we are dependent on someone submitting an application. If colleagues do not submit an application, I suppose we can generate an application from within the Committee for particular national days when we may want particular debates. Obviously, the Government quite rightly often decide to have a debate on…”

“Technically, at the end of a Session the queue goes into abeyance and we start from scratch. In practice, obviously at the end of a Session we write to the new Committee saying, “There are all these debates in the queue; what do you want to do about them?” We would obviously write to the Leader of the House if general …”

“Sure.”

“To trigger a debate in Westminster Hall, you have to get 100,000 signatures. That is 100,000 people—constituents of all of us—saying, “We want this issue debated; we think this is really important.” One of the problems is what happens to that petition and that subject after the debate has happened in Westminster Hall, …”

“Yes.”

“My right hon. Friend is giving a good lecture on what needs to happen. What incentives do we need to provide to farmers to grow more and to use their land as effectively as possible, as well as to employers to use their time as effectively as possible, so that we can literally operate on a 24-hour day, three-shift prod…”

“As I say, at times before the last general election, when we were not overwhelmed with applications, members of the Committee would discuss what other issues we might want to raise, and then we would have debates so that we use the time effectively on subjects that the Committee wanted to debate. One of the great thing…”

“I thank the House for the confidence it has shown in me. I will endeavour to ensure that Back Benchers get the opportunity to debate the issues they wish to debate in this Chamber and in Westminster Hall as much as possible. I ask you to use your good offices, Mr Speaker, to prevail on the Government Whips, the Opposit…”

“It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody). As a scientist by background, I welcome the cross-party agreement on nuclear power forming a key part of our energy supply for the future. That was not always the case. There was certainly opposition to nuclear power previously on…”

“Proscription of the IRGC is long overdue, and I welcome the Government’s commitment to taking the necessary legal action to ensure that happens, but the Minister will be aware that I raised with him a year ago the fact that 13 charities based in this country have been banned in Arab countries. They are directly linked …”

“Reports suggest that unemployed people who are signing on are getting trained for jobs that do not exist, not for the jobs in the sectors where there are opportunities to work. Will the Secretary of State reform the system so that those who are unemployed and seeking a job are trained to do the jobs that are available?”

“I regard the hon. Gentleman as my hon. Friend, and he sits on the Committee.”

“I thank the Leader of the House for listening to the Backbench Business Committee and the Procedure Committee, and for bringing forward these long-overdue amendments. The Backbench Business Committee was inaugurated when I was first elected to this House in 2010, and the Government of the day refused to listen to those…”

“I regard the hon. Gentleman as my hon. Friend, and he sits on the Committee.”

“I thank the Leader of the House for listening to the Backbench Business Committee and the Procedure Committee, and for bringing forward these long-overdue amendments. The Backbench Business Committee was inaugurated when I was first elected to this House in 2010, and the Government of the day refused to listen to those…”

“I thank all members of the Backbench Business Committee for the excellent work they have done over the last year and a half in bringing forward debates and ensuring that Members of all parties get the opportunity to debate the issues that they want to debate, rather than what the Government want to debate. We know that…”

“I thank all members of the Backbench Business Committee for the excellent work they have done over the last year and a half in bringing forward debates and ensuring that Members of all parties get the opportunity to debate the issues that they want to debate, rather than what the Government want to debate. We know that…”