Sir Lindsay Hoyle
MP for Chorley · Speaker · United Kingdom
“Before we start questions, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary Sir Billy Boston. He was a pioneer in the rugby world, switching codes from union to league, a record try scorer for Wigan, and the second highest all-time scorer of tries.”
“I inform the House that I have received letters from the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi) informing me of her resignation as Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, the hon.”
“If there is more than one candidate in any election, the ballot will take place on Monday 14 September between 3 pm and 6 pm in the Aye Lobby. I remind Members that new rules in relation to campaigning for Select Committee Chair elections, which were proposed by the Procedure Committee, were endorsed by the House on 28 April 2026.”
“We now come to the statement from the Prime Minister. There has been a lot of speculation over the recess, and I just say that this is in accordance with the rules of government. The ministerial code is clear. For those who have asked why I have not commented, it is because it is within the rules, which I do not make.”
“Before we come to the urgent question on British Steel, can I say that I am amazed that a statement was not brought to the House on this very important matter that affects different constituencies? Nothing ever seems to change, but can the message go back that just telling me is not an answer?”
“Before we come to business questions, I wish everybody a pleasant recess. I hope we get some downtime; it seems to have been a very heavy Session so far.”
The complete record
Every one of 657 lines we hold for Sir Lindsay Hoyle, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 14.
“Order. You have referred to “Rachel Reeves”, but she is the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I do not think that “Ed” is quite the right title either, and I know that you would not want to get that wrong.”
“Order. Mr Stuart, can you make a better effort than just waving your hand? You are not at a taxi rank. Is the shadow Secretary of State giving way to Mr Stuart? There you are, Mr Stuart: he is giving way to you. If you get off the seat, it might help.”
“Order. The Opposition Benches were disorderly yesterday; I do not want the Government Benches to be disorderly today. Have the courtesy to hear the question, please. I am inundated with constituents complaining about the behaviour of MPs in this Chamber. I expect Ministers to set the best example, not the worst.”
“Order. I will say this to both sides: there has been quite enough chipping in. The public do not like it, and I am not going to tolerate it.”
“Does a Front Bencher wish to respond? No? I will deal with it, then. This is totally unacceptable. A named-day question should be answered: I cannot believe that something asked in January has still not been answered. May I ask the Secretary of State to look into that and ensure that questions are answered? It is not good enough. Members are representing their constituents, including people who are serving and those who may be serving in this contract. Please, I say to the Government, take this House more seriously. Members of Parliament are having a very bad time from Government, who seem to have a total disregard for us.”
“Before we come to the next item of business, I should note the recent death of Phil Woolas, who served as the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth between 1997 and 2010 and held several ministerial posts. The thoughts of all of us former colleagues are with Tracey, his sons and the rest of his family and friends. I have to say to the Secretary of State for Defence that I know how close you were to him, and we really appreciated how you kept us all informed with your regular visits.”
“To behave as they did was disrespectful to the House, to the occupant of the Chair—the Deputy Speaker was put in an impossible position—and to the office of the Serjeant at Arms. The Members involved should be ashamed.”
“The Serjeant at Arms lost his authority, because MPs said, “I am not moving,” and pretended to be ill—by 7 o’clock they were suddenly well again. Do we think that gives us good standing in the world? It does not. It is appalling. We should be ashamed. I hope that I will be getting letters from the people who were involved in that protest. If the Government cannot manage the business, perhaps they ought to go on a training exercise rather than disrupting the rules of the House. I expect better from right hon. and hon. Members. If Members are asked to move swiftly, they must do so and respect the Serjeant. There are other ways in which Government Whips can manage the timings of business in the Chamber.”
“Before we come to business questions, I would like to say something about yesterday evening’s proceedings. The final Division of the day on the Third Reading of the Finance (No. 2) Bill was subject to intolerable delays in the voting Lobbies. This Parliament is meant to be respected around the world and should set an example of good behaviour. The behaviour in the Lobby last night involving a group of about half a dozen Government Members, including the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip, was totally unacceptable. I expect better from right hon. and hon. Members. If Members are asked to move swiftly through the Lobbies, they must do so. The fact that it took 22 minutes to get a vote through is beyond the pale. I cannot believe this behaviour. It is absolutely not going to be accepted.”
“May I say to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Douglas McAllister) that I attended that memorial event a few years ago? It was very moving.”
“With that, I am pleased to call the Security Minister, who will update the House on the work of the defending democracy taskforce, which includes action that the Government are taking in support of the conference’s recommendations.”
“It also recognised Members’ collective responsibility to lead by example in how we treat each other. Responses to both reports have now been published. I notified all Members and Members’ staff of that earlier in the week, so they should have seen them. I am encouraged by the clear sense of shared purpose and determination to tackle the issues shown by all partners. I thank them for their constructive engagement and positive response to the conference’s work. Although the conference has concluded its formal work, I remain committed to monitoring progress closely and will continue to press for delivery of its recommendations where necessary.”
“Before the Minister makes his statement on the defending democracy taskforce, I would like to make a related statement. Hon. Members will recall that in October 2024 I established a Speaker’s Conference to examine the security of Members, candidates and elections. That cross-party group published two reports: the first in June and the second in October 2025. Together, those reports set out more than 60 recommendations to tackle the serious and wholly unacceptable levels of abuse and intimidation faced by politicians. The scale of the challenge is clear, and no single body can address it alone. The conference therefore called for action across Government, law enforcement, political parties, traditional and social media, and several other relevant stakeholders.”
“Can I thank the Minister for his statement and for taking on the recommendations of the Speaker’s Conference? I would like to put on record my thanks to those who served on that conference for all the effort that was put in. I think this is when the House is at its best. I call the shadow Minister.”
“Order. Enough is enough. I cannot hear it. [ Interruption. ] Who wants to lead the first ones out? Right. We will have a little bit more silence.”
“Order. Order! I am sorry I am interrupting you, but unfortunately we have to stick to Prime Minister’s questions, not Leader of the Opposition’s questions.”
“Order. Who said “lying” again? I want that withdrawn. Is that withdrawn? [ Interruption. ] I will deal with it, thank you. I do not want any more from those on the Front Bench. We take this very seriously; calling another Member a liar is not acceptable.”
“Is it about PMQs? The right hon. Lady did not ask a question, so is it relevant? Points of order come after statements and UQs— [ Interruption. ] I will make that decision. We now come to the urgent question.”
“That was a very late delivery. I am going to finish this urgent question at 1.30 pm, so let us help each other by being speedy. The Minister will show me how quickly he can reply.”
“Can we try to shorten the questions? Some people are not going to get in, and that really worries me, as this subject matters to all of us—especially me, as I have the best post offices and the best posties.”
“This has been an excellent debate, and I thank Members for the way it has been delivered on behalf of all our constituents. Royal Mail’s management has a problem, and that has certainly been highlighted today.”
“Order. All Members are honest. Please think about what you are saying. You cannot individually attack a Member for not being honest. We are all honourable Members, as you well know. I call the honourable Minister.”
“I hope to move on at 1.30 pm, because many Members wish to speak in the next debate, so if we could speed up questions and answers, that would be excellent. Ian Lavery will give a good example of a speedy question.”
“I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. I reiterate— [ Interruption. ] I am dealing with a Member. I reiterate that I do not care whether it is Ministers, shadow Ministers or Back Benchers, the courtesy is that you must let the Member know before you get to their constituency, unless your visit is on private business. Show courtesy to each other. The public out there expect us to follow the rules, and the rules should be adhered to.”
“The right hon. Member is always here, so he should not have to worry about the titles. In fairness, I take that on board. The fact is that the Government are in charge of the titles of their ministerial statements. They have full responsibility; I have no responsibility for that. That is certainly on the record. I expect those on the Front Bench to have taken it on board that titles should be understandable and not misleading.”
“I do not disagree, but I know that the right hon. Member has a sneaking understanding of what happens in government and how Governments might try to get away with things. He is another Member who is always around, as well. What I will say is that it would be much easier if the Government were to be very explicit and open, so that all Back Benchers from all parts of the House know what is going to happen. I will also say that if Members spent more time in the Chamber, they would not have to worry.”
“I believe the Minister had a telling-off earlier, and I just want to reiterate the problem. The scrapping of the communications grid may be of benefit to the Government, but it is not beneficial to this House. This House does not want to be drip-fed for seven days via the news; the Government should come here first. We have got it the wrong way round. I hope the message goes back that this should happen no more.”
“I think you already know. I thank the hon. Member for his point of order. As we all know, he is a very experienced Member of the House, and I know that he has already tabled a written parliamentary question on this matter. I expect Ministers to give a full and frank answer. If he requires further advice on the options available to him, I am happy to pursue this matter with the Clerks and the Table Office, and I am always happy to meet him to see how we can move things forward. I believe the answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question will be honest and open. The only other thing I would expect is for it to be an early answer, and for it not to get lost in the system.”
“Finally, Mr Speaker, I want to thank you for all the support and friendship you have shown me. I will of course continue to do my best for the House until my departure at the end of October. Yours ever, Tom”. I want to thank Tom for his contribution to the House. I know that right hon. and hon. Members will want to join me in wishing him all the very best for the future. There will be an opportunity for Members to put on the record their thanks to him at a later date. A recruitment process will start soon, with the intention that the successor will be identified before the House rises for the summer recess. Speaking personally, I will miss you, Tom—although you won’t be that far away when that piano needs to be played. You are the best jazz pianist I know who has cost us nothing!”
“I wish to read to the House a letter I have received from the Clerk of the House, Tom Goldsmith: “Dear Mr Speaker, I told you last year of my intention to leave the House service this Autumn. Being able to support the House as its Clerk is a huge privilege and a unique opportunity, for which I am very grateful. By October, I will have served in the House for 30 years, for the last three of them as Clerk, and I have decided that it is time to take on new and different challenges. Working here is never boring—not least because of the passion and dedication that Members bring to their roles. I will leave with respect and fondness for Members from all parts of the House. I also want to say how proud I am of everyone in the administration for the work they do to support the House and Members. It is an honour to be their colleague.”
“Before the Leader of the House responds, can I help everybody? I intend to finish business questions at 12 noon, but we still have a lot of Members to speak. Can we have punchy questions and shorter answers? I am sure that the Leader of the House will be the best example of that.”
“Order. Before I come to Prime Minister’s questions, and in the light of recent exchanges in the Chamber, I remind Members of the need for good temper and moderation in the language they use. As the Speaker, I am not responsible for the specific questions asked by individual Members or the answers given by Ministers. I encourage all Members to engage in respectful debate, as our constituents would expect.”
“We cannot continue the debate. What I can say is that you have put your view on the record, but I am not responsible for the Prime Minister’s answers. If, inadvertently, the answer was not right, it is up to the individual to correct it.”
“Order. I am sure we appreciate the fact that the Minister has come to the House at the earliest opportunity to provide an update on these serious issues. As there is now a live police investigation, Members should exercise caution in saying anything that risks prejudicing that investigation. I thought it important that the House got to this at the earliest possible time, and I must thank the Minister for that. I call the shadow Minister.”
“Order. Look, both sides, if you are not interested, you don’t have to stay in the Chamber. I am interested, my constituents are interested, and your constituents are interested as well.”
“Order. You are in government, so you do not need to— [ Interruption. ] Order. When I stand up, please sit. I am trying to be helpful. All these Members are trying to get in, and it is a big day with a big statement coming.”
“Before the Minister responds, I point out that the question is linked to Perry Barr in Birmingham. The hon. Member is well away from Birmingham, and I am not quite sure that his question links to youth services—good luck.”
“Members will be aware of comments in the media regarding the arrest of Lord Mandelson. To prevent any inaccurate speculation, I would like to confirm that upon receipt of information, I felt it was relevant to pass this on to the Metropolitan police in good faith, as is my duty and responsibility. It is regrettable that this rapidly ended up in the media. As this is a live investigation, Members will understand that it would not be appropriate to make any further comment, and I caution Members from doing so.”
“Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, I welcome to the Gallery the Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji and the President of the European Parliament.”
“Order. What I said earlier goes for the row of Benches over there as well. I expect a standard of a Chair of a Select Committee, not for them to shout somebody down.”
“Order. One of us is sitting down, Minister, and it is not going to be me. An urgent question has been granted and other Members want to hear it. I want to hear it, I expect them to hear it, and I expect them to hear it in silence.”
“Order. Minister, you keep saying “you”. I am absolutely not responsible for, or was involved in, that filming. Please, I am being drawn into something that I do not wish to be drawn into at this stage.”
“Before we begin today’s proceedings, I know that the House will wish to join me in acknowledging that today marks the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine. This House has always stood with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. We must not forget their continuing fight to stand up for their ideals, which underpin a peaceful, stable and democratic world. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, as well as with our colleagues in the Ukrainian Parliament.”
“Order. I have spoken before about trying to drag in a supplementary question that is not relevant to the main question. I call the shadow Minister and welcome him to the Dispatch Box for the first time.”
“Order. That is not a point of order, and we are not going to carry on the debate. It is not for me to say whether there was right or wrong. The hon. Member has certainly got the point on the record. I am sorry we did not get you in for a question—it might have saved us the point of order. Bill Presented Online Services (Age Restrictions) Bill Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57) Munira Wilson, supported by Victoria Collins, Ed Davey and Wendy Chamberlain, presented a Bill to make provision to restrict access to online services, including social media, by children in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Monday 9 March, and to be printed (Bill 391).”
“Before we begin the debate, I would like to make a brief statement. I understand that there is huge public interest in this matter, and there has been significant coverage in the media. It is and always has been possible for the House to properly debate these matters within the framework of our existing rules, and there has been no change of convention in that respect. While matters relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s recent arrest are currently not sub judice, Members will be aware that there is an ongoing police investigation. I therefore gently say to Members that it would be helpful if they exercised a degree of restraint. I know the House would not wish to do anything that risks prejudicing any possible prosecution. Of course, any comments on the King or the heir apparent would not be in order.”
“If the hon. Member for Normanton and Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) believes there is something wrong, my advice would be to go to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. That would be the way forward, rather than to debate this matter on the Floor of the House.”
“Before we come to the statement updating the House on the Government’s response to the Humble Address motion, I would like to remind the House that Lord Peter Mandelson is the subject of an ongoing live police investigation. I understand that there is interest from the public on this matter and that there has been much coverage in the media. While the matter is not currently sub judice, I would gently say to Members that it would be helpful to exercise a degree of restraint in referencing specific matters under investigation. I know the House would not wish to do anything that risked prejudicing the investigation.”
“Order. One of us has to sit down, and it is not going to be me. The question is too long. I have all your colleagues to get in—they are going to be upset. I am sure the Minister has a good idea of what the question was.”
“Order. I do not need advice from the Opposition Benches that somebody is reading. Members should not just pick on one side—it is happening on both sides of the House. I do not like reading, but I expect the House to be tolerant on both sides. I am sure Opposition Members will also shout when they see someone on their own side doing it—not!”