23/02/2018 House of Commons


23/02/2018

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Order, order!

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The data request at this house it in

private. The clerk will now proceed

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to lead the orders of the day.

Organ

Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill

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second reading.

I beg to move the

second reading.

Well done.

Mr

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Geoffrey Robinson. Thank you. It is

a great pleasure to see that the

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Minister is in her place and I'm

very pleased that she gave out an

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official statement of support from

the government but will be

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supporting the spill, not just here

now at the second reading, but

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through all its stages. It is very

welcome and I appreciate that very

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much. I had no doubts at any stage

of our support. My honourable friend

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is a shadow minister, who will also

be speaking from the front bench. In

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this context, I must also mention

that the Prime Minister fairly early

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on indicated to me that she had a

personal interest and lead our bill

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her personal support. I would act as

a sincere thank you to the Prime

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Minister for that. Rounding off this

stage of my thanks to those, I have

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to mention the Leader of the

Opposition, his leadership on the

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issue and his back-up I have

received from his office, the

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leader's offers, have been an

invaluable support to me. Indeed, I

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think we can say that we have seldom

seen such a unanimous range of

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support. We have 11 members, seven

of them represent all Southern

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political parties in this house. I

think if we can carry that level of

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unanimity and commitment through to

the country and reach the consensus

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we badly need there, it would be

very much in the interests of making

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sure that the bill becomes an act

and that in due course, the act

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becomes a very effective one in

achieving...

Yes, I give way. I am

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grateful to him and can I preach

attributed to go using this

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opportunity to bring the bill to the

house. I hope the house gives the

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bill its endorsement today. Can I

assure him that, if the government

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worked with him to ensure speedy

passage of this bill, they will have

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the full support of the opposition

benches.

I am grateful for that. I

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think him very much indeed for it.

His support has been consistent and

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welcome and a great help. If we

needed any more help, I am pleased

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to tell the house wheels have that

of the previous prime ministers,

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will meet Prime Minister John Major

felt he could not support as and he

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said he did not know enough about

it, which was sometimes a problem as

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Prime Minister. I said earlier that

we should try to carry out now a

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message from a United house,

reaching that sense of unity today,

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into the country, and raise public

awareness and consciousness about

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the need and the reasons for the opt

out solution we are proposing to

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bring into this. And I believe that

if we can do that, that'll be a

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major part of what the vote today,

the campaign we have been waging and

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the act itself, to achieve. That has

been backed up and really reinforced

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by the public consultation the

government itself launched. The

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minister may remember it was my

honourable friend, who urged that

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calls upon the government. They

responded quickly and to great

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effect. And I think that the

response to it is of an

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unprecedented nature. I'm informed

unofficially that the number of

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individual responses is now offered

11,000, an unprecedented level, by

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far the wreck of any public

consultation of this kind. Those are

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11,000 separate individually written

letters on the topic. If people

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don't think that is sufficient

awareness yet, I'm hoping that by

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the end of the campaign, and that

campaign does not finish until the

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6th of March, that they will find an

opportunity, it's online, easily

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found, the government website,

they'll find an opportunity to

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participate in it. That

predominantly positive response that

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relate to understand the public

consultation is producing, it is

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hardly surprising, although very

welcome, it's hardly surprising when

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you think that according to recent

British Heart Foundation figures,

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when questioned, up to 90% of the

public expressed themselves in

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principle in favour of donation, but

only 36 get round to signing the

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register. I was in that position for

a number of years and maybe some in

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this house are also in that

position. It shows how effective in

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opt out register could be. The

situation at the moment, why then we

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are reactively looking towards an

opt out solution at this stage, is

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because, if we take England for

example, the situation is

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disappointing. We have some of the

lowest rates of consent for organ

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donation in the west of Europe, no

family rates of consent being one of

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the major barriers to the donor rate

actually increasing and in effect

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preventing one third of available

organs from being used. They go

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straight to the grave or to the

crematorium. None of us likes to

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think about the worst happening and

it is challenging to have

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conversations with families and

loved ones about one's wishes after

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death. But one of the principal aims

of the bill must be to encourage

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these open discussions among

families, so that the viewer wishes

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of an individual can be known to

their nearest and dearest, which I

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think it's reasonable to say in the

majority of cases, given the outcome

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of the consultation, given what we

know from the polls, will be I'm

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sure that they wish to donate their

organs after death. But there will

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be those who take a different view.

There will be those who take a

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different view, they may even be one

or two in the house it will feel

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that way and make their views known

during the debate. What I say to

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them is, I in no way wish them to

feel they are being railroaded into

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decisions they do not wish to take.

Therefore, I would like to emphasise

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to those who feel they cannot lend

their support or have doubts about

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the bill at this stage, that there

will be soft soft opt out provision

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built into the bill and there will

be a fair amount of discussion about

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them during the committee stage, I

imagine. I will give way in one

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second. I would want to assure them

that I will give my fullest personal

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commitment to approach those

discussions around the opt out, in

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the spirit of sympathetic

open-mindedness. I give way.

I am

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here to support his bill, but I

would ask if he could engage with

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the Jewish community to see if he

can allay their concerns about how

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it might affect observance with

their religious teachings.

I am very

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pleased to take that intervention,

because I do remember that one of

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the Prime Minister is now supporting

us, Gordon Brown in fact, did try to

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introduce or wanted to introduce an

opt out system, but came up against

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a fairly immovable block in the then

Chief Rabbi, who said that he could

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not commit the Jewish community to

supporting it, and that rather help

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matters up. They were then overtaken

by other matters. But yes, we will

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do that and I have been in touch and

we believe that the Council itself

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now has made an official statement

supporting the bill.

I thank him for

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giving way and he gradually him. He

has put in a lot of hard work in

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securing this bill. As any member

who has dealt with the bill in the

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House of Commons knows, that is a

lot of effort behind-the-scenes. I

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think it's very important that the

assurances on opt out, particularly

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to communities like the Jewish

community, is very important that we

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convey that message and get further

support on that basis.

I am grateful

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to my honourable friend and

colleague from our shared city. His

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support along those lines is most

welcome to me. I notice my right

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honourable friend the Leader has

come in. As I say again, I pay a

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warm personal tribute to your

leadership on the issue and to the

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tremendous help I have received from

your offers by way of back-up to the

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bill. I am deeply grateful. I also

took the opportunity of expressing

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gratitude to the Prime Minister who

has lent her personal support. I

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know he would welcome that as well.

Did you want to intervene? I

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apologise for just arriving. I thank

the honourable member for what he

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has said. It is wonderful he has got

this bill introduced and I hope

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today the house can pass it and save

an awful lot of people's lives in

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the future.

That is indeed our room

and while I should sound certain

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notes of caution about introducing

it to make sure we get that increase

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and successfully utilise the

increase in organ donation, there

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are certain things we have to watch

out for and I mentioned those as

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part of a series approach to the

issue. I know you would want to see

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his own government in June was and

we have to implement. I would hope

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that would be the

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I get the message that time is of no

essence and no liberty can press it.

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Let me note what has been achieved.

We have a proud history of living

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donor transplants. October 30, 1960

at the Royal infirmary of Edinburgh

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and operation took place between

identical twins because at that time

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the problems of rejection were still

a long way from any kind of reliable

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solution. In November 1965 the first

transplant in the UK from a

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non-heart beating donor was carried

out, again at the Royal infirmary in

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Edinburgh. 1968 saw the first

successful heart and liver

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transplants. That is a proud

tradition and I think all of us at

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this stage, I'm sure the whole house

would join with me in congratulating

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the NHS and all the staff concerned

in this department on magnificent

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work. I'm sure the House would like

that to be on the... Yes, I will.

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Thank you very much. Again, thank

you for bringing this Bill forward.

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I think the point he is making and

we will move onto is transplant

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surgery is now becoming routine and

people are living normal and long

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lives a result. When I was growing

up a heart transplant was like

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number one item on the news and now

they are being carried out daily.

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But of course. The consequence of

that is to some extent victims of

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our own success, we now have a

growing need for organs and a

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growing waiting list which I will

mention in a moment for them. That

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must be a problem concerning us all.

It must be a problem which as a

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country we must seek a proper... I

will give way to the honourable

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member.

I thank the honourable

member and congratulate him on his

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campaign. 90,000 residents in

Doncaster are on the organ donation

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register and I am one of them and

proud to be. 54 patients are

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awaiting transplants in Doncaster.

Unfortunately my constituent Amy

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not, her brother died waiting for a

double langue transplant. -- lung

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transplant. Is it not the case we

need to secure more people who are

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prepared to be part of this service

so we can save more lives?

I think

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the whole house will be touched by

the particular constituency case and

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the whole house will agree with what

she says about the need to increase

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the availability of organs. We

believe there is an opt out system

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where everybody very simply is part

of the system unless they choose to

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opt out. I made it clear the opt out

procedure would be simple and we

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will respect those who choose to do

so. But if we can get this in, it

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will not make an immediate

difference tomorrow, but I am sure

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in a period of years, as activity

rates of those in our capacity to

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handle them successfully increase, I

am sure the availability of organs

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will also increase. That is why I am

keen to get the Bill through second

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reading today. Since those early

successes, some 50,000 people have

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been given a second chance in life

in the UK. A new lease of life with

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organ donation. I am sure the whole

house will join me in expressing

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gratitude that we all feel to the

NHS for it. Mr Speaker, if our

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history is a very proud one, we

cannot rest on our laurels.

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Unaccountably in the last few years

the steady increase in the rate of

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donation and transplantation has

slowed down. In the last four years

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it has in effect in England

plateaued. In this background that

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has been a grave concern that a

certain inertia is setting in. The

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most recent figure for the UK as a

whole for this makes disquieting

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reading. In March 2017, just last

year, the most recent figures, there

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were 60,388 pensions registered on

the list for a transplant. --

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patients. In the same year 437 died

while on the active waiting list.

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More significant perhaps, 837 people

in the same period once more died

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who had been removed from the active

waiting list, because while on it

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they had become too unwell to

receive a transplant. That is how

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serious the situation is. I will

give way to the honourable member.

I

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congratulate him on bringing this

Bill, which I support. Many of my

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constituents have contacted me about

children who have died for want of a

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suitable donor. I wonder if at some

point in his speech he will refer to

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how the Bill will benefit children

in need of an organ donor.

A most

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moving aspect. We had a reception

last night in which many of those

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children benefited from organ

donations and people whose children

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were present and I will be coming to

them in a moment. I will give way to

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the honourable member.

Thank you, he

is making an excellent speech. The

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sad reality of course is behind

every organ donation is somebody who

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has died. In order for the organs to

be donated. Yes, it is right and

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proper that we see facilities for

children to be receiving donations

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but it is a sensitive time for

parents who have seen the loss of a

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child of their own. Those whose

organs would be donated. Will he

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comment on how we can deal

sensitively with the families of

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those whose children have died?

Well, yes. We would be happy to

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across-the-board, I think. My

honourable friend draws attention to

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a particular area of importance in

that. It is a vitally important

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area, but it is only one of the

areas we hope to address. The other

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categories are equally important, as

I am sure he would understand and

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agree. Mr Speaker, I do not claim my

Bill alone is a panacea for our

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problems. But I do believe and I am

convinced, I will give way in a

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second, I am convinced it is a vital

prerequisite to impart fresh impetus

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to the increase in organ donation we

know the country urgently needs. I

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will give way to the honourable

member.

Thank you for giving way. I

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congratulate him on introducing this

Bill and I will give it my support.

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However, following on from the last

intervention, Wales introduced

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presumed consent on organ donation

and I believe in 2016-17, 33

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families were presumed consent was

assumed, 13 families actually

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withdrew consent when they were

asked. Can he assure me that in his

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legislation there will be room for

relatives still to be consulted and

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withdraw that consent? It is after

all being asked for at a very

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sensitive time. I want to make sure

families have that latitude whilst

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busily trying to do everything to

increase organ donation.

Mr Speaker,

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the honourable lady raises a

difficult point but an important

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one. As part of the soft opt out

there will certainly be arrangements

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for families, close friends, to

express their opinions and in all

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cases what is interesting here is

Spain operates a system, because

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they do not have an opt out

situation in effect, they do not

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have a register, they consult in

every case with every family that

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they can get to on time on the

register and as a result of those

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consultations and the conversations

they can have with the families,

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they have a tremendous rate of

consent. It can work the other way,

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of course. We should make for

provision in the Bill for that.

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There should be careful wording for

it. I invite those with particular

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interest to look at it. But the

intent will be precisely... I pick

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it up from my honourable friend's

intervention, there will be an

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effective veto given to families in

that situation. I will take the lady

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first, if I may, the honourable

member.

Thank you for giving way and

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I also congratulate him on the Bill

today which I support. On the Port

0:24:130:24:17

of Spain does he agree that

highlights of this Bill is not

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actually the action that part of the

solution? -- on the point of Spain.

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They were looking to increase the

rate of donor organs by investing

0:24:270:24:30

heavily in transport and

infrastructure and the National

0:24:300:24:33

organ donation system.

Yes, Mr

Speaker, I shall mention some of the

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investment it will need to make sure

it is a success, though moving at a

0:24:430:24:51

higher level with much better

infrastructure, certainly

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infrastructure for nursing is vital

and the professional surgeon, the

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body of professional surgeons and

specialist units available are much

0:24:590:25:01

greater than they are in Spain. We

recognise the success of the Spanish

0:25:010:25:06

system. At its heart is an ability

to get to the families and talk with

0:25:060:25:11

them and that should take place in

any case. We think when it takes

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place against the backdrop of a

knocked out system it starts from a

0:25:150:25:18

different position and is likely to

produce hopefully more positive

0:25:180:25:22

results. I think...

I am grateful to

the honourable gentleman. Further to

0:25:220:25:31

his response by the member for

Amersham, I think it is fair to say

0:25:310:25:37

probably most if not all members

here today are here because we

0:25:370:25:39

support this measure and would like

it in statute. But the honourable

0:25:390:25:45

gentleman in his response said that

friends and family would be

0:25:450:25:50

consulted. I think we have to be

very clear that if this is not to be

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brought into dispute and if we have

a wave of withdrawals not to be

0:25:550:26:01

generated, that is the last thing we

want. He must be very precise and

0:26:010:26:04

when he comes and when we hope this

Bill gets into committee, will he

0:26:040:26:09

make sure that issue is very clearly

addressed, please?

I am grateful, Mr

0:26:090:26:15

Speaker, again from a very

thoughtful intervention with good

0:26:150:26:21

foresight. I will give him that

assurance. As presenter of the Bill

0:26:210:26:25

I will take a personal interest in

seeing the right balance is struck.

0:26:250:26:29

Do not forget it will be struck in a

situation where the law of the land

0:26:290:26:33

is one of opt out. I think that

changes the very basis from the

0:26:330:26:37

starting point of the discussion

with the family will stop but we

0:26:370:26:40

shall treat it with proper caution

and respect which we know those

0:26:400:26:45

moments of agony and awful decision

taking pose for the families

0:26:450:26:48

concerned. I will give way to the

honourable member.

I'm very grateful

0:26:480:26:53

to him for giving way and I am here

to support his Bill. As a Welsh MP I

0:26:530:26:57

want to provide some reassurance. We

already have legislation in Wales

0:26:570:27:01

which has been working with an deal

specifically with that point. But we

0:27:010:27:06

do have the highest donation rates

of any nation in the UK. I welcome

0:27:060:27:12

his Bill and hope everyone will

support it today.

I'm very grateful

0:27:120:27:16

for that intervention. I was coming

onto the situation Wales. Which of

0:27:160:27:22

course I'm fairly and prematurely

has been prejudged as a failure,

0:27:220:27:26

even by it seems eminent authorities

such as the Nuffield Council on

0:27:260:27:34

bioethics, on the basis of figures

that were produced one year into a

0:27:340:27:40

scheme that had only just started.

The latest figures we have at the

0:27:400:27:50

latest reviewed article in the BMJ

suggests the following, I think it

0:27:500:27:54

is worth while emphasising it as

being some three or four years in

0:27:540:27:59

and from an article that is actually

dated in debris this year. It is up

0:27:590:28:05

to date and does have some years to

see the trend is available. --

0:28:050:28:11

February this year. The respected

journalist concerned in an article

0:28:110:28:14

that has been peer-reviewed

concluded Wales has experienced more

0:28:140:28:18

registered doctors, less family

refusals and more died Asians than

0:28:180:28:23

anywhere else in the UK since the

introduction of the system. -- and

0:28:230:28:29

more efficiency than anywhere else

in the UK since the introduction of

0:28:290:28:32

the system. None of the concerns

expressed by members right that this

0:28:320:28:36

morning about deemed consent have

materialised. The signs from Wales

0:28:360:28:42

are very good. These are early days

and I think we have to take note of

0:28:420:28:47

the Corsham that the council brings

to the case. We want to proceed

0:28:470:28:54

carefully. -- Nuffield Council --

the caution that the Nuffield

0:28:540:28:58

Council. One of the great things we

have about the present system is it

0:28:580:29:03

is trusted by the public. We cannot

put that trust at risk and we will

0:29:030:29:09

not. We will see it is well

introduced and I must say what I

0:29:090:29:13

have seen myself at first hand of

NHS blood and transplantation, it is

0:29:130:29:20

a well-organised outfit. We do have

a functioning register. We know what

0:29:200:29:25

we are doing and we are building up

a nursing capability which is

0:29:250:29:31

central as we are building up and

some investment will be needed for

0:29:310:29:36

the facility. Any growth in demand

will lead to a growth in, or a

0:29:360:29:40

growth in the requirement for

facilities. I say to the minister

0:29:400:29:45

while she is looking rather grim at

the moment, that is better! She will

0:29:450:29:49

have to make sure that while the NHS

is very much in favour of this as an

0:29:490:29:58

organisation, I quit a figure in a

moment, but it is very encouraging

0:29:580:30:01

that they think we can benefit in

terms of increased organs and save

0:30:010:30:08

lives. -- quote in a moment. But the

requirements for additional

0:30:080:30:13

resources must be met. All I can say

to honourable members in that

0:30:130:30:17

respect is the amount of money, a

small requirement in resources,

0:30:170:30:22

software, hardware, some facilities,

basically pretty much in the

0:30:220:30:26

software and training of the nurses

is minuscule in relation to the good

0:30:260:30:30

it can do. The sheer joy that you

can see in those around you,

0:30:300:30:37

particularly the children who have

had the benefit of a chance. I will

0:30:370:30:41

give way to the honourable member.

0:30:410:30:47

case to I am very grateful to him.

He sort of glossed over Wales and

0:30:470:30:53

his remarks. But the Welsh assembly

government research said that the

0:30:530:30:58

introduction of opt out has had no

impact on a number of organ donors

0:30:580:31:02

and Wales. Some reports say this has

led to a reduction in the number of

0:31:020:31:09

donors. I just wondered what

measures he had in his bill, what

0:31:090:31:13

learning he had taken from Wales, to

learn from the flaws there may have

0:31:130:31:19

been in that system?

That is a very

moderate intervention from him and I

0:31:190:31:28

am grateful for that. I think he

looking, he's probably looking at

0:31:280:31:33

the recent remarks and quotes from

the Nuffield Council, which relate

0:31:330:31:42

back to a year, if I'm not mistaken,

2016, we are now in 2018. The

0:31:420:31:50

situation has evolved and the figure

I recommend to him in the British

0:31:500:31:54

medical Journal, I leave it there

for him to read. It is a very full

0:31:540:31:58

account. It is very hopeful of the

situation in Wales. We will monitor

0:31:580:32:06

it carefully and we will be cautious

and practical and realistic in our

0:32:060:32:12

approach to the introduction of the

system in the UK.

I give way. I can

0:32:120:32:20

give him some good news on Wales.

This was pioneering legislation and

0:32:200:32:27

it was discussed very much when I

was Secretary of State for Wales.

0:32:270:32:30

But I was looking at the details on

some of the statistics from Wales

0:32:300:32:34

and this latest report on organ

donation and transplant activity. He

0:32:340:32:40

will be please to note that back in

2013, the number of people opted in

0:32:400:32:47

to the organ donation register in

Wales was up 1 million 213. For the

0:32:470:32:54

first three quarters of the year is

2017/18, that number has now

0:32:540:33:03

increased to 1,220,331 people. And I

think that is very positive news

0:33:030:33:06

from Wales that there are more

people opted in to that register.

0:33:060:33:13

Because the figure was so low back

in 2013, the Welsh government

0:33:130:33:17

decided to move to an opt out

system. I must agree with her and

0:33:170:33:21

disagree with those who will not

look at the most recent facts we

0:33:210:33:24

have, for some reason or other, they

just want to look at them and move

0:33:240:33:29

with the situation that is

developing, I just say that yes,

0:33:290:33:34

from that situation which is bad,

they went for an opt out system.

0:33:340:33:38

There was a period of bidding in, a

period when there seemed to be no

0:33:380:33:43

change, but the most recent figures

are showing a marked improvement. I

0:33:430:33:49

am sure we can all rejoice in that.

That is a fact and one that we can

0:33:490:34:01

all take... I will give way. We can

take great satisfaction from.

My

0:34:010:34:10

interest in this matter occurred

with this in who came here, a young

0:34:100:34:15

man, and lobbied. A year later, I

attended his funeral, because he did

0:34:150:34:19

not get the transplant, sadly, that

he wanted. But he had suffered

0:34:190:34:25

enormously in the preceding period.

But the period now has gone by, we

0:34:250:34:30

have had the opt out in Wales and

the situation is, what other people

0:34:300:34:34

do with the statistics, is that

people are living in Wales who

0:34:340:34:38

would've died before the law was

passed and people are dying

0:34:380:34:42

unnecessarily in England.

I am

grateful to him and I would like to

0:34:420:34:48

say that it was indeed his bill that

sparked off my own personal interest

0:34:480:34:52

and IP great tribute to the work you

did in preparing that bill, which we

0:34:520:34:56

have adopted almost in its entirety.

He will be pleased to know that we

0:34:560:35:02

are hopeful that his bill from the

beginning will find its way along

0:35:020:35:05

side my own bill on the statute

book. I know that will give him

0:35:050:35:09

great pleasure. What he says about

that individual case is certainly

0:35:090:35:13

true. The positive news I mentioned

from the NHS, very cautious

0:35:130:35:20

assessment from their part, they say

that, provided the opt out system,

0:35:200:35:26

and that is the quintessential

starting point for all these, is

0:35:260:35:31

introduced and backed up but the

necessarily revenue and capital

0:35:310:35:37

spending, they expect and up to 500

lives a year could be saved by the

0:35:370:35:46

Organ Donation (Deemed Consent)

Bill.

I am delighted to appear as

0:35:460:35:53

one of his supporters on the bill.

I'm very pleased to have my name on

0:35:530:35:57

this legislation. There is only one

thing I hope he will be able to look

0:35:570:36:02

at in committee on this, it's the

issue of deemed consent around

0:36:020:36:07

people who lose capacity towards the

end of their lives. I hope there

0:36:070:36:10

will be more clarity coming forward

in committee to enable people who

0:36:100:36:13

have made a decision, who want to

make their organs available, if it's

0:36:130:36:18

just their brain that is no longer

of much use to anybody else and they

0:36:180:36:22

do not have the capacity, I hope it

would be clear about the

0:36:220:36:26

circumstances when people lose

capacity towards the end of their

0:36:260:36:33

lives, when they are still able for

the rest of the body to be of use to

0:36:330:36:36

others.

The fact that he agreed to

be a supportive of the bill, his

0:36:360:36:40

name appears on the face of the

bill, he will be pleased to know. He

0:36:400:36:44

raises an area of great concern. If

something appears a committee stage,

0:36:440:36:52

it's not for second reading and I

will go into that for now.

I thank

0:36:520:36:57

him for bringing the bill to the

nose, which I will of course

0:36:570:37:00

support. He mentions a modest

investment in capital resources in

0:37:000:37:04

order to give effect to this when it

has become law, but does he not

0:37:040:37:09

agree with me that actually, by

saving lives, by making people

0:37:090:37:13

healthy enough to see the full part

in society, we will actually be

0:37:130:37:18

increasing the ability of our

country to succeed and also,

0:37:180:37:22

although the this is obviously a

secondary issue in comparison with

0:37:220:37:26

the saving of life, we will be

reducing some of the ridiculous

0:37:260:37:30

amount of spend on keeping people

just lives when they need organ

0:37:300:37:33

donations.

While entirely agreeing

with him and thanking him for that

0:37:330:37:41

intervention, I would rather not go

down the route of cost benefit

0:37:410:37:46

analysis. These matters are a case

of life and death and I think it's

0:37:460:37:50

best left there, and we want to save

lives, lives we know can be saved.

I

0:37:500:37:55

give way. I strongly support this

bill. Alongside this measure, and a

0:37:550:38:03

number of the other things he has

described, does he agree that the

0:38:030:38:06

most important thing we can do is to

have that conversation with our

0:38:060:38:12

families and our loved ones, to make

it absolutely clear to them that,

0:38:120:38:17

when we're gone, that we wish,

whatever bits of us of any use,

0:38:170:38:22

should be given to others, so that

they might continue to live. Isn't

0:38:220:38:26

that what we really need to do, to

make sure that as many as possible,

0:38:260:38:31

when a difficult conversation comes

to be had over a loved one who has

0:38:310:38:35

died in a hospital bed, the families

say, of course.

I entirely agree

0:38:350:38:43

with him. I don't know if he was in

the chamber when I made the

0:38:430:38:48

particular remarks about the

importance of family conversations.

0:38:480:38:52

There are absolutely vital. The

importance of public awareness, I

0:38:520:38:59

believe the government consultation

contributes enormously to public

0:38:590:39:00

awareness. Now we're certainly

example of needing to be registered

0:39:000:39:10

in the hall. I certainly have no

intention of even considering. And I

0:39:100:39:16

believe the other great contribution

we can make to this in personal

0:39:160:39:20

terms is to have those conversations

in our own families and to encourage

0:39:200:39:24

others to do so. But public

awareness would necessarily lead to

0:39:240:39:27

that. We know it is at that moment

when families are confronted with

0:39:270:39:33

the awful situation, that very often

they back off. Sometimes even

0:39:330:39:37

overriding the wishes of the

deceased, who happens to be a

0:39:370:39:40

registered donor. We can do no more

important work than have those

0:39:400:39:50

difficult conversations and

encourage others to do so as well.

0:39:500:39:55

Just on the point of people being

more aware of the differences it can

0:39:550:39:59

make. Yesterday I founder of the

time about the British Transplant

0:39:590:40:05

Games which are happening, where

people who have either been live

0:40:050:40:09

donors or had an organ transplant

is, actually take part in the games

0:40:090:40:13

event. This is happening in

Birmingham on the 2nd of August. I

0:40:130:40:18

thought that was wonderful. I met a

woman yesterday who was a live

0:40:180:40:22

donor, who was taking part in the

games with the person she had

0:40:220:40:26

deleted and Oregon to. I thought

this was wonderful. Nobody wants to

0:40:260:40:30

think about the worst thing

happening to their family or anyone

0:40:300:40:33

they love, but it would be a

wonderful thing to think that

0:40:330:40:38

anything I could give when I'm gone

would go to someone who should go

0:40:380:40:41

and live a fulfilling life and a

life that involves taking part in

0:40:410:40:45

some kind of sporting games. I think

we should be thinking about the

0:40:450:40:50

future and the real differences

coming for so many people. I am so

0:40:500:40:54

proud to be stood there with you at

this day and to be supporting your

0:40:540:40:57

bill.

I feel inclined to say, I rest

my case! I can't quite do that just

0:40:570:41:05

yet. I notice with Dolby

interventions, I think will a time,

0:41:050:41:10

I will presume noted conclusion if I

may. If we save 500 at avoidable

0:41:100:41:27

deaths because of organ donation,

the present waiting list of 6500,

0:41:270:41:34

with changed policies, some 500 in

effect on a life sentence, and the

0:41:340:41:39

Bill, with -- and they will, without

a Oregon becoming available, die

0:41:390:41:47

within the next year. That just

simply is not good enough. I believe

0:41:470:41:52

we can do better as a nation. We

should through the creation of the

0:41:520:41:58

NHS, something no other nation

achieved. Here I think we can be

0:41:580:42:02

pioneers in making transplantation

more successful, and is doing it

0:42:020:42:08

principally through greater organ

donation. I don't think my bill has

0:42:080:42:14

answered all the questions we have

discussed, or others that need

0:42:140:42:19

addressing in the course of this

debate. But I do believe and I am

0:42:190:42:24

convinced it is a necessary start to

get the increasing momentum, the the

0:42:240:42:31

impetus we lost. That's why we

introduced it in Wales, moving to an

0:42:310:42:35

opt out system. That's why I bring

it to the house today. My honourable

0:42:350:42:43

friend was speaking about watching

the games. We had many at the

0:42:430:42:48

reception given by the Daily Mirror

in the Terrace room. There it was

0:42:480:42:54

very moving, I met Max's Mum, as

she's come to be known, Mrs Emma

0:42:540:43:07

Johnson. She was giving us

up-to-date news on Max. He's become

0:43:070:43:12

a face of the campaign. I make no

excuse for being emotional about it.

0:43:120:43:19

He is still doing well now. Last

September, he went back to school

0:43:190:43:23

part-time. They are hoping next year

he will be back at school full-time.

0:43:230:43:26

Even more pleasing than that is

something I did not know one was

0:43:260:43:31

brought to my attention by the

member for North Devon, who

0:43:310:43:35

represents the donor family. Their

daughter was killed in a terrible

0:43:350:43:43

car crash, most unfortunate

incident, who gave her heart. Mrs

0:43:430:43:54

Johnson was saying how much she

looked forward to meeting the

0:43:540:43:57

family. She said, I wonder what

they'll feel when they put their

0:43:570:44:02

hands on Max's heart and feel their

daughter's heart is still beating

0:44:020:44:08

them. If the member for North Devon

would like to take part, I am sure

0:44:080:44:15

he would catch a ride in due course,

Mr Speaker. Many of isn't in this

0:44:150:44:19

house have one way or another been

affected. I would like to mention my

0:44:190:44:24

honourable friend for Sunderland

Central. His daughter unfortunately

0:44:240:44:28

could not come. She has been now for

12 months on daily dialysis, waiting

0:44:280:44:35

for a kidney and I know she will

also want to catch a ride. I hope

0:44:350:44:45

the party opposite will take this in

the best spirit, I must thank the

0:44:450:44:52

Daily Mirror for its magnificent

campaign on this issue. It shows

0:44:520:44:57

what a free press fighting

courageously can achieve on a brave

0:44:570:45:01

cause. I thank them for it and I

know they feel they have achieved

0:45:010:45:10

something, something more than other

newspapers achieve in 24 pages.

0:45:100:45:19

Thanks to the Mirror, he said,

nothing compared to the happiness we

0:45:190:45:26

feel at the paper every time we see

a successful transplant as a result

0:45:260:45:32

of our campaign, in part, taking

place, especially among the young.

0:45:320:45:41

I have had many letters and I do not

feel it appropriate to read... Let

0:45:420:45:46

me say that I believe today that the

House has a I will not say unique,

0:45:460:45:55

but an opportunity that might not

occur for several years if we do not

0:45:550:45:58

take it today. It is an opportunity

to introduce a Bill and if we

0:45:580:46:05

succeed in the second reading today

a Bill which could be enacted by the

0:46:050:46:10

end of this year and in effect could

already be making an effect in the

0:46:100:46:17

year after that. I believe it is an

opportunity. I believe the House is

0:46:170:46:22

in the mood to rise to the occasion

and I am sure we are going to seize

0:46:220:46:26

this opportunity to pass a Bill, to

become an act that we regard as an

0:46:260:46:33

act for life.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The question is the Bill be now read

0:46:330:46:39

a second time. Dame Cheryl Gillan.

Thank you for calling me so early in

0:46:390:46:45

this debate. I add my

congratulations to the member for

0:46:450:46:50

Coventry North West for the

compassionate way in which he has

0:46:500:46:54

moved his Bill. And for bringing

this Bill before the House. I hope

0:46:540:47:00

I'm not presuming too much that I

think there is good support on both

0:47:000:47:04

sides of the House for this

legislation, but more importantly I

0:47:040:47:10

believe the minister who will be

speaking from the front bench will

0:47:100:47:12

also be giving her support to this

legislation. For me it is a bit like

0:47:120:47:19

deja vu. Because I went through all

of these arguments back in 2010,

0:47:190:47:27

when the Welsh Assembly was looking

at introducing the human

0:47:270:47:30

transplantation Wales act, finally

coming into force or was put into

0:47:300:47:40

legislation in 2013 and took effect

in 2015 in Wales. The permitting of

0:47:400:47:47

a knocked out system or this

presumed consent is quite a complex

0:47:470:47:54

concept. -- opt out system. It

received many objections at the time

0:47:540:48:02

from a large number of people on a

large number of grounds, to be

0:48:020:48:05

truthful. I was approached by the

kidney Wales Federation. They did a

0:48:050:48:11

fantastic job, along with a lot of

other organisations in lobbying

0:48:110:48:15

politicians and trying to explain

the position of families that were

0:48:150:48:19

waiting for organs and families who

had been approached to donate the

0:48:190:48:26

organs of a deceased relative. And

indeed many times the debate got

0:48:260:48:32

very heated. Also they gave advice

to a lot of myths in many cases.

0:48:320:48:42

When looking at the evidence for

this, I have always found the

0:48:420:48:46

medical profession and people

surrounding bereaved relatives or

0:48:460:48:50

relatives about to become bereaved

have always handled these matters

0:48:500:48:54

with great sensitivity and good

outcomes. Indeed, statistics show

0:48:540:49:01

the legislation in Wales as I

mentioned in my intervention still

0:49:010:49:04

allows families to withdraw the

so-called deemed consent, meaning

0:49:040:49:09

their views are taken into

consideration which I think is very

0:49:090:49:11

important. But one of the things I

looked at was the success rate of

0:49:110:49:19

the 2008 organ donation task force

which was in operation. And indeed

0:49:190:49:24

that helped increase donation rates

greatly in the five years of, from

0:49:240:49:31

its operation in 2008 there was a

50% increase in donors and a 30.5%

0:49:310:49:37

increase in transplants. That was

indeed impressive. At the time I was

0:49:370:49:43

exceedingly worried that by

introducing legislation that was

0:49:430:49:46

controversial we may do some damage

to a programme and campaign yielding

0:49:460:49:50

positive results. I think that is

something that needs to be taken

0:49:500:49:56

into consideration. The truth of the

matter is that there are more people

0:49:560:50:00

on the donation list than there are

organs available. I think for many

0:50:000:50:06

people in the chamber and beyond it

is also worth noting that there is a

0:50:060:50:10

particular problem in the population

on the list because 23% of people

0:50:100:50:20

waiting for organ donation were

people from the BME population and

0:50:200:50:25

only 1.2% of people on the register

at the time were from the BME

0:50:250:50:31

community. That big disparity was

causing a lot of aggravation. Can I

0:50:310:50:38

just say that I was very uncertain

about the legislation in Wales? I am

0:50:380:50:44

pleased to stand here as a

politician and admit openly I had

0:50:440:50:47

changed my mind. I think there is no

disgrace in changing your mind. I

0:50:470:50:53

think when the tax change you change

your mind. I think it is really

0:50:530:50:57

quite important. -- when the facts

change. One of the reasons why,

0:50:570:51:04

although I have changed the names as

well, is because I have a dear

0:51:040:51:10

friend, for the purposes of this

debate I will call him James -- Jane

0:51:100:51:16

and Jane has a son I had known since

he was born. I will call him John.

0:51:160:51:22

John has got primary cholangitis

which is a chronic liver disease

0:51:220:51:30

whereby the PAL ducks, passages

carrying the Bal from the liver to

0:51:300:51:36

the intestines are blocked and

narrowed by information. -- carrying

0:51:360:51:40

the bowels. And the liver will stop

functioning. Frankly the symptoms

0:51:400:51:46

can include tiredness, aching,

itching, abdominal pain, jaundice,

0:51:460:51:52

chills and fevers. The progression

of the disease, although very

0:51:520:51:59

variable, usually leads to one

conclusion, that the patient needs a

0:51:590:52:04

liver transplant. John has been told

because of a shortage of transplants

0:52:040:52:09

you have to be in cirrhosis before

you put on the list and then you

0:52:090:52:13

have to wait for a match. By that

time you might not be well enough to

0:52:130:52:17

have one. And to be close to a

family and to see the effect it has

0:52:170:52:24

upon them, Jane wrote to me and she

said "This has obviously affected

0:52:240:52:31

the whole family. John still lives

with us and we are in fact his

0:52:310:52:37

carers as we know he will only get

worse in time. We do not known how

0:52:370:52:42

much time he has but he cannot plan

for his future. Physically and

0:52:420:52:48

mentally it takes a great toll on

him because he does not known if he

0:52:480:52:51

will get a transplant when he needs

one. Organ donation would help a

0:52:510:52:54

great deal in this". When you have a

friend and a boy that is now a man

0:52:540:53:02

and a highly intelligent and

wonderful human being in that

0:53:020:53:06

position, I think you have got to

reconsider where you stand on

0:53:060:53:09

legislation like this. And the way I

look at it, Mr Speaker is this

0:53:090:53:16

legislation is not enough in itself,

but it will do no harm and will

0:53:160:53:23

again stimulate a debate and as long

as it is continuing to be

0:53:230:53:27

accompanied by campaigns to

encourage people to register,

0:53:270:53:31

encourage people to donate, that

continued campaign I think will help

0:53:310:53:36

raise the awareness that will help

increase statistics as we did in the

0:53:360:53:42

first five years following the organ

donation task force. We are all

0:53:420:53:48

living longer and who are we in this

House to say that if we can prolong

0:53:480:53:55

life and improve the quality-of-life

are people that suffer from rare

0:53:550:53:59

diseases, such as John, I think we

should do so. I had to say that I

0:53:590:54:07

will give this Bill a fair wind.

Obviously the devil will be in the

0:54:070:54:12

detail and we will need to look at

the legislation carefully. And I

0:54:120:54:16

would like us to consult and learn

from the experience in Wales,

0:54:160:54:20

because they will be a lot to learn

from them having forged the way. I

0:54:200:54:25

do not want a hard system like in

Austria. That is not what I

0:54:250:54:29

envisage. I still want the whole

area to be surrounded by the Keren

0:54:290:54:34

consideration of the medical

profession. -- care and

0:54:340:54:40

consideration. And latitude allowing

for the families of people with

0:54:400:54:44

genuine reasons not to take part in

this. But I do want to increase

0:54:440:54:50

people on the register and I want

increased organ donation and more

0:54:500:54:55

lives saved. I give the Bill a fair

wind.

Thank you, Mr Speaker for

0:54:550:55:00

calling me to speak in this most

important debate. I want to

0:55:000:55:06

congratulate my honourable friend,

the member for Coventry North West,

0:55:060:55:09

that for his success in the ballot,

no mean achievement, to get a

0:55:090:55:13

private members Bill and then for

choosing this most important topic

0:55:130:55:18

on which he has brought forward

today. I have to say I have always

0:55:180:55:22

supported for many years the opt out

system as opposed to opt in. What I

0:55:220:55:29

will talk about today has not

brought my decision that this is the

0:55:290:55:34

right thing but it amplified the

importance of the decision. I also

0:55:340:55:40

pay tribute to my honourable friend

the member for Barnsley Central who

0:55:400:55:44

has done so much good campaigning on

the issue. And the Daily Mirror, who

0:55:440:55:49

have already been mentioned for

their campaign. And the Prime

0:55:490:55:53

Minister and government for their

statement this week in support which

0:55:530:55:56

is very important. What I want to

talk about today is the story of my

0:55:560:56:02

family. It is something I really do,

talk about my family in public,

0:56:020:56:08

because it is neither entered public

life, not them. But there is nothing

0:56:080:56:14

special or unusual about my family.

What has happened in the last 18

0:56:140:56:19

months to us could happen to

anybody. Young or old, rich or poor.

0:56:190:56:24

There is no differentiation when

this kind of thing happens. It

0:56:240:56:28

highlights the reality of the need

to change the law to a position of

0:56:280:56:32

deemed consent. I have four grown-up

children, all now either married or

0:56:320:56:40

with long-term partners. I have five

wonderful grandchildren. We are a

0:56:400:56:45

very close family and I am lucky we

all lived within two miles of each

0:56:450:56:49

other in Sunderland. That is when I

am not down here. My eldest daughter

0:56:490:56:54

Rebecca is now 36. She is married

and has a six-year old daughter. She

0:56:540:57:00

was referred to the renal unit of

the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle

0:57:000:57:05

after routine tests showed a problem

with her kidney function. That was

0:57:050:57:09

October 2000 16. Not long ago. --

2016. After about a week in hospital

0:57:090:57:17

it was clear Rebecca was quite ill.

With significantly reduced kidney

0:57:170:57:21

function, which may at some point in

future lead to needing a transplant.

0:57:210:57:28

At that point that is where we

thought we were. It was a big enough

0:57:280:57:32

shop in itself. But the medical team

at Freeman Hospital thought they

0:57:320:57:36

could stabilise her condition. --

shock in itself. Rebecca had been OK

0:57:360:57:43

up to that point. She had some

issues health wise but was OK. The

0:57:430:57:48

diagnosis of chronic kidney disease

was a big shock for Rebecca, me, our

0:57:480:57:54

family and friends. And to face the

reality of the fragility of life is

0:57:540:58:00

very hard. At any time. But facing

it with one of my children, although

0:58:000:58:06

an adult, was one of the hardest

things I have ever had to face. The

0:58:060:58:12

shock my daughter, who until

recently had been a healthy and

0:58:120:58:16

happy young woman, was quite a

serious runner in her spare time,

0:58:160:58:23

regularly running half marathons and

occasionally a marathon and in fact

0:58:230:58:27

only in the weeks before she was ill

in that October she gained a place

0:58:270:58:32

for the London Marathon last year. I

had to say she did not do it,

0:58:320:58:36

obviously. For somebody like that to

suddenly becomes so ill, the shock

0:58:360:58:42

of that is impossible to describe. I

had to say she did not get her

0:58:420:58:47

fitness drive from her mother, who

goes and watches her running but

0:58:470:58:50

doesn't do it. Rebecca's condition

sadly deteriorated very quickly from

0:58:500:58:56

that point. In June last year she

was having surgery to enable her to

0:58:560:59:00

start dialysis. One of the only

positive things of the general

0:59:000:59:05

election campaign from my point of

view was that I was at home for six

0:59:050:59:08

weeks. During the time her health

was deteriorating rapidly I was

0:59:080:59:13

actually able to drop everything and

get to the hospital quickly which is

0:59:130:59:18

harder when you are 300 miles away.

She started dialysis in July last

0:59:180:59:24

year. I want to talk a little bit

about the daily reality of Rebecca's

0:59:240:59:30

live. In the two or three months

leading up to having surgery, she

0:59:300:59:36

became increasingly unwell. To a

point where on a daily basis the

0:59:360:59:42

last few weeks, she was lying on a

sofa when she got up, she was not

0:59:420:59:49

eating particularly well, if at all,

a slice of toast, a bowl of cereal,

0:59:490:59:54

because when you have kidney failure

you feel very sick and just

0:59:541:00:00

generally are not well and had no

energy. She could not really walk to

1:00:001:00:04

the end of the street.

1:00:041:00:17

Dialysis, when it arrived, although

when it was mentioned to us at

1:00:171:00:21

first, it was a terrifying prospect,

it actually has made her have a

1:00:211:00:26

quality of life again. She is back

at work, but she does have

1:00:261:00:33

restrictions. She does what is

called PD dialysis. She has a

1:00:331:00:40

machine at home and links on to it

every night. For eight hours, she

1:00:401:00:47

does dialysis. She is back at work,

she has a very strict diet, and for

1:00:471:00:52

Rebecca, that means no coffee,

chocolate or cheese, three things

1:00:521:00:56

she loves. She is here and she is

alive and that's is, whenever she

1:00:561:01:07

has a bad day, and she does have bad

days emotionally, because it is a

1:01:071:01:11

very difficult thing to be dealing

with, and she will say, I am sick of

1:01:111:01:15

this dialysis. And I say, just

think, what is the alternative and

1:01:151:01:20

that very quickly focuses your mind

and you pick yourself up. As a

1:01:201:01:26

family, and close friends, we have

all rallied round to support Rebecca

1:01:261:01:30

and each other through this

challenging time. And I want to talk

1:01:301:01:34

a little bit about the impact of

this kind of illness. Of course.

My

1:01:341:01:42

heart goes out to you, as I'm sure

everybody on both sides of the

1:01:421:01:47

highs, it does as well, for what you

have been going through. I would

1:01:471:01:50

like briefly to talk about dialysis.

A constituent of mine, a very young

1:01:501:01:57

girl. This is a Facebook post and I

think it hits home to a really young

1:01:571:02:02

child. Today, 1608 days of total

kidney failure. 19,000 hours spent

1:02:021:02:12

on dialysis. Still waiting for that

precious call for the match to be

1:02:121:02:16

found. Would she agree that when we

think of children and people like

1:02:161:02:21

your own daughter, it's very hard

not to support this bill today?

1:02:211:02:25

Absolutely.

Absolutely, and it's

indiscriminate to it strikes. When

1:02:251:02:32

you attend, and I do attend just

about every appointment with

1:02:321:02:38

Rebecca, he see people, from very

young to older people, from all

1:02:381:02:42

walks of life. It's absolutely

indiscriminate and it's

1:02:421:02:46

heartbreaking seeing people, every

one of those people has a family and

1:02:461:02:50

the story. It is very difficult. I

want to talk a little bit about the

1:02:501:02:56

impact of this kind of illness on

the wider family, because, as

1:02:561:03:02

Rebecca's health rapidly

deteriorated, she had to be off work

1:03:021:03:04

sick quite a lot. And has had some

considerable time of sick and even

1:03:041:03:09

though she is back at work, there

was a day this week when she was not

1:03:091:03:14

well in the middle of the day and

had to come home. Dialysis does not

1:03:141:03:19

mean you are fit, well, healthy and

leading a normal life. She has been

1:03:191:03:25

very lucky. Her employers, it

solicitors in Newcastle, have been

1:03:251:03:30

an amazing support to her. They have

done everything they can to help

1:03:301:03:34

out. They have done fundraisers to

raise money for a kidney charities.

1:03:341:03:40

And particularly, her colleagues Kay

and Lindsay, if I am trying to get

1:03:401:03:45

to the hospital she takes a suddenly

ill, they come from work and sit

1:03:451:03:49

with and stay with her until one of

the family can get there. And I do

1:03:491:03:54

want to thank them publicly, because

there are many people in this

1:03:541:03:59

situation who are not so lucky and

face losing their jobs, and the

1:03:591:04:03

hardships and all the problems that

creates. So I think it is important

1:04:031:04:08

to say thank you to people who have

been fantastic. I next want to

1:04:081:04:15

mention the renal unit at the

Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, who

1:04:151:04:18

are not only a world-class unit, but

also of some of the most amazing and

1:04:181:04:22

dedicated staff I have ever come

across. From the time you walk

1:04:221:04:27

through the door at the outpatient

unit, the receptionist and is always

1:04:271:04:31

smiling and all was well coming,

always looking after you, right

1:04:311:04:36

through to the most senior doctors.

And we have seen a lot of different

1:04:361:04:40

doctors as this illness has

progressed. The entire team are

1:04:401:04:45

amazing, particularly at the moment,

the PD nurses looking after

1:04:451:04:50

Rebecca's analysis. They look after

Rebecca, but they also look after

1:04:501:04:56

her family. They have got to know us

all, because we have all been at

1:04:561:04:59

different stages with her. They are

the essence of everything that is

1:04:591:05:03

great about our health service.

Working under the enormous pressures

1:05:031:05:07

on their time and resources, but

they always have time for you. I

1:05:071:05:12

want to see a personal thank you to

them. I know it is not a political

1:05:121:05:16

debate as such, but I am a

politician, so I hope you give me a

1:05:161:05:22

moment's licence. I will say that

the health service staff need at the

1:05:221:05:25

rise and the NHS needs more

investment, because I just think

1:05:251:05:29

they are such amazing people and

they were truly make the difference

1:05:291:05:33

every single day to people living

and dying. The impact on our family

1:05:331:05:37

has been huge. You go through a

period of shock and disbelief and

1:05:371:05:41

anger as to why Rebecca. And more

than one doctor has said to us

1:05:411:05:45

through this period that it should

not be happening to her, she has

1:05:451:05:48

been a fit and healthy young woman

who has done everything right in

1:05:481:05:53

terms of looking after her health.

They can find the reason why this

1:05:531:05:57

has happened. The emotions you go

through is like a roller-coaster.

1:05:571:06:01

It's not just the direct impact of

what is happening medically to

1:06:011:06:07

Rebecca, but the emotional impact of

seeing what is happening to her

1:06:071:06:09

might mean that your daughter might

not be there when I am still here,

1:06:091:06:15

which is not something any parent

ever wants to consider. But it is

1:06:151:06:21

also, although my children have

grown up, they are having to deal

1:06:211:06:24

with seeing their mother is coping

than I normally am, and Diame the

1:06:241:06:32

fairly strident, copying kind of

woman normally, but also for all of

1:06:321:06:36

them, dealing with their sister

might not be here and that is all

1:06:361:06:39

very difficult. We have rallied

round and supported each other and

1:06:391:06:44

we remain very positive. Rebecca is

very lucky that she has a brother

1:06:441:06:48

and sisters, my sister, her husband

Andy great mother who have all

1:06:481:06:54

played their role and continue to

play their role in supporting this

1:06:541:06:58

journey we are on. It is very

difficult being on call for the

1:06:581:07:04

phone call. My phone is here all the

time and it's very difficult being

1:07:041:07:09

300 miles away when you are in this

situation. We travel light of the

1:07:091:07:14

country in this job, so whenever I

travel on business with Parliament,

1:07:141:07:19

I have a plan for however get back.

I think it's important to tell

1:07:191:07:26

colleagues have given me a huge

amount of support, from all sides of

1:07:261:07:31

the house, to say thank you. The

website been fantastic and have

1:07:311:07:35

always said, just go and text

doesn't tell us you have one. Our

1:07:351:07:41

deputy whip, the Right Honourable

member for Tynemouth, has known

1:07:411:07:45

Rebecca since she was a child. I was

his agent in 1997 when he got

1:07:451:07:51

elected to this place. Rebecca,

being my daughter, ran around the

1:07:511:07:55

committee rooms. It has been really

lovely, the support. A lot of the

1:07:551:08:02

time in this place, we see the

differences that we have

1:08:021:08:06

highlighted, but actually at the end

of the day, we are all people trying

1:08:061:08:09

to do the best for our constituents

and we all care about people. For me

1:08:091:08:14

as a mother, my natural instinct has

always been to make things better

1:08:141:08:18

for your children. It's what we all

do. And to me, she will always be

1:08:181:08:24

the baby I gave birth to its 36

years ago. You love that child

1:08:241:08:30

instantly and unconditionally and

that never changes. It's a terrible

1:08:301:08:36

situation not to be able to fix

something that has gone terribly

1:08:361:08:40

wrong. But what I can do in the

privileged position of being a

1:08:401:08:44

member in this place is raise

awareness campaign for a change in

1:08:441:08:49

the law or that deemed consent. I

think the change in the law needs to

1:08:491:08:54

come and I want to touch on the

investment I think needs to happen

1:08:541:08:57

on the back of the change in the

law, which has been alluded to by a

1:08:571:09:03

number of contributions. That is, in

schools, this issue needs to be

1:09:031:09:08

talked about. In families, the issue

needs to be talked about, so that

1:09:081:09:12

transplantation becomes a normal

part of the conversation of life.

1:09:121:09:17

And the investment into the health

service to support what I believe

1:09:171:09:21

will be an increase in numbers of

donor organs that will become

1:09:211:09:23

available.

I thank her for giving

way and I wish her and Rebecca all

1:09:231:09:31

the very best for the future. This

bill is really important and that's

1:09:311:09:36

why am here to support it. Which she

also acknowledge those live donors,

1:09:361:09:42

who give an Oregon? A friend of

mine, Jane, has recently given a

1:09:421:09:48

kidney to her nephew in law, an

incredible thing to do. Very

1:09:481:09:53

difficult for many of us to imagine

it. But has turned around the life

1:09:531:09:57

of her nephew in law, in the way I

hope Rebecca's level be turned

1:09:571:10:02

around eventually. Those people who

give their organs, although not part

1:10:021:10:09

of this legislation, also deserve

the praise of this house. And

1:10:091:10:13

perhaps we also need to raise

awareness about that possibility.

1:10:131:10:17

Five members of my family, including

myself when forward to be donors,

1:10:171:10:22

but none of us matched, because that

is difficult and we have now got one

1:10:221:10:27

member of the family entering a pull

situation, where it's likely swap

1:10:271:10:31

shop of organs. Of someone has an

Oregon but that is Rebecca and one

1:10:311:10:37

of the members of my family that

someone else, then that will work.

1:10:371:10:42

That is a marvellous thing to do and

you are absolutely right to draw

1:10:421:10:45

attention to that. I want to see a

couple of things about presumed

1:10:451:10:48

consent. It does mean that some

people have the right to opt out.

1:10:481:10:54

Some people will opt out of giving

organs. I think that is a very

1:10:541:10:59

important thing that needs to be in

the legislation. I absolutely

1:10:591:11:04

respect people's decisions to opt

out. It is not the right thing for

1:11:041:11:09

everybody to do. And I think that is

as important as changing the law as

1:11:091:11:14

it stands now. And my final words

today are for the families of

1:11:141:11:18

donors. Your selfless actions, by

deleting organs of your loved ones

1:11:181:11:25

at a time of such personal grief, to

save the lives of people you don't

1:11:251:11:31

know, is such a wonderful thing to

do, that everyone should be grateful

1:11:311:11:36

for. And everybody should thank

those people. And that grief of

1:11:361:11:42

losing a loved one carries on for

ever, but I am sure that there is

1:11:421:11:48

some comfort in the fact that their

family and their loved one's organs

1:11:481:11:52

have gone to help someone else will

bring some comfort in that

1:11:521:11:57

situation. But I think it is

important to say thank you.

1:11:571:12:00

Hopefully, one day a family member

-- as hopefully one day their family

1:12:001:12:07

member of recipients, I want to say

thank you from the bottom of my

1:12:071:12:10

heart. You're very special. Let us

today passes Bill to the committee

1:12:101:12:15

stage and make the change in the

law, to save more lives, of

1:12:151:12:19

thousands waiting for transplants

today. I think today is a day when

1:12:191:12:24

Parliament will see at its best,

overcoming political differences for

1:12:241:12:29

something that's just needs to

change. And it is a day I think we

1:12:291:12:33

should be proud of.

Thank you. It is

an honour to follow the Honourable

1:12:331:12:43

member for Sunderland 's Central. We

have all learned today that Rebecca

1:12:431:12:46

is just as strong and brave as her

mother. I would also like to

1:12:461:12:53

congratulate the Honourable member

for Coventry North West were

1:12:531:12:55

bringing this bill to the house, for

the compassionate and positive tone

1:12:551:12:59

he has taken condemned by the

collaborative way he is working

1:12:591:13:02

across the house to make sure we can

drive this forward. This is a vital

1:13:021:13:07

piece of legislation and it is

genuinely a life and death issue we

1:13:071:13:11

are talking about. It is the tragedy

that 456 adults and 14 children lost

1:13:111:13:16

their lives last year while on the

organ donation list. Every single

1:13:161:13:23

day, somebody is dying because

they're not getting the transplant

1:13:231:13:26

they desperately need. There are

currently 6500 people waiting for

1:13:261:13:31

organs, who do not want to become

part of those statistics. This

1:13:311:13:45

legislation is for them and is about

saving lives. And saving lives it

1:13:451:13:48

does. There are about 50,000 people

today alive in the UK who are alive

1:13:481:13:50

because they have received an organ

transplant. 25 million people are

1:13:501:13:52

currently on the NHS organ donor

list, including myself. This is up

1:13:521:13:57

75% over the last ten years, and

transplants themselves up 56%. This

1:13:571:14:05

bill is about removing obstructions

to donating, at the same time as

1:14:051:14:11

allowing anyone who does not wish to

donate to opt out. I think it's very

1:14:111:14:15

important that we do not attach any

stigma to anybody who chooses to opt

1:14:151:14:20

out for a variety of perfectly valid

reasons.

I am very grateful to him

1:14:201:14:28

by giving way. The right Honourable

gentleman that has introduced this

1:14:281:14:33

bill has identified a real issue

which he supports. I certainly have

1:14:331:14:37

no intention of blocking his bill

today, but does he share some of the

1:14:371:14:41

misgivings that some people have in

principle, about the state presuming

1:14:411:14:46

that people have consented to

something, when actually they have

1:14:461:14:51

not? And the potential further

implications that might have for

1:14:511:14:54

Public policy in the future? Does he

have any understanding about those

1:14:541:15:00

misgivings of the state presuming

people have done something they have

1:15:001:15:03

not done?

1:15:031:15:08

I think this is a matter of life and

death. The numbers of people willing

1:15:081:15:15

to support organ donation in

principle yet the relatively low

1:15:151:15:19

figure of those who have gone on to

the organ donation list despite it

1:15:191:15:22

only takes two minutes to do so is

alarming. In an ideal world the

1:15:221:15:27

ideal situation would be everybody

is completely educated and

1:15:271:15:29

voluntarily making their own choice

but that is not happening in this

1:15:291:15:32

particular situation so I think many

of these issues will be raised in

1:15:321:15:37

the Bill Committee and hopefully can

find a reasonable and skill.

Is the

1:15:371:15:42

honourable member aware that in the

last ten years the number of organ

1:15:421:15:46

donors has increased by 75% and the

great dance bands has increased by

1:15:461:15:50

56% so is the really a need for this

Bill?

Yes because there are still a

1:15:501:15:55

long way to go and people are still

dying because they are not getting

1:15:551:15:58

donations and transplant is they

need so I think there is an absolute

1:15:581:16:01

need for moving forward with this

build. If we look as well as

1:16:011:16:05

alternative systems around the world

which other and got the example of

1:16:051:16:09

Spain which has a system that I

think we are looking towards as some

1:16:091:16:14

kind of model, perhaps not exactly,

where they are a world leading in

1:16:141:16:19

43.4% deceased donors per million.

It is joined at the top of that

1:16:191:16:23

league table by other opt out system

in countries like Croatia, Portugal,

1:16:231:16:29

France and Italy. All of these

countries have better donor rates

1:16:291:16:32

and England and all other opt out

rather than opt in system is so the

1:16:321:16:37

other advantage that comes from

these opt out systems is they do not

1:16:371:16:43

deny or restrict the role of

bereaved families and allow them to

1:16:431:16:45

be consulted on the wishes of their

loved ones and I think this is

1:16:451:16:50

another important point. One thing

that surprised me with the 43.4 at

1:16:501:16:54

of a million figure was how

incredibly low it is. At the million

1:16:541:16:57

people die in the UK every year yet

just 1% of those people who died die

1:16:571:17:02

in circumstances or conditions that

enable them to even potentially be

1:17:021:17:06

donors. Think that is quite

important. Just because you are on

1:17:061:17:10

the donor list doesn't mean you will

end up dominating your organs but we

1:17:101:17:13

need to get the figure as high as

possible in order to help as many

1:17:131:17:18

people as we can. That also means

having the supporting infrastructure

1:17:181:17:22

to enable those who wish to donate

to actually done it. We have all

1:17:221:17:26

heard of examples of people being

willing to donate their organs but

1:17:261:17:29

for example but about at the web

awakened in a hospital where there

1:17:291:17:32

is no capability but those organs to

be taken out of their bodies and

1:17:321:17:36

transplanted so I do think we also

need to look very carefully at the

1:17:361:17:40

supporting mechanism for any changes

brought forward. It has also been

1:17:401:17:45

mentioned by quite a few colleagues

that the over all awareness needs to

1:17:451:17:49

be raised and I think there is

another important point in terms of

1:17:491:17:54

encouraging family consent, it is

very telling that in cases where

1:17:541:17:58

specialist nurses are involved

consent rates of 67.6% and in those

1:17:581:18:02

were as Mrs Norris is not involved,

the plummeted to 20.5%. There is

1:18:021:18:08

clear statistical evidence that when

provided with impartial but expert

1:18:081:18:13

information about the possibility of

donated, people are more likely to

1:18:131:18:18

consent to the meeting. One of the

Proms we have is there is still an

1:18:181:18:22

awkwardness or queasiness about the

idea of your body being examined and

1:18:221:18:28

operated on post death. While we are

often very comfortable about that

1:18:281:18:34

ourselves and our families in these

horrible circumstances where we had

1:18:341:18:37

passed away particularly under

tragic circumstances or with no

1:18:371:18:42

notice are particularly queasy about

the idea. Therefore it is vitally

1:18:421:18:46

important that we continue and have

these dialogues, that we all have

1:18:461:18:51

these conversations with our family

and children because children can

1:18:511:18:54

also be donors themselves. And make

sure we have informed conversations.

1:18:541:18:59

It is simply not right that we are

currently in a situation where 80%

1:18:591:19:03

of people they would be willing to

donate their organs but only 36%

1:19:031:19:07

actually register to do so. The

number is increasing and we needed

1:19:071:19:10

to be much higher. In a world

publicised opt out system these

1:19:101:19:16

figures could converge and the 20%

who are unwilling to donate would

1:19:161:19:19

have a simple mechanism for making

sure that they... Many years ago I

1:19:191:19:26

was asked if I had a private

members' Bill, I think it was during

1:19:261:19:30

the selection process, what would

the Bill be? It would be exactly

1:19:301:19:33

this one. Hopefully the honourable

member will be in no doubt that the

1:19:331:19:37

boy support this Bill and took many

not all our colleagues this was.

1:19:371:19:44

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for

calling me in this very important

1:19:441:19:49

debate. I would like to congratulate

my honourable friend from Coventry

1:19:491:19:55

North West. Raising the awareness. I

would also like to thank and

1:19:551:20:10

congratulate my colleague and

friend, the MP from Sunderland

1:20:101:20:15

Central, for a very emotional,

personal and courageous contribution

1:20:151:20:21

to the debate. I am quite confident

that the public will take note of

1:20:211:20:28

that. Others have spoken at length

about the importance of raising

1:20:281:20:37

donations and there rates. I have my

own personal reasons for supporting

1:20:371:20:43

it. My own younger brother waiting

for over five years for somebody,

1:20:431:20:51

somewhere to donate a kidney to him.

And he is doing dialysis four times

1:20:511:20:59

a week. Another very close personal

friend also went through the same

1:20:591:21:08

difficult times so I have that

recent other than my personal and

1:21:081:21:14

also a moral commitment to the

cause. As everybody and many of you

1:21:141:21:20

colleagues have said, more than 6000

people still sit actively waiting

1:21:201:21:27

for a transplant in the UK. Three

people die every day because they

1:21:271:21:34

cannot get the transplant they need.

Over the last ten years the number

1:21:341:21:44

of donors has increased by 75% and

that is fantastic and has saved

1:21:441:21:53

countless lives. But there is still

a great shortage both in the UK and

1:21:531:22:05

as a global community,

internationally as well. You go to

1:22:051:22:11

any country, you will be asked what

are you doing? I am glad that

1:22:111:22:18

Britain once again is leading in

this field so that the rest of the

1:22:181:22:24

world can learn and pick up the

ideas from here. Only a third of

1:22:241:22:31

eventual donors are registered to

donate at the time of their death.

1:22:311:22:37

This number is even lower amongst

the BME communities. BME patients

1:22:371:22:46

they are far worse that other

patients, they will on average wait

1:22:461:22:53

six months longer for a transplant

than white patients. I do apologise,

1:22:531:23:01

that is maybe a language not

politically correct but I think that

1:23:011:23:08

the convenience I am using, black

and white in this case. BME people

1:23:081:23:14

face the struggle of comparatively

rare blood and tissue types and

1:23:141:23:20

compatible organs. And while the

overall number of donors has

1:23:201:23:24

increased by 75% BME donors

donations have only increased by

1:23:241:23:31

less than 7%. That is only a

fraction of the rate for white

1:23:311:23:35

people and this has translated

directly into the deaths. There is

1:23:351:23:44

still a problem with public

education and awareness. The

1:23:441:23:48

families of minority populations are

also less likely to consent to organ

1:23:481:23:54

donation when asked after death. 64%

of BME families are refusing

1:23:541:24:05

permission for donation compared to

only 43% for the rest of the

1:24:051:24:09

population. And opt out system

rather than an opt in system will

1:24:091:24:15

increase the likelihood donors of

the same blood and tissue types

1:24:151:24:23

related to members of the BME

community. Increasing the number of

1:24:231:24:27

compatible organs on the transplant

list would save thousands of lives

1:24:271:24:30

each year.

I thank the honourable

gentleman forgiving way. He is

1:24:301:24:37

actually making some extremely

important points in the speech and I

1:24:371:24:44

am particular cancers of and really

want to tackle it but just to give

1:24:441:24:47

some more amplification to the point

he is making, of the six and a half

1:24:471:24:50

thousand people on the waiting list

over 1000 of them are from Asian

1:24:501:24:56

backgrounds and 800 of them are

black. I would just like to endorse

1:24:561:25:01

his point that in terms of actually

being more racial Ben is we need to

1:25:011:25:07

increase donation from those parts

of the community.

I am thankful for

1:25:071:25:12

your very positive intervention and

information given to the rest of the

1:25:121:25:16

members here. Activist groups and

campaigners such as the National BME

1:25:161:25:23

transplant Alliance support the move

to end opt out system because it

1:25:231:25:28

will ultimately save more lives

across our diverse country.

I think

1:25:281:25:35

my honourable friend forgiving way

and support everything he says. Like

1:25:351:25:40

himself I represent consistency with

a higher proportion of BME

1:25:401:25:46

communities and there are a low

levels of people committing to

1:25:461:25:53

donate organs but also higher rates

of heart disease amongst these

1:25:531:25:58

communities as well, subject to a

fire it is very important we get

1:25:581:26:01

many people from the BME on the list

in future.

I was going to raise that

1:26:011:26:10

and I am thankful for you to

highlight it and support it. Issues

1:26:101:26:17

such as diabetes, high blood

pressure and hepatitis are more

1:26:171:26:23

common in BME communities, making

them more likely to need transplant

1:26:231:26:27

organs. BME patients make up a third

of the kidney transplant waiting

1:26:271:26:36

list and wait an average of a year

longer for a transplant than their

1:26:361:26:39

white counterparts. Just one person

can save or improve up to nine

1:26:391:26:48

lives. It can give life to so many

through organ donation and even more

1:26:481:26:57

if they donate tissue as well. While

in the UK, ethnic minorities

1:26:571:27:05

constitute only 11% of the

population, they make up nearly a

1:27:051:27:10

quarter of transplant waiting list.

And only six out of every 100 people

1:27:101:27:16

signed up to that NHS organ donor

register or from BME communities.

1:27:161:27:26

Opt out can and will save lives. It

respects religious differences and

1:27:261:27:33

takes away no freedom of expression

or belief. I know that countless

1:27:331:27:41

constituents of mine have written in

to urge me to coming here on Friday

1:27:411:27:48

to support this Bill. And I am proud

to do so and to lend my support to

1:27:481:27:56

the honourable member for Coventry

North West. Thank you.

Peter

1:27:561:28:01

Heaton-Jones.

Thank you. I am

delighted to be here to support this

1:28:011:28:09

Bill today. In doing so I am not

going to rehearse many of the

1:28:091:28:14

arguments which have been so ably

put already. Not least by the

1:28:141:28:19

honourable member for Coventry North

West whose speech I think on its own

1:28:191:28:23

was enough to persuade a club

members of this has to support this

1:28:231:28:26

excellent measure today. What I am

here to do today is to tell one

1:28:261:28:32

story and it is a story which was

raised initially by the member for

1:28:321:28:37

Coventry North West. It is the story

of my constituent and her family,

1:28:371:28:44

young hero wall. It was on Sunday

morning, the 30th of July last year

1:28:441:28:53

that there was a road traffic

collision on the 8361 North Devon

1:28:531:28:59

Link Road. It took place only about

five miles from my own home in North

1:28:591:29:04

Devon on what they have to say is a

stretch of road notorious for

1:29:041:29:07

accidents in which we are working on

hard to improve. . In the course of

1:29:071:29:13

the accident to vehicles were

involved, one of them was a car

1:29:131:29:16

carrying members of the ball family.

Akira, her young brother and their

1:29:161:29:29

mother. Their vehicle was in

collision with another. They blamed

1:29:291:29:32

workaday paramedics, emergency

service and all the stuff in the

1:29:321:29:38

NHS, three separate hospitals that

those people were taken to. The

1:29:381:29:43

brilliant work was undertaken. Sadly

two days later on the Tuesday

1:29:431:29:50

afternoon young Ciara Ball passed

away, she was nine years old. Her

1:29:501:29:54

mother was very seriously injured,

as indeed was her brother Brad.

1:29:541:29:59

Immediately after her death, her

father Joe took the agonising

1:29:591:30:05

decision but the right decision that

he wanted his daughter 's death to

1:30:051:30:09

give life to other people and so he

took the decision that young carer's

1:30:091:30:17

organs should be donated. I have had

contact this week, they live in

1:30:171:30:27

Barnstable in my constituency and I

have sought permission to make sure

1:30:271:30:30

that they are happy for me to tell

Ciara's. Read today which indeed

1:30:301:30:35

they are because they recognise as I

do that this could be an inspiration

1:30:351:30:40

to others to ensure that they too

sign up for organ donation and will

1:30:401:30:47

give them strength if they have to

face similar circumstances.

1:30:471:30:50

Following that decision by Ciara's

father, four people are alive today

1:30:501:31:00

who otherwise would not be. Ciara

donated her kidneys, heart, Labour

1:31:001:31:07

and her pancreas. -- Labour. One was

given to a man in his 30s who had

1:31:071:31:18

been on the waiting list for an

audience for two and a half years.

1:31:181:31:22

The other kidney was given to a

woman in her 50s who had been on the

1:31:221:31:25

waiting list for nine and a half

years. A young boy received carer's

1:31:251:31:33

pancreas. Ciara's heart was given to

a ten-year-old boy, who has become

1:31:331:31:42

very much the figurehead of this

campaign and who has been referred

1:31:421:31:46

to already in the course of this

debate because Ciara's heart was

1:31:461:31:52

given to Max Johnson. It is Max who

is in many ways at the forefront of

1:31:521:31:58

this excellent campaign. Max is

alive today and it was so good to

1:31:581:32:03

hear from the honourable gentleman

and those who were at the reception

1:32:031:32:06

last night that Max's mum Emma is

here to hear this debate and to know

1:32:061:32:17

that Ciara's family are so pleased

to have given life to your little

1:32:171:32:20

boy.

1:32:201:32:29

That is Ciara's story and it is

Max's story and it is the story of

1:32:291:32:34

how a very brave decision and I'm

surely very difficult decision, to

1:32:341:32:38

allow Ciara's organs to be deleted,

have given life to four other people

1:32:381:32:44

who otherwise would probably not be

year today. That must be the best

1:32:441:32:51

possible argument for supporting

this bill, because this bill will

1:32:511:32:56

ensure that there are more organs

available for donation. And Ciara's

1:32:561:33:03

story and Max's story demonstrate

that more organs mean more saved

1:33:031:33:09

lives. So I welcome and I fully

support this bill and many people

1:33:091:33:14

deserve credit for getting it to

this stage. Of course, the

1:33:141:33:18

Honourable member for Coventry North

West, who's built wheat debate

1:33:181:33:23

today, two other Honourable members

who have been mentioned here today

1:33:231:33:26

who have pioneered similar

legislation that has not yet got to

1:33:261:33:31

this stage, for various

parliamentary reasons. To the

1:33:311:33:35

government, who have said they are

supporting this bill and to the

1:33:351:33:39

Minister for personally driving it

forward, to her Majesty's

1:33:391:33:43

opposition, and I was delighted to

hear from the dispatch box, their

1:33:431:33:48

spokesman ensuring the smooth

passage of the spill. And the fact

1:33:481:33:51

that on the face of this bill are

members from all seven parties

1:33:511:33:56

represented in this house, I think

it's a truly significant. I do also

1:33:561:34:03

pay tribute to the Daily Mirror,

Whose Campaign Featuring Max, Who

1:34:031:34:08

Has Life Because Of The Campaign

That Is helped to push this forward.

1:34:081:34:16

Many people deserve quite likely to

have a stake in what I sincerely

1:34:161:34:20

hope will be the success of this

Bill. But as I support this Bill, as

1:34:201:34:27

I will do throughout all its stages,

in my mind, I will be thinking of

1:34:271:34:34

Max and of Ciara. It is their Bill

and it is thanks to the brave

1:34:341:34:39

decision taken by Ciara's dad on

that most difficult of days, back

1:34:391:34:44

for more people have life, who

otherwise might not, and that Timmy

1:34:441:34:49

is the best argument for it seeing

this Bill the statute books.

Thank

1:34:491:34:58

you very much. It is a pleasure to

follow the Honourable member for

1:34:581:35:02

North Devon, who spoke most movingly

about the incredible contribution

1:35:021:35:06

that his constituents Ciara Ball and

her family have made to this

1:35:061:35:13

process. I pay tribute to the

overall he has played in bringing

1:35:131:35:17

that to our attention today. He is

also right to talk about the

1:35:171:35:21

cross-party nature of this campaign.

I think this is Parliament at its

1:35:211:35:26

best, I think this is how the public

expects us to serve in this place,

1:35:261:35:32

to work cooperatively with others,

to make really important changes. It

1:35:321:35:37

seems to me that the house is faced

today with a very clear choice. We

1:35:371:35:42

have the opportunity to make a

change, which I believe will add

1:35:421:35:48

huge value to our country and

undoubtedly will save people's

1:35:481:35:51

lives. What it all boils down to in

the end is whether we are going to

1:35:511:35:59

take that opportunity to save lives.

Hundreds of lives over the coming

1:35:591:36:04

years. I very much hope that we do

not miss that opportunity, and that

1:36:041:36:10

we work together to make this

change. It has been a real privilege

1:36:101:36:16

to be a part of the campaign that

has got us to this point today. And

1:36:161:36:22

in particular, I do want to pay

tribute to my honourable friend, the

1:36:221:36:27

member for Coventry North West. He

has provided real leadership through

1:36:271:36:32

his sponsorship of the Bill. He and

I have sat through many meetings. I

1:36:321:36:37

have lost count of how many we have

sat through, but it has been his

1:36:371:36:42

focus and his determination to lead

us to this point that has meant that

1:36:421:36:48

this morning, we have an opportunity

to do something very worthwhile. I

1:36:481:36:53

would like to take this opportunity

publicly to pay tribute to him, but

1:36:531:36:57

also to all those other members who

provided such outstanding support.

1:36:571:37:01

I'm thinking of the Honourable

member for Newport West, my good

1:37:011:37:06

friend the member for Sunderland

Central and to members too numerous

1:37:061:37:10

to mention, but right across the

house and right across the political

1:37:101:37:15

spectrum, who have worked together

to get us to this place. It has been

1:37:151:37:20

mentioned before in this debate, but

I also want to pay tribute to

1:37:201:37:28

Trinity Mirror. The Mirror group

have run a relentless and tireless

1:37:281:37:32

campaign and their contribution to

this private member's bill and the

1:37:321:37:38

broader campaign has been massive.

They have conducted themselves in

1:37:381:37:43

the very best traditions of the free

British press, and I know that I

1:37:431:37:47

speak for all members when I pay

them the largest compliment that I

1:37:471:37:53

could, and we're very grateful for

everything that they have done. I

1:37:531:37:58

also think it is crucially important

today to pay tribute and credit

1:37:581:38:02

where it is due and I am very firmly

at the Minister, who has responded

1:38:021:38:12

in the most brilliantly sensible,

cooperative and constructive way. We

1:38:121:38:15

have sat in a lot of meetings in

different places although many, many

1:38:151:38:20

months. And in my relatively short

space of time in this house, I have

1:38:201:38:25

to say I have not found anyone who

has been easier to deal with than

1:38:251:38:30

her. It has been a great pleasure,

and the leadership she has shown has

1:38:301:38:35

been absolutely instrumental in

making sure that today, we have that

1:38:351:38:39

opportunity to pass this important

Bill. I pass my thanks to her and to

1:38:391:38:46

her officials, who have also done a

very important job in getting us to

1:38:461:38:50

this place. Today, I urge all

Honourable members to think of the

1:38:501:38:56

common good and to act in a way that

I firmly and passionately believe

1:38:561:39:00

will save countless lives. I think

it is worth reflecting just for a

1:39:001:39:06

moment that, of all the people who

died in the UK last year, only

1:39:061:39:13

around 1% died in circumstances that

would make donation possible. This

1:39:131:39:16

means that, even though there are

hundreds of thousands of people

1:39:161:39:22

across the country who are

registered as potential donors, only

1:39:221:39:26

a small handful will ever be in a

situation that will allow donation

1:39:261:39:30

to take place. And this is one of

the main reasons that today, in the

1:39:301:39:35

UK, that there are over 6000 people

waiting for an organ donation, and

1:39:351:39:41

why nearly 500 people died last year

while waiting for the deletion. This

1:39:411:39:48

loss of life is devastating, but it

is not inevitable, and today, I have

1:39:481:39:57

-- we have a precious opportunity to

do something about it and we must

1:39:571:40:01

not miss that opportunity. Moving to

an opt out system of organ donation

1:40:011:40:06

will add thousands of names to the

donor register, meaning that once

1:40:061:40:11

this Bill is passed, hundreds of

lives would be saved. Let's be very

1:40:111:40:17

clear about what this is not. This

is not about the state taking

1:40:171:40:21

control of people's organs and it is

not about shaming individuals to

1:40:211:40:27

donate. If people do want to opt

out, that is absolutely fine and I

1:40:271:40:36

am hugely respectful of any

individual decision that people want

1:40:361:40:38

to make. No questions will be asked

and there will be no hard feelings.

1:40:381:40:43

But what this is about is the case

of making it easier for those who

1:40:431:40:48

might wish to donate to do so. Will

he give way? I'd be delighted.

A

1:40:481:40:56

mention has been made of religiously

inclined Jewish people in this

1:40:561:40:59

country and there are some people

who will feel uncomfortable about

1:40:591:41:04

the concept of donation. Does he

agree with me that there will be

1:41:041:41:08

people from various religious

traditions who may feel

1:41:081:41:11

uncomfortable about this, and it is

entirely right that we should give

1:41:111:41:15

them the opportunity, if they wish

to do so, to opt out from this?

I

1:41:151:41:21

wholeheartedly agree. He makes an

important point. This is absolutely

1:41:211:41:25

not about shaming anybody to do

anything they don't want to. If

1:41:251:41:31

anybody decides they do not wish to

be part of the scheme, they have the

1:41:311:41:36

right to opt out. That is incredibly

important to be very clear about

1:41:361:41:40

that. I also think it's worth

reflecting on the point made earlier

1:41:401:41:45

on by the member for Leeds Central.

That the current system does require

1:41:451:41:51

people to take the time to discuss

this most serious and difficult

1:41:511:41:55

matter with their loved ones, to

reach a judgment about whether, in

1:41:551:42:00

the event of some tragedy or

cuddling, that they would want their

1:42:001:42:05

organs to be donated. The truth of

the matter is, I think it's

1:42:051:42:09

incredibly important, where people

feel they can have that kind of

1:42:091:42:12

conversation with their loved ones,

that they do so, but all of us will

1:42:121:42:18

understand that people lead busy

lives, and many of us will be guilty

1:42:181:42:23

of not having these conversations

and putting these particular tasks

1:42:231:42:27

on hold. But I believe that this is

an issue we can no longer afford to

1:42:271:42:32

ignore. And for thousands of people

right around our country, this is

1:42:321:42:37

literally a matter of life and

death. And that is why we must

1:42:371:42:42

increase the number of people on our

donor register. And they must make

1:42:421:42:46

sure that we are saving as many

lives as we possibly can. And ensure

1:42:461:42:52

that no more people died waiting for

a transplant, simply because a

1:42:521:42:57

potential donor was not able to sign

up.

I thank him for giving way and

1:42:571:43:03

for making such a powerful speech. I

think we often think of donors as

1:43:031:43:08

being younger people whose bodies

and organs are in particularly good

1:43:081:43:12

shape, but my beloved grandfather

died a few years ago at 96 and he

1:43:121:43:16

was able to give part of his eyes in

order to give the gift of sight to

1:43:161:43:21

other people. We received a letter

from the hospital advising how many

1:43:211:43:24

people he'd been able to help.

There's always that opportunity, no

1:43:241:43:28

matter how old you are, that you can

still offer that amazing gift to

1:43:281:43:34

another after you have gone.

She

makes an incredibly important point.

1:43:341:43:39

As other members have said, the

legislation we are seeking to pass

1:43:391:43:43

today is only a part of the way in

which we can seek to increase the

1:43:431:43:47

number of people, what ever their

age or background, who are willing

1:43:471:43:52

and able to make a contribution of

their organs. And what we also need

1:43:521:43:58

to do in concert with the piece of

legislation, is have an open

1:43:581:44:02

discussion in our communities about

the importance of why people

1:44:021:44:06

proactively should want to make a

contribution in this way. I will

1:44:061:44:09

give way to my honourable friend.

My

honourable friend made a very

1:44:091:44:15

important point about age. I have

come along here is someone of a

1:44:151:44:19

certain age, with my organ donor

card, which I have carried all my

1:44:191:44:24

adult life. But there is the thought

that all the people's bodies might

1:44:241:44:30

not be in such good condition, but

bodies can be used for medical

1:44:301:44:35

research, perhaps medical research

into ageing. I like to think people

1:44:351:44:40

of my age could still donate their

bodies, even if they died from

1:44:401:44:44

natural causes. And I am certainly

going to make sure that is included

1:44:441:44:47

in my will, so that in future, my

body could be used in medical

1:44:471:44:53

research, perhaps teaching medical

students.

He does make a very

1:44:531:44:58

important point and it reinforces

the notion that, in addition to any

1:44:581:45:03

legislation we pass in this house,

all of us who believe in the value

1:45:031:45:08

of ensuring that as many people are

registered to donate their organs as

1:45:081:45:13

possible, that is something that the

legislation obviously has an

1:45:131:45:17

important role to play, but all of

us as leaders in our communities

1:45:171:45:21

have an absolute responsibility to

get that message across to our

1:45:211:45:27

constituents. I do not intend to

detain the house for much longer,

1:45:271:45:31

but I do want to make the point that

I feel we are lucky and privileged

1:45:311:45:36

today to be joined by Emma Johnston.

Emma is often referred to as Max's

1:45:361:45:44

Mum, I don't think she reminds being

referred to in that way, as the

1:45:441:45:48

member for North Devon mentioned a

moment ago. Max was a ten-year-old

1:45:481:45:53

who fronted the daily Mirror

campaign on organ donation. He was

1:45:531:45:57

someone who was kept alive be a tiny

metal pump in his chest for seven

1:45:571:46:01

months. After finally receiving a

heart transplant last August, I am

1:46:011:46:06

delighted to learn that Max is doing

well, and I think it is Max's story

1:46:061:46:15

and that of the sacrifice made by

Ciara Ball, so movingly spoken of by

1:46:151:46:20

the Honourable member for North

Devon, that should serve as an

1:46:201:46:25

inspiration to all of us. And that

is why we are here today, to save

1:46:251:46:32

lives like Max's and all those other

thousands of people who would

1:46:321:46:35

benefit from the change that we

have, that precious opportunity we

1:46:351:46:40

have to make that change today. I

would say to the housing conclusion

1:46:401:46:43

that we have at our fingertips the

opportunity to make a really

1:46:431:46:48

powerful, important and meaningful

change. Before I sit down, I give

1:46:481:46:53

way to my honourable friend.

1:46:531:47:00

It is not entirely the same but my

son Max is alive today because he

1:47:001:47:05

received a stem cell transplant and

would he agree with me that we need

1:47:051:47:09

to do more to encourage people to

get onto the stem cell register.

1:47:091:47:12

Also in the same way about the

transplants we are talking about

1:47:121:47:19

today, it is to also get rid of

those myths that actually giving

1:47:191:47:22

stem cells is painful, but none of

that is true, it is a very simple

1:47:221:47:28

process and so many more lives could

be saved.

I agree with Right

1:47:281:47:34

Honourable friend. None of these

things I don't think should be

1:47:341:47:39

particularly contentious. I don't

understand that the points of debate

1:47:391:47:41

and I understand there are

honourable members and is housed and

1:47:411:47:45

the blood in the country who have

legitimate issues with these

1:47:451:47:53

sensitive matters but I'm encouraged

that the level of support we have

1:47:531:47:57

here today. I am heartened that we

have the support both the Prime

1:47:571:48:01

Minister and the Leader of the

Opposition will stop and think it is

1:48:011:48:05

incredibly encouraging that we have

a minister who is very supportive

1:48:051:48:08

and an opposition frontbencher who

have given a clear commitment to

1:48:081:48:10

support this as well. I think there

is overwhelming support for this

1:48:101:48:14

measure here in the House today. I

think so far we have seen Parliament

1:48:141:48:18

at its very best and I'm keeping my

fingers crossed that we can keep

1:48:181:48:23

that concerns is going for the next

couple of hours. Thank you. --

1:48:231:48:28

consensus going.

I support this Bill

today, although I am not entirely

1:48:281:48:39

comfortable with the principle of

the state taking control of bodies

1:48:391:48:45

without express permission. I think

that option is far less bad than the

1:48:451:48:49

hundreds of lives that unnecessarily

lost every year effectively through

1:48:491:48:55

inertia when we know that action

could be taken that most people

1:48:551:48:57

would agree with as the Right

Honourable Gentleman has referred to

1:48:571:49:04

come at the massive gap between

those who agree with donation who

1:49:041:49:07

are willing to be donors yet a part

smaller number actually register as

1:49:071:49:13

donors. But there are a number of

points being raised with me by

1:49:131:49:19

constituents that they hope the

Right Honourable Gentleman and the

1:49:191:49:21

Minister will consider during the

passage of this Bill to strengthen

1:49:211:49:25

it further. First is strengthening,

safeguards, as reassured by the

1:49:251:49:31

Right Honourable Gentleman's

comments in this area. Strengthening

1:49:311:49:33

the safeguards to make sure that

hospitals are absolutely sure

1:49:331:49:39

whether people are on the register

or not, but it is not a question of

1:49:391:49:42

if systems are down that hospitals

take the chance and operate anyway,

1:49:421:49:49

if people have actively opted out

and needs to be belt and braces to

1:49:491:49:52

make sure those choices are

respected. Secondly to strengthen

1:49:521:49:57

the existing law elsewhere to make

sure that under no circumstances can

1:49:571:50:01

organs be harvested, sold, if it was

clearly outside the scope and

1:50:011:50:08

intention of this Bill. I think this

is clearly a very worthwhile

1:50:081:50:13

important Bill is make constituent

Sandra e-mailed me this morning.

1:50:131:50:17

This important change in the

legislation prevents the needless

1:50:171:50:20

waste of usable and healthy organs

being sent for cremation when they

1:50:201:50:25

could instead change many thousands

of lives.

1:50:251:50:37

May I first ball paid tribute to the

Right Honourable Member for North

1:50:401:50:43

West for securing this Bill coming

forward today? Personally I think

1:50:431:50:52

this speaks to our humanity and to

be in this chamber today to support

1:50:521:50:56

it is a great honour to me. Three

people die daily in the UK because

1:50:561:51:01

of a lack of available organs to

transplant. The Bill before us today

1:51:011:51:07

with increased the chance of an

unwell patient and a life-saving

1:51:071:51:11

organ being united. I would like to

pay Chip Reid to the member for

1:51:111:51:14

Sunderland Central, who described a

similar situation to a member of my

1:51:141:51:22

family who were successful in the

end getting her transplant. She was

1:51:221:51:26

the mother of a newly born child and

we didn't know what was wrong and

1:51:261:51:33

she had no energy and couldn't pick

children up from school, wasn't

1:51:331:51:37

eating, often going to the hospital

and then gradually when taken to the

1:51:371:51:42

hospital by her husband, whisked off

to Birmingham. Unfortunately she got

1:51:421:51:47

a kidney transplant while she was

there. But was not successful. We

1:51:471:51:53

were told it was highly unlikely

another kidney would be suitable in

1:51:531:51:58

the time that it was needed.

Thankfully we got that kidney and

1:51:581:52:04

she lived. Her three children, the

trauma that the family went through

1:52:041:52:11

during that time was just

unbelievable. But it is true those

1:52:111:52:17

three children and the immediate

family, the care they had to give

1:52:171:52:21

when she was in Birmingham, husband

was there, cousin, the major the

1:52:211:52:26

family did what they could. We have

been the recipients of the saving of

1:52:261:52:31

a dear family. This Bill retains the

autonomy of individuals to choose

1:52:311:52:39

what happens to their own bodies.

The opt out organ donation carries

1:52:391:52:45

with it the weight of 80% of public

support, support of the British

1:52:451:52:51

Medical Association and cross-party

political support. All seven parties

1:52:511:52:55

represented on the signatures. It

also carries the support of past and

1:52:551:53:02

present prime ministers. I would

like to talk about something,

1:53:021:53:07

another case in the town that I

represent. Last year tragically we

1:53:071:53:12

lost a little girl aged four Violet

Greys who was killed by a fatal

1:53:121:53:20

accident, a criminal act, 80 mph car

in a 30 mile per hour zone on her

1:53:201:53:25

way home with grandma from the

nursery. , the parents of little

1:53:251:53:31

Violet took the brave decision to

donate organs to their four-year-old

1:53:311:53:37

daughter and we know today that two

lives were saved. The family tell me

1:53:371:53:41

and all the town that they get some

great comfort from that and as her

1:53:411:53:48

little brother asked about how they

tried to explain this to him so he

1:53:481:53:51

would grow up with this. The parents

of Violet Grace have been joined by

1:53:511:54:03

Steve Prescott, a former champion

rugby league player who eventually

1:54:031:54:10

had an organ transplant which was

successful. Unfortunately there were

1:54:101:54:13

some other later complications.

Does

she agree that although it can be

1:54:131:54:19

sometimes a difficult conversation

where possible this Bill may also

1:54:191:54:24

bring a valid opportunity to

families and friends and loved ones

1:54:241:54:27

to actually talk about what they

want to happen after their death

1:54:271:54:30

including things like funeral

arrangements? I knew from a very

1:54:301:54:35

young age that when I went I wanted

to donate my audience and still have

1:54:351:54:39

my original organ donation card

which is over 30 years old now. For

1:54:391:54:44

the disc will get media attention

which we encourage people to have

1:54:441:54:48

that conversation with those they

love.

I do agree. Just to talk on

1:54:481:54:54

that and bring that point out, Steve

Prescott's window setup along with

1:54:541:55:00

colleagues and friends and members

of the community, set up the steep

1:55:001:55:07

Prescott foundation and his widow

approached the parents of Violet

1:55:071:55:11

Grace and to give comfort and

support and they have said off a

1:55:111:55:15

huge campaign within our town which

is very successful urging us all to

1:55:151:55:21

donate over organs. Steve died

unfortunately but the multiple organ

1:55:211:55:29

transplant was a success. I paid

tribute to those families and the

1:55:291:55:32

brazenness of the parents of little

Violet Grace. This Bill would save

1:55:321:55:39

the trauma of that decision under

such an emotional time when your

1:55:391:55:44

little girl is there dying. It would

save a lot of trauma. I think this

1:55:441:55:54

is the moment to act. A move to

opting out would save it predicted

1:55:541:55:58

500 lives a year and done properly

with the right publicity and

1:55:581:56:04

engagement and involvement of

communities, I think it should have

1:56:041:56:10

all our support and the support in

here today is really gratifying. I

1:56:101:56:14

pay tribute to The Daily Mirror

which is run a fantastic campaign

1:56:141:56:21

and has really urged and got people

to actually sign up now, so I paid

1:56:211:56:28

should be to them. I understand the

Government as intends to go out to

1:56:281:56:38

public consultation on how the opt

out donation would be implemented

1:56:381:56:40

sensitively. I also believe the

proposing the Bill to involve a

1:56:401:56:49

person's family in decision against

a safeguard against any unregistered

1:56:491:56:57

donation and it is reassuring to

families who do have concerns. And

1:56:571:57:04

you only only 5000 people in the UK

die in circumstances where they can

1:57:041:57:08

successfully donate. 6500 people

currently waiting for a life-saving

1:57:081:57:14

donations. Madam Deputy Speaker,

none of us ever expect or perhaps

1:57:141:57:20

even thinks about the possibility

that we or someone we love may need

1:57:201:57:25

an organ from someone else to

survive. We have pointed out today

1:57:251:57:29

many other people pointed out as

suddenly it is there, it is your

1:57:291:57:34

family. But there is a gulf between

the supply of organs and urgent need

1:57:341:57:39

for them and it is time to make a

conscious decision to take

1:57:391:57:43

affirmative action. I think the time

is right. 80% of public supports

1:57:431:57:50

organ donation but only 36% are on

the register. It needs to be

1:57:501:57:54

addressed. 60 organs have been

transplanted in the first six months

1:57:541:58:05

since Wales adopted the opt out. And

from those people consent had been

1:58:051:58:12

received from 50% of those people.

31 people organs have been used for

1:58:121:58:22

60 organ saved donated. That is the

fact from the latest data from

1:58:221:58:28

Wales. Opting out has therefore been

proven to work even in its infancy

1:58:281:58:32

so I urge the House to back consent

as a popular policy. To conclude,

1:58:321:58:41

the British Medical Association

makes a point which goes to the

1:58:411:58:44

heart of this debate. As a result of

this Bill the choice of the

1:58:441:58:51

individual about what should happen

with their own body will remain the

1:58:511:58:55

same, to donate or not to donate.

But a change in the law means a

1:58:551:59:01

switch of the default position

towards donation and saving many

1:59:011:59:06

more lives. I urge the House to

support.

1:59:061:59:16

I would like to begin by

congratulating the honourable member

1:59:161:59:19

for getting this bill here to day

and also to echo the sentiment that

1:59:191:59:24

has been expressed across the House

today in support of the bill. When

1:59:241:59:28

three people die every day because

of lack of organs, where we have a

1:59:281:59:32

situation where eight out of ten

people say they would be willing to

1:59:321:59:35

be an organ donor but are not

formally on the register, I think it

1:59:351:59:38

is time we take action and I can

only begin to imagine the emotional

1:59:381:59:44

roller-coaster that families and

people waiting for organs must go

1:59:441:59:52

through in that long and try weight

that can take many years. I

1:59:521:59:55

appreciate the personal stories that

members have shared with the House

1:59:551:59:57

today which must be quite

distressing and I think we have all

1:59:572:00:00

earned greater insight into it from

a personal level. I do not really

2:00:002:00:04

want to react to rate their merits

of this bill because we all seem to

2:00:042:00:07

be very much in favour of it but

what I do want to do is talk briefly

2:00:072:00:12

on how we can actually make sure

that this bill is as successful as

2:00:122:00:17

it possibly can be. I do think, as I

alluded to in my intervention

2:00:172:00:29

earlier, that this is only part of

the solution and not the complete

2:00:292:00:32

answer. It is an essential building

block and it is important that we

2:00:322:00:35

build the House. One of the key

areas I think it's false story

2:00:352:00:38

culture and making sure that we are

educating from a very young age so

2:00:382:00:44

that people see organ donation as a

positive thing and something they

2:00:442:00:47

want to do and that will counter the

arguments about potential people

2:00:472:00:54

seeing it as a state ownership of

your organs or the state seizing

2:00:542:00:58

your auctions -- organs, it needs to

be seen in the light of people

2:00:582:01:03

giving their organs and donating to

help other people. We need to be

2:01:032:01:08

spreading the message that people

should have a conversation about

2:01:082:01:11

organ donation. It isn't something

that we don't like to talk about and

2:01:112:01:18

we should be actively promoting a

conversation so that when the time

2:01:182:01:20

comes families are aware of their

children or their spouses decision

2:01:202:01:25

on that and it will prevent any

possible overriding of the decision

2:01:252:01:29

as we see in Spain. At the moment it

is estimated that only half of

2:01:292:01:37

families have that conversation and

I think it is achievable that we

2:01:372:01:41

foster a culture of people wanting

to donate the organs. I know at the

2:01:412:01:45

moment we have one of the lowest

rates in Europe but we also have one

2:01:452:01:48

of the highest rates in Europe of

donating living kidneys and that

2:01:482:01:52

implies it is not against the

British culture to donate organs but

2:01:522:01:56

we are doing something fundamentally

wrong. One of the ways I think we

2:01:562:02:01

can achieve this is by ensuring

there is absolutely no stigma in

2:02:012:02:06

opting out. Today some of us may be

organ donors but it does not mean

2:02:062:02:10

that everyone has to be and we need

to appreciate religious cultures,

2:02:102:02:14

customs and people's sense of belief

and on that point I do hope that

2:02:142:02:19

this bill will mean that people can

opt out of certain parts so that

2:02:192:02:24

they can only donate certain organs

or opt out of certain parts. I know

2:02:242:02:29

that some religions do not want to

denote their heart and some

2:02:292:02:33

dominations of the Christian faith

even advocate that and it is

2:02:332:02:39

important that we are not excluding

people from this process.

I think

2:02:392:02:45

the honourable member for giving

way. Around 10% of people on the

2:02:452:02:51

organ register have excluded

donating their eyes, sometimes

2:02:512:02:54

because it is squeamish and

sometimes because of the thought of

2:02:542:02:57

donating eyes in the future and

should we preserve the abilities for

2:02:572:03:04

people to opt out of donating organs

they do not wish to?

Choices the key

2:03:042:03:10

to making this Bill Arthur as well

as possible and also education so

2:03:102:03:15

potentially some people might donate

those parts if they know how the

2:03:152:03:20

process will work but it has to be a

personal choice because it is our

2:03:202:03:24

body at the end of the day so we

should promote and encourage people

2:03:242:03:28

to help others rather than forcing

them. Another point that has been

2:03:282:03:34

mentioned and I don't want to labour

it too much because I think it is

2:03:342:03:38

very important but other members

have effectively gone through

2:03:382:03:44

reaching out to all communities,

including those from ethnic

2:03:442:03:46

minorities where the amount of

donors is particularly low at the

2:03:462:03:51

moment. Shockingly in March in 2017

there were 634 people from the black

2:03:512:03:59

community who were in need of organs

and only 72 people on the list died

2:03:592:04:04

and were suitable organ donors so it

is a really small proportion. Thank

2:04:042:04:11

you for raising that. In our

community

we are experiencing a

2:04:112:04:19

silent crisis because of their lack

of knowledge to discuss organ

2:04:192:04:23

donation with the family members who

are concerned about the body

2:04:232:04:27

integrating with the death. We take

on board what you are saying and if

2:04:272:04:31

people are mindful of that is what

it is about, it is the lack of

2:04:312:04:36

knowledge amongst our community, and

with this bill coming in it will

2:04:362:04:39

improve it.

I thank the honourable

member for her intervention. On

2:04:392:04:45

another point only 1% of people that

die a year die in suitable

2:04:452:04:54

circumstances to save their organs

for donation so it is important to

2:04:542:04:57

have an honest conversation and not

say this is a panacea to solve the

2:04:572:05:01

problem because if you are on the

organ register you will

2:05:012:05:05

automatically get registration

because that will give people false

2:05:052:05:08

hope. We should potentially review

the current regulations around age

2:05:082:05:12

gaps for certain donations of

organs. For example heart valves

2:05:122:05:16

have the donation restriction of

aged 60 but in countries of Spain

2:05:162:05:21

they just look at the quality of the

organ itself. I do

2:05:212:05:34

think the most important mechanism

to making sure that this Bill is as

2:05:362:05:39

effective as possible is the

transport infrastructure and the

2:05:392:05:41

investment that we see around the

entire staffing. It is no good

2:05:412:05:43

unless we have enough helicopters

and bikes and a train staff and

2:05:432:05:46

support workers to support the bill.

We must support people in rural

2:05:462:05:50

areas as well as urban areas because

they are harder to get to and they

2:05:502:05:53

should not be any less likely to be

the benefits of donations. Other

2:05:532:05:58

countries that have introduced this

bill, including France, Sweden and

2:05:582:06:03

Bulgaria, have actually reduced

their organ donations and this is in

2:06:032:06:05

part because of a lack of investment

in infrastructure so it is crucial.

2:06:052:06:11

I would like to end by saying we

should be quite bold as well when we

2:06:112:06:15

review this. There are countries in

the world that adopt a policy that I

2:06:152:06:20

was originally very uneasy with, I

will admit, and I looked at it and

2:06:202:06:23

it says if you are an open donor

yourself and you have not opt out of

2:06:232:06:29

the system, you have a higher

priority to be able to receive a

2:06:292:06:35

donation of an organ. Originally I

was uneasy but I think actually it

2:06:352:06:38

is quite fair because if you are

prepared to give a donation then you

2:06:382:06:41

should be more likely to receive it.

So, to conclude, Madam Deputy

2:06:412:06:47

Speaker, the UK has the lowest

donation rates in the world, some of

2:06:472:06:51

the lowest donation rates, and it is

really not good enough. I am hugely

2:06:512:06:56

supportive of the bill today but I

echo caution that it depends on the

2:06:562:07:00

amount of infrastructure, education

and support that we give people to

2:07:002:07:06

ensure that this Bill is as

successful as possible.

I would like

2:07:062:07:10

to tout the Right Honourable member

for proposing this important private

2:07:102:07:14

members bill. The NHS has just

reached the historic milestone of 70

2:07:142:07:20

years and as a country and the

society we are pride of the advances

2:07:202:07:24

we have made it this time and

because of advances in organ

2:07:242:07:28

donation and transplantation 50,000

people are alive today. Most people

2:07:282:07:32

are willing to donate their organs

after they died that only 36% of the

2:07:322:07:38

population on the register. Organ

donation is increasing gradually but

2:07:382:07:41

suddenly it is not keeping pace on

the number of people on the

2:07:412:07:45

transplant waiting list and the

British Heart Foundation I let that

2:07:452:07:48

an average of three people a day die

in need of an organ. As a member who

2:07:482:07:52

was a cardiac nurse in a previous

job I am only too aware of how

2:07:522:07:57

desperate patient can become when

waiting for an organ to become

2:07:572:07:59

available. I saw first-hand the

distressed people suffered while

2:07:592:08:03

waiting for a heart transplant or

any other organ. In Spain and

2:08:032:08:08

Belgium are softer opt out approach

has facilitated a cultural change

2:08:082:08:13

that has facilitated higher donor

rates so I am here to support my

2:08:132:08:16

right honourable friend to address

this bleak statistics and bring a

2:08:162:08:20

discussion of organ donation back to

the dinner tables of families across

2:08:202:08:23

the UK. I would like to express my

sincere thanks to the Daily Mirror

2:08:232:08:28

for the campaign in support of this

shown the public the public the gift

2:08:282:08:31

of life thanks to those who donate

organs. One organ donor can

2:08:312:08:35

transform as many as nine lives and

it has already been mentioned by

2:08:352:08:39

other Honourable members the UK has

some of the lowest family consent

2:08:392:08:43

rates in Europe. In Wales the Welsh

government bravely introduced deemed

2:08:432:08:47

consent and the rate at which Welsh

families are proving rather than

2:08:472:08:52

refusing the donation of their loved

ones has shown a marked increase

2:08:522:08:55

compared to the rest of the UK. The

latest Welsh organ donation and

2:08:552:09:01

transplantation statistics display a

72% consent rate, putting Wales

2:09:012:09:05

above of UK countries.

Thanks for

giving way. It is an excellent

2:09:052:09:13

advantage of how Wales is leading

the way on changing the emphasis on

2:09:132:09:17

organ donation. Does she share my

dismay that no one from the benches

2:09:172:09:20

of the SNP have joined us today? It

is not just a cross-border issue but

2:09:202:09:25

they have blocked this Bill in the

Scottish parliament and they

2:09:252:09:31

continue to block it so why have

they not lead the way on this? Do

2:09:312:09:34

they share my concern on that?

I

thank the honourable member for his

2:09:342:09:39

intervention and I share the

concern. Most will today I really

2:09:392:09:42

hoped we would have cross-party

consensus for this because I think

2:09:422:09:45

it is something that we can all come

together on. In the East Midlands

2:09:452:09:51

where I represent a constituency of

Lincoln organ donation is that the

2:09:512:09:54

lowest in the UK and in one year

there were

2:09:542:10:07

just 74 organ donors in the whole of

the East Midlands and in my

2:10:092:10:12

constituency there are around 40,000

registered donors and I are one of

2:10:122:10:14

them with a card in my bag. I am

proud of the people in Lincoln that

2:10:142:10:17

even though this number represents

an opportunity only a small number

2:10:172:10:19

on the register passed away in such

a way that allows their Dorgan is to

2:10:192:10:23

be donated and only ten deceased

donors in Lincoln could get donate

2:10:232:10:25

their organs in the last five years.

This bill could save 500 lives a

2:10:252:10:28

year and we need sensitive dialogue

with those suffering serious

2:10:282:10:30

illnesses of the possible

life-saving capacity their donations

2:10:302:10:32

could make sure the worst occur.

Conversations with grieving families

2:10:322:10:36

can often be crucial in this

process. Yesterday I spoke about the

2:10:362:10:40

loss of my daughter and it is

something for any family member to

2:10:402:10:43

be lost is just a terrible, terrible

thing, and it stays with you for

2:10:432:10:48

ever but, you know what, if you can

donate an organ and turn a negative

2:10:482:10:52

into a positive, how much better is

that? How much better could that be

2:10:522:10:57

just to salvage some positivity out

of that? I just want to finish by

2:10:572:11:03

saying the government have announced

a consultation on an opt out consent

2:11:032:11:06

on organ donation for the 6th of

March and the success of this

2:11:062:11:10

private members bill may be the

vehicle for that change. I will

2:11:102:11:13

finish by saying that I really hope

there will be cross-party support

2:11:132:11:18

for this and I hope it goes ahead.

Thank you.

2:11:182:11:25

I congratulate the honourable member

from commentary North West for

2:11:252:11:30

bringing this here today and I can

tell him now that this bill would

2:11:302:11:33

pass. It has been said by many that

80% of British society actually

2:11:332:11:40

support organ donation but there are

the other 20% who do not and for me

2:11:402:11:44

I certainly want to speak on the

half of those to ensure that they

2:11:442:11:48

are carried along with this debate

rather than left behind. I also want

2:11:482:11:54

to mention a gentleman in my

constituency, VJ Patel, he was

2:11:542:11:59

unnecessarily recently killed and

his family took great comfort from

2:11:592:12:02

the fact that his organs were used

to help other people. For me that is

2:12:022:12:06

such a gift and I absolutely commend

anyone who does that, and indeed

2:12:062:12:12

their families for allowing such

actions to take place full is top it

2:12:122:12:17

is on that basis that many people

make preparations to be organ donors

2:12:172:12:21

after they die and their families

are an integral part of the process.

2:12:212:12:25

It is within this wider framework

that the crucial role for me of the

2:12:252:12:29

family and the donor must be

understood. As part of their

2:12:292:12:33

ownership of the body after a person

dies, and their duties towards it,

2:12:332:12:39

our central aspect of the grieving

process. We've recently had a lot of

2:12:392:12:42

concern over a coroner who has

refused to release bodies and it is

2:12:422:12:46

causing a lot of

2:12:462:12:57

concern to members of my

constituency. It follows logically

2:12:582:12:59

that is the family who is involved

in organ donation and it is their

2:12:592:13:02

consent that I believe is paramount

at a crucial time. These families

2:13:022:13:05

need reassurance along their pathway

towards consent. It has been

2:13:052:13:07

mentioned today that there are

religious differences about donation

2:13:072:13:08

but I have to say it is incorrect.

Both the Islamic and Judaism allows

2:13:082:13:12

organ transplants, it live set from

live patients and patients who have

2:13:122:13:17

deceased, in order to continue and

to save life. A factor that perhaps

2:13:172:13:22

people are not aware of, a factor

that may influence some families

2:13:222:13:26

decision-making process is how they

decide the point of death. Some

2:13:262:13:30

people regard death is being defined

by cardiovascular criteria, when the

2:13:302:13:36

art ceases to function. In contrast

to that there is a definite sceptred

2:13:362:13:40

by others that cessation of brain

function, brainstem death, is their

2:13:402:13:45

criteria, and it is these two

distinctions that makes people

2:13:452:13:49

sometimes uncomfortable about

donation. The National Institute for

2:13:492:13:53

clinical excellence has recognised

both definitions of death when it

2:13:532:13:56

formulated the current guidelines

that explain how health care

2:13:562:13:59

professionals should support a

bereaved family when discussing

2:13:592:14:03

Brook organ donation. One pathway is

for those who only accept

2:14:032:14:07

cardiovascular death and the other

is for those who accept brain stem

2:14:072:14:10

death. As a result families are

helped to understand how they may be

2:14:102:14:15

able to combine out your deceased

organ is donation a way that does

2:14:152:14:19

not interfere with religious

traditions. The role someone

2:14:192:14:22

accessible to the family to guide

them through the process is the most

2:14:222:14:27

constructive proposal I can think

of. This is quite properly and

2:14:272:14:31

resourced transplant coordinator

ought to be able to do. It is a way

2:14:312:14:36

to support families at a terrible

time in their lives. In practice,

2:14:362:14:41

that will be less institutional

incentives for health services to

2:14:412:14:44

employed under system currently

proposed today.

2:14:442:14:50

The issue of transplantation is one

of the Government is well aware of.

2:14:502:14:55

It cannot plead ignorance that our

religious communities are

2:14:552:14:59

unresponsive to human need. In 2013

leading Muslim and Jewish groups

2:14:592:15:04

rhetorically to the Government

suggesting a way forward whereby an

2:15:042:15:07

enhanced and improved opt in system

could be introduced which would

2:15:072:15:10

alleviate their concerns.

Improvements would include a

2:15:102:15:13

government backed statement that

dues and Muslims could sign enabling

2:15:132:15:19

them to donate organs in a manner

compatible with their beliefs. It

2:15:192:15:25

would enable the two communities to

be even more supportive of an opt in

2:15:252:15:29

system than they have been in the

past. This proposal has been raised

2:15:292:15:34

on several occasions subsequently

but I have to say to the minister I

2:15:342:15:36

am afraid it has been ignored.

Earlier in the honourable member

2:15:362:15:42

from Coventry North West's speed,

you mentioned Lord Sacks who oppose

2:15:422:15:46

them measures. I can tell him that

the current Chief Rabbi would

2:15:462:15:54

actually be in favour of this

proposal as I have just outlined.

2:15:542:15:58

But life has changed from many

people and indeed that has changed

2:15:582:16:02

from many people. More people want

to understandably spend their final

2:16:022:16:07

months at home so if they die at

home organ donation is much less

2:16:072:16:12

likely so health care professionals

needed to secure consent for

2:16:122:16:14

donation must have a conversation

with organ donors and loved ones

2:16:142:16:19

about why they are best placed to

give the gift of life if they remain

2:16:192:16:23

in hospital. This conversation is a

very natural feature of an opt in

2:16:232:16:27

feature however under an opt out so

Vista would be little incentive to

2:16:272:16:32

have that complex discussions with

potential donors. The result might

2:16:322:16:36

be that patients could drift to

spend their last month in hospitals.

2:16:362:16:43

Thank you. I think my honourable

friend, the doctor, can I ask my

2:16:432:16:51

honourable friend, how quickly can

the medical profession assess that

2:16:512:16:56

someone who has died is the right

sort of person for a donation,

2:16:562:17:04

because so few people apparently are

at the right fit for donation. 1% as

2:17:042:17:08

I understand it.

I can't mislead the

House because I am not a medical

2:17:082:17:14

doctor unfortunately and I would not

be able to answer that question. I'm

2:17:142:17:18

certainly content to talk about

socio- economic deprivation in

2:17:182:17:22

places like Cornwall as part of my

Ph.D. Thesis but on this issue I

2:17:222:17:26

will leave it alone. The honourable

member has mentioned the 1% but

2:17:262:17:31

other potential donors and their

families could be intimidated by

2:17:312:17:37

clinical settings or even language

skills or be emotionally strut and

2:17:372:17:41

unable to engage in a system which

lacks incentives to ensure

2:17:412:17:44

professional support them and such

potential donors and families could

2:17:442:17:48

find their rights eroded in this

practice. The honourable member for

2:17:482:17:52

Shipley made a point which I wished

to echo. The underlying questions

2:17:522:17:56

raised by that patients should be

treated as citizens whose active

2:17:562:18:03

consent must be sought as a legal

duty or subjects who ability to

2:18:032:18:08

choose or not depends on the

goodwill and well-meaning but

2:18:082:18:11

overstretched professionals.

Ultimately an opt in system that

2:18:112:18:16

harnesses the role of both religious

and civil society to increase organ

2:18:162:18:19

donation from deceased donors is for

me the best way forward to maximise

2:18:192:18:24

organ donations while defending not

only religious freedoms but also the

2:18:242:18:27

rights of all potential donors and

families.

Thank you. I will keep my

2:18:272:18:36

remarks rather brief because I also

support the Bill and I am delighted

2:18:362:18:41

to see the member for Coventry North

West use this slot for this very

2:18:412:18:45

noble cause. I briefly wanted to

mention the bright green stars

2:18:452:18:49

campaign that was across Torbay four

years ago and the bright green star

2:18:492:18:53

man went around hanging up the stars

across many points of the bay to

2:18:532:18:57

encourage more people to think about

organ donations and that is

2:18:572:19:02

following his own daughter Lottie

who when she was three getting a

2:19:022:19:05

transplant, one of the lucky ones to

get one very quickly. I think that

2:19:052:19:10

safeguards in the Bill provide the

options for those who would strongly

2:19:102:19:13

adopt the idea of organ donation and

the ability for families to supply

2:19:132:19:19

evidence someone objected on grounds

to this if they had known about the

2:19:192:19:24

opt out system. For me, I don't see

my body as a piece of property that

2:19:242:19:31

my relatives will inherit on my

death. I see it something is very

2:19:312:19:35

special and if there is something we

can do to help people continue to

2:19:352:19:39

live after our light on this earth

is finished I think that is

2:19:392:19:43

thoroughly noble. One of the ways I

can do that is not just registering

2:19:432:19:46

to be an organ donor but by

supporting the Bill today. This will

2:19:462:19:49

save lives in Torbay and across the

country and it is very welcome here

2:19:492:19:54

and I hope it will get its second

reading.

Thank you very much, Madam

2:19:542:20:01

Deputy Speaker. I want to start by

thanking my honourable friend, the

2:20:012:20:05

member for commentary Northwest, for

securing this very important debate

2:20:052:20:12

and introducing this very important

Bill and for his powerful and moving

2:20:122:20:16

opening speech this morning. I would

also like to thank other honourable

2:20:162:20:20

members, the member for Amesbury,

members for Mid Worcestershire,

2:20:202:20:28

North Devon, Dudley South, shipping

them and Hendon. Also the members

2:20:282:20:36

for Ealing Southall, Barnsley

Central, St Helens, St Helens and

2:20:362:20:40

Whitsun, Lincoln, with the excellent

speeches, but I do want to

2:20:402:20:48

particularly pay huge tribute to my

honourable friend the member for

2:20:482:20:53

Sunderland Central, my neighbour in

Sunderland, who spoke so bravely and

2:20:532:20:57

movingly about her daughter Rebecca

who as we have heard has been on

2:20:572:21:02

dialysis for a year now awaiting a

kidney transplant. I hope from the

2:21:022:21:05

bottom of my heart and I am sure we

all do that await is over soon and

2:21:052:21:10

she is successful in receiving the

gift of life from a wonderful donor

2:21:102:21:15

very, very soon. It really has been

an excellent debate this morning and

2:21:152:21:19

another example of this House at its

best, which often it is as we find

2:21:192:21:27

on Fridays during these private

member Bill debates. I also want to

2:21:272:21:33

thank other honourable members who

have previously brought this issue

2:21:332:21:36

to our attention over the last

decade or so, they include my

2:21:362:21:39

honourable friend the member for

Mitcham and Morden, Newport West,

2:21:392:21:45

and the member for Barnsley Central.

I also want to commend The Daily

2:21:452:21:50

Mirror for its fantastic campaign

for raising awareness of organ

2:21:502:21:55

donations since the case of Max

Johnson who we have all heard so

2:21:552:21:58

much about this morning and who was

then a nine-year-old boy in need of

2:21:582:22:02

a new heart, I understand he is now

ten. That is fantastic. I want to

2:22:022:22:08

also thank the honourable member for

North Devon for telling us all about

2:22:082:22:12

Keira Ball, Max's donor but I

understand 74 macro lives and can I

2:22:122:22:18

also thank her very brave family for

taking that brave decision on the

2:22:182:22:24

most awful of days? Can I also thank

the more than 13,000 people have now

2:22:242:22:31

signed the petition online. I would

also like to commend the

2:22:312:22:37

scriptwriters of Coronation Street,

of which it has to be said I am a

2:22:372:22:40

huge fan as a northerner, for

covering this issue so well and also

2:22:402:22:46

note that Carla Connor, I know she

is a character, but she received

2:22:462:22:52

this week a new kidney from her

half-brother and all is going well.

2:22:522:22:57

Soaps really can come up when they

are at their best, play a huge part

2:22:572:23:01

in helping to inform the public on

issues such as this and I hope they

2:23:012:23:05

will therefore touch on the

importance of being on the organ

2:23:052:23:08

donation register also during this

storyline. I want also pictured Pete

2:23:082:23:15

to the thousands of people who have

already participated in the

2:23:152:23:21

Government concentration on organ

donation -- I want to page viewed.

2:23:212:23:23

And to encourage those out there to

do so if they haven't already let

2:23:232:23:28

their voices be heard. The topic of

organ donation is understandably an

2:23:282:23:32

emotional one but I am pleased to

say that so many people are now

2:23:322:23:35

engaging in this debate and we now

have the opportunity to discuss it

2:23:352:23:40

in the House today. This debate and

the publicity around it may

2:23:402:23:43

encourage families up and down the

country to have that important

2:23:432:23:46

discussion about organ donation

before the inevitable happens. There

2:23:462:23:53

is no doubt that these discussions

need to be had and we need more

2:23:532:23:56

organ donors in England. Almost 25

million people are on the organ

2:23:562:24:02

donation register but according to

the NHS and transplant service there

2:24:022:24:06

are 7000 people on the list for new

organs waiting. For these people are

2:24:062:24:12

truly is a life and death situation

so it is important we have as many

2:24:122:24:17

people signing up to the organ

donation register as possible. Over

2:24:172:24:21

the last five years almost 5 million

people have joined the register and

2:24:212:24:28

2016-17 saw the highest ever

deceased donor rates in England.

2:24:282:24:32

More than 50,000 people are living

with a functioning transplant, Max

2:24:322:24:35

is one of them, extra organ donation

and transplantation in the UK. These

2:24:352:24:41

are welcomed developments but we

still have a long way to go. We

2:24:412:24:47

currently lagged behind other

Western countries. Tragically around

2:24:472:24:51

1000 people live a year die whilst

waiting for a transplant and that is

2:24:512:24:57

three every day. To save those eyes

we need more people on the organ

2:24:572:25:00

donation register -- save those

lives, making decisions with the

2:25:002:25:05

family knowledge so that lives can

be saved when the time comes.

My

2:25:052:25:13

honourable friend made the excellent

case citing statistics in England

2:25:132:25:15

but I would offer to the debate that

actually it is a cross-border issue

2:25:152:25:20

as well because one of the great

strengths of our NHS is that no

2:25:202:25:24

matter what part of the UK you come

from you can benefit from a organ as

2:25:242:25:27

bad. Someone in Dumfries needs a

kidney donation and the donor is

2:25:272:25:29

from Carlisle there will be no order

or barrier to getting access to that

2:25:292:25:36

chasm. That is why MPs from all

parts of UK, changes in all parts of

2:25:362:25:41

the UK, including this Scottish

National Party, would my honourable

2:25:412:25:44

friend agree with that?

I had

noticed there was no one from the

2:25:442:25:49

Scottish National Party here today,

so I don't know what the situation

2:25:492:25:53

is in Scotland here, but we still

want people in Scotland to be organ

2:25:532:25:58

donors and I am sure my honourable

friend the member for Sunderland

2:25:582:26:03

Central, her daughter Rebecca not

refuse a kidney, be it from

2:26:032:26:08

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or

anywhere, so it is a very good point

2:26:082:26:11

that he made.

I think my honourable

friend. With my honourable friend

2:26:112:26:16

like to recognise the great

strengths of the Labour Party in

2:26:162:26:18

Scotland have made in trying to ring

for the legislation on the issue of

2:26:182:26:21

opt out organ donation in Scotland

and it is just unfortunate the SNP

2:26:212:26:24

block the progress of a Bill from an

Mactaggart MSP on the issue in the

2:26:242:26:29

last session of Parliament. That is

still hope because we currently have

2:26:292:26:32

it private members Bill progressing

in the Scottish parliament.

2:26:322:26:36

Hopefully we concede cross-party

support.

I am grateful for my

2:26:362:26:44

honourable friend for updating is

only situation in Scotland because

2:26:442:26:46

as I said I wasn't aware what it was

and I really do commend the Bill and

2:26:462:26:52

hope that our SNP friends up in

Scotland will act upon that and

2:26:522:26:58

progress that as soon as possible.

I

would like to picture view to

2:26:582:27:03

colleagues in Wales and also my

honourable friend the commentary

2:27:032:27:09

Northwest and across the whole

country. I have heard some very

2:27:092:27:12

moving stories from colleagues in

North Devon and other parts. I think

2:27:122:27:16

we have demonstrated the ability to

work together today and that is

2:27:162:27:20

important. I think one of the great

strengths of today's debate is how

2:27:202:27:23

we have focused on the families and

listen to their stories and that for

2:27:232:27:27

me has been deeply moving and I can

only commence to colleagues the

2:27:272:27:32

importance of continuing to listen

to families of the campaigns goes

2:27:322:27:34

forward.

I thank my honourable

friend for that intervention.

2:27:342:27:42

Families are at the heart of this.

That is one thing the member

2:27:422:27:47

proposing the Bill made clear and

I'm sure the minister will as well.

2:27:472:27:51

That is very important, the voices

of families taken into consideration

2:27:512:27:54

when these discussions take place. I

know that I am not alone in this has

2:27:542:28:01

an carrying a donor card and being

on the register. Like many other

2:28:012:28:05

organ donors I signed myself up

because of a direct family

2:28:052:28:08

experience. My anti-who is sadly no

longer with us was one of the first

2:28:082:28:14

patients to receive a kidney

transplant at the Freeman Hospital

2:28:142:28:21

in Newcastle. It was a pioneering

surgery back then and it is great to

2:28:212:28:26

hear my fellow Sunderland MP,

Sunderland Central, also commend the

2:28:262:28:32

work of the fantastic renal team at

the Freeman Hospital who are

2:28:322:28:35

currently trading and supporting her

daughter Rebecca so well. Because of

2:28:352:28:38

that transplant might anti-lived a

full life, maybe not as long as they

2:28:382:28:45

would have liked but she was able to

see her children, my cousins, grow

2:28:452:28:50

up to get married and all she wanted

to do was to see them grow up but

2:28:502:28:53

she lived on to see them give her

grandchildren. That is what organ

2:28:532:28:57

donation is all about. It gives

people the future. This one donor

2:28:572:29:02

can save up to nine people come as

we heard Keira Ball saved four. It

2:29:022:29:10

can give those people are future

with their loved ones which is why

2:29:102:29:12

it is so important. Of course there

are some concerns amongst some

2:29:122:29:16

religious communities. I know we had

an intervention from the honourable

2:29:162:29:20

member this constituency escapes me,

Hendon, earlier, and I know my

2:29:202:29:29

honourable friend this

Under-Secretary of State, the member

2:29:292:29:31

for Leicester South has met with

representatives from the Jewish

2:29:312:29:35

community to discuss some of these

concerns from one particular

2:29:352:29:39

community will stop also with regard

to black and minority ethnic

2:29:392:29:45

communities, as we heard from my

honourable friend the member for

2:29:452:29:50

Ealing Southall, despite being more

suggestible to illnesses such as

2:29:502:29:54

diabetes and hypertension and either

heart disease, only 35% of black and

2:29:542:29:59

Asian people in the UK agreed to

donation last year compared to a

2:29:592:30:03

population average of 63%.

2:30:032:30:10

I raised the issue of stem cell

transplants early and that is

2:30:102:30:14

exactly the same case with stem cell

and I do not think we would accept

2:30:142:30:17

in any other walk of life that if

you happen to be wife you probably

2:30:172:30:21

have an 80 or 90% chance of finding

a possible match whereas if you come

2:30:212:30:27

from a certain ethnic background it

can be as low as 30% and it just is

2:30:272:30:31

not acceptable.

My honourable friend

made exactly the right point, it is

2:30:312:30:39

not just the kidney and heart, there

are other, it is right across the

2:30:392:30:45

whole donor register really and the

government must therefore really

2:30:452:30:49

listen to the concerns of black and

Asian communities, not only during

2:30:492:30:54

the consultation but also beyond so

that we can develop a solution to

2:30:542:30:57

this problem.

I hope the bill is

successful and there will be

2:30:572:31:06

consultation process with the

members of the BMA group community

2:31:062:31:10

to ensure the successful roll-out in

delivering a public education

2:31:102:31:14

programme that follows to enable

communities to be aware.

I found my

2:31:142:31:22

honourable friend for the

intervention and it is exactly the

2:31:222:31:24

point. It is a public awareness and

education as well as accepting the

2:31:242:31:30

sensitivities that there are for all

people, you know, as well as those

2:31:302:31:36

from particular religious

communities or ethnic minorities.

2:31:362:31:38

I'm happy to give way.

I am sorry to

interrupt when making such a pop --

2:31:382:31:45

strong point. One of my constituents

rang me after earlier contribution

2:31:452:31:51

from me to say that if the member of

Parliament could run the road shows

2:31:512:31:57

with their local voluntary sector to

raise their awareness and also to

2:31:572:32:03

encourage people to register the

donors, secondly that if weakening

2:32:032:32:08

courage the local education system

to go through the schools and the

2:32:082:32:13

parents associations to run those

awareness sessions, do you agree

2:32:132:32:17

that this will be the best way of

raising awareness and also engaging

2:32:172:32:20

with the communities?

I absolutely

do and I think that our schools are

2:32:202:32:30

an ideal forum for a lot of public

health awareness messages to be

2:32:302:32:33

delivered to our young people. I

would agree with him on that point.

2:32:332:32:42

Perhaps a solution may have been

developed on all of these concerns

2:32:422:32:45

and issues in the two countries

where opt out organ donation is

2:32:452:32:49

working really well. I am talking

about, of course, Wales and Spain.

2:32:492:32:57

In 2015 the opt out system came into

force in Wales and all sets out that

2:32:572:33:01

those who live and die in Wales will

have been deemed to have given

2:33:012:33:05

consent for their organs to be used

unless they have explicitly said

2:33:052:33:08

otherwise and the public awareness

campaign before the change in the

2:33:082:33:13

law came into effect alone resulted

in the number of organs transplanted

2:33:132:33:18

increasing from 120 to 160 so it is

not huge but it was a definite

2:33:182:33:25

start. NHS organ donation statistics

also show an 11.8% increase between

2:33:252:33:35

2014/15 and 2016/17 people in Wales

are opting to donate their organs

2:33:352:33:38

and that was the highest increase

amongst England, Wales and Scotland.

2:33:382:33:43

There has not been a notable change

since the law came into effect but

2:33:432:33:47

it is worth remembering that it took

almost ten years, as we have heard

2:33:472:33:51

already this morning, in Spain for

there to be that significant

2:33:512:33:58

increase in donation rates. Spain

had a soft opt out system for 39

2:33:582:34:01

years and are considered the world

leader in organ donation and

2:34:012:34:04

currently have the highest organ

donation rates in the world. In

2:34:042:34:08

Spain concent is presumed in the

absence of any known objection by

2:34:082:34:12

the deceased but family concent is

still sought, as it would be here.

2:34:122:34:17

We hope. In the immediate aftermath

of this change in law there was only

2:34:172:34:21

a small increase in the number of

organ donation and transplants but

2:34:212:34:25

there was a dramatic increase after

1989 when the Spanish government

2:34:252:34:31

made a big push to reorganise organ

donation and as a result of which

2:34:312:34:35

there was a medically trained

transplant coordinator in every

2:34:352:34:41

hospital by 1999. It is unlikely

that we in the UK will have an

2:34:412:34:45

identical opt out system to Spain

but these are just two examples that

2:34:452:34:50

show how an opt out system can work

and how it can improve the lives of

2:34:502:34:54

the thousands of people waiting for

an organ transplant. It also gives

2:34:542:34:59

us the opportunity to learn from

past experiences and ensure that we

2:34:592:35:02

get it right in this country, which

I am sure is what we all seek to do.

2:35:022:35:07

I know that the government will be

working to ensure that that is

2:35:072:35:12

exactly what happens. On this side

of the House we are passionate about

2:35:122:35:16

world-class health services but, as

the NHS blood and transport service

2:35:162:35:23

made clear, and I quote, we will

never have a world-class donation

2:35:232:35:26

and transplantation service if more

than four out of every ten families

2:35:262:35:32

say no to donation. According to the

British Heart Foundation 90% of

2:35:322:35:37

people they serve eight say that

they support organ donation but just

2:35:372:35:42

33% of those people were on the

donor register. It is clear what we

2:35:422:35:48

have heard today, that more people

really do need to be on the organ

2:35:482:35:51

donor register and these difficult

conversations must be encouraged so

2:35:512:35:55

that more lives can be saved.

I

thank my honourable friend for

2:35:552:36:02

giving way. While the debate was

going on I went on my phone and

2:36:022:36:05

signed up as a full organ donor

because previously I was a bit

2:36:052:36:09

squeamish about giving my eyes but I

was convinced by the arguments and

2:36:092:36:14

it only took two minutes and it was

really simple to do and it is

2:36:142:36:18

something every member can encourage

our constituents to do by going on

2:36:182:36:22

the phone and registering now.

That

really would be great to see and

2:36:222:36:29

even the most technophobe of us can

be able to manage that in two

2:36:292:36:35

minutes and perhaps they can have

one of those clever apps to make it

2:36:352:36:39

even easier for all of the young

people to do this.

I have no

2:36:392:36:45

knowledge of apps but I do have my

donor cards here, held proudly in my

2:36:452:36:51

hand which I have my telephone in

but when I introduced my bill on

2:36:512:36:55

this subject many years ago I was

accused, as were the supporters such

2:36:552:37:00

as Evan Harris at the time who

brought the bill in with me, we were

2:37:002:37:05

accused of being Aztecs. Does my

honourable friend agree that the

2:37:052:37:09

tide is now flowing in our favour

and this is a piece of legislation

2:37:092:37:13

that the need has been proven in the

time is now.

Very good. I must

2:37:132:37:20

apologise for not commending my

honourable friend for his bill, when

2:37:202:37:23

I mentioned the list of people who

have all done work on this over the

2:37:232:37:26

years. It does make you realise how

many people have been pushing for

2:37:262:37:30

this. My honourable friend for

Coventry North West is successful

2:37:302:37:39

today he has followed in a lot of

other honourable member 's footsteps

2:37:392:37:43

of achieving this great thing today.

As you have heard, whether it is

2:37:432:37:51

clever people with apps of people

carrying the old-fashioned donor

2:37:512:37:56

card, on the side of the House most

of us unanimously across the House

2:37:562:38:00

or in favour of change to the organ

donation law to ensure that everyone

2:38:002:38:05

whose lives could be saved by an

organ transplant and have the gift

2:38:052:38:09

of life. I urge the Minister today

to take the steps necessary to

2:38:092:38:14

increase the number of people on the

organ register and I am sure this

2:38:142:38:18

bill will be a great asset in

helping her to achieve that goal.

2:38:182:38:21

Thank you.

Thank you Madam Deputy

Speaker. Thank you to the honourable

2:38:212:38:29

member for Coventry North West for

bringing this Bill to the House. He

2:38:292:38:36

has secured his fortunate position

on the ballot and he has used it in

2:38:362:38:40

a very constructive way and I am

very grateful to him for bringing

2:38:402:38:44

this Bill and to confirm that the

government will give its

2:38:442:38:49

wholehearted support. It has been an

absolute pleasure to work with him

2:38:492:38:53

and the honourable member for

Barnsley Central and to get to the

2:38:532:38:56

place where we are now that we have

a bill that we can all support. The

2:38:562:39:02

reason that we are here in a

relatively painless way, given our

2:39:022:39:06

discussions, is that we were all

focused on one shared objective,

2:39:062:39:11

which was to save lives and to

secure more organs available for

2:39:112:39:18

donation. I am extremely grateful to

him and I wish this Bill God speed

2:39:182:39:24

to get to the statute book as soon

as possible. We have heard some very

2:39:242:39:29

moving stories today and I

particularly want to draw reference

2:39:292:39:34

to my honourable friend for Devon

North who shared the bravery of Kira

2:39:342:39:39

Boal who has saved for macrolides

and more about that later and also

2:39:392:39:43

the honourable member for Sunderland

Central who spoke very movingly

2:39:432:39:48

about her daughter. It is the real

thing about this subject. Once you

2:39:482:39:54

hear the human stories of people who

have either given organs and

2:39:542:39:58

consented to their organs from

relatives when they are Boerrigter

2:39:582:40:04

and witnessed their own family

members requiring organs or indeed

2:40:042:40:08

being alive donor themselves. One

cannot fail to be touched by the

2:40:082:40:18

experience of those people. It is

with considerable equipment that I

2:40:182:40:24

want to do my bit to make sure that

we do have more organs available for

2:40:242:40:27

donation.

I spoke briefly of my own

experience with my son who was able

2:40:272:40:35

to get a stem cell donor and we were

in hospital for quite a long time

2:40:352:40:41

and I saw many parents who did not

get a donor and that is very, very

2:40:412:40:49

difficult and I will be fried, you

feel a degree of guilt because you

2:40:492:40:53

are fortunate and you know you are

looking at someone is going to die,

2:40:532:41:00

and that is a very heartbreaking

situation and we need to do whatever

2:41:002:41:05

we can to ensure there are more

people on the register and more

2:41:052:41:09

people giving other organs as well.

The honourable gentleman has put

2:41:092:41:14

that as well as it could be

expressed and that is entirely the

2:41:142:41:19

motivation behind this bill. We are

losing too many people over a year

2:41:192:41:23

because they need organs. It would

be a poor health minister who did

2:41:232:41:29

not do their best to achieve that

and he is absolutely right. When one

2:41:292:41:34

does see the experience of people

who have relatives on the register,

2:41:342:41:38

the very real impact that it has had

and I have been my own journey with

2:41:382:41:43

my constituent who has already been

mentioned this morning by the

2:41:432:41:47

honourable lady, the for Kingston

upon Hull West and Hessle. She

2:41:472:41:52

painfully lost her daughter while

she was waiting for a transplant and

2:41:522:41:56

she has used that experience to

campaign for this important cause.

2:41:562:42:04

She has gone through the step of

being an altruistic donor herself

2:42:042:42:07

and who could not fail to be

inspired by such a story. I am very

2:42:072:42:12

pleased to be able to deliver my

promise to her when Patricia came to

2:42:122:42:17

see me for the first time and I said

I would do everything I could to

2:42:172:42:21

secure more organ donations. Here we

are today, delivering that. I should

2:42:212:42:26

also mention that last October the

Prime Minister pledged a personal

2:42:262:42:30

support to change this law on organ

donation and in doing so that we

2:42:302:42:34

could achieve more people across

this country to achieve an organ

2:42:342:42:39

transplant. We should also mention

the achievement of Max Johnson whose

2:42:392:42:45

struggle was a brace by the nation

and he has done so much to highlight

2:42:452:42:49

this very important cause. As a

consequence of that in the

2:42:492:42:56

government we will be referring to

this as Max 's law and we will do

2:42:562:42:59

everything we can to ensure its

passage. And as a result of that I

2:42:592:43:05

am very grateful for the opposition

support to ensure it is a speedy

2:43:052:43:09

passage. With such cross-party

commitment we should not fail. As

2:43:092:43:16

Max and his family and families all

over the country who have

2:43:162:43:20

experienced life in a transplant

issue, they understand the organ

2:43:202:43:23

donation is a precious gift and

other families deserve our special

2:43:232:43:29

tributes and to hear that people

have saved many lives is very

2:43:292:43:39

special. I also give tribute to the

daily Mirror. Often in this place

2:43:392:43:43

when we talk about newspapers it is

not in a complementary way but the

2:43:432:43:48

Daily Mirror have done a fantastic

way of really highlighting this

2:43:482:43:51

cause and I think it is an activity

that illustrates that the press when

2:43:512:43:56

it puts its mind to something

positive can achieve. I share the

2:43:562:44:01

honourable ladies tribute to

Coronation Street because I am also

2:44:012:44:09

pretty devoted to the soaps.

EastEnders also highlighted liver

2:44:092:44:15

transplantation last year and both

have been very good at highlighting

2:44:152:44:18

mental health and this week we have

seen the organ donation story and I

2:44:182:44:24

would commend Coronation Street for

actually tweeting the link to the

2:44:242:44:29

government consultation on the

immediate weight of that programme.

2:44:292:44:33

It is a first. If I can encourage

soap opera is to highlight

2:44:332:44:38

government consultations in future I

think it would be helpful but I do

2:44:382:44:41

not think it is coming. In the brief

time, I want to be fairly brief in

2:44:412:44:46

addressing some of the points that

have been made, a number of members

2:44:462:44:52

have expressed concern about moving

from an opt in to an opt out system

2:44:522:44:56

and I wanted to really reassure them

that central to the principles of

2:44:562:45:02

this bill remains the concept that

organ donation is a gift and it is a

2:45:022:45:07

gift voluntarily given by the donor.

There can be no question of the

2:45:072:45:14

state taking control of organs and

that is why the ability to opt out

2:45:142:45:20

was central to the Bill and it will

be extremely easy and it will be

2:45:202:45:24

something that people can continue

to revisit that decision, if they

2:45:242:45:28

wish to change their mind. It is

also central to this that the issue

2:45:282:45:35

of family consent is also respected.

2:45:352:45:42

The circumstances in which someone

is able to donate organs is very

2:45:422:45:45

dramatic. It is very difficult to

consider that whole period at the

2:45:452:45:49

end of life and the struggle that

medical surgeons are undertaking to

2:45:492:45:53

save life. It is very important we

are very sensitive about that time.

2:45:532:45:58

So we need to be sure that families

and next of kin, and someone has

2:45:582:46:05

lost the ability to give consent

have their rights protected. We will

2:46:052:46:10

explore these issues I am sure in

Committee. I would like to put on

2:46:102:46:14

record representations I have had

from the medical establishment about

2:46:142:46:17

this. They would feel very

uncomfortable about having an issue

2:46:172:46:22

where consent was not sought from

the family. In terms of actually

2:46:222:46:25

developing a resume which secures

more organs but is sensitive towards

2:46:252:46:31

everybody's views I think we are

able to strike the right balance in

2:46:312:46:33

able to strike the right balance in

this Bill.

2:46:332:46:35

able to strike the right balance in

this Bill.

2:46:352:46:36

able to strike the right balance in

this Bill.

As the department given

2:46:362:46:43

any early thought as to the public

engagements they would do on the

2:46:432:46:45

back of any change in the law so

that people were aware of the

2:46:452:46:49

changes coming into force on what

that means?

My honourable friend

2:46:492:46:52

will be aware that we have consulted

and are consulting on the principles

2:46:522:46:56

enshrined in this Bill, that

consultation will end on the 6th of

2:46:562:47:01

March. It will be in reflecting on

the reserve and stations that we

2:47:012:47:04

will consider this. What we are

seeing is as we have already heard

2:47:042:47:10

an unprecedented response to that

consultation and certainly a very

2:47:102:47:14

substantial degree of support, but

that will inform our communications

2:47:142:47:18

going forward. We also heard a lot

about the high incidence of on the

2:47:182:47:27

waiting list of people from Asian

backgrounds and people from black

2:47:272:47:30

backgrounds. This is a real priority

from the Government. The honourable

2:47:302:47:37

member for Ealing Southall mentioned

about whether MPs should... We are

2:47:372:47:44

leaders and I want to do it. I have

a large black African community in

2:47:442:47:50

my constituency that I am engaging

with on this and I have tasked NHS

2:47:502:47:54

ET to develop the's toolkits that we

can all use to go into the community

2:47:542:48:03

and sell the concept of organ

donation. As and when those are

2:48:032:48:07

available I hope I will get the

support of many members of the House

2:48:072:48:11

and perhaps role of that

communication. I would like to make

2:48:112:48:14

progress by May. I will not take any

more in different interventions. As

2:48:142:48:19

we make clear we are supporting this

Bill. We are determined to ensure we

2:48:192:48:28

secured more organs available for

transplant because we are very

2:48:282:48:31

concerned that we are losing lives

unnecessarily. People have referred

2:48:312:48:36

to the experience in Wales and what

we can learn and whether it will

2:48:362:48:40

achieve a material difference. At

this stage it is rather too early to

2:48:402:48:44

draw any conclusions about the

number of organs that the change in

2:48:442:48:47

Wales has secured but we have seen

an increase in consent and opting

2:48:472:48:51

onto the register. Our best

estimates are that this change will

2:48:512:48:57

secured an additional 100 donors a

year which could lead to the saving

2:48:572:49:02

of 200 extra lives. On the basis

that we could save 200 lives we will

2:49:022:49:13

wholeheartedly support this Bill and

look forward to working with all

2:49:132:49:16

members of the House to secure Royal

assent.

I very much congratulate

2:49:162:49:29

members of the House,

self-congratulation can be

2:49:292:49:36

embarrassing but I'm delighted on

this occasion to say aye think we

2:49:362:49:39

have seen the House at its very best

and I say that because not only have

2:49:392:49:43

we had a debate where high standards

and rational argument has been

2:49:432:49:49

deployed but also were deep emotions

and we all feel they have not been

2:49:492:49:53

kept from us either. It is that

unique combination today that has

2:49:532:49:56

enabled us to think to have a

cross-party consensus on the size of

2:49:562:50:02

a reading of a Bill of this perhaps

contentious nature in some respects,

2:50:022:50:08

it has achieved. I have noticed the

Secretary of State for Health

2:50:082:50:11

himself has just arrived and whilst

plaudits are being awarded major say

2:50:112:50:17

to him this support from the very

beginning was of great encouragement

2:50:172:50:22

to myself and my honourable friend

from Barnsley Central. Madam Deputy

2:50:222:50:29

Speaker, it is a great moment for

us. I hope there won't be a division

2:50:292:50:33

but I am sure of that as we shall

win the division. I'm sure we can go

2:50:332:50:37

out of the chamber and now knowing

we have second reading, past the

2:50:372:50:43

hurdle, and going into Committee and

then with any fair wind shall we say

2:50:432:50:48

from the Government by the end of

the year we shall have the act,

2:50:482:50:54

Max's act as she called it, on the

statute book. I look forward to that

2:50:542:51:00

moment and I look look forward to

saying that at least in this

2:51:002:51:02

parliament we did pass an act for

life and I am delighted to be able

2:51:022:51:07

on that note conclude the data from

my side.

The question is that the

2:51:072:51:16

Bill be now read a second time. As

many as of that opinion say. The

2:51:162:51:25

contrary noe. I think the ayes have

it. The ayes have it.

Overseas

2:51:252:51:36

election Bill, second reading.

2:51:362:51:46

Thank you. I beg to move that the

Bill be now read a second time. I

2:51:502:51:58

would just like to say at the start

that as an organ donation activist

2:51:582:52:03

for all 25 years how excellent I

thought the first debate was today

2:52:032:52:08

and though not agreeing that

everything was said and the debate I

2:52:082:52:12

thought it was the UK Parliament

excelling and that its very best as

2:52:122:52:16

the proposer told us. My Bill is

about extending the capacity of UK

2:52:162:52:22

citizens to participate in British

democracy in which we have seen such

2:52:222:52:26

a wonderful example of today. I want

to begin by setting the scene with

2:52:262:52:32

what I think of as the most relevant

statistics. According to the Office

2:52:322:52:39

of National Statistics there are 4.9

million British citizens of voting

2:52:392:52:45

age who have lived in the UK at some

point in their lives who are now

2:52:452:52:50

oversees. I will give way.

I want to

thank my honourable friend, I call

2:52:502:53:01

him that for many years, for the

support he has given to a Bill that

2:53:012:53:05

could come after this one and to

appeal to them on the powerful

2:53:052:53:10

reasons for this House policy, the

cannabis medicinal purposes Bill,

2:53:102:53:16

because of the absurdity of the

present law and the suffering that

2:53:162:53:21

has resulted, that he could, I know

he wants big for very long, they are

2:53:212:53:26

with brief but potent, but

encouraged his fellow supporters of

2:53:262:53:33

the Bill to allow time for the

cannabis Bill to be debated.

I have

2:53:332:53:39

always admired the brass neck of my

honourable friend. I am probably

2:53:392:53:45

going to cede to his request. I was

intending and they still will, make

2:53:452:53:52

mention when I point out to the

chamber White and intended to keep

2:53:522:53:55

my comments fairly brief, getting to

give the opportunity for him to but

2:53:552:54:00

is built forward this morning is

something rather approve of. Where

2:54:002:54:04

did I get to? Laughter?

2:54:042:54:06

I want to start off with what they

think God is the relevant statistics

2:54:102:54:17

and I think there were 4.9 million

British citizens of voting age

2:54:172:54:21

living overseas. Only an estimated

1.4 million of these are eligible to

2:54:212:54:31

vote in UK election because a

British citizen who has lived

2:54:312:54:34

overseas for over 50 years is not

allowed to vote in a British

2:54:342:54:37

election. As of June, the third

point I would make, as of June 2017

2:54:372:54:47

only 285,000 of those 1.4 million

British citizens living overseas

2:54:472:54:51

with a right to vote was actually

registered and I think that is

2:54:512:54:54

another important issue in this area

and it will probably have to be

2:54:542:54:59

addressed outside the scope of this

Bill that I'm moving today. I would

2:54:592:55:03

like to think -- thank colleagues

from all sides who have contacted me

2:55:032:55:10

in support of this Bill, very good

advice from the member of Guildford

2:55:102:55:16

so too has been a big help to me and

the member who represents Cotswolds

2:55:162:55:19

on my own side who has also been of

great help and several other members

2:55:192:55:24

offering their support. I could

speak, there are so many issues

2:55:242:55:30

involved in this, touching on this

debate, that I could speak for long

2:55:302:55:38

time but there are not the number of

reasons why I'm not going to. I want

2:55:382:55:42

to give as many people as I can the

chance to contribute to this debate.

2:55:422:55:46

I want this debate to reach a

conclusion today if at all possible

2:55:462:55:51

so I shall take probably no longer

than five minutes myself to speak. I

2:55:512:55:58

want to give a cede to the depressed

-- the request.

Then I congratulate

2:55:582:56:08

him introducing this Bill and I hope

that despite the protestations of

2:56:082:56:13

the honourable gentleman on the

other side of the chamber that he

2:56:132:56:16

will not cut short his on this Bill

because it is important. Would he

2:56:162:56:22

agree with neither does the UK now

leaving the European Union is even

2:56:222:56:28

more important that we re-establish

and firm up our relationships with

2:56:282:56:31

British citizens wherever they may

live around the world and that is

2:56:312:56:34

what makes this Bill so important

today?

That is the point that I

2:56:342:56:42

wanted to come to myself in my

speech. There are three areas that I

2:56:422:56:50

want a particular concentrate on.

The first is fairness to UK citizens

2:56:502:56:55

who live abroad removed for various

reasons and they want to remain part

2:56:552:57:01

of our democratic process and not

have it cut short after 15 years.

2:57:012:57:07

The second is missing the point my

right honourable friend was just

2:57:072:57:12

making the benefits that comes from

the United Kingdom from soft power,

2:57:122:57:16

British citizens across the world

retaining a close involvement in

2:57:162:57:22

what happens in this country and

promoting the interests of this

2:57:222:57:25

country where they have moved to.

The last thing I think we need to do

2:57:252:57:30

is make in this country is relevant.

Could I ask my right honourable

2:57:302:57:39

friend, I am assuming that a British

citizen living and having lived 30

2:57:392:57:43

years abroad with his children will

actually have British children, and

2:57:432:57:51

with those British children be

allowed to vote as well under your

2:57:512:57:54

Bill?

I think this is another point

that I will want to refer to later

2:57:542:58:04

on the map as a builder three points

that I am making, depending... The

2:58:042:58:15

third one I want to make a comment

on, is why it is right to revisit an

2:58:152:58:19

issue that Parliament has visited

before, restricting the number of

2:58:192:58:27

ability of UK citizens overseas to

vote. The issue is what has changed?

2:58:272:58:31

Those are the three issues I wanted

to concentrate myself. The first

2:58:312:58:34

one... So many of the British

citizens who have moved overseas

2:58:342:58:40

have an ongoing legitimate interest

in the public affairs of the United

2:58:402:58:46

Kingdom and of politics. Many have

spent all of their working lives in

2:58:462:58:50

the United Kingdom paying their

taxes and National Insurance and

2:58:502:58:53

they continue to have a direct

interest in their pension rights,

2:58:532:59:00

the future of their families in

particular, in the United Kingdom.

2:59:002:59:03

Many have moved to work, many didn't

have much choice and they will

2:59:032:59:07

eventually return home to the United

Kingdom on their retirement. Many

2:59:072:59:13

have the family connections they

would want to retain. And retain

2:59:132:59:19

those communications through those

unseen processes that maintain

2:59:192:59:24

British influence all over the

world. Our ambition I think is that

2:59:242:59:30

we should extend the franchise to

everybody who has a legitimate

2:59:302:59:39

interest and a desperately keen to

be part of our democracy. There are

2:59:392:59:44

people who are incredibly keen. Can

I make a point because it was quite

2:59:442:59:51

dramatic from me, about three weeks

ago gentleman named Harry Schindler,

2:59:512:59:58

some of you may have met him, came

all the way from Italy to Britain to

2:59:583:00:02

talk to me about this. He is an

incredible man. He is 97 years old.

3:00:023:00:06

He has the longest serving member of

the Labour Party.

3:00:063:00:17

He was an activist and he still is

an activist. He came all the way to

3:00:173:00:27

talk to me because the thing he

wants to do before he dies is a vote

3:00:273:00:32

again in a British election. That is

how important it is to some UK

3:00:323:00:37

citizens living overseas, to be able

to vote in our election and I give

3:00:373:00:41

way. I gave a previous mention that

to the member. Tier I am very sorry,

3:00:413:00:48

I was in the library and I didn't

notice the screen that the previous

3:00:483:00:51

debate had finished so I apologise

for being slightly late. My friend,

3:00:513:00:56

because I can call him that for

various reasons, mentions Harry

3:00:563:01:01

Shindler. He knows that I also was

at the meeting with Harry Shindler

3:01:013:01:07

here and I have known him for many

years and he has taken legal action

3:01:073:01:12

against the government, he took the

issue to the European Court and he

3:01:123:01:20

has resolutely done this because he

represents not just people in the

3:01:203:01:24

Labour Party but the whole community

of people with British heritage who

3:01:243:01:29

are living all over the world.

I

thank my honourable friend for that

3:01:293:01:36

intervention and I agree absolutely

with the point that he made. I think

3:01:363:01:41

if everybody in this House were to

meet and talk with Harry Schindler I

3:01:413:01:46

don't think we would have a single

person who was not a supporter of my

3:01:463:01:49

bill. I had promised to give way

previously and I give way

3:01:493:01:56

immediately afterwards.

Thank you. I

take my honourable friend. On a

3:01:563:02:01

practical point of us are scattered

far and wide with remote access to a

3:02:013:02:06

reliable postal service, so with

their provision in your bill,

3:02:063:02:10

congratulations for presenting it,

is their provision to use our

3:02:103:02:13

consulates and embassies as polling

stations to collect ballot papers

3:02:133:02:16

return them back to the UK?

What I

would say to my honourable member is

3:02:163:02:24

that there will be a lot of detail

involved in this Bill. I think it

3:02:243:02:29

will probably be dealt with in

committee and I hope it will go

3:02:293:02:32

through to committee and then we can

deal with it then and then the

3:02:323:02:35

Minister will respond and pick up on

that point.

I and most grateful to

3:02:353:02:41

my honourable friend and I wholly

support this measure. Does he agree

3:02:413:02:45

that many people were very hurt when

this parliament reduced the period

3:02:453:02:51

from 20 to 15 years quite

gratuitously, giving overseas voters

3:02:513:02:56

the impression that they were not

valued. Also, the marked contrast

3:02:563:03:00

between the way we deal with this

matter in this country and many

3:03:003:03:03

other countries, such as France,

which embrace their overseas voters,

3:03:033:03:09

wish them to maintain the link and

see them as valued and make every

3:03:093:03:14

effort to ensure that they can

participate in the national

3:03:143:03:16

political life of the country.

That

is another intervention that I

3:03:163:03:23

greatly welcome. It accords totally

with my thinking. I think it is

3:03:233:03:26

damaging and I think the principle

of almost putting a restriction at

3:03:263:03:31

all, we have moved away from having

it as a sensible measure and I want

3:03:313:03:34

to come to that point next but I'd

take another intervention burst.

3:03:343:03:38

Thank you for giving way. I would

like to echo the congratulations of

3:03:383:03:42

many in this chamber for bringing

this important bill. I want to

3:03:423:03:46

respond to his response to my

honourable friend from Bristol 's

3:03:463:03:49

question about how the voting must

happen because as one of the

3:03:493:03:54

co-original authors of this bill

when it was done by the government

3:03:543:03:57

in Cabinet Office, we looked at it

very closely and concluded that if

3:03:573:04:01

you have a multi-constituency

election it is incredibly

3:04:013:04:05

complicated to have different ballot

papers for every constituency in the

3:04:053:04:10

local post in which other country it

might be so it is superficially

3:04:103:04:15

possibly attractive idea but we felt

it was very difficult at the time

3:04:153:04:18

and perhaps the Minister can clarify

whether opinions have changed since

3:04:183:04:23

then.

Thank you. I am sure the

Minister will clarify because not

3:04:233:04:27

only have I invited it now but you

also have. May I just make one brief

3:04:273:04:34

point? I do just want to emphasise,

and I am sure other members will

3:04:343:04:43

experience this as well, the number

of people who have written to me

3:04:433:04:46

from overseas, people might not know

who they are but because of this dip

3:04:463:04:52

bill being debated they have written

to me completely unknown to me just

3:04:523:04:56

to thank the on the level of

appreciation that they have and the

3:04:563:04:59

importance they attached to being

able to vote in the British election

3:04:593:05:03

because they are British citizens.

It is huge and it really is

3:05:033:05:06

overwhelming and I am sure other

members have exactly the same

3:05:063:05:10

communications. Where was I?

May I

offer my sincere congratulations to

3:05:103:05:15

my honourable friend for bringing

this Bill forward? I have had a long

3:05:153:05:18

involvement in this matter and would

he agree with me that in this

3:05:183:05:23

centenary year of Emmeline Pankhurst

's efforts to get the women vote in

3:05:233:05:27

this country, the same thing must

apply to voters of over 15 years

3:05:273:05:32

longevity abroad. This would open up

the franchise potentially to another

3:05:323:05:37

1 million people and it must be the

protect -- correct thing to do.

I

3:05:373:05:43

agree with the intervention and I

want to make reference to that very

3:05:433:05:47

point later on.

I am struggling to

understand why there is such support

3:05:473:05:56

from the benches opposite for

extending the franchise and allowing

3:05:563:06:00

mention of a million more people

being able to vote and at the very

3:06:003:06:05

same time 16 and 17-year-olds are

being denied the vote in elections

3:06:053:06:09

here. Perhaps the member could deal

with that.

I would say that that is

3:06:093:06:17

a perfectly valid point to make but

it isn't a part of the bill. It

3:06:173:06:23

could easily be part of another bill

and then there will be a debate

3:06:233:06:27

about it. It is there enough because

there will be different views within

3:06:273:06:36

the governing party on that bill but

it is not a part of this Bill and I

3:06:363:06:40

think it would divert away from the

intention of what I am trying to

3:06:403:06:44

bring forward.

I would like to thank

you for bringing forward this Bill

3:06:443:06:48

and do underline the point that

while we have many areas of our

3:06:483:06:52

Constitution that are controversial

and partisan, this bill allows

3:06:523:06:57

ministers in the Cabinet Office, I

was struck by every single week I

3:06:573:07:01

had members of Parliament from all

sides of the House, particularly the

3:07:013:07:04

Labour Party, writing to me on

behalf of their constituents, asking

3:07:043:07:08

when the government would deliver on

this manifesto commitment, it is a

3:07:083:07:12

nonpartisan Bill which I think the

government would be wise to take it

3:07:123:07:16

forward in a nonpartisan approach

any advantage -- like the example of

3:07:163:07:20

Harry Shindler that he mentioned, a

labour activist, 97 years old who

3:07:203:07:23

fought in the battle of Anzac and

people like Harry need to pass this

3:07:233:07:29

bill to ensure we give back to them.

I thank the honourable member for

3:07:293:07:37

that intervention. I do think it is

important and it is important to me

3:07:373:07:40

that this is a nonpartisan Bill. I

bring this forward because I think

3:07:403:07:45

it is delivering justice to people,

UK citizens, living abroad. Clearly

3:07:453:07:52

it is important on my side because I

have asked the come and I am

3:07:523:07:56

overwhelmed by the personal support.

They also think it is a very

3:07:563:08:00

important issue as well. I would

like to move onto my second general

3:08:003:08:05

point. The importance to British

soft power across the world. We live

3:08:053:08:09

in an increasingly interdependent

world. The success and influence are

3:08:093:08:14

British citizens overseas,

particularly as we leave the

3:08:143:08:21

European Union, becomes ever more

important in Europe and around the

3:08:213:08:24

wider world. Our wider British

interests are served by the presence

3:08:243:08:30

of UK citizens, actively involved in

civic society and the countries in

3:08:303:08:34

which they live and actively

involved in businesses where they

3:08:343:08:38

are now living and in diplomatic

activity where they are now living.

3:08:383:08:42

It is a hugely important part where

the British voice can influence and

3:08:423:08:48

its presence is to great benefit and

interests of Britain and the last

3:08:483:08:51

thing that we want to do, absolutely

the last thing we across the world

3:08:513:08:58

is to discriminate against our own

citizens who moved overseas by

3:08:583:09:02

taking away their right to vote

after 15 years. It is a huge

3:09:023:09:09

mistake.

I'm grateful to my

honourable friend for giving way.

3:09:093:09:11

Would he agree with me that many of

these Brits living abroad are also

3:09:113:09:16

working for British companies and

the revenues from those British

3:09:163:09:19

companies also find many public

services in this country?

Indeed.

3:09:193:09:26

The importance of soft power, of

Britain exercising its influence

3:09:263:09:30

throughout the world, I think is

greatly benefited by having

3:09:303:09:34

criticisms and is active in British

politics through voting for members

3:09:343:09:40

of this House who are developing

their views and opinions and

3:09:403:09:43

influence on British businesses

overseas. The third point that I

3:09:433:09:48

wanted to speak generally of is what

has changed. We have heard reference

3:09:483:09:52

already to changing the limit from

22 15 and they used to be a

3:09:523:10:02

five-year limit and what has changed

in my view, as well as having

3:10:023:10:07

uncertainty through this

legislation, is the advent of the

3:10:073:10:10

Internet. What we have now, the

ability to keep in touch, the

3:10:103:10:16

rationale behind having a limit at

all is that after a certain period

3:10:163:10:19

of time people lose connection.

After 15 years it is thought that

3:10:193:10:24

they have lost touch with what is

happening in Britain, that they no

3:10:243:10:28

longer have that connection with

family and everything but, of

3:10:283:10:32

course, the whole advent of the

Internet completely change that.

3:10:323:10:35

What people are doing now is they

have the ease of connection, not

3:10:353:10:38

only do they have these of

connection through Facebook and

3:10:383:10:41

Skype and everything else, you also

have much cheaper flights, holiday

3:10:413:10:45

flights, access to travelling, and

the ability to connect across the

3:10:453:10:50

world now is such that to have a

limit at all on UK citizens abroad

3:10:503:10:55

just doesn't any longer make any

sense and have any relevance. It may

3:10:553:11:00

have done 15 years ago but it

certainly doesn't now. What I

3:11:003:11:05

finally want to do is what I am

trying to achieve today is that my

3:11:053:11:13

wish through this private members

bill is to extend the franchise to

3:11:133:11:19

what ever is reasonable to do so, to

British citizens. We normally have

3:11:193:11:26

reference to 100 years ago and that

is what we have been doing for the

3:11:263:11:29

last 100 years, step-by-step, and

only recently we had the centenary

3:11:293:11:35

really of when it was one of the

biggest extension of the franchise

3:11:353:11:39

that we saw in our history and I

just genuinely believe that this is

3:11:393:11:43

the right extension. It is a limited

extension. It is to our franchise

3:11:433:11:50

and our Parliament and removing the

limit of residency of people abroad.

3:11:503:11:57

If they are British citizens they

should be able to vote in a British,

3:11:573:12:00

UK, parliamentary election. My hope

is that members of this Parliament,

3:12:003:12:08

and I think it is a wonderful

Parliament. Watching the debate

3:12:083:12:12

earlier today you realise just how

wonderful a parliament it is. We are

3:12:123:12:17

all privileged to serve in it and I

very much hope that through this

3:12:173:12:22

Bill we will ensure that UK citizens

abroad who still cared deeply and

3:12:223:12:28

deeply feel British, as, indeed,

Harry Shindler does, all of those

3:12:283:12:32

people will feel that they can

participate in the parliamentary

3:12:323:12:35

democracy with us. I will but I will

have to think of something else to

3:12:353:12:41

some speech afterwards but I will.

I

am extremely interested in what the

3:12:413:12:45

honourable gentleman has to say but

I am intrigued by the election one

3:12:453:12:48

egg which refers to the constituency

linkage and I have to say that as

3:12:483:12:52

part of the bill proposing that if

someone lives in a property that is

3:12:523:12:56

subsequently demolished, maybe a

hole in the ground or a sheep farm

3:12:563:12:59

in mid Wales for all I know, they

still have a vote in respect of that

3:12:593:13:05

constituency. I have to say it

sounds a little like rotten

3:13:053:13:10

boroughs, is he absolutely confident

that a property that no longer

3:13:103:13:13

exists should still be the basis for

someone to still have a boat in

3:13:133:13:17

perpetuity and, if the honourable

gentleman for Beckenham is correct,

3:13:173:13:21

his or her grandson 's

great-grandson is into time

3:13:213:13:23

immemorial?

If people are a UK

citizen then in my view they should

3:13:233:13:31

have the right to vote in the UK

general election, and it is as

3:13:313:13:36

simple as that. To introduce some

arbitrary timescale of 15 years or

3:13:363:13:41

20 years or five years it is just

not appropriate. Just to introduce

3:13:413:13:47

an arbitrary timescale on how long

or how awful we should have lived

3:13:473:13:51

here. Having arbitrary timescale is

only means it has to come back at

3:13:513:13:55

future debate for further debate.

Let's get rid of this limitation all

3:13:553:13:59

together and make it straightforward

that UK citizens can vote in UK

3:13:593:14:03

elections and let that beard.

3:14:033:14:10

The question is that the bill now be

ready second time.

Thank you. The 13

3:14:103:14:19

North American colonies south of the

great Lakes fought a bloody war of

3:14:193:14:24

independence from the jurisdiction

of this place, largely on the basis

3:14:243:14:29

of the slogan, no taxation without

representation. It was a very good

3:14:293:14:36

point, a fundamental constitutional

point. It was wrong that they should

3:14:363:14:40

have been forced to pay taxes but

has absolutely no say in what those

3:14:403:14:46

taxes should be. Maybe, if the

voices of reason in Britain at the

3:14:463:14:52

time, had been listened to, the

Americans might not have felt the

3:14:523:14:57

need to leave the British

jurisdiction. Maybe, if the American

3:14:573:15:02

colonists and, by extension, as our

political and social awareness

3:15:023:15:06

progressed into the 20th century,

the Native Americans as well, had

3:15:063:15:10

been allowed to vote for

parliamentary representatives and

3:15:103:15:15

had said those parliamentary

representatives to this place and

3:15:153:15:18

that pattern had been followed in

the British colonies around the

3:15:183:15:22

world, our country might have been

able to found a worldwide

3:15:223:15:28

Commonwealth of Nations based on

democracy, equality and worked

3:15:283:15:32

steadily away from a world based on

warfare between nations and racial

3:15:323:15:36

resentment. Madam Deputy Speaker,

leaving aside the thought is that

3:15:363:15:43

the world might have been a very

much better place if that war of

3:15:433:15:47

independence had never been filed, I

would like to suggest that the

3:15:473:15:52

slogan no taxation without

representation actually works

3:15:523:15:55

perfectly well the other way round.

No representation without taxation.

3:15:553:16:02

I will give way.

I may be

misunderstanding the honourable

3:16:023:16:08

gentleman's point, but is he

suggesting that paying income tax

3:16:083:16:13

should be a qualification for

franchise? I thank the honourable

3:16:133:16:17

member for his intervention and

clearly I will address that points

3:16:173:16:21

later on. No, I am not suggesting

that. What I am suggesting is that

3:16:213:16:25

if you work within a policy in which

taxation levels being sets, then you

3:16:253:16:34

should have decisions about how that

is being set. I will come to that

3:16:343:16:38

later in my speech. I will give way.

I am extremely grateful. Is he

3:16:383:16:43

saying that someone who has worked

and contributed taxation for 20, 30,

3:16:433:16:48

40 years and then retires abroad and

lives abroad for the next 20 or 30

3:16:483:16:54

years is somehow disenfranchised

even though they have paid taxes to

3:16:543:16:57

this country?

I am saying something

very similar to my honourable

3:16:573:17:03

friend, yes, because if you are

living in a country and paying taxes

3:17:033:17:07

and working in that country, you're

also pension rights and you are also

3:17:073:17:13

contributing to the society in which

you live and that society then has

3:17:133:17:18

some obligations towards you if you

decide to move abroad and that is a

3:17:183:17:22

very good point and I will come to

that later on in my speech. But what

3:17:223:17:26

I am not prepared to accept is that

somebody living in a country which

3:17:263:17:32

is other than the country that they

are making decisions for can set a

3:17:323:17:37

level of taxation in the country

that they are not living in in

3:17:373:17:41

favour of the people. I will give

way.

I think I'm interpreting from

3:17:413:17:50

his remarks that far from seeking to

remove the restriction on the

3:17:503:17:57

duration under which people can

vote, he is seeking to tighten it.

3:17:573:18:02

He is arguing that there should be

no right to vote for any citizen

3:18:023:18:08

living abroad, is that what he is

saying?

I am going to reach that

3:18:083:18:12

stage at some stage in my speech. I

thank you for your intervention. I

3:18:123:18:16

have to say that I have only

actually got through one paragraph

3:18:163:18:20

so far and there are a large number

of points that I wish to make and I

3:18:203:18:24

can't make all of them

instantaneously and so therefore I

3:18:243:18:28

can address the points in random

level depending on when people on

3:18:283:18:33

the opposite benches want to raise

them or I can address them in the

3:18:333:18:37

order in which I have written them

down. It is entirely up to you which

3:18:373:18:41

way do you want to take them.

Would

he care to comment on the several

3:18:413:18:49

million UK citizens who pay no tax

in this country yet have a perfect

3:18:493:18:53

right to vote? Whitty also care to

comment on those people who are

3:18:533:18:58

overseas for more than 15 years who

have no right to vote on how their

3:18:583:19:02

pensions, how their health service

and a number of other UK taxpayer

3:19:023:19:06

provided services are provided?

I

would be delighted to address the

3:19:063:19:11

pension point and, indeed, the point

about people who do not currently

3:19:113:19:15

pay taxes and I will come to both of

those issues later on in my speech

3:19:153:19:19

and I think the honourable member

for his intervention. He has

3:19:193:19:22

mentioned some very sensible points

which, I assure you, I will address.

3:19:223:19:29

OK, so, Madam Deputy Speaker... No

representation without taxation. I

3:19:293:19:38

do not know who said taxes are at

the way we pay for a civilised

3:19:383:19:43

society, but I believe it is

certainly as true today as it was

3:19:433:19:47

when it was sad. None of us can

imagine a society with no police

3:19:473:19:52

force, no health service, no

education, no courts, no transport

3:19:523:19:58

systems, no mechanism for

adjudication between those of

3:19:583:20:01

differing views. Does the honourable

member want me to give way or is he

3:20:013:20:04

just chuntering? Well, if you were

to listen to it, you might hear how

3:20:043:20:12

wonderful it was.

Can we not have

this dialogue across the chamber? I

3:20:123:20:19

think we need to listen to Sandy

Martin and what he has got to say

3:20:193:20:24

and not so much chuntering. Sandy

Martin.

Thank you very much for your

3:20:243:20:30

adjudication. I wholeheartedly

concur. None of us would imagine a

3:20:303:20:36

society where none of the services

that we currently pay taxes for

3:20:363:20:39

would operate. We wouldn't have the

services available if we did not

3:20:393:20:45

have a taxation system which enables

us to pay for them. The country

3:20:453:20:49

would not be governable, it wouldn't

be governed in any meaningful sense

3:20:493:20:52

of the word. In fact, there would be

complete anarchy. So when we vote,

3:20:523:20:57

we are voting for a system of

Government which enables us to play

3:20:573:21:01

a part in the decisions that we take

about how much tax to Levy, who to

3:21:013:21:06

levy the taxes on, what to levy them

on, what to spend those taxes on and

3:21:063:21:12

how to make sure that no person in

our society is ignored. And that we

3:21:123:21:17

all have a say in the taxes and the

expenditure that will have a direct

3:21:173:21:22

impact on our lives. Madam Deputy

Speaker, we go to some lengths in

3:21:223:21:29

this House to ensure that honourable

members from Scotland's do not vote

3:21:293:21:35

on decisions that only affect

England and Wales. Or on how the

3:21:353:21:38

taxes raised from people in England

and Wales are spent on services in

3:21:383:21:42

England and Wales. It is not

relevant whether the honourable

3:21:423:21:48

member for a Scottish seat happens

to have been born in England if the

3:21:483:21:53

issue before us is an issue that

only affects people living in

3:21:533:21:57

England, it is wrong for a member of

any of their constituents from

3:21:573:22:01

Scotland to make decisions which

affect a policy that is inhabited by

3:22:013:22:05

others and which does not affect

their own polity. I will give way.

3:22:053:22:12

There is a big difference between

electoral representatives and the

3:22:123:22:17

constituents themselves. That would

be roughly around 3 million British

3:22:173:22:19

expats who will be watching this

debate on their news channels across

3:22:193:22:23

the world. Is he really saying that

the Labour Party, the Labour Party

3:22:233:22:28

is now saying to all those British

expats that they have made no

3:22:283:22:31

contribution or are making no

contribution to British life and to

3:22:313:22:34

our British state?

I thank the

honourable member for his

3:22:343:22:40

intervention, but I am not saying

any such thing. First of all, can I

3:22:403:22:46

remind the honourable member, as my

honourable friends are telling me

3:22:463:22:50

from behind, that this is a Private

members Bill. It is not about the

3:22:503:22:54

Labour Party position. Secondly, I

am not in any way seeking to remove

3:22:543:22:58

the right to vote from those people

who already have it. I think there

3:22:583:23:02

is a sensible cut-off point, but

what I will come onto later on is

3:23:023:23:08

that I do not believe that extending

that sensible cut-off point ad

3:23:083:23:12

infinitum is necessarily a sensible

way forward. I will come to this

3:23:123:23:19

point later on, that not all people

who have lived in this country and

3:23:193:23:23

have contributed to the economy of

this country are voting or have got

3:23:233:23:27

the means to vote or, indeed in many

cases, the right to vote. I will

3:23:273:23:32

give way.

Sitting on to select

committees with my right honourable

3:23:323:23:40

friend, and I gratefully enjoy his

contributions, but can I perhaps

3:23:403:23:43

urging today to limit his

contributions in line of the

3:23:433:23:48

important bill that is coming next

so we have a chance of dealing with

3:23:483:23:52

it?

I hear my honourable friend's

contribution. Unfortunately, I don't

3:23:523:23:57

agree with him. I think that whether

or not this bill proceeds is Atchley

3:23:573:24:01

more important than whether we get

to the next bill, I am sorry. So,

3:24:013:24:10

when somebody in this country votes

to elect a member of Parliament who

3:24:103:24:14

will share their views on taxes or

services in this country, will seek

3:24:143:24:18

to put into practice and overarching

political philosophy with which they

3:24:183:24:22

both agree, the issue is not whether

any particular or individual tax is

3:24:223:24:27

one which is levied on a particular

voter or any particular public

3:24:273:24:32

service is one which a particular

voter benefits from at any one time,

3:24:323:24:37

it is about whether the voter lives

within the jurisdiction of which

3:24:373:24:43

those decisions on tax and spending

holds sway. When I was unemployed,

3:24:433:24:48

and in receipt of benefits, I was

quite legitimately able to vote for

3:24:483:24:53

a political party which sought to

levy a proper level of taxation on

3:24:533:24:58

those who earned well above the

average on the understanding that I

3:24:583:25:03

was living with in such a polity, I

had a perfectly legitimate view

3:25:033:25:07

about how well should be distributed

within the polity in which I lived

3:25:073:25:11

and that it was entirely possible

that I would eventually be a

3:25:113:25:16

taxpayer myself. I have to say,

Madam Deputy Speaker, I have not

3:25:163:25:24

changed my views on benefit rates or

an taxation rates now that I am

3:25:243:25:27

earning significantly more in a

single year even after taxation,

3:25:273:25:30

national insurance, pension payments

and everything else than I've

3:25:303:25:33

received in benefits in all the time

that I claimed. I have to say, Madam

3:25:333:25:40

Deputy Speaker, that I believe I

ought to be paying considerably more

3:25:403:25:43

in taxation than I am, although I

need to point out that... As the

3:25:433:25:52

honourable member has given an

intervention from a seated position,

3:25:523:25:57

I will take the liberty of answering

that. I did not want to make it part

3:25:573:26:02

of my speech because I did not want

to blow my own trumpet, however I

3:26:023:26:05

have made a conscious and public

decision to donate part of my income

3:26:053:26:10

to good causes in Ipswich simply

because I don't believe I am paying

3:26:103:26:13

as much tax as I too and I'm sure

there are other honourable members

3:26:133:26:17

who do exactly same thing.

He will

be aware that if he wants to pay

3:26:173:26:25

more tax, he is perfectly entitled

to. You can write HMRC and pay more

3:26:253:26:30

tax if you personally believe you

are not paying enough. By all means,

3:26:303:26:33

go ahead and pay more.

I thank the

honourable member but I am in my own

3:26:333:26:38

way already doing such a thing

although not via HMRC. I will give

3:26:383:26:44

way.

I am slightly concerned that we

do seem to be meandering down some

3:26:443:26:48

sort of byways when I think rather

than concentrating specifically on

3:26:483:26:53

the honourable gentleman's speech

and the bill that is before us. I

3:26:533:26:57

have to say, as a passionate

pro-European remainder, I wish more

3:26:573:27:01

people overseas would have been able

to vote as I'm sure they would have

3:27:013:27:06

voted to do the sensible thing and

remain in Europe. This may seem a

3:27:063:27:10

philosophical point but it seems

very practical, if you live in

3:27:103:27:13

another country, should you not be

integrating within the polity of

3:27:133:27:16

that country? By all means, have 15

years to continue to vote for the

3:27:163:27:21

motherland, but after that,

shouldn't you be involved and

3:27:213:27:24

concerns in the politics of that

country? If you want to live there,

3:27:243:27:28

should you not be concentrating your

vote in the country in which you

3:27:283:27:30

live rather in the country in which

you used to live at least 15 years

3:27:303:27:38

ago?

I thank the honourable member,

and he makes exactly the point which

3:27:383:27:40

is at the centre of my argument. No,

I apologise for not having made it

3:27:403:27:47

as clear as I ought to have done

already. That is the main point I am

3:27:473:27:51

seeking to make. I am happy to give

way to the honourable lady.

I to sit

3:27:513:27:58

on the same select committee as the

honourable gentleman and the

3:27:583:28:02

honourable member for Swansea. I

detect some length in the remarks

3:28:023:28:07

that are coming from the honourable

gentleman at the moment which is

3:28:073:28:10

going to hold up reaching a very

important bill for his honourable

3:28:103:28:15

colleague. Can I just say, what

about the skilled engineers and

3:28:153:28:21

skilled people who go abroad to work

abroad, leaving their families here?

3:28:213:28:26

After 15 years working abroad, does

he say they have no right to vote

3:28:263:28:32

back here? If they are working

abroad and is merely come home to

3:28:323:28:34

visit? Are you going to exclude

them? Is that the idea, so that if

3:28:343:28:38

people do spread their skills and

expertise of British workmanship and

3:28:383:28:43

science, etc, you will remove their

right to vote?

I think the right

3:28:433:28:48

honourable lady is mistaken in this.

I hesitate to say that because I

3:28:483:28:56

know that she has been a member of

this House for a very, very much

3:28:563:28:59

longer time than I have and has a

wealth of experience which I do not

3:28:593:29:02

have, however, I believe it is the

case that if somebody has family in

3:29:023:29:06

this country and is resident in this

country but travels abroad for the

3:29:063:29:10

majority of the year, they still

remain a voter and a resident in

3:29:103:29:13

this country.

I am giving you the

example of someone being a resident

3:29:133:29:21

in another country because of a

long-term contract and long-term

3:29:213:29:24

expertise. Effectively, the

honourable gentleman is saying that

3:29:243:29:27

those people would have the right to

be removed after 15 years if he is

3:29:273:29:31

happy to even leave it to 15 years?

I thank the right honourable lady

3:29:313:29:35

Fred intervention, however I would

suggest to her that if somebody has

3:29:353:29:40

entered into a contract which lasts

for more than 15 years, which

3:29:403:29:47

involves them in living in another

country for the Hall of that more

3:29:473:29:51

than 15 year period and they take

their family out with them to live

3:29:513:29:54

in that other countries for more

than 15 years, then the overall

3:29:543:29:58

likelihood is that they are going to

stay in that other country and even

3:29:583:30:01

if they are not going to stay in

that other country, it would be

3:30:013:30:05

quite difficult to make a

distinction between a meaningful

3:30:053:30:10

distinction between moving to

another country with your family for

3:30:103:30:13

more than 15 years for emigration.

3:30:133:30:25

Clearly if the producers and lives

in another country for more than 15

3:30:253:30:28

years and then after 17 years moves

back to this country then clearly

3:30:283:30:31

they would regain their voting

rights once they moved back to this

3:30:313:30:34

country. I am happy to give way.

I

think it will give away and I thank

3:30:343:30:39

him for the speech today but it is

very confusing for people to listen

3:30:393:30:42

to and the expat community to listen

to because it is factually

3:30:423:30:47

incorrect. Spain, for instance, in

2006 signed a treaty with the UK

3:30:473:30:52

that means that residents can choose

whether to pay tax in the UK or

3:30:523:30:56

Spain and a great number of expats

actually play their tax to the UK

3:30:563:31:01

which sort of makes the core of his

argument null and void and I would

3:31:013:31:05

suggest that potentially here allows

the rest of the chamber to discuss

3:31:053:31:09

the merits of this very important

bill that will enfranchise

3:31:093:31:14

thousands, if not millions of

potential voters around the world.

I

3:31:143:31:20

thank the honourable lady for her

intervention but I doubt there are 3

3:31:203:31:25

million British expats living in

Spain and paying taxes to the

3:31:253:31:31

British Treasury. The vast majority

of the people who will be affected

3:31:313:31:35

by this bill are not people who are

paying taxes to Britain while living

3:31:353:31:39

in Spain. If there were a particular

statutory instrument or a particular

3:31:393:31:47

move to change the situation for

people in Spain it would be a

3:31:473:31:51

different matter.

It is

oversimplified because they could be

3:31:513:31:53

pensions that are still taxed at

source in the UK and the majority do

3:31:533:31:57

at that, being over the pensionable

age so the whole argument is

3:31:573:32:03

completely oversimplified and the

member is trying to base his

3:32:033:32:08

argument on linking voting to

taxation which is impossible to do.

3:32:083:32:13

Well, it is an interesting point and

I am sure we could have a very long

3:32:133:32:16

discussion about it across the table

and I would be very interested to be

3:32:163:32:20

educated in all of these matters by

the honourable lady, however the

3:32:203:32:25

bill itself is extremely simple and

it extends the franchise to every

3:32:253:32:31

British citizen everywhere in the

world for ever and I think that is

3:32:313:32:34

fairly simplified and certainly not

particularly nuanced towards the

3:32:343:32:40

individual cases that she is talking

about. I am happy to give way.

Does

3:32:403:32:44

he not find it strange that from a

party that has made registration in

3:32:443:32:49

this country as difficult as they

can make it and also are against

3:32:493:32:54

votes for 16 and 17-year-olds, it is

a strange paradox that they are in

3:32:543:32:59

favour of extending it to everyone

around the world.

I thank my

3:32:593:33:05

honourable friend for his

intervention and he is absolutely

3:33:053:33:06

right. It is clearly an issue and

there is a certain amount of double

3:33:063:33:11

standards going on here and it is an

issue I have already come to -- I

3:33:113:33:15

will come to later in my speech.

Further to that point, does he also

3:33:153:33:20

not think that it is rather strange

that we still do not give EU

3:33:203:33:26

citizens who may have lived here for

many years the vote the Conservative

3:33:263:33:33

Party opposite has no inclination at

helping people who live here and pay

3:33:333:33:36

taxes here and contribute to this

country to be able to vote and they

3:33:363:33:39

should be our first priority rather

than trying to reach out to people

3:33:393:33:43

who do not necessarily contribute to

this country any more.

I thank my

3:33:433:33:48

honourable friend for the

intervention and I think there is a

3:33:483:33:51

very important and powerful point

here. As part of the European Union

3:33:513:33:54

we have had a very good arrangement,

I believe, with other European

3:33:543:34:01

countries that where people are

voting in local elections they vote

3:34:013:34:04

in the local election where they

live and clearly if you are living

3:34:043:34:09

in a particular bar or a particular

district and you are voting for that

3:34:093:34:12

borough or that district you are

receiving services from the borough

3:34:123:34:17

or that district that you are voting

for and you are paying the council

3:34:173:34:20

tax level that you have voted for

and I think the arrangement works

3:34:203:34:24

extremely well. I have always found

it a little odd that people who have

3:34:243:34:29

been living in this country for many

years who are registered as French

3:34:293:34:37

citizens or Italian citizens should

be voting in French or Italian

3:34:373:34:40

elections if they have been living

here for 20 years and clearly are

3:34:403:34:44

not actually taking part in French

or Italian society. I think there

3:34:443:34:49

would be a very sensible move

towards people voting at every level

3:34:493:34:57

of vote for their party in which

they live and that is a central part

3:34:573:35:00

of what I'm trying to get it. When

we vote we are voting about things

3:35:003:35:03

that affect ourselves and when we

vote as MPs in this place we are

3:35:033:35:09

voting for things that affect our

constituents. We should not be

3:35:093:35:12

voting for things which do not

affect our constituents and people

3:35:123:35:17

who vote in general should not be

voting for things which will never

3:35:173:35:20

affect them, which will not affect

the shape of the society in which

3:35:203:35:25

they live and so, Madam Deputy

Speaker, I have had a very

3:35:253:35:33

legitimate view about how wealth

should be distributed where I was

3:35:333:35:38

living, even when I was underpaid

but I have not changed those views

3:35:383:35:47

and as I was about to say before the

various interventions in my view

3:35:473:35:54

that I should be paying more

taxation is actually not the policy

3:35:543:35:59

of my party. I am being a little bit

more radical here than my party

3:35:593:36:04

leadership because our taxation

proposals in the manifesto we put to

3:36:043:36:07

the British voters last year did not

increase personal taxation for

3:36:073:36:11

anyone on income under 80,000. Be

that as it may, I live in this party

3:36:113:36:17

and I voted for representatives in

the past and I am now able to take

3:36:173:36:21

my place to represent others who

wish me to secure a well regulated

3:36:213:36:25

country which pays its taxes, which

provides its services and which I am

3:36:253:36:35

intimately am personally involved

in. The issue of 15 years is clearly

3:36:353:36:41

crucial because if, as The Right

Honourable lady intimated, I cannot

3:36:413:36:51

remember where she represents, I am

so sorry, Chesham and Amersham. If

3:36:513:36:56

The Right Honourable lady for

Chesham and Amersham were to travel

3:36:563:37:01

to another country for two years on

sabbatical to show them for instance

3:37:013:37:07

how it would be sensible for them to

set up by bicameral parliamentary

3:37:073:37:13

system, I am sure that they would be

extremely grateful for the expertise

3:37:133:37:17

that she has in that area and I am

sure that our citizens of the world

3:37:173:37:22

who want to see other countries

being properly governed and

3:37:223:37:25

regulated we would all be delighted

that she had gone to show them that

3:37:253:37:30

expertise and it would be entirely

reasonable if a general election

3:37:303:37:34

were to come up during the course of

those two years for The Right

3:37:343:37:39

Honourable lady not to be allowed to

vote in the general election.

3:37:393:37:44

Unless, of course, she happened to

be elevated to the other House in

3:37:443:37:48

the meantime so as long as she is a

member of this House, like the rest

3:37:483:37:53

of us, she will be able to vote in

the next general election whether

3:37:533:37:58

she is in this country or abroad.

But I do think that there is a point

3:37:583:38:04

at which we have to ask whether

people are living in this country.

3:38:043:38:09

If you are abroad for more than 15

years I would venture to suppose

3:38:093:38:16

that if you have got family you

would want to take your immediate

3:38:163:38:20

family with you and anybody who

decides they want to live abroad

3:38:203:38:23

permanently for 15 years, completely

abroad for 15 years and not take

3:38:233:38:27

their family with obviously doesn't

want to stay with their family

3:38:273:38:30

anyway and the idea that you should

be able to vote for something for a

3:38:303:38:36

government that you thought would be

better for your family but you

3:38:363:38:39

actually do not when your family

with you is a bit bizarre. So

3:38:393:38:45

clearly somebody goes abroad unless

abroad for more than 15 years and

3:38:453:38:49

takes their family with them the

overwhelming assumption and the

3:38:493:38:52

clear picture that it gives to

people out there looking at what

3:38:523:38:58

people are doing would be that these

people have decided to live in

3:38:583:39:02

another country and these people had

emigrated. We have a proud history

3:39:023:39:08

of emigration in this country and

people have emigrated to Canada, to

3:39:083:39:13

South America, to South Africa, to

Australia, and they have helped to

3:39:133:39:19

build thriving society in all parts

of the globe and they all vote for,

3:39:193:39:25

or almost all of them, vote for the

governments of those countries and

3:39:253:39:30

quite rightly so. And when Canada

and Australia and South Africa were

3:39:303:39:36

dominions of this country they voted

for the governments of those

3:39:363:39:39

dominions and quite rightly so and

that was a sensible approach to

3:39:393:39:44

people's representative and

electoral rights because they were

3:39:443:39:47

voting for people who actually had

power to make decisions over the

3:39:473:39:52

lives they were leading in those

countries. If this bill had been

3:39:523:39:58

passed in 1815 and we had been given

people who moved abroad the right to

3:39:583:40:05

vote in the last constituency they

happen to be in before they

3:40:053:40:08

emigrated for the rest of their

lives, then how could we have set up

3:40:083:40:14

a thriving and independent political

body in those are other parts of the

3:40:143:40:18

world? How could we possibly have

expected the people of this country

3:40:183:40:22

who were still living in this

country to be happy with a situation

3:40:223:40:25

where every time there was a general

election all the people who had

3:40:253:40:29

decided to move to Canada or

Australia or South Africa and their

3:40:293:40:35

descendants had more of an electoral

say over how this country was

3:40:353:40:39

governed than the people who

actually stayed here and lift it? If

3:40:393:40:42

we give the right to vote in British

general elections to British

3:40:423:40:48

citizens for the rest of their

lives, irrespective of whether they

3:40:483:40:52

are living in this country, then it

presumably extends to their children

3:40:523:40:55

if their children are British

citizens, even though their children

3:40:553:40:57

are not living in this country and

if we were to do that for the

3:40:573:41:04

children of the children, where does

it end? You may well have a

3:41:043:41:08

situation where a file and had gone

down this route where there would

3:41:083:41:11

have been far more people in New

York voting in Irish general

3:41:113:41:15

elections than there were in Ireland

voting in Irish general elections.

3:41:153:41:18

The clear point is that if someone

is to vote in an election they need

3:41:183:41:23

to be affected by the vote that they

are taking and it needs to be... I

3:41:233:41:28

am happy to give way.

Does he not

agree with me that it is bizarre in

3:41:283:41:37

other countries when elections are

extended to generations after

3:41:373:41:42

generations and the election

actually takes place a large

3:41:423:41:44

proportion outside of the very

country that the electorate is

3:41:443:41:48

happening. An example would be the

Italian election. When I was in

3:41:483:41:53

Buenos Aires the other year the

situation was that the campaign in

3:41:533:41:57

Buenos Aires on the street was not

about an Argentinian election, it

3:41:573:42:02

was about an Italian election,

posters on the streets and election

3:42:023:42:06

campaigns and politicians flying

over from Italy to boil saris. A

3:42:063:42:10

rather bizarre situation where the

Italians have to start fighting

3:42:103:42:15

elections in other countries to win

an election in Italy. This was

3:42:153:42:21

surely undermining the concept of

ruling Britain for British sake and

3:42:213:42:24

in the end foreign influences would

come into this parliament which is a

3:42:243:42:29

bizarre situation.

I fully accept

and agree with my honourable friend

3:42:293:42:33

's intervention and in fact in 2016

we had a vote which was not one

3:42:333:42:43

exactly in the direction which I

would have supported but nonetheless

3:42:433:42:46

was about to take back control of

our own country and I think when

3:42:463:42:49

people were voting to take back

control of their own country they

3:42:493:42:52

were not voting to allow somebody

who has lived in the Caribbean or in

3:42:523:42:58

Australia or in South Africa and

intends to continue to live there

3:42:583:43:02

and has been there for more than 15

years to take back control of this

3:43:023:43:07

country. I think that the most of

the majority of this country would

3:43:073:43:12

not believe that people who are

clearly not going to be living in

3:43:123:43:15

this country in the future should

vote in elections in this country.

3:43:153:43:21

As I said, clearly, if somebody has

moved abroad for two or three or

3:43:213:43:26

four years and then we'll be coming

back it makes perfect sense for the

3:43:263:43:31

British citizen to allow them to

vote in elections for a national

3:43:313:43:36

government which will affect their

lives when they come back but we do

3:43:363:43:40

have to have a cut-off point. I know

that the cut-off point is currently

3:43:403:43:45

15 years. If it is not necessarily

the cut-off point that I would

3:43:453:43:51

choose, I think that all of these

arguments have been gone through

3:43:513:43:54

early Iraq when the cut-off point

was set so it would probably make

3:43:543:43:57

sense to keep it that way. --

earlier on when the cut-off point

3:43:573:44:01

was that. There is a clear sense

from the benches opposite that this

3:44:013:44:06

bill is designed to deal with an

injustice and so I want to address

3:44:063:44:12

the idea of injustice and in

particular the idea of injustice

3:44:123:44:17

with respect to pensions and I come

onto part of the points made by my

3:44:173:44:21

honourable friend sitting behind me

which is that if somebody has worked

3:44:213:44:29

for the majority of their lives in

this country and has contributed to

3:44:293:44:35

the economy of this country and

contributed to the Society of this

3:44:353:44:38

country and in particular has

contributed through the national

3:44:383:44:42

Insurance system, it is perfectly

legitimate and right that they

3:44:423:44:46

should collect the same pension

irrespective of whether they happen

3:44:463:44:50

to be living in this country or in

another country and we currently

3:44:503:44:55

have a situation across the world

which is deeply unjust about the

3:44:553:45:00

level of pensions that people can

collect. Most people, apart from the

3:45:003:45:04

people who actually live in those

countries, do not realise just how

3:45:043:45:07

I'm just the situation is.

3:45:073:45:12

Although, I'm sure I will be accused

by one of the members on the

3:45:123:45:17

opposite benches of being simplistic

or simple find this, it basically

3:45:173:45:20

boils down to the fact that if

people have retired to a

3:45:203:45:26

Commonwealth country, then the value

of their pension diminishes a way to

3:45:263:45:31

almost nothing whereas if they have

retired to the United States or

3:45:313:45:36

several other non-Commonwealth

countries, then they continue to get

3:45:363:45:39

their pension upgraded to match what

it would have been if they had

3:45:393:45:42

stayed in this country. I will

repeat that for those people who

3:45:423:45:45

didn't here is the first time or who

think I might have got it round the

3:45:453:45:50

wrong way because it is so

counterintuitive, so clearly and

3:45:503:45:54

manifestly unjust that it deserves

repetition. If somebody moves to a

3:45:543:46:01

Commonwealth country, then the value

of their pension diminishes away to

3:46:013:46:05

nothing whereas if they move to a

United States or some other

3:46:053:46:11

non-Commonwealth countries, then the

value of their pension continues to

3:46:113:46:15

grow alongside the value of pensions

in this country. This is just, it is

3:46:153:46:20

discriminatory against other members

of the Commonwealth. -- this is

3:46:203:46:27

clearly and just. I have no idea how

it arose. It should have been dealt

3:46:273:46:32

with years ago and it is time that

it is dealt with now. Why is that

3:46:323:46:37

not the issue that is being

addressed by this Bill? Why is this

3:46:373:46:40

bill addressing a manufactured

injustice about voting rights when

3:46:403:46:46

it should be addressing an injustice

about the level of pensions that

3:46:463:46:52

people ought to be receiving when

they are living in other countries?

3:46:523:46:55

I am happy to give way.

He has

referred to this as a manufactured

3:46:553:47:00

injustice. Can I say, as the

honorary president of Labour

3:47:003:47:06

International, Labour Party members

all over the world will be outraged

3:47:063:47:09

that he is referring to this as a

manufactured injustice. It is an

3:47:093:47:14

injustice, is maybe that there are

other injustices, many of them he is

3:47:143:47:18

referring to, but it is wrong to say

this is a issue.

Well, I apologise

3:47:183:47:26

if I have upset the honourable

member and I know that he has done a

3:47:263:47:31

lot of work with Labour voters and

potential Labour voters in other

3:47:313:47:37

countries. Clearly, if people are

living in other countries for

3:47:373:47:40

limited periods of time and, at the

moment, we have a 15 year cut-off,

3:47:403:47:46

clearly it makes perfect sense to

enable those people who are allowed

3:47:463:47:49

to vote up to that 15 years to vote

for the party that they want to vote

3:47:493:47:54

for and I honour and applaud the

work that he has done in encouraging

3:47:543:47:59

those people who are eligible to

vote within those 15 years to vote.

3:47:593:48:04

However, I think there has to be a

cut-off point. I do not think it

3:48:043:48:08

makes sense and I do not think it

would make sense whether it was a

3:48:083:48:12

Labour Government or a Conservative

Government, whether a Labour voter

3:48:123:48:15

or a conservative voter, whether

living in Spain or South Africa, I

3:48:153:48:19

do not think it makes sense for us

to assume that once somebody has

3:48:193:48:23

moved abroad and looks likely to

live in another country for the rest

3:48:233:48:28

of their lives, that they should

still be voting in this country

3:48:283:48:30

until the end of their lives. We

have situations where doctors, for

3:48:303:48:37

instance, a doctor who came to this

country from Jamaica and might have

3:48:373:48:41

worked all her life, put enormous

amount of money into her pension and

3:48:413:48:48

then decides when she retires to

move back to be with her family in

3:48:483:48:54

Jamaica and sees the value of her

pension dwindling into nothing

3:48:543:48:58

whereas somebody who may retire to

Florida with a very large sum of

3:48:583:49:04

money of their own will be able to

also see the value of their pension

3:49:043:49:09

upgraded year on year in line with

pensions in this country. If there

3:49:093:49:16

were any injustice that needed to be

addressed, this surely is one that

3:49:163:49:20

should be addressed first. Now, we

also have the issue of the security

3:49:203:49:26

of the poll. We have a clear

situation where the Government is

3:49:263:49:34

wanting people to show security ID

when they go to vote and I think

3:49:343:49:39

that makes a lot of sense, although

I would like the Government to be

3:49:393:49:43

doing more to make sure that

everybody who does go to vote is

3:49:433:49:48

enabled and encouraged and shown how

to carry their ID because we want to

3:49:483:49:52

make sure that when people vote,

they are eligible to vote. But I

3:49:523:49:55

fail to see how we can actually

ensured that anybody who is living

3:49:553:50:01

in another country doesn't register

more than once or doesn't vote more

3:50:013:50:06

than once or, indeed, how do we make

sure that they show their ID if they

3:50:063:50:10

are not actually in this country at

all? So we need to make sure that if

3:50:103:50:16

we are going to have the security of

the poll, all polling districts, all

3:50:163:50:28

electoral authorities, are joined up

together, have a central register so

3:50:283:50:32

that we can ensure that there is not

double voting from overseas voters

3:50:323:50:36

as well. I'm happy to give way.

Just

on that point about the security of

3:50:363:50:42

the register and making sure that

everybody possible is on the

3:50:423:50:46

register, leaving aside the issue of

the 15 year or more rules for

3:50:463:50:50

overseas voters, there is an

opportunity for the Government to

3:50:503:50:53

support my privates pilfer automatic

voter registration which is before

3:50:533:50:56

this House on the 7th of April. I

wonder if my honourable friend would

3:50:563:51:00

agree with me that that might

resolve some concerns that he is

3:51:003:51:04

raising?

I thank my honourable

friend for making that intervention

3:51:043:51:09

and I think she is absolutely right.

We need to pursue all means that we

3:51:093:51:15

possibly can, not only to ensure

that the poll is safe, but also to

3:51:153:51:19

ensure that everybody feels

comfortable and able to use it and I

3:51:193:51:23

think that our proposals have a

great deal of merit. Madam Deputy

3:51:233:51:30

Speaker, let's look at where the

people that live abroad and are

3:51:303:51:36

British citizens actually live.

Where are the people who are already

3:51:363:51:40

voters abroad? These are people who

in many cases... All people who have

3:51:403:51:47

lived abroad for less than 15 years

who are eligible to vote but who, in

3:51:473:51:51

the course if this bill were to go

through, would be able to vote for

3:51:513:51:56

the rest of their lives. There are

six thousandths overseas electors in

3:51:563:52:05

the City of London. That is nearly

3% of the voters. -- 6000 overseas

3:52:053:52:15

voters. In Kensington and Chelsea,

it is 2.5%. In Oxford, 2.1%. In

3:52:153:52:24

Westminster, 2.2%. These are quite

substantial figures, quite

3:52:243:52:27

substantial numbers of people. For

instance, in Westminster, there are

3:52:273:52:33

2600 overseas voters. In Camden,

there are 3300 overseas voters,

3:52:333:52:41

2.37% of the electorate. This is

enough to make a difference to the

3:52:413:52:46

person who is elected as a member of

Parliament in those constituencies.

3:52:463:52:51

However, Madam Deputy Speaker, if we

work at one of the constituencies

3:52:513:52:57

which have a lower level of overseas

voters, who have registered to vote

3:52:573:53:03

living in other countries, rather

Rotherham has just 0.2 of the vote

3:53:033:53:17

registered in that constituency. I

am not a great expert on the

3:53:173:53:22

demographics of Rotherham, however I

believe I am right in saying that

3:53:223:53:25

there are a large number of people

from British common law of nations

3:53:253:53:30

who have chosen to make their lives

in Rotherham and I would be very

3:53:303:53:33

surprised if a large number of them

has not decided to move back to the

3:53:333:53:39

countries where their families came

from or, in some cases, where they

3:53:393:53:42

had come from and yet they are not

registered as overseas voters

3:53:423:53:48

because, actually, if you look at

it, the people who choose to

3:53:483:53:52

register as overseas voters tend to

be people who are capable,

3:53:523:53:59

professional, accomplished and, in

many cases, in courage to do so by

3:53:593:54:06

the Conservative Party. I don't

think that the demographic of people

3:54:063:54:12

actually living abroad is at all

reflected by the people who are

3:54:123:54:16

actually registered as overseas

voters and, again, I absolutely

3:54:163:54:21

applaud and encourage the work of my

honourable friend in trying to get

3:54:213:54:26

those members who are living abroad

and who have lived abroad for less

3:54:263:54:30

than 15 years who would be likely to

vote Labour to register, but that

3:54:303:54:35

doesn't alter the fact that actually

the vast majority of the ones who

3:54:353:54:38

are registered as overseas voters

are not people from Rotherham or,

3:54:383:54:45

indeed, Middlesbrough or, indeed,

Stoke-on-Trent or any of these other

3:54:453:54:48

places where there are substantial

new Commonwealth populations and

3:54:483:54:53

where you would expect there to be

large numbers of people who could

3:54:533:54:56

vote when they were moving back to

the countries where the rest of

3:54:563:55:00

their family lived. So this is not a

politically equivalent or a

3:55:003:55:07

politically balanced measure. This

is not a measure which will treat

3:55:073:55:14

voters or potential voters who might

want to support one party similarly

3:55:143:55:18

to voters who might want to vote for

another party. And I just also would

3:55:183:55:26

like to put this forward, that some

people decide to move to other

3:55:263:55:30

countries precisely because the

levels of taxation in this country

3:55:303:55:34

are higher than they are in other

countries. If somebody decides that

3:55:343:55:38

they want to move to Bermuda because

they pay less tax in Bermuda than

3:55:383:55:43

they do in this country, then the

overwhelming likelihood is that they

3:55:433:55:48

actually have a significant amount

of money because otherwise they

3:55:483:55:51

would not have been able to afford

to move to Bermuda in the first

3:55:513:55:54

place. I would be happy to give way.

Certain countries, Portugal for

3:55:543:56:02

instance, give an incentive to you

that you will not pay tax-free

3:56:023:56:04

period of time if you move a certain

amount of your wealth over there.

3:56:043:56:10

Thank you. Absolutely, that makes

the point, that we are not just

3:56:103:56:14

talking about people moving to other

countries, we are talking about

3:56:143:56:18

significant amounts of wealth moving

to other countries as well and in

3:56:183:56:22

the most part moving to countries

where taxation is paid at very low

3:56:223:56:26

rates or indeed not at all. Why

should people who have decided for

3:56:263:56:32

tax purposes to move to another

country so that they don't pay taxes

3:56:323:56:36

in this country, do not support

services in this country, why should

3:56:363:56:39

they have a say in not only the tax

level in this country and the level

3:56:393:56:43

of services in this country, but

also, of course, have a say in

3:56:433:56:47

whether or not the Government of

this country actually does something

3:56:473:56:54

about our relationship with those

countries or those overseas

3:56:543:56:56

territories and tries to ensure that

they do pay their taxes? We have a

3:56:563:57:00

situation where people who are

deliberately avoiding... I think

3:57:003:57:04

avoiding is the right word? Can I

ask for a ruling? Avoiding is not a

3:57:043:57:10

non-Parliamentary words, is it?

Avoiding tax things is

3:57:103:57:14

Parliamentary? The other one is

non-Parliamentary? Where people are

3:57:143:57:18

deliberately avoiding paying taxes

in this country are actually making

3:57:183:57:21

decisions about who will represent

them and who will govern a country

3:57:213:57:25

and who will make decisions about

how easy it is for them to avoid

3:57:253:57:29

those taxes. Another issue that has

been raised on the opposite benches

3:57:293:57:35

is about voting on behalf of our

children. Clearly, when people move

3:57:353:57:41

abroad, very often their children do

not move with them. Their adult

3:57:413:57:45

children may have families of their

own in this country and maybe making

3:57:453:57:47

lives of their own in this country

and it is a point, but I don't

3:57:473:57:52

actually believe it is a very good

point. If I had a child living in

3:57:523:57:57

Scotland, I would not expect to be

able to vote in a Scottish election

3:57:573:58:03

in the constituency in which my

child live as well as voting in my

3:58:033:58:06

own constituency. I would not expect

my vote to be able to count towards

3:58:063:58:12

what polity that my child was living

in and I see no good reason why we

3:58:123:58:16

should expect people who have

decided to live in other countries

3:58:163:58:18

to be able to vote in elections in

this country in order to reinforce

3:58:183:58:23

the value of the vote of their adult

children. Clearly, when people vote,

3:58:233:58:27

they should be voting for

themselves, they should be voting

3:58:273:58:31

for the services that they get and

they should be voting for the taxes

3:58:313:58:34

that they pay and they should be

voting for the society in which they

3:58:343:58:40

live, which levies those taxes and

which delivers those services. I

3:58:403:58:48

understand that the substance of

this bill, although it is a Private

3:58:483:58:56

member's Bill, was actually

enshrined or may be enshrined is the

3:58:563:59:02

wrong word, was indicated in a

promise that was made by the

3:59:023:59:06

Government party in their manifesto

for the election last year. I am

3:59:063:59:11

only surmising that there are people

within the leadership of the

3:59:113:59:18

Government that do not particularly

want this to be a Government bill

3:59:183:59:21

because it might be a little

embarrassing, showing that they are

3:59:213:59:25

giving the vote to people who have

chosen not to pay their taxes in

3:59:253:59:29

this country and so they have

decided that it should be a Private

3:59:293:59:33

member's Bill instead. Of course,

there were quite a lot of other

3:59:333:59:36

issues that were in that manifesto

last year which equally have not

3:59:363:59:41

come up and shown no indication of

coming up during the course of the

3:59:413:59:45

next year or two, such as the

dementia tax, such as the vote on

3:59:453:59:51

fox hunting, such as reintroducing

grammar schools. I think it is a

3:59:513:59:58

little disingenuous of the

Government to urge its own

3:59:584:00:04

backbenchers to bring forward

backbench bills which they had

4:00:044:00:06

previously promised in their

manifesto but which they now decided

4:00:064:00:09

were too embarrassing to be able to

bring forward themselves.

4:00:094:00:18

I hope we don't get more of these

embarrassment bills, but I haven't

4:00:184:00:23

looked through the list of all the

bills that are on the private

4:00:234:00:25

members bill list so I don't know if

there is one there bringing back fox

4:00:254:00:31

hunting or reintroducing grammar

schools Britain introducing the

4:00:314:00:35

dementia tax, but I suspect not. --

or introducing. I hope they will be

4:00:354:00:41

dealt with by a house which has

already shown and the electorate

4:00:414:00:50

which has all the shown this as

though they did not have any truck

4:00:504:00:53

with such proposals. -- shown this

house. The member proposing this

4:00:534:01:01

bill has said and said in his

summing up that he wanted the people

4:01:014:01:08

living abroad, British citizens who

had made a decision to live abroad

4:01:084:01:14

and had been living abroad for more

than 15 years, and their children,

4:01:144:01:21

to be able to continue to vote until

whenever it is reasonable to do so.

4:01:214:01:26

I would suggest to him that there

has to be a cut-off point and

4:01:264:01:31

reasonable to do so is a qualitative

decision but 15 years is a very

4:01:314:01:40

reasonable amount of time. I can't

believe there are many places where

4:01:404:01:45

it makes sense for someone to not do

something for more than 15 years and

4:01:454:01:49

still have the right, the same

right, over the people who have been

4:01:494:01:54

doing it constantly, and if I was to

walk out of this house for 15 years

4:01:544:01:58

and not come back I would not expect

to be able to speak in a debate like

4:01:584:02:02

this in the way that I have, and I

would did he love to be able to go

4:02:024:02:07

on for 15 years but unfortunately I

have pretty much ran out of things

4:02:074:02:12

to say -- dearly love. In

conclusion, I actually do not

4:02:124:02:21

believe that there is any

justification for a bill which

4:02:214:02:28

encourages people to move to other

countries to stop paying taxes in

4:02:284:02:31

this country, to no longer have any

interest in whether or not services

4:02:314:02:35

are delivered in this country and

yet to vote for the government that

4:02:354:02:39

levies those taxes and delivers

those services. Any reasonable

4:02:394:02:44

person looking at it from the point

of view of practicality and as to

4:02:444:02:50

what a vote is for, which is to

create a government and a quality

4:02:504:02:56

which governs taxes, any person

would say it doesn't make sense, and

4:02:564:03:01

I can any guess there are some

powerful and wealthy people who

4:03:014:03:05

desperately want the government to

give them the right to vote for

4:03:054:03:10

evermore and I think we should

resist it. Thank you.

Sir Roger

4:03:104:03:16

Gale.

Earlier we had a dignified

debate about organ donation and that

4:03:164:03:26

Bill was named Maxis and I would

like to think this one could be

4:03:264:03:34

Schindler. I hope that the member

for Ipswich having spoken for 45

4:03:344:03:44

minutes will find the time to meet

Harry Schindler. I'm proud, very

4:03:444:03:50

proud, to be allowed to call Harry

Schindler a friend, he is 97 and he

4:03:504:04:03

fought in the war and returned to

the UK to raise his family and he

4:04:034:04:07

retired to Italy where some of his

family were living. He has

4:04:074:04:12

deliberately avoided taking Italian

citizenship although he could have

4:04:124:04:17

done so. Because he regards himself

proudly until his last breath as

4:04:174:04:22

British. He could have fraudulently

registered in the UK, he has enough

4:04:224:04:30

friends and family to do so, but

he's honest. He is honestly British.

4:04:304:04:39

He has fought tooth and nail as the

oldest living member of the Labour

4:04:394:04:47

Party, for his right to vote in

Britain. And while doing that, he

4:04:474:04:53

has also spent his energy and his

waking hours searching for the

4:04:534:05:01

remains of British service and women

who fell in Italy, identifying them

4:05:014:05:05

and making sure that they are

properly remembered and recorded --

4:05:054:05:10

service men and women. I don't think

you could find anybody more British

4:05:104:05:16

or with more right to vote than

Harry Schindler. I hope the

4:05:164:05:23

honourable gentleman will have the

courage to look Harry in the eye and

4:05:234:05:27

to tell him why he would like to

deny that old man the right to vote

4:05:274:05:31

again in Britain before he dies.

Harry will have heard that. To take

4:05:314:05:41

my friend's point and so we'll

millions of expat UK citizens living

4:05:414:05:48

around the world, by not tax exiles,

and many of them are paying taxes in

4:05:484:05:54

the UK and many of them have taxed

pensions and other incomes in the UK

4:05:544:05:59

but are denied after 15 years the

right to vote. That is taxation

4:05:594:06:03

without representation. If the

honourable gentleman had read the

4:06:034:06:08

bill he would have discovered that

while there is a committee if we are

4:06:084:06:18

allowed to get there, he would have

found there are provisions to make

4:06:184:06:22

sure that those who have not been

resident in the UK cannot vote. I'm

4:06:224:06:28

sorry that the member for Ealing

North has left the chamber for some

4:06:284:06:32

time. But he did mention the

possibility of bombed buildings or

4:06:324:06:40

demolished buildings, but it is very

clear in the bill that the address

4:06:404:06:45

has to be the last known address in

the UK, wherever that was. The idea

4:06:454:06:51

that the honourable gentleman is

putting forward that somehow this

4:06:514:06:55

will load the balance of power and

that of the members of Parliament in

4:06:554:06:59

a relatively few clustered

constituencies is a complete

4:06:594:07:03

nonsense. Frankly it is a

discourtesy to those millions of

4:07:034:07:11

people living overseas who want to

have the right to vote and those of

4:07:114:07:16

his colleagues on his own benches,

no, he has spoken for far too long,

4:07:164:07:21

I'm not giving an inch. It was a

discourtesy to those of his

4:07:214:07:28

colleagues who are supporting this

course, including the member for

4:07:284:07:32

Ilford North. Whose constituency he

couldn't remember. Ilford South, I

4:07:324:07:42

beg your pardon. We all fallible.

The honourable gentleman referred to

4:07:424:07:48

the fact that people living in, well

countries did not have their

4:07:484:07:51

pensions upgraded but I am the

chairman of the all-party group on

4:07:514:07:55

frozen pensions and I don't recall

the gentleman attending any of those

4:07:554:07:58

meetings. That we have held to try

and redress the injustice to which

4:07:584:08:05

he refers but had he attended he

would have got his facts right

4:08:054:08:12

because there are, well countries,

like --, well countries like

4:08:124:08:22

Jamaican webby pensions are operated

and we want to see them operated

4:08:224:08:24

across the board -- Commonwealth

countries like Jamaica where

4:08:244:08:30

pensions. He has been very wrong and

everything he has said. I don't need

4:08:304:08:39

to say any more, I want Harry

Schindler and those millions of

4:08:394:08:42

expats like him who are proudly

British and who take a keen interest

4:08:424:08:46

in this country and who regard it as

their mother country, who have

4:08:464:08:52

children and grandchildren living

here, who may want to return to vote

4:08:524:09:00

but wish to vote while they are

overseas, as well, I want them to

4:09:004:09:02

have that right. I don't believe

that this house will find any favour

4:09:024:09:09

or any part of this house will find

any favour not just with those

4:09:094:09:16

people but with their very many

residents UK members of families who

4:09:164:09:20

are living here, and I hope the

house will remember that if we get

4:09:204:09:24

the chance to vote today. This is a

good measure. Its time has come,

4:09:244:09:29

redressing the injustice, and we

should let it pass.

I would like to

4:09:294:09:38

start by congratulating the member

for this bill which I wholeheartedly

4:09:384:09:44

support and at the court in my view

of this bill is not just about

4:09:444:09:49

enfranchised but also about identity

and that was the fact that the

4:09:494:09:56

member to my right has not entirely

appreciated. I'm an example of

4:09:564:10:02

someone who comes from a family that

has been affected by the 15 year

4:10:024:10:08

limit. My father went to work for

the European Commission when I was

4:10:084:10:14

one and we left this country at that

point as a proud Brit when that was

4:10:144:10:19

the thing that if you wanted to

change the world, that is what you

4:10:194:10:22

did, you went to work for one of

these great organisations. Over the

4:10:224:10:27

years we were lucky enough to be

able to come back so that he proudly

4:10:274:10:32

could vote for me to become an MP

but for so many of his colleagues in

4:10:324:10:37

Brussels and across the world that

we have met as expats, moving from

4:10:374:10:45

country to country, they are every

bit as British as the people in this

4:10:454:10:50

room and they have made incredible

contributions as Brits across the

4:10:504:10:55

world and so many of them have lost

their voice because they have lost

4:10:554:10:59

their vote as a result of this

outdated notion that you need to be

4:10:594:11:05

sat on a piece of land in order to

love it. We know full well that is

4:11:054:11:11

not what it means to be British.

Because that is not what this bill

4:11:114:11:16

was about. Let me perhaps give a

moment to some of the voices of my

4:11:164:11:26

collectors and constituents who are

abroad and also a few who are about

4:11:264:11:29

to not be will become again.

Collectors in Oxford West, which is

4:11:294:11:35

one of the constituencies that the

member was talking about with tiny

4:11:354:11:40

majorities where they make a

difference and boy were they happy

4:11:404:11:42

to be able to. Ruth in Spain says

she lived in Spain for 40 years and

4:11:424:11:49

she is so lucky to still just being

titled to vote in the UK but she

4:11:494:11:53

makes an important point where I

think this bill could have gone

4:11:534:11:58

further, I understand I'm happy to

accept the intervention, but this

4:11:584:12:01

bill will not extend the franchise

to referendum, and it is clear that

4:12:014:12:06

so many have registered to vote from

abroad as a result of the Brexit

4:12:064:12:10

turmoil. Every single e-mail I've

had from constituents has been about

4:12:104:12:15

this point, and so I would be

interested to know from the minister

4:12:154:12:19

if that is part of the plan

because... I shall.

Looking at the

4:12:194:12:28

franchise, I just want to say, when

it comes to its referendum, the

4:12:284:12:33

franchise is set individually by a

referendum and it is described and

4:12:334:12:38

detailed by its own separate piece

of legislation so even if you wanted

4:12:384:12:43

to come at you could not add this

into the bill because referendum are

4:12:434:12:49

individually described which is how

the franchise is slightly different

4:12:494:12:52

from the Scottish referendum in

2016.

I'm grateful for that

4:12:524:12:57

intervention, I was not aware, and I

also imagine that if they weren't on

4:12:574:13:03

the register at all they could not

have been included. Yes, I will.

4:13:034:13:09

Some of us tried to extend the

franchise for the European

4:13:094:13:13

referendum to the local government

base but we were defeated and

4:13:134:13:19

therefore it was simply based upon

those eligible to vote in the

4:13:194:13:22

general election.

I'm grateful for

that intervention and the Liberal

4:13:224:13:28

Democrats would has afforded that

because we believe European citizens

4:13:284:13:31

should have had a say in that

referendum. -- would have supported

4:13:314:13:36

that. Ruth in Spain has highlighted

the injustice of the current

4:13:364:13:42

situation, many were denied a vote

in the general election, much of

4:13:424:13:49

which was affected by Brexit, so

these British are dozens who have

4:13:494:13:55

chosen to move from one part of the

EU to another on the basis that

4:13:554:13:58

there are rights of freedom of

movement was guaranteed and that was

4:13:584:14:02

the basis of so many e-mails. It is

not just that, Julian, a foreign

4:14:024:14:09

correspondent, years lived in many

countries as a Brit, the soft power

4:14:094:14:14

that the member was talking about,

is very clear in his career, he goes

4:14:144:14:18

onto say that expats are not all

pensioners sipping cocktails the

4:14:184:14:22

Costa Del Sol, many of them are also

useful contributors to the British

4:14:224:14:27

economy and they add to the image of

Britain abroad. Only this month, for

4:14:274:14:33

example, he says, a French food

magazine chose a rural bistro owned

4:14:334:14:36

and run by a British chef as its

cafe of the year, and Britons abroad

4:14:364:14:43

are often popular and useful members

of their own adopted community. I

4:14:434:14:47

would agree with points made about

them being allowed a vote in summer

4:14:474:14:50

elections in those countries as I

believe it is right for us to

4:14:504:14:56

continue to allow EU citizens they

vote in local elections here.

4:14:564:15:04

Finally, and I think this speaks to

an important point, we live in an

4:15:044:15:08

increasingly globalised world. It is

ridiculous to suggest that some

4:15:084:15:12

families have a choice to move back.

House prices in the UK are

4:15:124:15:16

expensive. Not just in the UK, but

across the world, so Ian in Canada

4:15:164:15:21

says, sadly, I am retraining as a

medical doctor after a career as a

4:15:214:15:26

neuroscientist and have been out of

the UK since 2004. I say sadly

4:15:264:15:30

because, as you will be aware, that

means the period under which I am

4:15:304:15:38

able to cast votes in the UK is

coming to a close under the current

4:15:384:15:41

rule. I may not have been able to

afford living in the UK on a

4:15:414:15:45

postdoctoral salary. That is why he

had to move. But I haven't given up

4:15:454:15:48

on the old country yet and I would

like to continue trying to shake

4:15:484:15:52

things for the beater the set-mac

better.

Will be honourable member

4:15:524:15:58

accept that the case that she

mentions is clearly someone who has

4:15:584:16:04

contributed immensely not only to

this country but also to the world,

4:16:044:16:08

that it must be quite difficult for

her to be able to make decisions in

4:16:084:16:12

Oxford West which affect his life in

Canada.

I don't quite understand.

4:16:124:16:20

Affect his life in Canada? If he is

going to find ways of affecting his

4:16:204:16:24

life in Canada then he will be able

to do that there. I actually think

4:16:244:16:27

the gentleman, whose name is Ian,

would very much be able to affect

4:16:274:16:33

some decisions made at this level of

politics. I should say I do not

4:16:334:16:37

think it is right that it should

necessarily be in the stigma

4:16:374:16:41

extended to local elections and if

he was talking about bin collection,

4:16:414:16:46

then fair enough. But the recent

general elections have been about

4:16:464:16:50

major issues in this country, the

direction of this country, the

4:16:504:16:54

flavour that this country put out

the rest of the world. I think it is

4:16:544:16:58

entirely right that if you feel

British and if you are British and

4:16:584:17:01

you are born into a British family,

then you should have that right. In

4:17:014:17:05

the same way that I am half

Palestinian and I regret that I am

4:17:054:17:09

not at all able to engage with the

country that my mother grew up in.

4:17:094:17:15

She was born in Tripoli and then

grew up in Jerusalem. I feel this

4:17:154:17:20

very keenly. Just because I have

never lived in Palestine does not

4:17:204:17:23

make me any less Palestinian and

equally I think those who have spent

4:17:234:17:28

a lot of their life abroad have a

lot to say about being British.

4:17:284:17:32

Being British is more than just

being on this land. It is loving

4:17:324:17:36

this land and feeling that you are

from this land. I will draw my

4:17:364:17:41

remarks to a very quick close

because I'm very keen to hear the

4:17:414:17:47

next bill but I only co-sponsor off,

but the last thing I wanted to touch

4:17:474:17:50

on was also why we have not

considered having an overseas

4:17:504:17:58

electors' constituency in the same

way they do in France, and I think I

4:17:584:18:01

would be interested to hear from the

minister if that is something we

4:18:014:18:04

would be looking at. One of the

reasons we know that people do not

4:18:044:18:08

register to vote from abroad is

because it is incredibly

4:18:084:18:10

bureaucratic. It is very hard. They

may live in countries where postal

4:18:104:18:14

systems don't work very well,

frankly, is finding a way to make it

4:18:144:18:19

much easier, I would wholeheartedly

agree with as has been mentioned in

4:18:194:18:26

an intervention, perhaps being able

to give the vault back to the

4:18:264:18:29

embassy or the consulate rather than

having to get it back into the local

4:18:294:18:32

authority I think would be an

excellent idea. I will end simply by

4:18:324:18:35

saying I think it is an

extraordinary privilege to be

4:18:354:18:38

British and I think across the

House, as a new member of

4:18:384:18:42

Parliament, what strikes me is how

much we all love this country but I

4:18:424:18:46

think what this bill shows and

demonstrates from the numerous

4:18:464:18:51

numbers of constituents that I'm

sure have contacted us from abroad,

4:18:514:18:54

is that you do not have to be on the

slant to love it and therefore I

4:18:544:18:59

would wholeheartedly back this bill.

The Liberal Democrats wholeheartedly

4:18:594:19:01

backed bill. We get a look at it

today.

I am grateful to catch you in

4:19:014:19:10

this debate. I would like to start

by paying tribute to my friend, the

4:19:104:19:17

member for Montgomeryshire, for

bringing forward this bill. I think

4:19:174:19:19

although he did not say it, quite

contrary to what was insinuated by

4:19:194:19:23

the member for Ipswich earlier, it

was entirely his wish to bring

4:19:234:19:27

forward this bill because he, like

me, like the honourable member for

4:19:274:19:32

Thanet, believe it is the right

thing to do. This should not be

4:19:324:19:36

considered as a political issue. In

a year when Emily Pankhurst has the

4:19:364:19:44

centenary of her efforts to

campaign, of in very difficult and

4:19:444:19:51

violent circumstances to get the

women the full vote in this country,

4:19:514:19:55

for certain members of the party

opposite to want to try and deny

4:19:554:19:59

women who have lived overseas for

more than 15 years the vault I think

4:19:594:20:03

is a disgrace, frankly. I will

happily give way.

What makes a

4:20:034:20:09

16-year-old woman in this country

any less valuable than a 70-year-old

4:20:094:20:13

woman living in Spain who is a

British national? She can have a

4:20:134:20:17

vault but the 16-year-old woman's

ear can't.

I entirely respect of the

4:20:174:20:23

sincerity with which the honourable

lady Cole Skuse, if she does, that

4:20:234:20:27

people of 16 should have the vote

and I think that is a legitimate

4:20:274:20:32

debate to be had but it is nothing

whatsoever to do with this bill as

4:20:324:20:36

set down by my honourable friend. If

she wishes to introduce a bill into

4:20:364:20:41

this Parliament and a Private

member's bill or a ten minute spell

4:20:414:20:43

or any other procedure, she is more

than willing to do so and speak and

4:20:434:20:47

supported but it is nothing to do

with this bill. There have been one

4:20:474:20:51

falsehoods peddled in the debate so

far this morning. It has been said

4:20:514:20:55

several times that children of those

living overseas for more than 15

4:20:554:21:01

years will be eligible to vote. I

have read my honourable friend's

4:21:014:21:05

bill and I cannot see anything in

the provision in it and I cannot see

4:21:054:21:11

anything that would make those

children able to vote. The bill is

4:21:114:21:15

very specific as to be

qualifications that somebody has to

4:21:154:21:18

have built. In 2012, I gave the

House the figures. We think the

4:21:184:21:28

Institute for Public Policy Research

says that there are 5.6 million

4:21:284:21:31

British citizens living abroad. The

shocking truth is that as of last

4:21:314:21:37

December, about 4.4 million of them

were of voting age. At that time,

4:21:374:21:43

only about 23,000 had actually

register to vote. I am delighted to

4:21:434:21:51

say that since then, and it may, as

the honourable member for Oxford

4:21:514:21:55

West and Abingdon has already

indicated, it may be something to do

4:21:554:21:58

with EU referendum, but the number

who are registered to vote had

4:21:584:22:05

increased to a huge 285,000 people.

So it must be right that we should

4:22:054:22:13

actually, if we believe that people

who are British citizens have the

4:22:134:22:17

right to vote up to 15 years, it

must be right to remove that

4:22:174:22:23

arbitrary limit so that the day

after they become over 15 years,

4:22:234:22:27

they have no right at present. It

must be right to do that on every

4:22:274:22:32

sort of grounds, but I believe on

the grounds of extending the

4:22:324:22:35

franchise. I think totally contrary

to what the honourable member for

4:22:354:22:39

Ipswich said in his rather overly

long remarks, I think that most

4:22:394:22:43

overseas citizens do have a real

interest in the way that this

4:22:434:22:48

country is governed. They look at

BBC world, they listen to the BBC

4:22:484:22:55

World Service, they get British

newspapers often in the countries in

4:22:554:22:57

which they reside. I will give way

once, briefly to the honourable

4:22:574:23:01

member and that is it.

I thank him

for letting intervene. I had a real

4:23:014:23:07

interest in what happens in

Scotland, I have a real interest in

4:23:074:23:10

what happens in India and in Spain.

I was watching the news in Barcelona

4:23:104:23:15

very closely. It does not give me

the right to vote for people in

4:23:154:23:18

those countries or vote how they

raise their taxes or how they

4:23:184:23:25

deliver their services.

I think the

honourable member's argument is

4:23:254:23:27

totally wrong. Those people who are

British citizens have every right to

4:23:274:23:33

British taxpayer provided services,

as I said in an intervention to him

4:23:334:23:36

earlier. If they have lived abroad

for more than 15 years, they have no

4:23:364:23:41

right to vote by Hubble services are

provided? How can that be correct? I

4:23:414:23:47

think the whole argument is that he

made was totally fallacious in that

4:23:474:23:49

respect. After all, there are 1.8

million students who do not pay

4:23:494:23:57

council tax, but nobody would ever

suggest that those students should

4:23:574:24:01

be denied the vote on the grounds

that they do not pay council tax.

4:24:014:24:04

That is a nonsense argument. So

moving on from the honourable member

4:24:044:24:10

from Ipswich, let's look at an

international comparisons. From my

4:24:104:24:15

research, the only countries that

have stricter rules on overseas

4:24:154:24:18

voting are Ireland, Greece and

Malta, paragons I would say, or

4:24:184:24:23

rather not, of democratic values.

The real countries that have real

4:24:234:24:27

democratic values, the US, France,

Japan, South Africa, they all have

4:24:274:24:33

no limits on when their citizens

living overseas can vote. As has

4:24:334:24:37

been said by the honourable member

for Oxford West and Abingdon, with

4:24:374:24:42

the advent of the European... With

Brexit and the UK leaving the

4:24:424:24:48

European Union, it is more

imperative than ever that we

4:24:484:24:51

actually embrace all of our citizens

living overseas, wherever they are,

4:24:514:24:55

but particularly in the European

Union, so that they feel part of

4:24:554:24:58

this country and surely the way to

do that is to give them the vault.

4:24:584:25:04

The expat vote, I would suggest the

honourable gentleman has, has never

4:25:044:25:08

been more important and it is our

combined duty to further consolidate

4:25:084:25:13

the influence that British influence

over those citizens and make them

4:25:134:25:16

feel part of a British family

because as has been said, despite

4:25:164:25:20

what the honourable member for

Ipswich says, they are soft power

4:25:204:25:24

for this country. They are

ambassadors for this country around

4:25:244:25:28

the world and they gained this

country a lot of influence, whether

4:25:284:25:31

it be cultural, diplomatic, in terms

of pure imports and exports and

4:25:314:25:40

inward investment into this country.

So, finally, in my brief remarks, I

4:25:404:25:45

would just say that I hold my

honourable friend get this bill

4:25:454:25:48

today. I think it is absolutely the

right thing to do. It is not a

4:25:484:25:53

political issue, it is something on

which a number of us have campaigned

4:25:534:25:56

very hard for a number of years and

I just hope that the honourable

4:25:564:26:00

members opposite will find it in

their hearts, just as they want

4:26:004:26:03

women to get the vote, just as they

want votes for 16, to give our expat

4:26:034:26:09

is the same right so they can vote

in our elections and have a say in

4:26:094:26:12

how the politics in this country is

run.

Thank you. I will try to be

4:26:124:26:18

brief because I want to get this

bill through. I believe that there

4:26:184:26:23

is an injustice with the arbitrary

15 year rule. But actually, I think

4:26:234:26:30

there are also many other injustices

about the way in which many people

4:26:304:26:35

living overseas are treated who are

British citizens. The member from

4:26:354:26:39

Ipswich was right to highlight some

of those. But what is not right is

4:26:394:26:44

what battery. What is not right is

the best being the enemy of the

4:26:444:26:52

good. What is not right is to use

false hairs and arguments in order

4:26:524:26:59

to discredit this bill and implied

that all of the people supporting it

4:26:594:27:04

were against, for example, vote for

16. I voted for 16 on the Private

4:27:044:27:09

member's bill and that will come.

But the point is, in our

4:27:094:27:17

parliamentary procedure, we do not

have an all-encompassing electoral

4:27:174:27:19

reform Bill. The only opportunities

we have got to deal with this

4:27:194:27:28

injustice is today to support the

second reading to allow this bill to

4:27:284:27:32

make progress. And I think my friend

from Montgomeryshire has done an

4:27:324:27:36

excellent job in bringing it

forward. I have been pressing the of

4:27:364:27:43

Labour international and in response

to communications I have had with

4:27:434:27:46

Harry Shindler, who has already been

mentioned, for some months. Wipe the

4:27:464:27:50

Government were not bringing forward

their commitments in their

4:27:504:27:57

manifesto? I was asking questions

about it in October last year and I

4:27:574:28:05

was referred to answers given in

September to the member for Halifax

4:28:054:28:09

who had also from the Labour benches

being and is being questioned about

4:28:094:28:13

this issue. There is a bipartisan

and a cross Parliament, all-party

4:28:134:28:21

interest in these matters and all of

us, even those who only have a few

4:28:214:28:27

constituents who have gone to live

in other countries, will have had

4:28:274:28:31

communications from people from

Spain, France, Belgium, Bulgaria,

4:28:314:28:40

Canada, from wherever. About these

matters. And the reality is that

4:28:404:28:47

there are international

organisations within the political

4:28:474:28:49

parties that represent our party

members living abroad. I have the

4:28:494:28:56

honour to be the honorary president

of Labour international. And I just

4:28:564:29:02

want to convey a few words from an

e-mail which Lorraine Hardy, who

4:29:024:29:08

actually was not registered to vote

in Oxford or Westminster but was

4:29:084:29:13

actually a Labour Party activist in

Leeds before she went to live in

4:29:134:29:16

Alicante with her husband many years

ago. She says to me, votes for life

4:29:164:29:25

will be even more important post

Brexit as we will have no

4:29:254:29:31

opportunity to vote for a national

representative in the UK, nor in our

4:29:314:29:36

country of residence, as there will

no longer be an option to vote for

4:29:364:29:40

an MEP. And, frankly, it is an

outrage that large numbers of

4:29:404:29:50

British people whose future in

Europe was affected by the

4:29:504:29:57

referendum were not able to vote in

that referendum because they had

4:29:574:30:03

been living abroad in a European

Union country for more than 15

4:30:034:30:06

years.

4:30:064:30:10

That democratic outrage was not

manufactured, it was a fact, and

4:30:104:30:19

therefore this is an opportunity to

make sure that we can remedy that

4:30:194:30:23

outrage and make a small step

towards allowing those people to

4:30:234:30:28

express their views at the next

election. As to whether they think

4:30:284:30:35

their Parliamentary representatives

are right to damage their position

4:30:354:30:39

in Europe and I think many of them

might have something to say about

4:30:394:30:46

that but I'm not going to go down

there. I'm of the view that this is

4:30:464:30:51

all of one side, that is completely

wrong, none of us know what the

4:30:514:30:57

views of people living in other

countries are, who have not

4:30:574:31:00

expressed positions and are not

registered to vote and this is just

4:31:004:31:05

made up and manufactured. I will be

very brief, I will take one.

Would

4:31:054:31:16

he also agree that the opinions of

people in a country like Canada or

4:31:164:31:21

America who inform our political

discourse because if that country,

4:31:214:31:24

in that country they have service

animal production, which I'm calling

4:31:244:31:28

for today, and that could inform our

debate.

Given the Skype and the

4:31:284:31:38

other means of communication,

Facebook, they already informed the

4:31:384:31:41

debates in many ways but I actually

think there's a democratic

4:31:414:31:47

principle. We also should recognise

what the Labour international

4:31:474:31:55

committee and the motion they passed

and they asked me to bring to the

4:31:554:31:58

attention of the house when they

said, many of the concerns about

4:31:584:32:03

voting are related to fears and

anger about the loss of rights

4:32:034:32:10

normally associated with citizenship

such as pensions and health care and

4:32:104:32:14

the right to family life. This

should be dealt with by the

4:32:144:32:19

government allocating these issues

to a minister and by establishing a

4:32:194:32:28

forum for the concerns of overseas

UK citizens. Reference has always

4:32:284:32:32

been made to France -- already been

made to France. There are senators

4:32:324:32:38

in the French citizen who represent

overseas French territories and the

4:32:384:32:44

are members of Parliament in the

National Assembly who represent

4:32:444:32:51

French citizens living in other

countries in Europe. Therefore we

4:32:514:32:58

need to address that issue as part

of the wider question of the reform

4:32:584:33:01

of our second chamber but that is

not for today. Today is to remedy

4:33:014:33:07

the problems and to write the

injustice and is said to British

4:33:074:33:13

people where ever they are in the

world, you have equal rights in our

4:33:134:33:17

democracy.

Minister Clarrie Smith.

I

am here and ready. Thank you for

4:33:174:33:31

calling me.

-- Chloe.

Thanks for

introducing this bill and the doing

4:33:314:33:40

so much work to bring this to the

point of debate, and I do hope this

4:33:404:33:44

bill will command the cross-party

support it deserves alongside the

4:33:444:33:47

support of the government. At the

moment... No, I will not. I need to

4:33:474:33:59

be able to continue. And an

important bill is coming afterwards.

4:33:594:34:06

I will say in brief, British

citizens who live overseas can find

4:34:064:34:11

themselves abruptly disenfranchised

after they have lived abroad for 15

4:34:114:34:17

years and that even happens where

they still feel closely connected to

4:34:174:34:21

our country and still have every

right to take part in elections that

4:34:214:34:24

can affect them like any other

citizen and to many this is a

4:34:244:34:28

terrible injustice. These changes

today have the support of the

4:34:284:34:33

government and they are part of our

wider ambition to strengthen our

4:34:334:34:38

democracy by making sure that every

voice can be heard within it.

4:34:384:34:42

British expats are estimated to have

amongst the lowest levels of voter

4:34:424:34:46

registration of any group with only

20% of eligible expats registered to

4:34:464:34:55

vote for the June 2017 general

election and we think that is very

4:34:554:34:59

low and we would like to see more

encouraged to be registered to vote

4:34:594:35:04

by today's work. We have already

introduced online electoral

4:35:044:35:11

registration which makes it easier

for people overseas to register to

4:35:114:35:15

vote and indeed makes it easier for

those to do so here, contrary to

4:35:154:35:20

some very negative points that have

been made in the course of this

4:35:204:35:23

debate. We are interested in making

it easier for people to vote and to

4:35:234:35:28

encourage them to do so. But as a

patient in our tomography is a

4:35:284:35:33

fundamental part of being British --

participation in our democracy is a

4:35:334:35:39

fundamental part. What has changed

since we last discussed the topic,

4:35:394:35:46

it is easier to stay in touch with

your home country, food cheap air

4:35:464:35:49

flights or through the internet, the

soft power that we began talking

4:35:494:35:55

about earlier -- through cheap air

flight. Soft power is important to

4:35:554:36:02

this country and we should be

welcoming our citizens around the

4:36:024:36:04

world. Mr Schindler foremost amongst

those and I'm delighted to have

4:36:044:36:09

heard his case so eloquently put in

the chamber. Harry Schindler and

4:36:094:36:16

others have asked for this rule to

be changed over the years with

4:36:164:36:20

dignity and with compassion and it

is our opportunity to deliver that

4:36:204:36:23

change for them. I will not give

way. It is important we finish this

4:36:234:36:30

work and move onto the that comes

after. I'm proud to be able to do my

4:36:304:36:37

small part today on behalf of the

government to welcome this bill and

4:36:374:36:39

give this the government's support

and to allow those campaigners who

4:36:394:36:44

feel the abrupt sense of injustice

when they are disenfranchised after

4:36:444:36:48

15 years to be able instead to

contribute, not only to their

4:36:484:36:54

interests as represented by the

government, which they love, has put

4:36:544:36:57

so well by the lady for oxygen, but

also to help them promote Britain

4:36:574:37:02

and this great country around the

world -- for Oxford.

Kat Smith.

4:37:024:37:12

Thank you. I would like to thank the

member for Montgomeryshire for

4:37:124:37:19

bringing forward this bill to debate

the extension of extending voting

4:37:194:37:24

rights to overseas electors. As a

modern progressive Socialist party

4:37:244:37:31

we are committed to building a truly

global Britain and champion our core

4:37:314:37:36

values of equality and social

justice and opportunity for

4:37:364:37:38

everyone. Globalisation has led to a

broad section of British citizens

4:37:384:37:45

now living around the world and

despite settling in all corners of

4:37:454:37:49

the globe overseas electors do make

a contribution to British society.

4:37:494:37:56

As the member for Montgomeryshire

outline, in the current system

4:37:564:38:02

British citizens who have moved

abroad can register to vote in the

4:38:024:38:06

last constituency in which they were

entered on the electoral register.

4:38:064:38:11

Under the current system British

seasons who have lived overseas for

4:38:114:38:15

more than 15 years cannot register

to become an overseas voter. On the

4:38:154:38:22

opposition side, we are committed to

taking radical steps to make sure

4:38:224:38:27

that all eligible voters are

registered and able to use their

4:38:274:38:31

votes. The question of extending

voting rights for overseas electors

4:38:314:38:40

must be considered properly. Not

that these because we have seen a

4:38:404:38:45

rise in the number of overseas

electors registered to vote, at a

4:38:454:38:50

record high of 285 thousand. But

also, as has been mentioned, this is

4:38:504:38:59

the centenary of the start of

women's suffrage and again the

4:38:594:39:05

suffrage of many working class men,

as well, and I would encourage

4:39:054:39:09

members in the house to reflect on

that journey towards equal suffrage

4:39:094:39:12

and wider suffrage. The extension of

overseas voter rights has come a way

4:39:124:39:20

since 1985 when British citizens

living outside the UK were not able

4:39:204:39:24

to register to vote in any

elections. The representation of the

4:39:244:39:29

people act introduced new provisions

to allow British citizens living

4:39:294:39:33

overseas to qualify as an elector in

the constituency where they were

4:39:334:39:38

last registered to vote before

moving with a time limit then in

4:39:384:39:42

1985 of just five years. This was

later extended to 20 years in 1989

4:39:424:39:49

before being reduced again to 15

years in 2002. And then in the 2015

4:39:494:39:56

general election and 2017

collection, the Conservative Party

4:39:564:40:03

made a manifesto commitment to

abolish the 15 year rule and allow

4:40:034:40:08

British citizens a vote for life in

Parliamentary elections. I will give

4:40:084:40:12

way.

I don't understand why, if this

was in the Conservative Party

4:40:124:40:19

manifesto, it introduces

legislation, why are we debating a

4:40:194:40:23

private members bill? They could

have taken the opportunity to have

4:40:234:40:28

an all encompassing electoral reform

Bill to include voter registration

4:40:284:40:32

being automatic and votes at 16 and

online voting as well as extending

4:40:324:40:36

the lifetime of expat voting.

Thanks

for that intervention. I support

4:40:364:40:46

your private members bill and hope

that those across the house who want

4:40:464:40:49

to see a more inclusive democracy

where every eligible voter is on the

4:40:494:40:55

electoral roll will continue to

support my friend's private members

4:40:554:40:57

bill. She raises the interesting

point about why is this before us on

4:40:574:41:04

a Friday as a private members bill

because in this context it is deeply

4:41:044:41:09

concerning that this is a private

members bill put forward by the

4:41:094:41:12

member for Montgomeryshire and it is

being used to push government

4:41:124:41:15

business. Private members bills

serve an important function in our

4:41:154:41:20

Parliamentary process by enabling

backbench members of Parliament

4:41:204:41:24

rather than the government of the

day to initiate legislation and

4:41:244:41:28

indeed private members bills have

brought a significant change to the

4:41:284:41:33

law over the years, for example the

abolition of the death penalty act

4:41:334:41:38

in 1965 and the abortion act in

1967. But with limited time

4:41:384:41:43

available for the consideration

private members bills we cannot

4:41:434:41:47

allow this government to disrespect

an important part of the

4:41:474:41:49

Parliamentary process and an

important power. On the opposition

4:41:494:41:59

side we are committed to building a

political franchise that works for

4:41:594:42:01

the many and not for the few. It is

also vital we maintain the integrity

4:42:014:42:06

of the electoral process but

unfortunately this has been

4:42:064:42:12

undermined by this government who

have pushed local authority election

4:42:124:42:15

teams to the absolute limit damaging

their ability to deliver elections

4:42:154:42:18

effectively. The introduction of

individual electoral registration

4:42:184:42:24

added significant cost pressures by

making it more expensive to compile

4:42:244:42:29

the register and electoral

administrators have criticised the

4:42:294:42:34

government for massively

underestimating the scale of the

4:42:344:42:37

task at hand. I will give way for

the moment.

This is an important

4:42:374:42:46

point on registration, and

experience has said that poorer

4:42:464:42:51

areas, that is where registration

has dogged by the largest amounts,

4:42:514:42:55

in Northern Ireland. -- has fallen.

That is a very valid point. This is

4:42:554:43:03

in the context of local government

funding which has been significantly

4:43:034:43:07

reduced over the years and that has

forced local authorities to review

4:43:074:43:12

their services, and this has led to

significant reductions in core

4:43:124:43:16

service funding and staffing levels

with growing number of skilled

4:43:164:43:20

professionals leaving local

authority election teams. The impact

4:43:204:43:26

of austerity was recently evidenced

by the University of East Anglia

4:43:264:43:29

which found that 43% of local

authorities have experienced real

4:43:294:43:33

terms funding cuts to their budget

for running elections from 2010

4:43:334:43:41

until 2015 and according to a survey

responses from 254 local election

4:43:414:43:49

authorities administering the EU

referendum only a quarter of

4:43:494:43:52

official said they had enough

funding to support their work on the

4:43:524:43:55

electoral register. I will give way.

4:43:554:44:01

Report on the 2017 general election

was on the risk to well-run

4:44:014:44:08

elections which have become

increasingly apparent due to reduced

4:44:084:44:12

resources and skilled vessels were

leaving teams. Would my right

4:44:124:44:17

honourable friend agree that it is

due to cuts that have affected the

4:44:174:44:22

service?

I thank my friend for that

intervention and the report she

4:44:224:44:26

raises is very worrying and should

be of concern to members from across

4:44:264:44:31

the House. When 43% of local

authorities agree that they do not

4:44:314:44:35

have sufficient funds to administer

it all, I think we should all be

4:44:354:44:39

worried about the integrity of our

electoral system. What the

4:44:394:44:42

Government fails to understand is

that cuts to public services can

4:44:424:44:47

have devastating consequences and,

indeed, last year the electoral

4:44:474:44:49

committee report warned of a wider

risks to the administration of

4:44:494:44:54

well-run elections which is dated

were becoming increasingly apparent.

4:44:544:45:01

Problems in some places have caused

some voters to receive an inadequate

4:45:014:45:04

service. I think this was evidenced

most recently in Newcastle on the

4:45:044:45:09

line where to council officials were

suspended after almost 1500 people

4:45:094:45:15

were unable to vote in last year's

general election. I give way.

It has

4:45:154:45:23

been estimated that probably 7

million people in this country are

4:45:234:45:25

not registered to vote. Shouldn't we

be concentrating on them and making

4:45:254:45:29

sure that they are on the register

rather than what we are talking

4:45:294:45:33

about?

Order, order! The honourable

gentleman has intervened several

4:45:334:45:38

times. He must talk about this bill

and not other matters.

Thank you. My

4:45:384:45:47

honourable friend's intervention was

particularly about the capacity with

4:45:474:45:50

which a local election officers

have. For this bill to be

4:45:504:45:56

successful, the impact on local

elections offices in councils up and

4:45:564:46:00

down the country would be huge

because the process of registering

4:46:004:46:02

and overseas elector can take up to

two hours if they were to see a huge

4:46:024:46:10

increase in the number of overseas

electors registering at a time when

4:46:104:46:14

local councils have huge funding

cuts, the pressure would be

4:46:144:46:19

absolutely huge. But to refer to the

pressures on local elections

4:46:194:46:25

officers, there was further

evidence, of course, just in June

4:46:254:46:28

about how under resourced these

elections that are and the

4:46:284:46:32

honourable member for Newcastle

underlying describes the issues on

4:46:324:46:34

polling day as a shambles.

Significant issues have also

4:46:344:46:39

occurred in Plymouth with hundreds

of voters unable to cast their votes

4:46:394:46:42

in the June general election either.

Findings of an independent

4:46:424:46:48

investigation found that 35,000

postal vote holders had received two

4:46:484:46:51

polling cards, a postal card and a

polling station card. In addition,

4:46:514:46:59

331 people who had received a

polling card issued on May the 5th

4:46:594:47:03

were removed from the register after

that point. These feelings clearly

4:47:034:47:09

illustrate that more action must be

taken now to Devon estate might deal

4:47:094:47:14

with the increasing challenges that

returning officers are facing in

4:47:144:47:18

delivering elections effectively.

These concerns have been raised on

4:47:184:47:22

multiple occasions by the

Association of Electoral

4:47:224:47:25

Administrators who have called on

the Government for a full and

4:47:254:47:28

thorough review of funding of the

delivery of electoral services as a

4:47:284:47:32

matter of urgency. Not only is this

impacting on voters, but may also be

4:47:324:47:38

having a significant impact on the

health and well-being of the

4:47:384:47:42

electoral administrators and public

servants that work in local

4:47:424:47:44

elections offices. Following the

2017 general election, the

4:47:444:47:50

Association of Electoral

Administrators wrote, we have been

4:47:504:47:54

collectively concerned for the

health and well-being of our

4:47:544:47:57

members. As a result, we contracted

the medical care Association to

4:47:574:48:04

provide members with three of care

access to confidential counselling

4:48:044:48:07

services. This is not an indication

of a healthy elections offices up

4:48:074:48:11

and down the country. In this

context of austerity, we cannot

4:48:114:48:17

allow the Government to dismantle

our electoral system any further.

4:48:174:48:21

The existing provision of checking

registration against ER or records

4:48:214:48:26

within 15 years is already

challenging and results in intensive

4:48:264:48:31

processes. Some applications contain

vague or incorrect previous

4:48:314:48:36

addresses which can cause problems

in checking the register. So much so

4:48:364:48:42

that the Association of Electoral

Administrators has estimated that it

4:48:424:48:44

takes roughly two hours to register

one overseas elector. And because

4:48:444:48:51

overseas electors fall off the

register after 12 months, the vast

4:48:514:48:54

majority of registration

applications occur immediately ahead

4:48:544:48:58

of a general election when the

pressure on electoral administrators

4:48:584:49:01

is at its most intense. Abolishing

the 15 year rule, and therefore

4:49:014:49:09

presumably increasing the number of

British citizens overseas who can

4:49:094:49:11

register to vote would completely

overstretch electoral administrators

4:49:114:49:16

who are already being pushed to the

limit. In addition, the requirement

4:49:164:49:22

to keep copies of previous revisions

of registers for more than 15 years,

4:49:224:49:27

whether it be in date or paper

formats, will also have a resource

4:49:274:49:33

implication in the format of

increased ICT server capacity or a

4:49:334:49:36

physical storage area. In light of

these concerns, I would like to...

4:49:364:49:45

Order, order, as we need to consider

the next bill, could I let the House

4:49:454:49:54

know that there will be a public

demonstration outside in which

4:49:544:49:58

democracy will work and will have a

debate on the cruel effects of the

4:49:584:50:01

present bill of... The present law

and young children and those in

4:50:014:50:12

serious health difficulties,

including a young boy who is

4:50:124:50:15

suffering and his parents are

suffering in a terrible way. What

4:50:154:50:19

has happened here today has been a

filibuster organised by one party

4:50:194:50:23

and I'm ashamed to say that I am a

member of that party...

Order,

4:50:234:50:27

order! I have allowed the honourable

gentleman to make his point of order

4:50:274:50:34

about his bill, although he is knows

it is not a point of order but I

4:50:344:50:39

appreciated that he had a point to

make and I have allowed him to make

4:50:394:50:42

it. I will not take criticism of the

chair by use of the word filibuster.

4:50:424:50:48

Kat Smith.

To turn to the bill which

we are currently debating, I think

4:50:484:50:56

that the Government bench has some

questions which I would like to put

4:50:564:51:01

to it, specifically these three

questions. Firstly, of the estimated

4:51:014:51:08

5 million Britons living abroad,

does the Government have any

4:51:084:51:11

indication of how many will apply to

be overseas electors in the run-up

4:51:114:51:15

to UK parliamentary elections? Or a

national referendum if they were to

4:51:154:51:20

be included in that if the 15 year

rule was to be removed? Secondly,

4:51:204:51:25

how does the Government in to fund

DROs for the additional costs

4:51:254:51:29

incurred by these proposals? And

thirdly, what steps is the

4:51:294:51:34

Government going to take to ensure

that elections seems have the

4:51:344:51:37

resources and capacity to manage

that increased volume of electors?

4:51:374:51:45

Madam Deputy Speaker, the devil is

also in the detail which this

4:51:454:51:48

Government has also failed to

provide. According to the bill, and

4:51:484:51:53

overseas vaulter qualified as the

resident is, quote, the person has

4:51:534:51:57

at some time in the past been

entered in an electoral register in

4:51:574:52:02

respect of an address at a place

that is situated within the

4:52:024:52:07

constituency. However, many

questions remain unanswered. For

4:52:074:52:12

example, if an overseas elector was

registered as a previous address but

4:52:124:52:15

then moved to a different address

before leaving the UK whereby they

4:52:154:52:19

did not actually register to vote,

at which addresses should they be

4:52:194:52:23

registering to vote? And as time

goes by, potentially over several

4:52:234:52:29

decades, it can be very difficult

for the ER alls to check previous

4:52:294:52:36

revisions of registers due to

ever-changing localities. This

4:52:364:52:40

includes local Government

reorganisation, appalling understood

4:52:404:52:42

reviews, ward boundary reviews, the

demolition or redevelopment of

4:52:424:52:46

properties, street naming, house

renumbering and limited local

4:52:464:52:52

authority records being available.

Can we seriously expect someone who

4:52:524:52:57

has not lived in this country for,

for example, 40 years to remember

4:52:574:53:02

the exact date they were last

register to vote and their precise

4:53:024:53:06

address that they lived? I think

not. I also question if the current

4:53:064:53:12

deadline to apply to register as an

overseas elector and absent voter

4:53:124:53:16

arrangements are sufficient in the

context of the abolishing of the 15

4:53:164:53:21

year rule. The Association of

Electoral Administrators has also

4:53:214:53:27

urged the Government to consider

bringing forward the voter

4:53:274:53:30

registration deadline for overseas

electors which would allow

4:53:304:53:32

sufficient time to process and check

previous revisions of the register.

4:53:324:53:39

So what steps is the Government

going to take to address these

4:53:394:53:42

concerns? Not only is there a

likelihood of error extremely high,

4:53:424:53:48

but we are leaving our democracy

wide open to potential fraudulent

4:53:484:53:52

activity. In response to the Cabinet

Office policy statements regarding

4:53:524:53:57

overseas voters, the Association of

Electoral Administrators warned that

4:53:574:54:01

scrapping of the 15 year rule would

increase the potential for electoral

4:54:014:54:04

fraud. As part of the Government's

proposals, applicants cannot provide

4:54:044:54:11

a national insurance number or UK

passport can have their identity

4:54:114:54:16

verified by another registered

overseas elector using an

4:54:164:54:20

attestation. This is a signed a

written statement from another

4:54:204:54:24

British citizens overseas who is

registered to vote in the UK. But

4:54:244:54:28

can we honestly expect this to be

sufficient security to prevent

4:54:284:54:32

fraudulent applications? And when

the tester, as well as the applicant

4:54:324:54:37

live abroad, what is the likelihood

of a false declaration resulting in

4:54:374:54:40

prosecution proceedings? My guess

would be very low. There is also no

4:54:404:54:46

way of checking if an overseas voter

is living at the stated address

4:54:464:54:53

abroad. Overseas voters who own and

live in more than one home can

4:54:534:54:57

register more than once and we can

have no way of knowing if people are

4:54:574:55:01

registered multiple times.

What

checks, if there is concern, or will

4:55:014:55:09

the people in Spain or whatever

country who will go and check

4:55:094:55:13

whether these addresses actually

exists or not?

In the context of the

4:55:134:55:20

overstretch nature of elections

officers up and down the country, I

4:55:204:55:23

suspect that there would not be the

capacity for that level of check.

4:55:234:55:27

Given that the Government is

currently, this may, planning to

4:55:274:55:32

trial requiring ID at polling

stations, it seems that the

4:55:324:55:36

requirements approve the identity of

an elector in the UK is far greater

4:55:364:55:39

than...

On the point of order, I beg

at the point of order now be put.

4:55:394:55:50

The question is that the question be

now put.

4:55:504:55:55

As many as are of the opinion, say

"aye". To the contrary, "no".

4:55:554:56:04

Division, division! Clear the lobby.

4:56:044:56:15

F. The question is that the order

now be put. As many as are of the

4:58:174:58:25

opinion, say "aye". To the contrary,

"no". I think the ayes have it. The

4:58:254:58:33

ayes have it. The ayes have it.

Division off. The question is that

4:58:334:58:52

the bill be now read a second time,

as many are of that opinion CI, to

4:58:524:59:01

the contrary know. -- As many as are

of the opinion, say "aye". To the

4:59:014:59:08

contrary, "no". I think the ayes

have it. The ayes have it. The ayes

4:59:084:59:11

have it.

Thank you, Madam Deputy

Speaker.

I will and usually delay

4:59:114:59:26

for a moment to see if the

honourable member who was in the

4:59:264:59:31

chamber until just a few minutes ago

is in fact in the vicinity and I

4:59:314:59:37

will make it clear to the House that

I am not creating a precedent in so

4:59:374:59:44

doing, but I am aware that the

honourable gentleman in question was

4:59:444:59:49

in a wheelchair and it may therefore

take him a little longer to reach

4:59:494:59:56

the chamber. Point of order, Mrs

Gillan.

4:59:565:00:03

Thank you for allowing me to make a

point of order, can I ask what voice

5:00:035:00:13

to -- ask your advice, because some

members were seeking to shout

5:00:135:00:21

against the bill but could the chair

advised me if that is good practice

5:00:215:00:27

in this house because when there is

a body of people shouting no, surely

5:00:275:00:34

normally tethers would be put in

position by those members shouting

5:00:345:00:37

no.

I understand the point that the

lady is making. But it is perfectly

5:00:375:00:48

proper for those opposed to a Bill

to not see the matter through to a

5:00:485:00:53

division. It is not a question of

whether it is bad practice or good

5:00:535:01:00

practice, it is practice which is in

order which is my consideration.

The

5:01:005:01:10

legalisation of cannabis medicinal

purposes Bill, second reading.

I

5:01:105:01:19

have to say, we are now past the

moment of interruption and it would

5:01:195:01:25

have made no difference to his bill

earlier, I was giving him the

5:01:255:01:30

opportunity of just a few seconds to

introduce his bill. The objection

5:01:305:01:36

has been made objection taken,

second reading, what day?

The 6th of

5:01:365:01:45

July.

Object.

Objection taken,

second reading, what day?

Friday the

5:01:455:02:01

16th of March.

Service animals

offences Bill, second reading.

5:02:015:02:11

Objection taken, what day?

The 16th

of March.

Friday the 16th of March

5:02:115:02:24

buses and coaches Bill, second

reading. Objection taken. What day?

5:02:255:02:34

Friday the 22nd of April.

Voter

registration number two reading.

5:02:345:02:43

Object.

I'm glad the honourable

gentleman has moved the bill before

5:02:435:02:50

I can take the objections. Objection

is taken, second reading what day?

5:02:505:03:00

Friday the 16th of March.

Leases,

second reading.

Object.

Objection

5:03:005:03:11

taken, what day?

Friday March the

16th.

Petition, Mr Tom Perce club.

5:03:115:03:22

Thank you. This is a petition being

brought on by half available in

5:03:225:03:29

command half of fiscal who are

concerned that the library will be

5:03:295:03:38

closed -- being brought on behalf of

students at a school who are

5:03:385:03:50

concerned their library will be

closing. I'm sure the shootings of

5:03:505:03:55

the school will be watching the

discipline with

5:03:555:03:57

-- I'm sure the students at the

school will be watching that

5:04:015:04:06

discipline with interest. The

petition is requested that the House

5:04:065:04:09

of Commons urges the government to

compel Northamptonshire County

5:04:095:04:13

Council to make sure that the

library remains open. The petition

5:04:135:04:16

remains.

Petition for the library.

I

beg to move that this house does now

5:04:165:04:36

adjourned.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

It

is a pleasure to be here on a Friday

5:04:365:04:45

afternoon after that excitement and

I hope to take you and the house on

5:04:455:04:51

a slightly different action. We

might think of St Francis of Assisi

5:04:515:04:54

as the original saintly animal

conservationist but while he

5:04:545:04:58

preached to the birds, St Cuthbert

is believed to have some of the

5:04:585:05:07

Eider duck population in

Northumberland enjoy his protection.

5:05:075:05:13

There was a famous episode involving

Cuthbert standing neck deep in the

5:05:135:05:19

sea and praying after which two

otters dried his feet with their

5:05:195:05:22

first. The animals were rewarded

with a blessing and went on their

5:05:225:05:27

way but perhaps the animal most

associated with St Cuthbert is the

5:05:275:05:30

Eider duck. The first we hear of

their association with Cuthbert is

5:05:305:05:38

in the 12th century, 500 years after

his death. The monks had a small

5:05:385:05:44

cell and chapel on the island, one

of the beautiful farm islands now

5:05:445:05:48

visited by hundreds of thousands of

visitors every year in my

5:05:485:05:52

constituency, they shared this

island home with a large nesting

5:05:525:05:56

population of Eider ducks and

Cuthbert is said to have tamed these

5:05:565:05:59

duck so well that they would nest

everywhere, even next to the chapel

5:05:595:06:01

altar without fear. Cuthbert had

also placed the ducks under his

5:06:015:06:07

protective grey so that no one

should eat or even disturb them and

5:06:075:06:10

it is the case that every spring on

the many islands in my constituency

5:06:105:06:16

you will find the Eider ducks in a

shallow area of the ground safe from

5:06:165:06:25

predators thanks to the careful work

of the RSPB and the National Trust

5:06:255:06:29

Rangers who look after the silent

reserves. The ducks cannot have

5:06:295:06:33

remained entirely understood by the

monks as we note the appearance of

5:06:335:06:42

inventory in Durham. Perhaps the

sacred purpose of the plot feathers

5:06:425:06:48

excuse the necessary disturbance to

the ducks and certainly other monks

5:06:485:06:51

who had eaten are as back harassed

Eider ducks were struck down by

5:06:515:06:57

Cuthbert's curse. And so it is that

the association with place is very

5:06:575:07:04

strong and I have a great privilege

of being the Eider duck's advocate

5:07:045:07:09

today, and only the ducks are in a

farm were protected in Cuthbert's

5:07:095:07:14

time but the other ducks weren't.

However in modern protection terms

5:07:145:07:20

today many other species of our

spectacular island bird are

5:07:205:07:23

protected but not the Eider duck.

The creation in recent years of 50

5:07:235:07:31

marine conservation zones with more

planned by this government will no

5:07:315:07:36

doubt received the approval of

Cuthbert, bridge to won providing

5:07:365:07:45

protection for wildlife, protecting

important marine wildlife and their

5:07:455:07:51

habitats, forming part of what is

known as the blue belt. Our

5:07:515:07:57

spectacular Northumberland coast is

teeming with wildlife on sea birds

5:07:575:08:02

-- from sea birds including the

boffin who flies like a fast jet,

5:08:025:08:09

two porpoises and the grey seal --

puffin. Below the surface the blue

5:08:095:08:17

belt is a bustling city of

crustaceans and molluscs, alongside

5:08:175:08:21

an extensive and healthy fish

population and it is wonderful that

5:08:215:08:25

the creation of this means that our

rich and diverse sea life will now

5:08:255:08:29

be further protected from the

effects of dredging and trolling is

5:08:295:08:32

so that many future generations can

enjoy explore and learn about

5:08:325:08:38

nature's world under the waves but

St Cuthbert would be disappointed to

5:08:385:08:41

discover that within the uninhabited

island which does not yet include

5:08:415:08:50

amongst its protected species the

Eider duck. The common idea is a

5:08:505:08:56

large sea. Which is to did in the

northern coast of Europe and North

5:08:565:09:00

America to eastern Siberia, -- which

is found. It can form large flocks

5:09:005:09:07

on coastal waters, and our duck can

fly up to 70 miles prowl, and their

5:09:075:09:14

nest is built close to the sea and

is lied with eiderdown, plucked from

5:09:145:09:18

the female's breast -- blind.

Although eiderdown pillows are now a

5:09:185:09:27

rarity, eiderdown harvesting

continues and when it is done with

5:09:275:09:30

no harm to the birds. The common

idea is the largest of the four

5:09:305:09:37

species and the largest duck found

in Europe and North America and the

5:09:375:09:40

Mavis unmistakable with his black

and white plumage and the female is

5:09:405:09:44

a brown bird -- the mail is a

mistake though. -- the mail is

5:09:445:09:51

unmistakable. The Eider will eat

mussels by swallowing them whole,

5:09:515:09:55

the shells are then crashed and

excreted, and while eating a crab

5:09:555:10:00

the Eider will remove its claws and

legs and is the body in this

5:10:005:10:03

fashion. They are colonial breeders

and they nest on these islands, in

5:10:035:10:10

size from a hundred to up to a

thousand in some parts of the world.

5:10:105:10:16

They returned to breed on the same

island where they were hatched, and

5:10:165:10:19

this can lead to a high degree of

relations between individuals

5:10:195:10:23

nesting on the same island so I feel

the Eider ducks are very much part

5:10:235:10:27

of our family. They fly from here

and across the sea use the mudflats

5:10:275:10:36

as a feeding ground for the young,

and it's a true sea duck and rarely

5:10:365:10:42

found away from coasts, and they

feed in the intertidal zone of the

5:10:425:10:47

Northumberland Shore side of

scientific interest and late in the

5:10:475:10:53

year, other Eider migrated here.

Colonies benefit from production of

5:10:535:11:01

these sites only provide protection

on the land -- Colonies benefit from

5:11:015:11:08

this protection but the sites only

provide protection on the land. This

5:11:085:11:12

number dropped to around 300 and the

site is now being managed to address

5:11:125:11:16

this long-term decline and make it

an important winter feeding area for

5:11:165:11:20

Eider from across Europe. They are

listed as nearly threatened globally

5:11:205:11:25

and vulnerable in Europe, a species

is one which has been categorised as

5:11:255:11:31

likely to become in -- endangered.

These declines are thought to be

5:11:315:11:41

driven by a range of threats

including overharvesting of aquatic

5:11:415:11:44

resources and pollution and

disturbance and hunting. In Britain

5:11:445:11:47

they are classified they are at risk

and disturbance is the primary

5:11:475:11:54

threat to our Eider resulting in

loss of access to feeding areas and

5:11:545:11:59

increased predation at breeding

grounds, there are several studies

5:11:595:12:01

considering the common idea in

relation to human disturbances. The

5:12:015:12:05

study of the effects of human

disturbance at breeding sites found

5:12:055:12:08

that when disturbed some ducklings

and sometimes the mother dived and

5:12:085:12:13

the breeding Connelly was

temporarily dispersed. During the

5:12:135:12:19

disturbance attacks by predators

increased, the study found that

5:12:195:12:22

predation of chicks by seagull

attacks was more than 200 times

5:12:225:12:26

higher than >> STUDIO: -- more than

200 times higher on disturbed

5:12:265:12:35

Colonies. This disturbance has been

addressed. They can protect

5:12:355:12:45

biodiversity and they are intended

to allow a wider spectrum of

5:12:455:12:49

protection and they form a key part

of the wider suite of management

5:12:495:12:53

measures including marine planning

and ecosystem objectives and

5:12:535:12:55

licensing and fisheries management.

But the designation of protected

5:12:555:13:00

areas is the best means of securing

the necessary commitment from marine

5:13:005:13:03

managers to make sure that

activities can be restricted where

5:13:035:13:08

necessary to protect biodiversity.

Whilst the area used by Eider around

5:13:085:13:16

Northumberland overlaps with an

existing European marine site they

5:13:165:13:19

do not receive any legal protection

from the existing designation within

5:13:195:13:22

the new marine conservation zone.

The RSPB has asked the government to

5:13:225:13:26

add the Eider duck to the list of

protected species and our friends

5:13:265:13:34

reside in this zone all year round

but they are not covered with the

5:13:345:13:38

legislation. The populations have

continued to decline over the last

5:13:385:13:43

few decades and so protection of

their sea -based feeding is

5:13:435:13:50

essential. The island colony is all

the more in need of protection and

5:13:505:13:56

in so doing the list will allow

protection and management for the

5:13:565:14:01

special birds to be put into place.

Adding Eider to the existing list

5:14:015:14:05

will enable proactive management to

reduce the disturbance, they can

5:14:055:14:15

carry out monitoring and enforcement

where necessary such as speed

5:14:155:14:17

restrictions and limiting boat

traffic in sensitive areas.

5:14:175:14:25

This would also raise awareness of

sensitive PCs which would benefit

5:14:255:14:30

tourism, therefore proposal should

also include education. I would ask

5:14:305:14:38

that the Minister consider that the

Government is willing to include our

5:14:385:14:41

eider ducks and to go further and

commits to also giving them

5:14:415:14:47

protection across the farm islands,

too, as these unique islands and

5:14:475:14:51

surrounding areas become integrated

into the NT said as it reaches

5:14:515:14:58

further north in the months ahead. I

understand conversations are already

5:14:585:15:00

taking place on this and I would

like the Minister to drive these

5:15:005:15:06

forward so that her feathered

residents, whom I consider

5:15:065:15:12

constituents worthy of

representation, can live in a place

5:15:125:15:15

of safety for their long-term

species kick survival to the

5:15:155:15:21

insured.

Can I begin by

congratulating my honourable friend,

5:15:215:15:25

the member for Berwick-upon-Tweed,

or securing this debate and I think

5:15:255:15:29

it is a very nice, uplifting debate

to finish on after a number of

5:15:295:15:33

rather fractious points of order in

the last business we have. As she

5:15:335:15:39

said, the common eider ranges widely

across the Arctic and Northern

5:15:395:15:43

Europe, but is listed as threatened

by the International union for

5:15:435:15:46

conservation of nature. As she

pointed out, the eider duck has a

5:15:465:15:50

long established association with

the county of Northumberland where

5:15:505:15:54

it was the subject of one of the

first acts of conservation. My

5:15:545:15:59

honourable friend said that it was

in the eighth century that Saint

5:15:595:16:03

Cuthbert took action to protect this

wonderful species. I am reliably

5:16:035:16:06

informed by my department at Saint

Cuthbert actually is reported to

5:16:065:16:11

have established protection laws,

the very first protection whilst we

5:16:115:16:15

had in this country for wildlife,

for Northumberland's eiders as early

5:16:155:16:22

as 676, so this is a very important

species. As Saint Cuthbert is the

5:16:225:16:27

patron state of Northumberland, it

was natural that the eider should be

5:16:275:16:30

chosen as the county's Engelbert and

eiders are still often called Scotty

5:16:305:16:37

dogs in the area, this being the

familiar of Cuthbert. -- ducks. Is

5:16:375:16:46

that swindle commemorates this and

about 5000 eiders are still to be

5:16:465:16:51

found in Northumberland, about a

third of the English population.

5:16:515:16:55

Collection of eiderdown for use in

quilt is recorded as far back as the

5:16:555:16:59

14th century and the practice almost

led to the eider's extinction in the

5:16:595:17:04

19th century. These days, the

biggest threat to eider ducks are a

5:17:045:17:09

prediction and degradation of

nesting habitats. Adults can also be

5:17:095:17:13

disturbed by boat traffic at seat

which disrupts their bleeding as my

5:17:135:17:16

oral friend pointed out. Eider ducks

are already protected in the islands

5:17:165:17:26

sites of special scientific interest

and also in the Lindisfarne special

5:17:265:17:30

protected area. They are also

protected in other designated sites

5:17:305:17:34

in England, Scotland and Northern

Ireland. As a wild bird, common

5:17:345:17:39

eider are also protected under the

wildlife and countryside act.

5:17:395:17:43

Land-based conservation measures are

currently provided to protect eider

5:17:435:17:51

duck populations. Principal

activities ensure the continuation

5:17:515:17:55

of suitable nesting habitat,

bio-security checks and lethal

5:17:555:17:59

control measures for rats and goals

were necessary. Marine conservation

5:17:595:18:04

is important to protect our seas, to

protect underwater habitats and to

5:18:045:18:09

help Seelye flourish. Oceans are our

greatest natural asset and must be

5:18:095:18:14

protected for the health of our

planet and for the disparity of

5:18:145:18:18

future generations. In our 25 year

environment plan that we published

5:18:185:18:22

last month, we set out how we will

soon fill our ambition to leave the

5:18:225:18:27

environment and a better state than

we found it, building on existing

5:18:275:18:32

strategies and identifying key areas

of focus. We want even cleaner air

5:18:325:18:37

and water, richer habitats for

wildlife, and an approach to

5:18:375:18:42

fishing, agriculture and land use

which puts the environment first.

5:18:425:18:45

Plastic in the sea is of course a

hazard for our sea birds. We

5:18:455:18:49

regulated for the world's toughest

ban so far against plastic micro

5:18:495:18:54

beads in cosmetics and personal care

products. We must reduced the public

5:18:545:19:00

reliance on plastics and also

incentivised recycling and to

5:19:005:19:05

prevent harmful materials entering

the sea. The UK is at the forefront

5:19:055:19:10

in establishing marine protected

areas. We are committed to providing

5:19:105:19:14

a well-managed blue belt around her

cost. We currently have nearly 300

5:19:145:19:19

sites protecting 23% of UK waters

and around 133 of those cover 35% of

5:19:195:19:26

English inshore and offshore waters.

We have 50 Marine conservation zones

5:19:265:19:30

already protecting a range of marine

animals and plants and the sea bed

5:19:305:19:35

habitats they depend on. The UK is

particularly blessed with sea birds.

5:19:355:19:41

The UK host over half the sea birds

in the EU during the breeding season

5:19:415:19:45

with approximately 3.5 million pairs

across 26 different species. Our sea

5:19:455:19:52

birds are principally protected by

sites of special scientific interest

5:19:525:19:56

is set up under domestic

legislation. And also by special

5:19:565:20:00

protection areas set up under the EU

birds directive. Across the EU, we

5:20:005:20:06

now have... Across the UK, rather,

we now have 106 marine special

5:20:065:20:11

protection areas protecting birds

and 18,000 square kilometres of the

5:20:115:20:19

marine habitats that they depend on.

The EU withdrawal bill, we will make

5:20:195:20:22

sure that marine protected area set

up under EU directives will continue

5:20:225:20:25

to be effectively protected after we

have left the EU. We aim to complete

5:20:255:20:29

our blue belt and our conservation

to the international ecologic recall

5:20:295:20:35

network of marine protection areas

with the third and final tranche of

5:20:355:20:38

marine conservation efforts. This

will also fulfil our domestic

5:20:385:20:44

obligation to find a network of

sites which it sees. The tranche of

5:20:445:20:50

green conservation zones will be

consulted on this, with

5:20:505:20:55

consultations taking place in 2019.

It is at this point that I would

5:20:555:20:59

like to turn to the specific

proposal from my honourable friend

5:20:595:21:04

relating to the M C Z. Our general

view has always been that MCZs are

5:21:045:21:15

best featured to protect features

rather than highly mobile species

5:21:155:21:20

however, not exclusively, and a

number of years ago we established

5:21:205:21:23

criteria against which we could

judge where it is appropriate for

5:21:235:21:26

MCZs to be used to protect birds. As

part of this third tranche, we

5:21:265:21:32

didn't have an opportunity to

include some designations for highly

5:21:325:21:35

mobile species and that could

include, for instance, the eider

5:21:355:21:40

ducks where this is supported by

evidence that there conservation

5:21:405:21:46

would be supported by site-based

measured. This is likely to be the

5:21:465:21:49

exception rather than the rule, but

by this end, we invited conservation

5:21:495:21:54

charities to have an opportunity to

propose a number of sites to us and

5:21:545:21:58

I can say that we had 21 proposals

for sites that were recommended by

5:21:585:22:05

NGOs who claims that they fitted the

criteria that we had set out. 11 of

5:22:055:22:09

those sites were from the RSPB and

this does include one relating to

5:22:095:22:14

eider ducks which I am going to

return to a little later. We

5:22:145:22:18

established, as I said, a couple of

years ago, some criteria from which

5:22:185:22:22

we would judge where it is

appropriate to use the MCZ process

5:22:225:22:26

to protect mobile species. First of

all, we need to ensure that area

5:22:265:22:30

-based protection will be the most

effective approach to protecting

5:22:305:22:32

highly mobile species rather than

measures which could be applied more

5:22:325:22:37

widely. This is likely to be the

case where the species using

5:22:375:22:41

specific area for part of their life

cycle, for example, and this could

5:22:415:22:46

include nesting and feeding areas

which is why we already have

5:22:465:22:49

protection for many sea bird

breeding colonies and the adjacent

5:22:495:22:51

foraging areas that they use. Other

criteria is that are important in

5:22:515:22:55

our consideration of the proposals

are the year-on-year presence of the

5:22:555:22:59

species within the site in

significant numbers and the

5:22:595:23:03

suitability of the size of that

site. In selecting which sites may

5:23:035:23:07

be suitable as marine conservation

zones, we are also looking very

5:23:075:23:11

carefully at what it will mean in

terms of possible restrictions on

5:23:115:23:15

people who use the area to make

their living or use it for

5:23:155:23:19

recreation. We are aiming to strike

the right balance, achieve our

5:23:195:23:23

ambitious marine conservation aims,

but do so in a way that has the

5:23:235:23:26

least impact on sea users. The RSPB

have specifically proposed that

5:23:265:23:32

eider ducks are added as a

protective feature to the existing

5:23:325:23:39

marine conservation zone,

principally to protect them while

5:23:395:23:42

foraging. We are considering this

proposal very carefully and the

5:23:425:23:46

comments that my honourable friend

has made in highlighting this debate

5:23:465:23:50

to date have been well made and I

will ensure that my honourable

5:23:505:23:55

friend, the member for Suffolk

Coastal, who leads on this issue and

5:23:555:23:59

the officials dealing with the MCZ

process are informed of the boys she

5:23:595:24:06

has made. In our consultation this

problem was leg summer, we will set

5:24:065:24:10

out which conservation zones we are

proposing to include in the third

5:24:105:24:15

tranche and we will explain why they

are important for protecting our sea

5:24:155:24:19

life and the likely impacts on sea

users. I hope that honourable

5:24:195:24:24

members will ask their constituents

to take part in that important

5:24:245:24:31

constitution for a large group of

new cars with the conservation

5:24:315:24:35

zones. It is not enough to set up

these areas, we must ensure they are

5:24:355:24:39

well-managed. So far, 29 new bylaws

and 70 voluntary measures have been

5:24:395:24:44

implemented in marine protected

areas specifically for marine

5:24:445:24:48

conservation purposes and a further

21 bylaws are expected before the

5:24:485:24:51

end of this year. As we complete our

network of marine protected areas,

5:24:515:24:57

we will make sure that the new sites

are well-managed, too. If eider

5:24:575:25:01

ducks are included in the Marine

conservation zone, then management

5:25:015:25:06

is likely to principally focused on

reducing both disturbance of eider

5:25:065:25:11

while they are foraging, giving them

a better chance to survive and read

5:25:115:25:14

successfully. I am informed that one

of the key concerns is that because

5:25:145:25:19

they are a very large and heavy

duck, frequent disturbance when they

5:25:195:25:24

are trying to forage by speedboat

and the like can actually mean that

5:25:245:25:28

they expend a lot of energy and that

can affect their survival. I think

5:25:285:25:34

we have had a very good debate. My

honourable friend has raised some

5:25:345:25:38

important points. I hope she will

understand that I am not able to say

5:25:385:25:42

today exactly what the conclusion of

that consultation will be, nor

5:25:425:25:47

indeed exactly what the shape of

that consultation will be, but I

5:25:475:25:50

hope I have been able to reassure

her that my department is very much

5:25:505:25:56

cited on this issue, passionate

about the importance of the eider.

5:25:565:25:59

And I can assure her that this

particular proposal she makes is

5:25:595:26:03

receiving very close attention

indeed.

The question is that the

5:26:035:26:09

House does now adjourned. As many as

are of the opinion, say "aye". To

5:26:095:26:12

the contrary, "no". The ayes have

it. Order, order!

5:26:125:26:27

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