Government 'clamping down' on Commons raid debate

THE Government was accused today of "clamping down" on debate over the Damian Green affair.

Ministers faced a storm of Opposition protest over the move to restrict debate on the police raid of Mr Green's parliamentary office to just three hours.

Shadow Commons leader Theresa May said the time was "totally inadequate" to cover the issues raised by the affair.

She urged ministers to think again and allow "proper time" for debate.

For the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes said yet again the Government could not resist the temptation to provide "inadequate" time to debate a significant matter.

"The Government is trying to clamp down on the House of Commons having its say and I hope MPs will oppose this."

He urged ministers to "take their hands off" and allow the Commons to do its job properly.

But deputy Commons leader Chris Bryant insisted three hours was adequate to debate the issues thrown up by the affair.

And Labour former minister Frank Field agreed, urging MPs to end this "pantomime" over the timetable and get on with the substantive issue.

"For us clearly it is high drama," he said. "But for most of our constituents it has already descended into farce."

Some Tory and Liberal Democrats want time for the debate on setting up a seven-man committee to look into circumstances surrounding the police raid to be doubled to six hours.

Speaker Michael Martin, who has faced heavy criticism over his role in allowing the police to search Mr Green's office, was in the chair at the start of the debate.

His position was further eroded over the weekend when a BBC survey found that of the 90 MPs who responded, 32 said that they had lost confidence in him over his handling of the affair.