Chris Bryant

Foreign Office Ministers and legislation

Foreign Office Ministers don't normally have much legislation to take through Parliament, apart from addressing the European Scrutiny Committees on developments in the EU. But we do have two pieces at the moment: the Cluster Munitions Bill, which will ban cluster munitions, and Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, which will strengthen the way Parliament reviews treaties that have been signed by the Government before they can be ratified. For the first time the Commons will have a complete right of veto.
 
This builds on the work of Arthur Ponsonby, who was Foreign Office Minister in the short-lived 1924 Labour Government. He announced during the debate on the Treaty of Peace (Turkey) Bill that any treaty would be laid on the table of both Houses of Parliament for 21 days, after which, barring any objection, they would be ratified. This "Ponsonby rule" has been accepted practice since. But if the Bill goes forward, as we debated last week, the rule will be made law and Parliament will have an even more important role in agreeing treaties.
 

Posted at 09:17 25 January 2010 by Chris Bryant  |  Comments[4]

Cluster Munitions - an update

The Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill continues on its course through Parliament.  It reached the Committee Stage in the Lords yesterday afternoon and I'm delighted to say that the tabled amendments were withdrawn.  That means we're one step closer to ratifying the Convention on Cluster Munitions and banning these weapons.  There was some passionate debate yesterday.  As much as the Bill has had a swift passage so far, it has faced tough scrutiny at every stage.  Parliament plays an indispensable role in ensuring legislation is the best it can be.  I would like to thank all sides of the House for their rigorous scrutiny of the Bill and the leadership they have shown on this issue from the very beginning.  I look forward to taking it through the Commons.  We have already looked at an additional issue, the question of indirect financing of cluster munitions, because we want to see an end to their use everywhere.

Posted at 16:01 08 January 2010 by Chris Bryant  |  Comments[2]

Banning cluster bombs

Great news from the House of Lords last week. The Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill sailed through its second reading unopposed.  This takes the UK a step closer to ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions by banning the use, production , transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs. I am heartened by the moral leadership that parliament continues to demonstrate through its support of this Bill, which has such a clear humanitarian purpose. Cluster bombs can cause immense suffering to the civilians caught up in conflict and can leave a deadly post-conflict legacy for future generations when they fail to explode. In our desire to see an end to these deadly weapons, we continue to be at the forefront of international action. In a statement to parliament on 7 December I announced our intention to work with the financial sector, non-Governmental organisations and other interested parties to prevent indirect financing of the production of cluster munitions.
 
Find out more about the Bill, and follow its progress through parliament.    

Posted at 16:08 14 December 2009 by Chris Bryant  |  Comments[0]