No common touch

A RARE event will take place in the House of Commons tomorrow when David Cameron answers questions from Ed Miliband – and backbench MPs – for the first time in five weeks.

The first occasion that the supposedly weekly ritual has taken place since Budget day on March 20, it may also be the last of this Parliament because another recess is planned before the Queen’s Speech on May 8.

It is little wonder, therefore, that Margaret Hodge, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee which monitors public spending, has concluded that Westminster fails “to provide good value for money” with such an unfathomable Parliamentary timetable.

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Even though she is right to raise these concerns, some perspective is still required. The overwhelming majority of MPs are conscientious and work tirelessly on behalf of their constituents.

Most of this work takes place away from the spotlight of the Commons chamber that only comes to life for PMQs.

Yet, given that Britain is teetering on the brink of an unprecedented triple dip recession, there is plenty of issues for MPs to debate – such as George Osborne’s handling of the economy, the continuing inability of Ministers to hold failed bank bosses and NHS executives to account and also House of Lords reform.

There is also scope for Parliament to extend the scope of backbench debates where MPs attempt to highlight issues, such as subsidised bus fares for 16 to 19-year-olds across Yorkshire, in a non-confrontational manner.

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Perhaps Mrs Hodge 
can set the ball rolling by calling for a special debate on the role of Parliament before the next recess, and before even more taxpayers come to the false conclusion that MPs are still putting self-interest before the public interest in the aftermath of the expenses scandal.