Minister blocks move to revive disabled Bill

THE GOVERNMENT saw off another attempt yesterday to force the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill back on to the Commons timetable, writes Stephen Goodwin.

A motion by Martyn Jones, Labour MP for Clwyd SW, to allow more time to complete consideration of the Bill outlawing discrimination against disabled people, was not reached after long speeches in a preceding debate on competitiveness. Tim Sainsbury, Minister for Industry, was still speaking when the deadline for the day's main business ran out.

Part way through the competitiveness debate, Dennis Skinner (Labour) used a procedural device to force a division in the hope that Government whips would not be able to muster the 40 MPs required for a quorum. The House would then have gone on to discuss Mr Jones's motion, but 51 Tories voted.