00:00This morning the Government published the Strategic Defence Review, the Prime Minister made a speech and held a press conference in Glasgow, in addition to other media appearances.
00:10This follows several days of media briefing.
00:13I am disappointed once again the Government appears to have breached the principle set out in paragraph 9.1 of the Ministerial Code,
00:23that, when a Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament.
00:35I recognise that the timing of policy announcements is not always wholly within the Government's control.
00:42There may be a need to coordinate announcements on international trade with trading partners, for example,
00:48or announcements may be delayed by last-minute legal intervention.
00:54But the announcement of the SDR was wholly within the Government's discretion,
00:58and highly regrettable that Ministers have chosen, once again, to hold a major, media event before coming to the House.
01:06This shows complete disregard for the House and for the Honourable Members.
01:10I note that Ministers, when they were in Opposition, were not slow to complain when the previous Government made major policy announcements outside Parliament.
01:20It's amazing in Opposition how everything should be discussed on the floor of the House.
01:25But when in Government, memories are short on that fact.
