Tag Archives: ten minute rule bill

Tim Farron introduces his Bill to help refugee children

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 8th December 2015 - 2:47 pm

Tim Farron has barely stopped talking about the need to help the refugees heeding from the war zones of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea towards Europe. His visits to Lesbos and Calais have affected him deeply and he is keen to press the Government to take 3000 unaccompanied children as the charity Save the Children thinks is necessary.

Today’s stage in his campaign involved lodging a Ten Minute Rule Bill. This is parliamentary device which enables back bench MPs to submit Private Members’ Bills. There is a ritual that involves standing at the bar of the house and a lot of stepping forward and bowing before you hand in the Bill. Tim looked pretty awkward doing this, but that’s probably a good thing. It is pretty silly.

Tim’s Asylum (Unaccompanied Children Displaced by Conflict): Ten Minute Rule Motion says:

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the award of asylum-seeker status in the United Kingdom to certain unaccompanied children from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea displaced by conflict and present within the European Union; and for connected purposes.

Proposing the Bill, Tim said: