Sir Alan Campbell

On the matter of the business for 19 November, I will certainly look at how best to protect the time. That includes whether we need statements at the start of the day, but as the hon. Gentleman knows, it is a balance between keeping the House informed of important matters and ensuring there is sufficient time. I will also think about protected time, but as I have said to him before, having protected time is not the panacea we sometimes think it is, because it can lead to false assumptions about what can be allowed at the beginning of the day, and it does not always help. As for the Labour Member on the Backbench Business Committee, I put my hands up and apologise sincerely to the hon. Gentleman. He knows that I take these matters seriously, and I apologise that we have not been able to fill that space, but discussions are ongoing, and we hope to be able to appoint a member soon. On human rights in Iran, I know the hon. Gentleman takes these matters extremely seriously. There is abhorrence at the surge in executions of political prisoners in Iran. The Government oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Iran’s consistently high rate of executions is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. He is right to stand up against that, and the Government stand up against that. I will raise his specific concern with the FCDO and get him a response.