Urgent Debates Declined — Refugee Quota—Syrian Refugees

I have received letters from James Shaw and Andrew Little seeking to debate under Standing Order 389 the announcement of a decision to accept an additional 600 Syrian refugees. This is a particular case of recent occurrence involving ministerial responsibility. The business of the House should not be set aside just because an announcement has been made, even though it may be important. There must be such an element of urgency that the matter must take precedence over other business. My perception is that there has been general support for the accepting of additional refugees. There has been, and will continue to be, discussion about whether the number of refugees accepted is sufficient. I am not persuaded that debating that issue warrants the setting aside of the business of the House. The application is, therefore, declined.