Pick of the Parliamentary fortnight: 22 July, 2011

Not been paying attention to Parliament? Well, never fear. Here are the big moments, best speeches... and a few lighter moments.

Hunting in packs

The PM recalled Parliament to debate phone hacking; its first recall since 2002

Prime Minister David Cameron won praise from Commons Speaker John Bercow for answering questions from a full 138 MPs after his statement on phone hacking, resulting in a marathon two-and-a-half hour stint at the despatch box.

Opening the questions, opposition leader Ed Miliband demanded to know whether the PM had been involved in discussions with News Corporation executives about their proposed takeover of BSkyB.

Mr Cameron rejected the assertion, but a number of Labour backbenchers were unconvinced by his response.

Ben Bradshaw, Dennis Skinner, Mike Hancock, Chuku Umunna, Jeremy Corbyn, Barry Gardiner, and Graham Jones all followed up on the point.

After Mr Jones' question, Mr Cameron was evidently beginning to feel the strain. He replied: "You know - urgh!"

See all the phone hacking hearings in full here.

'I'm enjoying this!'

As is customary, the questions from Mr Cameron's own side of the House tended to provide some respite for the PM.

Tory MP for Wolverhampton South West Paul Uppal praised the PM's stamina, and accused Labour of "shaming our democracy" by seeking to "make political capital out of the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone".

The PM made light of his parliamentary exertions, declaring: "I'm enjoying this!" and agreed that the victims of phone hacking were "at the heart of the issue".

But Mr Cameron's reference to a famous speech by Baroness Thatcher prompted a barrage of barracking from the Labour benches, suggesting perhaps that some opposition MPs remember that Lady Thatcher had already resigned when she made the comment.

MPs quiz Murdochs

Rupert and James Murdoch face questions from MPs

As media moguls Rupert and James Murdoch began their testimony at the culture, media and sport committee, the first of two protests interrupted proceedings.

The latter, featuring a foam pie, garnered widespread media attention. But the former entailed members of the public unfurling anti-Murdoch banners, which appear on camera fleetingly.

The protesters were swiftly evicted, but a committee-room copper prompted mirth by calling on the remainder of the assembled throng to own up if they too have "got pieces of paper they're going to hold up".

Brown back on the green benches

Former PM Gordon Brown returned to Westminster last week for a much heralded intervention in the public debate on phone hacking.

In an extensive speech, Mr Brown defended his government's record on the oversight of the press and revealed what he described as "new evidence of criminal wrongdoing" under the cover of parliamentary privilege.

But Commons Leader Sir George Young later dismissed his comments as a "cry of pain".

'Clouseau rather than Columbo'

Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, who resigned from the force in 2007 after the IPCC launched an investigation into his expenses, faced new accusations at the home affairs committee on Tuesday.

He rejected their assertions categorically, but his response, left committee chairman Keith Vaz saying: "All of this sounds more like Clouseau rather than Columbo."

Debt ceiling

Mr Javid calls for a UK debt ceiling to be set in law

For Conservative backbencher Sajid Javid, a separate power enjoyed by politicians in Washington deserved to be emulated in Westminster.

The US national debt is subject to a cap, which can only be lifted with the agreement of Congress, as observers of the recent brinkmanship over whether the US should be allowed to borrow more will know.

Mr Javid declared that Parliament should have comparable powers over the UK's borrowing, despite current speculation that a US default may not be the impossible scenario it once seemed.

But, following Mr Javid, Labour MP John Mann dismissed the arguments he had heard, accusing the Conservative of harbouring an irrational hatred of the public sector and government.

Lord Speaker departing

Baroness Hayman cheered

Baroness Hayman's term as the first elected Lord Speaker is coming to a close after the election of Baroness D'Souza as her successor.

At the end of her final day on the woolsack on Wednesday there was a break with usual Lords etiquette as she was cheered and clapped as business for the day ended.

'Folk dancing and incest'

The object of Mr Russell's enthusiasm

Meanwhile, at education questions on Monday, Lib Dem MP Bob Russell called on the government to ensure that schools improve the provision of teaching about "English folk dance and song".

Education Secretary Michael Gove replied: "Oscar Wilde once said that one should try everything in life once apart from folk dancing and incest.

"I think that he was only 50% right."

The power of Wales

In what might prove to be a highly significant move for the future of Welsh politics, Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that the UK government will push ahead with a process investigating whether more powers should be devolved from Westminster to Cardiff Bay.

PM statement to the Welsh Assembly

The review will be modelled on the Calman Commission in Scotland, which recommended that the Scottish Parliament should have more tax-varying powers and the ability to borrow investment capital for the first time.

The PM argued that such a review was necessary in light of the overwhelming "yes" result in the recent referendum on handing full law-making powers to the Welsh Assembly.

Absence note

A true connoisseur

Further Education Minister John Hayes was unable to attend that particular question session, and missed a subsequent question session on Thursday too.

In an unusual sequence of events, he excused his absence in a letter to Commons Speaker John Bercow, which Mr Bercow felt compelled to share with the House.

He told the Speaker: "I hope that your disappointment is as great as mine at the missed opportunities for a heady mix of scrutiny and theatre beloved by we connoisseurs of such things."

Compiled by Democracy Live's Ed Lowther

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