"I want to live in a posh house"

Commons Speaker John Bercow took delivery of some St David's Day daffodils from the children of Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain this morning.

Mr Speaker introduced himself to the children with an informal "hello, I'm John" before taking them on a tour of Speaker's House.

He told BBC Wales he would be wearing a daffodil in the Speaker's chair in the Commons this afternoon - after reading a lesson at the traditional St David's Day service in the chapel in the Commons crypt.

One of the schoolboys was impressed but a tad cheesed off to discover that the three young Bercow children live in Speaker's House. He told his classmates: "It's not fair - I want to live in a posh house".

Wedding hitch

My suspicions proved correct and yesterday's newspaper headlines were premature. Parliament may need to change the law before Chris Bryant can celebrate his civil partnership in the House of Commons.

As things stand, the Commons is not licensed for civil weddings or partnerships. If it were to obtain a licence, as the law stands, then the venue would have to be available to ordinary members of the public for a certain time. (The Prince Charles/Windsor Castle problem)

The Speaker is keen on opening up his State Rooms for ceremonies for MPs but is not convinced Parliament should go into the mass wedding and civil partnership business.

So it will be up to Parliament to decide whether or not to change the law to allow private ceremonies in the same way only parliamentarians and senior officers can tie the knot in the Chapel of St Mary's Undercroft.

Either way, Chris Bryant and his partner might be advised to sound out an alternative venue or two if they hope to marry next March.

Wedding Bells

Is Parliament about to host its first civil partnership ceremony? Readers of today's Independent may have rushed out to buy a hat in anticipation of Chris Bryant's nuptials.

Congratulations are due to the Rhondda MP and his partner Jared Cranney. Mr Bryant told the paper: "Jared and I are engaged and we hope to have a civil partnership – or a marriage is what it feels like – in March of next year. "We'd like to do it in Parliament if possible."

I checked with the Speaker's office to see how far he had gone down the road of obtaining a licence to hold civil ceremonies in his official residence.

"It is something the Speaker is keen on," confirmed a spokeswoman. "Discussions are under way."

Obtaining a licence for a traditional wedding is not always straightforward. You may recall how the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles had to switch their venue from Windsor Castle to the local Guildhall.

The reason? Any licence for the castle would allow the public to marry there for at least three years.

There's no news yet on whether Mr Bercow would be happy to open up Speaker's House to punters although it could prove a nice little earner to defer the cost of MPs' expenses and would certainly cement his reputation as a modernising Speaker.

Should a Westminster wedding prove problematic, Chris and Jared could marry closer to home. Several Rhondda venues now host civil partnerships and with a March date in mind guests could fit in some pre-election canvassing after the ceremony.

Wittering for Wales

Can there be a better post-holiday pre-recess treat than Welsh Questions in the House of Commons?

Peter Hain and his deputy Wayne David fielded MPs' questions for the last time today before MPs disappear for their long summer recess.

Today was John Bercow's first Welsh Questions in the chair and the new Speaker wasted little time before making his mark.

He demanded shorter questions and pithy replies of MPs and Ministers.

Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan was a prime target, finding herself accused of "wittering".

Mr Bercow told MPs: "There is a practice growing up of the opposition front bench asking a question and then wittering away from a sedentary position - it's not acceptable and I don't want it to happen again."

It didn't, although the Speaker did have to tell MPs to tone down the noise at one point, something due rather more to anticipation of Prime Minister's Question Time than excitement at Welsh Questions.

And there was still time for Peter Hain to quip of Cheryl Gillan: "At least she wasn't twittering in the House." These silver surfers yield to no-one in their ability to get down with da kidz online.

Bercow takes his bow

He couldn't stop smirking - and who could blame him? John Bercow looked rather pleased with himself as he made his way to the Speaker's chair for the first full day in the job.

Fashion experts will recall that he wore a normal suit and academic-style gown, without the train favoured by his predecessor. I don't recall Michael Martin wearing tights, although others do, but Mr Speaker Bercow went for trousers.

One or two Tory MPs thought his tie was a little bright and will have to go. Sir George Young (who has been more graceful in defeat than some of his supporters) might have chosen a quieter option.

But Mr Speaker Bercow got into his stride, with an early appeal for brevity from Ministers and backbench MPs. He may be a small man, but he has a very tall voice which helps avoid the risk of the Speaker's chair dwarfing his frame.

Another test lies ahead, when Commons leader Harriet Harman makes a statement on the new code of conduct for MPs. Will the Speaker shut her up on the grounds that Gordon Brown has already been touring broadcast studios talking about the same subject?

And tomorrow, he referees his first Prime Minister's Question Time. You can bet he's looking forward to it. As someone once said of another Tory, I have seen the future and it smirks.