House of Commons suspended because MPs can't think of anything to talk about

British troops are in harm's way in Afghanistan. The economy is struggling out of the recessionary mire. The Government's deficit is passing 12 percent of GDP. Half of 16-year-olds do not get 5 good GCSEs. The terrorist threat level has just been raised. There is no end of serious issues facing the country we could debate.

But don't expect MPs to do the debating. The House of Commons was suspended for more than an hour because not enough members wanted to speak.

The supension came during a debate on Holocaust Memorial Day, which got underway just after 12.30, and was scheduled to run until 3pm.

But before 2pm, the debate dried up, with no members seeking to speak. And so, at 1.56pm, the Commons was suspended, until 3pm, when debate resumed on the Leeds City Council Bill and other earth-shaking matters.