24 February 2012 Last updated at 00:16 GMT Labour's Eric Joyce has been the MP for Falkirk for more than 11 years
Labour MP Eric Joyce has been charged with three counts of common assault following a disturbance at the House of Commons.
The Falkirk MP was arrested after police were called to a bar at Parliament on Wednesday evening.Mr Joyce, 51, of Bo'ness, West Lothian, has been bailed and will appear at West London Magistrates' Court on 7 March.
Earlier, Mr Joyce was suspended from the Labour Party pending the police investigation, but he remains an MP.
Mr Joyce was seen being driven away from the rear of Belgravia police station, in central London, late on Thursday.
The Conservative MP for Pudsey, Stuart Andrew, has alleged he was assaulted.
Commons Speaker John Bercow said he took the matter "very seriously".
The BBC understands officers involved in the investigation returned to the Commons on Thursday evening to interview eyewitnesses.
Warning to MPs The allegations relate to a disturbance in the Strangers Bar, which is reserved for MPs and their guests.
Mr Andrew was in the bar following a Commons event organised by his Conservative colleague Andrew Percy, for the Speaker of the Canadian Parliament.
Mr Bercow told MPs after Mr Joyce was arrested: "I take this matter very seriously, as do the House authorities.
"I would ask that no further reference should be made to these reports in the Chamber."
Mr Joyce was elected in a by-election in December 2000 and has served as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to a number of government ministers since 2003.
He was PPS to the then defence secretary Bob Ainsworth until 2009, and prior to that had been a parliamentary aide to John Hutton, Mike O'Brien and Margaret Hodge.
COPY : http://www.bbc.co.uk/
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