Contributions
684 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDIncome tax (charge)Do you not think the fact that you are supporting all the spending commitments but none of the tax rises is the reason that the Lib Dems will never be in government—31 Oct 2024HANSARDIncome tax (charge)I welcome his welcoming—I am sorry to repeat the word—of investment in schools that have RAAC. Does he agree that the time for the Government to spend money on repairing those…31 Oct 2024HANSARDIncome tax (charge)I thank the hon. Member for giving way on two occasions. I would not normally intervene on a speech twice, but he referred to a hospital in my constituency: the Princess…31 Oct 2024HANSARDIncome tax (charge)Does the hon. Gentleman not think that there was quite a lot of waste under the previous Government? There were dodgy personal protective equipment contracts that did not result…31 Oct 2024HANSARDIncome tax (charge)I have cut down on my drinking now, so it does not help me as much as it would have done in the past, but I am delighted that we have done that, and delighted with the many…31 Oct 2024HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThank you, Mr Speaker, for letting me speak. [ Interruption. ] Genuinely, thank you very much. It is your job, but I appreciate it. Two weeks ago, at my surgery, I met medically…31 Oct 2024HANSARDRough SleepingThank you for allowing me to speak in this important debate, Sir Christopher. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Southall (Deirdre Costigan) for securing it, and the…23 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I agree—that is part of what I am talking about. We want to support our local taxi drivers.21 Oct 2024HANSARDNeighbourhood Policing4. What steps her Department is taking to improve neighbourhood policing.21 Oct 2024HANSARDNeighbourhood PolicingI welcome the Home Secretary to her place. My community in Harlow has been let down by the lack of neighbourhood policing. What will the Home Secretary do to address this issue,…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I give my sincere thanks to the Minister for taking time to engage in this crucial debate. Taxi licensing is not merely a technical matter; it strikes at the heart of issues of…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I am sure that the Minister will address those concerns in his closing remarks. I have sought this debate to bring attention to the…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that the principle should be that drivers should be licensed by the local authority for the area in which they are operating. Cross-border…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015My hon. Friend is right; this is not just a bureaucratic oversight, but a public safety crisis waiting to happen. Vehicles are not being inspected regularly enough and drivers are…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I agree. We are talking about passenger safety. If somehow we could set aside the issue of safety—I believe we cannot—there are other grave consequences of the legislation. It is…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I will carry on with this bit of my speech. This situation erodes trust in industry at a time when we should champion local businesses. Instead, we are creating obstacles for…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015I am going to make some progress. I have heard first-hand accounts from Harlow’s taxi drivers. Will the Minister commit to take action? Will he consider reforming the law to…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015My hon. Friend is right to say that different authorities have different standards. One issue is not being licensed in the authority where that taxi operates.21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015My hon. Friend is right; covid hit tax drivers in my constituency very hard, and we should do what we can to support them. Repealing some of the legislation would help to do that.…21 Oct 2024HANSARD Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015No, I am going to finish. This is about essential regulation that protects lives and livelihoods. The hard-working taxi drivers, on whom so many of us depend, deserve a level…21 Oct 2024