Contributions
695 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDConflict in the Middle East: Cost of LivingAustralia, Italy, India and more have all slashed fuel duty in response to Trump’s idiotic war in Iran. We Liberal Democrats are calling for fuel duty to be cut by 12p per litre…28 Apr 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsBusiness rates bills have been landing on doormats over the last few weeks, and some small businesses in St Albans and beyond tell me that the future looks bleak, with some taking…28 Apr 2026HANSARDDraft Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026I had two separate questions. The first was whether any of the 173 active substances have faced sustained calls to be banned already. I recognise that none are banned, but have…21 Apr 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateI thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement. The Chancellor should have come here today to explain how she was going to use the £20 million extra that the Treasury…21 Apr 2026HANSARDDraft Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026These regulations ensure that potentially harmful chemicals are carefully controlled, and will provide greater certainty for business, so we Liberal Democrats will not seek to…21 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. Our country is in a very fragile state. We cannot defend ourselves, we cannot feed ourselves and we cannot power…16 Apr 2026HANSARDDraft National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2026Broadly speaking, the Liberal Democrats support this measure. However, we note that an assessment by the Department for Work and Pensions suggests that 77% of NEST members are…15 Apr 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateI thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement. Our thoughts are with our brave armed forces at this time. I agree that the last Government’s failure to invest in…24 Mar 2026HANSARDHigh Street Businesses: Tax ChangesSmall businesses are the backbone of our economy, but the Federation of Small Businesses is warning that they will face a cost cliff edge in April because of the cumulative impact…10 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsIn times of crisis, the UK Government have often had to spend more on energy support for households and small businesses than other comparable countries, because our energy market…10 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateI am grateful to the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement, but it does not include a single concrete announcement, and in itself will not provide the reassurance that…09 Mar 2026HANSARDSpring ForecastThe country is paying the price for two anti-growth Labour Budgets. Growth has flatlined, youth unemployment is up, and the cost of living crisis grinds on, pushing people and…03 Mar 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorI am grateful to the Minister for giving way, but I want to press him on that point again. There are some specific allegations that an inquiry might want to look at, but there is…24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorWill the Minister give way?24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorWill the Minister give way?24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorMany people are talking about the different elements that could be examined during an inquiry, but I have heard some people say that an inquiry could become too big and take too…24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorOne of the things that I have been struck by as we have heard more and more revelations is that it is difficult for some members of the public to keep up, and that many of…24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorOne point that has been raised this afternoon is that even while the police go ahead with their investigations, there is still a job for this House to do. It strikes me that some…24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorMy hon. Friend is being very generous in giving way. It has been a Liberal Democrat policy for a very long time to have an office of the whistleblower, and we very much hope that…24 Feb 2026HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorSpecifically on this point, I am grateful that the Minister is willing to comply with the terms of this motion and that he is trying to manage expectations about the speed with…24 Feb 2026