Contributions
893 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Christmas AdjournmentThe hon. Gentleman and I sing from the same hymn sheet: broadband needs to be seen as an essential service. The Public Accounts Committee has looked at the idea. Government after…17 Dec 2020HANSARD Christmas AdjournmentThe right hon. Gentleman raises an important point that underlines the longer-term need for leasehold reform. I welcome the fact that the Government are committed to doing that.…17 Dec 2020HANSARD Christmas AdjournmentI smile wryly to myself as the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Paul Holmes) talks about being on a diet. He can look at me and see how it fails after 15 years. Clearly I need to take a…17 Dec 2020HANSARD Christmas AdjournmentI gasp, because most of my constituents do not have £37 left at the end of the month, let alone to spend every day on wi-fi. It is a real problem. I have poverty in my…17 Dec 2020HANSARD Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-outIt is a great day for medicine, science and the population, but in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith), the Secretary of State was somewhat…08 Dec 2020HANSARDBounce Back Loan SchemeThe Minister talked about the default issues on the loans but also about extended payback. Has he or the Treasury done a calculation about whether that will reduce the up to 80%…01 Dec 2020HANSARD Spending Review 2020 and OBR ForecastWe have heard very much a smoke and mirrors statement today, with the Chancellor repeatedly saying that there is more cash year on year than in the last decade. Well, that is easy…25 Nov 2020HANSARD Leaseholders and CladdingI need to declare my interest in that I am a leaseholder in an affected block, but in my case, my developer is paying for the full remediation works. The Minister must acknowledge…24 Nov 2020HANSARD Virtual Participation in DebateAs the right hon. Lady says, people are working very hard, and I pay tribute to members of the Public Accounts Committee, including the right hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham…24 Nov 2020HANSARD Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough SleepersI welcome the Minister to her post. I think she is the 12th Minister in this position in the past decade. Her enthusiasm for the efficacy of Government policy would be infectious…11 Nov 2020HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateIt would be very helpful to know how long the roll-out of the vaccinations will take once the Secretary of State gets the go-ahead. He has outlined a major Government project that…10 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingThe Minister obliquely referred to the 97% tolerance level—that is, where 97% of students stick to their course, the funding is given at 100%, whereas in London if 90% of students…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingI thank my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse). The fund is so much better value for money because through it people can be properly supported into training…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingI cannot let a figure glibly spoken like that pass—it may be, in percentage terms, the biggest injection of cash in a single year, but that is because for at least seven years, if…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingI thank my hon. Friend for his intervention, and I am going to touch on the apprenticeship levy. It was an interesting and bold policy initiative, but as he has rightly…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingAs usual, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hosie. As my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Gill Furniss) has said, at a time…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingWill the Minister give way?04 Nov 2020HANSARD Further Education FundingA few moments ago, the Minister said that there would be some discussion about potential in-year funding for colleges. Does she have a date for that, or do we need to wait? Is she…04 Nov 2020HANSARD Covid-19 Restrictions: South YorkshireOne big concern about the local lockdowns in South Yorkshire and elsewhere is that if there is not enough money to support businesses to survive, there will be a longer-term…21 Oct 2020HANSARDSelf-employed People: Covid-19I associate myself with the concerns raised by colleagues cross-party on this issue. It is interesting that every time the Minister comes to the Dispatch Box, he bats off extra…20 Oct 2020