Contributions
1,242 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGlobal Education for the Most MarginalisedAt one point I was worried the debate would collapse early, given the rate at which we were getting through speeches, but we can always rely on certain Members—the hon. Member for…26 Feb 2019HANSARD Business of the HouseHon. Members may be aware of TotsBots, a fantastic company in my constituency that manufactures eco-friendly nappies. One of the issues that this company, based in the Queenslie…21 Feb 2019HANSARD Business of the Houserose—21 Feb 2019HANSARDDivisions of the HouseIndeed, the Institute for Government estimates that we have spent nearly 49 hours trooping through the packed Lobbies, which must be in breach of health and safety. In a week when…21 Feb 2019HANSARDDivisions of the House5. How much time hon. Members spent participating in Divisions in 2018.21 Feb 2019HANSARD Future Free Trade AgreementsThe Secretary of State is right to refer to the emerging middle class in growing economies—India is one example—but can he give me a cast-iron guarantee that when he is…21 Feb 2019HANSARD Exiting the European Union (Agriculture)rose —20 Feb 2019HANSARDEngagementsQ11. Recent research from the charity Bliss shows that two thirds of dads have to return to work while their premature or sick baby is still in a neonatal intensive care unit.…20 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Branch ClosuresWill the Minister, since he has been so generous in agreeing to meet hon. Members, agree to meet me to discuss protecting the Santander branch in Parkhead and telling the bank to…20 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Branch Closuresrose—20 Feb 2019HANSARDFree Childcare: Costs and BenefitsIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, as always, Mr Davies, and I thank you for your forbearance, as I did not intend to sum up the debate, hence I am sat next to the…19 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesAbsolutely. The hon. Lady makes a powerful point. I intend to come on to the recommendation that people go to the post office, because the argument is weak and does not stand up…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesHerein lies the issue that hon. Members on both sides of the House want to raise today. The Government’s line so far has been, “Oh, well, it’s fine—we’ll just shunt this issue on…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesThe hon. Gentleman is right that other banks have been complicit in abandoning our local communities. I do not know whether he is due to lose a branch in his constituency, but the…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesThat is an excellent point, and one I intend to come on to later. My hon. Friend has been a doughty campaigner on this issue, not only in terms of post offices, but in fighting a…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesI am grateful to another constituency neighbour for making a powerful point. It is great that the hon. Gentleman is here, because, with the planned closure of the Santander branch…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesAbsolutely. That fits nicely with the next point I want to make, which is about impact assessments. The bank concedes that only half of the customers who use the Parkhead branch…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesAbsolutely. That is one reason why I am delighted to see the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Ben Lake) here for the debate. His private Member’s Bill looks specifically at the impact…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesAbsolutely. The hon. Gentleman, my constituency neighbour, hits the nail on the head. There are flaws in the argument that the post office network can just replace local banking…14 Feb 2019HANSARDSantander Closures and Local CommunitiesThat is spot on, because there is a question of sustainability for postmasters. We know that a huge number of previous Crown post offices have been transitioned to franchise…14 Feb 2019