Contributions
1,991 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHong Kong National Security Legislation: UK ResponseThe purpose of offering extendable periods of 12 months is that there will be no guillotine that comes down. It allows BNO passport holders to come here. We are removing the…02 Jun 2020HANSARDDonation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau FoundationIt is the normal practice when a Government Department proposes to make a gift of a value exceeding £300,000, for the Department concerned to present to the House of Commons a…12 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationWe estimate that over 1.3 million people have now returned to the UK from abroad on commercial routes. I can also tell the House that on the charter flights—the special…11 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19 VaccineThe shadow Foreign Secretary raises an excellent point. This is a moment when we need to try to reduce political tensions and work collaboratively right across the world. On…11 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19 VaccineMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are proud to be pioneering trials in this country to crack the issue of finding a vaccine. Of course, we need to leverage the manufacturing…11 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19 VaccineI thank my hon. Friend for his tenacity and for raising the case of his constituents so swiftly. I am delighted and relieved that they have been able to get home. On his broader…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationIn terms of Nigeria, we are concerned. It has been a challenge, but I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that over 1,700 British nationals have been repatriated to date, on seven…11 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19 VaccineMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We want to spearhead the pursuit of a vaccine through the research that has been conducted in this country—and, if possible, manufacture it at…11 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19 VaccineThe UK is playing a leading role in supporting global research and development efforts to find a vaccine, with vaccine trials commenced in this country, and the UK leading…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationAnd the Foreign Office has got a grip of the problem as well. I take the hon. Gentleman’s point. We have been stretched, and I think that that is the case for countries around the…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationI share the hon. Gentleman’s concern about any British nationals stranded abroad—Brits are a nation of travellers—but his comparison with Germany is not correct, because he is not…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationI thank the hon. Lady for her comments and welcome her to her position. I know that she has huge tenacity and will scrutinise everything that the Government are doing, but that…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationThe Philippines has been a challenge, but I can reassure my hon. Friend that we managed to secure the return of over 600 British nationals on UK charter flights in April. I spoke…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationMy hon. Friend raises an important point. In March, when the Foreign Office changed its travel advice to advise against people travelling on cruises, we had more than 19,000…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationWe have, in the first instance, worked with insurance companies to make sure that they extend travel policies by 60 days when emergency support is needed. I can also tell the…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationWe certainly share the concern expressed by the hon. Gentleman about flights that are cancelled. There is an onus on the operators to make sure that they can be reimbursed.…11 May 2020HANSARDBritish Citizens: RepatriationThe reason the measure is being introduced now is that the advice that we have always had is that there was little point, if any, in introducing quarantine at the border with…11 May 2020HANSARDEngagementsI have to say that if the hon. Lady looks at the package of measures that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has put in place in the round, she will see that we are not only…29 Apr 2020HANSARDEngagementsI pay tribute to my hon. Friend for all he is doing to champion small businesses. We want to help all businesses—small, medium and large—in Witney and across the country get…29 Apr 2020HANSARDEngagementsThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. As the Health Secretary announced, we have had trials announced very recently and we are taking a lead on research and development.…29 Apr 2020