Contributions
867 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillLet me begin by expressing thanks to all those who have contributed to this debate so far—I am sure that there will be many more after me—and to the hon. and learned Member for…06 Dec 2024HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillI hope the right hon. Member understands that I am talking about the difference between a hard border and a soft border. The Windsor framework enables the smooth flow of trade,…06 Dec 2024HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillThere was this trilemma, involving the integrity of the UK internal market; avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland; and respecting that our EU partners have a legitimate…06 Dec 2024HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillI am going to make some progress. To the Government’s mind, this commitment to normal security arrangements could not be met, under the common travel area arrangements, with a…06 Dec 2024HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillNo, I will make some progress now.06 Dec 2024HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) BillThere are absolutely minimal stops along the border. It is not a hard border, but circumstances would be very different under the Bill, which implies an ideological hard Brexit—06 Dec 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsAction by police officers is fundamental, and we are looking at how we can change the justice system, as we are doing across the UK, as our target to halve violence against women…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsI am delighted to see so many men raising this issue today at Northern Ireland questions. Yesterday, I met with Tahnee McCorry from White Ribbon Northern Ireland, who is working…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsIn the Budget, this Government provided a record-breaking devolution settlement of £18.2 billion, with £640 million this year and £1.5 billion next year. It is now up to the Chief…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationI thank my hon. Friend for raising that point and the connection to Weston-super-Mare. There is a lot of work that we can do to support innovation across the whole country,…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsI am very supportive of the Executive’s strategic framework to tackle violence against women and girls. I am in constant dialogue with organisations such as White Ribbon NI to…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationHappy Lancashire Day to you as well, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State and I were deeply saddened by the recent passing of former UTV political editor Ken Reid, who was a close…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationI thank my hon. Friend for raising the important aspect of business innovation and for mentioning those businesses, which are important to Northern Ireland’s economy. We are…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsWhite Ribbon Day this week marks the start of 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls. The scale of this violence in our country is unacceptable, and this…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationI thank the right hon. Member for raising that issue. This is an excellent opportunity to raise something that I have not yet looked at. I will go away and study it, because it…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationI thank the hon. and learned Member for rightly singing the praises of Wrightbus. The transition to net zero presents huge opportunities, as he has identified, for businesses like…27 Nov 2024HANSARDSupporting InnovationThis Government are working across the whole of the UK to promote those businesses, and the industrial strategy provides an excellent opportunity to have this discussion. The UK…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsI thank my hon. Friend for raising that question. Alongside the alarming femicide statistics, there are other factors that add to the complexity of gender-based violence in…27 Nov 2024HANSARDNorthern Ireland Assembly: BME RepresentationI thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. I would like to start by paying tribute to Anna Lo, who passed away earlier this month. As the first ethnic minority politician…27 Nov 2024HANSARDViolence against Women and GirlsI pay tribute to all the Women’s Aid organisations across Northern Ireland, which do absolutely fantastic work. It is about prevention and provision of services. Tackling online…27 Nov 2024