Contributions
938 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDImprisonmentI am heartened by the Secretary of State’s answers thus far. Last September the prisons Minister, the hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Rory Stewart), said that “the…05 Feb 2019HANSARDPrison Officer SafetyEvery assault on a prison officer is, of course, one too many. In the last full year, there were five times fewer serious assaults on prison officers in Scotland than there were…05 Feb 2019HANSARD Sport in the UKI could not agree more. As the hon. Lady is a former international rugby player herself, her point is even stronger, and I will echo that in my later comments. I have been seeking…04 Feb 2019HANSARD Sport in the UKThere is a danger that we might get a bit ahead of ourselves but, yes, I agree that, in the time to come, there should be a statue to Andy Murray in Dunblane, perhaps to sit…04 Feb 2019HANSARDKnife Crime Prevention OrdersWe all agree that the surge in knife crime in England and Wales is harrowing, and our hearts go out to everyone affected by this epidemic, but these disproportionate measures…04 Feb 2019HANSARD Sport in the UKFar be it for me to disagree with the hon. Gentleman, but last year the Scottish sports budget grew by £2 million—more than 7%—and Derek Mackay offered to underwrite any loss from…04 Feb 2019HANSARD Sport in the UKFor those of us who stayed up into the wee small hours last night to watch the Superbowl, it has already been a long day. The game itself could have got sport stopped, to be…04 Feb 2019HANSARD Sport in the UKI give way to Andy Murray’s Member of Parliament.04 Feb 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI am sure we all have many cases involving Child Maintenance Service maladministration. The issues are legion, but one example involves the CMS being informed of an ex-partner…31 Jan 2019HANSARDTV Licences: Over-75sThis obligation would cost the BBC three quarters of a billion pounds, rising to £1 billion by the end of the decade. That equates to one fifth of the BBC budget, more than its…31 Jan 2019HANSARDTV Licences: Over-75s2. If he will make it his policy to maintain free TV licences for people over the age of 75 after the end of the current scheme in 2020.31 Jan 2019HANSARDCrime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords]That is not the point—it is about the principles. We have spoken at length about this and listed some of them. It is about the principles, and we are signatories to the ECHR as…30 Jan 2019HANSARDCrime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords]Throughout the passage of this Bill and other Bills where we have engaged with the Security Minister and the hon. Member for Torfaen (Nick Thomas-Symonds), there has been a…30 Jan 2019HANSARDDevolved GovernmentOn behalf of the SNP, I join the Minister and the Labour Front-Bench spokesman in marking the tragic and entirely avoidable events of Bloody Sunday. Earlier this month, the former…30 Jan 2019HANSARDCrime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords]Words are great but it is deeds that are important, and we think that this should be in this Bill. As the Bill is, to use the Minister’s term, the docking station for future…30 Jan 2019HANSARDCrime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords]Every hon. Member would accept that the current wait times in the MLAT process are unsustainable. Notwithstanding the arguments made on Report and at earlier stages, we welcome…30 Jan 2019HANSARDCrime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords]That is almost a false choice. The Minister is painting it as a black-and-white issue. At the end of the day, on an issue of such grave importance as the death penalty, I would…30 Jan 2019HANSARD Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) BillAs usual, far from being senseless, my hon. Friend makes his point with force and alacrity, as is befitting of a budding statesman. I could not agree more— [Interruption.] I think…28 Jan 2019HANSARD Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) BillMy hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (Stuart C. McDonald) spoke in great detail and with great skill about the many deficiencies of this Bill.…28 Jan 2019HANSARD Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) BillOn the words “utterly senseless”, I give way to my hon. Friend.28 Jan 2019