Contributions
717 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCommunity PaybackMy hon. Friend hits the nail on the head. The Minister suggested that Opposition Members do not appreciate the work of probation officers, so will my hon. Friend please set the…28 Jun 2022HANSARDCommunity PaybackI acknowledge the Minister’s intervention. My concern, which I raised earlier in my speech and also last week, is the number of people who, because of a lack of confidence in the…28 Jun 2022HANSARDCommunity PaybackI am grateful to the Minister for that intervention. However, let me return to the frequent criticism of Labour for not being definitive enough in proposing alternatives. Let us…28 Jun 2022HANSARDCommunity PaybackI shall heed your advice, Madam Deputy Speaker. Let me end by saying this. In the opinion of many—myself included—our criminal justice system is falling apart, and the Government…28 Jun 2022HANSARDHousing Regeneration: Former Industrial Areas6. What support his Department is providing to deliver housing regeneration in former industrial areas.27 Jun 2022HANSARDHousing Regeneration: Former Industrial AreasWill the Minister and his colleagues look at the wider remit of the Department, namely levelling up and communities, to deliver a workable policy on private-sector housing…27 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersI beg to move, That this House has considered the sentencing of repeat offenders. It is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Gary. Attendance at today’s…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersI thank the Minister not only for what he has said, but for his tone and for being so constructive in responding to the debate. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersThat must be one of the prisons on my list to visit, though I hope not as an inmate. I received numerous invitations from prison officers when I was in Eastbourne. I held a…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersI am a great believer in statistics and often quote them, but my constituent told me that he, and others in the same boat, would not report crime in the future because of his…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersThat is a good and sensible point, but I draw the hon. Member’s attention to the report of the Select Committee on Education, chaired by the right hon. Member for Harlow (Robert…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersA whole section of my speech was on the need to reform drugs policy. Quite frankly, many of the most prolific offenders are linked to organised crime gangs and their links with…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersI thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and what he says is reasonable. I have just been reading a book about the former Director of Public Prosecutions and his early…21 Jun 2022HANSARD Sentencing: Repeat OffendersThe hon. Gentleman has got the thread of my argument precisely. I am not arguing in a contrary fashion, because I believe that repeat offenders—people involved in serial…21 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI will give way to my good and honourable friend.15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesThe feeling is very strong. I believe the margin was 71%, which is well above the Government’s threshold. Indeed, the treatment of the RMT Union and its members seems to be part…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesBefore I begin, I would like to declare a couple of interests: I am a member of the RMT parliamentary group and I serve on the Select Committee on Transport. In fact, I am a…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesWill the hon. Gentleman give way?15 Jun 2022HANSARDDraft Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) and Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution) (Law of the Sea Convention) Amendment Order 2022The Minister did not respond to the point about catamarans.14 Jun 2022HANSARDDraft Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) and Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution) (Law of the Sea Convention) Amendment Order 2022It is a pleasure to serve under chairmanship, Ms Rees, as always. At the beginning of my remarks, I must say that my intention is not to oppose the measure, but simply to seek…14 Jun 2022