Contributions
1,562 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFamily BusinessesWow. I should let the hon. Gentleman intervene more often if he is going to say that the only problem with Liz Truss is that she did not set out her workings. I think the problem…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesThe hon. Gentleman said that we had something called the pandemic; we also had a Prime Minister called Liz Truss and that had a pretty big impact on our economy. I know the shadow…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI thank the shadow Chancellor for opening the debate. In their motion, the Opposition have set out a list of objections to the decisions that the Government have taken—or, in the…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesYes—on Liz Truss’s record.26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out that, under the previous Government, there was a series of cliff edges and one-year extensions that provided no stability…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesData is being set out by the Valuation Office Agency, which should give the right hon. Gentleman the details that he requests, but I am happy to write to him with the details that…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI am going to make some progress. Let me move on to the changes to employer national insurance contributions, which is another of the difficult decisions that we had to take at…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI will make some progress, because I have given way many times on this particular point. I have plenty more to get through and I am sure that other Members would like to…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI return to the point that I have made several times today: the way to understand how the policy on agricultural property relief and business property relief will work is to look…26 Feb 2025HANSARD Bank Closures: Rural AreasThe hon. Member is correct that people need to be able to get to banking hubs, and I will address that point later in my speech. More broadly, this Government are committed to…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Bank Closures: Rural AreasI commend the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) for securing this debate. He has ensured that the views and concerns of his constituents have been heard by Ministers this…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Bank Closures: Rural AreasThe hon. Gentleman highlights how this issue affects communities right across the UK, and in a moment I will turn to the criteria by which the locations of banking hubs are…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention about the impact on the fishing sector, and I can reassure him that the Crown Estate is committed to the sustainable management of…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. The Crown Estate is an independent commercial business with a varied portfolio of assets across London, and with marine,…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]The hon. Member has highlighted that the changes made in Scotland led to a reduction in the block grant to Scotland. The focus of the new clauses is the proposal to devolve Crown…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]GB Energy is for the benefit of the whole of the UK. It is absolutely right to locate its headquarters in Aberdeen, given the strong connection between Aberdeen and use of the…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]If the right hon. Member waits just a moment, I will come to some of the direct benefits for the people of Wales of retaining the Crown Estate in its current form. It is important…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]The matter that we are considering today, through the two new clauses that I have mentioned, is the proposal by Opposition parties for devolution to Wales. We are not analysing…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]I thank all hon. Members who have contributed to the debate, and provided further detail about their amendments or concerns. I start by making it clear that the Government have…24 Feb 2025HANSARD Crown Estate Bill [Lords]I think the right hon. Member has misunderstood the point I was making. If we were to have a devolved entity, it would be starting from scratch midway through a multimillion-pound…24 Feb 2025