Contributions
1,335 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDVictims of Terrorism: State SupportIt is a pleasure to have you in the Chair today, Ms Harris. As other hon Members have done, I congratulate the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) on securing this…10 Jul 2025HANSARDSpending Review 2025: Economic Growth7. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the spending review 2025 on economic growth in Scotland.09 Jul 2025HANSARDSpending Review 2025: Economic GrowthThe jobs tax has decimated business confidence and has seen unemployment rise, and now—along with the Budget blow to Scotch whisky, the attack on family farms and the undermining…09 Jul 2025HANSARDSpace Industry (Indemnities) BillIt is a great pleasure to speak again on the Bill. It is a short Bill—it replaces just two words—but one with substantial implications. The meat of the Bill, if I can call it…04 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)The new clause would introduce the simple but crucial requirement for the Secretary of State to publish a proposed bus funding formula within six months of the Bill’s passage,…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)The Minister’s comments fail to address the need for a final backstop, so I will press the new clause to a Division. Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I rise to strongly support clause 39, which was the inspiration of Lord Hampton, the Cross Bencher who tabled it in the other place. It would require the Secretary of State to…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I will not rehearse the rationale behind the need for the proposed new sections in clause 33; the Minister has set that out pretty clearly. However, there is one issue that I seek…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I am grateful for the Minister’s considered response to all the amendments. I spoke in favour of a number of amendments tabled by the hon. Member for Battersea (Marsha De…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I challenge the Minister’s rationale on clause 30. I understood him to be saying that making a duty mandatory might force the Government to issue guidance before consultation is…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I associate myself with all the Minister’s comments, particularly those regarding the officials and everyone who has made this Committee work over the last few weeks. I am very…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. This is an important new clause that deals with poor performance franchising. Subsection (1) would require the Secretary of…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)As has become my custom, I will start with the clause and then look at the amendments. I will be relatively brief, but it is worth highlighting that clause 37 deals with the use…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)It is rather unedifying to see the Government hiding behind arguments about article 8. If they seriously thought that article 8 was a practical consideration that prevented the…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I am grateful for the intervention. I agree with everything that my hon. Friend said. Moving on, new clause 53 would require a review of the minimum level of bus services required…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)Clause 34 concerns crime and antisocial behaviour. It is about improving personal safety and the perception of safety for people, especially women and girls, which was a key…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. I accept that currently synthetic fuels are expensive, because they are at the development stage, but I do not believe that the Government’s…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)The Minister refers to the cost of concessions. Has he made an assessment, or is he aware of what the assessed cost would be, of removing the time restriction, as proposed in new…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)If hon. Members cast their minds back to earlier, they will know my exact views on amendment 75, so I will not repeat them. I will not speak on amendment 69, because my remarks…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I was just coming to that. The hon. Lady is quite right, but I am talking about the up-front capital cost. The lifetime running cost may well be cheaper for an electric bus, but…03 Jul 2025