Contributions
300 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Business of the HouseI thank the Leader of the House for her warm words earlier about the work many of us have done to get the lower Thames crossing greenlit by the Chancellor yesterday—something the…30 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Fifteenth sitting)I thank the Minister for giving way and welcome the fact that I am serving under your chairship, Mr Pritchard; it is an honour. I apologise to the Committee that I was not present…30 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Sixteenth sitting)There is one last person the Committee should thank, and that is the Minister himself. I am sure we will get a chance to say this again on Third Reading, when we will no doubt…30 Jan 2025HANSARDGrowing the UK EconomyI thank Ministers, on behalf of Dartford residents, for the announcement from the Chancellor this morning that the lower Thames crossing is getting the green light from the…29 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Certainly, public spaces are not going to change, but smoking prevalence is; it may be that as, a result of declines in smoking prevalence, the public acceptance of smoke-free…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Fourteenth sitting)Once again, the Minister has made convincing arguments for why now may not be the right time for this amendment to become legislation and be adopted. However, I think that within…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)The amendment is not intended to change the way that the current legislation relates to individual vehicles, merely the activity happening within them, and that currently permits…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)The police currently have responsibility to enforce a whole range of activities that take place within a car, such as mobile phone use. It would in no way be a new concept for the…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)The hon. Gentleman is making his point very articulately. The idea that smoking legislation is an overreach is not new. Just about every change over the last 30 years—changes that…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for those comments; I will do my best to answer them. Compliance with the measure is still not where we would like it to be: the last survey undertaken by…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I beg to move amendment 10, in clause 136, page 77, leave out lines 26 to 29 and insert— “(a) for subsection (1A) substitute— ‘(1A) The Secretary of State must, no later than the…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)The Minister has given a very comprehensive response. I suspect that the suggestion that this might be a way forward might come up in the consultation when that happens in the…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Perhaps I can try to answer a couple of the questions from the hon. Lady and other hon. Members. If a byelaw were enacted, it would need to be well publicised, and there would…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He is making a number of very good points, but will he respond to the notion that smoke-free areas are all about making smoking less…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Pritchard. Amendments 11 to 14 are intended to extend the power to local authorities in England to designate areas as smoke-free…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I beg to move amendmentusb 11, in clause 136, page 77, line 8, after “regulations” insert “and a local authority may (as respects its area) make byelaws”. This amendment would…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Thirteenth sitting)That is indeed a good question. Consistency is clearly desirable: it is easier for the public to understand and it makes enforcement easier. However, there are councils already…28 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Twelfth sitting)We are straying from the point a little, but is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Premier League will shortly initiate a shirt front ban on gambling sponsors? His examples of free…23 Jan 2025HANSARD Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs: OBR Costingrose—23 Jan 2025HANSARDTobacco and Vapes Bill (Tenth sitting)I thank the Minister for his very comprehensive response. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 96 ordered to stand part of the…21 Jan 2025