Contributions
255 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUnemployment3. What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment.09 Mar 2026HANSARDUnemploymentYouth unemployment is, in fact, spiking at nearly 5.3%, which is heartbreaking, particularly for young people who cannot get that all-important first job. The Government like to…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Department for Business and TradeIt is a pleasure to take part in this debate, and I congratulate the right hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (Liam Byrne), who chairs the Business and Trade…04 Mar 2026HANSARD Small Charity SectorIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. We Scots are often portrayed as parsimonious—or, to put it another way, as tight as two coats of paint. It is a myth…03 Mar 2026HANSARDPublic Right to a Vote of No ConfidenceI am very much looking forward to the ending of this chaos; it seems that we are completely mired in it. As a former member of the fourth estate—I was a journalist for a long…02 Mar 2026HANSARDPublic Right to a Vote of No ConfidenceThis is unquestionably a really important issue, and the petition is indicative of the public’s unhappiness with this Government. Does my hon. Friend agree that the great…02 Mar 2026HANSARDFirearms LicensingIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. Scotland has been talked about quite a lot here today. Policing in Scotland is separate, but the proposed changes…23 Feb 2026HANSARD Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address MotionAs a former journalist, I know that the fourth estate do not always get things right, but they are not in the habit of making things up. What, then, are we to make of reports from…12 Feb 2026HANSARDDraft Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2026The position the hon. Member is putting forward is that we would somehow stop the assisted dying Bill progressing in Holyrood. That is simply not the case. I believe there is a…10 Feb 2026HANSARDDraft Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2026rose—10 Feb 2026HANSARDUK-India Free Trade AgreementIt would remiss of me not to touch on the fact that the roots of this trade deal stretch back to the previous Conservative Government, and not to mention that the then Secretary…09 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorIt is good to see so many right hon. and hon. Members in their plaice as we skate through the choppy waters that are the fish and chip sector. The chips are down for fish suppers.…03 Feb 2026HANSARDFinance (No. 2) Bill (Fifth sitting)The Minister talks about people being better off, but my farmers are very concerned about the fertiliser impact. Four or five years ago, fertiliser was around £180 a tonne; today…03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorThe hon. Lady makes an important point. We should of course support businesses of all kinds, and pedestrianisation can be a double-edged sword. One of the difficulties is the…03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorSo we have a load of pollocks, yes?03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorI certainly would not pay £6 myself for a coffee. If I can find a pint cheaper than £7, I think I will be there.03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorI thank my near neighbour for his intervention. He presages some of what I am going to touch on now. Today all is not well. Romano Petrucci, proprietor of the Central Café in my…03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorThe hon. Gentleman makes a good point, and I will touch on the question of skills in a few moments. A key reason for prices leaping like a salmon is an increase in the price of…03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorI thank the hon. Member for his intervention—a fascinating history lesson. Staying with history, during the war fish and chips were deemed so vital to the nation’s morale that…03 Feb 2026HANSARD Fish and Chip SectorI thank the hon. Lady for her interesting intervention. Her chip challenge sounds like a lot of fun, and I defer to Madam Deputy Speaker about the question of proper parliamentary…03 Feb 2026