Contributions
1,459 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)The Government have been clear in their wish to facilitate Parliament in its desire to complete restoration and renewal; that is the position we have strongly adopted. If a Member…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)While I thank the hon. Gentleman, I am clear that this is a parliamentary project. The Government will seek to defend their interest as this Bill goes through, but it would not be…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)That is why the face of the Bill is balanced. While these are not statutory obligations—there is no statute saying or implying that we have to have it—having it down as desirable…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)We can’t move it, but I understand it has a computer server in it; it is hardly the most fitting compliment to shove a computer server in the room. Those are the sorts of areas…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)Most of the things in the Bill are statutory, but we do not go through in detail each piece of environmental legislation or health and safety practice that we would expect. That…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I am reassured, knowing the quality of the product that comes out of the Potteries. I still have a set of plates made in Stoke-on-Trent that I won in a raffle. I have had them for…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I recall my hon. Friend referring to that bridge project in a couple of debates in the Chamber about the UK steel industry. It is important that we use materials from across the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)Of course, Chester is not just represented in the sewers; it is represented by the hon. Gentleman, who is sat here in the Committee doing his job, as always. It was useful to hear…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)This has been a fascinating debate, and a number of right hon. and hon. Members have made passionate points. The hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central strongly endorsed the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)Absolutely. This must be the hon. Gentleman’s expert subject.04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for his timely intervention. He is absolutely right that passing the Bill does not hand over the Palace of Westminster immediately to the Sponsor Body.…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)Certainly our intention would be for the Sponsor Body to take responsibility for the full process of the works on the estate, and, again, the way that clause 1 is drafted allows…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Gary. You and I go back some way in our political journeys, having first met back in 1992, when you were still Councillor…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)Indeed. That is very unkind from the right hon. Gentleman, to be fair. I did not necessarily wish to point out that the party that for many years was the first party here no…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I take the view that, whatever the political situation, the constitution should be able to cope with it, respond and adapt.04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Hanson. I shall keep my remarks fairly brief. I agree with the hon. Member for Rhondda that the election of…04 Jun 2019HANSARDEU Parliament Elections: Denial of VotesI always respect the passion of the hon. Gentleman, my friend from Devon, when it comes to raising issues and campaigning on behalf of his constituents. We will of course see what…04 Jun 2019HANSARDEU Parliament Elections: Denial of VotesOne of the handy things of having my hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration on the Bench beside me is that I know that there are still more EU citizens coming to this country…04 Jun 2019HANSARDEU Parliament Elections: Denial of VotesI think it right that the Electoral Commission independently looks at the process for the European parliamentary elections and draws its conclusions independent of Government.…04 Jun 2019HANSARDEU Parliament Elections: Denial of VotesAs I touched on earlier, we would expect the Electoral Commission’s review to look at issues with local councils where the form was returned in compliance with the law and then…04 Jun 2019