Contributions
2,107 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHeatwave ResponseI have certainly enjoyed being constructively challenged by the right hon. Lady during my three years in the policing job. I hope I made a small difference to the safety of the…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseAs I said earlier, the hon. Lady needs to pose that question to her colleagues in local government. As she knows perfectly well, and as the Under-Secretary of State for the Home…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseWhat a shame that—notwithstanding the loss of some homes and some tragic deaths in water-related incidents—the right hon. Lady did not take the opportunity to recognise that by…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseBeing in your office is not being on the Front Bench. “Present but not involved” is, I believe, the claim from the Labour party. Before the right hon. Lady starts flinging stones…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseOne of the lessons for all of us—not least in Scotland where the school term has finished—is the need to underline the dangers inherent in bodies of water to people who live by…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseI am sure the right hon. Gentleman would agree that we should do both. We should adapt, and we have a national adaptation strategy, but I urge him to be more optimistic about the…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseI would like to make a statement on this week’s heatwave. Coningsby in Lincolnshire broke records yesterday when it registered a provisional reading of 40.3°C. According to the…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseFirst, let me join the hon. Gentleman in celebrating our firefighters. It is a remarkable form of public service to run towards an inferno in all circumstances, and particularly…20 Jul 2022HANSARDHeatwave ResponseMy hon. Friend is right: Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was severely tested yesterday. As I said earlier, it received mutual aid—from, I believe, as far afield as Merseyside—to…20 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessThe hon. Gentleman raises a good point, and I have specifically asked all Secretaries of State to identify particular channels of communication that might be used to target the…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessThe hon. Lady is living in an alternative universe, as this is the Government who legislated for net zero and who fought tooth and nail at COP26. How short memories are about what…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessObviously, that is not within my ministerial remit but, as far as I can see, they are all fine, upstanding people who take climate change seriously. I would be happy to serve…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessThat is another completely unfair question and a misunderstanding of Cobra. It is my job to chair that committee, to co-ordinate the civil contingencies secretariat, which sits in…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessEmployers already have an obligation to make sure temperatures at work are maintained at a reasonable level for the circumstances. That will vary from workplace to workplace, as I…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessThe hon. Lady thinks she is asking a simple question but, as I said earlier, it is actually quite a complicated one. For example, the mitigations that we put in place on the…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessI am happy to give the hon. Gentleman that assurance. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is about to make a statement on exactly that issue, and I hope the hon.…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessAt last, a constructive question. The hon. Gentleman raises two important points, and I will certainly take them away and reassure myself that they are both being addressed.18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessI hope that the hon. Lady is not attempting to create confusion. We have been very clear about the simple message that everyone should take sensible measures to guard their own…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessColleagues at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have been in extensive discussions with those who handle animals in all settings, including in some…18 Jul 2022HANSARDExtreme Heat PreparednessI know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been working on this issue, and we have considered the plight of the homeless in COBRA. The hon. Lady will be pleased…18 Jul 2022