Contributions
1,403 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWater White PaperI welcome what is in the White Paper, and it should lead to more effective regulation, but I have just a couple of words of caution. First, the Drinking Water Inspectorate is the…21 Jan 2026HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Act 2025: EnforcementAll this talk of gangsters makes me think my hon. Friend must be styling himself as the Eliot Ness of the water industry. His point about the Drinking Water Inspectorate is…20 Jan 2026HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Act 2025: EnforcementThames Water first paid out bonuses it said it would not recoup, and has subsequently said only that the payment of bonuses is paused. My hon. Friend knows that I am a nasty,…20 Jan 2026HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Act 2025: EnforcementI am interested to get the Minister’s view on this subject of the relationship between the Department and companies. She may be aware that the Department is currently appealing to…20 Jan 2026HANSARD Digital IDI am struggling to get too excited about the change from mandatory to voluntary, because we all know that a voluntary scheme is just a mandatory scheme for slow learners, which is…15 Jan 2026HANSARDFood InflationThe hon. Lady is absolutely right in identifying the structure here. The market is one that is ripe for abuse. There are 15 behemoth retailers at the top and 210,000 primary…15 Jan 2026HANSARD Meat Exports to the EUMy hon. Friend is absolutely right: an SPS agreement would be an enormous opportunity for communities like his and mine that export to the European Union. But there are already…07 Jan 2026HANSARDAgricultural Property Relief and Business Property ReliefI welcome this announcement and I pay the warmest possible tribute to the farming unions and others whose tireless campaigning since the Budget of 2024 has made this happen. These…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaThe last time I saw this degree of agreement between Government and Opposition Front Benchers in relation to foreign policy was in the run-up to the war in Iraq, and we all know…05 Jan 2026HANSARDFarming ProfitabilityObviously, one of the biggest challenges to farming profitability is the market fact that farmers are price takers. The farming campaigner Olly Harrison was this week highlighting…18 Dec 2025HANSARD Animal Welfare StrategyI feel I should declare an interest, Mr Speaker, in that Mrs Carmichael will be one of those veterinary surgeons who will be on call on Christmas Day this year. It will be me in…18 Dec 2025HANSARD UK-EU Common Understanding NegotiationsIt is great to see the Paymaster General at the Dispatch Box, as always, but it would be even better if we could see him at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee,…17 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI am indeed aware of the general point. The specific illustration is a new one on me, but I am pretty sure, knowing my hon. Friend, that it will be well founded. The reason this…16 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillWill the Exchequer Secretary give way?16 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI am grateful to the Exchequer Secretary for giving way. On the point of growth, he should be aware that, since the Budget last year, 49% of farm businesses have paused or…16 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillMy hon. Friend may be a little over-generous in saying that there are unintended consequences. The anti-forestalling clause, which is intended to deny those over 65, or anyone who…16 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillIn a second—this is my punchline: “You’d better understand that if you want to develop your relationship in the back of a double cab pick-up, then that is going to cost you as…16 Dec 2025HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI remind the House of my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I want to start with a comment that some may see as controversial—uncharacteristically so, I hope.…16 Dec 2025HANSARDJimmy Lai ConvictionThere is a legitimate and necessary debate to be had on our wider foreign policy towards China, but surely the most important thing today is that this House should speak with one…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDigital IDThe hon. Gentleman makes an important point, but are we not at risk of ignoring another threat: the Government themselves? It has not been that long since the Police Service of…08 Dec 2025