Contributions
352 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCustoms (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022Having served in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, one still has friends and contacts there, if not through the Army then through the civilian population. I reinforce the concern…14 Mar 2022HANSARDUkraine UpdateIn commending the Government for their robust response to this dreadful invasion and notwithstanding existing levels of support and our article 5 commitment to NATO, the…09 Mar 2022HANSARD Defence Supplementary Estimate 2021-22My right hon. Friend, I and probably everybody present in the Chamber have been calling since we have been Members of Parliament for much higher defence spending. I think that is…09 Mar 2022HANSARD Defence Supplementary Estimate 2021-22I was in the House when the shadow Secretary of State made that announcement during the Defence Secretary’s statement earlier today. If we are to move the dial on defence…09 Mar 2022HANSARDUkraine: Humanitarian CrisisApart from humanitarian reasons, there are siren voices suggesting that we should commit to a no-fly zone in Ukraine, notwithstanding our existing support to the country and our…08 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillFollowing on from that point, the Bill is very welcome, but many of us believe it could go further, which is why we have supported and tabled various amendments. Legislation and…07 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillI can tell the hon. Lady that there are concerns across the House on this issue, as she can see from those of us who have signed various amendments. In the last five years the…07 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillIs the right hon. Lady as concerned as I am that some estimates put the cost to this country of economic crime at nearly £300 billion, yet we spend something like only £850…07 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillIt is an inconvenient truth that no matter how good the legislation, no matter how robust the rules and laws, they can be made ineffective if they are not properly enforced. To be…07 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillVery briefly, we are going to see a second economic crime Bill come through, and I think it would do the House a great service if the Labour party actually put forward concrete…07 Mar 2022HANSARD Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillThe Minister is absolutely right and this Bill is of course welcome, although many of us believe it should go further. However, putting that to one side for the moment, do he and…07 Mar 2022HANSARDEconomic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) BillThe right hon. Member knows that I am supporting her amendment tonight, but may I suggest that we need to look innovatively at how we fund these agencies? Perhaps they should be…07 Mar 2022HANSARDRussia’s Attack on UkraineI, too, commend my right hon. Friend for her statement. Truth will out. Millions of Russians and Ukrainians are turning to the BBC for their news. May I suggest to her that in the…03 Mar 2022HANSARD UkraineThe House is united in its condemnation, but I suggest to the Prime Minister that the lessons to be addressed from this affair started with Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008,…24 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceThat is a bit of a tenuous link. Let us be clear: an aggressor is going to consider invading a country regardless of what visas have been given in a third country. Having said…23 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceI am afraid my hon. Friend has greater faith than I have. We have an excellent civil service and, by and large, parties on both sides of the Chamber have supplied good Ministers,…23 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceWill the right hon. Gentleman give way?23 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceThe second half of the Opposition’s motion relates to the economic crime Bill and, as many do, I have great sympathy with the points raised by hon. Members on both sides of the…23 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceI thank my hon. Friend for the intervention, and I certainly think there is greater scope for cross-party consensus on these key issues. We come together in condemnation of Russia…23 Feb 2022HANSARDCountering Russian Aggression and Tackling Illicit FinanceI told the House yesterday that I think we should have stronger sanctions. And it is not just about stronger sanction, as we also need stronger defence and more defence spending.…23 Feb 2022