Contributions
735 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD NHSLet me add my best wishes for your retirement, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hope it will be a long and happy one. I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. As waiting-list…23 May 2024HANSARD International Health RegulationsI welcome confirmation from my right hon. Friend that the Government do not consider the current drafting of the proposed treaty to be acceptable; it is good to have that on the…14 May 2024HANSARDDefence SpendingI add my tribute to the late Frank Field, who was an extraordinary man and a great parliamentarian. In welcoming the announcement of an additional £75 billion over the next six…24 Apr 2024HANSARDEngagementsQ6. Does my right hon. Friend agree—we do not agree on everything—that anyone who want to see why the Government introduced strong Mayors need look only at Ben Houchen in the Tees…17 Apr 2024HANSARDTobacco and Vapes BillIt is a pleasure to be called in this debate, although I confess it is one that has depressed me, because this is fundamentally illiberal legislation. If I am in the House for any…16 Apr 2024HANSARDTobacco and Vapes BillI proudly call myself a libertarian, because I believe in the fundamental value of freedom of decision making. On what we should and should not ban, I would argue there is a very…16 Apr 2024HANSARDTobacco and Vapes BillThat would arguably be perfectly sensible, but it is different from a ban. The point is about the degree of harm. I strongly support the ban on illegal drugs, but I do so because…16 Apr 2024HANSARDTobacco and Vapes BillWith respect to my hon. Friend, I said that those drugs destroy communities. There is a profound difference. The ripple effect of illegal drugs is to prompt real social harm to…16 Apr 2024HANSARDAsylum Seekers Accommodated in HotelsIn 2016, Middlesbrough had the highest ratio of asylum seekers per head of population of anywhere in England. I welcome the closure of hotels, but I worry about reports in today’s…15 Apr 2024HANSARDIran-Israel UpdateMay I add my voice to those of Members on both sides of the House who have called for the proscription of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation? Its tentacles are wherever trouble…15 Apr 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI beg to move, That this House has considered reform of the planning system. The housing shortage that we face in this country is the great crisis facing the United Kingdom today.…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformIn response to the hon. Lady’s point, I am strongly in favour of making sure that we can better enshrine the protections for the areas of genuine natural beauty and community…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. I have seen that in my constituency, where a new GP surgery in Nunthorpe, a suburb in the south of the town, has changed people’s attitudes to…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI think localism as a principle of good Government is very important. I am a strong believer in the mayoral devolution of the kind that the Government have introduced in recent…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformOf course—it would not be a debate without the hon. Gentleman.13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI totally agree. The hon. Gentleman is exactly right: councils need to have the planning departments to process the applications, and too often, as we know, good planners are…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformThat is a very reasonable question. I would need to look at the detail of the policy to see whether simply raising the cap further or scrapping it would be the best solution to…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI confess that I think the issues surrounding phosphate and nutrient neutrality need to be addressed—indeed, I commented on this with my right hon. Friend the Member for Newark…13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI will give way, but then I should make progress.13 Mar 2024HANSARDPlanning ReformI thank the Minister for her gracious comments about giving me time to respond. This has been a very good debate and, despite the proximity of an election, a remarkably consensual…13 Mar 2024