Contributions
1,912 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDElections BillI have listened to the debate with interest. As shown by the amendments tabled today in relation to the Electoral Commission, the Government have been receptive to the…27 Apr 2022HANSARDElections BillThe Bill has returned to the Commons after wide-ranging and often intense debate in the other place. I am grateful to my colleagues there, Lord True, Baroness Scott and Earl Howe,…27 Apr 2022HANSARD Cotswold District Council: Solar FarmsI thank my hon. Friend for that point. He is right that the Government should not be competing too much with the private sector, but it is not for me to determine what a council…27 Apr 2022HANSARD Cotswold District Council: Solar FarmsI can confirm that my hon. Friend is correct on the first point. The council cannot invest purely for profit, but because its investment has a net zero element, it would qualify…27 Apr 2022HANSARD Cotswold District Council: Solar FarmsI start by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for The Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown) on securing a debate on this important topic. Borrowing rules for local…27 Apr 2022HANSARDElections BillI beg to move, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 22.27 Apr 2022HANSARDSupporting Families Annual ReportAs required by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, section 3(1), today I have published the 2021-22 annual report of the Supporting Families programme. The report sets out how…31 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Treasury looks at all impacts in the round, and the financial statement the Chancellor announced last week would have had an equalities impact assessment, which would have…30 Mar 2022HANSARDEquality Act 2010: Implementation by Local AuthoritiesYes, I would agree with that. Local authorities carry out the work of providing that information to the electorate, but if there is something specific that my right hon. Friend…30 Mar 2022HANSARDEquality Act 2010: Implementation by Local AuthoritiesI agree with the hon. Gentleman’s sentiments. I do not think it right that women should be prevented from organising on the basis of their sex. Freedom of belief and speech are…30 Mar 2022HANSARDEquality Act 2010: Implementation by Local AuthoritiesThe Equality Act’s provisions, including the public sector equality duty, apply to local authorities, and they are legally bound to implement them. The Equality and Human Rights…30 Mar 2022HANSARDCareers in Science, Computing and EngineeringMy right hon. Friend can consider Ministers suitably encouraged. I speak as an engineer who also had an apprenticeship, and I know how important organisations such as Women into…30 Mar 2022HANSARDSocial MobilityI have another role as Minister for Levelling Up Communities, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities recently invested £300 million in a flagship programme…30 Mar 2022HANSARDSocial MobilityMy hon. Friend is right: social mobility is very much about the individual. He will be pleased to know that the Government are taking a new approach to equality which goes beyond…30 Mar 2022HANSARDSocial MobilityThe Government believe that the circumstances of a person’s birth should not determine life outcomes. We recently published our levelling up White Paper to address regional…30 Mar 2022HANSARDCareers in Science, Computing and EngineeringWe have seen good progress on increasing the number of girls studying science, technology, engineering and maths—STEM—subjects at school, but we know that too many women drop out…30 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI simply do not recognise the figures that the hon. Lady is putting forward; it is not right to say that we are taking money out of the pockets of women. We have put forward a…30 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for his continued work on this important issue. As we all know, poor body image can affect lifestyle choices, and physical and mental health, and is…30 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI would be very supportive of a Margaret Thatcher day, but I think that is more a question for the Prime Minister than for me. My hon. Friend will know that all parties do quite a…30 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI agree with the hon. Lady that childcare is a very important issue if we want to keep women in the workplace. We have spent more than £3.5 billion in each of the past three years…30 Mar 2022