Contributions
1,226 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Ministerial Salaries (Amendment) BillIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Cummins, as I open the proceedings in the Committee of the whole House. I set out the core arguments for this Bill in my…17 Mar 2026HANSARDEU: Mutual InterestsAt this year’s summit, the EU and the UK agreed commitments over a wide range of areas, from trade and youth opportunities to security and defence co-operation. We are making good…05 Mar 2026HANSARDEU: Mutual InterestsOf course there will still be a role for Parliament in the mechanism, as set out in last May’s common understanding. The Conservatives have to own the choice they are making here.…05 Mar 2026HANSARDEU: Mutual InterestsThe shadow Minister has not read the common understanding and the mechanism that is set out. There is an independent arbitration panel, with the role of the European Court of…05 Mar 2026HANSARDGovernment Shared ServicesThe Cabinet Office provided support to the Department for Work and Pensions on this matter, including by sharing the lessons learned from the recent transition of the civil…05 Mar 2026HANSARDGovernment Shared ServicesMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has sought and received specific assurances from Capita regarding the Synergy contract. Members across the House…05 Mar 2026HANSARDCivil Service Pensions Recovery PlanOn the recovery plan, the Government have ensured that hardship loans are in place. The Government are monitoring Capita and holding it to account on the recovery plan. The…05 Mar 2026HANSARDCivil Service Pensions Recovery PlanI would be grateful if the hon. Member wrote to me about that worrying case; I am more than happy to look in to it. The objective is, first, to try to ensure that people are not…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsBoth contracts that the hon. Gentleman refers to were negotiated by the previous Government; he might want to reflect on that. In both those contracts, we are reserving our…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes a really important point. We have agreed an ambitious security and defence partnership with the EU. We are negotiating a deal on carbon emissions trading. We…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThere is a robust recovery plan in place. On the specific case that the hon. Gentleman raises, if he could please ask his staff to escalate it up to me, I will look at it.05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am very grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, and I again pay tribute to him for his work, over some time, on this matter. He is right to highlight the significant progress that…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe milestones that were set out for paying infected people were met by the end of 2025. The first payment to an affected person was also on time, and was made before the end of…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am grateful to my hon. Friend and to PACAC for the work they are doing on this. As I indicated, our first priority is to deal with the immediate situation through hardship…05 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am happy to look into the individual case, but I repeat that the Government reserve their right under both of these contracts, whether it is the existing Capita contract or…05 Mar 2026HANSARDOfficial History ProgrammeI should start by referring to my entries in the Members’ Register of Financial Interests about my books and to my background as a historian. I thank my hon. Friend for such an…05 Mar 2026HANSARDOfficial History ProgrammeYes, absolutely. Historical perspective improves the work of Government—100%. The programme began in 1908. It was concentrated then on naval and military matters. It was expanded…05 Mar 2026HANSARDOfficial History ProgrammeI absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman on the importance of teaching the campaign for women’s suffrage. I should also update him, seeing as he has asked the question, that the…05 Mar 2026HANSARDEU: Mutual InterestsSince leaving the European Union, it has never been more important to work alongside the EU in the global context that we face. It is in our country’s interest to have a stronger…05 Mar 2026HANSARDEU: Mutual InterestsWe are building a stronger relationship every week to improve our economic operation and drive growth in this country. The EU is our biggest market, and the deals that we are…05 Mar 2026