Contributions
783 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Apprenticeship LevyThat is an important point, and the hon. Lady anticipates what I was coming on to. I have had my own apprentice now for nine years; they do a level 3 business administration…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Apprenticeship LevyI intended to raise that issue in relation to the timber industry, but perhaps I will do it now. The timber industry has certain similarities with the agricultural sectors to…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Apprenticeship LevyI think the hon. Member was highlighting the issues faced by some small and medium-sized enterprises. There will be great opportunities through some of the larger manufacturing…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Apprenticeship LevyI thank the hon. Member for her point. I think that the Welsh Assembly’s Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee published a report last week highlighting the fact that the…11 Feb 2020HANSARD Apprenticeship LevyThis has been a valuable debate about the best way to structure the provision of apprenticeships and their financing. There was widespread agreement about their value as the…11 Feb 2020HANSARDTree Planting5. What steps her Department is taking to increase tree-planting rates.06 Feb 2020HANSARDTree PlantingThe Secretary of State will know that many of us are leading on planting plans in our constituencies, working closely with local councils, local wildlife trusts and so on. A good…06 Feb 2020HANSARDLocal Government FinanceI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way; the Opposition spokesman refused seven times. Gloucester City Council provisionally gets 1.4%, compared with 6.3% for the…05 Feb 2020HANSARDWuhan CoronavirusAs chairman of the all-party parliamentary China group, I extend on behalf of all Members our sympathies to the people of China in their hour of need. I thank the crisis team in…03 Feb 2020HANSARDDefence Relationships: South East AsiaGiven the importance of the South China sea, not only as a major navigation route but as a source of a growing number of intra-nation disputes, does my right hon. Friend agree…03 Feb 2020HANSARD Global BritainWhat I hope we can still call the Prime Minister’s tour de force this morning laid out clearly that he did not believe we needed any further treaties or institutions to cover…03 Feb 2020HANSARDDefence Relationships: South East Asia6. What recent assessment he has made of the strength of the UK’s defence relationships in south-east Asia.03 Feb 2020HANSARD Global BritainThe hon. Member makes a good point. As a former consul and diplomat, it is hard for me to argue against additional resources for the Foreign Office. I would say that the figures…30 Jan 2020HANSARD Global BritainMy hon. Friend poses a bigger-picture question about the role of democracy in today’s world and the threat from authoritarian regimes. Does he agree with me—I should declare an…30 Jan 2020HANSARD Global BritainMy right hon. Friend has made a number of great points about technology and how we and our Five Eyes partners need to develop a serious alternative. Does he also agree that there…30 Jan 2020HANSARD Global BritainIn the past 25 minutes, we have heard a lot of virtuous noises about renewable energy which we can all agree with. We know that the hon. Gentleman is against defence and security…30 Jan 2020HANSARD Global BritainIt is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Bob Stewart). Today’s debate comes at a crossroads in our island’s story. In the 1950s, US Secretary of State…30 Jan 2020HANSARD Global BritainMy hon. Friend makes an interesting point. All I would say at this point is that the most important thing for us overseas is to have one HMG—one presence of Her Majesty’s…30 Jan 2020HANSARD HomelessnessIt is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts), with whom I worked on supported housing issues. He took a less political line than the opening…29 Jan 2020HANSARD UK TelecommunicationsI welcome this statement, which balances the advantages of world-class telecoms technology with the need to manage complex challenges from high-risk vendors, and I think the…28 Jan 2020