Contributions
1,275 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: Small BusinessesWhat discussions he has had with (a) the Federation of Small Businesses and (b) other representatives of small businesses on the Government's response to the covid-19 outbreak.04 May 2020HANSARD Self-employed Persons: Financial SupportMay I make a point from a public accounts point of view by urging the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to consider a system that is humane, rapid and, above all, simple? The…24 Mar 2020HANSARDParliamentary Works Sponsor BodyI will certainly not dwell on the exact dimensions. I was making the simple, general point that there might be cheaper options than the proposal to demolish Richmond House and…24 Mar 2020HANSARDParliamentary Works Sponsor BodyI welcome this motion. I served, under Dame Caroline Spelman, on the Joint Committee that recommended that we proceed in this way. I have done a considerable amount of work on the…24 Mar 2020HANSARDCoronavirus BillNobody denies that the Bill is necessary, but given that it gives the state, for the first time in our history, unprecedented powers to enforce isolation on people who have…23 Mar 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Screening for UK EntryIn previous Home Office questions, I have asked for reassurances from the Home Secretary that those who enter or seek to enter illegally from France are immediately returned, but…23 Mar 2020HANSARDCoronavirus BillIt is vital that we have a sense of national unity on this. If it becomes necessary for the Government to impose a lockdown, which I suspect may well happen if people do not…23 Mar 2020HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI was not allowed to intervene on the leader of the SNP, but surely any sensible person would come to the conclusion that when faced with an existential threat to our country,…11 Mar 2020HANSARD Budget ResolutionsWill the right hon. Gentleman give way?11 Mar 2020HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI cannot give way; I have less than eight minutes to speak. Secondly, there is High Speed 2. I will not go through all the arguments, but I do not think anybody would begin that…11 Mar 2020HANSARD Budget ResolutionsThere have been some fine maiden speeches, and I particularly congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Gareth Davies). He is a fellow Lincolnshire MP and…11 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsT7. Are the current bunch of Ministers crusading Conservatives? With 73% of small businesses reporting that they are over-regulated, do Ministers wake up every day thinking about…03 Mar 2020HANSARD High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill: RevivalOn a procedural point, my hon. Friend will be aware that there are some experienced politicians who could use various tactics to delay this measure. I would not like to join those…02 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsT9. Over the weekend, a large number of illegal migrants were detained trying to cross the channel. Last summer, the Prime Minister warned migrants crossing the channel that the…10 Feb 2020HANSARD Persecution of ChristiansI will talk about our influence on Nigeria and the work of DFID and the Foreign Office, which is a very important point, but I will spend another couple of minutes detailing some…06 Feb 2020HANSARDNAO: Overseas WorkClearly, there are enormous risks in our overseas aid budget. I will not comment on policy aspects, but if we are linking expenditure with a proportion of gross national product,…06 Feb 2020HANSARDNAO: Overseas WorkI assure my hon. Friend that that is simply not the case. The NAO recognises that the civil service, and indeed Ministers, occasionally have to take risks, because that is the…06 Feb 2020HANSARD Persecution of ChristiansI had a quick look through Hansard and discovered that I first started speaking on this subject 20 years ago in a debate on the persecution of Christians in Egypt. Frankly, there…06 Feb 2020HANSARD Persecution of ChristiansThe Minister will recall that I raised this point in my remarks earlier. I do not believe that it is cultural imperialism to use our clout—given that we give more than £300…06 Feb 2020HANSARDBBC Licence FeeCan we not have an open mind and move on? We are no longer in the 1940s, with the whole nation huddled around a single radio set. This whole row about the licence fee for over-75s…06 Feb 2020