Contributions
824 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Cairncross ReviewThe hon. Gentleman knows well that the CMA is rightly independent and will make its own judgments. However, I hope that he will recognise that I have wasted no time in engaging it…12 Feb 2019HANSARD Cairncross ReviewMy hon. Friend makes an interesting suggestion, which I am sure both my Department and the Treasury will want to consider. He will expect me to say that the BBC has not yet come…12 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesAgain, I should set out what I think the position is. Were we to say to mobile network operators in this country, “You may not impose roaming charges on your customers who travel…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. As he says, this is a real concern, but it is one that other places have also wrestled with and found practical solutions to.…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesMy hon. Friend is entirely right about that, and this is exactly why many of those mobile network operators have said that they have no intention of doing as he describes.07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesAs the hon. Gentleman knows, SIs are laid before the debate so that Members of the House can consider them. In this instance, he has had a fairly substantial sneak preview because…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesDelivering a negotiated deal with the EU remains the Government’s priority, and that has not changed, but I am sure the House will agree that we must prepare for every…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesThe hon. Gentleman expressed a commendable interest in my diary for yesterday. Let me remind him that I was having meetings on the subject of online harms, which he and I had…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesOf course, we have a competitive market, but that is perfectly compatible with providing consumer protections. Where there are sensible consumer protections in place under EU law…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesThe hon. Lady accuses us of attempting to hide the matter, but, as I said, the Government intend to conduct a debate on the statutory instrument using the affirmative procedure.…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is right. The Government have a responsibility, where we can, to continue consumer protection measures that currently reside in European law…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI am unsure what the hon. Lady is suggesting. Is she suggesting that the Government should operate by fiat and pass the measure without consulting Parliament at all? I do not…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI am grateful to my hon. Friend, because I forgot to say in response to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East, who was concerned that the Department had not had such…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman that we should all do what we can to avoid no deal, but I hope that he also accepts that it would not be responsible for the Government to…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesMy hon. Friend is right that I have a natural reluctance to offer legal advice not only on the hoof but for nothing. My understanding, and I will write to him after making sure my…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesAs the hon. Gentleman knows, the invitation to the Leader of the Opposition to engage in constructive discussions was offered some considerable time ago. Of course the Government…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesMy hon. Friend makes the fair point that by the operation of the market that exists in this country, even if it may not exist everywhere else, consumers will be able to make a…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesThe costs of health and travel insurance are a little beyond the ambit of this urgent question, but I repeat the point that what the Government can do is to ensure that any…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesFirst, let me say that the respect is entirely mutual, not least because the hon. Gentleman has a well-deserved reputation as a scrutineer of legislation in this House; as he…07 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: Mobile Roaming ChargesI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that. He and I both stood for election on a manifesto that committed us to reach 95% of the UK landmass with a mobile phone signal. I am…07 Feb 2019