Contributions
637 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Early Years EducatorsI will give way to my predecessor as chair of the all-party group.25 Jan 2022HANSARD Early Years EducatorsIt is funny how often, in my almost 12 years in this House, people say, “That is amazing; I was just about to come on to that in my speech”, and funnily enough, I was. The hon.…25 Jan 2022HANSARD Early Years EducatorsI thank the excellent Minister, who has given us much that we across the sector and the different all-party groups represented here today can work with. He is a breath of fresh…25 Jan 2022HANSARD Covid-19: International TravelWhen it comes to international travel, Her Majesty’s Government can obviously control only so much. I warmly welcome the excellent Secretary of State’s announcement today, which…24 Jan 2022HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateIt is a warm welcome for the return to plan A from me; I hope it is irreversible this time. The Prime Minister knows that our young people have missed out on so much, and now they…19 Jan 2022HANSARD BBC FundingAs the Secretary of State will know, the Select Committee report that my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) just referred to acknowledges in its very first…17 Jan 2022HANSARD Education: Return in JanuaryHappy new year, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Secretary of State knows that I do not like the classroom mask mandate one bit. What so many constituents who have contacted me have…05 Jan 2022HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateThe Prime Minister deserves real credit for his recent decisions on covid. He has followed the evidence, but he has also taken the wider view of our society and our economy, and…05 Jan 2022HANSARDCovid-19: Government Support for BusinessBoosted this morning, Mr Speaker. Listening last night to the Prime Minister’s Downing Street conference, I could see why there was no statement to the House. No new Government…16 Dec 2021HANSARDSchool Openings: January 2022The Prime Minister has been very clear that Christmas concerts and nativity plays should go ahead, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has said exactly that to me…15 Dec 2021HANSARDPublic HealthThe Secretary of State knows that I welcome that. The isolation regs that we passed two weeks ago that I did not support were sinister, and well done to him for getting rid of…14 Dec 2021HANSARDPublic HealthHere we are again, and this time, two weeks on, the concept of “learn to live with covid” is as dead as anything I know. In July, we were told many, many times from the Dispatch…14 Dec 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. Many of my constituents will be very surprised indeed to hear that, from this morning, anyone over 18 can walk into a vaccination…13 Dec 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateIt is clear to me that “learn to live with covid” is now as dead as the zero-covid proponents want it to be. I am pleased about the change from isolation to daily tests, as that…08 Dec 2021HANSARDPrisons StrategyHMP Winchester recently marked 10 successful years of Spurgeons helping prisoners keep contact with their families, and the Minister knows how important that is in breaking the…07 Dec 2021HANSARD Nationality and Borders BillI have sat through hours of this debate and have been shocked—although I should not be surprised—by some of the smearing and scaremongering that we have heard. Is it any wonder…07 Dec 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateAs of last week, as feared, my constituency—like many others, I am sure—is seeing Christmas events cancelled and moved online, including all manner of festive performances in…06 Dec 2021HANSARDTen-Year Drugs StrategyI think this new long-term strategy looks excellent. It is a thoughtful piece of work, it is funded, and I think it strikes the right balance between head and heart, so well done…06 Dec 2021HANSARD Adult Social CareObviously I will study the White Paper that has been published today, and I welcome the cap that we are introducing. Opposition Front Benchers may have turned up in force today,…01 Dec 2021HANSARDPublic Health’Tis the season to be jolly, Mr Deputy Speaker. As my colleagues know and as you know, I am always jolly, but it is not particularly jolly at the moment. [ Interruption. ] I did…30 Nov 2021