Contributions
1,321 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldThe Public and Commercial Services Union and employees would be distraught if I did not simply point out that the staff themselves do not agree; the workers at HMRC Cumbernauld do…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI am grateful to the Minister for giving way so early. He might come on to this point, but Cumbernauld essentially met all the criteria that HMRC was looking for in selecting its…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldIn a joint letter, PCS, Jamie Hepburn MSP, Councillor Logue and I invited the Financial Secretary and senior HMRC staff to meet us in Cumbernauld, and I repeat that invitation…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldMy hon. Friend makes a good point. It would not take too long to google a nice picture of the Better Together campaign outside HMRC in Cumbernauld, where it was warned that all…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend. Secondly, the Government must take responsibility for the consequences of the proposed closure on the town of Cumbernauld. It is fair…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend. At the end of the day, this programme may well end up being absolutely self-defeating for HMRC, and it is the Government’s cost-cutting…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI sense that HMRC Cumbernauld workers will be watching this debate and screaming at their television sets. The Minister paints this rosy picture of this office in Glasgow where…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI agree with my hon. Friend. As I have said before and will say again, this is detrimental not only to the workforce and the town of Cumbernauld, but to the work that we require…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldMy hon. Friend has made a powerful point, and I shall say more about it later in my speech. The experience so far of similar changes in other parts of the United Kingdom seems to…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldI am very grateful for the opportunity once again to bring HMRC’s disastrous proposals to close Cumbernauld tax office to the House’s attention. Let me begin by paying tribute to…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHuman Rights Framework: ReformThe Human Rights Act is also part of the constitutional backbone of devolution, so again will the Secretary of State agree that there should be no change to that Act, given all…14 Jan 2020HANSARDConstitution, Democracy and Rights CommissionMembers have every right to be concerned about what the Government are up to with the commission, given their previous noises about human rights, judicial appointments,…14 Jan 2020HANSARDHMRC Tax Office: CumbernauldWill the Minister give way?14 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillThank you, Sir George. I thank all hon. Members for their contributions to this robust and very helpful debate in which I think every single speaker spoke of the contribution that…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI accept all that, just as the Opposition spokesperson accepted all that—in general, all is going well—but the difference between us is on the consequences of not applying. Under…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI fully support that decision, and I will come to the court case in a moment. Another example I found when searching for cases is that parents have to choose which child will…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI have two quick questions for the Minister. First, how many individuals have applied? I note that some may have made several applications. Secondly, and more importantly, does he…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillThat is exactly why new clause 18(5) would allow Ministers to extend the reduced fees and the waiver scheme to everybody else. It would be entirely within the Minister’s gift to…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI wonder whether the hon. Lady can do something that the Minister could not. During her time in government, did she see an estimate of the number of EU citizens who, perhaps…07 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI beg to move amendment 5, page 9, line 36, leave out from “Crown” to end of clause and insert “must by regulations make provision— ‘(a) implementing article 18(4) of the…07 Jan 2020