Contributions
363 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI have been in this House on many occasions when we have discussed migration and it saddens me that invariably the narrative from Conservative Members is negative and pejorative.…12 Dec 2023HANSARDIsrael-Hamas War: DiplomacyI was profoundly disappointed by the Minister’s comments when he dismissed calls for a humanitarian ceasefire as being implausible. If it is so implausible, can he explain why…11 Dec 2023HANSARDIsrael and PalestineTo go back to the question of neutrality, there may have been a position some years ago whereby the United Kingdom Government could have said that they were taking a neutral and…11 Dec 2023HANSARDScottish Work Visa SchemeThe Secretary of State is standing against everyone. He is standing against experts, against academics, against representatives of industry and even against the people of…29 Nov 2023HANSARDScottish Work Visa SchemeLet me be clear: we are talking about the administration of work permits for people from overseas who wish to work in Scotland on a temporary basis. Just about everyone thinks it…29 Nov 2023HANSARDDevolution of Drugs PolicyCan I press the Secretary of State on this point, because of course he has form on intervening in decisions of the Scottish Government? He says he will not intervene. Can we…13 Sept 2023HANSARDDevolution of Drugs PolicyI think we should be clear: the Lord Advocate’s statement on Monday is a game changer. It removes one of the major obstacles to a pilot drug consumption facility, which is…13 Sept 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsAbsolutely. The hon. Member again pre-empts what I will say. I shall come on to that, because I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that people of faith, or faith leaders,…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsThat would be a matter for the people of Scotland. My party’s proposal is that if we had consent to move forward and become an independent country, a modern, democratic…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsI am talking about national Parliaments and legislatures, so it is only the United Kingdom and Iran to which this applies. The question before us is about an arrangement made in…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsAbsolutely, and that goes to the core of the argument I am about to make, but I start by thanking all the members of the all-party humanist group, many of whom wanted to…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsI am glad that this debate has at least brought to the fore in the Chamber those who wish to advocate on behalf of the Church of England, and they are right to do that. They can…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsI beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of bishops in the House of Lords. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Davies. Some people, perhaps…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsThe census produces different data from the social attitudes survey, but does the hon. Gentleman not accept that there is much concern about how the faith questions on the census…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsI do; again, the hon. Lady pre-empts what I will say. I am coming on to exactly that point. However, I wanted to say, just in case anyone thinks otherwise, that we are not talking…06 Jul 2023HANSARDBishops in the House of LordsBut there are plenty of occasions when it has happened, much to the chagrin of Members of the House of Lords who contributed to the Humanist Society’s report on the matter. The…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillIt is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt). Like many others, I think this is a sordid and grubby little Bill that takes away many of the political…03 Jul 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsT9. Given the exchanges earlier, I am obliged to ask the Home Secretary whether she understands the difference between using a cruise ship for the temporary accommodation of…03 Jul 2023HANSARD Rosebank Oilfield: Environmental ImpactsWith the greatest of respect, what the Minister says does not make sense. If most of the oil and gas coming out of Rosebank will be exported, how does not doing this lead to an…28 Jun 2023HANSARD Rosebank Oilfield: Environmental ImpactsThe hon. Lady is making a compelling argument against licensing new extraction at Rosebank, and one that I agree with. Does it not seem common sense to most people that reliance…28 Jun 2023