Contributions
363 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAfghanistan: Reconstruction and State-building Contracts4. If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the private companies contracted by his Department for (a) reconstruction and (b) state-building during the UK’s…15 Nov 2021HANSARDAfghanistan: Reconstruction and State-building ContractsThe Foreign Office tells me it has spent £54 million with a company called Adam Smith International, but it will not tell me on what the money was spent. Can the Minister assure…15 Nov 2021HANSARD Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs ReportThe hon. Gentleman is making an excellent speech, and I very much endorse and support the recommendations of Dame Carol Black’s review. However, I have heard her present these…27 Oct 2021HANSARDGas Prices and Energy SuppliersThe figure of £139 a year has been floated in the press as the increase in the energy price cap this year, but that refers only to the variable rate and does not take into account…23 Sept 2021HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThe Leader of the House may be aware that last week a High Court judge refused the Cabinet Office leave to appeal against a first-tier tribunal decision that it should release…23 Sept 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsLast week, a High Court judge refused the Cabinet Office permission to appeal against a first-tier tribunal decision that it should release information to me, under freedom of…23 Sept 2021HANSARDUniversal Credit and Working Tax CreditsI suppose £20 a week may not seem like a great deal of money to many Members on the Government Benches. It is the sort of sum they might spend on a bottle of wine or leave as a…15 Sept 2021HANSARDStrength of the UnionWe know that for the past two years, the Government have been spending taxpayers’ money researching public opinion in Scotland on the state of the Union. For two years, I have…08 Sept 2021HANSARDMisuse of Drugs ActI wish to associate myself entirely with all of the comments that my two colleagues have just made from either side of this House. I wonder what it says about our ability to…17 Jun 2021HANSARDMisuse of Drugs ActI will come on to look at that concept and drug consumption in a minute, but what I am talking about is the fact that people have no ability to come to a health professional and…17 Jun 2021HANSARDIsrael and PalestineIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd, and thank you for squeezing me into the debate. All of us will have been appalled at the loss of life in the conflict in…14 Jun 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureI hope the hon. Gentleman will do me the courtesy of listening to what I say. I made plain the context in which that was said. It was said as a warning to those who supported…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureAll these questions will be discussed and decided upon if and when we get to a referendum campaign and a referendum vote. What is at stake on 6 May is who should make the decision…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureI am grateful to the Minister for spending time discussing things that are not on the Order Paper. Would it be possible for him to address the Question that is on the Order Paper,…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureEverything we do is subject to the will of an endorsement by the people of Scotland; so, obviously, if they do not want to take a particular course of action that we are…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureAll good things come to those who wait, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I will be dealing with the “once in a generation” tagline later in my speech. On referendums and…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureIf it is possible to have it later this year because the pandemic is over and we have moved beyond it, then I would welcome that. I do not speculate on whether it is the end of…17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureI have an embarrassment of riches. I give way first to the hon. Member for Redcar (Jacob Young).17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureI did not mention polls because I would have thought it is too obvious, is it not? We had 22 polls in a row that showed majority support for independence, so I think— […17 Mar 2021HANSARDScotland: General Election and Constitutional FutureIf the hon. Member does not mind, I am going to make some progress. We need to consider what this Chamber’s response would be to that likely outcome. I do not take anything for…17 Mar 2021