Imprisonment of Catalan Leaders

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Tuesday 15th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

He could speak here. He could come and speak in the Palace of Westminster and would be extremely welcome. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]

[Christopher Pincher]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for reminding us of our rights and the rights of our friends who may choose to come to speak to us in the Palace of Westminster.

I am obliged to the right hon. Lady for her comments and for the reasonable tone in which she undertook them, although I would note that this week she seems to be against the judges whereas a couple of weeks ago she was for the judges. I do not think you can be against the judges one week and for them the next; you need to be for the judges all the time.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Tuesday 27th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I did not want to interrupt the question because I understood the hon. Member for St Helens South and Whiston (Marie Rimmer) was getting to her point. I understand why Members like to put their inquiries directly to the Minister, but may I please appeal to Members not to use the word “you” in their questions? We go through the Chair in debates for good reasons. I have no proposals on these matters. The Chancellor might have; we shall see.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Over the last three years unemployment in Tamworth has fallen faster than anywhere else in the country. As my right hon. Friend is in listening mode, will he tell the House whether he has heard any sensible representations from the shadow Chancellor or others about how to decrease business taxation and regulation to create more jobs in the west midlands?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 22nd January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

T4. I will meet the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes) shortly, but will he heed the representations of Councillor David Salter and ask the Highways Agency to review the new design of the A5 Wall Island, which is still causing accidents, tailbacks and huge chaos for my constituents in Shenstone, Wall and Muckley Corner?

[Mr Speaker]

That was very long. We really have to speed up.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 18th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

It is good of the hon. Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher) to drop in on us. We are grateful to him.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

T3. Energy experts believe that by 2030 we will need an additional 25-30 GW of gas capacity to meet our needs. What does my right hon. Friend have in mind to meet that extra provision? Will it include 15-year contracts for new entrants and not contracts discounted to one year?

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Matthew Hancock)]

My hon. Friend is right that we need investment in our energy infrastructure, including gas-powered fire stations. The capacity market auction on which many of those investment decisions will be made is under way this week and is continuing today to get the best possible value for money for energy consumers. It would be insidious of me to comment on an auction while it is under way. [Hon. Members: “Invidious!”] It would be invidious of me as well, so I will not comment, but my hon. Friend makes a critical point that it is vital to get new energy generation investment.

Points of Order

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 3rd September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Not during points of order in my recollection, but if he was, he chose not to rise to his feet. He has done so now; I have given him an answer. It is very clear; I think that the House will want to proceed with its business.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Last week in his column in The Guardian, Andrew Sparrow stated that a source close to you, Mr Speaker, said that most Members of this House do not understand the role of the Clerk and that many MPs believe that the Clerk is just a man in a wig who sits at the Table in the Chamber—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I ask the hon. Gentleman to resume his seat. It is not normal practice to expect the Speaker to comment on any and every media report. I did not see the report, I am not responsible for the report, and I do invite the hon. Gentleman and Members of the House as a whole to rise to the level of events. I think perhaps we can leave it there.

Points of Order

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Monday 1st September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman has been wisely advising me on all sorts of matters since I first came to know him in October 1983. I have very rarely regretted taking his advice, and very much doubt that I would do so on this occasion either.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am grateful for your statement earlier in which you made it clear that you believe that the role of the Clerk should be split and the role of the chief executive should be created. Has any estimate been made of the cost of that additional role, and when might that be made clear?

[Mr Speaker]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. Two points: first, I said what I did not in any mission to browbeat the House, which it is not for the Speaker to do, but simply because I think that there is something to be said for having a view and being prepared, honestly and openly, to express it, and that is what I have done. Secondly, on the subject of costs, there has been to my knowledge no particular assessment of that. There is a consideration of cost; there is also a consideration, resulting from efficient management and strategic direction, of potential savings to the House. If those issues are to be explored, they need, again, to be explored rationally and in the round.

I am extremely grateful to colleagues for the points of order, for the terms in which they have been expressed, and for the opportunity for this issue to be aired.

I am very conscious that 35 hon. and right hon. Members seek to contribute to the three debates to take place under the auspices of the Backbench Business Committee, with which, I hope, we can shortly proceed.

bill presented

Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Grahame M. Morris, supported by Greg Mulholland, John Cryer, Valerie Vaz, Paul Blomfield, Kevin Barron, Ian Mearns, Andrew George, Charlotte Leslie, Caroline Lucas, Rosie Cooper and Ian Lavery, presented a Bill to amend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to apply its provisions to private healthcare companies and other bodies seeking health service contracts; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 5 December, and to be printed (Bill 84).

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Monday 30th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher]

Is my hon. Friend as concerned as I am about Labour’s high street policy review, which suggests that business rates may be levied on farm land? Does he not agree that—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sure that the Minister’s views on Labour party policy would be of great interest and possibly a source of edification, but they are not relevant now, because this is about Ministers’ responsibility for Ministers’ policies and those of the Government. The wry smile of the hon. Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher) suggests that he is well aware of that fact.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Last but not least, Mr Christopher Pincher.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Mr Speaker, I know my place; regrettably, you appear to know it too.

Will the Secretary of State rule out levying business rates on farmland—as some have suggested—because that will hit farmers and will also hike the price of food for hard-working families?

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman has put the same question—he just sanitised it.

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 24th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call finally Mr Christopher Pincher.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I know my place; regrettably, you appear to know it, too. Be that as it may, may we have a debate on entrepreneurship? Tomorrow, I am meeting Tom Robinson, who at the age of 22 is one of Tamworth’s youngest entrepreneurs. He began by selling T-shirts from a market stall and is graduating to selling them from his first shop in the town centre. A debate would allow hon. Members to discuss what help we give and what more help we could give to young entrepreneurs such as Tom to help them to get their businesses off the ground.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Tuesday 23rd October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Lady does not want to come in. Fair enough.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to help people cope with conditions such as diabetes and asthma.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Tuesday 4th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

May I remind Members that exchanges at this point are supposed to be brief? They need to be if I am to accommodate as many colleagues as possible.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 14th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Thank you for recognising me, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

I think the hon. Gentleman is referring not to an achievement on the part of my eyesight as such but to the fact that his own appearance has changed notably from that of earlier days. I say that for the edification of people who might be attending to our proceedings. We look forward to hearing him.

[Christopher Pincher]

All our appearances have changed since earlier days, Mr Speaker, as you and I well know.

Youth unemployment in Tamworth has fallen to a 12-month low, thanks in part to further investment in Jaguar Land Rover and in BMW in Hams Hall. May we have a debate on the steps that the Government are taking and will take to reduce business taxation and regulation further, so that businesses can expand and create more jobs?

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 24th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

That was a very skilful sidestep.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Unemployment in Tamworth fell by 3.3% last month and, pleasingly, youth unemployment is at a 12-month low. So may I echo my hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Brandon Lewis) in calling for a debate on job creation, so that we can explore what further measures the Government can take to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises, such as Forensic Pathways in my constituency, to recruit still further?

Budget Leak Inquiry

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 22nd March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Is my hon. Friend aware that Labour’s record of leaking is as long as its record in office. Not only did the last Govt leak like a sieve but Hugh Dalton, a previous Labour Chancellor, was forced to resign for leaking Budget secrets—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman will resume his seat. I made the position clear. This is a set of exchanges about a specific and narrowly crafted urgent question. It may be about many things within that context, but it is not about 1947. We will leave it there.

Weightman Report (Fukushima)

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Tuesday 11th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

It is always a great pleasure to listen to the Secretary of State, but may I gently remind him of the merits of the abridged rather than the “War and Peace” version?

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Although it is interesting to listen to the hon. Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn) describe the tsunami as a “scandal”, will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirm three points? First—this bears repetition—we do not sit atop a seismic fault; secondly, we do not stack five nuclear reactors in a row; and thirdly, we use a different cooling mechanism. Those are three reasons why, although we should not be complacent about our nuclear energy strategy, we should be confident that we have one of the best records in the world.

Public Confidence in the Media and Police

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 20th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. May I remind Members that as a matter of basic courtesy, Members standing and seeking to catch my eye should not simultaneously be fiddling with their electronic devices? I should have thought the point was so obvious as a matter of courtesy, but apparently not.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Will the Prime Minister ensure that the activities of Damian McBride, the king of smears and spin under Labour, will also form part of the investigation that he undertakes?

Phone Hacking and the Media

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Monday 11th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The House has heard what has been said—[Interruption.] Order. I call Mr Christopher Pincher.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend think that it is a great pity that the very fine and bipartisan speech made last Wednesday by the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) was not repeated today by the Leader of the Opposition? Does not the contrast between those two speeches demonstrate who is the better and more thoughtful man on this issue?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sure that the Secretary of State will want to focus not on character assessment and comparisons in relation to it, but on phone hacking and the media.

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Thursday 9th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. May I gently remind the House that questions to the Leader of the House at business questions should specifically seek either a debate or a statement?

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on NHS funding? Constituents of mine have highlighted to me the importance of mental health services provision, so a debate on the £3 billion of further investment that this Government are putting into the NHS this year would be timely and welcome.

Banking

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 9th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

In the light of his statement and what he has heard from the Opposition Front Bench, will my right hon. Friend give any further consideration to the warning offered by a certain soi-disant financial journalist who said that nothing must be done to endanger a light-touch, risk-based regulatory regime? [Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I must just say to the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) that I do not know what he has for breakfast, but I think I am going to avoid it.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 19th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

The right hon. Gentleman says that there are 650,000 or so EMA claimants, but he must also know that only about 12% of those people—66,000—say that they would not go into A-level education if they did not have it. EMA costs £564 million. Does he not think there are better and less expensive ways of targeting money on the kids who really need the help? [Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Members are in a very excitable state today. I know that the matter arouses great passions, but we must have some semblance of decorum in the debate. I also remind colleagues that interventions should be brief.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 12th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The House must come to order again.

[Christopher Pincher]

Will my right hon. Friend consider asking the emergency response review team to look at the situation in Tindouf in Algeria, where thousands of Sahrawis have been virtually imprisoned in camps for almost 25 years? Can he raise the profile of that issue?

Schools White Paper

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Wednesday 24th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Pincher.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker; clearly, I am moving up the batting order in this particular sport.

In welcoming my right hon. Friend’s White Paper, may I ask him to encourage greater vertical integration between primary and secondary schools? One issue that teachers in Tamworth have raised with me is the number of primary school children who do not have the necessary reading and writing skills when they move on to secondary school, and we need to improve that.

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend is bang on the button, and one of the reasons we are establishing primary academies and integrating primary schools into academy chains is to deal with precisely that issue. The last Government said the creation of primary academies would send a chill down the spine of every parent, but actually the creation of many new primary academies has meant that parents enjoy smaller class sizes and higher standards and children better prepared for the world of work and further learning. This is a reform that I hope every party represented in the House will now support.

Canterbury City Council Bill

Debate between John Bercow and Christopher Pincher

Monday 5th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

My hon. Friend mentioned British pedlars, but I would like him to consider the question of European pedlars. Tamworth has a vibrant farmers market; people from Spain, Germany and France go there to sell their wares. The Bill is

“for the better control of street trading in the city of Nottingham.”

That reminds me of the quotation from T.S. Eliot:

“Between the idea

And the reality…

Falls the Shadow”.

An idea can be great, but ensuring that it works properly in reality can be very difficult. If we pass this legislation, I want to make sure that it does not impinge on those who rightly come to Britain from Paris, Madrid and Munich—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. On the subject of reality, I should say that the reality is that the erudition of that intervention was equalled only by its length.