Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 19th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I am always grateful for suggestions of programmes to watch. I will try to do so, but I cannot promise to report to the right hon. Gentleman, as he requires.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Youth unemployment is at record lows; more women are in work; and we have the lowest unemployment rate in this country since the 1970s, with unemployment down by more than half from 2010 in Corby and east Northamptonshire. What role does my right hon. Friend believe universal credit has played specifically in delivering that success?

[Amber Rudd]

I thank my hon. Friend for reminding the House of the tremendous benefits of universal credit and the tremendous advantages of an economy that is growing and providing so much new work for our constituents. Yes, of course universal credit has an important part to play in delivering those advances.

Windrush

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 23rd April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I am sorry that the hon. Lady has chosen to interpret the problem in that way. I cannot comment on her individual case, but I simply advise her to ask her constituent—or she can do it herself—to contact my office so that we can make sure that the right steps are put in place and, if appropriate, she does not have to wait any longer.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Last week my right hon. Friend set out the expectation that all cases would be resolved within a fortnight. Will she update the House on progress, and does she anticipate that that timescale will hold?

[Amber Rudd]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. I was in Croydon this morning to make sure that I could have full confidence in the timetable set out and that we have sufficient people on the casework team to turn it around as swiftly as our expectations. That remains the case. The number of calls coming in and the number of face-to-face interviews taking place are manageable. I hope that that will remain the case, but I will not stop putting resources in to ensure that this group are properly addressed and get the first-class service I want them to have.

Windrush Children (Immigration Status)

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 16th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I would fully expect them to be subject to it. I find the hon. Gentleman’s statement very surprising and ask him to write to me about it. The default position of the team that I am setting up will be to get the information and to accept people. The only situation where people would not be accepted is on grounds of serious criminality.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I very much welcome the sentiment expressed by my right hon. Friend. Those affected may well approach local advice services, such as the citizens advice bureaux in our constituencies, seeking support. Will she undertake to disseminate comprehensive guidance to them as soon as possible?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 29th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

The appalling abuse of Alice Terry on social media overnight demonstrates the totally unacceptable direction of travel of political debate in this country. Does my right hon. Friend agree that no party should have any problem whatever with signing the respect pledge?

[Amber Rudd]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I was shown the sort of abuse that Alice Terry received overnight, and it was particularly horrific and persistent. A lot of my colleagues on the Government Benches have stated their support for her, and I would urge some—not all—Opposition Members to take more action to speak out against such abuse because, as Lord Bew’s independent review of this issue has shown, a lot of it comes from the hard left, also known as Momentum.

Salisbury Incident

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 8th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I thank the right hon. Lady for that. I have her letter, and will respond, but gently say that now is not the time to investigate what is, at the moment, only rumour and speculation; now is the time to focus on the incident at hand, and the investigation that is proceeding. She makes a suggestion regarding international activity; at some stage, we will come back to the House with our proposals, but for now, we are merely preparing, and concentrating on the incident.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I share the sentiments of my right hon. Friend about the bravery of our police officers and the people in Salisbury who witnessed this terrible tragedy; it was an awful thing for them to have to see in their town. Will she assure the House that all appropriate support will be made available, not just for the police officers, but for any witnesses who might come forward?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 8th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Despite the rhetoric that we heard earlier, does the Home Secretary agree that what the vast majority of people in this country want is an immigration system that delivers both fairness and control, and that is underpinned by common sense? Will she deliver just that?

[Amber Rudd]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He makes an excellent point and sets out exactly what we want: fair, rational, controlled immigration that not only is good for this country, but gives the public confidence that we are protecting our borders and we are absolutely clear about the numbers that we are targeting.

Harassment in Public Life

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 18th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

The hon. Lady has drawn attention to one element of our strategy—the online hate hub, which is staffed by police officers who centralise and act on reports of hate—but that is by no means the only activity. The CPS has increased the number of prosecutions by 68% over the past three years and we have put £17 million from the police transformation fund into proper engagement with different police forces to ensure that they have the right skills for the digital recording of the evidence. I reassure the hon. Lady that the online hate hub is only one part of a strategy and we will take action.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

There is a fine line, is there not, between disagreeing with someone and being deliberately disingenuous with a view to inciting hatred and harassment, often repeatedly and often for political advantage? Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is corrosive for our political discourse and that it has to stop, but that in order for it to stop we need leadership from across the political spectrum?

[Amber Rudd]

I agree that there is nothing wrong with argument and a little bit of rudeness, but that the sorts of examples that we have been quoting are absolutely unacceptable. We need to work across the House to ensure that we have a proper answer and strategy to combat them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 3rd July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I say to all colleagues on both sides of the House that we have protected police spending—[Interruption.] Hon. Members can have their own views; they cannot have their own facts. These are the cases. As long as individual councils use the maximum precept of 2%, they can raise the money. Additional support is available from the police transformation fund, and we will always make sure that we use it to keep communities safe and to provide the best policing available.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

In Northamptonshire our excellent police and crime commissioner, Stephen Mold, is dramatically investing in police buildings by, for example, opening the new command centre in north Northamptonshire. Does my hon. Friend agree that, actually, it is the investment in buildings that are fit for purpose for operational policing and the modernisation that are so important for driving outcomes?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 24th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

We already have a price comparison website to which we refer people. The “be an energy shopper” website will then give customers a choice. I urge the hon. Lady to take a look herself and perhaps consider switching.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

2. What estimate she has made of the number of onshore wind applications made since June 2015.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 17th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Chinese steel dumped on the European market is bad not only for British business but for the environment, so does the Minister agree that the best thing to do for the environment and for securing greener growth is to buy British?

[Amber Rudd]

My hon. Friend makes a very good recommendation. Buying British is always a positive thing to do.

Onshore Wind Subsidies

Debate between Amber Rudd and Tom Pursglove

Monday 22nd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier. We will be looking again at how solar farms get access as part of the feed-in tariff review. They are no longer eligible to access under the renewable obligations.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I refer Members to my declaration of interests. I welcome the announcement. On Friday my constituent Peter Stephens asked whether the forthcoming international deliberations on climate change would have the effect of unpicking the changes that the Secretary of State set out today. Perhaps she could clarify that.

[Amber Rudd]

I am happy to reassure my hon. Friend and his constituent that we remain committed to our targets under the Climate Change Act 2008. We remain committed to being the greenest Government ever and to making sure that we are the No. 1 place for renewable energy investment.