Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 7th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Lady is quite right to raise this issue. She will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has made it clear on a number of occasions that measures are in place to deal with all outcomes, including a no-deal Brexit on 29 March. We have Health questions on Tuesday 19 February, and I encourage her to seek to have her question answered directly by the Minister again then.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

Can the Leader of the House confirm that the only reason for the light business and the extremely early rising of the House yesterday was that she and other Ministers had somewhere else to be—namely, going cap in hand to the dodgy Russian oligarchs and City hedge fund billionaires who are now the main source of finance for the Conservative party?

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Gentleman is denigrating this House. Yesterday, we were talking about compensation payments for people who have suffered from asbestosis and other appalling conditions. The Government seek to provide adequate time for such debates, but we do not then take people by the scruff of the neck and insist that they speak in them. If individual Members choose not to contribute to those debates, that is not the fault of the Government. The Government provided time for some very important statutory instruments to be debated yesterday. I also think that it is extremely offensive of the hon. Gentleman to make the assertions that he does. I can tell him that I was in a meeting until 7 o’clock last night.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 13th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Leader of the House of Commons (Andrea Leadsom)]

The business for next week is as follows:

Monday 17 December—My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will make a statement, followed by a motion to approve the draft Online Pornography (Commercial Basis) Regulations 2018, followed by a motion to approve the draft guidance on age-verification arrangements 2018, followed by a motion to approve the draft guidance on ancillary service providers 2018.

Tuesday 18 December—Second Reading of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill [Lords].

Wednesday 19 December—Debate on a motion on disability benefit, followed by debate on a motion on mental health first aid. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

Thursday 20 December—Debate on a motion on Rohingya. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

Friday 21 December—The House will not be sitting.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

Are you sure?

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am sure the House will not be sitting. The House decided.

The whole House will want to join me in thanking the police for their swift action following the incident in New Palace Yard earlier this week. We are enormously grateful for the work our police and security officers do to keep us all safe.

I am pleased to be able to spread some festive cheer to the House this morning, as the new edition of “Erskine May”, which is due to be published in 2019, will be publicly available on Parliament’s website, as well as on Parliament’s intranet and in hard copy, as normal. The first edition was published in the mid-19th century and new editions are published approximately every six or seven years, but this will be the first one publicly available online.

Finally, I encourage all hon. Members to visit the 209 Women exhibition on the first floor of Portcullis House, which begins tomorrow and will run until 14 February. It is being unveiled in time for the centenary of some women voting for the first time. I will be heading to the launch later to see the 209 photographs of female MPs, photographed by female photographers and curated by women. It is a fantastic way to round off the Vote 100 year.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 11th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that question, and I encourage him to raise it directly with Ministers at Department for Work and Pensions questions on Monday.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

My trade union, Unite, has launched a period dignity campaign to encourage employers to provide a stock of women’s sanitary products for any of their employees or visitors who might need them during their period. May we have a debate about this? More pressingly, will the Leader of the House support my representations to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to consider women’s menstrual products as we would consider soap or toilet paper: as something that could be provided on expenses in constituency offices?

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Gentleman raises a sensible and practical suggestion that I am happy to take away. On the broader issue of businesses providing products to deal with menstrual periods, he makes an equally good suggestion. Obviously, the Government do not seek to legislate on every aspect of corporate life, but he may well wish to seek a debate so that he can discuss this with other MPs and raise the issue more broadly, so that sympathetic companies might choose to take this action unilaterally.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 12th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am disappointed that the hon. Gentleman has not asked me to come and join him there—it sounds fantastic. I congratulate the Coia family on their contribution to Scottish food and to the life of Scotland and Glasgow in particular. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that there have been and will continue to be many opportunities to discuss and debate the amazing contribution made by so many EU and other migrants to this country and their value in this country.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

This week, I have had meetings with both Transport for the North and Highways England to pitch a case for investment in the M56, which is clogged up and overcrowded, but all roads—pun intended—seem to lead back to a decision made at the Department for Transport. May we have a debate on the Government’s forthcoming road investment strategy part 2, so that we can make the case for extra investment for the M56?

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am glad that the hon. Gentleman mentioned the Government’s review of the strategic road network, which will be very important. I am absolutely sure that Ministers will come to the House to set out the plans as soon as they are able to.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 24th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend; he is right to mention many of our constituents’ desire to see us getting on with putting the EU withdrawal Bill into a position whereby we can leave the European Union with a good, strong, free and fair relationship with our EU friends and neighbours. That is exactly what the Government are focused on, and I absolutely assure him that we are getting on with it.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

Can we have a debate about absolutely anything—it does not matter what—as long as we actually have a proper vote at the end of it that tests the Government’s position? The only votes that we are having at the moment are those proposed by the Opposition, and the Government are running scared of those as well. If the Government are too divided or too frit to push through a legislative programme, do they fancy getting off the pot and letting somebody else have a go?

[Andrea Leadsom]

What a completely extraordinary thing for the hon. Gentleman to say! We had two votes yesterday, and the Government won both. As I explained to the shadow Leader of the House, the Government have put forward a huge number of Bills; 17 have already gone for Royal Assent. If the Opposition choose not to vote on them—or, indeed, if we vote on them and the Government win—these are the normal processes of government. Things are proceeding apace. It is extraordinary for the hon. Gentleman to suggest otherwise.

Private Members’ Bills: Money Resolutions

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Monday 21st May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Gentleman will fully appreciate that the Government never ignore the resolutions of this House. I will come to the specifics of the reason for not allowing a money resolution on the private Member’s Bill of the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

I endorse what the Leader of the House says about treating colleagues with respect, but she is unwittingly making the argument just made by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Afzal Khan). Almost nothing that she is talking about requires a vote that is binding on the Government. The trend is the same; the Government are running away from anything on which they have to have a vote, and that is exactly what is happening with the Bill of my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton.

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will realise that that is simply not true. There have been countless votes. Many Bills are already going through this place and several have received Royal Assent. There is a great deal of activity in this Chamber and in the other place. We continue to respect views right across this Chamber, and to adapt and amend legislation in order to improve it wherever possible. This Government are showing the greatest of respect to all parliamentarians.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 7th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

My hon. Friend raises a valuable point. I travelled around Europe this summer and saw the fantastic UK spirits now available there and the increasing exports. Spirits are an increasingly important UK export, and I would support any efforts he wants to make to ensure we give them the right level of priority.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

Over the next couple of months, the new Mersey crossing will open, and it will be tolled, contrary to promises made by Conservative Ministers. May we have a debate either on the tolls on the new Mersey crossing or, failing that, on why Ministers are so willing to break their promises?

[Andrea Leadsom]

The Government are guilty of investing a huge amount in infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure, right across the country. I am not aware of the specific issue the hon. Gentleman raises about broken promises, but if he wants to write to me, I can take it up. I want to reiterate, however, that we are fully committed to improving road and rail transport across the UK, and our record is extremely strong.

Scheduling of Parliamentary Business

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Monday 17th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

The bottom line is that the Government have essentially halved the number of days of debate the Opposition can nominate. How is that good for democracy?

[Andrea Leadsom]

That is simply not true, and I will come on to that if the hon. Gentleman will give me the chance.

Business of the House

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Thursday 6th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

My hon. Friend has been a huge advocate of the excellent work of Childline, and I think everybody across the House will want to congratulate it, too. He will be aware that teachers and school staff across the country have started training to be able to identify, and respond to, early signs of mental health problems among pupils, which is a very good thing. My hon. Friend might want to expand on that discussion by applying for a debate, and I encourage him to look at early years, infant mental health, which is so important to set young people up with lifelong emotional wellbeing.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

The M56 is the principal economic artery for not just west Cheshire but large parts of north Wales, and it continues to jam up regularly, at which point all the roads surrounding it jam up, too. May we have a debate in Government time on why their road strategy has failed to find any investment for the M56 in the last 10 years?

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that this Government have significantly invested in roads and continue to do so. If he has a specific issue about the M56, I encourage him to apply for an Adjournment debate, but this Government are fully committed to improving our infrastructure to get the economy going, and to give the boost of even more jobs for people in this country.

Draft Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing (Protected Areas) Regulations 2015

Debate between Andrea Leadsom and Christian Matheson

Tuesday 27th October 2015 General Committees

[Andrea Leadsom]

As I said, at the moment, we import 40% of our gas needs, and by 2030 that could increase to around three quarters of the gas we use, so shale is vital, not just to reduce our reliance on imports but because it can create an energy bridge while we further develop renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and build new nuclear generating capacity.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

On that point, will the Minister give way?

[Andrea Leadsom]

I will not give way at the moment. I would like to make some progress in making my case and then I will take some interventions.

Importantly, studies show that the carbon footprint of electricity from UK shale gas is likely to be significantly lower than that of unabated coal and imported liquefied natural gas. Shale offers a valuable decarbonisation route from where we are today to where we want to be with a cleaner energy future.

Exploring for shale will also help create jobs and grow local economies. Investment in shale could reach £33 billion and support as many as 65,000 jobs in the oil, gas, construction, engineering and chemicals sectors. Locally, that could mean not just highly skilled jobs, but cementing contracts, new facilities and work for local businesses such as lorry drivers and income for local restaurants and bed and breakfasts.

The draft regulations serve to strengthen further the protections already in place for protected areas. It is right that we are debating them at the earliest opportunity, as we agreed to do during debate on the Infrastructure Act 2015. The powers to make the regulations are found in section 4B of the Petroleum Act 1998, as inserted by section 50 of the Infrastructure Act, which, following scrutiny in this House and the other place, received Royal Assent in February 2015.

The Infrastructure Act requires the Government to specify protected areas within which hydraulic fracturing cannot take place. As hydraulic fracturing occurs far below the surface, the regulations can relate only to subsurface activities, so they will not contain an answer to all the questions Members may wish to raise about hydraulic fracturing at surface level; however, I will address those questions in a moment.

I remind hon. Members that sections 4A and 4B of the Petroleum Act set out further safeguards for onshore hydraulic fracturing in England and Wales to provide the public with confidence that the shale industry is being developed in a safe, balanced and measured way. The Act lays down a number of conditions that must be satisfied before a hydraulic fracturing consent is issued by the Secretary of State. It includes two conditions specifying that associated hydraulic fracturing cannot take place within “protected groundwater source areas” or “other protected areas”.

[Andrea Leadsom]

If my hon. Friend will bear with me, I will certainly give way in a moment.

Those two terms are not defined in the Act. Instead, the Act contains a requirement for the Government to produce draft regulations with the proposed definitions and to lay them in both Houses by the end of July this year. To honour that commitment, we laid the instrument in draft form on 16 July.

Let me be clear: despite accusations to the contrary by Opposition Members, there has been no attempt to sneak the regulations past Parliament. The instrument has been in the public domain for three months, during which time the Opposition have not requested a debate on the Floor of the House, so to affect outrage that there will not be a House debate at such a late stage—hours before this Committee met—is pure political point scoring. On that point, I will give way to the hon. Member for City of Chester.

[Christian Matheson]

It is okay. Time is moving on.

[Andrea Leadsom]

In that case, I give way to my hon. Friend.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrea Leadsom]

The regulations tighten the protections on hydraulic fracturing; that is precisely what they are for. As I have made clear, they deal with the subsurface implications of hydraulic fracturing, a process that occurs far below ground level, and they will tighten the protections. Far from loosening them or turning back on whatever the hon. Gentleman seems to think, they will improve the protections.

[Christian Matheson]

I accept what the Minister is saying: the regulations deal with what is happening far below ground level. But for that to happen far below ground level, something has to happen at the surface. Frankly, I cannot see why the Minister is making that rather false distinction.

[Andrea Leadsom]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman because he gives me the chance to repeat what I said, which is that the Infrastructure Act required the Government to lay regulations to deal with the hydraulic fracturing process, which happens far below the ground. We will, as soon as possible, make a statement regarding the areas on ground level—the surface drill level—in which activity will be banned. We are looking very carefully at how to define and protect our most valuable areas. We will be making announcements shortly, but that is not for today. These regulations are the consequence of a requirement in the Infrastructure Act to deal with the subsurface implications, so I will move on.

The draft regulations set out definitions for the protected groundwater source areas and other protected areas in which hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited, and will afford greater protection to some of our most precious areas in a manner that still meets the Government’s broader policy objective of supporting the long-term development of the UK’s shale gas industry.

Regulation 2 defines protected groundwater source areas. The definition is equivalent to the existing definition of source protection zones 1, which applies to those areas close to drinking water sources where there is the greatest risk associated with groundwater contamination. The draft regulations ensure that the process of hydraulic fracturing cannot take place in such areas at depths above 1,200 metres. The vast majority of drinking water supplies are located at depths above 400 metres. The limit therefore provides at least 800 metres between the depth of most drinking water sources and the highest possible level at which hydraulic fracturing can take place.

As required by the Infrastructure Act, we consulted the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales on the definition of protected groundwater source areas. They confirmed that they are content with the definition being aligned with source protection zones 1, as that reinforces their approach to controlling risks from other groundwater activities. Indeed, it is already the case that neither agency permits onshore drilling for oil or gas, which does currently happen in the UK—to be clear, hydraulic fracturing does not—in source protection zones 1. They have successfully influenced operators not to apply for sites in those zones and have ensured that pipelines do not run through such areas. Furthermore, if either agency assesses that more stringent controls are needed to protect groundwater, those will be applied as conditions in the environmental permits required for all developers. The proposed definition would not affect the environmental regulator’s current powers to refuse permit applications within source protection zones 1, 2, 3 or wider on a case-by-case basis, if it considers that an activity poses an unacceptable risk to the environment.

Regulation 3 defines “other protected areas” as national parks, the broads, areas of outstanding natural beauty and world heritage sites. The draft regulations ensure that the process of hydraulic fracturing cannot take place above 1,200 metres below ground in such areas. In defining protected areas there is a need to strike the right balance, affording them additional protection without stifling the nascent shale industry. The Government firmly believe that the depth limit chosen—1,200 metres—strikes that balance.

In addition, national parks, the broads and areas of outstanding natural beauty are our finest landscapes and are afforded the highest status of landscape and scenic beauty protection within the planning system. Similarly, world heritage site status is the highest international heritage designation. Our world heritage sites are simply irreplaceable, and the Government take their responsibility to conserve and protect them very seriously.