Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Connarty and Michael Fallon

Thursday 16th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

T5. May I say, as a humanist and on behalf of the humanist society in this place, that we respect the work that Paul Goggins did and the way in which he was inspired by his faith? His passing is greatly mourned by all his humanist colleagues.Has the Minister visited Sellafield recently to see the wonderful work going on to get rid of the legacy waste from the Windscale nuclear weapons programme? Is he aware that the 10,000 highly skilled workers there are going to lose their jobs as a result of the plan to shut down the reprocessing plant? Will he meet the workers when they come to this place to address the all-party group on nuclear energy?

[Michael Fallon]

I would be very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman and, indeed, a delegation from that group when they come down to this place. He will know about the significant investment that has gone into Sellafield through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Obviously, we want to see what prospects there are for continuing that work.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Connarty and Michael Fallon

Thursday 17th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fallon]

We have an offshore wind industrial strategy, which we published earlier this summer, and I look forward to taking it forward with the Offshore Wind Industry Council, which I co-chair. Offshore wind is part of the energy mix. We have put draft strike prices out for consultation, which has now closed, and we are analysing the responses. We expect to confirm the final strike prices for offshore wind by the end of the year.

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

A missive from Ineos Grangemouth, which supplies 80% of the fuel for Scotland and the north of England and accounts for 10% of the gross national product of Scotland, says that the plant is

“shut and will remain shut”.

I have kept all Ministers informed through the Secretary of State for Scotland, as well as those on the Opposition Front Bench. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said earlier that he wanted people to get back to ACAS. However, he has also made it clear that supplies will still get through to Scotland by other means. The company has prepared for this and the cold shutdown of the refinery and petrochemical plant has been done deliberately. It must be urged to start up the plant again and to take the knife from the throat of the workers and the gun from the head of the Scottish people.

Royal Mail

Debate between Michael Connarty and Michael Fallon

Thursday 12th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fallon]

The postal service will continue. It is funded by the Ministry of Defence in agreement with Royal Mail.

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

As organising secretary of the communications group in this place for the 20 years I have been here, I am not surprised that the Minister is the person bringing this forward—domesday for Royal Mail is reality—but when someone gets old they will do anything to get into a ministerial car, I suppose.

The point is that the Postal Services Act 2011 is deeply flawed, because it will allow a Minister in a future Government—or even this Minister, although he will not do it before 2014—to go to a Statutory Instrument Committee, not the Floor of the House, and destroy all the things that are guaranteed at the moment. Is it not true that, although there might not be enough money to renationalise the industry after it is given to the private sector, only a Labour vote will guarantee that the universal service and the terms and conditions of employment in the Act will be sustained by a future Government?

[Michael Fallon]

This Government have put the protection in place that the universal service has to continue and be provided irrespective of the ownership of Royal Mail.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Connarty and Michael Fallon

Thursday 21st March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fallon]

It certainly is. The purpose of the regional growth fund is to help better balance our economy by encouraging manufacturing, especially in those regions that have been over-dependent either on public sector employment or single types of employment.

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

4. If he will bring forward proposals to require companies to include supply chain issues in their annual narrative reporting.