Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Wednesday 6th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lidington]

I am deeply shocked that the hon. Lady has so little confidence in her own colleagues as to think that they would be capable of that.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Some of my most engaged constituents are expats who currently reside in France or Spain. Does the Minister agree that it is unfair and undemocratic to deny these British citizens the right to vote after an arbitrary 15 years?

[Chloe Smith]

Yes, I do, which is why we support the private Member’s Bill promoted by my hon. Friend the Member for Montgomeryshire (Glyn Davies), which will redress that injustice and deliver votes for life.

Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Wednesday 30th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Like one of her hon. Friends, the hon. Lady has raised an individual constituency case and the details of that individual constituency case. I will ask the relevant Minister to look into that case and to be—[Interruption.] She is asking me to take a position purely on the question that she has asked me. I am asking the Minister in the relevant Department to look into the case and to be able to assess that case and to respond to her.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

This afternoon we shall be debating the Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill, which, among other things, will facilitate the cross-border exchange of data, enabling us to investigate crimes such as terrorism and paedophilia. Is it not the responsibility of all of us in this House to wholeheartedly support that Bill?

[The Prime Minister]

Absolutely, yes. This is a very important Bill in the impact that it will have. I am sure that everybody across this whole House wants to ensure that we can deal with terrorism, with paedophilia and indeed with other organised crime. Exchange of data is an important way of doing that, and I hope that everybody will see the importance of support for that.

Leaving the European Union

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Monday 21st January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am working to ensure that we can agree a deal with the European Union that will secure the support of this House such that we leave on 29 March, but do so with a deal.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Does the Prime Minister agree that the first rule of politics is to turn up?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. I hope that there are those across this House who will take that message to heart and act on it.

No Confidence in Her Majesty’s Government

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Wednesday 16th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady might recall that I made exactly that point when I became Prime Minister—that there were various reasons that people voted for Brexit, but that some people wanted a change in the way in which politics delivered for them. They felt that politicians were not listening to them, which is precisely why it is so important that we listen to and deliver on the result of the referendum for the people of this country—and this Government are delivering in a whole range of ways.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

I appreciate the positive, confident and optimistic picture of the future of the UK painted by the Prime Minister. What a contrast with the Leader of the Opposition, who takes every opportunity to talk Britain down. How on earth can somebody claim that they aspire to be Prime Minister if they have such utter lack of confidence in Britain and the British people?

[The Prime Minister]

Absolutely. Anybody who wants to be Prime Minister should believe in this country and in the talents of our people; that is so important.

Leaving the EU

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Monday 14th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady will know the sums of money that have been made available by the Treasury to Departments across Government to provide for both no-deal preparations and the preparations for a deal. It is entirely right that we make those contingency arrangements to ensure that we have made the decisions and put in place the operations necessary should there be no deal.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Does the Prime Minister agree that all deals would require a backstop of some sort? As unpalatable as this deal and the backstop are, there is simply no such thing as a painless, risk-free backstop. If it was not this backstop, another backstop would be required, and it would perhaps be as dangerous as, or more concerning than, this one.

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is clear that whatever agreement was reached with the European Union, a backstop would be required. Some people talk about a different trade agreement for the future, but a backstop would still be necessary, because a negotiation would be required to ensure that a backstop was there for circumstances in which that new agreement could not come into place at the end of the implementation period. There is no agreement without a backstop.

Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Wednesday 9th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Burt]

DFID’s aid has always been focused on humanitarian need, regardless of who has been in control of territory. Provided we can be assured that aid and support are not diverted for terrorist or extremist purposes but get through to those who are in need, that is the guiding principle on which we work, and will continue to be the principle on which DFID will provide humanitarian aid.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to improve gender equality for women throughout the world.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Penny Mordaunt)]

Gender equality is considered in the design of all DFID’s programmes, and is essential to achieving the sustainable development goals. Between 2015 and 2018, UK aid provided 16.9 million women and girls with modern methods of family planning, and helped 5.6 million girls to gain access to a decent education.

[Nigel Huddleston]

Action on Poverty, a charity based in my constituency, has done some tremendous work in Africa and Asia, including helping thousands of women to set up their own businesses. What more can the Department do to assist charities such as Action on Poverty?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I pay tribute to the work that Action on Poverty has done, and, indeed, to my hon. Friend’s support for that organisation. We are currently helping it, through UK Aid Direct, to improve livelihoods and food security in Sierra Leone, but, more widely, we want to increase the number of small and medium-sized charities and other organisations with which we work to deliver the global goals.

European Council

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Monday 17th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

What I am working on at the moment is to ensure that we can get the assurances necessary to deal with the concerns that people have on the deal that has been negotiated.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

I like to think of myself as a friendly fellow, and I have no particular inclination to fall out with colleagues on either side of the Chamber based on the details of the Brexit deal. The one thing I have learned in politics is that it is perfectly reasonable to look at identical information and come to completely different conclusions—but on values, that is where I disagree. Does the Prime Minister agree that to have a second referendum would fundamentally undermine the principle of democracy?

[The Prime Minister]

I believe that there are many people who voted if not for the first time ever, certainly for the first time for a considerable number of years, in that referendum. They did so in the belief that the politicians were going to listen to them. I think that their belief and faith in politics and politicians, and in our democracy, would be shattered if they were asked to think again. We should deliver on the vote that took place.

EU Exit Negotiations

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Thursday 15th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am tempted to refer the hon. Gentleman to answers I gave earlier to that question. We had a vote. The overall vote was that we should leave the European Union, and that is what we will deliver.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

On all important political decisions, I not only listen to my constituents and the businesses that employ my constituents, but ask myself, “Is this in the long-term interests of my children?” I have a great deal of respect for the Prime Minister, who is a dedicated public servant, so I ask her with all sincerity, given all the viable options available: is this deal in the best interests of my children?

[The Prime Minister]

I say to my hon. Friend that I genuinely believe that this deal is in the national interest, and that means it is in the best interests of people up and down the United Kingdom whatever age they are, including those who are children today. What I want to do is to ensure that, as we leave the European Union, we are able to build that brighter future with a good trade relationship with the EU—our nearest neighbours—and also to develop those trade relationships around the rest of the world. That has been at the forefront of our thinking, and I believe that is in the interest of his children and others’ for their future.

Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Wednesday 14th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The Minister was offering a serious and comprehensive reply to which there was a less than attentive audience, which is perhaps a tad discourteous. Let us have some order in the Chamber so that we can hear Mr Nigel Huddleston.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the UK is actually already a world leader in cyber-security, and will the Government continue to commit, through education and training, to ensure that we continue to be so?

[Mr Lidington]

I am happy to give my hon. Friend that commitment. I could list a range of programmes that the Government are undertaking with school-age students and tertiary education students to drive up those standards, as well as working with international partners, who look to us for some of the best practice around the world.

EU Exit Negotiations

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Monday 15th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am happy to give that commitment. That is precisely why we have been clear that we cannot accept the proposals that the European Union has put forward which would, in effect, mean a customs border down the Irish sea and so break Northern Ireland away from the rest of the UK.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

I call Nigel Huddleston.

[Nigel Huddleston]

Does the Prime Minister agree that compromise on both sides, whether in politics, business or any human relationship, does not mean giving in, giving up and being humiliated, but is a perfectly sensible and reasonable route to getting a mutually beneficial and desirable outcome?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes. By definition, negotiations mean both sides sitting down, talking about the issues and coming to an agreement that both can accept. Very often, that does mean both sides having to accept some degree of compromise.