First elected: 26th June 1975
Left House: 30th May 2024 (Dissolution)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Peter Bottomley, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Peter Bottomley has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require certain authorities to maintain a register of the destination of recycled materials; and for connected purposes.
Same Sex Marriage (Church of England) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Ben Bradshaw (Lab)
Electricity Supply (Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Sam Tarry (Lab)
Cladding Remediation Works (Code of Practice) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Tom Hunt (Con)
Vehicle Registration Offences (Penalty Points) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Andrew Griffith (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Gambling (Industry Levy Review and Protections for Vulnerable People) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Richard Graham (Con)
Sky Lanterns (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Ruth George (Lab)
Election Expenses (Authorisation of Free or Discounted Support) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Craig Mackinlay (Con)
Multi-employer Pension Schemes Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
Bus Drivers (Working Hours on Local Routes) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Matt Western (Lab)
Freehold Properties (Management Charges and Shared Facilities) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Helen Goodman (Lab)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jim McMahon (LAB)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Kyle (Lab)
Leasehold Reform Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Justin Madders (Lab)
Public Authority (Accountability) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Andy Burnham (Lab)
Rail Ombudsman Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Diplomatic Service (United Kingdom Wines and Sparkling Wines) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - None ()
The relevant protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010 is ‘gender reassignment’. The Equality and Human Rights Commission website explains that: “To be protected from gender reassignment discrimination, you do not need to have undergone any specific treatment or surgery to change from your birth sex to your preferred gender. This is because changing your physiological or other gender attributes is a personal process rather than a medical one. You can be at any stage in the transition process – from proposing to reassign your gender, to undergoing a process to reassign your gender, or having completed it.”
The Civil Service training course ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ gives an explanation of the Equality Act 2010 as follows:
The Equality Act provides specific protection for people who have the following characteristics:
However, the training does reference ‘gender identity’ as an area that could lead to discrimination. The current training is shortly being replaced with a new product called “Civil Service Expectations” which will more clearly reflect the legislation.
Our focus is on developing a new robust policy and legislative ban which protects all LGBT people from this abhorrent practice. We continue to work closely with a range of stakeholders, including various criminal justice experts and the Ministry of Justice.
The nomination to the See of London is a matter for the Crown Nominations Commission rather than the Church Commissioners. Nominations to episcopal sees are made within the context of the House of Bishops’ Declaration on Ministry of Bishops and Priests, which expressly recognises that those who, on grounds of theological conviction, are unable to receive the ministry of women bishops and priests continue to be within the spectrum and teaching and tradition of the Anglican Communion, and affirms the importance of there continuing to be bishops within the Church of England to enable ministry to be provided to such persons. However, as part of the usual consultation process for nominations to diocesan sees, anyone wishing to comment on the needs of the vacant diocese or the wider church is invited to write to the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary and the Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments. Any such submissions will inform the Commission’s work.
It has long been the practice of the Diocese of London for the Bishop to ordain all deacons, male and female, with Area Bishops ordaining priests in their local community.
The composition of the panel for the recruitment of Sir Robert Rogers in 2011 was Mr Speaker, the then Leader of the House (Rt Hon Sir George Young), the then Shadow Leader (Rt Hon Hilary Benn), John Thurso MP, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith, the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle and Sheila Drew Smith. This was – on Mr Speaker’s initiative – the first time that a formal recruitment panel and process was followed.
Selection panels were not held for appointing the Clerk of the House and Chief Executive in 2006 and 2003. On both occasions the retiring Clerk of the House recommended two names as potential successors and the then Mr Speaker decided which candidate to recommend.
The changes in approach to recruitment in 2011, and subsequently in 2014, when the opportunity was opened up to both internal and external applicants, is in line with the House’s policy for fair and open competition in all House of Commons recruitment.
The selection panel decided on the successful candidate by reaching a consensus. The Speaker was Chair of the panel, but did not have a casting vote.
The composition of the panel for the recruitment of Sir Robert Rogers in 2011 was Mr Speaker, the then Leader of the House (Rt Hon Sir George Young), the then Shadow Leader (Rt Hon Hilary Benn), John Thurso MP, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith, the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle and Sheila Drew Smith. This was – on Mr Speaker’s initiative – the first time that a formal recruitment panel and process was followed.
Selection panels were not held for appointing the Clerk of the House and Chief Executive in 2006 and 2003. On both occasions the retiring Clerk of the House recommended two names as potential successors and the then Mr Speaker decided which candidate to recommend.
The changes in approach to recruitment in 2011, and subsequently in 2014, when the opportunity was opened up to both internal and external applicants, is in line with the House’s policy for fair and open competition in all House of Commons recruitment.
The selection panel decided on the successful candidate by reaching a consensus. The Speaker was Chair of the panel, but did not have a casting vote.
I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by Mr Speaker on 1 September 2014, Official Report, column 1.
As my Right Honourable Friend will know, the CPS makes all its prosecution decisions independently and therefore I am unable to intervene on an individual case.
I do however understand that the CPS has previously written to, and met with, the Hon. Member and fully discussed the decision making in this case and the evidence on which the prosecution based its case.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not consider it possible to answer questions (a) and (b) with a number because of the degree of interpretation required to determine what may amount to a “contradiction” and what may be described materially as a “statement of fact”.
There are no contemporaneous documents from 1986. The memorandum of conviction, which is held in the form of a certified extract created some years later, contains the date of birth. The microfiche records, which are dated after 1986, also contain the date of birth.
(a) The prosecution case was that Gurpal Virdi was the arresting officer. When the file was received from the police in November 2013, before charge, it contained a document which stated the date of birth of the complainant.
(b) DC Markwick is named on the extract of the court’s memorandum of conviction dated 24 June 1987 in the section “name of informant or complainant”. The CPS did not request a statement from Mr Markwick. The prosecution case was that Gurpal Virdi was the arresting officer.
A press release was issued by the Metropolitan Police Service which stated that the complainant was under 16. The CPS was not a party to this release and did not issue any other release. The CPS does not retain records of publicity resulting at the time.
When the case was reviewed in 2014 for charging, the complainant and the witness clearly stated that the complainant had been 15 when the incident took place in 1986. The police summary stated that the complainant was 15. However the complainant’s date of birth and the date of his arrest were known and this mistake should not have been made.
The CPS was supplied with the memorandum of conviction referred to on 17 September 2014.
No steps were taken to publicise the fact that the charge was later amended in open court to remove the assertion that the complainant was under 16.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has requested an estimate of the cost of obtaining a transcript and has been informed that it will take 10 days for this to be supplied. Once the estimate is received the CPS will write to the Honorable Member to inform him of the figure.
The Civil Service has not developed or issued any specific guidance to Heads of Departments on their engagement with the Civil Service networks, including the Sex Equality and Equity Network.
The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022 outlines a focus on the delivery of inclusion, to support our key priorities as outlined in the Declaration on Government Reform.
Responsibility for delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to construct the UK Holocaust Memorial rests with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
There are currently no publicly available accounts from Stonewall for 2020/21 which we can compare with the Cabinet Office published accounts.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Individual departments are responsible for making public appointments to the boards of their arms length bodies.
There is no central list of public appointees, however all appointments made by Ministers are made public on gov.uk.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offers a comprehensive package of support for whisky exporters, from our export academy which supports ‘new to export’ smaller businesses through to dedicated trade missions to key markets, inward buyer visits and a UK presence at major food and drink trade shows such as Prowein, Germany.
Moreover, DBT has staff in over 100 markets globally, contactable via our Export Support Service, a team of agriculture attachés in 11 markets focused on eliminating barriers for the food and drink industry and a dedicated team in Scotland focusing on support for Scottish exporters, including the Scotch whisky sector.
Ensuring the electricity system is reliable, as well as net zero consistent, means variable renewables, such as wind and solar, need to be complemented by technologies which can provide dispatchable or baseload power.
Biomass electricity generation can provide this flexibility and plays a key role in delivering a more secure, clean energy sector in Britain.
Parliamentary approval was granted for the updated energy National Policy Statements on 17 January 2024. This covers the use of biomass in electricity generation at the scale of Nationally Significant Infrastructure under the Planning Act (which applies to projects in England and Wales).
Government is currently consulting on potential arrangements to help facilitate the transition of large-scale biomass generation to power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Responses to the consultation will help to inform government policy on this matter. As set out in the consultation, a potential support mechanism is expected to require secondary legislation which would be brought to Parliament as part of the legislative process.
The Government currently does not have any plans to reopen the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. The Government estimated that there were around 900,000 households eligible for the scheme, and the current application figures can be found on GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.
I recommend that any household who was not able to access the EBSS AF visits the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be able to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
The Government understands the concerns expressed regarding the take-up of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. However, the scheme is now closed to new applications. The scheme was open for applications from end February to end May. During that time, the Government used a variety of communication methods to ensure as many eligible households as possible could apply for their support. This included press notices, roundtables with key stakeholders, and a request for local authorities to write to care homes and park home sites in their area.
The department was allocated £362m to deliver the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Over £60m has been paid to eligible households who have made a successful application, and any remaining budget will be returned to HM Treasury.
The UK works closely with international partners and key organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to promote the development and uptake of animal replacement technologies. There are currently no plans to host a summit on the matter.
The Government, via UK Research & Innovation, funds the development of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research through the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs encourages researchers’ to use non-animal methods (NAMs) in a number of ways, including supporting the skills base by funding PhD students to work only on the development of NAMs, and dedicated funding allowing researchers to test methods alongside existing animal studies. NC3Rs recently launched a network to bring researchers from academia, industry and regulatory authorities together to share knowledge on the use of NAMs methods for safety testing.
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities regarding increased energy costs. The Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the voluntary sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, with legislation coming into force on 1 November, shielding charities across the United Kingdom from soaring energy prices and saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs. The scheme applies to energy usage from 1 October 2022 for an initial 6-month period.
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth to the Hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside on 21st January 2022 to Question 103693.
There are no intentions to extend any contracts under the Renewables Obligation or Contracts for Difference schemes. In November 2021 the Government announced it would develop a business model to support bio-based power generation with carbon capture and storage. Any implementation of this would be subject to the appropriate parliamentary procedures.
Through the Biomass Strategy, which will be published later this year, the UK will establish the role of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage (BECCS) in reducing carbon emissions across the economy and set out how the technology could be deployed.
The Net Zero Strategy, outlined the UK’s ambition of 5MtCO2/year of engineered removals by 2030 and included illustrative ranges of 22-23MtCO2/year of engineered removals by 2035 and 75- 81MtCO2/year by 2050. Power BECCS projects have the potential to play a role in reaching these ambitions.
The UK is currently assessing the potential for carbon capture at existing UK biomass plants, however no decision has been made on future BECCS deployment or the award of power BECCS contracts.
This information is reported by suppliers to OFGEM. The latest dataset can be accessed here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20.
The decision of S&P Global Dow Jones to remove Drax from its Global Clean Energy Index is a commercial decision for S&P Global Dow Jones.
The Government only supports biomass usage that complies with strict sustainability criteria.
Funding arrangements for the British Academy-Sponsored Institutes and Societies (BASIS) programme have not been changed. The seven independent Schools and Institutes within the BASIS Programme collectively have an important role in advancing science diplomacy and promoting UK higher education in their regions, and we value the close connections with foreign government ministries, British diplomatic missions and the British Council that are fostered through the BASIS Programme.
The Science & Research budget allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 was published on 4 March. The allocation provided for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period. Details of direct funding received by the BASIS Programme through its grant from the British Academy, as well as details of the cumulative payments made by the British Academy to individual schools and institutes within the programme, are published in the British Academy Annual Report, available at www.britac.ac.uk/about/annualrep/index.cfm.
Funding arrangements for the British Academy-Sponsored Institutes and Societies (BASIS) programme have not been changed. The seven independent Schools and Institutes within the BASIS Programme collectively have an important role in advancing science diplomacy and promoting UK higher education in their regions, and we value the close connections with foreign government ministries, British diplomatic missions and the British Council that are fostered through the BASIS Programme.
The Science & Research budget allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 was published on 4 March. The allocation provided for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period. Details of direct funding received by the BASIS Programme through its grant from the British Academy, as well as details of the cumulative payments made by the British Academy to individual schools and institutes within the programme, are published in the British Academy Annual Report, available at www.britac.ac.uk/about/annualrep/index.cfm.
Funding arrangements for the British Academy-Sponsored Institutes and Societies (BASIS) programme have not been changed. The seven independent Schools and Institutes within the BASIS Programme collectively have an important role in advancing science diplomacy and promoting UK higher education in their regions, and we value the close connections with foreign government ministries, British diplomatic missions and the British Council that are fostered through the BASIS Programme.
The Science & Research budget allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 was published on 4 March. The allocation provided for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period. Details of direct funding received by the BASIS Programme through its grant from the British Academy, as well as details of the cumulative payments made by the British Academy to individual schools and institutes within the programme, are published in the British Academy Annual Report, available at www.britac.ac.uk/about/annualrep/index.cfm.
Funding arrangements for the British Academy-Sponsored Institutes and Societies (BASIS) programme have not been changed. The seven independent Schools and Institutes within the BASIS Programme collectively have an important role in advancing science diplomacy and promoting UK higher education in their regions, and we value the close connections with foreign government ministries, British diplomatic missions and the British Council that are fostered through the BASIS Programme.
The Science & Research budget allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 was published on 4 March. The allocation provided for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period. Details of direct funding received by the BASIS Programme through its grant from the British Academy, as well as details of the cumulative payments made by the British Academy to individual schools and institutes within the programme, are published in the British Academy Annual Report, available at www.britac.ac.uk/about/annualrep/index.cfm.
The Royal Parks have full operational responsibility for the Buxton Memorial Fountain and the barriers which have been erected for the duration of essential repairs to it. A temporary footpath has been constructed around the memorial, so that access to the Embankment path remains.
Barriers were erected around the Buxton memorial in April 2023, in order to protect the monument ahead of and during essential structural repairs needed to maintain it. They will remain in place until completion of the repairs, which has an estimated date of July 2024.
Records of the level of public funding for English National Opera are available in its annual accounts, which are published online on the Companies House website.
Following Arts Council England’s decisions relating to English National Opera and its 2023–26 Investment Portfolio, which are taken at arm’s length from the Government, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is helping to convene relevant parties and support them to find a way forward. I am keen that Arts Council England and English National Opera work together on the future of the organisation.
All decisions on which organisations to fund through the 2023–26 Investment Programme, and by how much, have been taken by Arts Council England in line with the long-standing principle that Arts Council England makes such decisions at arm’s length from the Government. The Chief Executive of Arts Council England, Darren Henley, answered questions from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on these issues on 8 December 2022.
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation member Lord Andrew Feldman wrote to the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon John Whittingdale, on 26 October 2015 proposing that the Holocaust Memorial be located in Victoria Tower Gardens.
Following investigations into the feasibility of this site, the Foundation recommended Victoria Tower Gardens to the Government in January 2016 as the best choice of site. The then Prime Minister accepted this recommendation and announced Victoria Tower Gardens as the chosen site on Holocaust Memorial Day 2016.
The National Archives has not received a direct request for information from Mr Clive Stafford-Smith for access to material relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Hosein brothers.
The National Archives received a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 02 June 2021 on behalf of one of the parties named for access to ten Crown Prosecution Service records (DPP 2/4806-4815) and one Attorney General’s Office record (LO 2/192).
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives applicants the right to know whether a public authority holds the information requested and to have it communicated to them, subject to any exemptions, which may apply. Some of the information contained within the requested files has been made accessible to the public, however the majority remained closed because the information is exempt under sections 38 (1) (a) and 40 (2) (by virtue of section 40 (3A) personal data exemption) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. As exemptions apply, The National Archives cannot make these records available to the applicant or to the public in general.
The FOI process is not subject to Ministerial or Prime Ministerial approval. There is, however, an appeals process in which any application of FOI exemptions/closure can be re-reviewed.
Outside of the FOI process, individual government departments may allow discretionary access to their historic files, having first recalled them from The National Archives for the purposes of review, as permitted by the Public Records Act (1958).
The Government has consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering all the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.