All 42 Debates between John Bercow and Claire Perry

Tue 23rd Apr 2019
Thu 24th May 2018
Marks & Spencer
Commons Chamber
(Urgent Question)
Mon 16th Oct 2017
Wed 26th Mar 2014
Thu 14th Feb 2013
Tue 15th Nov 2011

Climate Action and Extinction Rebellion

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 23rd April 2019

(4 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My right hon. Friend is right. As a newly appointed fellow of the Royal Geographical Society—I had to get that in there—he will know that we have some of the best climate modelling in the world. The problem we have is that the planet is an unbelievably complicated ecosystem. We are finding some feedback loops that we did not even realise about: for example, what happens to the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica could have a meaningful impact on our sea levels immediately. We have the best scientific evidence base we have ever had. The 1.5° report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was based on the best peer-reviewed science the world has ever seen. We have the message from our scientists; we must now continue to act.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Who is the newly appointed fellow of the Royal Geographical Society—the right hon. Lady or the right hon. Member for Wokingham (John Redwood)?

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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That would be me, Mr Speaker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Oh, many congratulations to the right hon. Lady.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I will let the usual channels work out the timetable, but the hon. Gentleman knows that I will talk about such issues all day. In fact, I am due to make another statement in a short period of time, so we can do all this again.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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And more. There is plenty of scope.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 19th March 2019

(5 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I hope that the hon. Gentleman’s thesis will be peer-reviewed.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I will attempt to do that, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman will know, of course, that all these technologies basically started off in the same place. Arguably, marine and tidal have received more innovation funding. They have not been able to demonstrate a cost reduction pathway commensurate with, for example, offshore wind, but he is right to say that we need to look at ways to try to bring these technologies forward and we will continue to do so.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 12th February 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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The hon. Gentleman, I am sure, shares my view that we should have the most efficient and well-invested energy system going forward that keeps costs down for consumers. He will also know that since privatisation—[Interruption.] Well, if he wants an answer perhaps he could stop shouting at me and listen. We have seen a large reduction in power outages and an increase in energy security. We have to make sure that the system is fit for the future because, as he knows, much of what happens in the future will not be creation of energy on the old coalfield sites and distribution down the transmission lines—there will be far more decentralised energy, and we continue to look forward to that development. [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The capacity or otherwise of a particular Minister to speak fluent Chinese is, at best, a secondary consideration in respect of this question, I say to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman), who is chuntering endlessly from a sedentary position.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 8th January 2019

(5 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I heard the news reports of this particular analysis, but I also heard that the analysis had been entirely discredited because it included student debt, which does not accrue to every household. If we were to strip that out, the rate of accrual—[Interruption.] Would the hon. Lady like to listen, rather than chunter? I will carry on. If we strip out student debt, which does not accrue to every household, we see that the growth of consumer credit has actually slowed. Once again, I am proud to stand here and represent the Government who finally did what the hon. Lady’s Government had 13 years and did not do—introduce a national minimum wage and ensure that it goes up well ahead of inflation. [Interruption.] A living wage.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Will Quince. [Interruption.] I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is delighted to have excited such a reaction, but I would like to hear what he has to say.

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Laura Pidcock Portrait Laura Pidcock
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Under her breath, the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth mentioned the living wage, but of course in practice there is no such thing. The Minister could correct the record in that it was indeed the Labour party that in 1998 introduced the minimum wage, which her party strongly opposed.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Sorry; I am blaming the excitement. Of course I am happy to correct the record. The hon. Lady is absolutely correct: the Labour party introduced the national minimum wage. It was quite clear that that was inadequate for many people on the lowest incomes, particularly women who were underpaid, which is why we introduced the national living wage—something I wish she would support.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Thank you. I am extremely grateful to the Minister.

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The hon. Lady has achieved her own salvation. It seems to me that she has used the device of an entirely bogus point of order to register a point that she probably would have wanted to register if she had been called to do so, but could not because she was not.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I was delighted to answer a question on this very point, because our negotiation team was, as always, excellent. I was also happy to accredit the hon. Lady; I do not know whether she managed to attend our superb stand and entire presence at Katowice. My door is always open to her, as an expert in this area, to discuss this. I do not think an oral statement will be necessary. Perhaps she and I could grab a cup of tea, as this is dry January, and have such a conversation.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Thank you.

Speaker’s Statement

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 19th December 2018

(5 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It is perfectly in order to offer that expression of opinion, and I say that on advice from the Clerk. I did not witness that exchange.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am not asking the Minister of State what she thinks he said; I am responding to the hon. Lady’s point of order. People are entitled to offer their own views within the rules of order, and to the best of my knowledge, nothing disorderly was said. I am happy to look at the record and consult further, but the advice I have received is that nothing disorderly was said.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 20th November 2018

(5 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My hon. Friend will know that the FIT scheme has been a huge success, supporting over 800,000 installations nationally, including almost 3,000 in his constituency. It has cost consumers over £4.5 billion to date and is scheduled to cost more than £2 billion a year for at least the next decade. It is therefore right that we consider a new scheme, as the cost has fallen. However, I do completely agree that solar power should not be provided to the grid for free, and that is why I will shortly be announcing the next steps for small-scale renewables.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Daniel Kawczynski. He is not here. Mr Richard Graham. Not here. I hope that neither of the Members concerned is indisposed. It is most unlike them not to be present, but they were informed of the grouping, I am sure, by the Government. [Interruption.] Okay—thank you. Well, never mind—they are not here and we cannot take them, but other Members are here, and we are delighted to see it. Mr David Hanson.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman, whose activities in coalition contributed to a boom in some of the cheapest forms of renewable energy, including offshore wind. We are now able to generate over 30% of our energy supply from renewables, which is much cheaper than putting it on individual rooftops. He raises a really important point. As our energy system migrates to a much more decentralised, much more intelligent system—helped, I might add, by the roll-out of smart meters—there is real value in that micro-generation, and that is what I am hoping to support when I bring proposals to the House shortly.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It is very heartwarming to see that the hon. Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham) has now beetled into the Chamber. I am sure that the House and an expectant nation wish to hear him.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I encourage the hon. Lady to move away from defining success as the amount of subsidy that renewable energy receives. In fact, thanks to incredible policy work and innovation by the suppliers, Scotland, like other areas, has benefited from a rapid decline in energy costs. We will continue to invest in clean growth—more than £2.5 billion over the course of this Parliament—and we will all benefit from those jobs and the renewable energy that those installations provide.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Before I call the shadow Minister, I know the House will want to join me in welcoming Speaker Elisabetta Casellati of the Italian Senate—a distinguished parliamentarian and the first female holder of that office. Madam Speaker, we wish you and your colleagues well on this visit and in all the important work that you do.

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Claire Perry Portrait The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)
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It is always a pleasure to answer a question from my mother-in-law’s MP. As he knows, we have always made it clear that any hydraulic fracturing that takes place under current licences must be consistent with our regulatory regime, including the traffic light system, which is the toughest in the world. The Preston New Road site is the most monitored site for seismic activity, and among the 36 events recorded, the 1.1 local magnitude event was the equivalent at the surface of a bag of flour being dropped to the floor.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I hope that the hon. Gentleman is looking after the Minister’s mother-in-law, because I have a feeling that he will hear about it if he is not.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My hon. Friend will know from the recent visit to Aberdeen that these conversations continue, as this is a vital sector. Let me pivot slightly by saying that in this Offshore Wind Week—that sector is equally vital to the Scottish economy—I wanted to announce to the House that we are in the final stages of concluding our offshore wind sector deal. It will include both £60 million for the contract for difference auction next spring and a series of substantial commitments from the operators in the sectors to increase the UK content that will be spent—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Dan Carden.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 16th October 2018

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My right hon. Friend is always seeking advice on how he can cut his energy bills. I am delighted to see that, particularly as it is Green GB Week. There are lots of opportunities on the website to see what more he could do. The price comparison websites are getting better. One of the challenges is that they do not always show consumers who are in receipt of a warm home discount whether they might lose that. That point was raised by the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves), who chairs the BEIS Committee, and we are working with it. We want that decision to be as transparent as possible. As somebody who has switched twice, both times using a price comparison website, I can tell my right hon. Friend that it is actually a much simpler process than it used to be.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I was rather hoping that the right hon. Gentleman would be minded to consult the meerkat.

Green GB Week and Clean Growth

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Monday 15th October 2018

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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If my right hon. Friend has a moment to go on to the fantastic Green GB Week website, he will find 10 things that he and local businesses in his constituency can do, ranging from test driving electric vehicles to upgrading heating controls and understanding where his pension is invested. If he wants to signal the importance of this transition, he should make sure that his investments are in a pension plan that is not investing in unsustainable businesses. There are many things he can do and I would love to hear back from him about which ones he does.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I trust that the right hon. Gentleman will be accessing the said website within a matter of minutes, if not indeed seconds.

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I feel rather excluded from this generous invitation.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I would enjoy the hon. Lady’s company. As I said this morning, I am not trying to sell cookery books. We are here to set out some sober and serious policies. She makes an important point and I know that many people have made it. I am also very mindful of the farming community. If people are eating meat, they should look for locally sourced meat that is raised to the highest ethical welfare standards. We should all have a healthy diet, because it reduces the burden overall. Perhaps she can bring me in a takeaway version of one her specialties at some point.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I think that that is an incredibly important challenge. How amazing it is that the economic opportunity created so many years ago by the removal of all the various minerals there can now give us the potential to decarbonise our heat and to generate more jobs in my hon. Friend’s beautiful constituency.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am extremely grateful to the Minister for her statement.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 12th June 2018

(5 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I say very gently that the Minister will want to focus on the policy of the Government. Her view about the policy of the Opposition is neither here nor there. With experience, I know the hon. Gentleman will realise that those questions are disorderly.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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The Government’s policy is to support a sector that employs 300,000 people and contributes £21 billion to the UK economy. We recognise that the vital oil and gas industry has an integral role to play as we transition to a low-carbon economy, which is why we are investing in technologies such as carbon capture, usage and storage, and exploring how things such as our world-leading submersible technologies can work to support oil and gas.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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The previous point still stands. We are incredibly proud of our industrial strategy, with its groundbreaking opportunities to link up government and businesses for the first time. I go back to the point on the hon. Lady’s questions about solar: the thing about offshore wind is that we lead—[Interruption.] Again, if they could all stop chuntering, Mr Speaker—God almighty. We lead the world in terms of the installed capacity, and we have created tens of thousands of jobs. I know the Opposition Front Benchers, as per the first question, do not give a stuff about jobs, let alone consumer bills, but the point is that—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Minister, please resume your seat. I am most grateful to you, but I am afraid dilation is not in order today. We have a lot to get through and not much time in which to do so. We have to make progress. We need short questions and short answers.

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Claire Perry Portrait The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)
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The last time I talked about dilation, I was in labour. However, in Kettering—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. What is required is a brief answer and a brief question—no dilation.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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In 2016, at least 150 GWh were generated in Kettering, mostly from renewables; this is enough generation to power 38,000 homes. In 2016, 405 GWh of electricity were consumed in the Kettering local authority area.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Partly because of the right hon. Gentleman’s great policy decisions, we have had a world-leading advance in offshore wind in terms of the cost at which we can deploy it. He is right to say that we have to consider the whole life cycle of technologies and that is exactly what we have been doing in considering tidal technology.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The right hon. Gentleman has been given the accolade of being the source of world leadership in a particular field. I trust, therefore, that he will be gratified with his efforts today.

Marks & Spencer

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 24th May 2018

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Claire Perry Portrait The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)
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I welcome the chance to address the House on this matter. I pay tribute to the hon. Lady for her chairmanship of the all-party group on textile and fashion, and I commiserate with her on the fact that one of the stores that will be closing is in her constituency.

Who among us is not touched by the hand of M&S? I counted up this morning, and I am in fact wearing three items of M&S clothing—I will not declare what they are. Indeed, my breakfast this morning entirely comprised items bought at the Gatwick M&S after a late-night flight. By the way, I defy anyone in the House not to say that they have at least one item of clothing in their wardrobe from that fine retailer. This is, however, a worrying time.

As the hon. Lady said, Marks & Spencer made an announcement on Tuesday about 14 of its UK stores. This is part of a well-advertised plan to reshape its estates and, essentially, to reshape its stores to compete, given the very big challenges of many online retailers in the country. Five of the stores will close this year or early next year, and all colleagues at those locations will be offered redeployment to other stores. Nine other stores have been proposed for closure, and Marks & Spencer has entered a period of consultation on the redeployment of staff in those stores. All of us will of course recognise that this is a worrying time for the over 600 staff members currently going through that process. I know that there will be concern among Members on both sides of the House about this issue. The Government—the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus—will of course stand by, should support be required, to work with the company.

There have been a number of announcements in the retail sector recently—negative and also positive in terms of job creation. We should all recognise the incredible contribution of this sector to the UK economy—it was almost £95 billion in 2016—and this Government’s ongoing support for the sector. We have announced measures worth more than £2 billion over the next five years to cut business rates, with a positive change to the indexation of business rates.

Only this March, the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths), set up the Retail Sector Council, which is determined to drive up this sector’s productivity and ensure that it is fit to face future challenges. Sitting on the sector council are retailers—large and small; online and offline; in town and out of town—and the unions are of course very much a part of that process. The object of the council is for the Government and industry to work together to drive up productivity, and also to secure our fantastic retail sector’s future health and direction. We are working together on the requirements to make sure that productivity and economic growth in this sector can continue for many years to come.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I must just say—I probably do not have to, but I will do so anyway—that I share the Minister’s enthusiasm for Marks & Spencer, which is a most admirable institution. What she said about almost every Member having an item or more from Marks is incontrovertible.

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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In relation to the first part of the hon. Gentleman’s inquiry I say simply this: so am I, and neither do I.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Perhaps there will be a competition at the end of these proceedings to judge who wears M&S best—I am declining all responsibility for that.

My hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) makes an important point. Companies such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and other major retailers have embraced this change and worked out how to be fit for the future. Sadly, in other companies—BHS, for example—the corporate management and the level of responsibility that were taken did not prepare the chain adequately for that change, meaning that many jobs were lost. Addressing that is partly the responsibility of the Retail Sector Council.

I appreciate that changes to jobs can be worrying for the more than 600 staff involved, but it is great that one of our iconic British retail chains is prepared to embrace the future, invest, and ensure that it can continue selling us the things that all of us—old and young—would like to buy. I will declare a final interest: I have about 12 Marks & Spencer jackets. They are the perfect combination of cheap and bright, meaning that I could catch your eye, Mr Speaker, when I was standing on the Back Benches.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Truly the Minister is a woman of the people.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Mr Speaker, you can tell by the vigorous debate on this point the importance of having local government and national Government—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. There are very unseemly exchanges between Scottish National party Members and Government Back Benchers. All should be united in wanting to listen to the reply from the Minister of State.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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This vigorous exchange points to the responsibility that we all bear—Westminster, national and local governments—for supporting our high streets and not using short-term measures, particularly tax-raising measures, that might further drive out the precious high street stores that we are all so interested in protecting.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My hon. Friend has made clear exactly why the industrial strategy—which, as I have said, sounds a bit “smokestacky”—is actually focused on industries such as retail and hospitality, in which we know we must increase productivity and in which so many hundreds of thousands of staff, many of them women, are employed. That is why the sector council was set up. It has existed for only six weeks, but it has already had several very productive sessions. Ultimately, this is why the move to local industrial strategies, working with local enterprise partnerships and devolved Administrations—[Interruption.] Goodness me. Members are very shouty across the Chamber today. We have already had a discussion about politeness.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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As I said a few moments ago, there is too much shouting between Conservative Back Benchers and members of the Scottish National party. The Minister must be heard. If Members want to squabble, they should not squabble when a Minister, a shadow Minister or anyone else is on his or her feet. Let us hear the answers.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will endeavour to be brief.

It is vital for us to develop the national industrial strategy and to make it local, ensuring that mayors, devolved Administrations, local councils and local enterprise partnerships are involved in these decisions.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 1st May 2018

(5 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Once again, I am amazed at the hon. Gentleman’s ability to turn one of the great success stories of this country—in fact, he wrote an article about this last week that was so poor that he did not even retweet it. The point is that we have—[Interruption.] If he stopped chuntering, perhaps he might learn something. He is most impolite. We have led the world in decarbonising our economy. As the hon. Gentleman knows, we were the first country to set up statutory carbon budgets, and we are on track to meet the first three, as well as to get close to the budgets, based on current policies and proposals, in 10 and 15 years’ time. He will also know that we are the first developed nation to have said that we want to understand how we will get to a zero-carbon economy in 2050, and my request to the committee—[Interruption.] He is doing it again, Mr Speaker; his mother would be horrified by this level of discourtesy. We were the first country in the world to ask how we will get to a decarbonised economy in 2050, and I would hope that we could enjoy cross-party support for something so vital.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I do not want to quibble with the Minister, but I do not think that the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner) ever indulges in anything quite so vulgar as sedentary chuntering. He is occasionally given to facial expressions, which are not prohibited by the Standing Orders of the House, and he has a penchant for what might be described as the feline purr.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Indeed I will. Not only are we leaders in offshore wind servicing, but there are huge opportunities to work with our world-leading oil and gas industries. We are good at installing, maintaining and servicing complex offshore installations.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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And now no chuntering or purring, but simply Gardiner oratory. I call Mr Barry Gardiner. [Interruption.] I thought the hon. Gentleman was coming in a second time. The House is deprived, but I am afraid that it will have to rest content with that situation.

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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It is always good to listen to the right hon. Gentleman on this point. We could debate the science, but the truth is that we and 57 other countries, states and cities around the world have committed to phase out coal, because it is the most polluting fossil fuel. We do not need it, because we have a big investment in renewables and we have clean gas as part of our energy mix, which we must maintain going forward.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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We are running late, but I am very keen to hear the voices of Harlow and of Washington and Sunderland West. We will begin with Harlow—I call Mr Robert Halfon.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 30th January 2018

(6 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I am always happy to engage with anyone who would like to further the cause of renewable energy in the UK, so I would be happy to do so.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Mary Creagh. Not here—where is she?

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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I think that my hon. Friend is inviting me, as a fellow south-west MP, to agree with him. Network costs vary regionally because of different costs in serving customers. Ofgem took more than £15 billion out of network costs in its last price control framework, and I look forward to introducing various measures such as the price cap Bill, which I shall be introducing shortly, that I hope will be supported by all Members of the House. We want to ensure that we have energy bills that consumers can afford and that we protect the most vulnerable in the process.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Short, single-sentence questions are now the order of the day, as will be brilliantly exemplified by the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron).

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 24th January 2018

(6 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I am told that Corby is a great place in England to buy an Irn-Bru and a pie. As we know, whisky is one of the UK’s greatest exports. Forty thousand people are employed in the industry, and the value of exports is more than £4 billion. It absolutely stands to benefit from post-Brexit trade opportunities. Both our industrial strategy and—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. This is rather discourteous. The Minister is giving us a detailed answer, which I think the House should hear.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I am sure whisky drinkers everywhere will be grateful for that intervention, Mr Speaker.

The industrial strategy sets out other opportunities with industries across the UK to grow their productivity, improve their exports and create high-value jobs. I am pleased to say we are working closely with the Scottish Government to implement the strategy.

Vauxhall (Redundancies)

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Monday 16th October 2017

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Claire Perry Portrait The Minister for Climate Change and Industry (Claire Perry)
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Just over 53 years ago, the first Vauxhall Viva rolled off the production line at Ellesmere Port. Since then, seven generations of Astra have been built at the port. Most recently, the plant secured the contract for the mark 7, primarily based on the productivity and co-operation of the local workforce. That is why it is particularly disappointing to hear that Vauxhall is considering voluntary redundancies of up to 400 staff at the Ellesmere Port plant.

As we said last week, this is a concerning time for families, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. I assure the hon. Gentleman and other right hon. and hon. Members that, once again, the Government are standing by to do all we can to support those affected. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is continuing to speak with the company, the unions and the wider supply chain and the Department for Work and Pensions is standing by to provide advice and support to those affected.

I will address three points. First, I will set out what is actually happening to try to reassure people who may be affected by the announcement today. Secondly, I will give some background to what I understand are the reasons for it happening. Thirdly, I will put the announcement in the broader context of the automotive industry.

Today, I have spoken to the head and deputy head of Cheshire West and Chester Council, the chief executive of the local enterprise partnership, the general secretary of Unite the union and the chief executive of Vauxhall UK. The consensus view is that this is due to a downturn in the sale cycle, particularly that of the Astra model, and the company is working through questions about the plant’s overall competitiveness.

I am told that workers at the plant have been informed. The statutory consultation period will now take place and no final decisions will or should be taken until it has been completed. The company is hopeful that reductions can be managed on a voluntary basis, and we will continue to work closely with it on its planning.

I was pleased to hear today from the leader and deputy leader of the local council that a redundancy action support plan, which has been used before, will be put in place and will involve the LEP, the council and the Department for Work and Pensions all working together. Given that many of the people working in the plant travel across the border from Wales to their jobs every day, it is particularly important to note that the Welsh Government have been involved and stand by, ready to support any activities.

Given how many skilled workers may be affected by the announcement, we are particularly keen, as we discussed last week, to ensure that those skills are not lost to the industry. I have asked that the Government’s talent retention scheme be deployed, if appropriate, and both the company and Unite the union have agreed that that would be helpful and will agree to work with us. As I have said, I understand that this is a particularly troubling time and we are all absolutely concerned to minimise worries, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

As I have said, I am told that this is happening because the C-segment class, in which the Astra vehicles sit, is not selling brilliantly across Europe and, in particular, the sales forecast for that model has not been as desired. Therefore, a decision has been taken to maintain the competitive position of the plant, and that announcement is being made today. The Secretary of State and I have consulted the company extensively on its future plans, both for the plant in Elsmere Port, particularly given its long and illustrious history, and for the company and its footprint in the UK.

That brings me to my third point about the broader context. As we have seen with many other companies, the technology in the auto sector is pivoting away from the traditional models, towards electric, potentially connected and autonomous vehicles. We are doing all we can to support manufacturers in that shift, and to position the UK as the leading place for those decisions and investments to be taken.

We have already delivered more than £500 million of public and private money through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. We will spend £1.25 billion of Government investment over the next five years to support that. The Faraday challenge is particularly important—we have invited all operators to contribute to it—and will help us ensure that we are the leaders in developing the electric battery technology of the future.

Of course, the auto industry has been an incredible success story. Thanks to the workers in the plants, we now have the highest productivity levels in Europe and sales of cars made in the UK are up 70% since 2009. It is a huge success story and we have generated many exports.

All of us in this House should think really hard about the message we are sending to those looking to invest in this industry in the UK—[Interruption]—and back the fact that we have highly productive plants and highly skilled workforces. Regardless of the changes that may happen in this sector, this is the place for auto companies to invest in the future. Perhaps Members who want to chunter otherwise should think about the messages we are sending to those investors.

Another important point—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am sure there are a lot of important points that could be made, but I gently say to the Minister that she has exceeded her allotted time by two and a half minutes. I think her other important point can either be neatly shoehorned into one of her, I hope, pithy replies, or it can be put in the Library, where in the long winter evenings that lie ahead colleagues will be free to consult the relevant material.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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No, the hon. Lady has finished for now. We will hear from her again, probably before very long, but what I am trying gently to say to her is that was taking too long. I call Rebecca Pow—[Interruption.] Order. It is so long since the start of the ministerial reply that I had forgotten that we have not yet heard from the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Justin Madders). We shall hear from him first.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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That was commendably within time, and a good example to other colleagues on both sides of the House.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I absolutely assure the hon. Gentleman that we stand ready to work with him and his colleagues, the local LEP, the local council and anyone else, including the unions, to make sure that we have a good outcome and also an investment outcome for the future. As he will know, there is a huge amount of cross-party consensus on our industrial strategy and our clean growth strategy. The resulting confidence is shown by the fact that over the past few months we have seen some very significant investment news from auto industries in Sunderland, in Burnaston in the east midlands, and in Oxford. There is a vote of confidence: let us make sure that it continues.

BAE Systems Military Air & Information Sites: Job Losses

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 10th October 2017

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I commend the hon. Gentleman and many of his colleagues for their absolutely resolute support both for the company and the sector. Of course I would be delighted to meet the taskforce, and I think we should extend the offer to the workers and unions affected. It is absolutely clear that we need maximum communication about the process, or to encourage the company to ensure maximum communication, particularly at this worrying time.

The hon. Gentleman is right to say that the Government have a vital part to play in banging the drum for British exports. I have mentioned the Qatar statement of intent, and clearly there are ongoing conversations with countries, such as Saudi Arabia, that have expressed an interest in this technology. There is an appetite around the world for this technology. For every unit that is sold, the whole provision—supply and maintenance—will have a measurable impact on the work available for the hon. Gentleman’s constituents and those of other Members.

The hon. Gentleman asked about the industrial strategy for this sector. We are very keen—we are already having conversations about this with the aerospace sector—on a bespoke sector deal. He will know that we have worked with the industry, on initiatives such as the technology for the future combat air system, to set out what we need to do both across this export-facing part of the business and right across the supply chain to ensure we have the right level of investment and skills.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the good doctor—Dr Julian Lewis.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 12th September 2017

(6 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Again, I refer back to the fact that politicians, led by the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues and with cross-party support, published in 2008 the world’s first legally binding plan to reduce emissions. We also led the world in the Paris agreement that out set long-term, binding targets for the rest of the world. He should be proud of what we have achieved in this House and should join us in spreading the word that the UK is a leader in clean growth. Given the results of yesterday’s auctions, there is no longer a trade-off to be made between the cost of energy production and clean growth. We can both decarbonise and grow the economy, and he should be jolly well proud of that.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The Minister clearly leads a joyous existence. We have again received evidence of that today, for which we are grateful. We will take one further question.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 6th July 2017

(6 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
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The Government proudly supported the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful to discriminate on a number of grounds, including pregnancy and maternity. We know from talking to employers that four out of five say that they want to do the right thing and support pregnant women and women returning to work after pregnancy. There are still far too many cases of discrimination and unlawful treatment and both Minister Margot James and I are absolutely determined to come down like a ton of bricks on employers who break the law and to make sure that women are completely aware of the rights that they enjoy. I am aware of the consultation to extend the time by which somebody can report to a tribunal—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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James Frith.

--- Later in debate ---
Mike Wood Portrait Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)
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The fact that some women are still discriminated against during pregnancy or maternity leave is both unacceptable and unlawful. Will the Minister assure the House that the Government not only take the problem extremely seriously but are looking at how laws can be better enforced to give the protection she promises?

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I am delighted to give those assurances.

My apologies, Mr Speaker—I shall continue to serve my apprenticeship.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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With considerable skill and charm, I am quite certain about that. I thank the Minister for what she has said.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 27th June 2017

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I think my hon. Friend is right. With policies to really accelerate the usage of electric vehicles, this is a critical thing. He will know that Ofgem has approved business plans for the local network companies, which already bake in billions of pounds of investment, to ensure that the expected demands on the grid can be met. But, equally, it is not just about raw investment in cables; it is actually about changing consumers’ behaviour to ensure they can charge their vehicles at a time that puts least demand on the grid and perhaps saves them money. I refer back to our plan and to the Bill, which will enable smart charging and help people to charge their vehicles at a time when it puts least demand on the network.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It all sounds very exciting, I must say.

--- Later in debate ---
John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I have been on the edge of my seat while listening to the hon. Lady, as has always been the case, but I think I am right in surmising that she was seeking to group Question 13 with Questions 15 and 19. So carried away was she with the excitement of her new responsibilities that I think she neglected to inform us of that.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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With your permission, Mr Speaker, I shall group Question 13 with Questions 15 and 19.

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Desmond Swayne Portrait Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
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The Minister spoke of peer-to-peer exchanges of energy. I have no idea what they are, but given the enthusiasm she has brought to her brief I believe that we all deserve a tutorial. Could that be arranged?

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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It would be a pleasure to educate my right hon. Friend. Let us think of it as a lot of hot air being generated by one particular point and being shared around many other data points. It is part of our future, Mr Speaker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am sure the hon. Lady’s ministerial peers in other countries—to whom I think she referred earlier—must have felt keenly conscious of their great privilege in meeting her.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 30th June 2016

(7 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Investment in rail services in Wales is now devolved to the Welsh Administration, so that funding is a matter for them. I am sure that, like me, the hon. Gentleman will welcome the fact that three of the winners of the competitions I mentioned were based in Wales, including the wonderful velorail bike visitor attraction, which involves cycling along disused railways on enormous great bicycles. There will be some tourism uplift from investments like those.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It sounds very exciting.

--- Later in debate ---
Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Unlike the hon. Lady, my focus is completely on the passengers. She accepted a large donation from the RMT before the last election, while members of the ASLEF union have just awarded themselves a 16% pay increase. They need to stop objecting to the introduction of new technology that will benefit her constituents and constituents right across the UK.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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And finally, Justin Madders.

--- Later in debate ---
Andy McDonald Portrait Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough) (Lab)
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As my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Peter Kyle) said, Southern rail passengers are suffering the worst delays in the country and its staff are locked into an increasingly bitter industrial dispute. All those who work or rely on this failing service deserve much better. Does the Minister not think that by ruling out the cancellation of the franchise and by winding down the operator of last resort, Directly Operated Railways, the Department has no plan B and has effectively forfeited the chance to place any meaningful pressure on the company to improve performance?

Claire Perry Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Claire Perry)
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The hon. Gentleman only needs to look at the share price performance of the owning group to see that considerable pressure is being put on the company by the markets, by customers and by my Department. In my view, changing the franchise would do nothing. Everybody has to work together. There is a highly experienced management team already in place. We have an investment programme that is coming to an end. The first major part of London Bridge will open this summer. I urge everyone involved, including the union bosses who are taking out their members on completely unjustified action, to sort this out for the benefit of the hard-pressed commuters, who just want to get to work and get home to their families.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Kevin Foster. Not here.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 28th April 2016

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It is good that the hon. Gentleman is doing more than just talking to himself about the matter. That is very encouraging.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend represents many thousands of travelling constituents, and he is assiduous in raising their concerns. I will, of course, meet him and look at what can be done to speed up that particular piece of work.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 10th March 2016

(8 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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We are clear in our franchising agreements that improvements to stations are absolutely part of those projects. The hon. Gentleman has benefited locally, with Virgin West Coast installation of automatic ticket machines at Coventry station. I was pleased to participate in the opening of the Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park stations, to which the Department contributed almost £5 million, the first stage of the vital Nuckle scheme. That scheme was 14 years on paper under Labour; delivered under this Government thanks to the amazing efforts of the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr Jones).

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Sounds very exciting indeed, I am bound to say.

--- Later in debate ---
Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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My hon. Friend is right that this is a vital link. The Government have contributed £10.4 million to the work. I understand that the business case will be considered by the combined authorities in April. If approved—I hope it is—the work will go ahead in June next year and be completed by May 2018. It would of course be a pleasure to meet my hon. Friend and his friends, if only to feed him some buns to keep up his weight during his marathon training.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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It is always useful to have a bit of additional information. I feel sure that the House is very appreciative, not least the hon. Gentleman.

Crossrail: Elizabeth Line

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 23rd February 2016

(8 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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The hon. Gentleman has long been a doughty campaigner for improved rail services for his constituents. I hope that he received a letter from me just a few weeks ago, which said that I hope to make a decision shortly about the long-awaited capacity increases, because I know that he is very concerned about the crowding on those trains. I hope to have good news on that very shortly, but, as he knows, my door is always open.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am sure that if the hon. Gentleman received the Minister’s letter, his happiness would be as unalloyed as hers obviously is today. We are extremely grateful to her.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 10th December 2015

(8 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Barry Sheerman Portrait Mr Sheerman
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A bit like many Members of Parliament, when I am here in London and the south-east, I use Southern rail, and I will be very pleased if it is to be improved. None of us begrudges that investment, but we do put it into perspective, which is that we are not getting enough infrastructure investment in the north, linking the big towns and cities. It must be north first and south second.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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The hon. Gentleman is a good friend, and I would hate to suggest that he was snoozing yesterday rather than watching the news, because we announced a transformational package for railways in the north. Let me tell him what is happening in Huddersfield: new TransPennine trains; new services between major cities; three new stations; 500 new carriages across the network; an end to those hated Pacers forever; and on-board improvements for passengers. He might shake his head, but it will happen. He can say bye-bye to the Pacers from 2019. This Government are absolutely determined that the northern powerhouse comes to life based on transport investment, and I am so proud that we are the Government who are delivering.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am still seeking that laser-like precision. I turn now to the hon. Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers).

--- Later in debate ---
Claire Perry Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Claire Perry)
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My hon. Friend is right. Stansted airport, along with local MPs, lobbied hard to get that early morning service from Liverpool Street, which stopped people having to sleep at the airport to catch early flights. I will happily discuss this with him and we can have a conversation with CrossCountry.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Catherine West. Not here.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 5th March 2015

(9 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am not sure that what the hon. Gentleman said is as closely related to the terms of the question as he would have wanted, but the Minister is a dexterous character.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I did not see the information because I was on the phone to the chief executive of Network Rail. A budget is a budget. Unlike the hon. Gentleman’s Government, this Government have a track record of bringing in major infrastructure projects such as the Olympics on budget and on time.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 22nd January 2015

(9 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Yes, of course.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
- Hansard - -

I call Mr Simon Burns. [Interruption.] Mr Burns! [Laughter.]

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 23rd October 2014

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Heidi Alexander Portrait Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East) (Lab)
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Ministers will know that the growth in rail usage in recent years is unevenly distributed across the regions. London has seen the highest growth and the most journeys, which has a knock-on impact in the form of overcrowded trains. What percentage of national investment in rolling stock and infrastructure will go into London commuter services over the next decade?

Claire Perry Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Claire Perry)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I do not have those numbers directly to hand, but I am sure the hon. Lady will be reassured to know that under this Government the overall transport infrastructure spend outside London is higher than it was under the last Labour Government. I shall instruct my officials to see whether we can get the data on rolling stock, but I am sure that she, like me, will welcome the fact that the £40 billion we are spending across the country is benefiting all parts of the country. If I could just—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I want to hear from the hon. Member for Fylde (Mark Menzies).

Willenhall Crown Post Office

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 26th March 2014

(10 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Before I put the Question on the Adjournment, the hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) has a point of order relating to the Division at 3.23 pm, in respect of which she was a Teller.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As one of the Tellers on the motion on the charter for budget responsibility earlier today, I have to report that the correct number of Noes was 23, not 22 as called—mea culpa.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am extremely grateful to the hon. Lady for that helpful point of order, as will be the House.

Question put and agreed to.

Point of Order

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 14th February 2013

(11 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This morning, I had the great pleasure of appearing on a radio programme with the hon. Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn) to discuss the fact that his book is the most borrowed publication in the House of Commons Library. In preparing for that programme, I was minded to go back around the Library and it made me realise what an extraordinarily fantastically great asset we have in the Library and the Library staff. I would be grateful for your advice on how we as MPs might express our appreciation for the staff and management, who, I suspect, are not thanked often enough.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her point of order and my answer to her is twofold. First, she has already done so most eloquently on behalf of Members in all parts of the House. Secondly, she will be no stranger to the mechanism of an early-day motion. If she feels moved on the back of her point of order and the warm reception of it to table such a motion, she might well find a significant number of signatories. I note in passing that I, too, am familiar with the book entitled, “How to be a Backbencher”, penned by the hon. Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn), and it is a much-thumbed tome in the Bercow household.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 12th June 2012

(11 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
- Hansard - -

Order. Let us just have a quick question and then we will move on.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Will the Secretary of State help by telling me how we can communicate out this example so that other MPs can repeat this valuable exercise?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 18th April 2012

(11 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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Today, a group of MPs—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Hon. Members should not be yelling at the hon. Lady. It is very discourteous. I want to hear what she has to say.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Perhaps Members should listen before yelling. Today, a cross-party group of MPs from across the political spectrum published a report into a matter that is incredibly important to many of us: how we can keep our children safe online. We think that internet service providers should do more and that the Government should deliver a strong lead on this issue. Will the Prime Minister undertake to at least read the summary of the report—I know that he is busy—and perhaps to meet us to discuss our recommendations?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 9th February 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) has a topical question, so the time when we will hear from her will not be long delayed.

Welfare Reform Bill

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 1st February 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. That is not acceptable. The hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) should not shout across the Chamber, “My grandfather lived in a council house, you twit.” She should apologise. Frankly, she and other Members need to calm down. There is a decorum to this place. I know the hon. Lady. She would not behave like that across the dinner table, and she will not behave like that in this Chamber. That is the end of it. I hope we have an apology.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I apologise profusely, Mr Speaker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
- Hansard - -

Thank you. I call Sir Bob Russell.

Border Control Scheme

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 15th November 2011

(12 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

As somebody who has spent their fair share of time with wailing infants in long immigration queues, I think that families across the country would welcome a more rational, risk-based approach to delivering results with scarce resources. Does the Minister agree that the fake outrage from the Labour party sits badly with its track record of 2.2 million people coming to this country, half a million asylum seeker claims and an open border—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
- Hansard - -

Order. We are grateful to the hon. Lady for getting her views on the record. Unfortunately for her, the Minister is not responsible for the record of the previous Government.

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 13th October 2011

(12 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. As usual, a great many right hon. and hon. Members are seeking to catch my eye. I remind the House that there is a statement by the Foreign Secretary to follow, as well as a series of heavily subscribed debates to take place under the auspices of the Backbench Business Committee. As a consequence, we need—from Back and Front Benches alike—brevity.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The whole House is waiting with bated breath to hear details of a written statement later today on improved transitional arrangements relating to changes in the women’s state pension age. Government Members have fought very hard for that. Will the Leader of the House please give us some details of what he is expecting?

Public Confidence in the Media and Police

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 20th July 2011

(12 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Today is the anniversary of the moon landing—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The hon. Lady must be heard. I do not why people are saying “Ooh” when I call the hon. Member for Devizes. It is an extraordinary choice of response. I want to hear the hon. Lady.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I agree, Mr Speaker. Today, people will know, is the anniversary of the moon landing, around which conspiracy theorists like to cluster. May I urge the Prime Minister, rather than listening to the vapid conspiracy hackgate theorists, to focus on the facts? What is he doing to toughen up the rules around the use of Chequers, to ensure that it is never used for slumber parties for media tycoons again?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 10th May 2011

(12 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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May I return to the topic of VAT on fuel? I have just come from a business session in my constituency of Devizes, where I know that despite the decrease, high fuel prices continue to be a real drag on growth for small businesses across the economy. I have a letter from the EU commissioner saying that the recent motion we debated—that a derogation should be made specifically for motoring fuel—is almost certainly illegal and definitely unworkable under EU legislation. May I ask Ministers what proposals we can suggest to help motorists in the real world now that the Labour party’s suggestion has been revealed as yet another—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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We are grateful to the hon. Lady.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 22nd March 2011

(13 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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Is the Minister aware of my freedom of information request from last September which found that the previous Government never carried out an equalities impact assessment—not in the March Budget, the December pre-Budget report or the March 2010 Budget? They never did it either.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am sorry but I must repeat, and I hope that the message will be heeded, that questions must be about the policy of the current Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 24th November 2010

(13 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Far too many private conversations are taking place in the Chamber. This is very discourteous and it should end.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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7. What recent progress he has made on his proposals for reform of the civil service compensation scheme.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Tuesday 9th November 2010

(13 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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My constituency is home to many refugees from Zimbabwe, including 80-year-old Peter Seymour-Smith, who fled the country when his land and business were confiscated. He has said that he would go back if free and fair elections were held, which President Mugabe has intimated might be a possibility. What steps would the ministerial team take to ensure that if the elections were held, we would not see a repeat of 2008’s shameful practices and vote-rigging?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am grateful to the hon. Lady. I hope that she will now take a breath.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 21st July 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Claire Perry. [Interruption.] Order. I want to hear Claire Perry.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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On the issue of progress, will the Deputy Prime Minister—

--- Later in debate ---
Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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rose— [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The House really must start to behave itself. We have made slow progress—[Interruption.] Order. That progress must get faster from now on, with short questions and short answers. I call Claire Perry.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. Third time lucky.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister tell us what the coalition Government have done in 10 short weeks to preserve the civil liberties of the British people—liberties that have been so cruelly eroded by the Labour party over the past 13 years?

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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I agree with my hon. Friend. The authoritarian record of the Labour Government is one of the most dismal records in modern British history, featuring the illegal invasion of Iraq, the turning of our prisons into overcrowded colleges of crime, the decimation of our civil liberties, the invasion of our privacy, and the roll-out of a surveillance state without any checks or balances; and look at what we have managed—

Schools Funding

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Wednesday 7th July 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
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Will the Secretary of State confirm that the other piece of important factual information he presented on Monday, the expansion of the Teach First programme, is in fact accurate, and that the numbers were presented—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am sorry; I respect the hon. Lady’s enthusiasm, but the short answer is that the Secretary of State cannot go into that, because it is way beyond the terms of the statement today. If I know the hon. Lady, she will save it up for another day, and we look forward to hearing it on a subsequent occasion.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Claire Perry
Thursday 10th June 2010

(13 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Will the Minister confirm that the plans we set out in our manifesto to make the funding formula more transparent—[Interruption.] Excuse me—I would like Opposition Members to listen. [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The hon. Lady is entitled to be heard, and I want to hear her.

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will start again.

Will the Minister confirm that the plans to make the funding formula more transparent and independently audited are still intact? That is a matter of great concern in my constituency of Devizes and all the Wiltshire constituencies, because we receive the lowest amount of funding from central Government of any unitary authority.