Leaving the EU: Workers’ Rights

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 29th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I called the wrong Jim. No disrespect to the hon. Member for Strangford, but I should have called Jim Cunningham. [Laughter.] I say to the hon. Member for Strangford, you are a very great man, sir, but I was originally going to call Mr Cunningham. We will come to you; don’t worry. I am saving you up.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We now have a situation, under this Government, where we actually have the working poor. We all want to know what the Government’s intentions are regarding workers’ rights. All we have to look at is the Trade Union Bill that one of the Leader of the House’s colleagues tried to take through the House last year. What value or credibility can we give to any of the Government’s commitments on workers’ rights?

Prime Minister's Update

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 25th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Oh, don’t worry about me. I can more than hack it. We are a bit longer here than the Prime Minister and I were on the tennis court, but never mind.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

I am not going to trade insults with the Prime Minister tonight, because this is far too serious. Let me just advise him to read a book by Senator Fulbright called “The Arrogance of Power”.

More important, millions of jobs in the west midlands could become extinct if the Prime Minister cannot get a deal. The Prime Minister may say that we had a chance to vote for the previous deal. The only reason we could not vote for it was that there was no guarantee that funding for research and development, for the universities, and for companies such as Jaguar Land Rover would continue. Let me say to the Prime Minister, very seriously and in all sincerity, that he should go back and make every effort to secure a deal that we can all support.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 4th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I think we can agree that dexterity is a very important political quality.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

4. What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence in prisons.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 23rd May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Finally, and briefly, Mr Jim Cunningham.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

9. What recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on ensuring more effective prosecutions of cases of (a) rape and (b) other sexual offences where the victims are involved in criminal gangs.

British Steel

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 22nd May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

We have been here on two or three occasions, including with GKN and Bombardier, so one wonders where we are going, as the steel industry is vital to manufacturing in this country and, more importantly, to the defence industry. I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, but I can tell him that I worked at Rolls-Royce when it collapsed in 1971 and there is no worse situation an employee can find themselves in; that situation went on for weeks, until eventually the Heath Government had to semi-nationalise it. I have the feeling that you may be back here in a couple of weeks’ time if you cannot find a buyer, so you will really have to consider that. I hope you will consider that, because if you do not, you will be inflicting a lot of pain on a lot of good employees who work very hard. Once you have experienced something like that, you never forget it.

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman raises a very serious point, but I just gently observe that I will not find a buyer and I will not be giving any consideration to this matter whatsoever.

TV Licences for Over-75s

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 8th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham]

To come back to the point I made earlier, if you have given the responsibility to the BBC, why did you include it in your election manifesto? That is the nub of the issue. Can you clarify whether you are going to honour the manifesto commitment or leave it to the BBC to make the cut that you are avoiding?

[Mr Speaker]

That was very naughty of the hon. Gentleman. The word “you” is intruding with increasing frequency. I did not have a manifesto and I did not make a promise on this matter, but I think the hon. Gentleman was referring to the Minister, and I am happy to vest the responsibility where it lies.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 18th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jim Cunningham. Get in there, man! Your moment has arrived.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T4. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker; I did not quite hear you at first. In the west midlands, workers involved in the administration of universal credit recently voted to strike over an oppressive workplace culture and understaffing. Does the Minister believe that the roll-out of universal credit has been affected by understaffing, and is there an oppressive workplace culture coming from the top?

Knife Crime

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 4th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jim Cunningham.

[Mr Cunningham]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. You have been very tolerant. May I tell the Home Secretary that it was useful to meet the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service about a fortnight ago? I want to reinforce the points that my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Jack Dromey) made. We need more community police on the streets—there is no doubt about that—and they could do something about youth services, but 20,000-odd police officers have been cut over the past seven years, which is a very low base on which to build.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 20th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

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.

[Mr Cunningham]

I always do my best for all my constituents, Mr Speaker; I do not have any favourites. On fracking in the Blackpool area, there have been 47 minor earthquakes in that area and Cuadrilla has now ceased operations. Does that signal a change in Government policy?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 17th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

Some 53% of our exports rely on Europe. What are you doing to protect that market for us?

[Mr Speaker]

I am doing absolutely nothing on the matter.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 27th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T6. Further to the question about outsourcing, can the Minister—

[Mr Speaker]

We empathise with the hon. Gentleman. It is okay; maybe some lozenge will be provided, or some water. Please, let us hear the question.

[Mr Cunningham]

Can the Minister give us some examples?

[Mr Speaker]

Was that heard? I apologise to the hon. Gentleman, but I think we may have to ask someone else to ask his question for him.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 26th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The copious character of the briefing is in one sense very impressive, but unfortunately exceeds the time available for its delivery.

[Mr Cunningham]

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to a stalwart in Coventry who for many years helped the homeless. Mike Parker started the Coventry Open Christmas shelter in 1992 to provide warmth, food and shelter. His funeral was today. The shelter started as a one-night one-off and developed into a long-running campaign. It helps hundreds of homeless people in Coventry every year. Mike Parker helped to ensure that those who were lonely and hungry had somewhere warm and friendly to go. He will be sorely missed in Coventry.

Now for my question: will the Government look into ending the freeze on children’s benefits, lift the two-child limit on tax credit and fix universal credit to help to lift in-work households out of poverty?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 22nd March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) may never know—the Secretary of State might one day want his vote.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

What help has the Secretary of State’s Department given to Coventry to promote itself as city of culture?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 19th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Bim Afolami) has just been elevated by the Minister to membership of the Privy Council. That makes him the first of his intake, and he must be deeply grateful.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T3. I do not think the answer that the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation gave on the pensions dispute at universities was good enough. He cannot sit on the sidelines; he should be doing something to resolve the situation rather than going up and down the country giving lectures on behalf of the Conservative party.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 8th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am so glad that the right hon. Gentleman does not represent a migratory species, and I doubt that proposition would be the subject of a Division of the House.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T3. In the light of the Secretary of State’s warning to water companies to address public concerns on prices, is he aware of the nine water companies that are committed to the Keep Me Posted campaign to ensure that consumers have the right to choose paper bills and statements?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 29th June 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

As it happens, I must say to the Secretary of State that the specific statement is not referenced on the Order Paper at all. There is a reference to “Ministerial Statements (if any)”, and that is the extent of the information previously divulged, but we are always grateful for a bit of additional, which the right hon. Lady has just provided and we take note of the gravamen of her point.

[Mr Cunningham]

Given that the BBC was not responsible for welfare policy and that this was not part of the Conservative manifesto, will the Secretary of State tell us when the BBC did become responsible for social policy, particularly for welfare?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 17th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I was going to call the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham), but he does not seem to be standing—

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Go on, get in there man.

[Mr Cunningham]

15. What provisions has the Chancellor made for universities in this country after 2020? Will he match pound for pound the lack of EU money?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 8th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am sure we all remember Tony Benn’s adage that it is not about personalities but about the issues.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

12. Can manufacturing companies in my constituency, such as Jaguar Land Rover, have some clarity on whether the Secretary of State expects the UK to revert to the World Trade Organisation default tariffs after leaving the European Union? We need some answers.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 10th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

One wonders whether there is any limit to the talents of the Minister.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

What is the Minister doing to encourage negotiations between the DVSA and staff in relation to their dispute? There was a high turnout in the vote for industrial action. Will the Minister either refer the matter to ACAS or push the powers that be into negotiations?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 24th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Mr Graham Allen. Not here.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

European Council

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 27th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

If the hon. Gentleman was in the Chamber at the start of the statement, I will call him, but if he was not, I will not.

[Mr Cunningham]

indicated assent.

[Mr Speaker]

He was. I will very happily take his word.

[Mr Cunningham]

Is the Prime Minister prepared to compromise over the rebate, because so far he has made no statement to rule that out?

Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 20th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Cunningham]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The Minister is a legendarily diligent and conscientious fellow and among the most courteous of Members. He was on the path of virtue. He was led astray by the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman), albeit with his characteristic charm and insistence; but the Minister should not persist away from the path of virtue even if it is Members with decades of experience who are naughtily seeking to tempt him in that direction. We must now focus on amendment 1, as we are not having a Second Reading debate. Being the sort of dutiful, law-abiding fellow that the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham) is, I am sure his intervention will be entirely in order.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 3rd September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Eric Joyce. Not here.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

Q2. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 3 September.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 15th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Mr George Mudie. Not here.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

May I remind the Secretary of State that it takes seven years to train a doctor and most of the doctors he boasts about were trained under a Labour Government? What is he doing about the disparity between GPs surgeries and the service that they offer? Some months ago I made some visits in Coventry and I was amazed by the difference in the levels of service.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 25th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T5. The Government agreed to refund the Big Lottery Fund the £675 million taken for the Olympics. With the sales of the Olympic assets, is that still going ahead? How will the lottery be refunded if Olympic assets are leased instead of sold?

[Mr Speaker]

If the Minister heard that, I congratulate him on his hearing. The acoustics were not great.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 6th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

It is always useful to have a bit of additional information.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Thursday 30th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Cunningham]

I am sure the Minister knows about the dispute between Coventry city council and Coventry football club, since I and my colleagues have made representations to her Department in the past. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee report on football governance from July 2011 found the Football Association in need of urgent reform and called on the Government to introduce legislation if drastic changes were not made. In April 2013, the then sports Minister stated that he agreed with the Committee and that his officials had started working up a draft Bill. Where is the Bill? Let us have some action.

[Mr Speaker]

I think some of these matters could be usefully pursued through Adjournment debates, and will probably have to be.

Local Government Finance

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 18th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

I am sure that the mayor of Liverpool will want to talk to us and make his case during the consultation procedure. I met representatives of the core cities last year, and I am happy to meet any individuals. I must also point out to the hon. Gentleman that Liverpool gets one of the highest amounts of spending power per dwelling in the country and that, on top of that, it gets regional growth fund money, growing places fund money and a city deal, all of which are helping Liverpool to be the town that it should be.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

The Minister’s justifications for inflicting cuts on local government sound like something that we would expect to hear from the North Korean regime. When Ministers start talking about cutting back-room staff, we know right away that they have no answers. More importantly, Coventry will have to find between 15% and 20% cuts over the next three years. Translated one way, that means more than 1,000 jobs. Translated another way, it means that we would have to find £48 million.

[Mr Speaker]

I have to say politely to the hon. Gentleman that I have struggled to find the question mark at the end of his observation. Perhaps he was asking a rhetorical question. If the Minister wants to reply, he is welcome to do so, but he is under no obligation. No? Fair enough.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 16th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T2. Last time I asked the Secretary of State a question about the reserves, he said that he had a better track record than me as Secretary of State, although as I have never been Secretary of State I could not have a better track record in that regard. When and why did the Government’s policy change so that reductions to regular forces are no longer contingent on an uplift in reserves recruitment?

[Mr Speaker]

I do not wish to disappoint the hon. Gentleman or the Secretary of State, but frankly I have no recollection of that exchange, and I expect that my experience is widely shared in the House.

Helicopter Crash (Glasgow)

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 2nd December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Just before I call the hon. Gentleman, I simply mention that I have heard what has been said and I can see no difficulty whatever with the idea. It makes a great deal of sense and should be capable of being introduced without delay. My understanding from past precedent is that ordinarily such a book of condolence would be lodged in the Library, and that might suit Members. An alternative might be that it could be lodged in my office. If we are agreed on the principle, it is simply a case of facilitating it in practice, and I will attend to that.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Cunningham: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Cunningham]

On behalf of the people of Coventry, may I offer our condolences and support to the people of Glasgow? Coventry is no stranger to these situations, as we have seen from the war. More importantly, about 15 or 16 years ago, an aircraft came down on a Willenhall council estate and killed five people. Anybody who has experienced such an accident, particularly if they are an MP or a member of the public, will know that it is very traumatic and that it takes a long time to recover from, so the area needs all the help that it can get.

[Mr Carmichael]

I will, if I may, tie the hon. Gentleman’s comments to your own, Mr Speaker. It is apparent that this is a shared experience. Across the United Kingdom, there are communities that have suffered loss and grief from similar such incidents. I know from the conversations I had with police officers in Glasgow this morning that they have been contacted by officers from other parts of the country. It is clear that the incident affects the whole of the United Kingdom. It is not for me to suggest how the House authorities make such decisions, but as a Member of this House, I personally would be very pleased if they were prepared to proceed in such a way.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 23rd January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Jim Cunningham, not necessarily on the subject of work-outs, but on whatever appeals to him.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

May I ask the Minister whether employers can still take a pensions contributions holiday and, if so, how many?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Tuesday 8th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

May I encourage Ministers to face the House, so that we get the full force of their eloquence head-on?

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

T2. Has the Minister done an impact assessment on the effect of the legal aid reforms on women?

Building Schools for the Future

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Monday 14th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State tell us when he is going to make an announcement about a replacement for BSF for Coventry schools? A large number of our schools are dilapidated or have scaffolding around the buildings, and this situation cannot go on. I do not want him to blame the previous Government. You are in charge now. You put this question earlier: what did we do over the past 13 years? Well, we had 18 years of your previous Government when capital programmes were cut.

[Mr Speaker]

I am not in charge of anything other than the chairing of this session, but I look forward to what the Secretary of State has to say.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Jim Cunningham

Wednesday 13th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

If it was not heard, let us hear it.

[Mr Cunningham]

Will the Prime Minister retain the winter fuel allowance without any changes to the criteria used?