Wrightbus (Ballymena)

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Monday 30th September 2019

(4 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

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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I do not think it would be appropriate for me to make bus-buying recommendations, but I say again that the technology of Wrightbus and the energy at Wrightbus mean that there is a good future for it if we can get a successful buyer.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Whether that is because the right hon. Gentleman does not judge himself to be a particular authority on bus-buying or because he regards reference to the matter as beneath the dignity of his undoubtedly high office—whichever it is—he has made his choice.

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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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I thank my hon. Friend for his question and for all his work as a Transport Minister. The civil service in Northern Ireland is working very hard, Invest NI is working very hard and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working very hard, as is the local MP, and they will continue to do that over the coming days and weeks.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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We daily learn more and more about the daring and distinguished exploits of the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Andrew Jones). I have regularly informed the House and those observing our proceedings that, when serving as Under-Secretary of State for buses, he was given to traveling to work by bus, to the obvious delight of his fellow passengers. What I did not know was that he was also in the business of driving buses. Is there any limit to the talents of the hon. Gentleman?

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 Section 3(2)

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Monday 9th September 2019

(4 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Let me thank the Secretary of State for his very gracious personal remarks, which mean a great deal to me.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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The victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland have shown incredible courage and dignity through their engagement with the Hart inquiry and throughout their campaign for redress. I know that colleagues, as has been shown in the interventions I have just taken, will join me today in restating our collective determination to see progress made in delivering redress to those victims as soon as possible.

On 23 August, I had the honour of meeting representatives from the victims’ and survivors’ groups. These people’s lives have been blighted by unforgivable, horrendous acts, yet they have continued to engage patiently and respectfully with politicians and the legislative process. We can ask no more of victims. We can ask no more of the Hart inquiry. The inquiry has been undertaken. Officials have prepared the policy. The lawyers have prepared the draft law, and I have asked that this be included in the Queen’s Speech as a matter of urgent priority.

Northern Ireland

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 5th September 2019

(4 years, 6 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

Owen Paterson Portrait Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire) (Con)
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Everyone in the House supports the Belfast agreement, and everyone in the House would like to see the institutions up and running again, but we cannot bludgeon one party into co-operating, and in the meantime outcomes are deteriorating for our fellow citizens. The Bengoa report was published in October 2016. While he is looking at this, will the Secretary of State also consider what powers he could take to benefit every citizen in Northern Ireland?

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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I know from visiting hospitals and schools that my hon. Friend is absolutely right. For too long, public servants have been having to make decisions that should have been made by politicians. I must be frank with the House. The powers that I have—the powers that are available for decision making—are extremely limited, and that is why it is a priority for us to get Stormont up and running.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Lady Hermon: a single sentence, I think.

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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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We have to focus on getting a deal for Northern Ireland. That is my priority in supporting the Prime Minister, and that is his priority. Let us get Stormont up and running. That will solve many of the issues that we are concerned about today.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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My apologies to the right hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire). If I had seen him earlier, I would have called him earlier, but it is a pleasure to call him now.

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Does the Secretary of State wish to respond?

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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indicated dissent.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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He does not wish to respond. Okay. The point of order has been heard. It is not a matter for adjudication by the Chair, but I want to say to the Secretary of State that the concern that has been expressed on this matter on both sides of the House, including by a number of former Northern Ireland Secretaries, will have registered very firmly with the right hon. Gentleman, and more must be heard about this matter ere long. We need to be absolutely crystal clear on that point. Nothing can get in the way of the provision of proper information to the House on this matter, as the Chair of the Select Committee and many others have emphasised. No one should think that that can be averted. It cannot be, and it will not be.

European Union (Withdrawal) Act

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 10th January 2019

(5 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I will respond, but as the Chief Whip is signalling an interest in contributing, I am happy to hear the right hon. Gentleman.

Julian Smith Portrait The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Julian Smith)
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Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Just to confirm, no decision has been made along the lines of what the right hon. Lady has said. The Government will do everything they can to ensure that the House is fully consulted in every eventuality next week, and the information that she has is not correct.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am happy to respond to the point of order from the right hon. Lady, and I thank her for giving me notice of it. She has kindly shown me the press report to which she refers, but she knows that I have not yet had the opportunity to study it carefully. Moreover, it is not our normal practice to respond to any and every press report based upon a briefing from someone who perhaps thinks that he or she knows what the procedures are in this place but does not always fully do so.

It is true to say that the default position under Standing Order No. 16(1) is that debates pursuant to an Act of Parliament must be concluded after 90 minutes, flowing from which there tends to be a practical restriction on amendments because the time has lapsed, and therefore only one amendment in such a hypothetical situation would be taken. However, it is also true to say that such provision is often disapplied by an Order of the House.

I must emphasise that all of this is hypothetical at this stage, and I do not think it would be helpful to speculate on what may happen subsequent to the decision of the House next Tuesday. I can, however, confirm that the right hon. Lady is quite correct in saying that it is perfectly open to the Government, if such a situation were to arise, to provide for a much fuller debate. In those circumstances, there would predictably be a significant number of colleagues who would want to put their own propositions on the paper. I am extremely confident that if that hypothetical scenario were to arise, colleagues would assert themselves.

European Council

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Monday 27th October 2014

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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There was huge support across the Yorkshire dales for the Prime Minister’s strong position in the Brussels meeting. Can he clarify whether he got any messages of support for that position from the Leader of the Opposition and whether there was any clarity on whether Labour would pay this sum?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I think the questions really ought to focus on the policy of the Government and not be a kind of back-door way of trying to talk about Opposition policies. It is improper, and unfortunately it was not very subtly disguised.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 20th March 2014

(10 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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It will be not just mountain rescue but cave rescue organisations in Grassington and Clapham in my constituency that benefit. The Transport Secretary has been on his bike in Skipton and Ripon. Will he now commit to coming down a cave with me in the near future?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The hon. Gentleman poses a very serious challenge to even the most vivid imagination in the House.

Parliamentary Representation

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 27th February 2014

(10 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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I apologise. The shadow Secretary of State sought to over-politicise the debate and was quite aggressive in debating issues that are important for the House.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his attempted point of order. I do not say this in any disobliging sense, but his attempted point of order has much in common with the vast majority of attempted points of order—namely, that it was an attempted point of order, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Nothing disorderly has taken place, but the hon. Gentleman with his usual eloquence and alacrity has registered his point, and it is on the record.

I call Tessa Munt to present a petition. Not here.

Commonwealth Meeting and the Philippines

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Monday 18th November 2013

(10 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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Does the Prime Minister agree that the Leader of the Opposition’s cynical approach to his excellent trip to Sri Lanka contrasts starkly with the incredible—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I have tried to be generous. We have heard the point. The Prime Minister has made his point of view very clear. We do not need to rehearse the position of the Leader of the Opposition. The hon. Gentleman needs to be a bit more delphic and perhaps a little less clumsy.

Points of Order

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Tuesday 5th November 2013

(10 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Guardian newspaper has constantly denied sending details of UK intelligence agents overseas, particularly to The New York Times, and yet, this weekend, The New York Times published highly specific information regarding UK intelligence teams operating in the middle east. Is it in order, Mr Speaker, for a national newspaper constantly to refuse to answer questions from the House and to threaten the security of our constituents in that way?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman both for the fact of his point of order and for notice of his intention to raise it with me. However, the issue he has raised, though of seminal importance, is not an issue of procedure with which the Chair can deal. The hon. Gentleman is drawing attention to what he believes to be, and what I think I can probably best describe as, an equivocation by The Guardian. That is a matter he must pursue by other means. I know that he has already led a well attended debate on the subject in Westminster Hall. He may well wish to try to continue that debate by other means. He is well aware of the location of the Table Office in the House, and he is a dextrous user of parliamentary procedure. We will leave it there for today.

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Wednesday 17th October 2012

(11 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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We are hearing a load of bluster and rubbish from Opposition Members. This is a balanced measure that puts a bit more power in the hands of those who will create new jobs in this country. The shadow Minister was an employment lawyer; every member of the Opposition Front-Bench team was a business owner. They are being hypocrites about the clause.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The hon. Gentleman must withdraw his use of the word “hypocrites” in relation to Members of the House. Perhaps he will be good enough to withdraw the remark and apologise.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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I do withdraw it and apologise, Mr Speaker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Thank you. I am grateful.

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 12th January 2012

(12 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. There is extreme pressure on time, as I mentioned earlier, and the level of interest in the first of the two Backbench Business Committee debates has necessitated the imposition of a very tight time limit. I am happy to take remaining colleagues on the explicit condition that we have single-sentence questions, led by Mr Julian Smith.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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May we have a debate to support Ofcom’s excellent decision this morning to extend the coverage obligations on the spectrum auction for 4G from 95% to 98%, which will make a massive difference to rural areas in Britain?

Business of the House

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Thursday 22nd July 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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Hill farmers in Skipton and Ripon and across England are facing a bureaucratic nightmare as a result of the transition from the hill farm allowance to the uplands entry level scheme. Will my right hon. Friend advise me about the best route to represent their interests at this critical time?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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That was a request for a debate, I am sure.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Wednesday 14th July 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. An enormous number of private conversations are taking place in the Chamber, and it is not only unseemly, but unfair on the Member asking the question and on the Minister to whose reply we all wish to listen.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith
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North Yorkshire county council has four fantastic outdoor education centres, including Bewerley park in Nidderdale in my constituency. I suspect that my right hon. Friend does not have time for potholing, but would he come and meet me so that I can show him how those four centres could deliver on the national citizens programme?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Julian Smith
Monday 12th July 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I want to help the House. I appreciate the enormous interest in the subject of BSF in Ilkley and Bingley—conceivably also elsewhere—and there will be opportunities, if Members look, to raise these matters later.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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3. How many expressions of interest in academy status have been received from schools in (a) Skipton and Ripon constituency and (b) North Yorkshire.