Results 1-20 of 2,853 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Simon Burns

Petitions: Equitable Life (West Chelmsford) (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Burns: I wish to present a petition to the House on behalf of Mr. Dudley St. John Holmes and a number of other constituents of mine. It relates to the residents of the constituency of West Chelmsford in the Essex region of the United Kingdom regarding the Government's response to the parliamentary ombudsman's reports on Equitable Life. The petition states: The Petition of residents of the...

Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill [ Lords]: Antisocial Behaviour (2 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Burns: Does the Minister agree that however important rehabilitation is, and it is important, there should, where it is justified, also be an element of punishment? Does he share my amazement at the fact that an 18-year-old who pleaded guilty to an offence in Chelmsford court last week and who asked the court to take into account 645 other offences, which involved stealing more than £1 million...

Nato: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: Although I fully appreciate that the Government are seeking to minimise any unnecessary restrictions on the right of peaceful protest, are the Government confident that by extending the ban to only 250 metres, that will allow proper and reasonable access to this building?

Nato: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: rose—

Nato: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

Electoral Register (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: The trouble is, though, that electoral registration officers in most areas will not know that someone is on the register who should not be unless someone tells them. There is a problem with that. For example, Members of Parliament are probably one of the groups of people who will be most likely to know, because of their dealings with those individuals and the UK Border Agency. However, given...

Electoral Register (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: I understand the point about balance, but that principle does not guide the Government's own social security benefit fraud hotline.

Electoral Register (20 Oct 2009)

Simon Burns: I am pleased to have the opportunity to raise the crucial issue of ensuring that the electoral register, which is one of the engines that drives our democracy, is accurate and honest and works in the way in which it was designed to work. There is a problem in the country with regard to the integrity of parts of the electoral register, partly caused through ill-information and by deliberate...

Clause 1 — Reports on implemenation of Law Commission proposals (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: My hon. Friend raises an important point, which, as he is aware, is the nub of the Bill. One thing that puzzles me about all this reporting and designation is that the Bill says throughout that it should be done by the Lord Chancellor. If a future Government—or this Government for that matter—were to abolish the position of Lord Chancellor, as Tony Blair sought to do three years...

Clause 1 — Reports on implemenation of Law Commission proposals (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: My hon. Friend makes an extremely powerful point. Given that, in this day and age, people rightly believe that there should be far more transparency within our Government and among our politicians, does he agree that it is incredible that his amendment is not already in the Bill?

Clause 3 — Limitation of actions (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: I feel that I have nothing to withdraw. I am sorry if my comments were not clear enough, but my concerns were about the amendments, not the Bill.

Clause 3 — Limitation of actions (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: I can understand in principle my hon. Friend's antipathy to the whole concept of retrospection. With regard to asbestos, however, a problem emerges. A constituent of mine is suffering from lung cancer as a result of asbestos in schools; it has been established that her working environment caused her medical complaint. If the Bill were to be enacted, she would presumably not be able to claim...

Clause 3 — Limitation of actions (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: I do not wish to detain the House for long, but I wanted to make one or two points on the amendments introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope). In principle, I have considerable sympathy with what my hon. Friend seeks to do. If his amendments were to be successful, they would remove the retrospective nature of the Bill. Like him, I have concerns about retrospective...

Clause 3 — Limitation of actions (16 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: I was not saying that my constituent's case had failed. The point I was making was that if the amendments were accepted and the Bill become an Act and if my constituent now wanted to pursue a claim, she would presumably not be able to because her existing medical condition is known and she has known about it for some time, whereas if someone discovered after the Bill was enacted that they had...

Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (13 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: What recent assessment he has made of the financial performance of the Mid Essex Hospital Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (13 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: How would the Minister respond if he were to receive a complaint from an ancillary worker or nurse at the Mid Essex Hospital Trust that the trust's financial performance over the past two years had been affected by the income garnered in staff car park fees? That income has risen from £90,000 to £250,000, and the effect is felt most especially by those members of staff who find it...

Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Topical Questions (13 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State has announced recently his policy aspiration to abolish car park charges in NHS hospitals for patients. He did not mention in his speech ancillary workers and nurses and doctors. Will that policy, if he ever has the possibility of bringing it in, apply to that group, and if not, why not?

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Class Sizes (Chelmsford) (12 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: In how many primary schools in Chelmsford there were over 30 pupils in a class on the latest date for which figures are available.

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Class Sizes (Chelmsford) (12 Oct 2009) has video

Simon Burns: What help will be given to schools which, as a result of financial difficulties and possibly going into deficit, are planning to make teachers redundant so as to cut costs, which could adversely affect the size of classes?

Opposition Day — [16th Allotted Day]: US-UK Extradition Treaty (15 Jul 2009)

Simon Burns: rose—