Results 1-20 of 4,077 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Gwyneth Dunwoody

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Ordnance Survey (1 Apr 2008) has video

Gwyneth Dunwoody: Is the Minister aware that Ordnance Survey is not only one of the oldest but one of the most efficient Government services? Other Departments depend on it, quite apart from local authorities and other institutions in need of accurate information. Will he urgently come up with an agreement that does not—as usual—lend some agency the extraordinary honour of a totally unworkable...

Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Heathrow Terminal 5 (31 Mar 2008) has video

Gwyneth Dunwoody: While I sympathise with Her Majesty's Government's efforts to get those two private companies to run their businesses efficiently, is it not true that in fact the United Kingdom's reputation suffers from such a major fiasco? Will the Minister press both BAA and BA to answer some simple questions? How much training was given to baggage handlers? What facilities were available for people to get...

Orders of the Day: European Union (Amendment) Bill (4 Mar 2008) has video

Gwyneth Dunwoody: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I may be getting very old and my hearing may be going as well as everything else, but did I actually hear the hon. Gentleman say that he was seeking to help the Chair? Is he instructing the Chair?

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport: Rail Capacity (4 Mar 2008) has video

Gwyneth Dunwoody: It is refreshing that the Government are prepared to spend so much money on extending capacity, but the reality is that the numbers of extra rolling stock and carriages are not high enough to deal with the problems in connection with the extra numbers of people wanting to use the system. We will have to take decisions rapidly about high-speed lines. Will the Minister not just accept that the...

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I shall speak very briefly. We should be quite clear about what is happening here. This legislation is being guillotined, not programmed. It is being cut short in a most brutal and unhelpful manner. Presumably, that is happening because we are frightened of debating in this Chamber every massive change to the way in which we organise our affairs. The House of Commons has always been jealous...

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: In view of the unequivocal views quoted by the hon. Gentleman, can he explain why his Front Benchers lay down and allowed the Government to run right over them, and why the Liberals, who made their pathetic little mewling noise last week, have nevertheless continued to co-operate with the Government, who are determined that we should not debate the legislation as opposed to some of the ideas?

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: Could I just explain that I was waving genteelly in the direction of the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois)?

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I am always impressed with the Minister's tact and charm. I have tabled an amendment for Wednesday, but as that is a busy day for some of us would he like to be really tactful and allow me to debate my amendment earlier?

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: May I upset my hon. Friend once more?

Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 8) (3 Mar 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I hope that my hon. Friend will make it clear that it was the Government who proposed the procedure; other people opposed it. The Government radically changed the way in which we are handling the Bill. That may be a good thing or a bad thing—in my view, it is an extraordinarily bad, selfish and rather unimaginative thing to do—but he should be proud of what he has done, because it...

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the measure is subject to a three-line Whip.

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I was astonished at the way in which the Minister introduced this order. Whichever way we look at it, the Department said in 2007 that it was going to look for reorganisation. It is important to understand what it was asking. It said of the bids for unitary status: "It is wholly at the discretion of a Council whether or not it responds to this invitation. The Government accepts that it is...

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: My hon. Friend chooses to ignore the majority of the ratepayers of Cheshire on the grounds that they are all Tories. He may take that view, but it is not reflected in the facts. Disaggregation of the county council's engineering services will duplicate activities and increase costs, and the waste problem will increase enormously—quite apart from the difficulty involved in dividing the...

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: Come now!

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: The Minister is being disingenuous, to say the least. Why is he not proud of the arrangement that he has made? Six district councils are involved. Why have we suddenly become the whipping boy and handmaiden of Chester? Why does he not say plainly that he and his Department proposed this in the first place and have constantly changed the goalposts to progress this very shoddy matter?

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: At the risk of upsetting the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton), may I draw the Minister's attention to the explanatory memorandum? Bearing in mind the fact that several changes have been made to the figures, it cites estimated annual savings of more than £16 million a year and transitional costs of approximately £25 million. Those figures were not in the...

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: I will try harder.

Orders of the Day: Local Government (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: It has not been published.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (LISBON TREATY) (No. 6): Treaty of Lisbon (No. 7) (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: He alleged that Angela Merkel had said "Of course, it could not be a Briton in charge."

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (LISBON TREATY) (No. 6): Treaty of Lisbon (No. 7) (26 Feb 2008)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: The interesting thing about the speech that the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) just made is that he highlighted an aspect of the discussion that is in danger of being lost. When people want to take over power, they do not just change the institutions and the voting patterns; they extend the work of those who are in control of the Secretariat and, over and above that, look for other...