Results 1-20 of 237 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Bill Etherington

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Bill Etherington: May I place on the record my appreciation to the Speaker for allowing this debate at rather short notice and for giving us a one-and-a-half-hour slot? That will give many of my colleagues the opportunity, should they so wish, to put forward their views. I am very pleased to see my hon. Friend the Minister in her place, because in many ways she is more responsible for the debate than I am. On...

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Bill Etherington: The hon. Gentleman has put that in a very attractive way. He is expressing an opinion. One of the reasons for the rise is that we have failed to control the system in a proper manner. I will explain later why that has happened. It is probably not widely known, but the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply to this particular industry. I shall call animal experimentation an industry...

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Bill Etherington: I agree with my hon. Friend, but all I can say is how long is a piece of string? Without the evidence, we do not know whether the 21 per cent. increase might have been a 60 per cent. or a 5 per cent. increase. We will only know that when we get the full information. We need to know why experiments are being carried out, what the results are and what conclusions are drawn from the results. We...

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Bill Etherington: I agree with my hon. Friend but, sadly, that is not likely to happen. All Governments seem to be reluctant to interfere and instead follow the status quo. Whenever someone suggests something radical, there is always a massive move against it. For every one good reason to change something, 10 good reasons are given to keep things as they are. My hon. Friend makes an attractive proposal, but it...

Petition — Planning and Development (Sutton): Northern Rock (4 Feb 2009) has video

Bill Etherington: This petition is one of many involving Northern Rock shareholders. The issue is almost becoming an omnibus; there have been several such petitions, and I have no doubt that there will be more. I have not always seen eye to eye with all the Northern Rock shareholders, and I want to make my position plain. They have been very critical of the Government, but I do not accept that they should be....

Petition — Health Care (Sunderland) (8 Dec 2008)

Bill Etherington: When a Member has 12,280 petitioners in their constituency, they do not have to be particularly wise to know that they have a lot of disenchanted, disappointed or angry people. What makes matters even worse is the fact that this particular petition is on the subject of the national health service, where the Government have done extremely good work, and that it revolves around the current...

Business of the House: HMS Tireless (12 Jun 2008) has video

Bill Etherington: It goes without saying that no one gets any joy out of speaking in such a harrowing debate as this one. I join my right hon. Friend the Minister in expressing condolences to both the families of the deceased. I have dealt with one of the families—that of the late Mr. Huntrod—and I would like to place on record my great appreciation of the courtesy and caring attitude of the...

Bill Presented: House of Lords Reform (6 Mar 2007)

Bill Etherington: It is a great pleasure to follow the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke). As we are always told, there are strange bedfellows in politics, and like him, I would like a 100 per cent. elected second Chamber. There is a certain irony in the situation that we are discussing. Let me place it on record that I believe that the present incumbents in the House of Lords do an...

Petition: Sunderland Hospitals (12 Dec 2006)

Bill Etherington: It gives me great pleasure to present this petition, as it gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to my constituent Mr. John Potter, who went to considerable trouble to obtain almost 5,000 signatures from people in my constituency and surrounding areas who use the Sunderland hospitals. The petition states: To the House of Commons: The petition of John Potter and other citizens of the United...

Domestic Heating Units (10 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: It is nice to have a second chance to speak this evening, Mr. Speaker. The petition is from my constituent, Mr. R. McQuillan. The petition states: The Petition of R. McQuillan and others, Declares that up to 4,000 council homes in Sunderland do not comply with warm air unit manufacturers instructions. The petition, which is signed by 67 people, then goes into great length to lay blame as to...

Orders of the Day — Animal Welfare Bill (10 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: It is a great pleasure and privilege to speak in this debate, which is one of the best that I have heard for quite a long time. The right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) was perhaps being diplomatic when she said that many members of the public do not put animal welfare high on their agenda of importance. She was perhaps too kind as, unfortunately, a large swathe of...

Petition — Asbestos (9 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: After first wishing you a happy new year, Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek your indulgence because I find myself in a very unusual position. I have brought forward this petition on behalf of my constituent, Mr. Ron McQuillan. I do not agree with the petition, but I would not in any way wish to prevent him from having his rights in this House, and in fairness I have brought it forward. It is...

Petition — Asbestos (9 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: I cannot really say any more, Mr. Speaker. I have never come across a situation where an MP has brought a petition that he does not agree with.

Petition — Asbestos (9 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: It is not about me, Mr. Speaker—that is one thing that is for certain. The petitioner, Mr. McQuillan, has had a long-running dispute with just about everyone in society about asbestos in his house. He has managed to get a few people to support him, and that is the basis of his petition.

Petition — Asbestos (9 Jan 2006)

Bill Etherington: It is in the Table Office.

Orders of the Day — Health Bill (29 Nov 2005)

Bill Etherington: This has been an interesting debate. There appear to be two diametrically opposed views. There are those who want smoking to be banned altogether in all enclosed public spaces such as public houses or working men's clubs, and there are those who say "Just let it go". I should like to think that the Secretary of State has got it right, although I am not sure whether that has come about for...

Orders of the Day — Health Bill (29 Nov 2005)

Bill Etherington: I thank my hon. Friend for that contribution, and I am pleased to be able to give her a detailed answer. I have travelled a lot on GNER services, and that company spent hundreds of thousands of pounds creating segregated smoking areas. The doors did work, and the smoking area was ventilated. Indeed, it was so well ventilated that people complained that it was too cold. All the air was sucked...

Orders of the Day — Health Bill (29 Nov 2005)

Bill Etherington: We all get to hear different views. Yes, the thing might have been accepted in Ireland, but many things are accepted, and that does not always mean that the situation is totally satisfactory. I do not think that it is very satisfactory if someone has to go outside to have a smoke. I do not like to see people huddling in shop and office doorways having a smoke. I would have thought that a...

Orders of the Day — Terrorism Bill (10 Nov 2005)

Bill Etherington: I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak today, because unfortunately I was not able to be present on the two previous days on which this matter was discussed, as I have been away on Council of Europe and Western European Union business. I listened carefully on Second Reading to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, and I thought that he made a pretty fair case for allowing the Bill...

Orders of the Day — Terrorism Bill (10 Nov 2005)

Bill Etherington: It is always a great pleasure to accept a correction from such a talented politician. I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman: that is why I referred specifically to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North. I too am very pleased that the detention period will be 28 days rather than 90—for it is fairly obvious that the Bill will be passed today, although I shall vote against it....