Results 1-20 of 8,428 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 Hughes

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address — [1st Day] (18 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: Despite our difference of view on this matter, does the right hon. and learned Gentleman accept that the flaw in his argument is that when he was born more than 90 per cent. of the country voted either Labour or Conservative, whereas nowadays only about two thirds of the country vote for his party or the Labour party, and Governments are sometimes elected with only 22 or 23 per cent. of the...

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address — [1st Day] (18 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the Labour party has failed abysmally to reform the second Chamber, which is the largest entirely unelected second Chamber in Europe, if not the world? Rather than a draft Bill to tinker with it, if the Government really wanted to be seen as reformers, they ought to get rid of the hereditary principle and have an elected Chamber on the statute book...

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address — [1st Day] (18 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: There were, of course, some good measures in the Queen's Speech, but there was not a single word about housing. May I ask the Prime Minister why, after 10 years during which wages have risen by a third and house prices by 150 per cent., and when the number of people waiting for social housing is higher than it has been in any decade since the 1940s, there was nothing to show the sort of the...

South London Line (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: I hope that the Minister will mention the fundamental benefit of having direct access between the parts of London where King's and Maudsley hospitals are based and Guy's hospital campus.

South London Line (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: I am grateful to Mr. Speaker for having chosen this debate for this afternoon. I am conscious that, in comparison with the subject of the last debate, this issue might be regarded as parochial. I accept that it is not in the same league as ending the nuclear arms race, but for people who live and work in or visit this great capital city of ours, the future of the South London line is very...

South London Line (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: I absolutely agree; that has certainly been the case. My constituency has many roads that have railway lines going over them, and in the old days, there were many more local stations. This morning at the Armistice day service in Bermondsey, someone who had heard that I would be having this debate asked me, "Are you also campaigning to make sure that the Spa Road station is reopened?" There...

South London Line (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: The hon. Gentleman and I share a common interest in ensuring that that really good idea is taken through to completion, and I endorse his intervention completely. Our fourth battle was over the Thameslink line, but that was another example of the interests of the locals being bluntly overridden in the end. The options were whether the Thameslink service, which in itself is a good...

South London Line (11 Nov 2009)

Simon Hughes: The hon. Gentleman makes an absolutely clear point. The options study is now on the table. People have accepted that we need to consider the options. There is equivocation about whether we should accept that we cannot get trains all the way around the loop to London Bridge. We need to be absolutely clear that we start with a service that keeps the line running all the way around the loop, for...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Topical Questions (10 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: I have a constituent who has been released on life licence and has been homeless for six years. Can Ministers reassure me that there is proper co-ordination between their Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government, so that housing previous offenders is seen as a social priority for everybody?

Olympics: Energy National Policy Statements (9 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, but can he tell us why the press were clearly briefed on Friday, contrary to Mr. Speaker's ruling, and why the statements were supplied to our Whips Office only about 18 minutes before the statement was given in the House? Although the Liberal Democrats have, as the Secretary of State would expect, consistently supported, and continue to...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: Does the hon. Lady therefore agree that it would have been helpful, first, if the Department for Transport had signed up to the 10:10 campaign, as the Department for Energy and Climate Change has, and committed itself to achieving those objectives; and, secondly, if the Government had not opposed the proposal two weeks ago?

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: rose—

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: I shall start where the right hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) finished and express our thanks to the Secretary of State. I wish him all the best, and I wish to strengthen his resolve. Indeed, I hope that today encourages him, the Prime Minister and the Government, because those in power today have a responsibility that may not fall to the next Government, and now is the time to make...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: I agree. That is why I take the general approach that the Secretary of State said that he would apply: the precautionary principle. This is not an area where we can risk not taking the action because in the end things might not work out as badly. We have to presume that the accelerating changes will go on accelerating as they have been. My hon. Friend is right: we have to act on the basis of...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: Absolutely. The general public at home will not register if we talk about percentage reductions in emissions by certain dates in the future—2050 for young people. They understand it when we get that report about coral reefs, see the fantastically effective pictures of the Maldivian Cabinet meeting underwater when they said, "Look, this will soon be our country if we go on as we are", or...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: Absolutely, and there is an awareness that those are two huge sectors of international activity that people will need to come to agreement on. I am setting out the context in which they need to deliver. Thirdly, may I ask Ministers to be absolutely clear whether any commitments made so far by the UK, such as when the Prime Minister shared the announcement in Brussels the other day, have been...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: Does the Secretary of State agree that there is other clear evidence to support the case for following the precautionary principle? Last year, 20 million people around the world were displaced by climate-related disasters, and that figure is predicted to rise to 150 million over the next 40 years. The actions that resulted in them losing their homes and their livelihoods were real, and if...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: There is no doubt that world leaders are taking an interest and Governments are taking a much greater interest. Does the Secretary of State accept that given the current state of negotiations, which he will know more about than me, there is a risk that the best we will get is a framework deal, not a deal with commitments? Does he also agree that it is better to have a framework deal, and...

Energy and Climate Change: Carbon Mitigation (Developing Countries) (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: While the EU offer of €100 billion is welcome, it is clearly not yet persuading the developing nations that it is sufficient for mitigation and adaptation. Will the Secretary of State tell us whether our Government are willing to take a lead in suggesting an international levy on airline and maritime fuel as a way of adding to the international fund to deal with the needs of the...

Energy and Climate Change: Energy Pricing (5 Nov 2009) has video

Simon Hughes: Given that Energy Ministers in the past, and Ofgem up to now, have been so feeble in dealing with abuses by the big energy companies, will the Minister commit to giving us the opportunity to have an energy Bill in the next session whereby we can give real tough powers to Ofgem? Secondly, will he consider referring the energy industry to the Competition Commission?