Results 1-20 of 1,017 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Robert Syms

Statute Law (Repeals) Bill [Lords] (7 January 2013)

Robert Syms: rose—

Statute Law (Repeals) Bill [Lords]: Commission Work Programme 2013 (7 January 2013)

Robert Syms: Aye.

Vote on Account 2012-13 — Home Office: Foreign and Commonwealth Office — UK-Turkey Relations (4 July 2012)

Robert Syms: I commend the Foreign Affairs Committee on its report and, indeed, the measured and sensible way in which my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon South (Richard Ottaway) has introduced today’s debate. We do not debate these subjects enough, and we need to discuss our relationship with foreign states—particularly those that have a long record of friendship with, and are allies of,...

[Jim Dobbin in the Chair] — Aviation (4 July 2012)

Robert Syms: The UK aviation industry has been a remarkable success story, post war. It is the second largest in the world. It has been so successful that most of us take it for granted and assume it will always be there. Sometimes we are a little disparaging of British Airways as a national carrier, but it is a competitive world out there, and in Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt there are people...

Finance Bill (Ways and Means): Clause 1 — Charge for 2012-13 and rates for 2012-13 and subsequent tax years (2 July 2012)

Robert Syms: About a quarter of my constituents are pensioners, but I have received only three or four e-mails on this subject. It is not a major issue in Poole, where most of my constituents pay tax. I do not think that it is the big issue that Opposition Members claim it is. It depends on how fast the basic allowance for all taxpayers overtakes the age-related allowance, which I presume is logically...

Finance Bill (Ways and Means): Clause 1 — Charge for 2012-13 and rates for 2012-13 and subsequent tax years (2 July 2012)

Robert Syms: I am not sure that that is a massive loss of income. The most recent issue we debated was the 3p cut on fuel, which will make more of a difference to pensioners in my constituency than this minor change in tax allowances. I think that the Government’s policy towards pensioners is fine. Let me turn to the top rate of tax. We all know that there is a lot of politics in this. The rate was...

Finance Bill (Ways and Means): Clause 1 — Charge for 2012-13 and rates for 2012-13 and subsequent tax years (2 July 2012)

Robert Syms: I welcome this debate because the decisions that we take on tax rates are critical. We have had a slightly more general debate than I expected. Opposition Front Benchers particularly presume that the Government can somehow control events. However, there is a big wide world out there and anybody watching television or watching what had happened in the eurozone knows that there is a limit to...

Electoral Registration and Administration Bill: Clause 1 — Individual registration (18 June 2012)

Robert Syms: Is not one of the good by-products of five-year fixed Parliaments the fact that everyone will know the most likely date of a general election well in advance? That will make electoral registration for central and local government, and the build-up to it, much easier to deal with.

Electoral Registration and Administration Bill: Clause 1 — Individual registration (18 June 2012)

Robert Syms: I rise to support my hon. Friend the Member for The Cotswolds (Geoffrey Clifton-Brown). We all know the history—that the first Thatcher Government implemented legislation, which was then watered down in the wash-up, as a result of which overseas voting has never really taken off. For the reasons already set out, it has seemed to be too difficult and too complicated. Given that there...

Electoral Registration and Administration Bill: Clause 1 — Individual registration (18 June 2012)

Robert Syms: Absolutely, but we would be winning even if got a few hundred thousand registered to vote. What we need from the Government are assurances that they will not only look at the law, but have a long-term campaign to keep those leaving registered and to re-register those abroad. People abroad buy British newspapers, watch Sky television and take an interest in what goes on. I believe that they...

Electoral Registration and Administration Bill: Clause 1 — Individual registration (18 June 2012)

Robert Syms: What a contrast that is with the French, who have created a parliamentary constituency covering London and northern Europe because of all the thousands of French voters in London. They can now vote for a Member of the French Assembly.

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Air Passenger Duty (16 May 2012)

Robert Syms: Further to the question on air passenger duty, should the Government not be doing much more to expand Belfast airport, particularly the air links, especially if we are to promote more public sector jobs in Northern Ireland?

Debate on the Address: Business and the Economy (14 May 2012)

Robert Syms: I support the Queen’s Speech, which I thought was very good. I have an advantage over many Members, in that I came into the House in 1997. Within a matter of hours, the then Labour Government decided to make the Bank of England independent. They also changed the regulatory regime for the whole banking system from its historic basis in which the Bank of England presided over the banks....

Amendment of the Law (21 March 2012)

Robert Syms: First, I draw Members’ attention to my directorship and shareholding in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. We have to understand that the coalition Government inherited an extremely difficult situation, with a massive deficit. The situation cannot be dealt with in one or two years; we are talking about a process over several years to get the public finances into...

Amendment of the Law (21 March 2012)

Robert Syms: Absolutely. Most of our competitors have lower top rates of tax, and that is significant because it means that this is about how we compete with them. If we want to get more manufacturing and jobs in Britain, then it is important to remember that some of the people who are looking to invest in Britain are top-rate taxpayers. It is significant that the stamp duty changes will raise five times...

Traveller Sites (Dorset) (12 March 2012)

Robert Syms: May I say how very pleased I am to have my hon. Friend the Minister here replying to the debate? Sometimes greatness is thrust on people at the last minute. I look forward to his response, but my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West (Conor Burns) and I will find it perfectly understandable if he cannot respond to all the points raised.

Traveller Sites (Dorset) (12 March 2012)

Robert Syms: I thank the Minister for responding to this debate. He deserves time off for good behaviour. I am sure that any points that he has not covered can be dealt with later by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).

Traveller Sites (Dorset) (12 March 2012)

Robert Syms: As I said in my contribution, the real problem is that Bournemouth and Poole local authorities became unitary without the boundaries being looked at. Both areas are very compact, and finding suitable sites is difficult unless we do so on the basis of the Dorset way.

Traveller Sites (Dorset) (12 March 2012)

Robert Syms: I am pleased that the House has disposed of its business rapidly so that we can have a proper debate on Travellers in Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset. In a minute, one or two of my colleagues might run into the Chamber having been caught by the collapse of business. Before I start, let me say that I have just emerged from hospital, having had appendicitis, and I would like to thank Oliver...

Traveller Sites (Dorset) (12 March 2012)

Robert Syms: I agree. That is an important point. As a local politician, I am trying to get some certainty, as I am sure is my hon. Friend, so that there is a much clearer sense of direction. Therefore, we need a few more answers from Ministers. If we do not get them tonight, clearly we might need to have further meetings with the Minister concerned. The uncertainty means that people are becoming much...