Results 1-20 of 1,937 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Michael Weir

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Skills for Growth (11 Nov 2009)

Michael Weir: Much of this area is, of course, devolved. I welcome the fact that the Minister is emulating aspects of the system adopted in Scotland two years ago, but on the UK matter, can he tell us how industry-wide sectors, such as the excellent one for training in the oil and gas industry, will come into the strategy? In particular, will he help them to move on into the low carbon industry, where many...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Michael Weir: I am glad to be able to contribute to the debate. Few Members are in any doubt about the reality of climate change and the dangers that face us all. The UN intergovernmental panel on climate change has produced a model of what would happen by 2080 based on a "business as usual" scenario, and it is frightening. There would be huge changes in the world. We are already seeing changes, and they...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Michael Weir: The hon. Gentleman reads my mind to some extent—that is what I was coming to. The danger is that if we go to Copenhagen and come away without a plan, scepticism, and the sense that climate change is inevitable and that there is nothing we can do to stop it, will increase. Because we have spent the past couple of years or so telling the general public that something must be done, we must...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Michael Weir: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Michael Weir: I am listening carefully to what the hon. Gentleman is saying, and I agree with much of it. However, does he not agree that there is a bigger danger in not coming to an agreement in Copenhagen—not for those engaged with the climate change debate, but for the vast majority of people who have simply been told that we need to do this? If we come away from Copenhagen without an agreement,...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Michael Weir: I agree entirely with what the Secretary of State says about the science, but is not one of the difficulties that the science tells us that we must take strong action? Politicians also say that we must take strong action, but in the lead-up to Copenhagen, there seems to be a drift away from that strong action. There is a certain cynicism among the public because we say that strong action is...

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

Michael Weir: Vestas and Siemens, which manufacture wind turbines, calculate that for every gigawatt installed, 3,000 new jobs are created. Given the amount of offshore wind that is planned around our shores—and, indeed, off the coast of my constituency—what can we do to ensure that these jobs are created in this country, rather than exported?

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Oil and Gas (29 Oct 2009)

Michael Weir: I agree about the importance of the oil and gas industry to the economy, particularly in the north-east of Scotland. The House will not be surprised at the fairly strong Scottish input to this debate from me and my parliamentary neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Sir Robert Smith). The oil and gas industry has been hugely important to the economy of...

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Oil and Gas (29 Oct 2009)

Michael Weir: That is a very good point. From the evidence, it seems that much of the difficulty stemmed from hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Huge damage was done to the infrastructure, which will take a long time to rebuild. None the less, it is fair to say that there is a serious difficulty with cost. The Minister and others have already spoken about infrastructure, but we...

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Oil and Gas (29 Oct 2009)

Michael Weir: Is it not also true that if we are to have a future in carbon capture and storage it is vital that existing infrastructure continues to be invested in, so that it is available for that future work? If it is not, we may not be able to do carbon capture and storage.

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Oil and Gas (29 Oct 2009)

Michael Weir: Before the Minister moves on from discussing the area west of Shetland, I want to point out that one issue that the Select Committee came across was that many of the finds west of Shetland are much smaller than traditional North sea finds, and there is huge concern about the infrastructure needed for smaller companies to develop those. Will the Minister tell us whether there have been any...

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Oil and Gas (29 Oct 2009)

Michael Weir: I am not entirely clear about how we have moved on. In the evidence before us, the small operators and Oil and Gas UK acknowledge that the existing system—discussion with each other, with the long-stop of approaching the Government, as the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine said—is not working satisfactorily. What difference will the new system make? The...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Milk and Dairy Industry (29 Oct 2009) has video

Michael Weir: One of the problems with milk is that the supermarkets often sell it below cost price, which puts huge pressure on the producers. Will the Minister press his colleagues at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to look into this as part of the remit of an ombudsman, if they come forward with such a proposal?

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport: Topical Questions (22 Oct 2009) has video

Michael Weir: Will the Minister tell us when the promised public consultation on the shape of the new franchise for the east coast rail line will begin?

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Equitable Life (21 Oct 2009) has video

Michael Weir: As a number of Members have observed, this matter has been dragging on for many years. After all the years that I have spent dealing with it, I have a file full of letters and reports that would choke an elephant. Like other Members, I have many elderly constituents who are affected by the collapse of Equitable Life, and, sadly, some have died waiting for justice. Other Members have also made...

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Equitable Life (21 Oct 2009) has video

Michael Weir: Can the Chief Secretary answer me on a matter of principle? The Government have gone for an ex gratia scheme, but I do not understand why, if other people have lost out owing to maladministration, they should be excluded from compensation. The Government have, in effect, entered into a means-testing arrangement for policyholders in Equitable Life.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: UK Low Carbon Transition Plan (15 Jul 2009)

Michael Weir: The Scottish Government have a world-leading target of a 42 per cent. reduction in emissions in anticipation of agreement at Copenhagen. That obviously involves a large increase in renewables. I welcome what the Secretary of State said about grid access, but will he also think about transmission charges and balancing charges, which are a real problem for some renewables generators in...

East Coast Main Line (14 Jul 2009)

Michael Weir: I congratulate the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley) on securing this important debate. I agree with much of what he said, particularly about the economic importance of the line, which applies to my constituency as much as it does to his. I shall not go over that again, other than to say that there is a big employer in my constituency, GlaxoSmithKline, whose factory, after a...

East Coast Main Line (14 Jul 2009)

Michael Weir: I agree with what the hon. Gentleman is saying, particularly about maintaining the current service, but does he share my concerns about the report in The Sunday Telegraph that, before the removal of the franchise, National Express and the Government discussed reducing services on the line as a cost-cutting measure? That would be disastrous to my constituency and many other areas served by the...

Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism: UK Manufacturing (9 Jul 2009) has video

Michael Weir: I agree with the hon. Gentleman about energy prices. Is there not also a problem with the type of contracts that some energy companies impose on high-end users? They demand large sums up front because of the effects of the recession, in which so many companies have gone to the wall.