Results 1-20 of 1,212 for speaker:Richard Younger-Ross

Written Answers — Cabinet Office: Jobseeker's Allowance (3 Nov 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many under 25 year olds in Teignbridge constituency claimed jobseeker's allowance in (a) 1997, (b) 2007, (c) 2008 and (d) 2009.

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Broadband: Finance (3 Nov 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of delivery of the universal service commitment of two megabits per second by 2012; and from which of his Department's budgets the funding for the commitment will be drawn.

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Broadband: Finance (3 Nov 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of delivery of next generation broadband to at least 90 per cent. of homes and businesses by 2017; what proportion of that cost will be funded from the public purse; and what arrangements he plans to make for such funding.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Nimrod Review (28 Oct 2009) has video

Richard Younger-Ross: I thank the Secretary of State for the content and tone of his statement. He says that lessons have been learned and that there is still more to be done. As part of that process, will he look at the procurement programmes that he has already announced, such as the Puma extended life programme? That programme was much criticised by the Defence Committee, and there are modern alternatives that...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: I entirely agree with the point that the hon. Gentleman has just made. On flying hot and high, it is surely understandable that we had problems when we were first in Afghanistan in 2001-02, because we may not have expected the conflict. Given that we have now been there for a long time and that we knew that this would always be a long-haul campaign, does the hon. Gentleman agree that the...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: I congratulate the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton) on securing this debate. She raises some important issues. I agree with her general principle that we need a strategic defence review, that we must decide our objectives, and that we must put an end to the ad hoc arrangements. I am reminded of a Christmas cracker that I opened many years ago. As with all crackers, it had a motto in...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: The principle is exactly the same. Those are two ways of saying the same thing. We must examine our defence needs, and try to find the equipment that fits them. That is why we need the strategic defence review. As politicians, we must be truthful about the cost, but we have not been. We have always said that we must work within the defence budget, but then expected people to pull the...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: That point is right. We had no other replacement, but this is about the pre-planning; we were not prepared. We knew we were going in, but we did not work out in advance what we required to build the peace. This is where hindsight is a wonderful thing. We did not see the insurgency that was to follow. In not securing the peace and security afterwards, we allowed the insurgency to grow. We left...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: Unquestionably we cannot afford the full suite; that is the purpose of a defence review. That is perhaps why we need to consider working more with our European allies and colleagues in the European Union and others so that we can examine where we can make savings in costs and bring together resources to ensure that we are more effective.

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point. Certainly in the past what he describes has been the case, but that does not mean to say that it has to be that way in the future. We just have to have smarter procurement, which I will come to. The term that applies is pork barrel politics, because I think that there has been a lot of that in the European programmes that we have had in the past and in...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: I will come on to that, because the Gray report, which has just been published, covers the procurement process. It is a very important point. The main thrust of what I am saying is that we must be able to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances. There is no point in just blaming generals for not having the right equipment at the right time, because we do not always have the structures in...

Military Vehicles and Aircraft (27 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: My apologies, Mr. Taylor. The hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr. Campbell) made his point, but in Northern Ireland the circumstance was slightly different; it is smaller. Dealing with a country of the size and complexity of Afghanistan is much more complex, and the adaptability for different circumstances is changing. We were dealing with lower-altitude fighting in Iraq. The average...

[Miss Anne Begg in the Chair] — Licensing Act (22 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: It has been a good debate. The Select Committee's report is excellent, and the presentation given by the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr. Whittingdale) was well thought out. I hope that the Minister will answer the points raised today both in his summation and later, once the debate is over. I should point out to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies)—he apologised...

[Miss Anne Begg in the Chair] — Licensing Act (22 Oct 2009)

Richard Younger-Ross: The Minister nods, so it cannot have been his double. We were in the Members' Dining Room to listen to Ralph McTell. He played three songs, including the wonderful "Streets of London". That was the latest event, but the previous event that I attended, involving Muse, was slightly bigger. Although some Members may not have heard of Muse, they are rated the most popular and best live band in...