Results 1-20 of 783 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Shailesh Vara

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Supreme Court (Running Costs) (10 Nov 2009)

Shailesh Vara: When he next expects to meet the chief executive of the new Supreme Court to discuss its running costs.

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Supreme Court (Running Costs) (10 Nov 2009)

Shailesh Vara: I am grateful to the Minister for those comments. Given that it is widely reported that the decision to set up a Supreme Court was taken by Tony Blair and Lord Falconer over a glass of whisky, and that the annual cost of running the Supreme Court is some £14 million whereas the cost of the previous arrangement was £3 million a year, does the Minister agree that it has proved to be a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Loyalist Paramilitaries (4 Nov 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: What recent assessment he has made of the extent of the activities of loyalist paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.

Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland: Loyalist Paramilitaries (4 Nov 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: I am grateful to the Minister for those comments. However, when does he believe that the loyalist paramilitaries will disband their command structures, and what is he doing to try to ensure that that happens?

Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill [ Lords]: Antisocial Behaviour (2 Nov 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: The House will be aware that in the year 2007-08, 3.9 million instances of antisocial behaviour were recorded in England and Wales, but we also know that that is a gross underestimation of the actual number, because many people simply will not report instances because they fear reprisals. In fact, it was estimated that last year, more than 30 million instances of antisocial behaviour took...

Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill [ Lords]: Antisocial Behaviour (2 Nov 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: I will not give way, because the Minister will have plenty of time in the winding-up speech. The Government have had a plethora of initiatives, with a mixture of results. ASBOs have had limited success and, instead of being a deterrent, they are often seen as a badge of honour. As for penalty notices for disorder, I issued freedom of information notices to every police force, and the results...

Oral Answers to Questions — Leader of the House: Parliamentary Scrutiny (15 Oct 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: Over the past 18 months, numerous Bills have passed through Committee and Report stage without any debate on selected amendments or, as is often the case, with new clauses put forward by the Government at the last minute. As we have just heard, there is deep concern on both sides of the House that important legislation such as the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, the Planning Act 2008 and the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Afghanistan and Pakistan (14 Oct 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: Was the Prime Minister asked for a further 2,000 troops or not? It is a straightforward question, and a straightforward yes or no will do.

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Child Care (12 Oct 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: What recent assessment he has made of the sustainability of provision in the child care sector.

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Child Care (12 Oct 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: Child minders provide invaluable child care for many parents. Notwithstanding what the Minister has said, 40,000 people have left the profession since 1997. What are the Government going to do to ensure that more parents can avail themselves of such provision, particularly because they prefer and rely on it?

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Topical Questions (12 Oct 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: Recent Government figures show that pupils with special educational needs are eight times more likely to be permanently excluded than those with no such needs. Will the Government kindly tell us what measures are to be included in the forthcoming guidance on dealing with rowdy children, to ensure that such children receive fair and proportionate treatment, particularly as many of them suffer...

Royal Assent (21 Jul 2009)

Shailesh Vara: I hope that when the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) reads Hansard, he will appreciate that I made collective mention of all those on the other side. I hope he accepts that that means I gave everyone a mention. [ Interruption. ] If he has difficulty understanding standard English, I suggest that he take that up, as I said earlier, with the Secretary of State for Children,...

Royal Assent (21 Jul 2009)

Shailesh Vara: I thank all who have spoken in this debate. Many Members on both sides of the House have done so, and I say a big thank you to all of them for staying right till the end on this last day before recess. It was with typical passion that the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) made the first speech. He is the same whether it is the last or the first day of term. I thank him for having the...

Royal Assent (21 Jul 2009)

Shailesh Vara: Indeed. My hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend, East mentioned his local airport and spoke about his constituents' problems with the tax authorities—something that affects all of us. However, most of us will have been particularly struck by the fact that hospitals, including his local hospital in Southend, are stopping people bringing flowers to patients. That is...

Royal Assent (21 Jul 2009)

Shailesh Vara: The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point. By contrast, the Americans have a similar number of troops to the number that we have, yet they have 100 or so helicopters in the same region. As usual, my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) made a number of constituency points. When he spoke of breast cancer in men, it reminded me of the occasion I tried to introduce a private...

Business of the House (20 Jul 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: To recap, broadly speaking, Members are of the view that there ought to be some review of the Select Committee system and the procedures of the House. Conservative Members have been talking about the issue for quite some time. Our party's democracy taskforce, chaired by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke), has made several suggestions to re-energise...

Bill Presented — Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill: Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons (20 Jul 2009) has video

Shailesh Vara: Many Members present agree that the business of the House can and should be planned and handled much better than it is at present. Many also agree that we could improve the existing Select Committee system. There is general consensus on the need to do more to re-engage the Commons with the public, particularly given the low esteem in which Parliament is currently held. For our part,...

Business of the House (13 Jul 2009)

Shailesh Vara: May I thank the hon. Lady for her announcement and say that Conservative Members very much welcome her statement? The whole House, indeed the whole country, is concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, especially about the fate of our brave young men and women who daily put their lives on the line for Afghanistan's future and our continued freedom. It is regrettable, however, that this...