Results 1-20 of 1,290 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Ben Wallace

Business of the House (15 Oct 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: This has been an appalling week in which MPs have been besieged as a result of the letters from Sir Thomas Legg. Will the Leader of the House consider having a debate on the commencement of the democratic renewal process? She can have as many reviews, reports and inquiries as she likes, but until this weak and insecure Parliament and this weak and discredited Government seek a new mandate...

Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland: Torpedo Testing (14 Oct 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: Despite the Secretary of State's comments about the ranges, they need modernising if they are to keep pace with the next generation of weapons systems, without which our forces will not get the weapons they need to do the jobs we send them on. Will the Secretary of State give a commitment today that his Department and the Ministry of Defence will continue to invest in those ranges while at...

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

Ben Wallace: On 16 December 2003 a meeting took place between officials from the British Foreign Office and Downing street and Libyan intelligence officials. Just three days later the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, announced the WMD deal. At the negotiations in the Travellers club, the subject of Mr. Megrahi was raised. Could the Foreign Secretary tell us in what context it was raised, and can he...

Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families: Sale of Government Assets (12 Oct 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: In 2001 and 2005, the Government made a manifesto pledge that they would nationalise the Tote in order to gift it to racing. Will the Minister tell us what proportion of the proceeds from the sale will be given to racing and what steps he will take to safeguard the jobs in Wigan, because he studiously avoided the question on that from the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney)?

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Issue of Writ (21 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: The Government's failure to move the writ, thereby denying the people of Glasgow, North-East a representative for six months, is nothing to do with parliamentary process but is all about party politics in Scotland. It is all about mitigating a disastrous school closure programme that is happening in Glasgow right now. The Labour party knows that if it were held to account on that programme,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Issue of Writ (21 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: We are considering the ultimate arrogance of Scottish Labour. Not only does it believe that the electorate do not deserve representation, it is also so convinced that they will vote Labour, and that all it has to do is follow the party line without a Member of Parliament. It is a disgrace to the House and to the people of Glasgow, North-East.

Olympics: Swine Flu Update (20 Jul 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: The Secretary of State said he envisaged receiving supplies of the vaccinations by August and that he was prioritising vulnerable groups and vital NHS front-line staff. I am the husband of a wife who is seven months pregnant and due in September, so will he tell me whether he is considering putting women who are in the later stages of pregnancy in any of those vulnerable groups? What steps is...

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay). I am speaking today both as an individual and chair of the British all-party group on Iran, which I have chaired for some three years. During that time, we have met with the Secretary of State, the Foreign Secretary, Ministers of State, members of the US State Department, Turkish and Syrian ambassadors, Members of...

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: I was due to go to Iran last week before I was banned as part of the British conspiracy to overthrow the Government. I was due to meet the person of whom I had never heard, and it looks as though I will never get to hear of him. The Foreign Office has done a good job of dealing with the problem I described, which has been exceptionally difficult, but we should also define what the terms...

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: I agree, and that is one of the saddest things about this recent incident. People in the west underestimate Iran and vice versa. We need to understand the Iranian people. There is great anger on the streets of Iran. When we were there, people perfectly openly criticised the regime. Just as the Chairman of the Committee said, people come up and say what they think. They say, "The man's a...

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: As I understand it, there is a process that makes it open to former terrorists to join democratic processes, just like the process that we have been through with the IRA and Sinn Fein. However, I do not believe that the PMOI is the driver for reforming Iran. It is not credible in that way. People have long memories in Iran, and I do not believe that the PMOI is the tool or the vehicle for...

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that the British foreign policy track record is riven with failures, but it is also riven with successes. We do not always hear that. Also, we have to have a Foreign Office. There is no other solution. There is no such thing as do-it-yourself foreign policy.

[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair] — Global Security (Iran) (9 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: I understand that, but the simple logistics of moving around ballot boxes and printing millions of ballot papers must have left some trace, especially in Tabriz, which is not friendly to Ahmadinejad. Maybe they all just got the ballot papers and went into a new room at counting central. I do not know. But it would have been useful if we had had some idea what was going to happen. Maybe the...

Business of the House (9 Jul 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: In the light of the newspaper articles this morning about Cabinet Ministers possibly having their phones tapped, which shows that the Government are incompetent even at protecting the Government and their people from intercept, may we have a debate on information security which, as the Leader of the House knows, is the responsibility of the Cabinet, so that before we rise for the recess we...

Energy and Climate Change: Newspapers (Surveillance Methods) (9 Jul 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: It was my understanding that the inquiry into the bugging of the members of the royal family hinged on an inside employee of British Telecom giving out the numbers for celebrities and members of the royal household. Could the Minister give us some assurance that he is taking steps to ensure that telephone providers adhere to their data protection obligations so that we are all protected, as...

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Identity Cards (6 Jul 2009)

Ben Wallace: Is it not the case that the fundamental difference is that the biometric passport database is a static database—one submits one's details, they are held there and they are effectively used as verification when one applies to update one's details—whereas the national identity register is a live database? It is not only constantly updated with, effectively, one's details, as one is...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Dairy Farmers of Britain (2 Jul 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: What discussions he has had with representatives of Dairy Farmers of Britain since it was taken into receivership.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Dairy Farmers of Britain (2 Jul 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: Many Dairy Farmers of Britain producers in Lancashire and Cumbria are suffering because of the collapse of their dairy business and associated cash-flow problems. Will the Secretary of State consider extending meeting the requirements of the nitrates directive by perhaps one year? Will he also consider bringing forward some of the single farm payment due in the autumn for affected farmers to...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 21st Century Schools (30 Jun 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: Both in this Chamber and on the wireless this morning, the Secretary of State studiously avoided detailing the hard, tough choices that he has made to raise £600 million from within his Department. Will he undertake to place in the House of Commons Library as soon as possible a detailed breakdown of the internal budgets or initiatives that were cut to fund that £600 million?

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East (30 Jun 2009) has video

Ben Wallace: In the past, whatever we thought of the regime running Iran, the EU3 plus 3 countries recognised that it ruled by some form of consent. In the light of the recent elections, does the Foreign Secretary believe that the new president—or President Ahmadinejad—rules by consent? If not, how can we begin negotiations to solve problems to do with the middle east or the nuclear issue?