Results 1-20 of 1,392 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Mark Pritchard

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: EU Free Trade Agreements (23 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I congratulate the Foreign Secretary and, indeed, the Prime Minister on their vision in trying to achieve an EU-US free trade agreement, but does the Foreign Secretary share my concern about the fact that, on occasion, the European Union is very slow to act and to make such agreements? There is still room for bilateral trade agreements through strategic partnerships between countries.

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: It is a privilege to conclude this debate under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. I am grateful to all colleagues for an even-tempered and measured debate on an issue that is important to all our constituents. I am also grateful to the Government, who are making good progress on reducing net migration, and I am pleased that the Minister has just confirmed that we will soon hear more details. The...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: The hon. Gentleman is usually well informed, and I am sure this was an oversight, but Germany, although not sealing its borders, is looking at reducing the pull factors for the new accession countries. He may not have heard about that yet.

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: My hon. Friend raises an important point on the principle of always testing, because however expert the legal advice that is given by Government lawyers, it should always be tested and re-tested. He also makes an important point about those with higher skills. He may or may not be aware that, for example, veterinary surgeons coming into this country—of whom there are many from the...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. Will he set out the difference between a residency card and an identity card? The Conservative party, along with others, objected to an identity card, which is a complex area with many political challenges and pitfalls.

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I beg to move, That this House has considered the e-petition relating to immigration from Bulgaria and Romania in 2014. It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Walker. I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for giving me and other colleagues the opportunity to speak on this important issue. Much has been discussed, in recent weeks, about EU and non-EU migration. In...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s intervention, because he prematurely comes on to points that I will raise later, when I will be happy to address his specific question. The Deputy Prime Minister rightly pointed out in a recent speech that “in order to remain an open and tolerant Britain, we need an immigration system that is zero-tolerant towards abuse.” He is...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: We will have to wait and see the detail. In general, I do not support the policy, but in terms of the specifics and details of particular categories, it may well apply. There may be a case for a bond relating to higher risk work visas, where either the employee or the employer puts up the bond, but that does not make the case for a general catch-all policy. I hope that that, in part, answers...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: That is right, but I take the Deputy Prime Minister’s words on bonds seriously. Clearly, I would not want to break the bond in the coalition, and I welcome his abandonment of the Liberal Democrat policy of an amnesty for illegal overstayers who have been in Britain illegally for more than 10 years. That would have given the green light for even more abuse—perhaps it is a welcome...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: In my preamble, I said that I would be speaking about non-EU immigrants before coming on to the particular—[Interruption.] Giving contextualisation I called it—giving context. If the hon. Gentleman will just be a little more patient, the narrative of the debate will become a little clearer. I have answered the point: it is non-EU specifically. The system that I have set out...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: Of course. I think that there would be consensus on that issue and I hope that there will be consensus on a lot of what is being shared by all of us today. Absolutely, but there is a huge legacy that this Government are having to tackle. I would now like to narrow the debate to the particular, rather than the general, and deal with Bulgaria and Romania. On housing, I welcome the...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: My hon. Friend makes a very helpful contribution to the debate, as he always does. I am grateful for his analysis, which he has obviously done over the last few hours since the poll came out. I come back to the point that it is a significant amount. Whether it is 1%, 1.5% or 4%, it is a significant amount of people for communities to absorb and public services to serve. We hear that Germany...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: No, not at all, but the hon. Gentleman’s point is a bit of a red herring. He is right: 1.4 million UK citizens live in the other 27—26 plus one—EU states, several hundred thousand of whom live in Spain, as he points out. But I think he knows full well that my point is that the previous Labour Government, over 13 years, failed to recoup any funds, which, as he alluded to,...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I shall move on to jobs after I give way to my hon. Friend.

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I was not making a party political point; I was merely making a statement of fact. The Government are rightly seeking to recoup funds from EEA states and the previous Government failed to do so. With regards to the particular points my hon. Friend raises, first, those same GPs know that the NHS has scarce resources and, secondly, whether GPs are prepared to deal with health tourism or not,...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I shall give way to my right hon. Friend after my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mark Field) has intervened.

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I give way to my right hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames).

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I am grateful to my hon. and right hon. Friends for their interventions. My hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster is absolutely right that we are all treading in a new area, but it is an area that we should enter; the public expect us to enter it and this is a timely moment for us to do so. I thank my right hon. Friend for all the work that he has done over many years...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: I am not saying that there is a legal route, but as a politician I do not subscribe to the view that “We have always done it this way” is the best way to answer every question. I take the view: “This is the challenge; this is where we are. Let us explore every avenue to get over the challenge.” It is incumbent on me, albeit as a minor legislator and a Back Bencher, to...

[Mr Charles Walker in the Chair] — Backbench business — Immigration (Bulgaria and Romania) (22 April 2013)

Mark Pritchard: No, not at all, but on the issue of leaving the EU, thank goodness that at last, because of the Conservative-led coalition Government, the British people will have a say with an in-or-out referendum in 2017-18. The hon. Gentleman is falling into the trap of saying “We have always done it this way. There can be no change because we know no other way.” What I am calling for today is...