Results 1-20 of 35 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Dai Davies

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

Dai Davies: I start by saying how much I admire the work of the police. It is an unenviable job, and to follow on from what my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Dr. Taylor) said, the police have expressed frustration to me about their inability to get charges through the Crown Prosecution Service and into court. Although we have spoken a lot about the young people of this country, it is not just...

Bill Presented — Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill: Child Poverty Bill (20 Jul 2009) has video

Dai Davies: Like many others who have spoken, I welcome the Bill and the continuing forecast for the eradication of child poverty. Let me touch on a few issues that, although they have already been raised, I consider to be important enough to mention again. First, there is the poverty of love. We have heard about the importance of marriage and families and about marriage break-up and its effect on...

Opposition Day — [14th allotted day]: Iraq Inquiry (24 Jun 2009) has video

Dai Davies: As I look around the Chamber, I see that I am probably the junior Member. Today Members have made some of the most powerful and incisive speeches that I have heard in the more than three years I have been here, and that shows the importance of the decision to go to war with Iraq. I have considered why I came to this House, and the main reason is that I could not get 55,000 people into the...

Addiction to Medicines (16 Jun 2009)

Dai Davies: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon). His all-party group was the first that I joined when I entered this place; his leadership is exemplary and a fantastic example of how an all-party group should be run. It is one of the most proactive groups in this place. He has done a fantastic job and will be a great loss to this House. I joined the group owing...

Opposition Day — [7th Allotted Day]: Unemployment (10 Mar 2009) has video

Dai Davies: I want to raise a few issues that I do not think have been touched on tonight. The first is how redundancy and closure programmes are announced. I was involved in a redundancy programme back in 2002. The people I worked with were told of the closure through the media, which does not seem to have changed over the past seven years. Lots of people are stressed enough worrying about their future...

Opposition Day — [7th Allotted Day]: Unemployment (10 Mar 2009) has video

Dai Davies: rose—

Business of the House: Welsh Affairs (26 Feb 2009) has video

Dai Davies: People in my constituency have campaigned against the funding formula for local government for more than 10 years. I was recently at yet another presentation by Lord Barnett, who accepted yet again that there is a need to consider a needs-based formula. My constituency's uplift for this year of 1.5 per cent. will result in the loss of front-line services and a staff reduction. In my opinion,...

Bill Presented — Northern Ireland Bill: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (23 Feb 2009) has video

Dai Davies: We are coming to the end of the debate and a number of Members still want to speak, so I will be as quick as I possibly can. In 1976, I was privileged to be part of an apprenticeship scheme in the steel industry as an electrical engineering apprentice and I saw thousands of people come through the industry at that time. As the hon. Member for Cleethorpes (Shona McIsaac) said, that was done...

Opposition Day — [5th Allotted Day]: Royal Mail (11 Feb 2009) has video

Dai Davies: I shall be very quick, Mr. Deputy Speaker, so that more Members can speak. I echo the sentiments of the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Geraldine Smith); I only wish that she had had as much time as the Front Benchers. I want to make four quick points. First, the Government said that they were in no rush, and I urge them to leave the decision until the next general election, to put...

Women and Equality: Welfare Reform Bill (27 Jan 2009) has video

Dai Davies: I support the principle and aims of this Bill. I hope it will be a Bill to enable employment, and not be a barrier to those who need benefit and help. That is most important. I wish to begin by echoing some of the sentiments of the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on the timing. I suppose that there is no right or wrong time, but as I represent a constituency with one of the...

[Hywel Williams in the Chair] (20 Jan 2009)

Dai Davies: It is appropriate that you have taken the Chair just as I am about to speak, Mr. Williams. I add my congratulations to those already offered to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on securing the debate. I hope that this is the start of the campaign and certainly not the end. The job losses in the regional and local press over the past 20 years amount not...

Olympics: Policing and Crime Bill (19 Jan 2009) has video

Dai Davies: I am sure that all hon. Members have the utmost respect for our police forces. They do a fantastic job, and it is certainly not a job that I would like to do. Policing is now probably at the top of the agenda in our constituency offices, alongside health, education, climate change and transport. It is one of the most important issues for our constituents. The police force offers a service to...

Olympics: Policing and Crime Bill (19 Jan 2009) has video

Dai Davies: I fully agree with the hon. Gentleman. The influence of parents and grandparents has significantly weakened over the past 25 or 30 years. I recently spoke to a head teacher who told me that the problem with our communities now is that we have children having children. There is no influence around to teach that moral aspect of our society; it is a very important point. Finally, I want to touch...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Work and Welfare (5 Nov 2008) has video

Dai Davies: I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown). All of us, no matter where our constituency, can appreciate what she said this afternoon. My constituency has one of the highest rates of incapacity benefit claimants in the country, so the Green Paper's proposals will have a significant impact on the people who live there. The high level of IB locally probably relates to...

Points of Order: Summer Adjournment (22 Jul 2008) has video

Dai Davies: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my constituents on a number of issues and I shall try to use as little time as possible. First, I pay tribute to one of my predecessors in representing Blaenau Gwent, Aneurin Bevan. In this, the 60th anniversary of the health service, it is a great pleasure to represent the area and to be linked alongside such a great man. I pay tribute...

Point of Order: Whitsun Adjournment (22 May 2008) has video

Dai Davies: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise a couple of issues that concern my constituents. The movement of housing stock from council control to an arm's length management organisation—or in our case, Welsh housing associations—is a great concern. My constituents cannot understand why the Government will not allow councils to retain their housing stock and obtain funds to...

Points of Order: April Adjournment (3 Apr 2008) has video

Dai Davies: I am grateful to be able to raise a few issues on behalf of my constituents, although I can certainly relate to a number of the other issues raised by hon. Members today. The first issue is the minimum wage and the low-paid. We have heard a lot over the past few weeks about the minimum wage rising to £5.73 an hour, but when we look at the moneys that people actually receive on that sort...

Business of the House: Welsh Affairs (28 Feb 2008)

Dai Davies: I am pleased to be able to make a contribution to this debate on behalf of my constituents. I thank the Secretary of State for the work that he has done for Wales in general and for higher and further education in my constituency, and for the time that he has spent in our local college of knowledge. We have heard about the importance of education and training. I hope everyone agrees that...

Business of the House: Welsh Affairs (28 Feb 2008)

Dai Davies: There is great concern about such misunderstanding by general practitioners. They do not know the benefits system and sometimes think that incapacity benefit is an easy option. We need an education process for GPs, so that they can understand what they are doing when they sign people on for benefits. The next issue follows on from a point made by the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr....

Business of the House: Welsh Affairs (28 Feb 2008)

Dai Davies: The important thing about that is how we promote those types of activity through schools. We do not see young children being told at primary school level what activities are available in the community. I agree wholeheartedly: to draw young people into such activities is wonderful. Having been part of the Scout movement, and having a young son in the Scouts now, I know that it is a fantastic...