Results 1-20 of 464 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Ian Mearns

Health and Social Care (13 May 2013)

Ian Mearns: I am pleased to follow my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Roberta Blackman-Woods) and in particular my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield), who made a very strong speech about the Government bottling the proposal for plain packaging for cigarettes. The response to the Queen’s Speech from my constituency of Gateshead, the north-east and the whole...

Health and Social Care (13 May 2013)

Ian Mearns: My right hon. Friend may be interested to learn that the Prime Minister wrote to me about plain packaging before the Queen’s Speech was delivered to both Houses. He said in that letter that there were currently no proposals to introduce plain packaging.

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport: High Speed 2 (25 April 2013)

Ian Mearns: Scandalous!

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport: Topical Questions (25 April 2013)

Ian Mearns: The east coast main line has returned £640 million to the public purse since 2009. Sadly, private ownership has failed the travelling public of the east coast franchise. What possible public benefit can be gained by another wasteful and expensive round of refranchising, when east coast is already where the vast majority of the public want it, in public ownership?

Royal Assent: Rail Franchising (26 March 2013)

Ian Mearns: This morning, a statement by the Secretary of State’s own company, Directly Operated Railways, on the east coast main line said: “Since 2009, the East Coast business has been transformed. The Company has returned more than £640 million in cash to the taxpayer”. That is not because of privatisation, but because the public sector bailed out the private sector. There is...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East (5 March 2013)

Ian Mearns: What recent steps the Government have taken to improve the prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East (5 March 2013)

Ian Mearns: The Foreign Secretary seems to expect the Palestinians to have the patience of Job. He might be aware that, in the coming months, Israel is set to demolish hundreds of homes in the Palestinian town of Silwan to make way for a tourist attraction. Is he also aware that that is the single largest proposed demolition of Palestinian homes since 1967? What will he do to try to instil a sense of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (27 February 2013)

Ian Mearns: My local authority has done some pioneering work over the years on improving public health and has recently asked adults to refrain from smoking in children’s play areas. Does the Prime Minister agree with me, with his own Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), and with my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham), who has a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Non-equipment Budget (25 February 2013)

Ian Mearns: What plans he has for the non-equipment defence budget.

Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Non-equipment Budget (25 February 2013)

Ian Mearns: The National Audit Office has called into question the Secretary of State’s projections, and MOD analysis shows that capability gaps could arise in some areas, particularly the Army. Will the Secretary of State publish the analysis to which the NAO referred, and will he guarantee to all future, current and past members of the Army that their livelihoods will not be cut to pay for...

Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: High Speed Rail (28 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: Twenty years ago, I could travel from Newcastle to London in 2 hours and 38 minutes. In his announcement today, the Secretary of State said that in 20 years’ time we will be able to do it in 2 hours and 18 minutes. Does he think that 40 years is enough for 20 minutes, given the importance of connectivity for the economic regeneration of a place such as the north-east of England?

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Private Rented Sector (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: In moving the amendment, the Minister referred to a dysfunctional housing market in some areas for 15 to 20 years. When I was seeking re-election as a councillor in 1987, my election leaflet called for regulation of the private sector in the housing market, because in my first term of office, from 1983 to 1987, we came across a range of antisocial behaviours that emanated mainly from tenants...

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Private Rented Sector (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: I will not. I am going to make progress. Ill-gotten gains were being used to buy up properties in order to secure a long-term income stream, paid for by the taxpayer. For some of those private landlords, there is no doubt that the whole idea behind the ploy was that the surrounding properties would also fall prey, and so on, leading to a spiral of decline. Of the three sorts of rented...

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Private Rented Sector (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: Will the Minister give way?

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Blacklisting (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: Will my hon. Friend give way?

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Blacklisting (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: I wonder whether, in the last couple of moments available to him, my hon. Friend has time to suggest what should happen to those who are guilty of using blacklists as part of their employment practice.

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Blacklisting (23 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: Does my hon. Friend have any thoughts about what the punishment should be for individual directors who, through their companies, fund the organisation of blacklists? Would he suggest that they be struck off as directors and barred from holding such office?

Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Clause 1 — Up-rating of certain social security benefits for tax years 2014-15 and 2015-16 (21 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: The hon. Gentleman is making a powerful contribution. Given what he has said, does he reject the spin of some Government Members who have said that people on benefits have had their income uprated by 20% over a five-year period as opposed to 12.5% for those who work? When we examine the figures in cash terms—the impact on people’s pockets—we see that the uprating has been...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Clause 1 — Up-rating of certain social security benefits for tax years 2014-15 and 2015-16 (21 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: I live in the heart of my constituency, among the people whom I represent, and, oddly enough, the people whom I represent do not feel massively better off as a result of the Government’s changes. VAT, for instance, has a dramatically greater impact on those at the lower end of the income spectrum.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Clause 1 — Up-rating of certain social security benefits for tax years 2014-15 and 2015-16 (21 January 2013)

Ian Mearns: The position in my constituency is exemplified by the fact that household income probably hovers just above £20,000 per annum. That is household income, not personal income.