Results 1-20 of 372 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Iain Stewart

Road Safety (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: I shall endeavour to be as brief as I can, Mr Bayley. First, I must declare an interest as a trustee of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety—an unremunerated trustee, I hasten to add. I want to raise three broad points. The first is one I mentioned in the previous debate on electric vehicles. The Government need to address the fact that electric vehicles are very...

[John Robertson in the Chair] — Plug-in Vehicles (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship again, Mr Robertson. It is also a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour, the Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), who gave a very good introduction to the need for the decarbonisation of transport for environmental, energy, security and economic reasons. I will not try to better his explanation, but I...

[John Robertson in the Chair] — Plug-in Vehicles (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: My hon. Friend makes a good point. I hope that we reach that point, but I am not yet convinced that the technology is there to deliver that step change. It may come. I am in no way an expert on these matters, but from all my discussions with manufacturers—the Nissan Leaf was developed at Cranfield, which is close to both our constituencies—I did not get a sense that there would be...

[John Robertson in the Chair] — Plug-in Vehicles (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: If that could be delivered, I would be absolutely delighted, but I have not seen any evidence that that is a practical solution. If my hon. Friend has evidence to the contrary, I would be interested to see it. I have outlined what I fear the barriers are; they are not insurmountable but a challenge none the less. I see a better future for electric cars in the fleet and hire market. My initial...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Railways (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I will first pick up on the fascinating comments made by the hon. Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood). I wonder whether we are witnessing the embryonic development of a Labour policy of whole-scale renationalisation of train operators. I have only five minutes, so I cannot pursue that...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Railways (25 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: If the right hon. Gentleman will bear with me, I will come on to some of the proposals in the EU package that I think will help British operators to expand into Europe, if they so wish. I broadly welcome the package of measures. It takes Europe in a direction that we have already taken, so its broad thrust will not have a dramatic effect on rail operators in this country. I want to pick up on...

Scotland Office: Caledonian Sleeper Train (24 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the future of the Caledonian sleeper train.

Scotland Office: Caledonian Sleeper Train (24 April 2013)

Iain Stewart: I am pleased that the Government have invested in the future of the Caledonian sleeper, which is a vital transport link for business and tourism alike, but does my right hon. Friend share my disappointment that the Scottish Government have not shown the same urgency on upgrading that vital link?

Business of the House (26 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the issue of accident and emergency provision at Milton Keynes hospital, which serves my constituents and indeed some of your constituents, Mr Speaker. The Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes North (Mark Lancaster), and I have joined forces with one of our excellent local newspapers, the...

Royal Assent: Rail Franchising (26 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: I very much welcome the statement as a sensible way forward for franchising, but may I urge my right hon. Friend to use the temporary extension of the west coast franchise to urge Virgin and London Midland to work together temporarily to ease overcrowding on services from Euston, in the evening peak at least, until the full franchise is let and London Midland’s new train order comes through?

Oral Answers to Questions — Deputy Prime Minister: Devolution (26 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: Next September’s referendum will, I hope, deliver a substantial no vote against separation. May I suggest that that would be an ideal time to implement the McKay commission’s sensible proposals and evolve the devolution settlement into one that will be acceptable on both sides of the border?

Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — Amendment of the Law (25 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this Budget debate. We have heard much in contributions from both sides of the House about the level of the housing supply and the building that is going on. I am happy to report that in Milton Keynes we are getting on with it. We have 28,000 housing permissions in place and the Government have intervened to unlock some of the developments...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (20 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Business Location Index has just cited Milton Keynes as the best place in the country to do business and that, with more than 2,000 business start-ups in the past year, it is Milton Keynes that is rebuilding our economy?

[Albert Owen in the Chair] — British Sikh Community (13 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: My hon. Friend is being generous in giving way. I must add Milton Keynes to the list of communities in this country with a large and vibrant Sikh community. His point about the big society is important. In 2007, the Sikh community in Milton Keynes built and opened a large gurdwara, which now provides a wide range of services, such as a weekly over-50s lunch club which binds together members...

Crossrail 2 — [Mr Mike Weir in the Chair] (5 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Weir. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy) on securing the debate and on his powerful and eloquent support for Crossrail 2. I am not a London Member of Parliament, but a large proportion of my constituents travel into London daily, while a growing number of Londoners travel out to businesses in Milton Keynes. That...

Crossrail 2 — [Mr Mike Weir in the Chair] (5 March 2013)

Iain Stewart: The Minister and I agree on many things, but we will disagree in our football team allegiance. On whether the proposed scheme for Crossrail 2 is the optimal one, I have an open mind. It might be, but a slightly different one could be used, linking with the North London line to Willesden and elsewhere and with extra branches. I have an open mind, but I am happy to support the principle of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (Inquiry) (6 February 2013)

Iain Stewart: I welcome the proposals for the CQC to make public judgments about the quality of care, but those judgments must be in a form that is accessible and understandable to the public. Will my right hon. Friend take care to ensure that they are not too general, so that if a specific problem in our wards is rightly identified, it does not cloud the otherwise excellent care that the hospital might be...

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (5 February 2013)

Iain Stewart: I welcome the opportunity and the privilege of taking part in this important debate. I often recall the day a few years ago when I finally plucked up the courage to tell my parents that I was gay. I began the conversation with the line, “Mum, you know I’m never going to be able to marry.” I used that form of words as a way of broaching an awkward conversation and I did not...

Hazara Community (Pakistan) (4 February 2013)

Iain Stewart: I appreciate that there has been a reshuffle of responsibilities in the Department, but would my hon. Friend be able to arrange a meeting with Baroness Warsi and interested Members so that we can explore the issues with her directly?

Hazara Community (Pakistan) (4 February 2013)

Iain Stewart: I congratulate the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham) on securing this important debate, and I thank him for his courtesy in allowing me to say a few words. He has comprehensively and eloquently set out the plight of the Hazara community in Pakistan. I am happy to endorse the points he made. Like Southampton, Milton Keynes is home to a sizeable Hazara community. My hon....