Former Labour MP for Reading East
I was a candidate for parliamentary election in 1996. As a resident of Reading, I was angry and upset when a Bill dealing with the previous version of Crossrail failed. It fell for procedural reasons that we all understand. As a candidate, however, I was quite joyful at the opportunity that that presented. I would suggest to hon. Members who will be seeking re-election in the coming...
I stand corrected, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and I shall conclude my remarks. I support the carry-over motion and I hope that whoever succeeds me in this Chamber in the next Parliament works as hard as I have tried to do, and as my hon. Friends and other hon. Members have done, for Crossrail. This is my last contribution in the House and I would like to thank Members on both sides of the Chamber...
Like other hon. Members who are lucky enough to have secured a Back-Bench Adjournment debate, I am pleased to have such an opportunity. I wish to talk about sports cycling, and I want first to draw attention to the fact that I am proud to have been elected several times to the chair of the all-party parliamentary cycling group. My predecessors in that role have moved on to illustrious...
I am grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution to the debate. It will not surprise Members that I shall mention Crossrail, for which I have been campaigning for many years. I was disappointed at the lack of local co-operation on that campaign, but I am glad to say that that has now been reversed. I am delighted that the hybrid Bill on Crossrail has been published and even more...
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention, which has rather moved me. I want to raise quickly in the short time that I have left a couple of issues that have emerged recently in my constituency. It is painful to say it, but after the 2004 local and European elections, there was some concern about the possibility that large numbers of postal votes were not all done correctly. That is...
What steps she is taking to improve the skills base of employees.
When the proposals contained in the very welcome White Paper are developed, will my hon. Friend and his colleagues give particular attention to areas such as the Thames Valley, which are net importers of labour and suffer, perhaps excessively, from a skills shortage?
Further reforms of the CAP are essential, but when the Minister discusses them with his colleagues will he bear in mind the position of Mozambique? That country could provide all the sugar that Africa needs, but at present is unable to do so, with the result that its people remain impoverished.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will assess the efficacy of low carbohydrate diets as part of its obesity guidance; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the Weight Loss Guide announced in the Public Health White Paper; how he intends to consult stakeholders; if he will ensure that controlled carbohydrate dietary approaches are considered in this process; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce (a) inflammatory arthritis and (b) psoriatic arthritis into the quality and outcome frameworks of general practitioners' general medical services contracts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the measures of cost-effectiveness applied by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in evaluating whether acetylcholinesterase inhibitors should continue to be available to treat sufferers from Alzheimer's disease; (2) what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of acetylcholinesterase...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set for waiting times between referral by general practitioner and appointment with consultant rheumatologist for (a) adults and (b) children.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of general practitioner consultations for (a) inflammatory arthritis, (b) osteoarthritis and (c) psoriatic arthritis in the last year for which figures are available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on changes in the number of trained personnel in the Army since 1997.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Strategic Rail Authority to provide him with the business case for a major scheme at Reading station; and when he expects to publish the business case.
