🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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I always said that I would leave this place before I lost the buzz of having the privilege of speaking in this Chamber. I am very happy to say that after 18 years I am doing that. There are many people who did not think I would last 18 years. The late Lord Rees-Mogg wrote an article every time I stood for election, saying that on the basis of an extensive poll of his friends and family, I was...
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Further to the point of order, Mr Speaker. There is, of course, another way. The Leader of the House could withdraw the motion—[Hon. Members: “Withdraw, withdraw.”] I have to say that although I would always support a secret ballot, I very much dislike the way in which this matter has been brought before the House today.
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Forty years ago, when I was president of a students union, I was visited by officers from King’s Cross special branch, whose express purpose was to tell me that they had a file on me. Like the right hon. Member for Neath (Mr Hain), I do not take that desperately seriously, given the circumstances of the time, but I do take very seriously the matter of files being kept on Members of this...
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Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker.
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Mr Speaker, you will have heard the exchange between me and the Minister. Given the importance of these matters for parliamentary privilege and future Parliaments and Members, can you assure me that, far from simply waiting for the inquiry to take place and looking at its results, parliamentary authorities will be fully engaged with the inquiry throughout, so that we can be absolutely sure...
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I rise to support the amendments, such as they are, from the House of Lords. They clearly strengthen the Bill in a minor way. Members may recall that we expended a fair amount of time and effort trying to strengthen the Bill in a more concrete way when it was before this House by giving access to a non-parliamentary route for recall. I am sad that we did not find a solution acceptable to both...
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Avon and Somerset police have indeed done very well. However, an understandable operational response to difficult budgets is to withdraw policing from rural areas, which empirically have a lower level of crime. That is understandable, but wrong. Will the Minister reassure me that he will tell all police forces that they have a duty to people who live in rural areas? Those people must not...
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I think that I can confidently predict that this will be the last Friday morning sitting to which I will contribute. It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Luton South (Gavin Shuker), who is proving the exception to the unhappy feeling that this is a special Budget debate, organised for elderly Members of Parliament not seeking re-election. With any Budget, there is almost a...
More of David Heath's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on prescribing anti-malarial prophylaxis to members of the armed forces serving overseas.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from Somerset county council on the reopening of railway stations in Somerset.
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To ask the Attorney-General what steps he has taken to improve prosecution of wildlife crime.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which local authorities have not signed up to the community covenant.
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Animal rescue centres do not receive any Government funding or direct assistance.
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This information is not held by any Government Department.
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The export of live animals for slaughter and fattening make up a small proportion of animals fattened and slaughtered within the UK. There has been no assessment made of either annual value or annual loss to the economy and the UK's slaughter and processing sectors, respectively.
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Two licences have been issued by Natural England to permit cull companies to control badgers.
More of David Heath's written questions
