🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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Will the hon. Gentleman give way on that point?
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for his recognition of the coalition, which the broadcasters have lost sight of in reporting what happens in the House. The Budget specifically talked about how Government can get in the way of business, but has it not shown how the Government can, with the right engagement, take positive action, as they have with the North sea oil and gas industry? Entering into...
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What steps he is taking to support jobs in the north-east of Scotland by maximising the economic recovery of North sea oil and gas. [R]
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I thank the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for recognising the problems in the North sea. Does he also recognise that the job losses that have been announced predate the fall in the oil price, and that it is crucial that in the Budget we see long-term structural change for the maturity of the province?
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I am pleased to take part in this debate and I congratulate the hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) on securing it, because it has highlighted, across the Chamber, the need for broadband and mobile reception in rural areas, and the recognition that it is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Let me start by discussing the basic need for some kind of phone that...
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The hon. Gentleman makes a point. There was also the illegal solution of boosters. Perhaps it is time for Ofcom to look at how mobile phone signals can be boosted in properties and business centres. Individual suppliers using wi-fi and broadband could be a solution—that could be the case for the business centre that I mentioned. There would need to be a signal booster for each network, but...
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It also transpires that Openreach pays compensation to service providers, but not all service providers necessarily pass that compensation on to the end user. Perhaps if there was more of a compensation culture the management would be more efficient about maximising repairs.
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for bringing this important debate to the House. He is highlighting how crucial it is for rural businesses and farmers to have good connectivity, but another important message is that good connectivity reduces the pressure on the road network, because people can work from home and not overstretch the commuter roads. The roads around Aberdeen, for example, are...
More of Robert Smith's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of amending the licence conditions for retailers responsible for implementing smart meters so that they may use normative benchmark comparisons as an alternative to in-home displays on (a) the total cost of that implementation project and (b) the likelihood of achieving...
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate (a) the number of households which were on social tariffs for their energy supplies before such tariffs were withdrawn and (b) the number of those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to provide assistance to people with cold-related health conditions who are struggling to pay their heating bills.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on support for people in fuel poverty who suffer from cold-related health conditions.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what conditions his Department places on Post Office Ltd to provide services in the event of the retirement of a sub-postmaster.
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To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence nationals of other EEA states are required to show in order to demonstrate proof of entitlement to child benefit in respect of a child resident (a) in the UK and (b) in another EEA member state; and in respect of what proportion of such applications such proof was requested in the last financial year.
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To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals resident in (a) Scotland and (b) England have had tax credit overpayments written off in the last 10 financial years.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the recently negotiated Council of Ministers' position on the European Commission's proposals for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC would require the UK and other member states to...
More of Robert Smith's written questions
