Former Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East
May I first express my sadness that you, Madam Deputy Speaker, are also standing down from the coterie of Essex MPs? I thank you for your part in recognising the talents of a young James Duddridge in Melton Mowbray, and rubber-stamping, over a glass of white wine, my aim to serve as a Member of Parliament. Comrades, time flies in this place. I remember, in 2004, having round my kitchen table...
You are not going to make me cry. I thank my hon. Friend, and I do think we need to change whom we elect as candidates. For a number of reasons, I hope I am replaced by a woman in Rochford and Southend East—or Southend East and Rochford, as it is now called. I would like to mention Lucy Paton-Brown, who was with me for 10 years and is absolutely fabulous, and Philippa Buckley, who is now in...
A revelation—I thank my right hon. Friend. It has been absolutely superb. I will miss this place, and I say thank you to everyone who has served—in the broadest way—this House.
rose—
indicated assent.
Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I was one of those who was thrown off the Committee. I had been asked by the House to join it, and I did the right thing in reviewing the paperwork. At the outset, I did not know that the draft Postal Packets (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023 were particularly controversial, but when I had done the research and found that they were, I told...
A Speaker’s Conference on this issue has been suggested. If Mr Speaker were to invite the FCDO for tea and cake, would my right hon. Friend commit ministerial time to attending to thrash through these issues? As my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Dame Maria Miller) said, there have not been an awful lot of meetings or progress since March.
If a ten-minute rule Bill were tabled for the end of business on every day between now and the summer recess, I am sure there would be someone to speak to it if we finished early. And if we did not finish early, the Bill simply would not be moved. I am pretty certain that we will not go to the moment of interruption every day over the next two weeks, so there is a window of opportunity.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions her Department has had with (a) hospitals in (i) Essex and (ii) Hertfordshire and (b) the Royal London Hospital on improving helicopter night landing availability.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving tests were conducted at the Southend Driving Test Centre in each year since 2010.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has undertaken a business impact assessment of the proposed changes to the Private Parking Code of Practice in (a) Rochford and Southend East constituency and (b) England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the Terms of Reference for the consultation on the Private Parking Code of Practice.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the timetable for the consultation on the Private Parking Code of Practice.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Malawi on the treatment and work of Martha Chizuma, Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau Director.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of mandating sustainable drainage systems for all new housing developments in England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full time equivalent staff his Department has in Eswatini.
