Former Labour MP for Livingston
As my hon. Friend knows, there are over 100 years of coal underground. Should we not look at a strategy for extracting that coal? That would make a major contribution to the eradication of fuel poverty.
Has my right hon. and learned Friend seen today's Daily Record, which exposed a legalised lending company charging an annual percentage rate of 2,639,538.9 per cent? Is it not about time that we followed the lead of European countries and put a cap on interest charges, especially in the run-up to Christmas?
Can we follow the lead of other European countries and introduce a cap on interest rates for the likes of store cards? People will be using store cards over the next few weeks in the run-up to Christmas. If someone spends £1,000, it will take them 15 years to clear that if they simply pay the minimum. That is totally unacceptable.
Is it not time that the international community got together and took sanctions against Israel for its behaviour?
We are having a similar debate in Scotland, and one of the models that has been proposed is that we might introduce a parades commission. If Northern Ireland had such a successful 12 July, or 13 July, surely that shows that the Parades Commission is working.
Again this week, there was an article in a national newspaper on the unacceptable behaviour of a senior manager working at Network Rail. I have been raising this matter, along with the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, for seven or eight months. I had a debate in Westminster Hall on the issue, where I asked 14 questions about it. Can I get an answer to those questions?
This week marks the third anniversary of the collapse of the Farepak Christmas savings scheme. The directors have not been called to account, and tens of thousands of decent, hard-working families still want to know what happened to their money. May we have a debate on this in Government time, and can we have a report on the matter, similar to the one that was produced on MG Motors?
Unlike my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Hamilton), I fully support the Scottish Justice Secretary's decision to send al-Megrahi home. During the middle of this furore it was reported that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had sealed the papers for ever regarding the Lockerbie bombing. Is that the case, and if so why?
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the development of carbon capture and storage technology; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid in fees to Pender Coucher Associates for work in connection with the establishment of Network Rail in 2002.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much of the fees paid by Network Rail to Coucher Pender Ltd. between 2007 and 2009 was paid in salaries and bonuses to Iain Coucher and Victoria Pender; (2) how much of the fees paid to Coucher Pender Ltd., formerly Pender Coucher Associates, between 2002 and 2007 by Network Rail were paid in salaries and bonuses to Iain Coucher and...
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much was paid by Network Rail to Coucher Pender Ltd. formerly Pender Coucher Associates, between 2002 and 2007; (2) how much was paid in fees by Network Rail to Coucher Pender Ltd. formerly Pender Coucher Associates, between April 2007 and April 2009.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on their use of pre-payment meters; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on steps to ensure that businesses in Scotland are complying with the requirement to pay the national minimum wage.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of UK-Cuba relations; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department offers in respect of mortgage repayments to people who have lost their jobs.
