Former Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Let me add my best wishes for your retirement, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hope it will be a long and happy one. I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. As waiting-list figures continue to fall, which is fantastic, it is vital that we continue to boost access to primary care, so will she join me in welcoming the news that the excellent Garth surgery in Gisborough, in my constituency, is...
I welcome confirmation from my right hon. Friend that the Government do not consider the current drafting of the proposed treaty to be acceptable; it is good to have that on the record. On a principles-led basis, I do not believe it is in the UK’s national interest to accede to this. Anything that compromises our ability to make sovereign choices is profoundly unwelcome. Can the Minister...
I add my tribute to the late Frank Field, who was an extraordinary man and a great parliamentarian. In welcoming the announcement of an additional £75 billion over the next six years, which is much needed, may I urge the Secretary of State to consider the potential for a fifth successor-class submarine? I note that the patrol times for the Vanguard class are approaching 200 days, which is...
Does my right hon. Friend agree—we do not agree on everything—that anyone who want to see why the Government introduced strong Mayors need look only at Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley? From saving our airport to introducing our freeport to bringing steelmaking back, Ben delivers. Does my right hon. Friend also agree that the best thing is that Ben has done this without charging any mayoral...
It is a pleasure to be called in this debate, although I confess it is one that has depressed me, because this is fundamentally illiberal legislation. If I am in the House for any reason it is because I believe in liberalism—in the ability of people to make better choices for themselves than can the state. It strikes me that we are witnessing an encroaching tide whereby ever more of our...
That would arguably be perfectly sensible, but it is different from a ban. The point is about the degree of harm. I strongly support the ban on illegal drugs, but I do so because cocaine, heroin and the like wreck lives and destroy communities. Tobacco does not do that, but we already have enough difficulty enforcing the existing bans that we have in place, which already stretch our resources...
With respect to my hon. Friend, I said that those drugs destroy communities. There is a profound difference. The ripple effect of illegal drugs is to prompt real social harm to others, because those habits are so destructive that people steal and rob to fund them. Tobacco does not do that. It is obviously extremely bad for people, but it does not drive patterns of behaviour as destructive as...
I proudly call myself a libertarian, because I believe in the fundamental value of freedom of decision making. On what we should and should not ban, I would argue there is a very substantial difference between banning class A and class B drugs, which do immense harm in all our communities, and banning tobacco. We already struggle to stop the former, so why on earth would we try to create and...
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 4 December 2023 from the Rt hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland relating to a constituent, reference SC3361 and SC6612.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the total cost was of the Independent inquiry into Teesworks.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there were for antisocial behaviour in Cleveland in each of the last five years for which data is available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ involvement in the (a) production and (b) provision of armed drones used by Russia in Ukraine.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for national security of reports Iran has attempted to kill or kidnap British nationals in the UK.
Tax Free Childcare provides financial support for working parents with their childcare costs. For every £8 parents pay into their childcare account, the government adds £2 up to a maximum of £2,000 in top up per year for each child aged up to 11, and up to £4,000 per disabled child until they’re 17. The Government spent £43 million on TFC top-up for families in March 2022 (the most...
Since 2015, HM Treasury has been working closely with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to deliver on this Government’s manifesto commitment to construct the UK Holocaust Memorial.
Throughout the pandemic, the Government sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods while also supporting businesses and public services across the UK. To do this, the Government has provided up to £400 billion of direct support for the economy. The Government is evaluating the delivery and impact of these schemes to ensure we learn lessons for the future. For example, the Government...
