Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the successful bidder for the Thameslink rolling stock order.
Margaret Beckett: Does the Secretary of State recognise that there is strong cross-party support in the House, not only for British manufacturing in general, but in particular for the sole remaining British train maker, which eagerly awaits the award of the contract for the Thameslink line? What is the timing for that?
Margaret Beckett: Does the Minister recognise that decisions made by local councils such as the Tory one in Derby to close Sure Start projects is another example of where women are losing out and finding their opportunities for employment much diminished?
Margaret Beckett: I congratulate my hon. Friend not only on her Committee's report but on securing today's debate. I am particularly glad to hear her mention Thameslink. The report mentions investment in the north, but she will be well aware that it is the order of new trains for Thameslink that will release the existing fleet to newly electrified projects in the north-west. She spoke a moment ago about the...
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his plans for the electrification of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Sheffield via Derby and Nottingham.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effects of his economic and fiscal policies on the high technology manufacturing sector in the City of Derby; and if he will make a statement.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the gross value added was of the economy of the City of Derby was in each of the last 10 years.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made in establishing a local enterprise partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands was employed in the private sector in each of the last 10 years.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the workforce of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands is classified as employed in high technology industries.
Margaret Beckett: The Bill is as dangerous as it is dishonest because it is rooted in a set of false premises. My right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr Straw) completely demolished the argument that it is either necessary or desirable to redraw almost every constituency boundary, especially when the independent Boundary Commission has just redrawn them. He highlighted the danger of removing the...
Margaret Beckett: I am sorry, but time is so short. I recognise the argument that the alternative vote does not create a fully proportional system, but I oppose the proposal for exactly the same reason that the Liberals support it. Like them, I regard it as the thin end of the wedge, and I oppose their ultimate goal. Incidentally, it is now clear that in the formation of the coalition, the Liberals tried to...
Margaret Beckett: I am sorry that I was not able to take part in last week's debate about these issues, but I have read it with care. I rise to speak, briefly, only because I share the universal view of Members that it is important to do everything that we can to increase the public's confidence in the House. However, I must confess to a degree of scepticism about the contribution that all the changes will...
Margaret Beckett: With respect to the hon. Gentleman, I think that perhaps he was not listening with sufficient care to what I said. I did not say that this is a system that the House cannot make work, but that it is a system into which we are intending to proceed without any kind of experiment or trial to see how we make it work for the best. If I may say so, I think that I probably have as much experience as...
Margaret Beckett: I am going to finish now. I have great regard for this House, and I do not wish it to bring itself into any kind of disrepute. If we begin with a Back-Bench business committee, and if it works as brilliantly as everybody in the Chamber tells me that it will, then that will be absolutely fine, and we can proceed unhindered in the next Parliament with a House committee. However, I feel that...
Margaret Beckett: Mr. Williams, when the House was first broadcast, Mike Yarwood, the political impersonator, when asked for his reaction, said, "I hope I never have to face an audience like that." I am very conscious today of facing an electorate who know our strengths as well as we do and our weaknesses rather better. One of mine is a deep reluctance to answer only yes or no to a question that I think calls...
Margaret Beckett: English Partnerships made no payments for public affairs work in the years 2005-06, 2006-07 or 2007-08. It is possible that some spend in relation to community consultation and engagement on specific projects may have involved public affairs firms, but it is not possible to separately identify these other than at disproportionate cost. The only public affairs firm used by the Housing...
Margaret Beckett: Figures for preserved right to buy (PRTB) sales are not available at individual local authority area. The following table shows the total number of PRTB sales by registered social landlords from 2000-01. Number of preserved right to buy sales, England Number of sales 2007-08 2,812 2006-07 3,910 2005-06 5,014 2004-05 7,331 2003-04 11,699 2002-03 8,858 ...
Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the number of homes built and acquired for social rent in each year from 1991-92. Figures for the supply of homes for social rent are not available prior to this time. England New Build Acquisitions Other Total for social rent 1991-92 21,770 3,940 — 25,710 1992-93 39,510 17,510 — 57,020 1993-94 40,270 8,670 — 48,940 1994-95...
Margaret Beckett: The total number of section 9 consents granted in each of the last three years was as follows: Total granted 2006-07 1,463 2007-08 2,223 2008-09 2,025 Information about unsuccessful applications for section 9 consents was not collected in these years. Changes were made to the system for collating consents data in July 2008 and, as a result of these changes, the TSA will...