Jim Fitzpatrick: I beg to move, That this House has considered animal rescue centres. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. Having lost two thirds of my first minute, I am pleased that my speech will go on for only 12 minutes, so I should be able to accommodate one or two colleagues who have indicated that they might wish to intervene. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this...
Jim Fitzpatrick: I very much take the right hon. Gentleman’s point that this is not a party political issue. Indeed, most of my comments do not attack the Government but commend them for the comments and proposals they have made. However, we need to move on. He makes an interesting suggestion, and perhaps the Minister will respond to it. Animal cruelty offenders are five times more likely to have a violent...
Jim Fitzpatrick: My hon. Friend has been assiduous on this issue. I will move on to the ADCH later on and will recognise the work of the RSPCA and others.
Jim Fitzpatrick: I congratulate the hon. Gentleman’s wife on her work. I mentioned four of the main organisations, but there are many across the country working in this field and I pay tribute to them all; they do fantastic work and we appreciate it. The 2018 regulations refresh the licensing regime for: selling animals as pets; dog breeding; boarding kennels; boarding for cats; home boarding for dogs; day...
Jim Fitzpatrick: My hon. Friend makes a relevant and eloquent point. I can add to his criticism of unscrupulous breeders. That problem needs to be addressed. The 2018 regulations do not address the regulation of rescue centres. The RSPCA has issued a position statement on licensing animal rescue and rehoming centres. It believes that the Government should introduce licensing of animal rescue and rehoming...
Jim Fitzpatrick: The hon. Gentleman raises a serious point. The Select Committee on which we served—he is still a distinguished member—has looked at the issue, which is troubling for welfare organisations and needs Government attention. The RSPCA believes that all rescue and rehoming centres and sanctuaries should be licensed under the animal regulations, first, to close the loophole in the third-party...
Jim Fitzpatrick: My hon. Friend has much better knowledge of his local centre than I do, and the fact that he is concerned about it concerns me. I am glad that he called my speech impassioned—I am actually hastening to try to get through it, having taken a number of interventions. I hope to get to the end, and I hope the Minister understands that I may run over by a few minutes. Dogs Trust calls on the...
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Walker. I am delighted to follow the hon. Member for Waveney (Peter Aldous). I offer my congratulations to the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr Baker) on setting up this important debate. I, too, am grateful to the Loan Charge Action Group for its briefing and, in particular, to our former colleague in the House, Greg Mulholland, for his assistance in...
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a pleasure to see you presiding over the debate, Mr Betts. I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for St Ives (Derek Thomas). I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) and the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont) on securing this important debate. I also thank the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport...
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals after the UK has left the EU on graphic warnings on firework packaging on the health dangers from the misuse of pyrotechnics.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated to projects to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution.
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford). I am grateful to various organisations for their briefings on this evening’s debate, including PACTS, Brake, Cycling UK, the Road Safety Foundation, Guide Dogs, Ageas and the Towards Zero Foundation. I have two main comments, one about language and one about why road safety is a constituency issue, as well as a...
Housing, Communities and Local Government: Leasehold reform.
Witnesses: Sir Peter Bottomley MP, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold Reform Jim Fitzpatrick MP, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold Reform Martin Boyd, Chair of Trustees, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership Jo Darbyshire, National Leasehold Campaign Katie Kendrick, National Leasehold Campaign Shula Rich, Director, Federation of Private Residents' Associations
Jim Fitzpatrick: I am pleased to see you presiding over our proceedings, Mrs Moon. I congratulate the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Jack Brereton) on securing this important debate. I will do my best to be brief, given how many hon. Members want to contribute. I chair Fire Aid, an international charity that delivers pillar 5 post-crash response to 40 countries using staff and equipment from the UK...
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people affected by the lower benefit cap in May 2018 were also affected by the cap in February 2017.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people no longer affected by the lower benefit cap became exempt because they became in receipt of (a) employment and support allowance (support group), (b) personal independent payments and (c) another exempting benefit.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing free electrical safety checks for vulnerable older people.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what help is available to people living in the owner-occupied housing sector who have electrically unsafe properties but are unable to afford essential remedial work.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress his Department has made on introducing mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.