Results 141–160 of 7363 for speaker:James Gray

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I am most grateful to my hon. Friend; she is of course quite right. We are concerned about the technology; it will not last. We are concerned about the 40-year planning permission that has been granted. We are concerned about who stands behind this. I am also very concerned, in a technical sense, about battery storage units. These solar farms are no use at all, because the use of energy...

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I am rather short of time. My hon. Friend will have time to reply in a moment. That brings me to my final point, which is on the planning system. Wiltshire, as I said, is the second largest county in England, and we have hundreds of these applications right now. We have found that the Government have laid down targets for the county and therefore the planning officers very correctly say to...

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: If I may say so, Ms Nokes, that is precisely why I said that I could not remember his constituency—I was hoping that I would be assisted. [Interruption.] He is my right hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (George Eustice).

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: My right hon. Friend appeared in front of the Environmental Audit Committee, on which I serve. He made it plain that, in his view, 3b land was included in the presumption against and it would be in the NPPF when it came out. He then had to write to me to correct that; officials made him correct that particular point. We need to see, first, a reference to 3a and 3b. Secondly, we need to find...

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the more of these things that can be decided at the local level, the better it will be. First, we are talking about sites of up to 200 acres, which is quite large, particularly in places such as Cornwall. Secondly, the fact is that if Government policy has a presumption in favour of solar, and if counties like Cornwall or Wiltshire have targets that they...

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I am listening carefully to the hon. Gentleman’s extremely interesting speech. Will he clarify whether the Liberal Democrats in general are, and he in particular is, in favour of solar panels on agricultural land or opposed to them?

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I am sorry to keep pressing the point, because I am using up the hon. Gentleman’s time. Am I right in thinking that he is talking about a great many more solar farms, albeit smaller ones? If so, will he send a message to Devon County Council that he would welcome a large number of smaller—up to 200 acres, perhaps—solar farms in his constituency, rather than the bigger ones that the...

Planning and Solar Farms — [Caroline Nokes in the Chair] (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: My hon. Friend is quite right. The national planning policy framework has a presumption against the use of good quality agricultural land, but that is not the problem—3a land is exempt from solar. The problem is slightly less good quality land, 3b in particular. In the old days the Government said solar was banned from 3b, but they have now changed their mind and are allowing 3b to be used....

Veterans Update (19 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I thank my right hon. Friend, and also the shadow Minister— the hon. Member for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins)—for all they have had to say about this excellent report. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt), whose testimony moved us all. This is a very fine report, and Lord Etherton has done a first-class job in bringing it forward. I very much welcome the fact...

UK-Mongolian Relations (12 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I thank the Chairman of Ways and Means for kindly allowing me to take part in this debate after having opened it in the Chair. It is an unusual thing to have done, and I am glad to have set a new record. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski), whose speech was wide-ranging, geopolitical and extremely interesting. He is a true master in the...

UK-Mongolian Relations (12 Jul 2023)

James Gray: I do not have much time. My hon. Friend spoke for 45 minutes—[Interruption.] Let us not bother with that for now. I hope we will see Gobi developing further in the years to come. We in this country have an enormous amount to contribute to Mongolia. I have already mentioned democracy and the free-market economy, both of which we can lead on for Mongolia and the rest of the world, and we can...

UK-Mongolian Relations (12 Jul 2023)

James Gray: May I announce a rather unusual change to normal procedure? I intend to take part in the debate, but I am also a member of the Speaker’s Panel of Chairmen, and it has been agreed by all parties that in the absence of the regular Chairman, I shall chair the debate until Sir Roger Gale comes to relieve me, which should be in a few minutes. I hope that that is acceptable to the House.

Women and Equalities: Equality Act 2010: Public Bodies (12 Jul 2023)

James Gray: We were all delighted that the Government appointed an independent inquiry chaired by Lord Etherton to look into the disgraceful treatment of LGBT soldiers, sailors and air people before 2001 and the fact that those wrongs have not yet been put right. That report was given to the Government some three weeks ago now, and I understand that the Government have said they will produce it before...

Energy Security and Net Zero: Clean Energy Projects: Planning System ( 4 Jul 2023)

James Gray: Local authorities have a presumption in favour of solar, and quite right, too, but should they not also consider the cumulative effect of solar farms? Wiltshire is the second largest county in England for solar farms. If the new Red Barn project at Kington St Michael is added, it will be one of the largest solar farms in Britain. We are covering our good agricultural land with solar farms in...

Home Department: Asylum Accommodation: Hotels ( 3 Jul 2023)

James Gray: While I do very much welcome the Minister’s determination to move away from hotels and towards other accommodation, will he give particular attention to the Wiltshire hotel and golf club in my constituency? The number there has gone up: there are now 120 people there, and they are all crammed into very small accommodation. It is not only bad from the point of view of the golf club members...

Defence: Veterans Support (26 Jun 2023)

James Gray: One group of veterans to whom a gross injustice was done many years ago is the LGBT community, who until 2001 were court-martialled, shamed and dismissed. That shame is still with them today and has not yet been corrected. The Government perfectly properly commissioned a report by Lord Etherton to look into the whole matter, and I understand it was provided last week. Will the Government...

Public Bill Committee: Energy Bill [Lords]: Clause 136 - Principal objective and general duties of Secretary of State and GEMA under Part 4 (22 Jun 2023)

James Gray: With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Clause 137 stand part. That schedule 9 be the Ninth schedule to the Bill. Clause 138 stand part. Government amendment 18. Clause 139 stand part.

Public Bill Committee: Energy Bill [Lords]: New Clause 8 - Key definitions (22 Jun 2023)

James Gray: With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Public Bill Committee: Energy Bill [Lords]: Clause 132 - Transfers (22 Jun 2023)

James Gray: There is no need to pause. Please crack on.

Public Bill Committee: Energy Bill [Lords]: Clause 132 - Transfers (22 Jun 2023)

James Gray: No, it is a speech. The Minister finished, and therefore the hon. Member is making a speech.


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