David Lepper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made with the Confederation of British Industry in developing a scheme to replace the home computer initiative; and if he will make a statement.
David Lepper: I certainly agree with my hon. Friend. At an earlier stage in the consideration of the Bill, I drew the Minister's attention to many people's concerns about the potential for the spread of avian flu as a result of the conditions in some bird fairs. I emphasise again that, although I welcome what the Minister has said and will listen with interest to what he has to say in answer to the hon....
David Lepper: Although I did not have the privilege of serving on the Standing Committee considering the Bill, like the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) and my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), I was one of those who spent many happy and sometimes fraught hours a couple of years ago on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee considering the draft Bill and making proposals...
David Lepper: As my hon. Friend will know, a number of aspects of the Bill, especially the holding of pet fairs, will be subject to the making of regulations. In the light of a recent judgment and my hon. Friend's statement on it, will he guarantee that there will be extensive consultation on the detail of regulations to ensure that such events are organised only by hobbyist and interest groups? Will he...
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in securing funding from his Climate Change Fund in the latest round; for which schemes funding was awarded; how much was awarded in each case; and when applications will be invited for the next round of bids.
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the proposed roles are of (a) his Department and (b) the Department of Trade and Industry in relation tothe Environmental Transformation Fund; and what the timescale is for the implementation of the proposals for the fund.
David Lepper: I have been asked to present a petition about an aspect of the situation in Iraq that has gone largely unreported: the systematic attacks on and murder of gay and lesbian Iraqis. The petition is signed by David Harvey and is supported by the names of 234 other people. The petition states: The Petition of residents of Brighton and others, Declares that the petitioners are gravely concerned...
David Lepper: I welcome what my right hon. and learned Friend has just said, but when I met members of the Sussex Law Society some two weeks ago many of them expressed grave concern about the continuing availability of representation for vulnerable people in family law cases. Will she give due consideration to the representations that I have forwarded to her Department on behalf of members of the Sussex...
David Lepper: I apologise for not being here at the start of the debate, Mr. Taylor. I had another engagement. My hon. Friend mentioned vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds. Does he agree that the work of the foyer movement is doing in relation to housing for vulnerable young people is especially important in this country? Does he share my hope that the Government will reconsider the 16-hour rule which prevents...
David Lepper: I welcome my hon. Friend's comments. Does he agree, however, that one of the issues, as I have learned from speaking to students, is a reluctance on the part of some students to report incidents in the first place because they are not convinced that they will be dealt with properly by university authorities?
David Lepper: First, I place on record that I am a trustee of a small local charity, Ardis, that is based in Brighton and Hove. It works on behalf of people with dementia in that area. I am also a member of the Association of Town Centre Management. The reason for that declaration might become clear when I say that I wish to concentrate my remarks on part 3, and particularly on street collections. Despite...
David Lepper: I take the hon. Gentleman back to a comment he made a few moments ago. I paused before intervening because I wanted to think about what he said. Did he really mean to say that most state education is mediocre, or did I mishear him?
David Lepper: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will make a statement on the changes recommended by the Committee to the rules on broadcasting proceedings of the House and on filming and photography within the precincts.
David Lepper: Before the Minister leaves the question of young people and volunteering, does he agree that it is important to consider those young people who have caring responsibilities thrust upon them, such as caring for ailing parents or for younger brothers and sisters? Will he pay tribute to the work of Brighton and Hove carers centre in supporting the needs of young carers in the Brighton and Hove...
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how his Department promotes reusable products as part of its policies on waste prevention and sustainability; and if he will make a statement; (2) what assessment his Department has made of the comparative impact of reusable and single-use products on the waste stream; (3) what programmes (a) run by and (b)...
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he received on the Sunday Trading Act 1994 from (a) retailers and (b) others prior to 13 January.
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) plans to conduct on the likely impact of proposed changes to the Sunday Trading Act 1994 on shops of under 3,000 square feet.
David Lepper: Will the hon. Lady explain why she believes the 1994 Act has become outdated? Perhaps she is going to explain that later in her speech.
David Lepper: I thank the hon. Lady for giving way again, but I ask her to note that the figures that I cited and to which she refers came from the report commissioned by the DTI and carried out by Indepen, and not from one of the interest groups to which she referred—perhaps to cast doubt on the validity of those surveys.
David Lepper: I too congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on obtaining the debate. I should declare that I am a life member of the Association of Town Centre Management, although I do not believe that it has a particular view on Sunday trading. The question I ask myself is where the call to extend Sunday hours comes from, because it does not seem to come from us in...
