Andrew MacKay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress has been made on the proposed part-privatisation of Royal Mail.
Andrew MacKay: I return to President Obama's highly significant speech in Cairo this morning. Bearing in mind that our country is still probably America's closest ally and has huge interests in the middle east, and given that the Leader of the House has said that the topical debate for Thursday has not yet been decided, may I suggest that there could not be anything more topical than a debate on the middle...
Andrew MacKay: As the situation in Zimbabwe is still grave despite the power-sharing Government, and as there will be some very tricky, delicate decisions to be made on when is the appropriate time to increase aid, does the Leader of the House think that it would be a good idea for the Secretary of State for International Development to make a statement when we return after the recess?
Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on proposed changes to speed limits; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew MacKay: What steps his Department is taking to alleviate pensioner poverty; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew MacKay: When I was manning a stall in Bracknell town centre recently and asking people to sign a petition on pensioner poverty, a large number of pensioners asked me why the Chancellor had not zero-rated or stopped taxing their unearned income, given that they were on the basic rate of tax. I could not answer that, and I cannot believe that he has not done so. Perhaps the Minister would like to...
Andrew MacKay: When the Leader of the House put the Government's case on the DNA database passionately, repeatedly and at length, did it not occur to her that that was precisely why there needs to be an oral statement from the Home Secretary? Feelings are running very high on the matter, and there is a lot that needs to be said. Should not the Home Secretary have been dragged to that Dispatch Box to make a...
Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of electoral administration in the UK.
Andrew MacKay: Why is there nothing about grace and favour homes for Ministers in the motions that the Government have laid before us for debate later today, given that that matter was included—very welcome it was too—in the Prime Minister's original proposals?
Andrew MacKay: As this deep recession is particularly difficult for young people wondering about their future, I am sure that the Secretary of State must be concerned that the number of young people who will not get a place at university this year is higher than normal, particularly as this was supposed to be the year when 50 per cent. of all young people would go on to higher education. Does he have a...
Andrew MacKay: It is very funny and I agree it was worth pausing, but let us now return to the serious issue of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. I put it to the Leader of the House that the accusations made by Mr. Ken Boston to the Select Committee were immensely serious; he is a man who held a considerable job, so he cannot just be ignored. I further suggest to the Leader of the...
Andrew MacKay: What progress has been made on the introduction of the homeowner mortgage support scheme.
Andrew MacKay: Since the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the homeowner mortgage support scheme in December, more than 25,000 homes have been repossessed. Why has action taken so long? Will the Minister apologise to all those families who lost their homes unnecessarily, due to the Government's incompetence?
Andrew MacKay: Will the Home Secretary tell the House how many people are now in this country who made an application from Pakistan under the student visa system?
Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the implications of US-Iranian relations for UK foreign policy.
Andrew MacKay: The Leader of House will have noted that Lord Myners responded in writing to the Treasury Committee admitting that he had—no doubt, mistakenly—given false evidence to it the week before and did understand and know all the details of Sir Fred Goodwin's pension. In the light of that, should we not have a statement from the Chancellor, and should not Lord Myners be considering his position?
Andrew MacKay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department had with representatives of the Royal Bank of Scotland in October 2008 on the pension arrangements for Sir Fred Goodwin.
Andrew MacKay: While Sir Liam Donaldson's comments about tackling alcohol abuse might have been well meaning, does the Secretary of State accept that for many of my constituents—perfectly ordinary people struggling in this recession—the idea of a huge tax increase on relatively cheap bottles of wine is quite unreasonable?
Andrew MacKay: The European Council deserves our support in putting pressure on unco-operative tax havens. Why did the Prime Minister not mention Bermuda when naming the various countries that are tax havens? Has it anything to do with representations from Lord Myners?
Andrew MacKay: Given that the Prime Minister appeared to be in denial yesterday, that the Minister responsible for further education, the Under-Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Simon), was embarrassingly hapless when interviewed on the "Today" programme this morning, and that the right hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) has...
