John Baron: As the number of new business regulations introduced by the Government stands at a record high, and as the findings of a survey last year by the largest employment firm in the country showed that employers spend on average the equivalent of one and a half days of the working week administering employment law and dealing with personnel issues, will the Minister accept the CBI's charge that the...
John Baron: Given that Poland receives twice as much aid from the European Union overseas aid package as Latin America and Asia combined, and that the top 10 beneficiaries are all countries that border the EU, I put it to the Secretary of State that the Government could do far more to support the poor people of Cameroon by stopping the EU playing petty politics with the poor of the world, and by...
John Baron: I am conscious that time is short, so I shall keep my comments brief. Thank you for allowing me to contribute to this important debate, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The debate is important because there can be little doubt that the public are rightly concerned about rising crime, especially violent crime. That is happening at a time when morale in the police force is at an all-time low. People look to...
John Baron: What initiatives he will introduce to combat violent crime.
John Baron: Although the latest figures show that violent crime is rising—particularly in Essex, where there has been a 33 per cent. increase since 1998—the number of police constables has fallen. Will the Minister stop picking a fight with the police and learn from Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, that the best way of reducing all categories of crime is substantially to increase the...
John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding the EU overseas aid package.
John Baron: What plans she has to compensate individual learning account training providers who have suffered financial loss as a result of the closure of the scheme.
John Baron: I thank the Minister for his response, but I believe that that answer is shameful. Given that it is generally recognised that because of poor controls the Government allowed this initiative to turn into a shambles, which has cost £65 million in fraud, left many students in the lurch and forced many learning providers to shed jobs—and, in some cases, go out of business altogether—why will...
John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she intends to meet Health Ministers from the United Kingdom Government and the devolved Administrations to discuss NHS waiting lists.
John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on the provision of financial support for international sporting events in the UK.
John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of criminal activity undertaken by paramilitary groups.
John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of police stations in fighting crime.
John Baron: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for calling me to speak in this important debate. I refer hon. Members to my declaration of interests. Unfortunately, the Budget will cause more harm than good over the longer term, for yet again taxes are being raised by a Government who believe that they know best how to spend our money. History suggests that that is not the case. Since 1997 every man, woman...
John Baron: What concerns people most as regards crime, certainly in my constituency, is the level of street crime and violent crime. There is no denying that that has risen significantly in the past few years. People are asking why, when they are paying more in tax. In addition, our rail network is deteriorating, with train—
John Baron: With respect to the hon. Gentleman, that figure is debatable. From the point of view of my constituents—I am in the House to represent my constituency—crime overall is increasing. If the hon. Gentleman does not believe that, I suggest that he comes and visits my constituency. Street crime, violent crime, burglaries and car crime are significantly on the up and are causing great...
John Baron: The measures relating to VAT have been broadly welcomed by business, but they do not make that much difference. What does make a difference, to employers in particular, is a rise in national insurance contributions. That affects cash flow.
John Baron: If the hon. Gentleman will allow me, I must make progress. In a letter to the Financial Times on Friday, the Foreign Banks and Securities Houses Association warned that the change to the tax treatment of UK branches of foreign banks "will result in business going abroad and short term gain and long term destruction of the best industry in the UK. Our competitor countries must be laughing with...
John Baron: I do not see how that contradicts what I said. More money is spent per head of the population on health, yet waiting lists are longer. That is the simple fact. Money alone is not the answer. Even in England, where spending on the NHS has been rising, as we well know, the system has not been getting better. Waiting lists are rising again; people are waiting longer in accident and emergency...
John Baron: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
John Baron: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?