Jim McGovern: As a new Member, I thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for allowing me the opportunity to make my maiden speech. I also congratulate and compliment my hon. Friends the Members for Swansea, East (Mrs. James) and for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper), and the hon. Members for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Wallace) and for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper) on their excellent maiden speeches. Like the hon. Member...
Jim McGovern: Does my right hon. Friend agree that the growth of research and development in life sciences and biochemicals is crucial to the Scottish economy generally and to my constituency in particular? Can he give assurances that the Government will continue to support the pioneering work being done by, for example, Dundee university, whose principal I will meet later this week?
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on the Middle East Roadmap to peace.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he provides to businesses in England on the legality of Scottish currency.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses he received to the consultation on the revoking of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to revoke the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004; and if he will make a statement.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made in establishing a tripartite committee to discuss local government pensions; and if he will make a statement.
Jim McGovern: The Bill seems to have one theme running through it—to address more seriously the by-products of the large and, for the most part, welcome increase in the volume and capacity of air travel within the UK. In what way can the Government regulate to correct the externalities and market failures not dealt with by the ever-increasing air industry? In the past it may have been easier to ignore...
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk to sea birds of placing a large wind farm in the Thames Estuary; and if she will make a statement.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid programmes his Department has in the Palestinian territories.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provision the Government have made to continue aid missions in countries without British embassies.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new British embassies have been opened since 1997.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British embassies have been closed since 1997.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total saving to his Department has been in each year since the British embassies in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador were closed.
Jim McGovern: I am intrigued by the definition of ''under the flight path''. If the height of an aircraft is irrelevant, then on a flight from London to Aberdeen there would be many thousands of people under the flight path. Is there a strict definition about height? How high does a plane need to be for the people under it not to be under the flight path?
Jim McGovern: Obviously, there is technology available that allows us to measure sound and carbon emissions. However, I cannot see that measuring impact is such an exact science. How would the impact of a breach be measured?
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of (a) incapacity benefit, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) income support and (d) income support for lone parents in (i) Dundee West and (ii) Dundee East (A) in the most recent year for which figures are available and (B) one year previously.
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the treatment of myeloma.
Jim McGovern: Many women lose out on pension equality not only because they take time out to care for children early in life, but because they take time out later in life to become carers. Will the Secretary of State take steps to address those issues on behalf of women?