John Pugh: I am interested in what the Minister says about the Todmorden curve, because it shows that small-scale curve reinstallation—as I outlined in the case of Burscough—can pay dividends. He mentioned his commitment to connectivity, which I think we all share. As part of that commitment, will he look into the mooted change to the Southport to Manchester line? Under those new arrangements, my...
John Pugh: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that for many people who live in Lancashire—I know he does not, so he cannot be expected to know this—HS2 is a distant dream? The improvements they would most like are some easing in getting by train from, say, Preston to Liverpool, or anywhere in east Lancashire from the coast.
John Pugh: I concur with the hon. Gentleman’s views about Transport for the North, but is not the danger that the best prepared local authorities—by that I mean Manchester and Liverpool—knowing what they are going to do, will have disproportionate influence compared with other areas?
John Pugh: I congratulate the hon. Member for South Ribble (Seema Kennedy) on securing this debate. I often travel through her constituency, paying particular attention to the speed cameras in Penwortham that regularly trap an awful lot of my constituents. The hon. Lady and I represent the same corner of Lancs. I am tempted to call it a forgotten corner because its priorities are masked by the greater...
John Pugh: What actual progress has been made with the top three projects recommended by the northern electrification taskforce, which was chaired by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Andrew Jones)?
John Pugh: In July 2012, when the Government signed a compulsory transfer agreement with Albania, the then prison Minister said he hoped it would be the first of many. How many have there been since then, and how is the arrangement with Albania going?
John Pugh: Will the Minister explain further how the new proposed national curriculum will cater for the needs of disadvantaged pupils? In particular, can he explain the following sentence in today’s written statement: “For pupils with high needs, the local authority remains the right level at which to distribute funding”?
John Pugh: On the subject of uptake, nearby Merseyside authorities are not claiming the millions that BT set aside for non-commercial broadband areas. Will the Minister look into that and put some pressure on the councils?
John Pugh: Will the Minister clarify how much of the £1.5 billion promised by the Government has been delivered and handed over?
John Pugh: The Minister mentions parents. Does the balance of the Bill not concern him in that it gives at least seven new powers to the Secretary of State, but not one new power to parents?
John Pugh: I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to establish the right of schools and academies to challenge the timing and format of school inspections; to appeal against the outcomes of such inspections; to make provision about increasing accountability and quality assurance within the school inspection system; and for connected purposes. I apologise in advance, Mr Speaker, for my...
John Pugh: My enthusiasm is undiminished, Mr Speaker. Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That John Pugh, Mr Clive Betts, Norman Lamb, Tom Brake, Kelvin Hopkins, Greg Mulholland, Mr Mark Williams, Steve McCabe and Fiona Bruce present the Bill. John Pugh accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 11 March 2016, and to be printed (Bill 131).
John Pugh: What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Church Commissioners’ ethical investment policy.
John Pugh: I thank the right hon. Lady for that full response, but is not the correct principle that the commissioners actively seek to shun investment in companies guilty of what the Chancellor calls “aggressive tax avoidance”?
John Pugh: What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the British automotive industry is able to develop and benefit from evolving technologies.
John Pugh: I thank the Secretary of State for his response. We read yesterday of his enthusiasm for driverless cars, but what specific encouragement and incentive will he provide for the more mature and greener technology of hydrogen fuel cells?
John Pugh: If I understand the hon. Lady correctly, she supports a commitment, but not a commission, but would a commission not be a sign of such a commitment?
John Pugh: I invite the Minister to comment on my question 18 on Government support for hydrogen fuel cell technology.
John Pugh: Does the Minister think that it is a matter of regret that one can still become a permanent secretary without being directly associated with a major project?
John Pugh: How exactly is any of this reorganisation going to do anything about the depressing call handling statistics of HMRC? Will the Minister guarantee an improvement?