Andrew Pelling: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to make my maiden speech. It is a great privilege to follow the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) with all his expertise on European matters. I shall stick more carefully to the parameters of a maiden speech. One of my illustrious predecessors, the former Speaker Jack Weatherill, once said: "A good speech will not be remembered; a...
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all NHS patients will be able to opt out of having their data held electronically under Connecting for Health.
Andrew Pelling: What representations she has received on the Government's 14-to-19 Education and Skills White Paper.
Andrew Pelling: Has the Secretary of State received any representations from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, whose chief executive said that the Government's proposals meant that A-levels were out of the door? Does she agree with that? If not, how does she think that the misapprehension arose?
Andrew Pelling: London is a world city, and as we are competing against New York and Tokyo it is important to take note of the improvements that have been made to the connections between the mass transit system in New York and one New York airport and the augmentation of the coach system in Japan with a direct rail link into Tokyo station. Even Norway has built a rail system that runs from Gardamoen to Oslo...
Andrew Pelling: Indeed. It is important not to forget the positive elements of the Bill, and I know that my hon. Friend is very positive about the impact that Crossrail would have on Ilford, North. A substantial part of the Bill deals with the schedule of works and the number of shafts that will be driven down through London streets. That leaves the Government with the conundrum of when to proceed with the...
Andrew Pelling: Is not what my hon. Friend said particularly pertinent given that the Olympic bid team felt unable to appear before the London Assembly recently when it had security questions to ask? Does that not suggest that the Bill should include a reference to the Assembly? I declare an interest, as a member of the Assembly.
Andrew Pelling: I very much agree with what the hon. Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt) had to say about the opportunity that the Olympics, as a celebration of sporting excellence, can offer us, not only in fostering sporting excellence across the United Kingdom and identifying sports people who will win medals for us, but in taking the fullest advantage of the sports facilities that different communities...
Andrew Pelling: That is a helpful suggestion. It might also be helpful to require the ODA to appear once or twice a year before the Assembly for scrutiny. That might be a way to facilitate understanding, rather than create potential conflict, which would not be helpful to progressing this important initiative. I am also concerned about how the ODA will proceed on issues such as decontamination of the land,...
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision there is to provide a discount for those from less well-off families to pay the £500 premium for an indefinite leave to remain in the UK stamp to be placed in a new passport.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for further dualling of the A303.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list offences recorded by the British Transport Police occurring on the Croydon Tramlink System for each year since the inception of the system, broken down by (a) type of offence and (b) tram stop.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to support the establishment of democracy in Uzbekistan.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to help reduce clear up costs for local authorities by encouraging manufacturers, importers and retailers to market less adhesive chewing gum.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to increase short-term capacity for maternity deliveries in hospitals in the South West London Strategic Health Authority area.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the percentage change in the number of births in each strategic health authority area in London has been over the last five years.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking in response to the Audit Commission's recent inspection report on the South London Family Housing Association; and in what circumstances funding for the Association may be suspended.
Andrew Pelling: What progress does the Foreign Secretary want the Turkish Government to make during the accession process in terms of a positive relationship with the Kurdish community in that country?
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the role that his Department will play in reducing the prospective shortfall in diesel fuel refineries over the next decade.
Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many black students were excluded from school in each academic year since 1997–98.