Fuel Prices
Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Fiona O'Donnell(12 years, 3 months ago)
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Fiona O’Donnell (East Lothian) (Lab)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. This is a vital debate, but the Minister was not present at the beginning of it. I wonder whether you could rule on whether or not that showed a lack of respect for Members and for the public at large.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
Fortunately the Minister is now present to hear the debate, so no further comment is required from me.
Fuel Prices
Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Fiona O'Donnell(13 years, 1 month ago)
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Fiona O'Donnell
No; the last interruption was not very satisfactory—I am not taking another risk.
I find myself in a familiar situation. I spoke in a similar debate not very long ago about a haulage company in East Lothian that was about to go bust because of fuel prices. I remember an hon. Member from somewhere on the Government Benches saying something about claiming back VAT. Unfortunately, I did not realise at that time that the company was not even registered for VAT, so that was not an option. The company has gone out of business and those jobs have gone. Others in East Lothian are trying to find work but the reality is that those jobs as a rule are not in the county—they are in Edinburgh. Given the poor local provision of public transport, they are forced to take to their cars. That is a real problem for making work pay for my constituents. If the Government are serious about getting people back to work they have to enable rural communities.
I am sorry that the hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Rory Stewart) is not here. His contribution was not so much a speech as a postcard from some rural fantasy that he sent to the House. He spoke about how important this debate and this motion are, but I remember the last time there was a debate on this issue in which the will of the House was unanimously expressed—
Pensions Bill [Lords]
Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Fiona O'Donnell(13 years, 2 months ago)
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
Order. I think the hon. Lady knows—and the Minister certainly does—that the debate has nothing to do with the future jobs fund.
Fiona O’Donnell
Perhaps we can have that conversation another time. The point is that the Government do not have the political will to do something about this. In opening for the Opposition, my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East mentioned that it is not just the Prime Minister of this Government who does not “get” women; the whole team do not “get” women.
At Prime Minister’s questions two weeks ago, I watched the Prime Minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary gathering—almost dragging—women from their seats in order to create a female halo around the Prime Minister. He and his Government need to understand that the reason he is turning women off has nothing to do with stage management or presentation. The reason is the policies—such as the one we are discussing—which are adversely and unfairly impacting on women. I urge Liberal Democrat Members in particular, who have at times pushed the Government on this issue, to go the whole hog tonight and back the amendment.
When a Government consider an inequality impact assessment, that is not political correctness gone mad—it is not just something the previous Labour Government left for the current Government. Rather, it is about good government and good decision making, so that when a Government make a decision, they are in full possession of the facts about how that decision will impact on people.
Postal Services Bill
Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Fiona O'Donnell
Fiona O'Donnell
The Minister will no doubt want to read the piece of paper that has just arrived in front of him, but perhaps I should read him what the National Federation of SubPostmasters actually said:
“The government’s decision not to award the new contract for benefit cheques to the Post Office does not bode well.”
It seems to me that competence in the Government is not as high as he—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
Order. Will the Minister, in answering, return to the question of viability and the links with mutuality in the context of the amendments we are discussing?
Constitutional Law
Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Fiona O'Donnell(14 years, 1 month ago)
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David Mundell
I give way to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Fiona O'Donnell).
Fiona O'Donnell (East Lothian) (Lab)
Perhaps we can reframe the question. With 60 seconds on the doorstep to speak to a voter in your constituency, will you talk to them about the AV referendum, or will you press the case for your party in Scotland?
Madam Deputy Speaker
Order. It is not me who will be doing that. I would be grateful if hon. Members addressed their remarks to the Minister, not to me.