Economic Growth

Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Nadhim Zahawi

Wednesday 15th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi]

Does the Chancellor not agree that the double-speak we heard from the shadow Chancellor and his reluctance to trust the British people feed the people’s mistrust in politics?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. I listened very carefully to the hon. Gentleman’s intervention and I am sure that we are not implying any misleading in this Chamber by any hon. Member.

[Nadhim Zahawi]

Double-speak is not misleading.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I think it implies something. [Interruption.] I would be grateful if the hon. Gentleman did not argue with me, particularly if he wants to be called in this debate. That is a very dangerous route to take. All hon. Members would do well to moderate their language and participation in the debate to a more reasonable level.

Finance (No. 4) Bill

Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Nadhim Zahawi

Wednesday 18th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi]

In my constituency, the Subway franchisee sells cold sandwiches without VAT and must charge VAT when the sandwiches are heated. Spudulike has to charge VAT. The idea that when one serves hot food one has to charge VAT—even in the chip shop in Stratford—is only about levelling the playing field—

[The Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means (Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. That is not brief enough and interventions should ask a question.

The Economy

Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Nadhim Zahawi

Wednesday 22nd June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Should not the hon. Member for Rhondda retract the disparaging remark he has just made about the Chancellor?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)]

Nothing has been said that is unparliamentary, but some of the behaviour in the Chamber could be a little better than it is currently. That is not a point of order for me, but a matter for each Member of the House.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Debate between Baroness Primarolo and Nadhim Zahawi

Wednesday 19th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

I echo the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford East (Mr Ward) and thank the Opposition for this debate on EMA. Historically, they have been vexed about how to pay for the scheme.

If we are to have a credible debate today—[Interruption.] I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. My tie to support the campaign against bowel cancer was making that noise—it is a musical tie that the campaign was giving out.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

Order. Perhaps next time the hon. Gentleman will be more selective in the ties that he wears in the Chamber, and then we will not need to have the musical accompaniment.

[Nadhim Zahawi]

Your words of wisdom are taken on board, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I apologise to you.

If we are to have a credible debate, we must look at this issue in the round, and that means that we must look at the economic legacy we inherited from the previous Government. Our structural deficit is one of the largest in the world, and it is simply unsustainable. We are having to borrow £500 million a day. Every time we go to sleep and wake up in the morning, we rack up another £500 million. The debt interest—the money that we have to pay in interest to foreign banks and foreign countries to build their own hospitals and schools with—is £120 million a day, every single day.

I come from a rural constituency with some areas that have no post-16 provision, so I am all too aware of the additional costs that students will have to bear. Shipston high school in my constituency has lobbied me very hard on this subject, as has Martin Penny, the head of Stratford-upon-Avon college—a fantastic institution in my constituency with 5,000 students and 450 staff. I addressed the students during the week of the tuition fees debate, and after we had cut through the misinformation they understood why we were having to make these decisions.