Business of the House

Charlotte Nichols Excerpts

Thursday 21st January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) (Lab) [V]]

Storm Christoph has brought with it widespread and severe flooding across Warrington North, with many residents having to be evacuated and devastating damage to homes. It has been heartbreaking to receive photos and videos from inside constituents’ homes in the worst-affected areas. I pay tribute to the work of the emergency services and Warrington Borough Council, which have been working throughout the night to keep residents safe. Given that flooding is likely to become an increasing issue due to the climate emergency and the fragmentation and continuing underfunding of risk management authorities with responsibility for flooding, can the Leader of the House please arrange for the House to debate the impact of Storm Christoph, which affects so many constituencies of hon. and right hon. Members across the House, and how we can build resilience to end the misery of persistent flooding in our communities?

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue, which is one of concern across the House; the seriousness of flooding and the effect that it has on families and businesses is very severe. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was here answering questions earlier and I know how hard he is working. As I walked to my office, I overheard him on the telephone, just before coming in to answer questions, trying to get more done to help people who are at risk of flooding. He is working tirelessly and the Government policy is there to help people. Some £5.2 billion will be spent on flood and coastal defences, which is double the previous amount, helping 336,000 properties over the next six years, in addition to the 300,000 properties that have been helped since 2015. I accept that if people have been flooded within the last 24 hours, the promise of £5.2 billion being spent is not a great comfort, but I can say that action is being taken to ensure that people will be safer in future.

Business of the House

Charlotte Nichols Excerpts

Thursday 19th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question and he is right to point out the role that the media plays in informing the public and holding the Government to account—[Interruption.] I hear a chunter from the Opposition Benches. Michael Crick is indeed brilliant; he is somebody I particularly admire and one of the best journalists at holding people to account. One does not need to take every utterance from controversialists as holy writ. Piers Morgan enjoys causing a row and, frankly, it would be better to pay less attention to him rather than more and to listen to the Government advisers. Free speech is very precious. If people want to say silly things and look foolish, that is a matter for them.

[Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) (Lab)]

I am sure that all colleagues across the House find that the bulk of questions from constituents come in after statements when we have had an opportunity to raise matters, once the details, or lack thereof, of what has been proposed and how it will impact on them have percolated—from breweries to nurseries, to self-employed creatives and everything in between. Will the Leader of the House arrange a general debate to allow us to raise supplementary questions and to give our constituents the assurances that they so desperately need in this very fast-moving situation?

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

The hon. Lady points out a perpetual dilemma in the practise of holding to account. There is always pressure to come to the House in as timely a manner as possible to ensure that the House is informed immediately; on the other hand, there is better information available 24 hours or 48 hours later which raises more questions. That is why one should view the process of holding to account as a continuum rather than as a one-off occasion, and why it is important to keep this House open, so that Ministers can be held to account. I am not sure that general debates tends to offer that level of focus, but Question Times and continual statements do, and that depends on the House sitting.