Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Lavery and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 1st February 2024 Commons Chamber

[Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I would like your advice on the scheduling of business today. A number of people—

[Mr Speaker]

Sorry, but that is not relevant to the questions we have just had. The only way the hon. Gentleman can raise that as a point of order is by doing it after we have done all the questions. We now have questions to the Attorney General.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Lavery and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 23rd February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

[Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab)]

7. If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to ratify ILO convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.

Rail Investment and Integrated Rail Plan

Debate between Ian Lavery and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 8th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab)]

This has been an interesting discussion. Not once has any Government Front Bencher mentioned Northumberland. It is a wonderful county and I wonder whether Ministers or indeed the Secretary of State have ever visited it. The Government’s integrated rail plan proposals are an absolute disaster for the north-east. Once again the Government have overpromised and under-delivered. Once again the north-east has been betrayed; once again the saying “the great north rail betrayal” rings true throughout the communities of the north-east.

The scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 is extremely disappointing, if not surprising in the least, and the Government announced on more than 60 occasions that they would not scrap it. But in the north-east the plans were never really going to benefit the communities in the first place. The eastern leg of HS2 basically only went as far as Leeds and NPR only went as far north as Newcastle, with those in Downing Street missing out the wonderful county of Northumberland. I wish people would visit our wonderful county.

The plans to reintroduce passenger rail on the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line are essential. I and my predecessors have been campaigning for that for generations, and I want to place on record my thanks to the South East Northumberland Rail User Group for its outstanding campaigning efforts. I want the Minister to please give a firm commitment in the winding-up speech that that line will go ahead. I say that simply because of the broken promises of this Government with regard to many things—we cannot trust a word they say.

On the east coast main line, the proposals to change the services schedule in order to shave seconds off the time from Edinburgh to London were an outrage, and that was only changed because of public annoyance. I ask the Government to please look at that again. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) said only a few seconds ago in his contribution, public ownership is the answer to the issues facing the disastrous transport system on our rail networks.

Debate interrupted.

[Mr Speaker]

I am now going to call the Leader of the House to move a motion without notice regarding the time allocated for the motion in the name of the Leader of the Opposition.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Lavery and Lindsay Hoyle

Monday 23rd November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

After the power cut, I think we have Ian Lavery back.

[Ian Lavery [V]]

This Government have a real strange way of levelling up, and education is no different. Since its creation in 1998 by the Labour Government, the Unionlearn fund has enjoyed cross-party support and the backing of dozens of businesses. It is a flagship policy that costs the Government £12 million and returns £1.4 billion to the economy. It currently supports 200,000 individuals per annum to access learning; it is absolutely huge. Minister, put your cards on the table—this is an out and out attack against the trade union movement and its members. What is it about this hugely successful programme, which helps low-paid working people, that so antagonises the modern Conservative party?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Lavery and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 15th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Answers are far too long, folks—we are going to have to move on.

[Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab)]

How much of the funding the UK in response to the covid-19 pandemic has (a) been allocated to and (b) reached the global south.