Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Tuesday 24th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Let’s have a Berry.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

When I met Lancashire police federation representatives last Friday, they said that they believe the sentencing guidelines dealing with an assault on a police officer to be adequate, but that in some cases they are not properly enforced by the courts. What will the Secretary of State do to ensure that an attack on a police officer is always considered an aggravating factor, because an attack on the law enforcers is an attack on society itself?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Tuesday 17th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I think it is Lancashire’s turn.

[Jake Berry]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. On the subject of berries, does my right hon. Friend the Chancellor share my concern that too many JAMs are becoming jam tomorrow with the ballooning of household debt? What steps will he take to stop inappropriate and irresponsible lending by credit card companies and banks to low-income households?

Domestic Violence Victims: Cross-Examination

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Monday 9th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

We earlier heard a Cherry, and now we can hear a Berry.

[Jake Berry]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate the Minister and the Lord Chancellor on taking action regarding the travesty of litigants in person being able to cross-examine their victims. In his statement, the Minister referred to the problem as urgent and said that it has the utmost priority. When the review is complete, will he commit to bring this forward as emergency legislation? I think that would gain support from both sides of the House, and we could pass the legislation in one day, ensuring that we can bring about the change as quickly as possible.

Justice Committee

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Monday 31st October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

Before my hon. Friend draws his remarks to a conclusion, some correspondence has been referred to this evening. I wonder if he will say whether it is possible to publish that correspondence to ensure that hon. Members on both sides of the House have an opportunity to consider all of the facts.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. That is nothing to do with the debate, as I have just been advised by the Clerk of the House. Don’t frown at me, Mr Berry. I know the facts and you’re about to learn them. That is nothing to do with the debate tonight—point one. Secondly, there is no uncertainty or dubiety whatsoever about the correspondence between the hon. Gentleman and me. Indeed, I do not think there is any uncertainty at all about the advice that was proffered not just by me but by the Clerk of the House. Whether he wishes and is astute enough to take that advice is another matter.

Points of Order

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Wednesday 13th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am genuinely grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but my instinctive reaction is that exegesis of what is said by the Government, including permanent secretaries, and adjudication upon it, is not a proper matter for the Chair. I think it is safer to keep out of that. It may well be that it is a subject of some dispute on which the hon. Gentleman is dissatisfied, but I underline that it is for the Committees concerned to press for the information that they require. If they are dissatisfied with what they have or have not received, they should persist, and there are well-established procedures for doing so. I have a feeling, however, that by putting his concerns on the record, the hon. Gentleman may find that the Government are able and inclined to offer the information he requires.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I apologise for not giving you advance notice of this point of order, but I had hoped that it would be raised during Prime Minister’s questions. On 28 October 2015 in a letter to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, Sir John Chilcot said that the text of the Iraq report would be available in the week commencing 18 April 2016, at which point it would be passed to the security services for checking. Given that that is next Monday, I wonder whether you have received notice from any Minister who intends to make a statement to the House, to update it as to when that process will be finished and the long-awaited report will be available?

[Mr Speaker]

The short answer is that I have received no such indication of an imminent statement on the matter. When this issue has been aired in the House, the sense of dissatisfaction across the Chamber has been audible not just to the Chair, but to millions of people throughout the country. It has become exceptionally and excessively protracted. I understand the hon. Gentleman’s frustration. He has put his point on the record again, and I hope that it will have been heard in the appropriate quarters. Have I received an indication of a statement? I am afraid I have not.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Tuesday 12th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I made an appeal for a speed-up a few moments ago, but unfortunately, to put it bluntly, the Member concerned made a mess of it and did not speed up. We must now speed up.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to support other countries in tackling honour-based violence.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Thursday 28th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jake Berry.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

Number 11, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

Number 10. A modest difference, but an important one.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

10. What progress has been made on repairing transport links damaged by flooding in Lancashire.

Business of the House

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Thursday 14th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) and the unusual have always been very much more than nodding acquaintances.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

I recommend the Bacup black pudding from Rossendale.

May we have a statement on the use of smart technology for reporting potholes? Tomorrow, national pothole day, is a great day for people to download the “Tell Jake” app, developed with streetrepairs.co.uk, which has seen the number of potholes in my constituency reported and sorted double and the response times for repairing them slashed. It is a really good bit of technology that the Department for Communities and Local Government should encourage local authorities to embrace.

Standing Orders (Public Business)

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Thursday 22nd October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry]

The hon. Gentleman started by saying that the decision about whether something is an England-only matter should be made by Scottish MPs. Does he accept that the SNP’s decision to drop its self-denying ordinance on the foxhunting proposals—I supported that; I do not think we should bring foxhunting back—means that they cannot be trusted not to drop that convention, because they will take short-term political gain over principle—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am immensely grateful to the hon. Gentleman. Interventions from now on must be extremely brief.

Trade Union Bill

Debate between Jake Berry and John Bercow

Monday 14th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, but not before we hear a point of order from Mr Jake Berry.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Before we proceed with this important debate, I wonder whether you will clarify the rules regarding Members declaring their interests. There have been many interventions by Members who have received significant donations from or are paid by trade unions. As the debate proceeds, people who are watching our proceedings will want to know the reason why people are taking part.

[Mr Speaker]

There should be no requirement for clarification because the hon. Gentleman is an experienced denizen of this House. He will know that there is an opportunity to declare in the register any relevant interests, and that it is the responsibility of each Member to declare in the way that he or she thinks is necessary for the House to be informed.

I call the shadow Secretary of State, Angela Eagle.