Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Wednesday 1st March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Shailesh Vara.

[Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)]

I have No. 12, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman has a very similar question and I rather assumed he wanted to come in.

[Mr Vara]

12. I will certainly bear it in mind that it is a similar question, Mr Speaker. Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree that the business community in Scotland shares a far more positive and optimistic outlook, rather than the forever-negative comments from the Scottish Government?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. This is on the importance of the rights of EU nationals. I am sure that that is what the hon. Gentleman meant.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Tuesday 1st November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We learn a lot more about the opinions of the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) on a vast miscellany of matters—of that he can rest assured.

[Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)]

The Justice Secretary will be aware that in the past couple of years considerable progress has been made in allowing UK lawyers to practise in India. Will she update the House on progress so far, particularly given that the Prime Minister will be visiting India in the next few days?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Monday 9th May 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

That would render it orderly. I am very grateful to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr Skinner) for proffering advice, especially from a sedentary position.

[Mr Vara]

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will take the hon. Lady’s reference, “from one Minister to another” slightly broadly and remind her that, following the passing of the Pensions Act in 1995 there were 13 years of Labour government during which a succession of Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and pensions Ministers did absolutely nothing to try to alter the system that she and her colleagues now seek to change.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Tuesday 26th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

19. Claudia Lawrence from York was last seen on 18 March 2009; she is still missing, as are around 2,500 people in the UK. In the midst of their grief, families have to battle to deal with financial and property affairs, and they need access to justice. There is a simple solution: guardianship on behalf of the missing person. The Government promised this over a year ago. Will the Secretary of State commit to putting it in this year’s Queen’s Speech?

[Mr Speaker]

That is a very good example of what I call “shoe-horning”. The hon. Lady shoe-horned in a later question into this one, and was just about in order. She is very ingenious.

[Mr Vara]

The hon. Lady raises a very good point. There is a huge amount of sympathy across the political divide for the individual about whom she spoke. She will appreciate, however, that it would be inappropriate for me to pre-empt what will appear in the Queen’s Speech.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Monday 14th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)]

Given the rhetoric in the recent Opposition day debate about the state pension age changes, does the Minister share my surprise that the six options put forward by the shadow Secretary of State would not make much difference at all to many women born in the 1950s? Does he agree that it is time for the Opposition to be clear about the choices they would make and how they would pay for them, and also to be clear about the changes they would not make?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I know that the Minister will want to focus exclusively, and doubtless with loving care, on his own policy, and will not dilate on that of the Opposition, which would be disorderly. Knowing the hon. Gentleman, I do not think he does disorderly.

[Mr Vara]

You put that so eloquently, Mr Speaker, but I hope you will allow me to make the odd comment. It would be impractical to follow the Opposition’s policies because they have no sense of arithmetic.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Monday 1st February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vara]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we need to discuss the matter in a measured way, but that means that we need to look at it in a broad context. A whole lot of other benefits are available to the women who may be affected—for example, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance, income support, carer’s allowance and personal independence payment.

Let us not forget that pensions will be uprated. There is the triple lock, and the simplified new state pension will be introduced in April. Pension freedom allows those who have a pension some flexibility. There has been a permanent increase in cold weather payments. Winter fuel payment has been protected, and more than 12 million pensioners benefited from it last year. As far as female employment is concerned, I have mentioned a number of benefits that we have brought in for female employees. It is important that we look at things in a broad context, rather than simply looking at people in the narrow confines that Members prefer to debate in this Chamber.

[Mr Speaker]

No one could accuse the Minister of excluding from his answer any matter that might in any way, at any time or to any degree be judged to be material, and we are grateful to him.

[Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab)]

The Minister talks about life expectancy, but he is not giving us the full picture. Life expectancy for women fell in 2012-13, and Salford has some of the worst life expectancy figures in the country. Female life expectancy in one ward in my constituency is only 72 years, and healthy life expectancy is only 54. Why should 1950s-born women in Salford carry the burden of the equalisation of the state pension age given that working until 66 is clearly going to be difficult for them? Those women need transitional arrangements.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vara]

The hon. Gentleman refers to family courts. Being relatively new to his post, he might wish to reflect on the comments made by his colleagues, particularly the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Andy Slaughter), as reported in the Law Society Gazette on 24 September:

“Slaughter conceded that the Labour party would have been forced to make cuts to family law funding and promote mediation as a cheaper option. He added that a Labour government would seek to promote and improve mediation services on offer.”

The article also said—[Interruption.] It is understandable that Opposition Members do not want to hear the truth, but I am quoting one of their own colleagues—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I want to hear about this article. Let us hear it.

[Mr Vara]

I am sure that other Members, along with you, are keen to hear it, Mr Speaker.

The article quoted the hon. Gentleman as saying:

“‘We’re not going to get in a Tardis and go back to before,’ he said. ‘We are in a world where resources are tight and it would not be right to pretend otherwise.’”

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Monday 2nd November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con)]

I was about to ask the same question as the Minister just answered. May I take this opportunity to say to him that a large number of my constituents are being badly affected by scams, particularly over the internet? This is a matter of great concern. I am delighted that the Government have taken such strides to deal with it.

[Mr Speaker]

As I have often had cause to observe, repetition in the House of Commons Chamber is not a novel phenomenon.

[Mr Vara]

I refer to my previous answer.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shailesh Vara and John Bercow

Tuesday 8th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

What, that I ever learnt? [Laughter.] Topical questions are supposed to be a little shorter.

[Mr Vara]

I am pleased that the hon. Lady was able to get her contribution in at the end. As I said, this is a consultation and no firm decisions have been taken. I know she has written me a comprehensive letter, to which I have responded, but that was a while ago, so I am happy to have further correspondence with her, if necessary.