Replacement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Debate between Alison McGovern and Penny Mordaunt(2 years, 1 month ago)
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Penny Mordaunt
My right hon. Friend is right. We also need to put through legislation to enact some of the measures that will help with the cost of living issues that people are facing. We need time on the Floor of the House to do that and we need to give the public some certainty about the future.
Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
On the turbulence in the markets, and the reason that the Chancellor was replaced, it is not just about tax; it is also about trust. Trust in the British Government comes from the knowledge that they enjoy the consent of the British people. How does the Leader of the House think that is going?
Penny Mordaunt
I think that the Chancellor should be able to come to the Floor of the House and outline his policies. This is a serious moment. We want to ensure that the markets are reassured, and I suggest that any questions that the hon. Lady has on economic policy are directed to the Chancellor.
Business of the House
Debate between Alison McGovern and Penny Mordaunt(2 years, 2 months ago)
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Penny Mordaunt
I apologise to Members who were looking forward to taking part in that debate. I have spoken with the Chairman of the Backbench Business Committee and the Member in whose name the debate stood. Clearly, my part in this is to make sure that that Committee has time on the Floor of the House. I have undertaken to ensure that time is allocated in good time for the Committee to make a decision about what debates it wants to bring forward.
Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
I welcome the right hon. Lady to her new role. It is no use crying over spilt milk, but all this is already slower than it should be when our constituents needed action over recess. Maybe it is me being a bit thick, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I do not quite understand what decisions we are taking tomorrow. We are having a general debate but we do not know what the policy is yet, so we do not know what we are generally debating. That general debate will, I assume, be on a neutral motion, so what exactly would be the action that we are taking tomorrow?
Penny Mordaunt
The debate is an opportunity for all Members to raise their specific concerns. Many Members will have been talking to their constituents about particular things that they want to see. It is an opportunity for them to raise those issues tomorrow. Clearly, those opening and closing the debate will be putting forward measures that the Government want to bring forward. It will not be the only opportunity for the House to scrutinise the measures, but that is the purpose of the debate tomorrow.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Alison McGovern and Penny Mordaunt(6 years, 9 months ago)
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Penny Mordaunt
My hon. Friend is right to point out that one reason why we must be good on safeguarding and not dismiss such issues is to protect those individuals. The BBC did not report those incidents to us at the time, but my letter of two weeks ago prompted it to come forward with that information. That is a good thing, and we need to grip the problem and deliver for vulnerable people around the world.
Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
Many thousands of people have been displaced from their homes in Syria. What is the Secretary of State doing to demonstrate to those people, and to every other civilian in Syria, that the British Government have not given up on them?
Penny Mordaunt
We have not given up on them, and we are working with the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon to provide people with support over both the short term and the long term. DFID recently moved its priorities towards longer term support for such individuals, and we remain the third largest donor to support them.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Alison McGovern and Penny Mordaunt(8 years, 5 months ago)
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Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
Depressingly, UNICEF reported that 25 children were killed by airstrikes in Syria yesterday. Will the Secretary of State tell us what conversations he is having with our international partners to make sure that we take every necessary step to defend civilians?
Penny Mordaunt
The hon. Lady raises an important point. On that operation to date, we know that UK strikes have produced no reports of civilian casualties. That is because of the care we take and the investigations we carry out after every strike. We are working with our allies to develop joint policy in this area.