Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Tuesday 29th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think not, actually. That is a very important matter, but it does not directly relate to human rights or peace talks. The Minister of State requires no encouragement, and on this occasion I do not wish to offer him any.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

14. When he plans to issue guidance to UK businesses through the overseas business risk register on trade with illegal settlements.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Wednesday 19th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. There are far too many noisy private conversations taking place in the Chamber. As a result, Members are not attending to the answers that are being given by Minister Maude, and that is unsatisfactory.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

T2. May I encourage Ministers to work across parties to achieve a strong and robust register of lobbyists, rather than proceed with the proposal which the chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has described as so weak that it is not worth joining?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Thursday 13th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jim McGovern. He is not here.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

23. The Secretary of State will be aware that Scottish and Southern Energy has indicated that pre-payment customers will now be able to enjoy the same rates as other customers. Is he going to persuade the other suppliers to do exactly the same?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Thursday 13th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am extremely grateful to the Minister.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to improve access to broadband.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Thursday 6th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Last but not least, I call Ann McKechin.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

Further to the Minister of State’s comments about overseas students, can he explain why there has been such a substantial decrease in applications, given the consequent substantial impact that will have on the British economy?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Thursday 26th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Mr Robert Flello, not here.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

T9. Farmers across the United Kingdom are looking to the Government to live up to their pledge to legislate for a grocery adjudicator. Can the Secretary of State confirm that she has managed to persuade her colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Prime Minister to include this in this year’s Queen’s Speech?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Wednesday 8th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. A large number of very noisy private conversations are taking place in the Chamber, even as I speak. Some involve very senior Members who ought to know better.

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

8. What assessment he has made of the effects of changes to public procurement on the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to secure contracts.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ann McKechin and John Bercow

Wednesday 1st December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Ann McKechin]

Unfortunately, yet again Scotland’s youth are not the Secretary of State’s priority. His party does not think twice about dancing on the head of a pin. In its autumn edition of “Scottish News Extra”, which is turning out to be one of Scotland’s better reads, his colleague, the Business Secretary, is described as

“launching a scathing attack on the previous government’s unfair tuition fees which still have to be paid by Scottish students studying elsewhere in the UK. He likened tuition fees to the infamous poll tax.”

Now that his colleague has said that he may abstain on the forthcoming vote to increase tuition fees in England to £9,000, will the Secretary of State confirm whether he will support the increase, whether he will vote against it in support of the 3,000-plus Scottish students who are directly affected, or whether he will be absent again from the vote?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. In replying, the Secretary of State must bear in mind that we are referring to economic policy rather than higher education policy.