UK Steel Production: Greensill Capital

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 25th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

I am very sorry I was late for the start, Mr Speaker, but I was having a rather shouted conversation with the Chief of the General Staff about the massive cut of 12% in our Army, and particularly the loss of my battalion—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I do not think this has anything to do with the question; I think I would stick to the business question. You do not want to lose your place—come on, Captain Bob.

[Bob Stewart]

I knew I was going into the Valley of Death. The question, Sir, is this: what percentage of our national steel production, which is a sovereign capability, is affected by the Greensill Capital financial crisis? I am very sorry—I knew I was going to get into trouble.

[Mr Speaker]

No, I think it will be with the Chief Whip later.

Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 13th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The next Member has withdrawn, so I now call Bob Stewart—[Interruption.]

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was slightly surprised and had to take my mask off.

There are six commercial ports and harbours in Northern Ireland. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that the infrastructure is in place, as well as the Government officials required to ensure that traffic coming into or out of Northern Ireland is dealt with speedily and with as much efficiency as possible, perhaps even getting better in the future?

Hong Kong

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 12th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We have a technical problem with question 25, so I call Bob Stewart.

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

The Security Council is hamstrung because of China’s veto and the General Assembly is largely supportive of Chinese policy. May I ask my hon. Friend the Minister what sort of feel he gets from the forum of the world, the United Nations, in support of what we are trying to do against China?

Social Distancing: 2 Metre Rule

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Monday 15th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the gallant Member, Bob Stewart.

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

Mr Speaker—at least I have got that right this week. Mr Speaker—not Mr Deputy Speaker. I have at last acknowledged it.

My question is very much like that from my hon. Friend the Member for Broadland (Jerome Mayhew). As the R figure approaches zero—in some places, it is getting there—why the heck do we need social distancing, face masks on public transport and social isolating? If we get near zero, surely we can get back to normal.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 19th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I aim to run this to about 12.15 pm.

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

As someone who has served in the military with soldiers from the Windrush generation, may I say that we never once thought of them as anything other than British? We looked in their eyes, and the eyes that looked back were British to the bone.

Mortgage Prisoners

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 6th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

As an old soldier, I am conscious, as is the House, that at this time 75 years ago, our troops had gained a foothold on Gold and Sword beaches, the Canadians were on Juno and troops were on Utah, but on bloody Omaha, where 2,500 men’s lives were taken on this day 75 years ago, people were still trying to get on to the beach. The sea was red with blood, troops were drowning as they got off the landing craft, and when they did get a foothold on the sand under the water, they had to push bodies away before they were massacred on the beach. In the first waves, 90% of those incredibly brave American soldiers were casualties. We are talking today about something that matters very much to our constituents, but we should also—I have a right to say this, I think—bear in mind the absolute fear and worry of our troops at this moment 75 years ago.

My speech will be short, because Mr Deputy Speaker has told me that it has to be—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle)]

I assure the hon. Gentleman that he can take up to 10 minutes. How is that? I will be as generous as that.

[Bob Stewart]

Mr Deputy Speaker is such a great man. I thought I was being told off earlier.

My comments will be short because I have spoken about this matter and the associated problems many times in the nine years for which I have been a Member of Parliament. Colleagues on both sides of the House are nodding. Why the heck has this matter not been sorted out? We are meant to sort these matters out—we are meant to be the people who legislate to get such injustices sorted and done. We have failed collectively to do that.

In particular, I want to raise the matter of the injustice done to my constituents—to the D’Eye family. Dean, my friend, is somewhere around, but I am not allowed to point him out. An injustice was done to him and his family by these banks. I am referring to Dunbar Bank, part of the Zurich group, and also the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Global Restructuring Group. I just cannot understand it. Decent people run these associations and they are actually—dare I use the word—screwing people utterly and completely, and it is immoral.

Continuous At-Sea Deterrent

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 10th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

Quite a few colleagues in the House have served in the British Army of the Rhine—I served there three times. When we, as conventional forces, practised deploying against an enemy, we were much sustained by the knowledge that there was a nuclear back-up in our armoury. That raised our morale. We thought that people would not dare attack us when we had a nuclear device in our hand. It would be mad to get rid of it.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. To help Members, I will be aiming for 10 minutes each from Back Benchers.

Criminal Legal Aid

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 8th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

We cannot have those with the ability and will to try to enter the criminal law profession impoverished by debt and a lack of basic resources to live, especially those who come from perhaps a more humble background. The new scheme seems to distribute some money from middle or senior junior barristers to the more junior barristers, but I gather the effect on senior junior barristers could be a fall in income of as much as 35%, but the impact on the most junior criminal barristers is simply not very much. The truth is that the system does need more money, which cannot be found simply by switching around payments within it. Criminal barristers are self-employed and they must also meet the unavoidable overheads of practising, which normally range from about 25% to 35% of their income. There is no entitlement to pensions, holiday pay, sick pay or, indeed, maternity or paternity pay. Assuming a junior criminal barrister earned a total of, say, £60,000 annually, after they paid overheads and pension contributions and compensated for holidays, he or she would probably present an income of only around £30,000 to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

A career at the Bar is insecure and financially uncertain: trials can be moved by judges without consultation; witnesses can be taken ill; defendants may accept advice to plead guilty; and charges may be dropped. All can have a significant impact on barristers’ income, without warning. In such an uncertain climate, reasonable fees are necessary. The level of debt with which new criminal law barristers must deal, insufficient fees and increased demands make a social and family life almost impossible. I understand that right now morale is low and dismay universal among junior criminal barrister and, indeed, among some senior junior barristers, too. I very much hope that the Minister can tell me honestly that junior criminal law barristers will have a much better deal than they had in the past.

Question put.

The House proceeded to a Division.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle)]

I ask the Sergeant at Arms to investigate the delay in the No Lobby.

Refugee Crisis in Europe

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 8th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. Many Members wish to speak and, in fairness, the hon. Gentleman has had a good chance to speak. I want to get everybody in, if possible.

Defence Spending

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 12th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

On urgent operational requirements, the key is in the wording. We do not necessarily have any idea of the threats or requirements in advance. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen will suddenly be in a situation where we have to find a piece of kit to protect them better. That is the key—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. Again, the hon. Gentleman wishes to speak later. Please keep something back. Do not use it all at once.

National Crime Agency

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 22nd October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart]

I am sorry, but that is not the same as—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. It is up to the Minister to give way before the hon. Gentleman can come in. Let us leave it that way; we are not changing the rules today.

Communications Data and Interception

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 10th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Last but certainly not least, the hon. and gallant Gentleman Bob Stewart.

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I believe we have a duty to pass this fast-track legislation quickly. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, unless we do so, the police and the security services will not have the powers that may stop innocent citizens of this country dying?

Scotland’s Place in the UK

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 6th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

May I point out that the influence of Scotland is enormous? There are three Stewarts on the Government Benches today and there is a Douglas behind me. Scotland has huge influence in the United Kingdom and should remain in the United Kingdom.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

I think there may be a question there.

Defence Reform Bill

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart]

I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for allowing me to intervene. I was a staff officer in the Ministry of Defence in 1984, when the world was black and white. I well remember Michael Heseltine introducing a system called “lean look and sharp sword”, which we were told would sort out procurement for ever. I totally agree with the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Thomas Docherty), who implied that we have not got the answer to a maiden’s prayer. Whatever we get, we will still have—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. We need short interventions, not major speeches at this stage. I am sure that the question is coming.

[Bob Stewart]

There is no question; it is a statement. We have not got the solution and we will still have a problem.

Scotland Bill

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 26th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I call Mr Bob Stewart.

[Bob Stewart]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am surprised to be called so early. [Laughter.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. If the hon. Gentleman wishes me to call someone else, I can do, but I am sure he is happy to continue.

--- Later in debate ---

[Bob Stewart]

Forgive me, Mr Deputy Speaker. I was in total shock. I fell over.

I speak as someone who sounds like a Sassenach, but my Scottish father joined the Royal Air Force and was thereafter posted all over the world. Many members of my family still live in Scotland. My Aunt Eileen lives in Largs and my cousin teaches Gaelic in the Outer Hebrides. I say that to demonstrate that what happens in Scotland matters to a great number of us in the House. Many of my colleagues, such as my hon. and very good Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Mrs Laing), have Scottish ancestry going back—

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. I know, Mr Stewart, that you will come to the amendments immediately, rather than touring Scotland. It is interesting to hear where your relatives live, and on another day I would welcome that information, but today I want to hear your views on the amendments.

[Bob Stewart]

All the amendments are very acceptable to me and to the other Stewarts in the House.

[Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con)]

I am sure, Mr Deputy Speaker, that you will agree that it is relevant to say that the amendment matters not only to people living in Scotland but to people in the whole of the United Kingdom, because our country operates as one. I am sure that the speech by my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Bob Stewart), who was educated at the excellent Chigwell school in Epping Forest, will be warmly welcomed by the Epping Forest Scottish Society, which shares his views on this matter.

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

The southern Scottish seat of Epping Forest has been mentioned, but it is not relevant to this group of amendments. Let us now get back to the amendments.

[Bob Stewart]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The amendments will certainly be welcomed by the Stewart Society, which I shall be speaking to in two weeks’ time.

It is absolutely right that Members of the Scottish Parliament should have responsibility for raising more money, and the amendments will help them to do that. I am also pleased that MSPs will be more accountable to the Scottish people. I fully support, as do most people in this House, the fact that the Scottish Parliament will have responsibility for health, education, transport and the police. I am very pleased with the amendments.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is immediately going to withdraw that remark.

[Bob Stewart]

I am not sure that I will—[Hon. Members: “Oh!”] Yes, I certainly will withdraw it!

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I am being very generous to the hon. Gentleman, and I am giving him that chance.

[Bob Stewart]

With crawlingness, I withdraw my remark. I shall sit down at this point.

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

There are some benefits from doing so.

Procedure Committee Reports

Debate between Bob Stewart and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 13th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)]

As a lowly member of the animal life in the House, I have previously had to wait six hours to be called right at the end of a debate. As my right hon. Friend suggests, those six hours would be much more fruitful if I could do some work while waiting to be called—owing to my low position in the rankings of the House.

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman does very well when he speaks. Perhaps that is why.