Business of the House

Brendan O'Hara Excerpts
Thursday 17th March 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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The imposition of VAT on women’s sanitary products is a matter for the European Commission. The Government have made representations, and we are expecting a response shortly. It is my hope that the Commission will agree with virtually every Member of this House that this tax is wholly inappropriate.

Brendan O'Hara Portrait Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
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If no one has yet done so, Mr Speaker, may I, with a certain amount of Irish blood in me, wish you and the whole House a very happy St Patrick’s day?

It is absolutely unacceptable that this Government choose to do nothing, not even allow a debate, on the hugely important uprating regulations on state pensions that lead—as my hon. Friends have said—to half a million or more overseas pensioners having their pensions frozen. As the Leader of the House is well aware, that provision will come into force while the House is in recess. Given the clear depth of feeling on the Opposition Benches and across the House, surely that issue is worthy of an urgent debate.

Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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That issue has been considered many times over the years and the Government’s position has not changed.