Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 28th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am sorry to be unkind, but the Minister is taking too long; we have a lot to get through.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

Given the recent news from Michelin that it will lose up to 850 jobs from Dundee, it is now more important than ever that all commitments on the Tay cities deal are met. The Scottish Government are committed to £200 million. Can the UK Government today give a guarantee that they will fully match that £200 million investment?

[Nigel Adams]

The hon. Gentleman rightly raises this issue, and I know how important it is to his constituency, but, as I said previously, £150 million is being committed to the region in a growth deal and we are working with the Scottish Government in the Michelin action group, which met on 12 November. With support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy we have presented a number of potential areas for further exploration for repurposing the site either with Michelin or a third party, and I understand that the next action group meeting will be on 30 November.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 10th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Harriett Baldwin]

The Indian Government are of course leading on this, and I am sure that they will note my hon. Friend’s suggestion. He has clearly had the pleasure of visiting that beautiful part of India. I should say that Kerala is open again for tourism, and I know that the return of tourists would be welcomed.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

The recent floods in Kerala and other natural disasters in the world tragically highlight the urgency of the global climate crisis. This week, the world’s leading climate scientists stated in a landmark UN report that we have just 12 years to keep global warming to a maximum 1.5º C, and the World Bank has already committed to ending upstream oil and gas projects by 2019. Can the Minister therefore explain what possible reasons there are for the UK to continue to fund fossil fuel use, particularly in countries that are already bearing the worst brunt of climate change?

[Harriett Baldwin]

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman welcomes the fact that that the UK is leading in terms of our commitment to end the use of coal. We are looking closely at the Powering Past Coal Alliance and leading an effort to get more countries to sign up to that alliance. The UK is showing strong leadership on that, and he should welcome it.

Salisbury Update

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 5th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am happy to give my hon. Friend the reassurance that our response will be robust, decisive and unwavering, and it will be ongoing, because this is a matter we need to continue working on. I condemn those who see fit to defend the Russian state where it is clear that it is culpable for this action, this heinous crime committed on UK soil against citizens here in the United Kingdom.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

Given the sheer weight of evidence that has been disclosed today regarding the Salisbury attack, can we expect the UK Government, along with their allies, to ensure further sanctions, including deportations of Russian state actors?

[The Prime Minister]

As I have indicated, we will be looking at these issues on sanctioning, including some aspects of new sanctions regimes, such as I referred to on the EU chemical weapons use regime. Of course, the deportation of individuals relies on there being the required evidence to enable the Home Secretary to take such a decision.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 5th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

Q3. The opening of the V&A museum of design next week in my city of Dundee is already attracting worldwide attention, is expected to have up to 500,000 visitors in its first year and will drive millions of pounds into the local economy. The Prime Minister will be aware that an announcement to confirm funding for the Tay cities deal is imminent, and improved connectivity is key to driving the prosperity of the region. As an air link to Dundee was part of Heathrow’s successful bid for the third runway, will the Prime Minister express her firm commitment to the introduction of a new direct air service to Dundee by 2021 and the associated investment required to secure it?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman is right to bring to the attention of the House both that deal and the opening of the V&A in Dundee. These are important ways in which the UK Government are working to ensure support for Scotland and those opportunities for the Scottish economy. Another one of those is the fact that this Government have taken the decision to enable the third runway to go ahead at Heathrow, and we expect that when that happens we will see better connectivity within the United Kingdom.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 4th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Harriett Baldwin]

This is another great example of how UK Aid can work to unlock a payment system that in many ways leapfrogs what we have here in the UK: people can pay from their mobile phone for a range of technologies and goods. Recently we had a solar fridge in DFID, and M-KOPA Solar is helping poor people in Kenya and other countries to pay for those fridges by using that technology.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

After continued pressure from these Scottish National party Benches, it was reassuring to hear after meeting the World Bank last week that it has made a firm commitment to no longer finance upstream oil and gas after 2019. However, the UK Government are still spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money funding fossil fuel projects in countries that are already bearing the worst brunt of climate change. Will the Minister of State today match the World Bank commitment to stop funding polluting fuels by 2019?

[Harriett Baldwin]

Along with colleagues in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, we are doing a lot to encourage many of these countries not only to power past coal and fossil fuels but to invest considerable amounts in renewable energy. I share the hon. Gentleman’s aspiration to work with developing countries to power past fossil fuels.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

DFID has a proud tradition as a leader in initiatives that empower women, including economically. Microfinance is critical to that. In most countries where we have a presence, we are running such a programme specifically for women.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

ActionAid has calculated that women in developing countries could be almost £7 trillion better off if their pay and access to paid work were equal to that of men. Will the Secretary of State make a commitment that, when establishing such agreements around the world, the UK will demonstrate its commitment to women’s rights and gender equality by ensuring that new co-operatives go further than they have before in protecting and upholding women’s rights?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I will commit to do just that. We have a big opportunity with the forthcoming G7 Development Ministers’ meeting next week in Canada. Canada has done a huge amount on this agenda, and the issues of which the hon. Gentleman speaks will feature heavily in our discussions.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the facts that he has set out in relation to council tax. That is a result of decisions that have been taken by the Government to have that council tax referendum in place and of Conservative councils actually making decisions to freeze or to lower council tax, or to ensure that it is kept lower than in Labour councils. Conservative councils, on average, cost a typical family £100 less in council tax than councils run by other parties. That is important, and the Government have played their part with the council tax referendum.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

Q15. Since first being elected in 2015, I have consistently campaigned to protect hundreds of jobs at risk in Dundee from being lost through the shoddy restructuring of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. I was finally given a written guarantee that these jobs would be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions. However, I have since learned, without explanation, that this is no longer to be the case. Will the Prime Minister personally intervene to reverse this reckless U-turn and betrayal by taking charge to save each and every one of these 479 highly skilled jobs, without which there will be a devastating impact on the staff, their families and my city?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman has raised an issue I have not seen the details of, but I will ensure that my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions look at the issue he has raised.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 18th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Burt]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comments. On 3 April, DFID announced an additional £170 million for the new financial year in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. We work with all partners to ensure that there is greater access and a greater prospect of resolution of the conflict through the new UN special envoy Martin Griffiths.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

I welcome the steps that the Department is taking to secure continued humanitarian access to Yemen, and urge Ministers to do the same in Syria in the light of recent events. Does the Minister foresee humanitarian grounds for military intervention in Yemen, as those were apparently the grounds for action in Syria? In any event, will he confirm—unequivocally and without exception—that none of the 0.7% aid budget, which is for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, will be used to fund military activities?

[Alistair Burt]

There is no prospect of United Kingdom military action in Yemen. The humanitarian efforts are going on at the same time as seeking to resolve the complex political difficulties there. I remind the House of the exceptional difficulties of access in the northern areas controlled by the Houthis.

European Council

Chris Law Excerpts

Monday 26th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

As I have just said in answer to the hon. Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (Stuart C. McDonald), and as I will continue to say, we believe that the Spanish constitution should be upheld and that the rule of law should be upheld.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

Has the Prime Minister spoken to her Spanish counterpart about the need to uphold democracy in Catalonia? If not, will she do so shortly?

[The Prime Minister]

Conversations that I have had on a number of occasions with the Spanish Prime Minister have contained our reassurance that the Spanish constitution and the rule of law should be upheld.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Law Excerpts

Wednesday 28th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

On behalf of Parliament, I concur with the Secretary of State. The situation is absolutely disgraceful, and this matter will be raised by the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Stephen Twigg) later on in our proceedings.

[Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP)]

The UN estimates that 6.1 million Syrians are internally displaced. With fresh fighting in eastern Ghouta despite the ceasefire, that number will continue to rise. What is the Department doing specifically to support displaced Syrian families in that particular region? Their needs and challenges are increasing with every passing day.

[Penny Mordaunt]

We have a huge number of programmes that are supporting those people in particular—not just the short-term needs of shelter, food and so forth, but education, jobs and livelihoods. Those individuals have some unique needs that have not been addressed to date with as much focus by the international community, and the setting up of a panel to consider those needs and what more we can do to help in similar situations will be a big step forward.