Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 17th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

As ever, my hon. Friend raises an issue that is important to his constituency. Drug misuse and the rise in the use of ketamine and other substances is an issue of real importance, and it costs society greatly. I will make sure that the Home Secretary has heard his calls today—departmental questions are next week, if he wants to raise the matter then.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

We have had many important debates and statements about the Post Office Horizon scandal, but can the Leader of the House bring forward a debate in Government time about the future of the Post Office? In my constituency, we are struggling to recruit new postmasters to take over post offices in communities such as Eastriggs and Langholm, and in West Linton, where we currently have a post office, there does not seem to be any available support for it to continue.

[Lucy Powell]

This matter gets raised in business questions and elsewhere quite often because we are seeing too many closures and too many post offices struggling. I think the subject would make a popular application for a Backbench Business debate, and I encourage him to take that forward.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 18th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I welcome my hon. Friend to his place. He raises an issue that I know is of great importance to his constituents, and there are serious questions to be answered as to why such breaches have been allowed to continue without being properly addressed. I understand that criminal investigations are ongoing. We are monitoring the situation closely so that we can put an end to this awful situation. A Labour Government are not going to sit back as the previous one did and let the toxic stench continue to hang over Newcastle-under-Lyme.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I warmly commend the right hon. Lady on her appointment. Will she bring forward a debate in Government time on the future of Royal Mail? There are obviously issues with the overall ownership of Royal Mail, but there are also serious service issues in constituencies like mine, where Royal Mail was found wanting in the delivery of election material; indeed, there were delays to postal votes. It has now changed the uplift times for many post boxes, so many of my constituents will be unable to post a first-class letter on the basis that it will be delivered the following day.

[Lucy Powell]

The right hon. Gentleman raises issues that I know were raised by many others during the election campaign. If he is not able to raise them with the Secretary of State in the upcoming King’s Speech debate—possibly on Monday, when we are debating the economy and public services—I am sure that such issues would make an extremely good candidate for an Adjournment or Westminster Hall debate, and I hope he manages to secure one.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 2nd May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on producing this timely and necessary report, which I am sure will be of interest to many Members of this House. I would be delighted to receive a copy, and I will ensure that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport also has one. I will invite her to follow up with him.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

The APPG on HIV, AIDS and sexual health, which I co-chair, welcomed the recent publication by the Department of Health of the pre-exposure prophylaxis road map; however, knowledge about PrEP remains very low among certain groups, particularly in the black, Asian and minority ethnic community, and among women, so there is much more to do to raise awareness of PrEP and its possibilities. Will my right hon. Friend facilitate a meeting between the APPG, HIV groups and the Minister for public health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire (Dame Andrea Leadsom), to see what we can do to tackle inequalities in the use of PrEP?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising this issue. We have made huge progress in enabling people to protect themselves through access to PrEP, but he is right that awareness of the opportunity that it provides is not universal. I will ensure that the Department of Health and Social Care has heard his concerns and encourage it to do as he asks.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 6th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I know that several Members of the House have raised that matter. I have written already to the MOD, but I will follow up after this session and ensure that all Members who have raised this have an update on when that report will be published.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

May I associate myself with the comments about Piper Alpha? Over the years, I have been heavily involved in many issues that flowed from the aftermath of that horrendous incident.

Will the Leader of the House bring forward a debate on local news provision across the UK? Iain Pollock, the editor of the Dumfries and Galloway Standard, has recently been in touch with me with concerns about the BBC’s “Across the UK” proposals, which will see money diverted from local radio stations into online services. Many local newspapers rely on those online services, either through subscriptions or from advertising, for their viability and are concerned about the BBC’s move into this area.

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising that important matter. It is raised very regularly in business questions so I know how vital and valuable local news services are. The next questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will be on 20 July and I encourage him to raise that matter with her.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 25th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am sorry to hear about the situation in the hon. Lady’s constituency. She will know that this Government have done a great deal to support the sector and increase access to free childcare. The next questions where she can raise this matter will be on 12 June, but I think she may have secured her objective today in raising that matter on the Floor of the House, and I hope the university is listening to what she says.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

May I associate myself with everything that has been said about our former colleague, Karen Lumley? She was truly a beautiful person. I also had the privilege of seeing Tina Turner play at the Edinburgh Playhouse as part of the Private Dancer tour. Above all else, she was an incredible live performer and that is important to recognise.

The Leader will be aware that Ofgem has announced that there will be a new lower limit in relation to energy costs for households, saving them something like £426 a year from this summer. But many small businesses, such as the Pyet restaurant and bistro in West Linton in my constituency, are trapped in energy contracts where they are paying way above wholesale prices. Will she bring forward a debate in Government time on the challenges that these small businesses are facing and what can be done to help and support them?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising that important point about people on fixed contracts. Other issues, such as high standing charges, will still be ongoing concerns to Members of this House, even though we have had some good news and expect that trajectory to continue. The next Question Time on this issue is not until 4 July, but he will know that the Department is running surgeries in Parliament on these matters, particularly concerning support schemes and the ongoing issues with regard to bills. He will be able to seek advice on behalf of his constituents at those surgeries, but I will also make sure that the Secretary of State has heard his comments today.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 30th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his very helpful advertisement for forthcoming Backbench Business debates and for encouraging Members to apply for them. I also have some good news for him with regard to a previous matter he and other Members have raised on the complexity of the many energy support schemes that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is overseeing. These are complex schemes, and he has had some casework related to them. I am pleased to be able to tell the House that that Department will commence weekly surgeries for Members and their case- work teams on energy schemes. They will begin from the first week back after recess, either on a Tuesday or a Wednesday to maximise the chance of Members being able to attend. They will be in person in Portcullis House and officials will be on hand to deal with the complex areas of the schemes with which Members need help.

I shall not get into a further fight about local government efficiencies and who I would rather have running my local authority, except to say that those who have a Conservative council are likely to be paying £80 less for the services they receive.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Was the Leader of the House as appalled as I was about the scenes of celebration in the Ugandan Parliament when legislation was passed to further criminalise LGBT members of the community and those who support them? Will she ensure that, when the House returns, the Foreign Secretary makes a statement on what representations this Government are making to the President of Uganda on that legislation, which further undermines human rights, and on what steps we are taking to support those brave people who promote the rights of the LGBT community in Uganda?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising this incredibly important matter, which I know many Members will be concerned about. As he knows, there will be Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office questions on 2 May, but given that that is a little way off, I shall make sure that the Foreign Secretary has heard his concerns today. I know the Foreign Secretary and his Ministers and our network overseas take many opportunities to raise their concerns about these matters and other human rights abuses, which is what this legislation is. We also recognise the impact it has on other areas for that country, including its economic development. It will stifle investment in that nation; companies will not want to invest or set up businesses there under that kind of environment. It is an incredibly serious matter.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 26th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

Let me clarify for the hon. Gentleman that this is not about people not wanting to protect life. It is not about a moral judgement on behalf of those individuals. People who work in the blue-light sector and people who work in caring professions care deeply about the wellbeing of others. That is why they are in those professions. The problem is how these minimum service levels are arrived at and ensuring that we can have confidence in them and that they are also arranged in a timely way. Unlike nursing unions, which have a clearly defined and agreed way of working that covers the whole of the area affected by industrial action, the other services that I have referenced do not. They are very fragmented, and arrangements are often worked out with local management, as opposed to across the nation affected. This is about protecting the public and ensuring that when industrial action takes place, we can still protect the public. It is most acute, I am afraid, in the transport sector. I hope that that clarifies the position for the hon. Gentleman.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

May I commend my right hon. Friend on her earlier Burns quote? Burns always sought to shine a light on hypocrisy. May I ask my right hon. Friend if we can have a debate in Government time on the environmental and socioeconomic importance of bus services that link rural communities with larger towns and cities? In recent months, the 101/102 service between Dumfriesshire and Edinburgh, which goes along the A702 corridor and through communities such as Biggar and West Linton, has been under threat. I commend the local community campaigners who have done so much to ensure that that service will be retained, at least for three years, but it highlights the devastating impact that the loss of such a service would have had on my constituents, and I am sure on others in rural areas across the United Kingdom. That is why a debate is very important.

[Penny Mordaunt]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right—these services are incredibly valued. They are a lifeline for communities, and I commend him and all the campaigners who have fought to ensure that these services are protected. It is why this Government have invested £2 billion in mitigating the impact of the past few years and ensuring that we are maintaining existing bus routes. I point him towards the next Transport questions on 2 March to make this case again. I am sure that if he secured an Adjournment debate, it would be well attended.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 12th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his notice of the very important debate on Holocaust Memorial Day.

I am very sorry to hear about what has happened in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. Although there is no good time for that to happen, it is a pretty terrible thing for families to endure before Christmas in particular. If he is happy for me to do so, I will write to the relevant Minister and ask them to contact his office to see what can be done. It is quite wrong for people to be left in limbo like that.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Happy new year to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Unfortunately, many of my constituents have not had a happy new year, because we have experienced extensive flooding in parts of my constituency. Nith Inshore Rescue has come to the aid of many people, but in the course of its activities it lost one of its support vehicles. It has made an application to the Department for Transport’s rescue boat fund. Will the Leader of the House encourage the Secretary of State for Transport to bring forward an announcement about the allocation of that fund?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising that point. I am sure that the Secretary of State will have heard it, and I will make sure that he is aware of the matter, which is an immediate issue for my right hon. Friend’s constituents. I understand that the results of the next round of funding will be announced shortly. I encourage him to look at central funding and to ensure that the organisation has registered with the particular tool that pulls together all possible other sources of funding, but I will write to the Department and make sure that it knows that this is a very pressing matter for his constituents.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 20th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am very sorry to hear about that case. The hon. Lady will know how she can apply for a debate, and she may wish to work with other colleagues to do that. If she passes the details of that case to my office, I will write on her behalf and ask for a meeting with the Minister.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend may have heard many of the tributes that were paid to the late Dame Angela Lansbury who sadly passed away last week. Most of those tributes focused on her acting and singing prowess and, of course, her legendary character, Jessica Fletcher, in “Murder She Wrote”, but is my right hon. Friend aware that Angela Lansbury was one of the first champions of the fight against AIDS? In the 1980s, when many celebrities shied away from the issue, she was in the vanguard of fundraising. She famously said that we will “never give up on the fight” until the fight is won. Does my right hon. Friend accept that that fight will not be won unless the United Kingdom and others come forward to replenish the global fund to fight AIDS, because that is the only way in which we will achieve Dame Angela’s objective?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend and join him in the tribute that he pays to the late Angela Lansbury. I did know that about her. She was a stalwart and someone who really changed views towards that particular disease. I can tell him that the Government have restated their commitment to the global fund and we will make an announcement on our pledge in the coming weeks.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 22nd September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Lady for her kind remarks about staff and others who enabled those amazing events to occur in the last few weeks and for raising this incredibly important issue. She will know that the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has held that portfolio in the Department and was concerned with all aspects of bereavement and ensuring that the welfare system supports people at the right time and is considerate of the grief that they are experiencing. I will raise the hon. Lady’s remarks with the Secretary of State and make sure that she has heard them, and the hon. Lady can also raise the issue at the next Question Time that arises.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

This week, at the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden hosted the seventh replenishment conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Unfortunately, the United Kingdom Government were unable to make a pledge. As a former International Development Secretary, my right hon. Friend will know the impact of the Global Fund on the eradication of HIV, TB and malaria. Will she therefore ensure that the United Kingdom Government come forward as soon as possible with a statement on their intention to contribute to that replenishment fund?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for raising the profile of the Global Fund, which does tremendous work. The UK has been a leader in ensuring that it has the funds to carry out that work, which benefits us all, as well as the countries on which it is particularly focused. During that replenishment conference, the Minister for Development restated the UK’s strong commitment to the fund. We continue to be committed to it and we will be making an announcement on our pledge in the coming weeks.