Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Chris Heaton-Harris

Wednesday 7th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

But there is no prospect of restoring devolved government until the protocol has been resolved. Is that not the case?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

The Executive do need to reform. That is very, very important. Whatever issues there are with the protocol, there are very important functions and services that the people of Northern Ireland need to work, so the Northern Ireland parties need to form an Executive as soon as possible. The protocol has put up barriers to trade and other things. We can fix them through negotiation, but if we cannot, we will fix them through legislation.

No-deal EU Exit Preparations

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Chris Heaton-Harris

Wednesday 20th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I have to say that I did not know they had done so, but I do know that there are ongoing engagements throughout the Government with business representatives and organisations, some of which I myself have attended very recently.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

It would be stupid to go out panic buying, would it not?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

Yes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Chris Heaton-Harris

Wednesday 5th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con)]

4. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that people with disabilities benefit from UK aid programmes.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Desmond Swayne)]

First, may I say that my right hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) was a champion for this brief and for disabled people in the most vulnerable countries in the world? We are publishing a framework on 3 December, because we are determined that disabled people will benefit from UK aid.

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I am delighted to hear that we are going to publish the disability framework on 3 December. How will it ensure that disabled people—particularly those with learning and intellectual disabilities —are systematically and consistently included in UK aid programmes?

[Mr Swayne]

I ask my hon. Friend to show some patience until 3 December. What I can tell him is that we have consulted widely and undertaken to quadruple the number of staff working on this. We have also appointed a senior management champion. With respect to mental health and disability, we are funding a major study in Asia and Africa to see what works in poorly resourced countries.

European Union Bill

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Chris Heaton-Harris

Tuesday 7th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con)]

I rise as a sinner, because I would like a referendum on Britain’s future relationship with our European partners. As I am a former member of the European Parliament, that certainly makes me a sinner in the eyes of those out there. Many of the British people are sinners also. We all entered this European garden of Eden fully clothed, and now the British people feel that their clothes have been stolen by previous Governments of both colours, with their shirt finally having been stolen from their back by the last Labour Government when they gave away a huge part of our rebate. That is why we have the Bill.

It is fairly obvious to anyone who cares to ask our voters that they are really fed up with our relationship with the EU, and do not trust the European institutions. Equally, our voters have lost a huge amount of trust in the ability of British Governments trying, or even endeavouring to try, to stand up for our country.

[Mr Swayne]

This House voted not to have a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. If those of us who argued with the Minister, who continued to insist that it was merely an administrative tidying up, had only had the ability to go to judicial review, as this Bill allows, we would have been much better for it.