Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Thursday 30th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

T5. The Davies commission was explicit that when the third runway for Heathrow is constructed the Lakeside Energy from Waste plant will need to be replaced, yet the Minister’s national policy statement on Heathrow simply says that its impact on the waste stream will require assessment. As it will be difficult to find an appropriate place in that area to situate that important facility for getting rid of landfill, will he change the national policy statement to make sure that the commitment to replace that plant is maintained?

[Chris Grayling]

I am well aware of this issue, and of course this is a consultation on a draft national policy statement. The ultimate decisions about that plant will be a matter for both its owners and Heathrow airport, and both will have to be satisfied that they are putting appropriate arrangements in place in order for things to go ahead. I take the right hon. Lady’s comments today as a representation to that consultation.

English Votes for English Laws

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Wednesday 15th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the support he gives to the measures. I think they are measured and reasonable. If we are moving towards greater devolution across the United Kingdom, I simply do not accept that it is sensible or reasonable to say to the English, “You have no part in that.”

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

rose—

[Chris Grayling]

The right hon. Lady is no doubt going to tell me that it is unreasonable. She represents an English seat. I am sure her constituents want some fairness in all of this as well.

[Fiona Mactaggart]

I am a proud Unionist. The voices of proud Unionists on the Opposition Benches say to the Leader of the House that there is a profound risk in his proposals. The risk is, first, making a differential between Members. Further, he tells us that he has looked, with the Clerks, at what might happen and that we can all deal with that after a year. We are arguing for a careful review before this is implemented, because it sounds to me as if, for example, English voters—

[Fiona Mactaggart]

I missed the important bit!

[Chris Grayling]

I got the gist, Mr Deputy Speaker. The dilemma for the right hon. Lady is this: she and her party are now fundamentally an English party with a few Welsh MPs. They have constituents who, like mine, want a balanced devolution settlement where there is a degree of fairness for England. That is what we are doing. This is a sensible package of measures that provides a balance within this place and gives a decisive vote on matters that affect only English and Welsh constituencies, but does not remove from any MP in any part of the House the right to vote on any single measure that appears before this House.

Business of the House

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Thursday 9th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

My hon. Friend knows that I took great interest in that area in my previous role as Justice Secretary. I do not believe it is acceptable for people who have previously absconded to be allowed back into open conditions, and I changed the rules to ensure that such things should not normally happen. He will undoubtedly raise the issue with my right hon. Friend the Justice Secretary, who I am sure shares my view on that.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

It is two months since the general election and this House has appointed its Select Committees. The people of Britain face unprecedented threats to their security, yet we still do not know who the members of the Intelligence and Security Committee will be. Will the Leader of the House bring membership of that Committee before the House next week so that it can meet before the recess?

[Chris Grayling]

I think all parties are finalising their appointments to Select Committees. There are a number of Select Committees where that needs to be completed. It is very much my hope and expectation that that will happen as soon as possible, and hopefully before the summer recess.

--- Later in debate ---

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

Excuse me—she is an hon. Lady!

[Chris Grayling]

I am sorry. I am very glad that the hon. Lady has raised this issue, because this highlights the difference between us. I look at the fact that tube drivers are paid something like twice the amount that nurses, paramedics and others in our public services are paid. I also look at the disruption that is being caused in London today. Some people are having to work from home, some are unable get to essential jobs and some are having to walk long distances across the capital because a group of well-paid people are holding this nation to ransom. I think that that is unacceptable and that we should condemn it. Will she?

English Votes on English Laws

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Thursday 2nd July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

Yes, I do, and it is important to pick up on what the leader of the Democratic Unionist party said. We need to ensure that we keep the Union strong. We are passionate Unionists. At the same time, the Union is not strengthened if English citizens feel somehow that the constitutional settlement lets them down. We need to address their concerns to strengthen the Union that we regard as so important.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

I proudly represent an English constituency, but I am also a proud Unionist. I am shocked by this nasty little measure, which has not been properly debated. Will the Leader of the House say why the House has a proper system of debating legislation when it has a simple majority on, for example, issues such as Standing Orders? Will he agree to bring legislation before the House, because the questions from my colleagues from Northern Ireland and Scotland—

[Fiona Mactaggart]

And Wales. Their questions are merely a precursor of what will happen when the right hon. Gentleman makes me a Member of an English Parliament as well as a United Kingdom Parliament.

[Chris Grayling]

If the right hon. Lady and others wish to come forward as part of the review and say that they now want this set in legislation, we will obviously consider it. Let me remind her of the facts: her former colleague, John Denham, who was a member of the shadow Cabinet in the previous Parliament, argued very strongly for the need to do this. Labour Members of Parliament must decide whether they want to say to their English constituents, “You should not be a part of the devolution changes that are taking place.” I am happy to have that argument with them on the doorsteps of this country. I think that people in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will think that this step is fair.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Tuesday 9th September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Those who have visited prison libraries will know that they are well stocked and well supported by high-quality staff. In most prison libraries one will find local projects helping prisoners to read, and I pay tribute to the work done by our prison librarians in tackling literacy problems in our prisons. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the fuss made about this issue has been wholly disproportionate and detached from the reality.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

But will the Secretary of State give Parliament a report on how many minutes each week each prisoner is able to visit a prison library? We regularly hear reports of lack of staff preventing prisoners from visiting prison libraries, and lack of space preventing toe by toe and similar reading programmes from being mounted.

[Chris Grayling]

The challenge we have in our prisons is not making space available in libraries for prisoners to visit but encouraging them to visit. That is why we are pursuing projects such as toe by toe and encouraging literacy programmes. To be frank, I wish more prisoners wanted to go to our libraries.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Tuesday 2nd July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State promise the House that if he were to close a women’s prison, he would ensure that some of the savings that arose went towards preventing women from going into prison in future?

[Chris Grayling]

The answer is yes. Our probation reforms will also involve greater mentoring support for those who receive community sentences. Our aim is to stop people going to prison in the first place, and help prevent them from going back if they do end up in prison.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Mactaggart and Lord Grayling

Tuesday 21st May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he did as Justice Minister on improving the availability of work in prisons. It is to his credit that we saw an increase of 800,000 in the number of hours worked in our prisons last year. My hon. Friend the Prisons Minister is building on that work and it is my hope and expectation that we will see that increase continue.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

Will there be resettlement prisons for women?

[Chris Grayling]

There are of course a smaller number of women’s prisons, but it is our intention to have the same geographic links between detention and release for women as well.