Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Thursday 27th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

My right hon. Friend makes a characteristically acute point. It is the case that the European Union exports more in goods to the UK than we export to the EU. Were some voices—I stress that it is a minority of voices in the European Union—to prevail and were they not to progress these negotiations in the way that, I am sure, we would all want to see, there would be damage to the EU’s economy, and that is the last thing that I want to see.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

T3. Does the Government intend to legislate for the proposals in the 2018 review of parliamentary constituency boundaries, or will they conduct a new review?

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Chloe Smith)]

We were clear in our manifesto that we are committed to equal and updated boundaries, and we will bring forward proposals in due course on how to meet that commitment.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd May 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There is pent-up investment there, and there are companies that have been holding investment back until they see the Brexit deal being resolved. It is important that we see that deal going through this House, and supporting the withdrawal agreement Bill is the way to ensure that we deliver the Brexit that the people voted for and that we do it in a way that Conservatives stood on in their manifesto at the last election and actually that Labour Members stood on in their manifesto at the last election. Once we are over this and once we have left the European Union, we will be able to take advantage not only of the deal dividend but of that increased investment and to see that bright future for our country.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Q8. As a Manchester MP, may I thank the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for their words of remembrance for the victims of the terrorist attack in our city two years ago? In the light of the concerns expressed about delays in accessing compensation and about the amounts being offered to victims following the attack, will the Government give consideration, when the criminal injuries compensation scheme is reviewed this year, to establishing a separate Government funding pot for the victims of terrorist attacks? This would mean that such compensation would not have to be taken from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority funding and that we could give more flexible and immediate support to the victims of terror attacks.

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman has raised an important point, and I recognise the force with which he has raised it and the concern that he has for the victims of that terrible attack. Sadly, we have seen too many people in this country being victims of terrorist attacks. The Lord Chancellor has indicated that the Ministry of Justice is reviewing this situation. He has heard the specific proposal the hon. Gentleman has put forward, and I am sure that he will take it into account in that review.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 15th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the proposed withdrawal agreement with the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)]

The withdrawal agreement means we can leave the European Union with a deal that honours the referendum result, protects our economy and security and safeguards our Union. The best outcome for Wales and the Welsh economy is for the UK to leave the European Union in a smooth and orderly way.

[Jeff Smith]

What assessment has the Secretary of State made of the impact of non-tariff barriers? They would result in customs procedures and technical barriers to trade, meaning delays and costs that would be particularly damaging to the Welsh economy.

[Alun Cairns]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point that further underlines why the deal we have negotiated with the European Union will work in the interests of Welsh manufacturers, Welsh agriculture and other sectors across the whole UK. The political declaration says “as frictionless as possible,” which is the objective we want to achieve.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 20th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham) (Lab)]

4. If she will make reducing global warming a strategic priority of her Department.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

15. If she will make reducing global warming a strategic priority of her Department.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Harriett Baldwin)]

Climate change is a major threat to achieving the sustainable development goals, and tackling it is a strategic priority for the Government and for my Department. The Government are delivering £5.8 billion in international climate finance to help developing countries to reduce emissions and to manage the impact of climate change.

--- Later in debate ---

[Harriett Baldwin]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight the importance of commitments that were made last year at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. There is an extensive programme of work to follow through on those commitments, not least the £5.8 billion of international climate finance that we have announced so far, which has already helped 47 million people to increase their resilience to climate change. We will be leading that strand at the United Nations summit in September.

[Jeff Smith]

The Minister said that there is no net investment from DFID and the CDC. I would be interested to know what she means by that, because we surely need a greater priority on disinvestment in oil and gas extraction. Is she not worried, as I am, about the possibility of stranded assets as a result of investments we have made in the global south?

[Harriett Baldwin]

We have an important role to play in working with our international bilateral partners to encourage the use of clean growth and clean energy. For example, the week before last, we held an event here in support of sustainable development goal 7 to which we invited African Energy Ministers from developing countries to meet some of the people we have in the UK with expertise on renewable energy.

Cabinet Office

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 20th November 2018 Ministerial Corrections

The following is an extract from Questions to the Cabinet Office on Wednesday 14 November 2018.

[Jeff Smith]

Last month, the chair of the inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, said that many victims of the infected blood scandal are still living on the breadline today. The inquiry is not due to look at financial support until 2020, so what more now can the Government do to help the people affected?

[Mr Lidington]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, different compensation packages have been agreed by the Department of Health and Social Care in the different parts of the United Kingdom. Sir Brian did ask the Government to look at the case for some additional measures, which are being considered by the Secretary of State for Health and his ministerial team, and the Minister responsible for mental health, my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price), is very willing to talk to the inquiry team about that.

[Official Report, 14 November 2018, Vol. 649, c. 297.]

Letter of correction from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office:

An error has been identified in the response I gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Jeff Smith).

The correct response should have been:

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 14th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

2. What assessment he has made of the progress of the infected blood inquiry.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

7. What assessment he has made of the progress of the infected blood inquiry.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Lidington]

As far as legal aid is concerned, more than £250,000 has been provided to those affected by this scandal to help them pay for their legal representation. As regards the other matter that the hon. Gentleman mentioned, this was an honest mistake caused by an administrative error. We explained that in full in the form of a written statement to the House and apologised to the inquiry as soon as it was discovered. All Departments, other than the Legal Aid Agency and the Courts and Tribunals Service, have now confirmed that no relevant records were destroyed during the relevant period.

[Jeff Smith]

Last month, the chair of the inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, said that many victims of the infected blood scandal are still living on the breadline today. The inquiry is not due to look at financial support until 2020, so what more now can the Government do to help the people affected?

[Mr Lidington]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, different compensation packages have been agreed by the Department of Health and Social Care in the different parts of the United Kingdom. Sir Brian did ask the Government to look at the case for some additional measures, which are being considered by the Secretary of State for Health and his ministerial team, and the Minister responsible for mental health, my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price), is very willing to talk to the inquiry team about that.[Official Report, 20 November 2018, Vol. 649, c. 7MC.]

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 5th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

First, I commend my hon. Friend for the work he did on this issue when he was a Minister. I assure him that the Department for Exiting the European Union has indeed stepped up the work on preparations. We have 6,400 civil servants working on EU exit. There are an additional 1,850 recruits in the pipeline so that we can accelerate preparations as necessary. We have passed necessary laws in this House such as the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018—an historic Act. Obviously, there are other pieces of legislation, like the sanctions Act and the Nuclear Safeguards Bill. We are publishing the technical notices on no deal preparations. We are ensuring that our preparations are being made, and they are being made for every eventuality. We are working for a good deal; we prepare for every eventuality.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Q11. Does the Prime Minister agree with the chief constable of Greater Manchester when he says that, after losing 2,000 officers in eight years, the public have to accept that without more resources, it is impossible for the police to respond to crimes like car break-ins, antisocial behaviour and even property theft? Is that just the reality of policing under this Government, or will the Prime Minister commit to give our police the funding they need?

[The Prime Minister]

Obviously, we understand that the demand on policing is changing and becoming increasingly complex. That is why, after speaking to forces in England and Wales, we provided a comprehensive funding settlement that will increase total investment in the police system by over £460 million in this year, 2018-19. The hon. Gentleman might like to note that the force has a higher number of officers per head of population than the England and Wales average.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 13th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Obviously, my hon. Friend refers to the independent public inquiry, and after that took place the then Communities and Local Government Secretary called in the decision, and the new Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary is considering the inspector’s report. I understand that the Secretary of State hopes to issue his decision on or before the published target date of 2 August.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Q11. It took nearly 5,000 cancelled trains in just three weeks for the Transport Secretary to notice the Northern rail crisis. If this Government cannot run our railways properly, will the Prime Minister agree with businesses, council leaders and over 25 newspapers from across the region and give Transport for the North the powers that it needs to do the job?

[The Prime Minister]

We have given Transport for the North unprecedented powers to influence decisions about transport investment in the north, but what is more we have backed it up with £260 million of Government funding. It has the powers to deliver a transport strategy, which the Government must formally consider, to fund organisations and to deliver transport projects. Those and its other powers are exactly what Transport for the North requested.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 9th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am very happy to join my hon. Friend in congratulating the newly elected Conservative councillors. I gave a list of councils earlier where people had rejected Labour, like Barnet, Dudley and Peterborough. I can add Redditch to that list, and indeed other councils around the country. Many congratulations to her, to those councillors and to all the volunteers and activists who work so hard.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Q6. In the past year, the Trussell Trust has given out over 3,000 food parcels to my constituents in south Manchester, half of them to families with children. The trust says that the Government’s flawed roll-out of universal credit has fuelled the 13% rise in food bank use over the past year. How does the Prime Minister explain the rise?

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 18th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

We are actively considering the proposals for the mid-Wales growth deal. I know that my hon. Friend has put a lot of effort into this, particularly into bringing local partners together, including by making important cross-border links for this area. We believe that the best decisions and proposals for what will work for mid-Wales will come from people who live, work and do business there. We will be offering help and support, and UK Government Ministers in Wales have already met a variety of local partners to start this process off. We are ambitious for Wales and I am keen to see every part of Wales having a city or growth deal.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Q4. Last month, the Prime Minister met six-year-old Alfie Dingley and his family at Downing Street, so I think she understands how vital it is that he gets access to the cannabis-based medicine that treats his very rare and severe form of epilepsy. On Monday, the Home Office received an application for a licence from Alfie’s GP and a leading neurologist so that he can access the medicine. Can the Prime Minister assure his family that she will do what she can to ensure that the application is granted by the Home Office as quickly as possible so that Alfie can get the help he desperately needs?

[The Prime Minister]

I was very pleased to be able to meet Alfie and his family, and I know the sympathies of Members across the House are with them as he undergoes treatment. I have written to the family to reiterate our commitment to explore a range of options for finding a solution for Alfie. Of course we want to ensure that people get the treatment they need. It is also important that medicines are properly and thoroughly tested, but I will certainly ensure that the Home Office looks at this application speedily.