Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Wednesday 22nd January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Jim Shannon]

I wholeheartedly agree with the hon. Lady, and that issue will run through all my comments.

I am thankful that the Lords has seen fit to make these amendments for our consideration. Were the amendments to fail, many charities could be prevented from doing charitable work, which would be a tragedy. The amendment on constituency limits will rightly reduce the regulatory burden on charities and voluntary organisations campaigning in individual constituencies. In particular, it will more clearly define the activities covered by the constituency controls so that they cover spending on election material sent to voters and households and unsolicited phone contact with them.

[Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD)]

I am concerned that the amendment would exempt bill boards and advertising hoardings and allow a vast amount of money to be spent on them throughout our constituencies, without coming under the constituency limit.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comment, and clearly those are issues that all charities have concerns about.

The amendment would also reduce the amount of red tape for charities simply seeking to help people who are unable to bear their own burdens. I have been contacted by charities—in Northern Ireland and across the UK—highlighting how some constituency boundaries split towns between two constituencies. For example, Ballynahinch is not only in my beautiful constituency, but in the constituency of South Down—the hon. Member for South Down (Ms Ritchie) is not here—which makes clear why the amendment is necessary. I hope, therefore, that the House, like me, will support it.

I also support the amendment that would allow charities that work together in coalition to campaign together. Our recent debate on rare diseases, such as Duchenne and Prader-Willi, in Westminster Hall brought together and gave a voice to many different charity and health bodies. It was clear that such charities were so small that it made more sense for them to campaign and fundraise together under the umbrella of rare diseases while still working for their individual illnesses. The current situation is working and should be allowed to continue working, and the amendment goes some way to allowing them to work together to the benefit of all member groups. It would also eliminate the unfair anomaly in existing law that means that a partner in a charity coalition campaign on one issue would be limited in its spending on other, totally unrelated issues by virtue of the continued spending by other charity coalition partners.

Mencap has said:

“However, we are still concerned about the potential of the Bill to curtail legitimate campaigning by voluntary and community organisations. On a practical level we are concerned that staffing costs are still to be included in regulated expenditure and the rules around separate organisations working on joint campaigns are still unclear. We are most concerned about the subjective way in which the Bill aims to determine the intentions of a campaigning activity. Charities are already bound by charity law which prohibits party political campaigning. However, this Bill applies to campaigning by organisations which might influence elections—whether they intended to or not.”

We need clarity on how that issue of intention to influence will be dealt with, but we have not had it from the Minister. I agree with the comments of the shadow Minister and of the charities and organisations concerned, and I support the Lords amendments.

Off-gas Grid Households

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton) on raising this matter, which is very important to my constituents in Northern Ireland. The hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Roger Williams) referred to the fact that Northern Ireland has even fewer people on the gas grid, and that is true. It is only in the last few years that many of our constituents have been offered the opportunity to get on the gas grid. Indeed, it was only some 10 or 12 years ago that Newtownards first went on the grid, and that is a major town; it is not even a rural area.

I want to make a few quick comments, because I am conscious of the time. Some 42% of rural households are not connected to mains gas, compared with 8% in urban areas. The hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth and a couple of other hon. Members referred to the unfairness of the situation. The cost of fuel and the number of fuel suppliers play a particularly important role in the countryside. Rural households rely on oil and LPG more heavily to heat their homes, so we clearly have an unfairness and imbalance in supply not just in Northern Ireland, but across the whole United Kingdom—Scotland and Wales and elsewhere. We are probably all aware that some 10% of costs in the home go towards heating. In December 2012, prices were 14% higher than in 2011 and 20% higher than last summer.

In the past year, I have been contacted by many pensioners, because they are the people in the greatest need and who have the greatest difficulties in paying their heating bills. They say they can no longer fill their oil tanks. Some petrol stations say that buying a five gallon drum is cheaper, but it is not; it is dearer. Pensioners in my constituency, in both rural and urban areas, say that the only way that they can address their heating problems is by wearing extra clothes. It would be interesting to find out how many people have died as a result of the cold this winter. I think that the numbers will be quite horrific, but I do not have definite evidence. None the less, I am certainly aware of a great many people of a certain age dying because of the cold.

[Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD)]

The hon. Gentleman is quite right to talk about the problems caused by the high price of heating oil and LPG. Does he share the concerns expressed by the APPG that the OFT study was inadequate? For example, it said that almost all the highlands and islands had between four and seven suppliers, which is obviously nonsense. Does he think that it was over-optimistic about the number of suppliers, that the market is not working properly and that the OFT study should be carried out again?

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and yes I do agree with that. Quite clearly, the figures mentioned were not true, and that applies to many other parts in the United Kingdom as well.

This past winter, pensioners living in rural constituencies have experienced extreme weather conditions and have been unable to provide heating in their homes. The Government must consider introducing a system in which, in extreme conditions, extra payments are made to pensioners.

I will make one other comment, to take matters to a different level. In introducing the debate, the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth did not refer to this issue, but it is perhaps important that we refer to it. In addressing rural fuel poverty, there needs to be recognition of and support for the role that British farmers and land managers can play in exploiting the huge potential offered by our agriculture to provide renewable energy resources. The Countryside Alliance has long called in its rural manifesto for

“the potential of farming and its by-products as a significant and often existing source of renewable energy to be harnessed not only as a way of mitigating climate change but also of increasing our energy mix and therefore our energy security.”

Cows produce something in great quantities that could be used to provide energy. Why are we not using it in some rural areas? There are ways of using it that the Government must consider fully; it is time that they did so.

In conclusion, there are many methods of addressing the off-grid gas issue; the hon. Member for Angus, who spoke earlier, referred to one method. We cannot provide gas everywhere, but we have to try to provide it in lots of places. I would like gas to be provided in some areas of my constituency where I have been pushing for it to be provided. I would like to see it provided in Ballynahinch; Saintfield in Ballygowan; and in the villages of the Ards peninsula, such as Donaghadee, Millisle, Ballywalter, Greyabbey and Portavogie. Those are areas where gas should be made available, and it is quite possible to do so. There are small groups in all those rural areas that could justify the expense involved, and that process could be replicated in other parts of the United Kingdom.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth on bringing this matter forward; this has been a very important debate at a very important time.

Civil Aviation Bill

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Tuesday 20th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Reid]

My understanding is that amendment 2 was an amendment to a Government amendment and only worked because it was combined with the Government amendment.

I did not intend to speak for long, Mr Deputy Speaker, but have been waylaid by Opposition Members. I will conclude by saying that the Bill now focuses both on passengers and on the environment. I believe it strikes the right balance and I am pleased to support it today.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Given that the Government have no plans to protect access to the hubs, I would like to ask a question in reference to clause 6. Access to the hubs of Heathrow and Gatwick is important for Belfast City airport and Aldergrove International airport. Ever mindful that air transport is a volatile business, the matter was debated in another place through an amendment tabled by Lord Empey. Referring to a report by Birmingham MEP Philip Bradbourn, the noble Lord said:

“It was drawn up in April this year and, I believe, was passed by the European Parliament in May. The report, ‘considers it essential for regional airports to have access to hubs’.”—[Official Report, House of Lords, 9 November 2012; Vol. 740, c. 1252.]

Lord Empey advanced that view in his amendment, which was not accepted.

I raise the point because on 6 November, Jim Nicholson MEP tabled two amendments to a proposed European regulation. I do not intend to read out the text of amendment 45 in its entirety, but it is about the slot allocation system established in 1993, and states in italics:

“In addition it is important that access to hub airports from regional airports should be maintained where such routes are essential to the economy of that region.”

That amendment was adopted by the European Parliament, as was amendment 178, which, after the provision,

“The coordinator shall set up a pool, which shall contain all the slots. All new slot capacity determined pursuant to Article 3(3) shall be placed in the pool”

would add,

“This procedure shall be without prejudice to regional airports connectivity to hub airports. If such connectivity is undermined Member States shall be permitted to intervene.”

After all that lead-in, my question to the Minister is quite simple. Will he assure this House that he will support those amendments, which will protect access to the hubs and give life and continuity to Belfast City and Aldergrove International airports, when they come from Europe to this House?

Road Fuel Duties

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Tuesday 13th September 2011 Westminster Hall

[Mr Reid]

The Chairman asked for limited interventions and I have already given way to the hon. Gentleman.

I have accepted the Government’s view that we must have an islands pilot first, but after that I would certainly press for it to be extended to remote areas of the mainland.

[Jim Shannon]

The hon. Gentleman refers to the mainland; obviously, I am very keen for the same opportunities to exist for the people of Northern Ireland. Will he address that issue and does he agree that Northern Ireland also needs to have a similar pilot scheme, because the prices there are equal to those in the western islands of Scotland?

[Mr Reid]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. From the perspective of a Scottish island, the mainland is the mainland of Great Britain, but I accept that there is another part of the United Kingdom. I am not sure whether calling it the mainland is the correct way to refer to it or not.

[Jim Shannon]

As Margaret Thatcher said, we are more British than Finchley.

[Mr Reid]

We are straying into another debate here. I think we will stick to fuel duty, which is probably a lot less contentious.

Operating a rural filling station is clearly not a profitable business these days, and we heard from the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire about how many have closed. In my constituency, I can point to 10 that have closed since I became an MP in 2001, and that is fairly typical of the country as a whole. On the Kintyre peninsula, only three of the five filling stations that the area had at the beginning of the year are still open. Two have closed this year, which is causing real concerns on the peninsula. As the hon. Gentleman who opened the debate pointed out, people are therefore driving longer distances to fill up their tanks and the choices available to rural motorists have been reduced. Action to help rural motorists is certainly badly needed.

There was a time when it could be argued that high fuel taxation was needed to discourage people from polluting the environment, but market forces have already achieved that. Nobody drives for the fun of it these days unless they literally have money to burn and, of course, anyone in such a position would not be deterred by high fuel duty anyway. High fuel duty has played its part in discouraging people from using their cars when public transport alternatives were available but, of course, in a rural area those alternatives are not often available. The price of fuel is already very high and the Government should not be considering putting duty up any further.

I was delighted when the Government abandoned Labour’s fuel duty escalator in the Budget, introduced the fuel duty stabiliser instead and brought down the fuel duty because the price was so high. The Government have scheduled a fuel duty increase for January as it was hoped at the time of the Budget that prices would have decreased by then, although they show no sign of doing so. If prices are still at this level in January, I hope that the Government will not press ahead with the increase.

My final point, which was also touched on by the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire, is about what exactly is causing the high price of fuel. The hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham) referred to oil companies storing fuel rather than putting it on to the market. I want to ask the Government whether any collective action can be taken internationally—for example, through the G20—to bring the price of fuel down. The price of fuel adds to the price of everything in a rural area, so anything that the Government can do to bring the price down would be greatly appreciated by my constituents and all hon. Members who represent a rural constituency.

Foreign Fishermen (Visas)

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Wednesday 30th March 2011 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Gentleman again for his contribution. There is a very strong bond of friendship, loyalty, togetherness and comradeship that comes from being together on a small boat. I do not know if other Members have ever had the chance to get out on a fishing boat. If they have not, they should take the opportunity to go out in one. They would see the small section of the boat that the fishermen sleep in. If they were not claustrophobic before, they certainly would be afterwards, because it is almost incredibly small.

Whenever I have met the Filipino fishermen in Portavogie, an area that I represent back home, I have seen their commitment. When they were wanted at 4 am down in the harbour, they were there. In fact, they were there perhaps half an hour before they were going out on the boats. They were always on time and they worked hard all day. That is how they did things. As the hon. Gentleman has said very clearly, the Filipino fishermen have a strong commitment to work.

[Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD)]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this important debate. To back up what he has just said, one fishing boat skipper told me that if he goes to sleep at night, he wants to be sure that the person at the wheel is somebody in whom he has complete trust. The bond and the trust that are built up over a number of years are very important, and that is why there is a desire to retain these employees.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, which highlights the fact that, right across the UK, the same issues apply to us all. It also highlights our knowledge as elected representatives of immigrant fishermen, and Filipino fishermen in particular, and the need to have them retained in the fishing industry in the areas that we represent.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jim Shannon]

The area that I represent is exactly the same. The knowledge that is earned on one boat is perhaps slightly different to the knowledge earned on another. It takes time to get used to a boat. I mentioned that earlier, when I said that today’s fisherman has so much more to learn than his predecessors of 10, 15 or 20 years ago.

[Mr Reid]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for being so generous in giving way. I want to back up the point that he made. This is a highly skilled job, and it should be put on the list of occupations for which employers should be able to get work permits, as long as employers can demonstrate that they have made every effort to recruit fishermen from within the EU. In those circumstances, they should be allowed to obtain visas, particularly to retain the staff whom they already have and in whom they have trust and confidence.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for making that point, because it is the crux of the issue, and of our requests to the Minister and the Department.

Of the 1,500 visas that were allocated, only 70 were taken up. That might prompt the question, “If only 70 people took them up, do we really need them?” but the fact is we do. It was not that the interest was not there. The key experience and skills of the people involved is very important, and those who were able to fill the void before the Filipino fishermen came have now, by and large, gone back to eastern Europe. There have been, and still are, experienced and qualified fishermen working on the trawlers, and the issue today is that fishermen and employers do not want to lose that expertise come September 2011, which is what they say will happen.

Postal Services Bill

Debate between Jim Shannon and Alan Reid

Wednesday 27th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD)]

I represent a constituency with many small, remote communities, including many islands. Clearly, Royal Mail and the Post Office are vitally important to that constituency. I have to admit that when privatisation was first mooted, I certainly questioned it. However, I am now convinced that it is the only way forward because of the state of the finances of both Royal Mail and the Government more widely. Thus, private capital provides the only way of investing in the modern plant and machinery that Royal Mail so desperately needs. Given the huge mountain of debts that the previous Government left behind, there is simply no alternative.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

One of the proposals involves the returned letter centre in Belfast, which employs 26 people. It is the most efficient returned letter centre in the United Kingdom, so the proposed changes cannot be to do with efficiency. As for savings, where are the savings in such a move?

[Mr Reid]

I am afraid that I do not know the details of what is happening to Royal Mail services in Belfast, so I shall have to pass on that, but the Minister has an hour and a half in which to find out the answer.

As I was saying, there simply is no alternative to private capital. Royal Mail is in a very difficult position. As other Members have pointed out, there is competition not just from other mail companies, but from other means of communication such as the internet and e-mail. As we heard from the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton South East (Mr McFadden), the former postal services Minister, the last Government concluded that private capital was required. There are clearly differences of opinion on whether there should still be a majority Government stake or whether the Government should have the power to sell off more than half the business, but I think that we should give the Government the power to sell off as much of the business as they consider necessary. We should bear in mind that the Bill does not mandate the full privatisation of Royal Mail, but merely gives the Government that power. I believe that we should give them the flexibility that they require in these difficult economic times.