Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Thursday 26th October 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Heather Wheeler OBE.

[Mrs Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire) (Con)]

4. What steps he is taking to increase the availability of electric vehicles.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Wednesday 26th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Heather Wheeler. [Hon. Members: “More!”] Order. Heather has not even asked her question and you want more? Come on, Heather.

[Mrs Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire) (Con)]

Q6. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate my right hon. Friend our new Prime Minister and thank our previous Prime Minister for the straightforward way in which she handled her resignation. I wish her and her family well for the future. Will my right hon. Friend please use his first appearance at the Dispatch Box to make it clear to the General Medical Council and the British Dental Association that, as well as opening up more training spaces, they must allow new doctors and dentists to work in the UK so that the good people of South Derbyshire can get treatment on the NHS?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She is absolutely right. I am pleased that there are 3,500 more doctors and over 9,000 more nurses working this year than last. We are working in particular to simplify registration for dentists who have not trained here so that they can practise here. That is how we will help deliver a long-term workforce plan for the NHS and ensure that everyone can get the care that they need.

Ministers’ Severance Pay

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Monday 11th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Wheeler]

Indeed, and I thank my right hon. Friend for confirming that she has already talked to the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office and that she will not be receiving the payment.

[Mr Speaker]

We now come to the SNP spokesperson, Brendan O’Hara.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Thursday 9th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Wheeler]

Fast stream places for autumn 2022 will be honoured and our direct entry apprenticeship and internship schemes will continue to bring new and diverse talent to the civil service. While we pause the fast stream for the 2023 intake, we will take the opportunity to further improve the fast stream offer. That reform will ensure that when the scheme reopens, it is focused on driving up specialist skills in the civil service, as well as improving the regional representation of the fast stream.

I know that my hon. Friend works hard with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials on their international agenda in his capacity as chair of the all-party parliamentary groups on Belgium, Luxembourg and Tunisia. I take the opportunity to update him that, as part of our global Britain agenda and the establishment of the new College for National Security, we are launching international strategy and security fellowships, which are secondments, and where possible—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I have the greatest respect for the Minister, but these are very long answers. We are certainly wandering away from where we started. Let us move on to the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Thursday 31st March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Wheeler]

People are being asked to move either three miles or eight miles away. They are having one-to-one bespoke meetings asking them how they would like to carry on working. As I say, all 411 jobs will be staying in the civil service because such important back-office jobs are needed. People are being asked to find where the best place is for them to work. If they want to carry on working in other civil service jobs in the area, they can transfer.

[Mr Speaker]

We now come once again to shadow Minister Rachel Hopkins.

Housing Benefit

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Wednesday 26th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I am just going to help a little bit. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman wants to catch my eye, in which case he will not get in at the moment because of how many interventions we have already had. That is how bad it is: we are cutting each other’s speaking times down. That will have to go down to four minutes shortly and some people will drop off the end.

[Heather Wheeler]

I thank the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) for staying seated. I am sure he will make a magnificent speech in a while.

I finish by saying that can Opposition Members please have serious conversations with their local housing associations, the Homes and Communities Agency and the big providers—the Legal & Generals, the big insurance companies and the other people who want to invest in big infrastructure? If there is an absolute need for one and two-bedroom rented properties in their constituencies, they should open up those conversations. Legal & General, among other insurance companies, wants to take on long-term rented properties. Please do not have a whinge and a moan in this Chamber. Opposition Members should get out there, do their jobs and see what they are meant to be sorting out for the vulnerable people in their constituencies.

Housing Benefit

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Tuesday 12th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Heather Wheeler]

No, I am not giving way to the hon. Lady.

That is what a proactive council does. I ask Labour Members: what are you doing talking to your Labour leader; what are you doing talking to your housing chairman; what are you doing talking to the Homes and Communities Agency; what are you all doing? The answer is, “Not enough”.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. The hon. Lady says “you”, but I am not responsible and I have no wish to be responsible for what she says.

[Heather Wheeler]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise. What are Opposition Members doing about it? Clearly not enough.

I shall finish. This motion is despicable. Thank goodness for the reasoned amendment, which I shall vote for with great pleasure.

[Heather Wheeler]

I will not give way.

Mr Deputy Speaker said that everyone in this Chamber is responsible for what goes on in their constituencies. For goodness’ sake, Labour Members should start leading in their constituencies.

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I do not think I quite said that, but I call Jessica Morden.

Rail Investment

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Heather Wheeler

Monday 16th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. We have only five more minutes—let us try to get through as many questions as possible.

[Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire) (Con)]

I thank my right hon. Friend and all the Ministers and Parliamentary Private Secretaries who have worked hard with all the local MPs to make sure that this new electric spine is achieved. The point is we have a spine, and we waited 13 years for someone else to find one.