Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 31st October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Colleagues, I would like to accommodate all remaining Questions on the Order Paper, but we must also consider those waiting for subsequent business. I do not intend or wish to be guilty of any discourtesy to colleagues in that regard, so I appeal to colleagues who are being accommodated late to be pithy. In so far as we have taken up time because people have been extraordinarily nice about me, while that is enjoyable for me, from this point on it is unnecessary.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

6. What assessment the National Audit Office has made of the potential effect on its work of the UK leaving the EU.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Wednesday 23rd October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. There will be more—colleagues can be entirely assured of that.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Q6. What plans he has to (a) encourage investment in and (b) improve the transport infrastructure of northern Lincolnshire.

Withdrawal Agreement: Proposed Changes

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Monday 7th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

That may well be true but I hope that the right hon. Lady, who is not too delicate a flower, can bear the almost unendurable pain of the criticism of the Minister with such stoicism and fortitude as she feels able, in the circumstances, to muster.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Last week, the Leader of the Opposition said that no self-respecting Labour MP could vote for the proposals, yet we are now being pressed on a confidential document, the production of which would undermine yet again our negotiating position. Does the Minister agree that to reveal the documents would make no deal more likely?

Points of Order

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Wednesday 3rd April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I will come to other colleagues. We do not have a lot of time, because we have to move on to other business, but I will do my best.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Thank you for taking this point of order at this stage in our proceedings. My concern is the accountability of Network Rail to Parliament. You may recall that twice in the last month I have raised the issue of the closure of Suggitts Lane level crossing in my constituency. Yesterday, Network Rail moved in and put up security barriers to close that crossing, despite objections from me and from North East Lincolnshire Council, a petition signed by 4,000 residents and a request from the Rail Minister to review the decision. In view of that, can you offer guidance about how I, or indeed Parliament, can hold Network Rail accountable for this action?

[Mr Speaker]

My advice to the hon. Gentleman is that he should obtain a copy of the Official Report—the transcript of today’s proceedings—as soon as it becomes available. He should send it with a robust—Lincolnshire robust—covering letter to Network Rail in the hope that Network Rail will respect the force as well as the sincerity of what he has said, and that it will, in the process, take due note of what the Rail Minister has said.

If that effort is unavailing again, I suggest to the hon. Gentleman, as I did to the hon. Member for Totnes (Dr Wollaston), that he should make the short journey to the Table Office to table questions, he should appear at business questions tomorrow and he should, in all appearances before the Chamber, persist.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Tuesday 2nd April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Before we move to Question 2 and I call the hon. Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers), I hope that the whole House will want to join me in extending a warm welcome to Gareth Evans, QC, who served with great distinction as a Cabinet Minister in Australia from 1983 until 1996 under—if memory serves me—the Hawke and Keating Governments. As we have just been talking about human rights, let us not forget that he was a key architect of the United Nations’ responsibility to protect. We celebrate that achievement, and many people around the world, sir, will be thankful to you for your leadership on that front.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to help tackle the persecution of Christians overseas.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Wednesday 27th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

I hope that the American ambassador is enjoying his visit here today as much as he enjoyed his visit to north-east Lincolnshire last Friday, when I was able to join him at Young’s Seafood in Grimsby, where we enjoyed some of the finest seafood possible. Does the Prime Minister agree that Brexit increases the opportunity to build on our existing trading relationship with the United States?

[Mr Speaker]

We hope the ambassador’s palate was satisfied. I dare say we will be hearing about it if it was not.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 21st March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Although the hon. Gentleman represents Cleethorpes, which if memory serves me correctly is in north-east Lincolnshire, he is also a noted parliamentary celebrity in that he chairs the all-party group on rail and therefore we are interested in his thoughts on this matter.

[Martin Vickers]

Thank you for the introduction, Mr Speaker.

If my residents in Cleethorpes wanted to access the Welsh rail network, the first part of their journey would be to catch the TransPennine Express from Cleethorpes to Manchester and, if they did so, as they were leaving Cleethorpes station they would pass over Suggitts Lane level crossing, which as the Minister knows from his recent visit to my constituency is under threat of closure by Network Rail. Could he use his best endeavours to influence Network Rail to look at all other safety measures rather than closure?

[Mr Speaker]

That is truly a trainspotter’s contribution.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We are running very late but I want to hear the voice of Cleethorpes. I call Martin Vickers.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Like Scunthorpe, there are reports that Grimsby magistrates court, which serves the Cleethorpes area, is under threat of closure, with the possibility of cases being transferred to Hull, which is a round trip of 66 miles. Will the Minister give an absolute assurance that Grimsby is not under threat?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 19th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I tell the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Melanie Onn) that I have not visited her constituency recently, but during the general election campaign, in Buckingham, in the market square in Winslow, I did buy, and then consume, fish that was, of course, from Grimsby.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Notwithstanding what the Minister has said and what her colleagues have said on previous occasions, she will be aware that in fishing communities there are still concerns that the Government will use fishing in some way and make further concessions. Can she give an absolute guarantee that there will be no further concessions on fisheries?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Monday 11th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Oh, very well; I call Martin Vickers.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

I am encouraged by what I hear from the Secretary of State about extra resources being made available. We anticipate an increase in the fishing fleet post-Brexit, so will he assure me that the fisheries protection fleet will expand accordingly?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 17th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am sure it was inadvertent. There was not going to be further discussion on this question, but the effect of raising a point of order in mid-question is to preclude any further supplementary questions on the matter. In this case, however, the crime is victimless.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

4. What steps his Department has taken to promote the merits of free trade to the public.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 29th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We are running late, but I am not having Cleethorpes and Redditch missing out. I call Martin Vickers.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

8. What assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits to UK businesses and consumers of securing trade agreements with non-EU countries after the UK has left the EU.

Industrial Strategy

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Monday 27th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

I particularly welcome the commitment in the document to local industrial strategies, especially the reference on page 226 to the Greater Grimsby project board, of which I am a member. It is a private sector-led board. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is the best way forward for developing strategy, and will he commit to meeting the board in the not-too-distant future?

[Mr Speaker]

I had not previously been aware of the hon. Gentleman’s membership of that important board, but I am now.

Business of the House

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 16th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Before I call the first Back Bencher, I should advise the House that there is a statement by the Leader of the House to follow on an extremely important matter of great interest to Members in all parts of the House. Thereafter, we have two debates to take place under the auspices of the Backbench Business Committee, to which more than 30—from memory, I would say 35—Members have submitted an application to speak. Those debates have to finish by 5 o’clock. Thereafter, there are two further matters that are potentially debatable for a total of three hours. That may very well not happen, but it could, so there is a premium on brevity. First, if colleagues were late, I ask them please not to stand and try to take part; that is not fair. Secondly, can people please ask single-sentence questions without preamble today? I know that the Leader of the House will respond with characteristically pithy replies.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Last week, at the transport in the north debate, I raised the matter of the long-dormant plans to extend the M11 up to the Humber bridge. Such a move would be a great boost for the midlands engine and the northern powerhouse. Can the Leader of the House find time for a debate?

Leaving the EU: Parliamentary Vote

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 26th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

There was a certain amount of harrumphing from a sedentary position from the right hon. Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne), in response to which I simply observe, without fear of contradiction, that none of my parliamentary colleagues is a viper. However, I think it would be fair to say that that is a matter of taste rather than of order.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that if we are to have a meaningful vote on the final deal, it will be better if all Members engage constructively with the proceedings rather than seek to frustrate the will of the British people?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Thursday 19th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Ah, another pertinent inquiry on the Shipley eastern bypass I feel sure.

[Martin Vickers]

Many of my constituents would like to visit Shipley on many occasions, but in order to do so that they would have to travel along concrete sections of the A180, which causes great disturbance to residents in Stallingborough and other villages in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State urge Highways England to look favourably on funding improvements to that section of the A180?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Martin Vickers and John Bercow

Wednesday 18th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Now we are going to hear Back Benchers. Back Benchers in this place must be heard.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Q10. As the Prime Minister pointed out in answer to the first question, the northern powerhouse initiative has done a great deal to help the economies of northern areas. But our coastal communities are desperately in need of further investment and support. In north-east Lincolnshire we have established a private sector-led project board that benefits from the expertise of its members, who include a former Chancellor and a former head of the civil service. Could the Prime Minister give her support to the initiative for a town deal for north-east Lincolnshire, which might provide a model for other areas?