Michael Fabricant
Main Page: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)Department Debates - View all Michael Fabricant's debates with the Department for Transport
(11 years ago)
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Mr Goodwill
I suspect that people will start to call it that anyway, so it seems an eminently sensible idea.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
Does my hon. Friend agree with Andy Street, chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull local enterprise partnership, that the expansion of airports in the south-east will in no way damage the expansion and financial prospects of Birmingham airport and that the two can work together?
Mr Goodwill
I thank my hon. Friend, who—dare I suggest?—is never knowingly undersold. I agree that we need expansion and growth in airports around the country, including our regional airports, which I like to refer to as local international airports.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
4. What recent consideration he has given to making Factiva news services available to hon. Members and their staff.
John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
The position has not changed since the answer given to the hon. Gentleman on 7 November. The current online news service will be reassessed in 2015, when a decision is required on whether to extend the current contract for a further two years, or to retender the service.
Michael Fabricant
May I wish you, Mr Speaker, and the Clerks a happy Christmas?
I was really excited by the answer given to me on 7 November, saying that I should
“be aware that some members of the Library have individual subscriptions”—[Official Report, 7 November 2013; Vol. 570, c. 413.]
to Factiva, which is a far better service than Nexis, and that they would therefore be able to help me. Well, it so happened that I actually wanted to get something from The Times, so I phoned up the Library and they said, “Oh no, we can’t forward you anything from it—it breaks the contract.” I asked, “Well, could you scan it in?” “Oh no, we can’t do that—it’ll break the contract.” In the end I said, “Well, go to get the ruddy newspaper, photocopy it and send it through the internal post,” which they did. I am afraid that, for the first time in my life, I have to agree with the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman).
Mr Speaker
Was there any possibility that concealed therein was a question?