Points of Order

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Monday 18th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Thank you.

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I just wanted to mention that I served on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with Paul Flynn, and he was highly respected in that body by people from all the countries represented in it—he was a very active member of it. He also teased me in his book, and we used to laugh about that quite a bit. He was a very nice man and a very effective parliamentarian, and I just wanted to put that on the record. Obviously, our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

[Mr Speaker]

Thank you very much indeed.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Wednesday 19th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

In the field of justice, we have been lucky to enjoy very good civil, mutual judicial co-operation across Europe. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, are there plans in place, and are there the civil servants, for example, to rejoin The Hague conventions in place of the regulations in Europe and so on, to ensure that we have a smooth legal transition?

[Mr Speaker]

There is something wrong with the microphone. The right hon. and learned Gentleman cannot be fully heard, and that is unsatisfactory, but I am sure it will be put right.

Points of Order

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Wednesday 19th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am grateful to you for looking at the evidence—I think they call it VAR in football—but when you come back, would it be possible for the House authorities to have contacted the office of the Leader of the Opposition to make sure that he is present to hear your ruling?

[Mr Speaker]

Let us wait to see. If I have a ruling, it would be a great courtesy if the Leader of the Opposition were here, and I very much hope that he will be. I note what the right hon. and learned Gentleman has said.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Tuesday 20th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Let us hear from the neighbour. I call Sir Oliver Heald.

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

Would my hon. Friend be prepared to highlight to the review team just how dreadful it is for somebody to have to travel day after day, for an hour and a half in each direction, to London for radiotherapy when they are already ill? I hope it might be possible for some action to be taken to resolve this issue in our area.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Tuesday 6th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

And doubtless with the right hon. and learned Member for North East Hertfordshire (Sir Oliver Heald).

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

I am very grateful to the Minister for that kind offer. I just make the point that there is a gap in the law. There are legal difficulties with prosecuting under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, because of the drafting of section 4. Prosecuting for criminal damage means that the value of the animal determines the sentence. However, a police dog like Finn, who was eight years old, is not worth much money—he is of course invaluable to PC Dave Wardell and the country’s police enforcement efforts, but he is not worth a lot of money. I am therefore grateful that the Minister will to talk to us about this issue.

[Mr Speaker]

Perhaps we could have an Adjournment debate about Finn, if the right hon. and learned Gentleman has not already procured such.

[Sir Oliver Heald]

I have already done that, Mr Speaker, and I have a ten-minute rule Bill as well.

[Mr Speaker]

Very well done. The right hon. and learned Gentleman is obviously ahead of events. I was enjoying the family history he was educating us on just now.

Acute and Community Health

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Thursday 8th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I remind the House that there is another ministerial statement to follow, and that although the debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming Adjournment is not now intended to take place, no fewer than 19 Members wish to take part in the debate on community banking, so there is a premium on brevity. These important matters having been preliminarily aired, I now appeal to colleagues to ask single-sentence, pithy questions, without a great preamble, then we will progress towards other matters. I now call Sir Oliver Heald.

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

My hon. Friend will be aware, and indeed has said, how bad the situation was at Liverpool prison, where the trust had no understanding of what was required of it in its role as health provider. That put healthcare staff in a very difficult position. Does he feel that there is a need for better liaison between health and justice in relation to prison health facilities? Is the CQC really in a position to inspect them, or should there be joint inspections by Her Majesty’s inspectorate of prisons and the chief inspector of hospitals?

Grenfell Rehousing

Debate between Oliver Heald and John Bercow

Wednesday 5th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am keen to accommodate the level of interest in this extremely serious matter, about which there will, I suspect, be many statements in the weeks to come, but I must advise the House that both subsequent debates are well subscribed, especially the debate on Israel and Palestine, which is very heavily subscribed. I must leave time for that, so what is now required in each case is a short, preferably single-sentence question.

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

My hon. Friend mentioned the fact that a number of families had not yet engaged with regard to rehousing. The community in Latimer Road and the Westway have been marvellous in putting their arms round those families, but can he confirm that, even if there is a delay before those families engage, they will still be given the same priority and rights to rehousing that he has mentioned?