Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rory Stewart and Daniel Zeichner

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Rory Stewart]

These beat-the-boss phones are designed explicitly to be concealed. We must crack down on the people who are selling them but, more than that, we have to get processes right in prison. This includes investing in more sniffer dogs to pick up the phones and in better scanners, and the staff having the morale, the confidence and the training to challenge prisoners, inspect cells and stop this stuff being smuggled in.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

T10. There were many hundreds of responses to the Ministry’s proposals to close Cambridge magistrates court, but there has still not been a proper response to the consultation. Will the Secretary of State tell me when that will happen?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rory Stewart and Daniel Zeichner

Tuesday 10th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Rory Stewart]

The entire purpose of the small claims court is to make sure that minor injuries—in this case, the claims limit was set in 1991 at less than £1,000 and will rise to £2,000—are dealt with without lawyers. The same thing happens in most of our European partner countries. Norway is a very good example of a model in which exactly such cases are taken through without lawyers, up to a much higher value than would be the case here.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

The Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. and learned Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Lucy Frazer), wants to close the magistrates court in Cambridge. What assessment has she made of suggested ways to keep a magistrates court in Cambridge, and when will she make a decision?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rory Stewart and Daniel Zeichner

Thursday 5th May 2016 Commons Chamber

[Rory Stewart]

I would be absolutely delighted to meet my hon. Friend, and in fact I propose that we meet by walking the national trail together.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

There is growing concern about the environmental impact of microbeads, the tiny pieces of plastic that are found in many consumer products and are now swilling around in our oceans. The Americans and Canadians are moving to ban them. What are the UK Government doing?

[Rory Stewart]

We are very clear that microbeads potentially pose a serious threat, because the stuff does not biodegrade and it can collect toxic material. We have run a research programme and have been working very hard to make sure that the full 500 million members of the European Union sign up to a common position, but if we cannot get a common position out of the EU, we are open to the possibility of the United Kingdom acting unilaterally.