Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts
Thursday 14th April 2016

(8 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I hope that the Attorney General of all people will not underestimate the scope of his scholarly cranium, because the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr Hollobone) clearly does not do so.

Nick Thomas-Symonds Portrait Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab)
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A condition of our membership of the European Union is that we are also a signatory to the European convention on human rights. Can the Attorney General confirm that this Government are committed to remaining a signatory to the convention and not to join Belarus, the only European country that is not a signatory?

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Baroness Morgan of Cotes Portrait Nicky Morgan
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Members on both sides of the House will know of my long-standing interest in mental health issues for all young people, and of the priority that we give it in the Department for Education, which flows through to the priority we give it in the Government Equalities Office. In the financial year that has just ended, we provided £4.9 million to 17 voluntary and civil society projects delivering support to children and young people with mental health issues, including almost a quarter of a million pounds £250,000 to Metro Centre to establish a mental health service for LGBT young people and to those working with them across London and Kent. We are obviously looking at what we can do in this financial year to make sure that services will continue to be funded. Again, I will work with my colleagues in the Department of Health to make sure that people of all ages with mental health issues get the support they need.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Mr Martyn Day—get in there, man.

Martyn Day Portrait Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. You caught me by surprise.

Last July, the Prime Minister—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. You should start by just saying, “Question 11”. You can build up to your peroration ere long.

Martyn Day Portrait Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)
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11. What steps her Department plans to take to encourage businesses with fewer than 250 employees to close the gender pay gap.