Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sorry, but there is great pressure on time today because the House has decreed a 10 o’clock finish for substantive questions, so shorter questions and shorter answers are needed.

[Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)]

Does the Minister accept, however, that Google is accepting ads through Viagogo agents that are in breach of consumer protection law and of Google’s own terms of service, and that it is effectively taking money through being party to a fraud by allowing those ads to run?

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[Margot James]

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. We have taken a lot of action that is resulting in an improvement in the situation and a reduction in the availability of tickets on these very questionable sites.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mary Robinson. Not here. I call Andrew Rosindell. Not here. What is going on? Where are our colleagues? I hope that they are well and that they will be back. I call Jack Brereton.

[Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)]

6. What steps he is taking to support the creative industries throughout the UK.

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[Sir David Crausby]

Football’s coffers are overflowing, except of course when it comes to grassroots football. The Football Association reports that one in six matches is postponed and one in three pitches is inadequate. In fairness, more money is coming in from the professional game following Government pressure, but it is nowhere near enough, and we still have only half as many 3G pitches as Germany. If we are to remain even close to the forefront of the game, we need to do much more for children’s football—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We just need a question. That was far too long. We need a question with a question mark. Thank you.

[Sir David Crausby]

Will the Secretary of State put even more pressure on the Premier League to dig deep in its pockets?

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[Margot James]

I have had no discussions with the Treasury on that matter. [Hon. Members: “What?”] No, I have not. The right hon. Gentleman has alleged that I have had discussions, which I have not. To answer his substantive point, the Treasury expects to raise £1.5 billion over the next four years; 2% is a start and he should know that other countries are planning to take action, but no country has yet done so. Therefore, I suggest that the UK is taking the lead on this. We hope for international action, which will land a bigger hit, but at this stage international action is not forthcoming so we are taking action unilaterally—

[Mr Speaker]

I am sorry but we have a lot to get through and people really do have to be able to blurt it out.

[Judith Cummins (Bradford South) (Lab)]

10. Whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic and social effect of major sporting events being hosted in the northern powerhouse area.

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[Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)]

We are blessed in this country to have—

[Mr Speaker]

No, no: Question 13.

[Toby Perkins]

Good point.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

It is about tennis.

[Mr Speaker]

It is okay; the hon. Gentleman will get his second serve in a moment.

[Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)]

13. What assessment he has made of the correlation between the number of professional tennis tournaments played in the UK and the level of domestic participation in that sport.

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[Jeremy Wright]

Before anyone notices—

[Mr Speaker]

That question was entirely disorderly.

[Ben Bradley]

It was in the UK.

[Mr Speaker]

Yes, the question was about the UK, but the main question was about professional tennis tournaments, not random activities in the UK. Nevertheless, although entirely disorderly, the hon. Gentleman’s question was quite fun, so let us hear the answer.

[Jeremy Wright]

Before you noticed that, Mr Speaker, I was simply going to say yes.

[Mr Speaker]

That is even better.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to help tackle loneliness.

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[Jeremy Wright]

No, there has been no delay. Mr Speaker, I am in your hands: I am very happy to set out now the detailed explanation of why we have done what we have done. The shadow Secretary of State has asked for an urgent question on this very subject at half-past 10, which you have granted, so it is a matter for you as to whether you would like me to address the question now or at 10.30 am.

[Mr Speaker]

The answer is very simple. The normal rules apply at Question Time—topical questions and answers are brief. The Secretary of State has perfectly properly given an answer. As he says, there will be an urgent question today; the matter can and will be explored further then.

[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

T3. I will try to be brief, Mr Speaker. The all-party parliamentary group for rural business recently recommended mobile data roaming for areas that are quite isolated, such as my constituency of North Cornwall. The group reckons that this could boost mobile data by 8%. Will the Government apply pressure in this regard to ensure that my constituents get the best coverage?

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

On the principle of better late than never, I shall call the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mary Robinson) to ask a question now as she missed her question earlier. It is perhaps a good idea always to get here a bit earlier. Nevertheless, I wish to hear the hon. Lady, and I am sure the House does.

[Mary Robinson (Cheadle) (Con)]

Many thanks, Mr Speaker, and apologies.

Next week, I will be holding Cheadle’s ScamSmart event to inform local residents about how to deal with consumer protection and address nuisance phone calls. Does the Minister agree that the bosses of companies that bombard people with unsolicited phone calls should feel the full force of the law and be directly liable for fines, to prevent them from doing this in future?

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

I am sorry, but unfortunately demand massively exceeds supply, so this will have to be the last question.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

The Minister may not be aware that I am currently in discussions with the National Audit Office to establish its right to examine BBC commissioning contracts worth less than the threshold of £1 million. Does she agree that that would be a good idea, particularly for openness and transparency at the BBC, and that failure to do so will leave the suspicion that it has something to hide?

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[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

The Attorney General has been rather reticent in his replies. Would he recommend that hon. Members watch the video of him at the Conservative party conference, as that would answer many questions? [Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

It is a question that warrants an answer, but more particularly, if the Attorney General does get to his feet, we shall enjoy more of his baritone.

[The Attorney General]

I am most obliged, Mr Speaker. I am afraid that I did not quite catch my hon. Friend’s question, but if it referred to me in the video, I think that I am best taking the fifth amendment.

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[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

Chris Bryant should resign.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) is not being asked by anybody else to resign. That is not going to happen.

[Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)]

Does the Attorney General agree that EU citizens can take great comfort from the clear commitments that have been given in the case of no deal and that they should therefore ignore the scaremongering from the separatists on the Opposition Benches?

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[The Attorney General]

I entirely confirm that. Victims are at the heart of everything that the CPS should be—and is—doing, and I agree with my hon. Friend about the appointment of Mr McGinty. I am most grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley (Robert Neill), who chairs the Justice Committee, for confirming that appointment, and I expect the appointment of Mr McGinty to lend considerable value as we move forward with important reforms in the governance of the CPS.

[Mr Speaker]

If the Attorney General is to refer to his hon. Friend, may I gently say that to exclude Chislehurst might cause some offence to the residents thereof?

[The Attorney General]

Mr Speaker, I put on record my profound apologies to Chislehurst.

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[The Solicitor General]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising the case. It would be invidious of me to comment on a particular case. I will simply say that there are different mechanisms within the Act that allow the pursuance of criminal proceeds. It might well be that in that case another mechanism is being used, but I will be happy to look at it further and write to him.



Royal Assent

[Mr Speaker]

I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that Her Majesty has signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018

Non-Domestic Rating (Nursery Grounds) Act 2018

Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018

Middle Level Act 2018.