Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 29th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

I note the recent announcement of the roll-out of the electronic prescription service. How will that benefit my constituents? When will it be rolled out, and how can my constituents use it to support their local community pharmacy?

[Mr Speaker]

Preferably in a sentence—Jo Churchill.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 15th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

4. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on improving access to broadband for businesses.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Minister Ed Vaizey.

[Mr Speaker]

I am glad that the Minister thinks it is lovely simply to have his name announced.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

Although I welcome the progress the Government are making on rolling out broadband, it is clear that many businesses are not happy with the service that they are receiving from BT. What discussions is my hon. Friend having with BT to ensure that it is delivering for businesses across the country and specifically in Basildon and Thurrock?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 4th February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We are all now better informed.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

The success of the food industry, not least in counties such as Essex, is largely down to the innovation and skill of the workforce. How will the Great British Food Unit encourage more people into the industry, particularly through apprenticeships?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 19th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Put it in the Library. We will all be grateful.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

10. What steps she is taking to encourage the building of further new nuclear reactors.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 19th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Metcalfe]

Is my hon. Friend as surprised as I am that the Labour party is still pursuing its policy of a price freeze? If a price is frozen at a high level, surely the danger is that when the market settles at a lower level, my constituents will end up paying more than they are now.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The Minister must not be led astray, away from the path of virtue, by her hon. Friend. She will know that she must not talk about the policies of the Labour party. Her responsibility is with the policy of the Government. A brief and pithy reply on that matter would be in order, but nothing beyond.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 4th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am bound to say that I always regard the right hon. Gentleman as an English classicist, and to my mind the pronunciation “skedule” is an Americanism that I would not expect of him.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

Following the welcome introduction of free flow tolling and the Dart charge, a number of my constituents have experienced problems accessing the residents’ discount and transferring from the old system to the new. Will my right hon. Friend update the House on whether these are isolated incidents or whether there is a systemic problem?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I do not know why this question was not grouped, but I will treat it as though it had been. Mr Stephen Metcalfe.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

7. Linford and parts of East Tilbury and West Tilbury in my constituency fall between the Tilbury and Stanford-le-Hope exchanges, which means that a small but significant community will not benefit from either the commercial roll-out of superfast broadband or the Government-funded programme. What options do I have to ensure that those residents are not disadvantaged by a geographic anomaly?

Women and the Cost of Living

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 19th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Harriett Baldwin]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I do not think anything about these matters, although I am sure that the hon. Lady does.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

I apologise, Mr Speaker.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 29th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

The hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Jim Sheridan) does much to champion the cause of Colombian trade unions, but does the Minister agree that it is more important to protect British citizens from the flow of illegal drugs from Colombia, and will he therefore tell the House what discussions he has had with the Colombian narcotics team about how to stop this flow of illegal and damaging drugs?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think not, actually. That is a very important matter, but it does not directly relate to human rights or peace talks. The Minister of State requires no encouragement, and on this occasion I do not wish to offer him any.

--- Later in debate ---

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

T9. I thank the Minister for his answer to my earlier question. May I now encourage him to congratulate not just this House on issuing a yellow card to the Commission’s proposal for a European public prosecutor but the Parliaments of France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Romania, Slovenia and Cyprus? Does that not show the value of national Parliament’s power to tell the Commission to stop interfering and is there not a case to go—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think that the hon. Gentleman should seek an Adjournment debate—but it might take him some weeks to get it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

T8. In advance of the publication of the Keogh report later today, and following the revelations that Basildon hospital had one of the highest standard mortality rates following catastrophic failures, will my right hon. Friend assure the House and my constituents that he will support the new management regime in its attempts to improve the quality of care? Will he also tell the House if he found any evidence of a systematic attempt by the previous Prime Minister and the previous Government to cover up figures—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman should not abuse topical questions to ask two questions, and he should be asking not about the policies of the previous Government, but about the policies of the present Government, on which I know the Secretary of State will briefly reply. We are grateful.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

No, Gloucester is a long way from the north-east of England.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

Q7. What fiscal steps he is taking to support private sector job creation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 25th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. So that the Minister does not feel sorry for himself, I should point out that the Speaker likes all hon. Members. I call Mr Bob Blackman to ask Question 9. He is not here.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

T10. Although Thurrock is an urban constituency on the edge of London, a large proportion of it is rural and lacks decent broadband provision. In light of the Minister’s previous answer, can he confirm that villages such as Bulphan, Orsett and Horndon-on-the-Hill will be in line for improved broadband provision?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Wednesday 29th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

Q9. Since the furore about work experience broke out, has my right hon. Friend had any businesses and/or organisations come forward to support this vitally important and publicly popular initiative, which will help young people to get the skills that they need to get into work?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am extremely grateful for that ministerial head-nod, if I can put it that way.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend the Minister join me in reassuring my constituents that, unlike the views of the Opposition, under our scheme a top-quality university degree will actually cost them only £30 a month when they are earning £25,000 a year?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Monday 28th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

And Mrs Bone as well, as he rightly says.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 20th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We are all significantly better informed.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

T2. Following on from the comments of my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Tessa Munt), with energy prices at an all-time high, many low-income families are opting to convert to prepayment meters for their gas and electricity supply. However, according to Consumer Focus that can cost up to £195 extra per year. Will the Secretary of State consider introducing regulation of the market to ensure that low-income families pay the same regardless of whether their payment method is by prepayment meters, direct debit or quarterly bills?

Public Disorder

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Thursday 11th August 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am grateful for the Prime Minister’s concern, but I assure the House that nothing disorderly has happened. The hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Robert Flello) was perfectly in order. He was focusing not on sartorial matters but on violence, and he was perfectly in order. We will leave it at that. I ask the House to try to rise to the level of events.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement, particularly the support he is offering small and medium-sized businesses. As someone whose business has been directly affected, although not disastrously, I know the disruption it is causing. Will the Prime Minister assure me that no business will be lost and no livelihood subsequently lost because of the actions of those thugs and hooligans, and that the £20 million support fund, if deemed not big enough, will be increased to make sure that those things do not happen?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Metcalfe and John Bercow

Wednesday 20th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude)]

Commissioning is currently too prescriptive; tender documents can be immensely lengthy, specifying every detail of every step in every process. That stifles innovation, excludes new entrants to the market and adds wholly unnecessary cost. We intend that commissioning should be outcome-based, leaving much more scope for innovative providers from the social enterprise, voluntary, charitable and small business sectors to bid. Whenever possible, commissioning should be based on a payment-by-results model.

On procurement, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to Question 2. [Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Once again, I understand the excitement and anticipation, but the House must come to order. Such conduct makes a bad impression on the electorate, whose support we so recently sought.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

I thank my right hon. Friend the Minister for his answer. Following his earlier comments, I seek assurance that small and medium-sized enterprises in my constituency can access Government contracts. Can he give me any examples of practical help now or in future that would make that easier to achieve?