Business of the House
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(9 years, 5 months ago)
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Chris Grayling
I understand my hon. Friend’s point. She is already doing an excellent job of representing her constituents as their newly elected MP. There will be an opportunity to raise local government issues in a Westminster Hall debate next Thursday afternoon, so she might consider raising this point then.
Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
Yesterday’s extremely important Adjournment debate was on the effect of corruption on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa, a critical issue that affects the security of this country. It is precisely the sort of issue that deserves two days of debate and I therefore wish to associate myself with the comments of my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell). Will the Leader of the House say more about how the Executive can introduce proposals to ensure that this House has a proper opportunity to debate all important issues over a two-day period, if necessary?
Business of the House
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(9 years, 6 months ago)
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Chris Grayling
I can give the hon. Gentleman two assurances. First, if matters develop in a way that leads to the problems in Greece becoming more pronounced, Ministers will certainly want to address those matters in the House. Secondly, we regard the Greeks as friends—as long-standing allies—and we certainly wish to do all that we can to help them in difficult times.
Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
May I pursue the question asked earlier by my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Chris Heaton-Harris)? This morning’s written statement from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on subsidies for new wind farms is very welcome. It will certainly be welcomed in Lincolnshire, where we have seen far too many attempts to carpet our beautiful countryside in wind farms. [Interruption.] Will my right hon. Friend try to persuade the Secretary of State to come to the House so that we can ask whether individual applications which are still in the pipeline will or will not be permitted, and can that happen next week?
Chris Grayling
Fortunately, I can assure my hon. and learned Friend that the Secretary of State will be in the House for Question Time next week, and I urge him to take advantage of that opportunity to raise the points that he wishes to raise with her. He is, of course, one of the Members who have made a real impact on the Government’s policy, and he has rightly sought to protect the character of Lincolnshire.
It amazes me that we still hear sedentary complaints from SNP Members about this decision, which will actually help to protect the character and beauty of Scotland.
Business of the House
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(9 years, 6 months ago)
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Chris Grayling
A lot of work has been put into this, and I hope a successful resolution will be reached. I encourage my hon. Friend to talk directly to the Secretary of State about this matter, but I will make sure his concerns and wishes are passed on.
Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
The sustainable development goals are due to be adopted in New York in September and the House has not yet had a proper opportunity to debate them. Will the Leader of the House make time available on 25 June, when the Government have extra time, to permit that debate to take place?
Chris Grayling
I am very concerned to ensure the House has a proper opportunity to debate matters related not simply to aid and international development but to the challenges we face around the world, and I give my hon. and learned Friend a commitment that I will work to ensure there is an early chance to do so.
Business of the House
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(9 years, 6 months ago)
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Chris Grayling
It is important that we ensure good environmental stewardship; some of the more controversial countryside issues in recent years have been about that. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. People only have to drive through parts of the home counties to see the extraordinary number of red kites in the skies, bearing in mind that a few years ago they were almost extinct across most of the United Kingdom. I am sure that his points will be picked up by my colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and I encourage him to draw attention to the issue in this Parliament, both at questions and through the system of Adjournment debates.
Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers), this is not just about the protection of public services in rural communities; it is also about fair funding across rural communities in this country, particularly in Lincolnshire, as I, like my hon. Friend the Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins), whom I welcome to her new place, am all too well aware. May we have a debate, in Government time, on fair funding for rural communities, so that my constituents and those who make their homes in rural Britain can know what this Government intend to do to ensure that their public services are properly funded?
Chris Grayling
I hear very clearly the point that my hon. and learned Friend makes. I represent a county where similar arguments have often been made, although it is less geographically spread than his own. He will, of course, have the opportunity to raise this issue in next week’s Gracious Speech debate on English matters as well as those relating to devolution, and I hope he will make that point to Ministers.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(11 years, 1 month ago)
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Chris Grayling
As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Parole Board and its decisions are independent, but I hope that one benefit of the establishment of the national probation service, with expertise in dealing with the highest-risk offenders, will be a greater degree of expertise sitting alongside the Parole Board to advise it on when it is appropriate to release someone and when it is not. I share his concern about ensuring it is safe to release people on to our streets and that they do not continue to pose a threat to society.
Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
T4. My right hon. Friend will be aware that there has previously been considerable disquiet within the country over the effectiveness of community penalties, in both marking the gravity of offences and ensuring the effective rehabilitation of offenders. I know that he is alive to those concerns, but I would be grateful if he told the House what steps he is taking to ensure they are met.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Stephen Phillips and Lord Grayling(11 years, 2 months ago)
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Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)
The British people are sick and tired of those given long custodial sentences being released early as a matter of right. I know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice recently made an announcement on those given the longest custodial sentences, but can he confirm to the House that it is his intention in due course to remove the automatic right of those who serve custodial sentences to an automatic discount?
Chris Grayling
I do not like the concept of automatic early release at all. My hon. and learned Friend will be aware of the financial limitations that we face at the moment, which is why I made a start with the most serious and unpleasant offenders, but it is certainly my desire, when resources permit, to go further on this.