Derek Twigg MP: speeches

Speeches

• 9 Sept 2025 · Jaguar Land Rover Cyber-attack · Hansard source

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  (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to make a statement on the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover and on what assistance the Government are giving to businesses to help protect them against cyber-attacks.

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  Before we come to the Front Bench contributions, we are due to finish at 4.30 pm. While there has not been a Division called yet, there is the potential of up to three votes in the main Chamber. If that happens, I will have to suspend for the duration of those three votes. I point that out to the Front Bench spokespersons before they start their wind-up speeches.

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  Before I call Sir John Whittingdale, let me say that I do not intend to impose a time limit, but if you keep to about four minutes, we will get everybody in.

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  I thank right hon. and hon. Members for their co-operation. Question put and agreed to . Resolved , That this House has considered the future of terrestrial television.

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  Order. Is the right hon. Member happy for me to put the Question, because a vote is about to be held?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  We are about to vote, so I would like to put the question as soon as we can, but it is up to the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell).

• 4 Sept 2025 · Future of Terrestrial Television · Hansard source

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  I remind hon. Members that there is a guideline of four minutes for speeches.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne), on his excellent speech. I was present in this House in 1998 when the then Home Secretary Jack Straw made a statement on the conclusions of the Justice Stuart-Smith review of the evidence and papers relating to the Hillsborough disaster, which I will quote. If anything, this justifies and underlines why we need this change in the law: “Taking those and all other considerations into account, the overall conclusion that Lord Justice Stuart-Smith reaches is that there is no basis for a further public inquiry. He also finds no basis for a renewed application to quash the verdict of the inquest, and he concludes that there is no material that should be put before the Director of Public Prosecutions or the police disciplinary”. —[ Official Report , 18 February 1998; Vol. 306, c. 1085.] The independent panel report and the subsequent inquest followed. How misspoken was that set of words in this House. That justifies why we need this change in law. We are again seeing continued delay. This a question of government machinery. As we have seen through the history of the campaign, delay has followed delay. There is often pushback from Whitehall and the wider public sector machine, finding problems but not solutions. It is a concern that there are issues that have not been resolved by now, and the continued delay breeds suspicion and distrust in the state’s ability to act competency and fairly. I do not doubt that there are legal matters that need addressing, but why have they not been resolved by now? In previous Parliaments, progress was made with respect to the Hillsborough justice campaign when there was firm direction and action from Ministers, including from two previous Home Secretaries—the right hon. Alan Johnson and Baroness May of Maidenhead. They set up the independent panel and took action on its subsequent groundbreaking report. If there is a will, and direction and determination from Ministers, solutions can be found and barriers removed. There must be a duty of candour for civil servants and public servants, and parity of legal representation. Such a Bill could help to improve and repair public confidence in the Government.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families · Hansard source

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  I welcome much of what the Minister has said. She said in the early part of her speech that there would be a duty of candour and legal aid for people, so can she be clear about why there is a delay? If that is what will be in the Bill, why is there a problem?

• 16 Jul 2025 · Credit Unions · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind Members to bob if they wish to speak.

• 16 Jul 2025 · Credit Unions · Hansard source

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  Order. If Members can keep their speeches to five or six minutes—we are doing okay—then everyone will get a chance to speak before the wind-ups.

• 16 Jul 2025 · Credit Unions · Hansard source

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  I forgive you.

• 16 Jul 2025 · Information Commissioner’s Office: Relocation · Hansard source

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  Order. The Minister is not giving way.

• 16 Jul 2025 · Information Commissioner’s Office: Relocation · Hansard source

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  I remind the right hon. Lady that interventions should be short.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Afghanistan · Hansard source

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  I note that the shadow Secretary of State made great play of the changes and the extra safeguards that Ministers of the previous Government put in place following the breach. I also note that the Secretary of State said he had had to make more changes and introduce new software. That suggests to me that the changes put in place by the previous Government were not good enough. Can I ask him this clearly? Who had knowledge of this incident in the 18 months after the data breach had taken place before it reached Ministers? How were there no checks on anyone in the Department who had access to that sort of data to ensure they were using it properly?

• 8 Jul 2025 · Road and Rail Projects · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my right hon. Friend on her statement, and welcome the investments in transport. Let me take her back to the proposed Liverpool-Manchester railway line, because it is important that this delivers for my constituents in Widnes and Halewood. In her discussions with the Mayor of the Liverpool city region and other leaders in the area, will she bear in mind that one of the proposals is for a Liverpool Gateway station? Ditton in my constituency, which is the site of an oil station and has good links to both the west coast main line and the freight line, is ideally placed. Will she bear that in mind in any future discussions that she has with the Liverpool city region?

• 7 Jul 2025 · Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship · Hansard source

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  Order. I have been very generous, but the debate has a very narrow focus on advertising. I am sure that the shadow Minister understands that and will come back to that issue.