Richard Holden MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 15 Oct 2024 · House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady has made the point at the Dispatch Box that conventions from 25 years ago should not stand today. Does she agree that that should also apply to other conventions made with the House of Lords, such as the Salisbury-Addison convention, which ensures that legislation gets through?

• 15 Oct 2024 · House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman has had a nice laugh at my expense, but he knows what it is like to lose an election and to move seats. He made a good point about the Labour manifesto including the removal of hereditary peers, but as my right hon. Friend the Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson) made clear, the same paragraph includes the introduction of a retirement age at 80. Will the hon. Gentleman welcome any amendments to introduce that in this legislation?

• 15 Oct 2024 · House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill · Hansard source

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  What we are discussing today is a policy of the Government. My party is in opposition, because its manifesto was rejected by the public at the last general election. We are discussing a policy of the Government and what was in the manifesto on which the hon. Gentleman stood. It will be interesting to see whether he and others will back the manifesto on which they stood if amendments are tabled by the Opposition. We will have to see about that over the coming weeks.

• 15 Oct 2024 · House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill · Hansard source

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  I will give way again.

• 15 Oct 2024 · House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill · Hansard source

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  The Minister talks about piecemeal reform and says the argument is stale, but surely the really stale argument is Labour’s. The Labour party came into government with an enormous majority and wants to reform the House of Lords, so why does it not get on and do it? Why do the Labour Government not set out some cross-party work that we can all get involved with, and introduce proper reform measures, rather than just tinkering at the edges, as the Bill does, for pure political advantage?

• 14 Oct 2024 · Reporting Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality · Hansard source

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  The situation was revealed not because of the Government’s transparency but through our popular press. The amounts of money declared in the register seem to be at odds with true market value, particularly for the short-term lease of flats. Will the Minister provide clarity on how we can ensure that the true figures are represented in the register?

• 14 Oct 2024 · Reporting Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality · Hansard source

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  Thank you to Opposition Members for their support for those on the Government Front Bench today. [Hon. Members: “We’re the Government now.”] The Government have been totally tone deaf in their response to the situation, which was revealed not as a result of the Government’s transparency— [ Interruption. ]

• 10 Oct 2024 · Universities: Freedom of Speech · Hansard source

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  If the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act had been implemented, as would have happened under the last Government, to a timetable over the summer, the situation at the University of Cambridge probably would not have occurred, nor would the situation in Durham, in which the university debating society, the Durham Union Society, has been kept out of the students union fair. Would the hon. Lady reflect on the fact that this delay is having an impact on freedom of speech in universities across the country? I understand her concerns, but surely speed is of the essence if we are to ensure freedom of speech in our universities.

• 10 Oct 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Of course, Mr Speaker. Will the Government commit to extending the fare until at least the end of this financial year? It is so important for rural bus users and for lower-paid workers accessing employment right across the country.

• 10 Oct 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The previous Government introduced the “get around for £2” bus fare, which was committed to for five years in the Conservative manifesto. Given that—

• 9 Oct 2024 · Cass Review · Hansard source

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  5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the recommendations of the Cass review.

• 9 Oct 2024 · Cass Review · Hansard source

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  Dr Cass’s review was an important moment for services for young people in this country. Will the Minister restate the Government’s commitment to ensuring that all the review’s findings, which are based on evidence ahead of ideology, are implemented? Does the Minister also reject calls from various vested interest groups to pause implementation, and press ahead as quickly as possible to protect vulnerable young people in our country?

• 8 Oct 2024 · VAT: Independent Schools · Hansard source

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  Does this not further make the case for the Government publishing in full their assessment of the impact that the measure will have on schools and children right across the country?

• 8 Oct 2024 · VAT: Independent Schools · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

• 8 Oct 2024 · Warm Homes Plan · Hansard source

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  One of my low-income pensioner constituents had a solar panel installed on their home through a Government scheme. However, they are now facing an issue with birds nesting in it, which is causing a huge amount of problems because the scheme does not come with protection. Will the Minister agree to meet me about this constituency issue, because it is really affecting one of my older constituents who, sadly, has also just lost her winter fuel payment?

• 7 Oct 2024 · NHS Performance: Darzi Investigation · Hansard source

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  I support what the hon. Lady is saying about a having cross-party group look at social care, which is a sensible long-term thing that we need to do, and discharges from hospital are an important part of that. Does she agree that discharges from mental health units are also an important part of that? On a recent visit to Basildon hospital, I saw that discharges were not happening in mental health units. That is perhaps as much of an issue in mental health social care as it is in older people’s social care, which the House is more attuned to.

• 7 Oct 2024 · Anniversary of 7 October Attacks: Middle East · Hansard source

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  There have been 1,200 butchered and more than 250 hostages taken, more than 100 of whom are still there, including Emily Damari, a 28-year-old British citizen. Will the Prime Minister recommit himself today to doing whatever it takes—to leaving no stone unturned —in ensuring that she is returned to her family, and that, if necessary, British assets are used to help to extract her?

• 10 Sept 2024 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  Thank you, that is kind. In Basildon and Billericay, 15,000 pensioners will lose out because of this callous cut by the Labour Government. The hon. Member pointed out the impact on public services, but how many more hospital admissions will we have, and how many more people will need operations because of his party’s cut? Will we be unable to find out, because his party will not even put forward an impact assessment so that we can know who is affected?

• 9 Sept 2024 · Transport · Hansard source

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  I welcome the news that the Government are not going to pursue some form of new attack on short-haul planes. How glad we are to see that he is ignoring the Liberal Democrats on this issue.

• 9 Sept 2024 · Academic Freedom in Higher Education · Hansard source

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  5. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of academic freedom in the higher education sector.

• 9 Sept 2024 · Academic Freedom in Higher Education · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, and welcome her to her new position. Can she give the House a cast-iron guarantee that when she decided to reverse the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, she gave no consideration to the consequences of the new freedom of speech duties that the Act would impose on universities in terms of their financial relationship with authoritarian regimes such as the People’s Republic of China?

• 9 Sept 2024 · Bus Franchising · Hansard source

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  It is great to hear of the success the previous Government’s £1.1 billion investment into Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is helping to deliver. I was delighted to launch it with the Mayor of Greater Manchester. As the Minister mentioned, one of the key things about the postcode lottery is the cost of using the bus. It can really put people off, particularly in rural areas where bus costs have traditionally been a lot higher. Is the Minister going to look at extending the Get Around for £2 scheme, which has been a real success, particularly for access to education opportunities and for those in lower paid work in rural areas? It has really helped to drive bus passenger numbers upwards since the end of the pandemic.

• 5 Sept 2024 · UK Steel Manufacturing · Hansard source

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  The Minister was asked a question by the right hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (Liam Byrne), which was repeated by my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), about whether this Government will commit to virgin steel making in the UK. At the third time of asking, will she commit to what the Secretary of State committed to before the general election?

• 2 Sept 2024 · Social Housing Supply · Hansard source

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  Obviously, social housing is important, and we want to see it in the right places across the country. I cannot understand why this Government are now proposing to reduce the number of new homes in London by 17,000 a year and in areas all around London—including counties such as Essex—by 18,000 a year. Surely one of the most important things that we need to do is increase that supply of social housing, particularly in London.

• 2 Sept 2024 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme · Hansard source

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  I welcome broadly what the Paymaster General has outlined, but I have a couple of points to make. One is around those children and adults who were infected. The £10,000 and £15,000 seem relatively small sums, compared with the overall package, particularly given what those people were subjected to. Secondly, and more broadly, the Paymaster General has outlined the start dates of the process. Is there an end date that he can point to, so that we will know when all the financial compensation is delivered to the victims of the infected blood scandal?