Rupa Huq MP: speeches

Speeches

• 10 Dec 2024 · Cleve Hill Solar Park · Hansard source

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  Not in a 30-minute debate.

• 6 Dec 2024 · European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill · Hansard source

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  May I echo what was said by my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd), Madam Deputy Speaker, and say that my heart swells with pride to see you in the Chair? We are of the same vintage, as is the Prime Minister: the class of 2015. Here we are on another Friday of private Members’ Bills. I have to say to the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) that although he and I were on the same side last week, along with the Minister, and I proudly marched through the Lobby with him—he made a passionate speech on that day as well—I am afraid that today I cannot support his Bill, for numerous reasons. The hon. and learned Gentleman—who is not even listening to me!—delivered his argument with his customary passion and dramatic flair, but I think that the Bill is actually quite dangerous. Last week we were talking about safeguards and limitations of power. That debate was all about oversight. This week we have been talking about mutual enforcement, which removes all oversight. I am a bit worried about all this. I agree with my hon. Friend the Minister—who made a brilliant speech—that by seeking to disapply section 7A of the Windsor framework, which enables EU legislation to enter UK domestic law, the Bill undermines the Good Friday agreement, one of the proudest achievements of the last Labour Government or indeed any Labour Government, and attacks human rights protections. The Windsor framework only saw the light of day in 2023; it is not even a finished process, and the hon. and learned Gentleman wants to strangle it at birth. The framework was only the latest instalment of the divorce deal between Great Britain and the EU revisiting border arrangements. We all remember the referendum of 2016, which opened a Pandora’s box and a can of worms—stuff that we had never seen in this country before. I was a passionate remainer, and my constituency was 72% in favour of remaining. There were tears in playgrounds across Ealing and Acton the day after that referendum. However, I am mature enough to realise that the sky has not fallen in, so how do we make Brexit work? I feel that the Windsor framework is one of the things to mitigate. That is what we should be looking at, mitigating, not ripping up international treaties. I agree with my hon. Friend and neighbour the Member for Ealing Southall (Deirdre Costigan): we are still hopeful for trade deals with the rest of the world. If we rip up an international agreement now, how is the rest of the world to take us seriously? It is a fundamental breach of trust. Last week we were talking about assisted dying. People of my persuasion used to say that it would be “political suicide” to leave the EU. I have accepted that the sky has not fallen in, and I think that the Windsor framework is a sensible next step. We 2015-ers have been through probably 20 years’ worth of elections in half the time. We had them every other year: in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Those Brexit years—I am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle remembers them—and those late nights that we had! John Bercow lived on site, in the place where we attended all those Diwali receptions the other day. It was about 1 am, and I remember Stephen Twigg, who was sitting behind me, saying, “Come on, John—we don’t all live here.” We had plenty of those late-night sittings. Brexit, to my regret, divided families and parties. Remember all those things we have put in the recesses of our minds? There was the Cooper-Boles agreement, the Dromey-Spelman amendment—all those things. This debate is giving me weird flashbacks; I am being teleported back to 2017! This is the bit we were getting to function— [ Interruption. ] Yes, that word “Brexit”. I do not think I have even said the word so far—I cannot bring myself to say it. There was “the Chequers approach” and DExEU. Two entirely new Government Departments were created—

• 2 Dec 2024 · Bangladesh: Attacks on Hindu Community · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent West (Barry Gardiner), for raising these important issues. We must be vigilant against all attacks on minorities, be they Buddhists, Christians or the Hindus in Bangladesh. Does the Minister agree that, sadly, at times, since the country’s formation in 1971, there have been communal tensions of this kind? They are not new. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have sent me a list of flashpoint events. Between 1974 and 2001, the Hindu population in Bangladesh decreased from 13.5% to 8.5%, so this is not a new phenomenon. May I also caution the Minister? Following the collapse of the regime after the murder of 800 students in the summer, some people may seek to exploit these tensions, and we need to stamp on that hard. Can the Minister assure us that we are doing all that we can to enable the country to make the transition to democracy, and to what people are calling Bangladesh 2.0?

• 2 Dec 2024 · North-West Syria · Hansard source

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  Christian minority families find themselves facing jihadist terrorists and Russian airstrikes. The family of my Acton constituent Waheba fled to Aleppo 10 years ago from their original city of Al-Tabqah. She wonders whether there could be some kind of Ukrainian-style resettlement scheme for Syrians with blood ties here.

• 28 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. Since the announcement of my Sale of Tickets (Sporting and Cultural Events) Bill, which makes provision for transparency on ticket prices, I have been deluged with suggestions and support worldwide from people who do not want another Oasis-style ticket scam. Will Ministers meet me to discuss working together on this, given the chance that on 6 December, Opposition Members’ shenanigans will sink the thing without trace?

• 20 Nov 2024 · Global Plastics Treaty · Hansard source

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  I can answer that, actually. It is only a 30-minute debate, so it is very bare bones and there is no opportunity for the mover of the motion to respond and no Opposition spokesperson. It is not that they did not turn up.

• 20 Nov 2024 · Global Plastics Treaty · Hansard source

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  I will call Dr Simon Opher to move the motion and I believe there will be one other small speech before the Minister responds. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up on this occasion, as this is only a 30-minute debate.

• 20 Nov 2024 · Global Plastics Treaty · Hansard source

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  Order. The Clerk is telling me that “you” is not usually used to refer to other Members, only to the Chair. The Clerk keeps telling me to say this; I have restrained myself so far, but it is one of the conventions of this unusual workplace.

• 20 Nov 2024 · Blind and Partially Sighted People: Employment Support · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind Members to bob if they wish to speak. Then we will work out the order of who is going when.

• 20 Nov 2024 · Blind and Partially Sighted People: Employment Support · Hansard source

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  Our final Back Bencher, before we move on to the Lib Dem spokesperson, is Lee Pitcher.

• 13 Nov 2024 · Future of the Post Office · Hansard source

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  Acton lost its well used and still much missed post office in 2018, but it is home to the first ever urban Post Office-run banking hub. The trend is to co-locate services, but that seems to have drawn a blank—there are too many onerous parts to it, and businesses do not want it. So could the Minister help me investigate ways to merge the two services? The banking hub is the natural home for post office services, as it is owned by the Post Office, and, as a neighbouring MP, he could visit to cut the ribbon when we finally get postal services back to Acton, where they belong.

• 12 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  My constituent Konnie Huq, with Arts Council and Lottery funding, has compiled a kids’ climate guide, with Jamie Oliver among the contributors. Will Ministers join forces with her to get it out there, preferably to every school in the country, because we have got to start young?

• 11 Nov 2024 · Rail Performance · Hansard source

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  Everyone is praising my right hon. Friend to the heavens now that High Speed 2 will end at Euston. She is welcome to Old Oak Common in my constituency any time to have a look-see at progress there. However, can she help to fix the daily delays that constituents are facing on Crossrail? West Ealing and Acton Main Line are getting a worse service than they were before all this. We want to build, build, build, but people in new homes need to be able to travel.

• 17 Oct 2024 · Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief · Hansard source

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  For His Majesty’s loyal Opposition, I call Nigel Huddleston.

• 17 Oct 2024 · Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief · Hansard source

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  It is not the Opposition Chief Whip’s decision; it lies with the Chairman of Ways and Means. Our rule book says that it is highly unusual. I will allow Joe Morris to respond, but hopefully there will not be a back and forth between the shadow Cabinet and Back Benchers.

• 17 Oct 2024 · Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief · Hansard source

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  I have just been reminded by the Clerk that it is very unusual for a shadow Cabinet member to speak in a Westminster Hall debate as a Back Bencher. I will allow Joe Morris to respond, but apparently that is not the done thing.

• 17 Oct 2024 · Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief · Hansard source

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  I call the first Front-Bench spokesperson: Will Forster for the Liberal Democrats.

• 17 Oct 2024 · Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief · Hansard source

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  I remind Members to bob if they wish to make a speech. We will then calculate whether we need a time limit.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  For the second time in the same day, I call the Minister.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  Order. The time limit for speeches will be two and a half minutes, but since the hon. Member did not know that when he began his speech, I cannot hold him to it. However, if he concludes soon, that will be ideal, because there are 15 people yet to speak.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  Members who wish to make a speech should stand, and then we will be able to calculate the time limit. I will begin calling the Front Benchers at 3.28 pm, so there is not a lot of time left, because we have had a lot of long interventions.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  Order. The Minister did; not me.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  Order. The time limit will now be reduced to two minutes.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  Order. We are finishing at 3.28 pm and there are still loads of people wishing to speak. I call Alistair Carmichael.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits · Hansard source

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  I am going to keep the time limit at two and a half minutes. If everyone is kind to each other, everyone will get in. A brilliant example will be Polly Billington.