Deregulation Bill

This group of amendments covers accident investigation, parking contravention, driving, and priva...

What has the accident experience of tramways in England been over the past year, and will the pow...

I am afraid that I do not have figures to hand on accidents relating to trams in England and Wale...

The right hon. Gentleman has made it clear that the new clause relates to parking, but will he co...

I will come on to that point in a few moments.

New clause 25 will amend part 6 of the Traff...

What discussions has the right hon. Gentleman had with the Secretary of State for Communities and...

I have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government s...

Before the Minister moves on, will he confirm when the power will come into effect, and what will...

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. It is a very good point, which I think it would be ...

Will the Minister explain why he has not listened to what the travelling public want? There is hu...

I cannot agree with that at all. We are not putting public safety at risk, and I think the people...

There was a case in the local Slough magistrates court on these issues very recently, and those w...

I do not think that what the hon. Lady has described is evidence that what the Government are pro...

On that point, does the Minister acknowledge the concerns of police and crime commissioners and o...

I certainly agree with those organisations that we need to be concerned about rogue, unlicensed t...

rose—

I will make some progress.

Safeguards will be in place, the main one being that the law wil...

The National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers, the National Taxi Association, an...

The Government have listened to and taken on board concerns expressed by a range of organisations...

The Minister says that he is not aware of any enforcement issues, but may I remind him that the r...

Again, I agree that the Government, local authorities, the police and campaigning organisations s...

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that a local authority cannot take enforcement action again...

As I have said, if, for instance, an operator cannot do a job in an outside area and passes on th...

The Minister says these measures will be helpful, but Hyndburn borough council currently cannot t...

At the risk of repeating myself, I do not think that any action the Government are taking will pu...

rose—

I am afraid that I will move on now to Government amendments 13 and 51, which deal with the durat...

A more general point about marine accidents is relevant here. All of us who represent marine comm...

Of course it is. I have just stated the parameters that will be used to establish whether it is a...

I hope to catch the Speaker’s eye later and contribute to the debate. The Minister may be convinc...

I shall respond to that shortly, but let me restate that I do not believe that anything we are pr...

Will the Minister answer the question that I asked earlier, about the process involving marine in...

If the hon. Gentleman will bear with me, I shall do so later. Let me now end by urging Members no...

I rise to speak briefly on Government new clause 25 and more specifically to our amendments 61 an...

Does the hon. Gentleman understand that there are times when a camera-based system can get the wr...

The right hon. Gentleman raises an instance of which he has the full details but I do not. I will...

The reality is that if we relax legislation of this kind, especially when the exemptions are not ...

My hon. Friend raises an interesting point that underlines why the Government should have given m...

I always tell my constituents not to believe everything that is in the papers, but Guido Fawkes c...

Not on my part, I do not think; I think the only thing to be declared is the hon. Gentleman’s att...

A primary union concerned with this issue is the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport W...

My hon. Friend makes the point for me.

The truth of the matter is that once again, an ideol...

If the licence is the guarantee of safety and the person driving the minicab would need the permi...

As my hon. Friends ask from a sedentary position, “How do you know?” I could also talk about the ...

In Southend, I have a regular contract with AC Taxis, as it is convenient; the firm is a good sup...

The hon. Gentleman is right about that, and he is right to defend the reputation of the company h...

My hon. Friend is making an excellent argument. Does he agree that the 22 recommendations from th...

I do agree, but as importantly, so do most of the people involved in the MV Derbyshire campaign a...

I strongly support what my hon. Friend says. In more recent times, we have had new technology, wh...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; it is an iterative process, which simply exposes the weakness...

The hon. Gentleman is making a strong case. I commend him for bringing amendment 1 to the Floor o...

The hon. Lady makes an absolutely valid point. Context is all, particularly in this case, which w...

It may indeed be technology that has not yet been developed that will solve those problems.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the context of this debate, the MH370 incident shows that ...

We have just heard 37 minutes of the Opposition spokesman, the hon. Member for Blackpool South (M...

Legislation must take account of possible unintended consequences, not just what seems to be a ni...

I agree, and that is what we are debating today. I am on the side of the Minister on this occasio...

I do not know whether the right hon. Gentleman realises that taxi drivers, private hire vehicle d...

Some are with the hon. Lady and some are with the Government. She cannot generalise quite as wild...

I am pleased to be able to take part in the debate. I must declare that I am a proud member of Un...

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. Does she accept that that principle applies not only to th...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. When a vehicle can be licensed in one authority and the drive...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful argument, and one that I think the general public will have a...

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point yet again. I absolutely agree that we need clarity on who i...

Is the hon. Lady telling the House that the current licensing system is poor and allows through p...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention because it allows me to reiterate what I sa...

I urge the House to support amendments 61 and 1, and to reject clause 35. I will not rehearse the...

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. People might be expecting a vehicle that is perhaps five y...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that intervention. He makes a very sensible point. Apart from...

I rise to reinforce some of the arguments that hon. Members have made about amendment 61, to whic...

I convene the RMT group in Parliament. I raised these issues at the RMT conference this morning a...

We have heard a series of excellent speeches from my hon. Friends, which I think have comprehensi...

I did not confuse them at all. I drew the distinction. I said that the reason people are fed up w...

If the right hon. Gentleman wants to challenge those rules, that is fine, but we are talking abou...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the banks collapsed not because there was too much regulation, but...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I will not get on to the subject of the banks, Madam Deputy S...

Does the hon. Gentleman recollect that the whole of banking regulation was completely changed by ...

The right hon. Gentleman may remember that I was not always in favour of everything that new Labo...

Does my hon. Friend recall that the then Tory Opposition continuously argued against regulation o...

My hon. Friend is right. I think that we are now recognising the mistakes of the past and, perhap...

I want to speak about the Government measures on the deregulation of taxi licensing. My hon. Frie...

First, I wish to respond to the points made by the hon. Member for Blackpool South (Mr Marsden), ...

The Minister has indicated where he intends exemptions to be made, but he has not answered the qu...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and I am sure we will shortly provide the clarity...

May I remind the Minister that there were 54 rapes and more than 200 assaults in London last year...

Clearly it concerns me, the Government and the whole House. The issue is that the hon. Gentleman ...

Will the Minister give way?

I am going to make a bit more progress. The hon. Member for Blackpool South called on the Governm...

I am listening with care to what the Minister is saying, but so much of the thrust of the critici...

I will address that shortly. The hon. Gentleman attempted a joke at the Government’s expense abou...

The Minister rightly says that the licence will be administered by the local authority, but the v...

I will come to that matter shortly in response to another intervention, and I hope that the hon. ...

I hesitate to say that the Minister is misrepresenting the words of our amendment. I invite Membe...

I am afraid that my advice says that the hon. Gentleman’s amendment widens the remit rather than ...

The Minister should recognise that he is now taking the law back to what it was when it was compl...

I simply do not agree with that. I said that, under our proposals, the MV Derbyshire case is one ...

The reason why the Conservative Government introduced the legislation was that the decision was a...

As the hon. Gentleman will have heard me say in relation to miscarriages of justice, there is no ...

rose—

I will give way one final time.

That is precisely why I support the amendment. However, if the amendment is not suitably drafted,...

I am repeating myself rather a lot, but I say again that we are not back where we were. I have ma...

Does the Minister agree that one concern of citizens is the use of fines to raise funds? I checke...

I did not know that Magna Carta touched on the matter of parking, but I am better informed as a r...

Is it correct that a person who runs a licensed taxi company, for example, is responsible for eve...

Certainly, that is my understanding. The operator is licensed as such and needs to check all the ...

The Minister says that there has been no safety issue in London. What assessment has he made outs...

I personally have not made such an assessment, but I am sure that the hon. Gentleman, as a Member...

The Minister says that an individual who is unable to order a private hire vehicle from their fav...

Yes, when people use “Yellow Pages”, they may well be in control of their choice of private hire ...

The Minister is being generous in giving way. Although he uses London as the example where these ...

If, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, that is an issue—clearly, several Members have raised it duri...

Does the Minister accept that, by reducing CCTV surveillance of parking, he will reduce the numbe...

That depends on how local authorities respond. If they use traffic wardens, there is no reason wh...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

New clause 17—Presumed diversion ...

I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

N...

I am listening to my hon. Friend, but Opposition Front Benchers are chuntering. Unfortunately, pe...

My hon. Friend is right, and I am sure he will seek to catch your eye, Madam Deputy Speaker, and ...

Obviously, I am no expert, and I am listening very carefully to what my hon. Friend says, but is ...

There is a way in which a change can be made at minimal cost, but if there is a single objection,...

I am sure, Madam Deputy Speaker, that you will be pleased to learn that members of my constituenc...

I am listening carefully to the hon. Lady, but I do not think that any Government Member disputes...

Rubbish.

Excuse me—[Interruption.] Does my hon. Friend wish to intervene?

Order. There can be only one intervention, and it should be a short intervention.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. We are talking about the right of an individual to walk on someo...

This is all about individuals’ rights to walk on private property, just as I walked over the Duke...

rose—

I know that other hon. Members wish to speak, but I give way to the hon. Gentleman.

Will the hon. Lady tell us her party’s proposals to ensure that the family of Roger Freeman know ...

The Bill’s measures on this subject derive from the Natural England stakeholder working group. I ...

I shall speak to new clauses 17, 18 and 19.

Many people up and down the country, especially...

Is my hon. Friend aware that people who own such footpaths can apply for them to be moved? I do n...

As my hon. Friend the Member for North Herefordshire (Bill Wiggin) pointed out, there are issues ...

I could accept what the hon. Gentleman says if he were referring to hustling, for example, but th...

Yes, yes. I am totally sympathetic with what the hon. Lady says. I am not trying to change histor...

I thank my hon. Friends the Members for North Herefordshire (Bill Wiggin) and for Braintree (Mr N...

The Minister was actively listening and I appreciate his response, but I would ask him to be sens...

Costs can be a significant issue, and the Government and local authorities will clearly want to e...

I thank my right hon. Friend the Minister for his helpful and constructive comments; it is useful...

I beg to move amendment 62, page 40, line 13, at end insert—

‘(3) The Secretary of State mu...

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Government amendments 14 and 15.<...

I want to speak to the amendments in my name and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the BBC is trusted not just in Britain but across the world, and w...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The BBC is now one of the great British brands and it exports...

I apologise for intervening again so quickly, but I want to reinforce my hon. Friend’s point. The...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. No one wants people to go to prison for non-payment of the li...

I wish to speak briefly on this matter. I have a lot of sympathy with the Opposition’s views, and...

My hon. Friend makes an important point by talking about his mother’s circumstances. My constitue...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. For those of us who are broadly supportive of the BBC and its...

It is a delight to support the amendments tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland...

rose—

I do not really think the Solicitor-General should be replying to a debate on broadcasting, but I...

I am sure the hon. Gentleman will accept that we did have a debate in Committee, in which the hon...

Of course—it stands to reason that the hon. and learned Gentleman was present; otherwise, he woul...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

In one moment.

The BBC is not just about independent news; it is about a long tradition of ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

In a moment.

Many of my constituents are on low incomes and in a deprived community, but th...

rose—

rose—

I will give way first to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (David Rutley) because I said I would.<...

The hon. Gentleman misses the point. No Government Member in this debate or in Committee was ques...

Yes they were.

No, not the values. Some might have questioned some of the services, but not the values or the ne...

I completely disagree with the hon. Gentleman who I know is fair minded. If he were to return to ...

I agree very strongly with my hon. Friend. The licence fee promotes social cohesion, and the alte...

Absolutely. I am not opposed to the idea of ending present licensing offences per se, although I ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

If the hon. Gentleman will let me finish this argument, I will give way.

I think it appropr...

I had hoped to agree with what the hon. Gentleman said about this measure being in a Christmas tr...

Perhaps what the hon. Gentleman says reflects his constituency, but for the majority of the time ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am not going to give way, because the hon. Gentleman was not here for the beginning of the deba...

I have been following the hon. Gentleman’s argument as closely as I can. He makes the point about...

It is not, actually. What we are discussing is the order in which the Government should proceed—i...

It is because you would not give way to me.

I give way to the hon. and learned Gentleman.

The debate we have been having, in Committee and with my hon. Friend the Member for North West Le...

I have read all the debates, which were actually about fundamental principles as well, and the fu...

rose—

I am not going to give way to the hon. Gentleman. He was not here for the beginning of the debate...

We have had a short but lively debate, and I would like to put it on record that no Government Me...

My question was not why the Government will not decide the penalties at this juncture—I completel...

There will clearly need to be a mechanism to effect the change; someone will have to decide what ...

I got a bit confused with all the different reviews we seem to be talking about. We are talking a...

I hope the hon. Gentleman would accept that we are where we are. That may not be novel, but it is...

What I think I understand by that—I hope the Solicitor-General will confirm whether I am right, o...

It is certainly not the intention to do anything that does not take into account the full context...

I did not find the Solicitor-General’s arguments very convincing. He seems to want to retain the ...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Government new clause 6—Power of ...

This is a substantial group that covers a range of issues, from zero-carbon homes to outer space ...

For the purpose of clarification, I refer |Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financ...

I thank my hon. Friend for displaying his customary modesty.

I have much to be modest about.

I do not agree. I think that my hon. Friend makes a huge contribution in the House, although I do...

I entirely agree with what the Minister says about the sensitivity of this matter and the importa...

Clearly the regulations need to be carefully considered and proper consultation is needed to ensu...

I endorse the view stated earlier that a process of consultation began as recently as February on...

As I think was said in another part of the country today, London is a super-city: it is an enormo...

Is the Minister aware that central London authorities such as Westminster, as the hon. Member for...

Yes, the Government are aware of that, and we have tried to respond, first of all by making the p...

Not enough of that money is properly ring-fenced, and it has been estimated that only about one i...

Of course we can always ask for more, but the point I would make to the hon. Lady is that that on...

Does the Solicitor-General agree that with 77% of the public supporting the current regime, it wo...

I would never describe my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley’s plans as mad, but on this occasion...

I begin by drawing the House’s attention to my declaration of interests.

The fact that the ...

rose—

We have six speakers and 17 minutes left.

I will be brief and do not intend to put any of my new clauses to the vote. My new clauses 10 to ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the choice as to whether someone attends church or goes shopping i...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I know that he is a church warden. Most church services o...

rose—

I will press on because various people wish to speak. If we extended the Sunday trading hours the...

rose—

I will not give way because others wish to speak. I am trying to ensure that other Members can ge...

I have tabled a number of amendments in this group, but given that we are so pressed for time, I ...

I think I speak on behalf of the hon. Member for Westminster North (Ms Buck) and my right hon. an...

I will be a little briefer than I would have ideally liked, but I am extremely obliged to you, Mr...

I want briefly to reinforce the points made by the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminst...

I think that all inner-London MPs will agree with my hon. Friend and her fellow Westminster MP, t...

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend—those are exactly what the consequences will be. No one wa...

Whether Sunday is special or not is a personal choice everyone must make for themselves. Let us n...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

I start by thanking all those resp...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, but does he not accept that a Bill that is so ideol...

The hon. Lady makes an odd point, in the sense that if the purpose of the Bill were to suggest th...

rose—

I am terribly sorry, but I need to bring my remarks to a close.

That system did not stop th...

I echo the Minister’s thanks to all those involved in bringing the Bill to Third Reading, particu...

My hon. Friend has described the Bill kindly as a Christmas tree. I think “a dogma-driven ragbag”...

The Minister shows a lack of understanding of what is considered poisonous by many in households ...

Given the need to return to the subject a number of times, would the hon. Lady support an annual ...

As the hon. Gentleman well knows, the Law Commission excellently pursues the identification of re...

rose—

Order. Three hon. Members are seeking to catch my eye. It would be good if all of them could be a...

Having worked on the Löfstedt review of health and safety reform and served on both the Committee...

I thank the Minister for his courtesy and for the constructive way in which he dealt with the dev...

I want to say a few words about clause 44, which gives individual schools the ability to set thei...