|

    Collection of speeches from the first day of Parliament 2010

    Bob for Tougher Prisons:

    Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

    The secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Jack Straw): As the under-secretary of state for justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) announced in a written ministerial statement today, we have just published a consultation paper to require mortgage lenders to obtain a court order or the consent of the borrower before repossessing and selling residential owner-occupied homes. That would remove the so-called Horsham loophole. The latest figures show that more than 30,000 people across England were helped between October 2008 and September 2009 under court duty schemes. On average last year, four out of five people had the immediate threat of repossession halted following help from government-funded court desks.

    Bob Spink: Mr. Speaker, David Taylor (Labour MP who sadly died on Boxing Day) was a personal friend. His hard work, his independence and his respect for this Parliament will be greatly missed.

    Will the secretary of state boost public confidence in the prison service by making prison regimes tougher, with more education and fewer drugs, and early release contingent on the prisoner's behaviour and the likelihood of reoffending? That would boost public confidence.

    Mr. Straw: What we want to see is prison made effective. It is tough, and those who recognise the reality of prison would not want to spend a day inside. We have dramatically increased the resources available for education and, as my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) has said, we have significantly increased the resources for drug treatment. Prisoners on longer-term sentences have to prove, by their good behaviour, that they are ready for parole. Those on indeterminate sentences cannot be-and are not-released unless the parole board judges that it is safe for that to happen.

    -----

    Bob for stopping radical Muslims

    Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): May we have stronger action to deport immediately those people in this country suspected of promoting extremism and of becoming radicalised? May we include in that list those who would hold offensive marches? (Reference to those Muslims planning to march with empty coffins)

    The Home Secretary (Alan Johnson): We always keep such issues under review. As I said in my statement, it is important that we do not take action simply because people have views that we find abhorrent but which are not illegal. We are a democracy, and there needs to be proper debate on our university campuses. It would be totally counter-productive for us to be heavy-handed in that respect. Through the Prevent strategy we are strengthening institutions, helping individuals and providing information, facts and advice to those who want to counter some of these radical views. As part of that, of course, we deport, and seek to deport, lots of people; many are queuing up for deportation at the moment. However, in a democracy, they have their right to judicial review and to go to the European Court. All of that, of course, is important, but at the end of the day they will be deported, providing we have done our job properly.

    ------
    Bob Invites Queen for her Diamond Jubilee Year

    Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): Does the minister agree that the Queen should try to visit each of the Olympic sites? May I invite her to Hadleigh which, with Hadleigh Castle, has very strong historical royal connections? She would receive an extremely warm welcome there.

    The Parliamentary under-secretary of state for business, innovation and skills (Ian Lucas): I am sure that Her Majesty has heard that kind invitation and that the palace will consider it carefully.

    -------

    Bob fighting climate change that affects us all

    Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): I congratulate the government on their efforts so far and, in particular, on their commitment to carbon capture and storage for power stations. However, will they redouble their efforts? The time scale for introducing large-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration plants is not ambitious enough, and we need to do more on that.

    Edward Miliband: The hon. Gentleman is right that we need to be as ambitious as we can be. That is why we are bringing forward a carbon capture and storage levy as part of our Energy Bill. We hope that all parts of the House will support it and pass it as soon as possible so that we can start to fund carbon capture and storage projects.

    ------

    Bob controlling government and cutting the deficit

    Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): Before the Chancellor moves too far from the banking system, would he agree that in order to build public confidence it might be worth considering linking ministers' pay to performance? If the government failed to meet the target, Ministers' pay could be cut.

    Mr. Andrew Pelling: Or increased.

    Bob Spink: The Hon Member is amusing, but that is not my intention.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Alistair Darling): I think that the latter proposition (an increase) is probably a remote possibility in the current climate, but the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) makes an interesting proposition.

    The vital point-one to which I shall return later-is that it is important that ministers and governments are accountable to the House, which they are of course. Each and every one of us who are privileged enough to be ministers of the Crown are answerable to the House, and if we do not come up to the mark, one way or another it is open to the House to do something about it. That remains the case, and it is perhaps a more draconian system than simply modifying that week's pay packet.