Speeches by Mundell.

“I am not looking at your ever-youthful visage, Bob. I am suggesting that for many older people that is a relatively short timescale. The principal aim of the debate is to highlight the issue among Members of Parliament, to alert the Government to the fact that there is concern among MPs, and to start thinking about all…”

“It would be DCMS, because ultimately it is within the bailiwick of the BBC.”

“Yes, we have looked to bring the debate forward within a good timescale, but I know from events that I have attended with Government MPs that there is a lot of interest on the Government side. I do not feel that we would have any difficulty in ensuring a full complement of participants in any debate that took place.”

“Thank you, Chair. Minister, I know it happened just before you arrived in post, but there was a proposal for the FCDO personnel located in Abercrombie House in East Kilbride to move to a new campus in Glasgow. That decision was reversed, and the decision was made to remain in Abercrombie House, but when we met FCDO civ…”

“But the core there is that it is not fit for purpose currently.”

“I was going to ask you about that. Do you have specifics in mind, or is that something that is evolving?”

“Do you think that our influence across these multilateral organisations will be maintained with cuts in contributions?”

“And that matters in the context of it being the FCDO’s second headquarters, because it would not be capable of fulfilling that function.”

“I remind hon. Members that they should bob if they wish to be called. I will not set a time limit, but if hon. Members keep their speeches to around seven minutes, everyone will get to make a meaningful contribution.”

“I call Martin Rhodes, and I assure Dr Arthur that, after I leave the Chair, he will be called.”

“Land at Eastriggs in my constituency, formerly part of MOD Eastriggs, was declared surplus, and 18 acres were successfully leased to a rail business that provided important jobs in the constituency. However, the plans for the remainder of the site seem to have got bogged down. I hope that Ministers can expedite a decis…”

“Will the hon. Lady give way?”

“Does the Minister acknowledge that part of what has happened as a result of the pressure tests has been a displacement of learner drivers to test centres in rural areas, where they perceive that there might be less waiting time? That is prejudicing against local applicants. Will she do everything she can to ensure that…”

“I am grateful to you for stepping into the Chair, Ms Jardine. I was due to chair this debate, but that would have meant that I was unable to contribute, which I very much wanted to do. Given the restricted time, I do not want to rehearse the discussions that we had with Baroness Chapman in the International Development…”

“The Minister made a passing reference, as other Members did, to Unitaid. Will he more formally acknowledge the huge importance of Unitaid in ensuring the delivery of medicines in some of the most difficult environments around the world?”

“The Leader of the House has previously been very helpful in facilitating ministerial engagement on the switch-off of the radio teleswitch service. However, the switch-off is due to take place at the end of June, which is only weeks away, and reports suggest that over 100,000 people in Scotland still have not had a new …”

“I want to clarify the narrative. The tone of the remarks that were reported in the press this morning was actually very consistent with, “There’s lots of money being wasted and we need to cut because there’s lots of frivolous projects”. As you have appeared before us, you have given a much more reasoned argument and se…”

“Is there any responsibility on the arms manufacturers to investigate the use of weapons or components in these circumstances?”

“How would a Government Department initiate an investigation if there was reason to believe that the UK was supplying arms or components that were being used in attacks against aid workers?”

“I think that that is a positive approach and I am not arguing against that. Nobody would suggest that we could backfill for the US, but in your decision making we have to understand what the impact of the lack of US funding would have in particular areas. Obviously, with my interests, I am citing HIV.”