Speeches by Lamont.

“The hon. Member makes an excellent point about taking communities with us. We all accept, I believe, the need to invest in our electricity infrastructure, but it must be done in a coherent way that takes local communities with us.”

“I share the hon. Member’s concerns, and I will come on to nuclear a little later.”

“I will take interventions, but I will make a little more progress. Patience, colleagues! It means giant mega-pylons running through communities and landscapes across the Scottish Borders. We all understand the need for a modern, resilient electricity network, but there must be a balance. It must be done in a coherent a…”

“My right hon. Friend is right. She has consistently raised this issue in the Commons, and I know how passionately she feels about it on behalf of her constituents. I will come on to battery storage shortly. It is important that alternatives are considered. For example, rather than overhead cables, why is underground ca…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of electricity infrastructure on rural communities. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Efford. I am delighted to have secured this important debate, as it is an issue that affects many communities across our United Kingdom. However, it particular…”

“The Borders already has a significant number of electricity infrastructure projects, including wind farms and battery storage plants that have already been developed. Some are community owned—Berwickshire Housing Association co-owns a wind farm—but it has gone too far. Many people who previously supported those types o…”

“I thank the Leader of the House for the forthcoming business. I want to start by paying tribute to Lord Ming Campbell, a former Member of this place and former leader of the Liberal Democrats. He was a hugely respected parliamentarian, and I know he will be much missed. I would also like to express my deepest sympathie…”

“How embarrassing for the Labour party. I am sure the Leader of the House is relieved to no longer be the Government Chief Whip, although perhaps he thinks he could have done a better job than his successor at attempting to manage the increasingly rowdy mob lurking behind him. The Labour party conference was also deeply…”

“Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“To go back to my original question, if you had to choose between endless debating time and the fixed voting times that we currently have, would you prefer to have the certainty of fixed voting?”

“We have had evidence already reminding us about the call lists we had during covid. Those of us in the room who remember the call lists we had were reminded that even people on them were not called to speak—your name appeared on the list, but you still were not called to take part in that debate. In the evidence, it wa…”

“If 100 people want to speak, they all speak for as long as they want, but potentially vote at 2 am, as opposed to what happens just now.”

“5. What steps he is taking to replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.”

“Yesterday the Secretary of State announced this Labour Government’s new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. Despite all the justifications for the Bill, it still means one thing: veterans, many of whom are elderly, being dragged back through the courts. Does the Secretary of State think that is an acceptable way to treat t…”

“You have kindly linked me to my next question, which is about Scotland where it is a much wider register in terms of all contact with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament.”

“The registrar focuses only on consultant lobbyists. Do you think it would be a better approach for the registrar to include all lobbying, as opposed to it just being the consultant lobbyists?”

“Would a consistent approach across the UK be better?”

“Is that a model that has been looked at, or, for the reasons that you have already described, has it been discounted because it is too wide?”

“2. What information his Department holds on the proportion of people granted asylum status living in the private rented sector.”

“It is extraordinary that the Minister does not have that answer. Too many asylum seekers are arriving in our communities far too quickly because the Government have failed on their promise to smash their gangs. People have had enough, and this Labour Government do not seem to have any answers. What actions will the Min…”