Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Migration (16 Sep 2015)
Henry Smith: In recent days, we have seen the closure of the German-Austrian border. Does my right hon. Friend, whom I commend for her statement, agree that that shows the naivety and nonsense of the Schengen treaty? Will she rule out this country ever being a signatory to it?
British Airways (Pensions Uprating) (14 Sep 2015)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate and on being appointed to the shadow Cabinet today. Many of my constituents are affected by this issue. Will she join me in calling on BA to play fair with those pensioners, be it in respect of those from 1984 or those from 2015?
Business of the House: Backbench Business — Immigration Detention (10 Sep 2015)
Henry Smith: I am conscious that a number of hon. Members wish to contribute to this debate, so I will keep my remarks brief. I congratulate the all-party groups on migration and on refugees on securing this debate, and on taking the time to compile their report. My constituents in Crawley are concerned about high levels of immigration, but they are also compassionate about vulnerable people who come to...
Business of the House (10 Sep 2015)
Henry Smith: My constituent, Sergeant Jay Baldwin, served with distinction in Afghanistan and during active service unfortunately lost both his legs. He has apparently been denied further NHS treatment because he sought alternative medical advice in Australia. We will not have Health or Defence questions during these two weeks, but I should like to raise this issue and bring it to the attention of the...
Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism (7 Sep 2015)
Henry Smith: The children of Syria are the victims of dictators, terrorists and traffickers. They are certainly not the victims of UK immigration policy, and therefore I commend and support my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s statement today. What discussions have been had with countries such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states on providing greater aid, taking refugees and supporting refugee...
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Counter-ISIL Coalition Strategy (20 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome the statement by my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary. What recent discussions has he had with other Muslim nations in the middle east on our common alliance against the evil of Daesh?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Iran: Nuclear Deal (15 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: I greatly welcome my right hon. Friend’s work in securing these improved diplomatic relations with Iran. He mentioned that he has, rightly, spoken to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in the last 24 hours. What discussions will he be having with other Persian gulf states, such as the United Arab Emirates, to reassure them as well?
Business of the House (14 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: May I invite my right hon. Friend to say how incredulous he is that the SNP, which thought we should have had a longer discussion on English votes for English laws—the people of Crawley certainly want that—is now complaining that we have more time to discuss this very important issue?
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Calais (14 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: I commend my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary for her comprehensive statement on tackling attempted illegal immigration from Calais. Can she assure me that the UK Border Force will not be diminished at other points of entry, such as Gatwick airport and elsewhere, where attempted illegal immigration can occur?
Business of the House (9 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: Last year, former Crawley constituent Matt Bass died from suspected organo- phosphate poisoning. Many air crew and frequent flyers are at risk from faulty air intakes on many aircraft. May we have a debate on this issue please?
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Mental Health: Children and Young People (7 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: What steps the Government are taking to improve support for children and young people with mental health problems.
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Mental Health: Children and Young People (7 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: I pay tribute to the West Sussex youth cabinet that is looking into the issue of mental health provision for young people. Why does the Minister believe this area has been chronically underfunded for so long, and will he give me an assurance that this will not be the case in the future?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Davies Commission Report (1 Jul 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome the publication of the Airports Commission report. It reached the best conclusion, independently arrived at, for both economic growth nationally—for this great trading nation—and this great global city of London. I also welcome my right hon. Friend’s commitment to come to a swift decision this calendar year on the future and final option. May I also seek assurances...
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Tunisia, and European Council (29 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: Following last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Tunisia, my constituents John and Janet Stocker are still unaccounted for. May I have assurances from my right hon. Friend that all NHS records that may be required by the Tunisian authorities to identify victims will be made available?
Opposition Day: 3rd Alloted day — A&E Services (24 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak in this important debate, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I join other hon. Members in welcoming you to the Chair? This is the first time I have spoken with you in your place, and it is very good to see you there. May I also extend my congratulations to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Paula Sherriff) on her maiden speech? Like other hon. Members, I...
Opposition Day: 3rd Alloted day — A&E Services (24 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: Does the hon. Gentleman not think that the closure of A&E at Crawley hospital in 2005, under a Labour Government, was distinctly unhelpful to A&E waiting times?
Opposition Day: 3rd Alloted day — A&E Services (24 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: rose—
Business of the House (18 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: After Chad, the UK charges the most passenger duty of anywhere in the world. Indeed, many of our European competitors do not charge any such tax. A recent PwC report highlighted the fact that if the tax were abolished, the economy would benefit by up to £2 billion. May we have a debate on the future of air passenger duty?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (17 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: Employment in Crawley is at a record high level, with companies such as Creative Pod having created extra jobs. Will my right hon. Friend tell us what additional policies the Government can introduce to ensure that small and medium-sized companies can flourish further still?
Business of the House: Royal Bank of Scotland (11 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: I congratulate my hon. Friend on her appointment as Economic Secretary, and I congratulate the Government on further recovering our economy on behalf of taxpayers. Mention has already been made of the Governor of the Bank of England saying that, for the sake of the taxpayer, we need to get on with the sale sooner rather than later. Mark Carney also mentioned the need for stricter custodial...
G7 (10 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome the extremism Bill that the Government will introduce, but what discussions did my right hon. Friend have with other G7 leaders about the sharing of intelligence to help to prevent people from travelling to support ISIL?
Business of the House (4 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: May we have a debate on education funding? West Sussex is the second-lowest funded area in the country, yet there are many demographic pressures in constituencies such as Crawley.
Fifa: Britain in the World (1 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the hon. Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) and my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth South (Mrs Drummond) on their speeches. Both the Clyde and Portsmouth have made a huge contribution to this country’s influence around the world and it is fitting that the hon. Members spoke in this debate.
Fifa: Britain in the World (1 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: Plymouth is indeed another great British city that has projected that image to the world. I just wish that my hon. Friend had intervened slightly more than a minute into my speech so that I would have been given a little bit of extra time. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) for focusing on the importance of the Commonwealth and the British overseas...
Fifa: Britain in the World (1 Jun 2015)
Henry Smith: The Foreign Secretary was absolutely right to pay tribute to his predecessor, the former Member for Richmond, Yorkshire, because since 2010 we have put the word “Commonwealth” truly back at the centre of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—something that was desperately lacking under the previous Labour Government.
Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills: Regional Growth (26 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to promote regional growth.
Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills: Regional Growth (26 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to the Government for investing £10 million in a growth deal to upgrade Gatwick airport station, and a further £18 million in the same growth deal to improve the highways in Crawley. Does the Minister agree that that is only possible because of the Government’s long-term economic plan, which means that we can invest in infrastructure for further growth?
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Topical Questions (25 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Topical Questions (25 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I would like sincerely to thank my right hon. Friend and neighbouring Member of Parliament for all his assistance and advice over many years., Can he estimate the amount of taxpayers’ money that has been saved through efficiencies in his five years in the Cabinet Office?
Petitions: Eligibility of Members to vote on certain issues in the House of Commons (24 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I rise to present a petition in the same terms as that of my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr Stuart) on behalf of my constituents in Crawley, who believe that they should have equal weight in decisions that affect their lives in England. It is my pleasure to present the petition. The Petition of residents of Crawley. [P001459]
Oral Answers to Questions — Attorney-General: Falkland Islands Defence Review (24 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome my right hon. Friend’s commitment to the defence of the self-determination of British overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands. Does that prove that Her Majesty’s Government were right to develop the new airport on Saint Helena as an important air bridge to the south Atlantic?
Oral Answers to Questions — Deputy Prime Minister: Devolution: England (24 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: What progress he has made on further devolution in England.
Oral Answers to Questions — Deputy Prime Minister: Devolution: England (24 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: As well as English votes for English laws and, indeed, devolution to our great cities, can my right hon. Friend assure me that a future Conservative Government will devolve more authority on service delivery to the great counties of England, which have a strong track record of democratic delivery? I welcome the growth deal from which west Sussex has benefited.
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: European Council (23 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: In his statement, the Prime Minister spoke about opportunity. Does my right hon. Friend agree that people will have an opportunity to reform the EU and have an in/out referendum on this country’s membership of the EU only by voting Conservative, and that voting for any other party will kill that opportunity?
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Protection from slavery for overseas domestic workers (17 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: It is essential that we get this Bill on the statute book before the Dissolution of Parliament next week. Although the amendments coming from the other place, including amendment 72, have absolutely the right sentiment, does the Minister agree that it is vital that we ensure this legislation gets on the statute book at the earliest possible opportunity so that these fundamental and important...
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Local Government Funding (16 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: Of course local authorities rely a great deal on central Government funding, but they also rely on budgets granted by other organisations. Will my hon. Friend have a word with Crawley borough council, which is in danger of losing £50,000 of England and Wales Cricket Board funding for new nets in Langley Green as a result of minor planning authority bureaucracy?
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Troubled Families Programme (10 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I sincerely thank my right hon. Friend for his leadership of this project, which has helped to turn around the lives of 1,165 families in West Sussex. Will he join me in sincerely thanking the workers in my constituency who have made such a positive difference to individuals and to our community as a whole?
Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Work programme (Disabled People) (9 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I was very grateful to the Secretary of State for visiting Crawley last month to see how successfully the Work programme was operating. Will my right hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to the staff of Royal British Legion Industries who deliver the Work programme in my constituency for paying great attention to getting disabled people and people with mental health conditions back into work?
Opposition Day: [Un-allotted Half Day] — Future Government Spending (4 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: I am glad that my hon. Friend has brought this back to jobs and what that means for our constituents. In Crawley, we now see record employment levels. That is not an accident; it is a direct result of the long-term economic plan.
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Topical Questions (3 Mar 2015) Henry Smith: If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Topical Questions (3 Mar 2015)
Henry Smith: As part of the Mexican state visit, it is good to see the flags of the British overseas territories flying in Parliament square today. I am encouraged to hear that London and Madrid are talking about better relations over Gibraltar. I seek assurances from my right hon. Friend, however, that there will never be any discussions over the future of Gibraltar’s sovereignty so long as the...
Henry Smith: The hon. Gentleman is correct about the importance of devolution to cities in England, but the counties make up about 50% of its population and about 85% of its land area. Does he agree that there is a very strong case for devolution to county government, which has a strategic and very strong democratic record?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Counter-Terrorism: Conflict Zones (2 Mar 2015) Henry Smith: I commend my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary for the diligence she has shown in introducing various Prevent programmes to Crawley. Gatwick airport is also in my constituency, so can she say a little more about passenger name record checks for intra-EU flights, not just for those coming from outside the EU?
Isil: European Council (23 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I commend this Government for initiating the feasibility study into the resettlement of the Chagos islands. While we are still net contributors to the EU, at the next European Council will my right hon. Friend seek European development funding to realise that resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory?
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Armed Forces: Home Ownership (23 February 2015)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to increase home ownership among members of the armed forces.
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Armed Forces: Home Ownership (23 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. Does this scheme not just prove the good work that this Government have been doing in ensuring the improvements to armed forces accommodation, in terms not only of service accommodation but enabling people in the armed forces to buy their own properties?
Business of the House (12 February 2015)
Henry Smith: The Government are to be congratulated on initiating the independent feasibility study into the resettlement of those in the British Indian Ocean Territory. As my right hon. Friend will know, the report was published earlier this week. May we have a debate on the resettlement of the Chagos islanders on the Floor of the House at the earliest possible moment and in Government time?
Oral Answers to Questions — Attorney-General: Ukraine (10 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. What discussions have taken place with Latvia, which currently has the presidency of the EU and indeed is a Baltic neighbour of Russia and former Soviet republic?
Oral Answers to Questions — Deputy Prime Minister: Topical Questions (10 February 2015)
Henry Smith: A recent growth deal saw tens of millions of pounds being invested in the future of Gatwick airport station. May I seek assurances from my right hon. Friend that further growth deals will focus on improving transport infrastructure for the area?
CCTV in Slaughterhouses (3 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I am grateful for the opportunity this evening to raise the issue of the need for CCTV to be installed and monitored in slaughterhouses, in an effort to better aid animal welfare. I personally have been vegetarian for more than a quarter of a century, because I am concerned about animal welfare issues in the production of meat, and also for food and environmental sustainability reasons, but I...
CCTV in Slaughterhouses (3 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. The fact is that the vets who are on site in slaughterhouses are not everywhere at once, and too many incidents have been missed, as I will discuss. Proper training is essential, but having an all-seeing eye and independent monitoring would ensure the maximum quality of animal welfare conditions in our slaughterhouses. The recording to...
CCTV in Slaughterhouses (3 February 2015)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her intervention. My brother is a farmer, and many farmers I have spoken to are deeply concerned that the welfare that they care about when the animals are on their farm is discarded in the final moments in the slaughterhouses—I received an e-mail about that just earlier today. I will come on to address the cost to slaughterhouses, but it would range...
CCTV in Slaughterhouses (3 February 2015)
Henry Smith: The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. The importance of CCTV is that what is recorded is stored for a period of time and then made available to independent inspectors. I know of a number of groups that would be willing to provide that service at no cost to the taxpayer because of their concern for animal welfare. Let me return now to the RSPCA and the Freedom Food scheme. The two...
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Topical Questions (3 February 2015)
Henry Smith: Last week, I was privileged to attend a ceremony at the Crawley Band of Brothers, where men mentor former young offenders to help them turn their lives around. What further steps can the Department take to encourage such voluntary groups to help the rehabilitation of offenders?
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Council Tax (2 February 2015)
Henry Smith: What estimate he has made of the number of local authorities who are planning to raise council tax by more than 1.99% in the next financial year; and if he will make a statement.
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Council Tax (2 February 2015)
Henry Smith: A recent TaxPayers Alliance study identified that the chief executive of Pembrokeshire council had a Porsche funded at a cost of some £90,000 and that, in Camden, £3.25 million had been spent on so-called gagging orders for employees who were leaving. What more can be done to bear down on these unnecessary costs that burden the taxpayer?
Prime Minister: NHS Major Incidents (28 January 2015)
Henry Smith: East Surrey hospital, which is the A and E department that covers my constituency, not least because Labour closed Crawley hospital’s A and E in 2005, has not had a major incident. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that major incidents have decreased because of the extra investment that he has put into the NHS, in stark contrast to Labour-controlled Wales, which has cut the budget?
Opposition Day — [14th Allotted Day]: National Health Service (21 January 2015)
Henry Smith: Under the previous Government, Crawley’s accident and emergency was closed. Will the right hon. Gentleman now commit to increasing funding on the NHS, as this Government have done every single year of this Parliament, and promise to do for the next?
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Topical Questions (20 January 2015)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the Government on initiating the resettlement feasibility study of the Chagos islands, which is due to report imminently. May I seek an assurance that that issue will be debated when the findings of the report are known?
Business of the House (15 January 2015)
Henry Smith: Perhaps because I am a vexillologist MP, I have been approached by the office of the majority leader in the US House of Representatives to see whether it might be possible to facilitate an exchange of the Union flag flying over the Victoria Tower and the flag flying over the US Capitol to mark the long historical and friendship links between the United Kingdom and the United States. I would...
Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Tourism (15 January 2015)
Henry Smith: What estimate he has made of the contribution of tourism to the economy.
Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport: Tourism (15 January 2015)
Henry Smith: I welcome that response. As my right hon. Friend will know, Crawley contains Gatwick airport, which is a major gateway to the UK. What more can the tourism industry do to ensure that people coming to the UK travel on to other destinations and take advantage of the many benefits and tourist attractions in Crawley and West Sussex?
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (13 January 2015)
Henry Smith: What progress his Department has made on its long-term plans for easing pressures on A and E departments and preparing the NHS for the future.
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (13 January 2015)
Henry Smith: In 2005 under the previous Labour Government, Crawley hospital’s A and E department was closed, but I am pleased to say that in recent years health and other emergency services have been returning to the facility. Will my right hon. Friend consider centring more emergency centres in Crawley, as the natural sub-regional population centre?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: A and E (Major Incidents) (7 January 2015)
Henry Smith: In 2005, the Labour Government closed the accident and emergency department at Crawley hospital, but services are now returning to the urgent treatment centre. Does my right hon. Friend believe that such centres play an important part in relieving pressure on emergency services?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (7 January 2015)
Henry Smith: The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that youth unemployment in Crawley is at its lowest level since records began, but of course we need to do a lot more. What further policies are the Government pursuing to ensure that businesses in Crawley and across the country generate even more employment as part of our long-term economic plan?
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: UK Armed Forces (Iraq) (15 December 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend further update us on the support for military training and aid that our allies in the Gulf states are providing to the Iraqi Government?
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Pensioners and Savers (9 December 2014)
Henry Smith: What steps he has taken to support people with savings and pensioners.
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Pensioners and Savers (9 December 2014)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend is right that the previous Administration caused the great recession, which has meant that savers in Crawley have suffered considerably. Last week’s autumn statement proved that this Government stand up for the aspiration of passing on savings to our children.
Business of the House: Pensions and Benefits Uprating (4 December 2014)
Henry Smith: Pensioners in Crawley will very much welcome what is a generous and fair increase in the state pension. What is my hon. Friend’s observation on the fact that barely more than half a dozen Labour Members have attended this statement, particularly given the fact that this is clearly good news for pensioners up and down the country?
Business of the House (4 December 2014)
Henry Smith: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s independent feasibility study into resettlement of the Chagos islands is due to be published early in the new year. May we please have a debate in January on the Floor of the House to ensure that the matter is properly discussed?
Isil: Topical Questions (2 December 2014)
Henry Smith: Marlborough house is one of the great meeting places of the Commonwealth and yet, reportedly, the Labour party says that it wants to sell it. What is the Government’s view?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Road Investment Strategy (1 December 2014)
Henry Smith: I join right hon. and hon. Friends from West Sussex in welcoming today’s announcement about £350 million to upgrade the A27. That will enhance the whole county economy and reverse the cancellation of some of the plans by the previous Labour Government. I thank the Secretary of State for upgrades that have already been delivered to the A23. Will he consider resurfacing parts of the...
NHS (Ttip): Murder of Lee Rigby (25 November 2014)
Henry Smith: The first British-born suicide bomber in the Syrian civil war was from my constituency. The incident occurred in February this year, and I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary for putting in place a number of Prevent programmes in my constituency over the summer as a result of that. Given the concern about how internet companies and social media might be aiding terrorist...
Business of the House (20 November 2014)
Henry Smith: The Crawley Town Community Sports Foundation and Autism Sussex are finalists in the south-east People’s Millions for a project called Capers, which helps to encourage young people with autism to get involved in football. Voting takes place next Wednesday. As well as wishing the project well, may we have a debate on local community involvement in such volunteering projects which, as my...
Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills: Export Support Services (20 November 2014)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to raise awareness among businesses of export support services.
Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills: Export Support Services (20 November 2014)
Henry Smith: Since this Government came to office, UKTI has done a lot to support companies in my constituency to export, but what specific assistance can be given to the smallest firms, such as the members of Crawley federation of small businesses, to give them the confidence to make the most of lucrative export markets?
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: G20 (17 November 2014)
Henry Smith: In the past, I have fortunately been granted an Adjournment debate on G20 membership, in which I questioned the validity of Argentina’s membership of the organisation under the Kirchner regime. Did the Argentine representation at the Brisbane conference make any approaches to other members of the G20, or to the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, for funding?
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Prison Communications (11 November 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his statement. He was right to bring this matter to the House’s attention expeditiously. Does he have information yet about the division between prisoners on remand whose calls were listened to and post-conviction prisoners, or will we have to wait for the inquiry for that?
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Community Pubs (10 November 2014)
Henry Smith: What steps his Department is taking to support community pubs.
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Community Pubs (10 November 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer and for the work the Government have done on reducing the burden of business rates. Will he consider further reform, such as standardised billings and an appeals process, to reduce yet more of the burden on small businesses and community pubs such as the Charcoal Burner in Furnace Green?
Business of the House (6 November 2014)
Henry Smith: As my right hon. Friend well knows, the Pitcairn Islands are one of the most remote British overseas territories, and their environment is pristine. Will he consider making time available for a statement from our right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on establishing a marine environment protected zone around the territory’s thousands of square miles, as supported by the people of the...
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Rolls-Royce (Aerospace Group) (5 November 2014)
Henry Smith: Yesterday I was very pleased to host Crawley headquarters, Virgin Atlantic airways here in the House of Commons. It has just ordered 21 Boeing 787s, all with Rolls-Royce engines. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the growth of our innovative aviation sector is key to ensuring that, wherever possible, we maintain a high degree of engineering capability?
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Uncollected Tax (4 November 2014)
Henry Smith: Can the Chancellor of the Exchequer say how the Government are encouraging greater payment of tax through international agreements that we have achieved, for example, with Switzerland?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (29 October 2014)
Henry Smith: A recent TaxPayers Alliance study revealed that the amount of taxpayers’ money being spent on union office space is the equivalent of £27.4 million at London market value, with a square footage equivalent to that of the Kremlin. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is time for further political funding reform?
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Chagossian Resettlement (28 October 2014)
Henry Smith: What progress his Department has made with the British Indian Ocean Territory Chagossian resettlement feasibility study; and if he will make a statement.
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Chagossian Resettlement (28 October 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. Given upcoming negotiations on extending the military base on Diego Garcia with the United States, may I have assurances from the Department that the interests of the Chagos islands people will be very much part of those discussions with Washington?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: European Council (27 October 2014)
Henry Smith: The constituents to whom I spoke over the weekend, on the doorstep and in community meetings, were certainly not amused by the irony of a surcharge of £1.7 billion from the European Union having to be paid because our economy is so successful, and they were very much behind my right hon. Friend in wanting to say no to the payment. Does the Prime Minister agree that we should take no...
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Foreign National Offenders (Removal) (22 October 2014)
Henry Smith: Can the Home Secretary confirm that approximately 400 of the missing foreign criminals arrived in the country under the previous Labour Government?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (22 October 2014)
Henry Smith: Will the Prime Minister join me in congratulating Varian Medical Systems in my constituency on celebrating 30 years of high-quality manufacturing? Will he congratulate Elekta Oncology Systems, too, on its plans to expand significantly in my constituency? Does this not prove that high-quality UK manufacturing is on the rise?
Bill Presented: Devolution (Scotland Referendum) (14 October 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend give way?
Bill Presented: Devolution (Scotland Referendum) (14 October 2014)
Henry Smith: The Leader of the House is absolutely right that we should have English votes for English Members of Parliament on English affairs. With regard to further devolution to the localities within England, I would ask that we do not just talk about cities but the historical counties of England, which deliver a lot of responsibilities already.
Business of the House (11 September 2014)
Henry Smith: I very much support the increase in the cancer drugs fund announced by the Government, and was delighted previously to open a new digital mammography unit at Crawley hospital. Nevertheless, I was concerned to see recently the results of an assessment of my constituency that indicated that cancer survival rates were below the national average, largely owing to the need to get early diagnosis....
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (10 September 2014)
Henry Smith: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are rightly campaigning today for the future of our Union. With Gatwick in my constituency, I see on a daily basis the strong family and business links between my local airport and Scottish airports. Does my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House agree with me that our great kingdom is...
Opposition Day — [5th allotted day]: Energy Company Licence Revocation (3 September 2014)
Henry Smith: Would the right hon. Lady not concede, however, that part of the problem with competition in the energy market was the creation of the big six energy suppliers, which of course took place under the last Labour Government?
Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Topical Questions (3 September 2014)
Henry Smith: What are the British Government’s plans for development goals as part of the UN General Assembly later this month?
Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: EU Council, Security and Middle East (1 September 2014)
Henry Smith: I commend the Prime Minister on his statement. Will he give a little more information on when airlines will be required to introduce more stringent checks on suspects and foreign terrorists to block them from entering ports such as Gatwick and others around the UK?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Ukraine (Flight MH17) and Gaza (21 July 2014)
Henry Smith: With regard to flight MH17 being shot down, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right to work with the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, to seek a UN resolution this evening. In the event that Russia vetoes the resolution to allow unfettered access to the crash and crime site, what further international actions will the UK seek to take not just with Europe, but with the wider...
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Special Educational Needs (21 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my hon. Friend say what more specific support his Department is providing for parents who suspect their children may have dyslexia and be in need of such an assessment?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Topical Questions (21 July 2014)
Henry Smith: If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Topical Questions (21 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I join my right hon. Friend in sending our condolences to the family of the MH17 victim from Loughborough university. I also warmly congratulate my right hon. Friend on her appointment as Secretary of State for Education. Will she join me in congratulating students from Oriel high school, Hazelwick school and Holy Trinity school in my constituency who recently won awards at the STEMfest,...
Backbench Business: Children with Autism (Education) (17 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this important debate. Will he join me in congratulating the many important local community groups that support children with autism, such as Autism Support Crawley and Autism Sussex, on the help that they give to parents in dealing with the education system, which, as he rightly points out, differs from local authority to local authority?
Business of the House: “A New Magna Carta?” — Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform (17 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for setting out the conclusions of the Select Committee’s report. What evidence was taken from other countries that also have Magna Carta as arguably their most important constitutional document? I am particularly thinking of places that have codified constitutions in the Anglosphere, such as Australia, Canada and the United States.
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Gaza (14 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Like many Members, I have been contacted by a large number of constituents who are deeply concerned about the security situation in Gaza. On behalf of them, may I ask the Foreign Secretary to continue to press all those involved to ensure that they find a peaceful solution through the US-led process?
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Trident Commission (14 July 2014)
Henry Smith: What assessment he has made of the recommendations of the concluding report of the Trident commission set up by the British American Security Information Council.
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Trident Commission (14 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer, with which I wholeheartedly agree. Will he confirm that the British American Security Information Council Trident commission report did not consider a two-boat solution?
Opposition Day — [4th Allotted Day]: Housing Supply (9 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Since we are talking about statistics, will the hon. Lady welcome the approximately 2,000 new homes that are being built as a result of the previous Conservative administration of Crawley borough council, and will she condemn the same local authority’s current Labour administration for prevaricating on the local plan?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Universal Credit (9 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the forecast savings to the taxpayer are about £100 million in this financial year, and will be about £200 million in the coming tax year?
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Local Growth Deals (7 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I was delighted to welcome my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to Gatwick this morning, where the Coast to Capital LEP bid of £202 million was announced. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that future growth deals will continue to benefit the county areas, as well as our great cities?
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Topical Questions (7 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary say what steps she and her Department are taking to ensure the police use technology to a greater extent to improve their effectiveness?
Select Committee on Foreign Affairs (3 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I commend my right hon. Friend for his robust report, which clearly sets out how objectionable it is for a supposed ally to treat the people of Gibraltar in such a way. Gatwick airport in my constituency is a major link to the airport in Gibraltar. I encourage the Foreign Affairs Committee to continue to be robust on that issue as well, so that it has is no effect on trade. As a member of the...
Business of the House (3 July 2014)
Henry Smith: Earlier this year, Argentina absurdly started issuing a 50 peso note with a map on it of the Falklands Islands, in the colours of the Argentine flag. Far more sensibly, in contrast, earlier this year my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new £1 coin, which will be more secure and reaches back to the heritage of our coinage. May we have a statement from the...
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Reoffending Level (1 July 2014)
Henry Smith: What progress he has made on his plans to bring down the level of reoffending.
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Reoffending Level (1 July 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. What progress has his Department made in establishing a network of resettlement prisons?
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Topical Questions (30 June 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my hon. Friend join me in condemning the incoming Labour administration of Crawley borough council, which with a complete lack of vision and aspiration has cancelled the town centre regeneration project? Will he say what the Government are doing to help regenerate our high streets and municipal centres?
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Departmental Efficiency (25 June 2014)
Henry Smith: What progress he has made on his programme of savings through efficiency and reform of central Government.
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Departmental Efficiency (25 June 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his answer and for the significant amounts of taxpayer money that the Cabinet Office is saving. What role can greater digitisation play in obtaining further efficiencies?
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Student Visas (24 June 2014)
Henry Smith: I commend the decisive action that my hon. Friend and his Department are taking in closing down the abuse of the student visa route, which is already significantly reducing overall immigration. Is it not right that we also extend the closing down of abuse to some foreign nationals who are wrongly using the NHS?
Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Patient Safety (24 June 2014)
Henry Smith: I welcome the action taken by my right hon. Friend to extend transparency for the purpose of safety in the NHS, but could it be extended to the social care sector, especially in the light of the January 2010 Care Quality Commission report on Orchid View care home in Copthorne, near my constituency? The report rated the home as good, but 19 patients subsequently died.
Opposition Day — [1st Allotted Day]: Passport Applications (18 June 2014)
Henry Smith: Will the hon. Lady give way?
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Diego Garcia (17 June 2014)
Henry Smith: What discussions his office has had with the US Government on renewal of the lease of the air base on Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory.
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Diego Garcia (17 June 2014)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. May I seek assurances that when the lease on Diego Garcia is negotiated with the United States, that will not prejudice a possible future return of Chagos islanders to that archipelago?
Oral Answers to Questions — Church Commissioners: HM Passport Office (12 June 2014)
Henry Smith: I would like to thank HMPO staff for helping me to assist my constituents—the handful who have come to me. Interestingly, one of them said that the reason they applied for a passport was that, for the first time since 2008, they could afford to go on a foreign holiday. Does the Home Secretary acknowledge that part of the increased demand is down to a better economic environment?
Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Topical Questions (12 June 2014)
Henry Smith: Since May 2010, the Environment Agency has spent about £11.7 million in defending Crawley through improved flood defences, but during this wettest winter on record the area of Ifield Green was still affected. May I have assurances from the Department that it will press Crawley borough council to co-operate fully on further flood defence schemes?
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Alcohol Consumption in Pregnancy (10 June 2014)
Henry Smith: Prevention is of course better than cure. What is my hon. Friend’s Department doing on better guidance and support for midwives and other groups such as the National Childbirth Trust to discourage expectant mothers from drinking alcohol?
Birmingham Schools (9 June 2014)
Henry Smith: Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking at the opening of the new Langley Green mosque in my constituency, which was a multi-faith event. Does the Secretary of State agree that that illustrates the importance of inclusivity, which the vast majority of the Muslim community want in our education system, both in Birmingham and across the country?
Oral Answers to Questions — Attorney-General: Ukraine (13 May 2014)
Henry Smith: What discussions has my right hon. Friend recently had with the US Secretary of State with regard to American support for free and legal presidential elections in Ukraine on 25 May?
Oral Answers to Questions — Attorney-General: Contempt of Court (13 May 2014)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the law relating to contempt of court.
Oral Answers to Questions — Attorney-General: Contempt of Court (13 May 2014)
Henry Smith: In recent years, the use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook to express opinion has increased significantly. What advice can my right hon. and learned Friend give those who are taking part in court proceedings to ensure that, in using those methods of communication, they are not in contempt?
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: D-day Commemorations (12 May 2014)
Henry Smith: What assistance his Department plans to provide to ensure that veterans are able to take part in the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of D-day.
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: D-day Commemorations (12 May 2014)
Henry Smith: As my hon. Friend will know, many of my constituents and others around the country—elderly veterans who hope to go to northern France for the D-day commemorations—will have difficulty paying for things such as travel insurance and accommodation. Can she update the House on how the lottery can help with some of that financing?
Point of Order (8 May 2014)
Henry Smith: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Yesterday, during Prime Minister’s questions, the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) raised the issue of the possible takeover of the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca by Pfizer. It has since been reported that the Labour party has received significant donations from AstraZeneca. I seek your judgment on whether that should have...
Business of the House (8 May 2014)
Henry Smith: On state visits and certain other occasions—although, interestingly, not during the recent Irish state visit—flags of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom and the overseas territories are flown from Parliament square and then taken down. May we have a statement from the Culture Secretary on the possibility of flags of the constituent countries of the UK and the overseas...
Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills: Topical Questions (10 April 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend congratulate Elekta Oncology Systems, a leading manufacturer and exporter of oncology systems which is based in my constituency, on its plan to expand by about a fifth in Crawley, and also on its involvement in the Government’s regional growth fund?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Part 2 — Devolution of Wales long haul rates of duty (9 April 2014)
Henry Smith: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone. I have the privilege and honour of being the Member of Parliament representing Gatwick airport, so aviation is important to my constituents. Aviation is extremely important to the whole of the United Kingdom, as an island trading nation. Many companies located in my constituency are aviation companies, such as Virgin Atlantic,...
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Part 2 — Devolution of Wales long haul rates of duty (9 April 2014)
Henry Smith: Indeed. The simplification of the upper bands of APD, as announced in the Budget, will help small and medium-sized companies in particular to export. I pay tribute to UK Trade & Investment under this Government, which has been making a fantastic effort to give SMEs the tools to maximise exports. The simplification of APD is of great help to small and medium-sized companies not only in...
Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Social Rented Housing (7 April 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Crawley borough council which is building hundreds of social and affordable houses in the new Forge Wood neighbourhood? This is in stark contrast to what happened under the previous Labour administration.
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Royal Mail (1 April 2014)
Henry Smith: I spoke with Royal Mail employees when I visited their sorting office in Crawley a few months ago, and they were pleased with the free shares they were given. Will my right hon. Friend say how important that is in terms of employees having a stake in their future business?
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Maternity Care (1 April 2014)
Henry Smith: What recent steps he has taken to improve maternity care.
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Maternity Care (1 April 2014)
Henry Smith: In 2001 the then Labour Government closed the maternity unit at Crawley hospital, despite a growing birth rate since then in my constituency. The local clinical commissioning group proposes to reintroduce a midwife-led maternity unit. Will my hon. Friend meet me and the CCG to discuss those plans further?
Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Yarl’s Wood Immigration Centre (Detainee Death) (31 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Will the Minister confirm that the Government are making improvements to the way in which the immigration detention centre estate operates, particularly at Brook House, Tinsley House and the family Cedars centre in the Gatwick area?
Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Topical Questions (31 March 2014)
Henry Smith: What is my right hon. Friend’s assessment of how the Government’s triple lock guarantee for increases in the state pension has benefited thousands of pensioners in my constituency and across the country?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: European Council and Nuclear Security Summit (26 March 2014)
Henry Smith: As mainland Europe seeks to minimise its dependence on energy from Russia, will my right hon. Friend assure the House that there will not be any unintended consequences, such as a loss of British sovereignty over energy policy?
Business of the House: Pensions Strategy (20 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Despite the Labour party’s scaremongering since the Budget yesterday, will my hon. Friend confirm that other countries—such as the United States, Australia and Denmark—do not restrict access to pension funds for those seeking to access them on retirement?
Business of the House (20 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Crawley borough council on its plan to plant Flanders and wild flower poppies in every single neighbourhood and park in my constituency later this year to mark the centenary of the first world war? Will he ensure that there are ample opportunities throughout this year for the House to commemorate that most important event in our history?
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Legal Aid (18 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Statistics show that the number of non-molestation orders issued by the English courts has recently increased, and there is some suggestion that they may be used as an additional route to obtaining legal aid. Will my hon. Friend undertake to investigate that further?
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Government Websites (12 March 2014)
Henry Smith: What progress he has made on replacing individual Government websites with gov.uk.
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Government Websites (12 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my hon. Friend tell us what best practice local authorities can take from this central Government initiative?
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: European Council (10 March 2014)
Henry Smith: Obviously, the EU Council meeting was dominated by events in Crimea, but on a related matter can the Prime Minister update the House on the association agreements with Georgia and Moldova?
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Extremism (10 March 2014)
Henry Smith: What steps she is taking to prevent extremism.
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Extremism (10 March 2014)
Henry Smith: What increased steps are being taken to meet the security threat from British-born foreign fighters coming back from Syria? How can local communities in this country, where they identify radicalisation, be better supported?
Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Ukraine (4 March 2014)
Henry Smith: May I seek clarification from the Foreign Secretary that in the event of there being a legally and freely constituted referendum on sovereignty in Crimea, under the Ukrainian constitution, the Budapest memorandum of 1994 would not be an impediment to it?
Opposition Day — [Un-allotted day]: Flooding (26 February 2014)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend also welcome the £11.7 million that has been spent on the upper River Mole flood alleviation scheme since 2010, which has protected hundreds of homes that otherwise may have been flooded during recent events?
Opposition Day — [Un-allotted day]: Flooding (26 February 2014)
Henry Smith: rose—
Opposition Day — [Un-allotted day]: Flooding (26 February 2014)
Henry Smith: Will the hon. Lady give way?
Business of the House (13 February 2014)
Henry Smith: Will the Government consider updating the role of the Minister for cities, the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), to make him the Minister for cities and counties, in recognition of the fact that growth deals are just as important in non-metropolitan and county areas as they are in our great cities?
Oral Answers to Questions — Church Commissioners: Flooding: Transport Disruption (13 February 2014)
Henry Smith: I welcome the additional support the Government are giving for extra flights between London Gatwick and Newquay Cornwall airports. I also welcome the fact that, since 2010, £11.7 million has been spent on the Upper River Mole protection scheme, which has certainly helped my constituency over the past couple of months. Last night, there were some concerns that groundwater levels in this...
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (5 February 2014)
Henry Smith: The Prime Minister recently visited Vent-Axia in my constituency, a company that has brought manufacturing jobs back to this country from China. What are the Government doing to encourage more reshoring of jobs to the UK as part of our long-term economic plan?
Business of the House (30 January 2014)
Henry Smith: My constituents Mr and Mrs D’Costa-Manuel have been trying to get disability living allowance for their autistic son. Despite the fact that they have lived in this country for over three decades and their son was born here, they have been unsuccessful in the application, because of a short period of time spent in Australia. Will the Leader of the House ask our right hon. Friend the...
Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Fast-track Border Controls (Airports) (27 January 2014)
Henry Smith: London Gatwick airport in my constituency introduced automatic e-gates for departures for all passengers some time ago. May I seek assurances from my hon. Friend that Gatwick will be included in future fast-track border entry, which will be great for local business and great for that important gateway into the UK?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (15 January 2014)
Henry Smith: Last week I had the honour of opening the new Network Rail regional operating centre at Three Bridges in my constituency. Will my right hon. Friend tell us what investment the Government are putting into the existing rail work to help commuters and travellers as part of the long-term economic plan?
Business of the House (9 January 2014)
Henry Smith: I am proud to be part of a parliamentary party that is seeking to legislate to let Britain decide through an European Union (Referendum) Bill. In the meantime, may we have a debate about greater EU democracy, and in particular the idea that the UK should directly elect its commissioner?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Haass Talks (8 January 2014)
Henry Smith: On the proposals perhaps to establish a common flag for all communities representing Northern Ireland, will my right hon. Friend say a little more about how the commission on emblems will operate, and tell us whether there is any time scale for it to report?
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Flooding (6 January 2014)
Henry Smith: I, too, welcome the comments that my right hon. Friend has made about better passenger information, following the incident in which people were stranded at Gatwick over Christmas and the new year. Will he join me in thanking West Sussex fire and rescue service for rescuing a number of elderly residents in Ifield Green? Will he also join me in recognising that, were it not for the significant...
Oral Answers to Questions — Education: Topical Questions (6 January 2014)
Henry Smith: As was previously mentioned, Discovery new school in my constituency had its funding withdrawn last month. Would my right hon. Friend consider a reapplication for continued funding from a reconstituted trust?
Business of the House (19 December 2013)
Henry Smith: May we have a debate on the oversight and support given to free schools? I very much regret that on Friday last week an Education Minister in the other place announced a withdrawal of funding from the Discovery New school in my constituency, despite the fact that a new management team had just been put in place and there was a new head teacher. May we also have a statement from my right hon....
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Offender Supervision (17 December 2013)
Henry Smith: What professional development support his Department plans to put in place for those supervising offenders in the community.
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Offender Supervision (17 December 2013)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. How much investment are the Government making in the new national probation institute?
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: National Infrastructure Plan (4 December 2013)
Henry Smith: In the week that Gatwick is celebrating its fourth year as a successful independently operated airport, I very much welcome the £50 million investment in upgrading the important connectivity of the rail station, which will help the local economy and help Gatwick as a preferred UK gateway. Does the churlish chuntering of the Opposition just prove that they have nothing to offer the...
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (4 December 2013)
Henry Smith: This weekend is small business Saturday and I will be supporting local firms in my constituency. Companies welcome the reduction in corporation tax and national insurance contributions that this Government introduced, but what more can be done to reduce business rates?
Oral Answers to Questions — Health: NHS Walk-in Centres (26 November 2013)
Henry Smith: In 2005, under the Labour Government, Crawley hospital had its accident and emergency department closed. Now we have an urgent treatment centre that has increased its operating hours and the services that it provides. What advice can the Department give to clinical commissioners about how we can expand urgent treatment centres?
Backbench Business — Finances of the House of Commons: Stalking (21 November 2013)
Henry Smith: Almost a year ago, at the same time as the law bearing down on stalking was enacted, police and crime commissioners were introduced. Members of Parliament can get in touch with those elected officials to ensure that the offence of stalking is properly pursued in our police force areas.
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Topical Questions (12 November 2013)
Henry Smith: If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Topical Questions (12 November 2013)
Henry Smith: I welcome the celebration of the great Magna Carta. In 2008, my constituent Carrie-Ann Wheatley was brutally attacked by three men who should not have been in this country. Her family are concerned that article 8 of the European convention on human rights might be used to stop their deportation on their release from prison. I seek reassurance that the Government will properly reform article 8.
Business of the House (7 November 2013)
Henry Smith: My late and courageous constituent, Private John Brackpool of the Welsh Guards, was killed while on active duty in Afghanistan in July 2009. I understand that the Australian military offers visits to the place where loved ones fell in Afghanistan, and I would be grateful for a statement from the Defence Secretary on whether the Ministry of Defence could offer a similar scheme for British families.
Oral Answers to Questions — Transport: Topical Questions (7 November 2013)
Henry Smith: I am extremely grateful to have got here, having been stuck outside Clapham Junction station. May I seek assurances from the Department that it will work closely with major transport infrastructure such as Gatwick airport and those who operate the M23 and the London to Brighton rail line to ensure that there is winter preparedness?
Business of the House (31 October 2013)
Henry Smith: A recent report by the TaxPayers Alliance showed that one fifth of house purchases in my constituency last year were subject to stamp duty of more than £7,500, and that is projected to rise to more than 41% of purchases in the next five years. May we have a debate on the reform of stamp duty?
Table: Eurojust and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (29 October 2013)
Henry Smith: With respect, the hon. Lady has still not answered the question that my hon. Friend the Member for Rochester and Strood (Mark Reckless) asked: does she advocate opting in now, and therefore being locked in?
Opposition Day — [8th Allotted Day] — Northern Ireland: Air Passenger Duty (23 October 2013)
Henry Smith: I also welcome that statement by the Prime Minister. However, air passenger duty should not be confused with green taxes. It is a tax that costs the economy more than it brings into the Exchequer, so it is important that we concentrate on that as well.
Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (23 October 2013)
Henry Smith: Businesses in Crawley are creating hundreds of jobs, and as a result unemployment fell to 2.7% last month. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the way to raise living standards is to increase and continue the policies of economic growth rather than the Labour party’s discredited policies of debt?
Descendants of Deceased Adopted People (Access to Information): Immigration Bill (22 October 2013)
Henry Smith: I wholeheartedly support the whole Bill, but I wish particularly to address my remarks to chapter 2 of part 3, which deals with the impact on the national health service of the cost of treating foreign nationals. Last year, I had the privilege of introducing a private Member’s Bill, the NHS Audit Requirements (Foreign Nationals) Bill. I am delighted that most of the measures that were...
Descendants of Deceased Adopted People (Access to Information): Immigration Bill (22 October 2013)
Henry Smith: They are from an independent assessment commissioned by the Department of Health. As I mentioned, I have tried to get information through FOI requests, and the figures from those trusts that hold statistics are quite staggering, but more than three quarters were unable to provide any figures at all, which suggests that the scale of the problem is probably larger than the Department recognises.
Descendants of Deceased Adopted People (Access to Information): Immigration Bill (22 October 2013)
Henry Smith: I need to make progress and other right hon. and hon. Members are yet to speak, so I will not give way. It is estimated that if we could recover just three quarters of the money spent treating foreign nationals on the NHS, through insurance or reciprocal arrangements such as the European insurance health card scheme, that would be the equivalent of being able to employ an additional 4,000...
Descendants of Deceased Adopted People (Access to Information): Immigration Bill (22 October 2013)
Henry Smith: Having listened to the debate so far, I think that hon. and right hon. Members and the public at large will be astounded that these sorts of basic restrictions on illegal immigrants have not been the law of the land for so long. It is about time that we passed this Bill.
Business of the House (17 October 2013)
Henry Smith: May we have a debate on local authorities’ winter highways maintenance preparedness?
Opposition Day — [7th Allotted Day] — Zero-hours Contracts: High Streets (16 October 2013)
Henry Smith: Will the hon. Lady join me in congratulating Crawley borough council and West Sussex county council, which are, as we speak, significantly regenerating Crawley high street?
Work and Pensions: Topical Questions (14 Oct 2013)
Henry Smith: Will the Secretary of State update the House on the innovation fund and how it is helping separated families?
Justice: Legal Aid (8 Oct 2013)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend say what reforms, in addition to the reforms to the legal aid system, are proposed for greater transparency in the family court system for the sake of the children involved?
Prime Minister: Engagements (11 Sep 2013)
Henry Smith: In May 2010, youth unemployment in Crawley stood at 7.4%; it stands now at 3.8%. On 27 September, I am holding a jobs fair in Crawley. Does the Prime Minister think that such events could be put on by all right hon. and hon. Members to help us further to turn the corner?
Treasury: Accident and Emergency Departments (10 Sep 2013)
Henry Smith: The A and E unit that my constituents have to access is at East Surrey hospital, and I welcome last year's investment of £4 million to refurbish it, but does my right hon. Friend agree that Labour's closure of Crawley A and E in 2005 certainly did not help with the pressure on local A and E departments?
Education: Ofsted Inspections: Free Schools (9 Sep 2013)
Henry Smith: What assessment he has made of the outcome of Ofsted inspections of the first free schools.
Education: Ofsted Inspections: Free Schools (9 Sep 2013)
Henry Smith: What advice has my right hon. Friend given to Ofsted on the assessment of free schools, such as the Discovery New School in my constituency, given that they do not always meet the rigid national criteria of other schools?
Cabinet Office: Topical Questions (4 Sep 2013)
Henry Smith: I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the £10 billion- worth of efficiency savings that his Department has made on behalf of the taxpayer in the past year. What ambition does he have for the coming year?
Health: Health Tourism (16 Jul 2013)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to tackle health tourism and ensure a fair system of contribution to the costs of the NHS.
Health: Health Tourism (16 Jul 2013)
Henry Smith: I very much welcome the statement by my right hon. Friend and support the new visa fee proposal for non-EU foreign nationals who come here and receive NHS treatment. May we also have an assurance that the treatment of EU nationals will be properly audited in the NHS, so that those costs can be recovered through the European health insurance card scheme?
Justice: Afghanistan and EU Council (2 Jul 2013)
Henry Smith: At last week's EU Council meeting, the greater mobility of young people was discussed as a way of tackling youth unemployment across the EU. Can I have assurances from my right hon. Friend that that will not lead to greater benefit tourism in this country?
Communities and Local Government: EU Council and Woolwich (3 Jun 2013)
Henry Smith: Tomorrow, Defence Secretaries from across NATO member countries meet in Brussels. Whether it be Syria or any other international security issue, may I seek reassurances from my right hon. Friend that NATO remains the cornerstone of our international defence, not the European Union?
Work and Pensions: Syria (20 May 2013)
Henry Smith: Given our upcoming presidency of the UN Security Council, what discussions have been had about the option of a no-fly zone over Syria?
Culture, Media and Sport: First World War Centenary (18 Apr 2013)
Henry Smith: What plans she has to ensure a suitable commemoration of the centenary of the first world war.
Culture, Media and Sport: First World War Centenary (18 Apr 2013)
Henry Smith: What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with broadcasters, particularly BBC local radio, to mark this important centenary? No community in our country was left untouched by the impact of the first world war.
Business of the House (18 Apr 2013)
Henry Smith: May we have a statement from the Home Office on the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, in the light of revelations from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection about serious cruelty during experimentation at Imperial College London?
Defence: Topical Questions (15 Apr 2013)
Henry Smith: I very much welcome the increase in UK defence exports, which employ hundreds of thousands of people around the country, many of whom in my constituency. Will my hon. Friend update the House on progress on exports of the Typhoon fighter?
Home Department: Illegal Traveller Sites (25 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: What support her Department is providing to police and crime commissioners and local authorities to tackle illegal Traveller sites.
Home Department: Illegal Traveller Sites (25 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: I join the Minister in paying tribute to the Sussex police and crime commissioner, Katy Bourne, for getting to grips with the illegal Traveller problem in just four short months. Does my right hon.Friend think that the Human Rights Act is a problem for law-abiding residents in dealing with this issue?
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Fish Discards (7 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: What progress he has made on securing a ban on fish discards.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Fish Discards (7 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: I congratulate my hon. Friend on the tenacity of his negotiating skills in Brussels, because some of the options that were being proposed would have been disastrous for British fishermen. May I seek assurances that in the further negotiations he will champion British fishermen and the welfare of British waters?
Business of the House: UK's Development Work (Girls and Women) (7 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: Raising my daughter over the last 10 years has been one of the most important roles I will ever carry out. I seek assurances from my right hon. Friend that when it comes to DFID projects, fathers and responsible male role models are, wherever possible, made part of the upbringing of disadvantaged girls?
Education: Syria: anti-Government Forces (4 Mar 2013)
Henry Smith: May I ask what efforts are being made to bring the Syrian crisis to a conclusion through the G8, especially given that one of its members is the Russian Federation.
Transport: Topical Questions (28 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: Next month EasyJet will start to provide regular scheduled services between London Gatwick and Moscow. Obviously that is welcome in that it will forge greater trade links, but the visa requirements are extremely bureaucratic and stringent, both for Russian business men visiting this country and for British business men visiting Russia. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that he will speak to...
Business of the House (28 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the Government on their recent decision to stop backing World Bank and IMF loans to Argentina, because Buenos Aires has an appalling record of defaulting on international loans.
Unbelievably, the country is still a member of the G20 despite its appalling economic record and how it behaves internationally. Can we have a debate on how G20 membership is decided?
Health: Mortality Indicators (26 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: On Question 13, sir.
Health: Premature Mortality (26 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: What steps he has taken to support research on the most common causes of premature mortality.
Health: Premature Mortality (26 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: Can the Minister say a little more about what is being done to prevent early mortality as a result of heart disease?
Business of the House (7 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: I welcome the fact that the Government have increased the income tax threshold, lowered corporation tax, worked with local authorities to freeze council tax for the third year and scrapped Labour's fuel duty escalator. A report earlier this week said that if we were to abandon air passenger duty we could increase economic activity by £18 billion a year and increase GDP by 0.46%....
Prime Minister: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (Inquiry) (6 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: With increasing local clinician influence and with the increasing influence of local councillors and local patients over the commissioning of health services, what is my right hon. Friend's assessment of how we can increase that culture of care in our local NHS settings?
Treasury: Cost of Living (29 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to help people with the cost of living.
Treasury: Cost of Living (29 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer and warmly welcome the fact that more than 1,700 people in my constituency have been taken out of paying income tax altogether by the raising of the threshold, and that more than 42,000 people in my constituency have had their income tax reduced as a result. May I urge him to be bold and go further?
Work and Pensions: High Speed Rail (28 January 2013)
Henry Smith: I commend my right hon. Friend for his statement. He is right about how important connectivity with the London hub airport will be when the issue of the hub is determined. Will cognisance also be taken, however, of the importance of linkage with major international gateways to the south of London, such as Gatwick airport and the Gatwick Express?
Business of the House (24 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: Can we have a debate on the long-standing problem of interference on licensed radio stations, particularly in London and south-east England, from illegitimate broadcasters?
Prime Minister: A-level Reform (23 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: I commend my hon. Friend’s proposals. They will benefit dyslexic A-level students, who are usually highly intelligent. However, will she assure me that the special arrangements governing, in particular, extra time in terminal examinations will remain?
Education: Special Educational Needs (21 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to ensure that children with special educational needs receive a co-ordinated service across agencies.
Education: Special Educational Needs (21 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. What is his Department doing to help provide joined-up and co-ordinated services specifically for children with special educational needs who are in care or being fostered?
Business of the House: Nuclear Deterrent (17 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: I greatly regret that, owing to a prime ministerial meeting with GPs from my constituency, I shall be unable to take part substantively in the debate. Does my hon. Friend agree that our independent nuclear deterrent has helped to keep the peace in Europe for the past six decades, and that, because we effectively bankrupted the Soviet Union, it has led to the freeing of millions of people in...
Prime Minister: Transforming Rehabilitation (9 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: In my constituency, Royal British Legion Industries is doing a great job in getting people back into employment through the Work programme. Does the Secretary of State envisage organisations such as RBLI helping, in particular, ex-service personnel who are former offenders to be rehabilitated?
Mcat: Topical Questions (7 Jan 2013)
Henry Smith: Will the Minister join me in congratulating Sussex police on the work that they have been doing in tackling laser pen attacks on aircraft operating from Gatwick airport, which have the potential to endanger hundreds of lives in the air and on the ground? What additional work is the Home Office doing to address the problem nationwide, and, possibly, to reclassify laser pens?
Justice: Whole-life Tariffs (18 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: If he will make it his policy that courts will continue to have the power to impose whole-life tariffs for the most serious offences.
Justice: Whole-life Tariffs (18 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: What other measures has my hon. Friend taken to ensure that appropriately long sentences can be given by the courts, particularly for violent and serious sexual offences?
Communities and Local Government: European Council (17 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: A few weeks ago I held a conference with my local small and medium-sized enterprises, along with UK Trade & Investment, focusing on increasing exports. Will my right hon. Friend say a little more on how he has been able to protect small and medium-sized enterprises from unnecessary and burdensome European regulation?
Business of the House (13 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: I very much welcome some of the measures that the Government have taken to tackle antisocial behaviour, but may we have a debate on chronic antisocial behaviour by neighbours? The Leigh, Sanger and Ferreira families in Black Dog walk in my constituency have been the victims of the Clarke family for over a quarter of a century. A debate on how we might further address such unacceptable...
Business of the House (6 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: “Argentina has consistently reneged on repaying World Bank loans worth around £10 billion. The United States Government have decided not to allow any more World Bank loans to be granted. France, Germany and even countries such as Spain have followed. May we have a statement from the Secretary of State for International Development on when the United Kingdom will refuse to grant further...”
Points of Order (3 December 2012)
Henry Smith: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On 2 August, I wrote to the Home Office on behalf of my constituent Vanessa Watson with regard to a dangerous dogs issue, yet despite chasing that Department on many occasions, I have yet to receive a substantive response. May I seek the advice of the Chair as to what I should do next?
Education: Vocational Education (3 Dec 2012)
Henry Smith: “I am delighted that on 14 December I will officially open the new university presence in Crawley. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Central Sussex college on introducing STEM vocational courses, working with some of the first-class companies in my constituency, as well as extending apprenticeships?”
Prime Minister: Engagements (28 November 2012)
Henry Smith: The whole House will of course endorse the words of the Prime Minister in paying tribute to our fantastic emergency services in responding to the terrible floods, and those who have been victims of them. Tomorrow sees the publication of the Leveson report. Does my right hon. Friend agree that those who should be uppermost in our minds are the victims, unfairly, of previous media intrusion?...
Health: Clause 6 — Extent, commencement and short title (27 November 2012)
Henry Smith: My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that Croatia should have had to face a very high test to join the European Union. Does he regret that when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU, they were not subject to the same rigour?
Culture Department: Tourism and Airports (22 November 2012)
Henry Smith: In welcoming the Government’s tourism strategy, may I ask my right hon. Friend to say a little more about how communities who are close to major gateways such as Gatwick airport can benefit from tourism so that people can enjoy, in my local case, the fantastic entertainment and retail facilities in Crawley and the beautiful countryside of west Sussex?
Home Department: UK Aid (Uganda and Rwanda) (19 November 2012)
Henry Smith: Will the Secretary of State say a little more about the context of when this country ceased giving aid to the Ugandan Prime Minister’s office in relation to some of the other donor nations that were providing aid?
Justice: NHS Commissioning Board (Mandate) (13 November 2012)
Henry Smith: For too many years in my Crawley constituency health decisions were made by people who were nowhere near that location. I am delighted that under this Government decisions are being returned to local clinicians and local people. We have seen results already—the local CCG has started a dementia pilot with money from the Department of Health. Will my right hon. Friend join me in...
Education: University Technical Colleges (29 October 2012)
Henry Smith: What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of university technical colleges in delivering high-quality technical education.
Education: University Technical Colleges (29 October 2012)
Henry Smith: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. In the last year of the Labour Government, only 17% of young people in my constituency went on to higher education. This December, I am pleased to be officially opening a new university presence in Crawley, which links local employers with local young people through technical education. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Central Sussex college...
Prime Minister: Engagements (24 October 2012)
Henry Smith: Under the previous Labour Government the national health service lost hundreds of millions of pounds because the cost of treating foreign patients was not properly recovered. Can I get an assurance from my right hon. Friend that both the Department of Health and the Home Office will now work together to resolve this issue?
Defence: European Council (22 October 2012)
Henry Smith: I very much congratulate my right hon. Friend on his work on expanding trade with non-EU countries, but does he share my concern about the EU’s procrastination on completing free trade agreements with countries such as Canada and Singapore?
Home Department: European Justice and Home Affairs Powers (15 October 2012)
Henry Smith: I welcome the Government’s intention to come out en bloc of the European justice and home affairs provisions. However, given that the Government might be minded to opt back in to certain provisions, as my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker) says, we should have not only parliamentary scrutiny, but Divisions. Will she confirm that that option will be part of the mix?
Home Department: Antisocial Behaviour (15 October 2012)
Henry Smith: What steps she is taking to empower local communities to tackle alcohol-related antisocial behaviour.
Home Department: Antisocial Behaviour (15 October 2012)
Henry Smith: Will the Minister join me in congratulating the Crawley and Gatwick Business Watch? It is pursuing a scheme of labelling so that it can identify where and from which stores alcohol is sold and whether there is alcohol abuse. It also has a system whereby high-strength alcohols are kept under the counter and have to be requested. Will the Minister meet the group?
Communities and Local Government: Exam Reform (17 September 2012)
Henry Smith: I seek reassurances from my right hon. Friend that students who have been diagnosed with dyslexia will be afforded the additional time and appropriate assistance needed during a more rigorous exam process.
Education: Youth Services (3 September 2012)
Henry Smith: Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the Ifield youth services on providing a broader range of services to younger people through voluntary sector involvement? Does he agree that voluntary sector and faith involvement in providing youth services is extremely important for local communities?
Defence: Rail Investment (16 July 2012)
Henry Smith: Does my right hon. Friend agree that the reported contention of the Opposition that this significant rail investment will not create jobs is completely absurd?
Communities and Local Government: EU Council (2 July 2012)
Henry Smith: At last week’s meeting, the European Council president said it could take up to a decade to implement EU treaty change. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is therefore more important that the Government passed a referendum lock in legislation?
Communities and Local Government: Armed Forces (Housing) (2 July 2012)
Henry Smith: What recent steps he has taken to support former members of the armed forces in respect of housing.
Communities and Local Government: Armed Forces (Housing) (2 July 2012)
Henry Smith: I am pleased to hear that that guidance is coming forward because my local housing authority has up till now seemed to be confused about where it stands in relation to the military covenant and its obligations under it.
Work and Pensions: Flooding (25 June 2012)
Henry Smith: The flooding in west Sussex has been of great concern, but will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the Government’s significant investment in the upper river Mole flood alleviation scheme, which is now starting to protect homes and businesses in Crawley constituency?
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: European Convention on Human Rights (19 June 2012)
Henry Smith: That being the case, why has our system apparently been so unbalanced over the past decade?
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Civil Service Reform (19 June 2012)
Henry Smith: My right hon. Friend touched on the importance of importing the very best of transformational change from the enterprise sector. Will he say a little more about that?
Education: Nuclear-powered Submarines (18 June 2012)
Henry Smith: I welcome the Government’s announcement. Our independent nuclear defence has not only protected democracy in this country and around the world but expanded it. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is essential in an even less certain world that we continue our independent nuclear deterrent?
Education: Special Educational Needs (18 June 2012)
Henry Smith: What steps he is taking to improve provision for children and young people with special educational needs.
Education: Special Educational Needs (18 June 2012)
Henry Smith: Can the Minister update the House on the specific support her Department is giving to schools to diagnose dyslexia in children as early as possible?
Business, Innovation and Skills: Business Growth (24 May 2012)
Henry Smith: What support his Department is giving to small and medium-sized businesses to enable them to grow.
Business, Innovation and Skills: Business Growth (24 May 2012)
Henry Smith: Will my right hon. Friend update the House on the progress the Government have made in reducing the burden of EU regulation on small and medium-sized enterprises.
