Animal Experiments — [Jim Sheridan in the Chair] (5 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: Thank you very much indeed, Mr Sheridan, for calling me to speak. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. There are four main issues that I will raise in this debate on animal experimentation and Government policy: first, reducing the number of animals used in experiments; secondly, the testing of household products on animals; thirdly, section 24 of the Animals (Scientific...
Animal Experiments — [Jim Sheridan in the Chair] (5 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: The hon. Lady anticipates something I was going to come on to. It would be particularly pertinent to ensure that that was the case when someone had to step in to undertake a procedure, perhaps because the individual who usually did it was off sick, or for another reason. I am concerned that the watering down of the licensing regime could lead to staff being asked to undertake procedures in...
Animal Experiments — [Jim Sheridan in the Chair] (5 Feb 2013)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend makes an important point. Just as the new licensing system should ensure that people carrying out procedures are properly qualified, people who have an objection to certain types of procedure should have such protection afforded to them. I am grateful for that helpful intervention. The project licence has already been rewritten several times over previous years, with animal...
Rail-Air Connectivity (South-East) (26 Jun 2012)
Henry Smith: Once again, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Williams. I am grateful to have the opportunity to raise the issue of improving rail-air connectivity for London and the south-east. As a successful trading nation, we rely on aviation, and our commerce relies on connectivity. In the brief time that I have, I want to concentrate on the importance of air-rail connectivity for...
Rail-Air Connectivity (South-East) (26 Jun 2012)
Henry Smith: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. I apologise if my contribution seems a little parochial in its concentration on Gatwick, but the points relating to Gatwick are replicated for other airports, not just in London and the south-east, but around the country. Over the past few years, Gatwick has lost direct links to Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Watford and Kent and,...
Rail-Air Connectivity (South-East) (26 Jun 2012)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend raises an erudite point. It is incredible that purpose-built rolling stock for the Gatwick express is now elsewhere on the network and that, as he rightly points out, unsuitable carriages are used. The matter is even worse because the Gatwick Express starts many of its journeys in Brighton, and by the time those carriages have reached Gatwick station, particularly at peak...
Hospitals (Sussex) (20 Jun 2012)
Henry Smith: I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. The story elsewhere in Sussex has been similar. A decade ago, we lost maternity services from Crawley hospital, which was a very retrograde step. Mothers now have to travel long distances and a difficult journey to East Surrey hospital for maternity services. The proximity argument is important.
Aviation Industry — [Mr Roger Gale in the Chair] (15 Nov 2011)
Henry Smith: I was delighted to welcome the Minister to Gatwick airport last month for the opening of new security gates. Will she congratulate Gatwick airport on the more than £1 billion of investment that it is making in enhancing capacity? Indeed, Sir John Major will open the renewed north terminal on Thursday.
Aviation Industry — [Mr Roger Gale in the Chair] (15 Nov 2011)
Henry Smith: Will the hon. Lady give way?
European Union Fiscal Union — [Annette Brooke in the Chair] (14 Sep 2011)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend is making a persuasive argument. On the point of European nations not being members of the EU but being very successful, the article that he mentions refers to Switzerland, but there have recently also been articles about how the Norwegian krone is attracting a lot of investment. That is another example of a successful European nation outside the EU, which reinforces the point...
European Union Fiscal Union — [Annette Brooke in the Chair] (14 Sep 2011)
Henry Smith: Would our position as a country not be further strengthened in the negotiations if other EU members knew that any decision would be subject to a referendum in this country? The worst time to make irreversible treaty changes is during a crisis.
[Mr James Gray in the Chair] — Local High Streets (21 Dec 2010)
Henry Smith: In my local authority, several years ago Crawley borough council and West Sussex county council worked closely together to regenerate the high street. There is another thoroughfare-The Boulevard-in my local authority area, which the local councils are now looking to redevelop. With the local growth White Paper, and the localisation of planning policies that the coalition Government are...
Consumer Credit Regulation (9 Nov 2010)
Henry Smith: The point was made a few moments ago that it is important that middle-income people also join credit unions. I am pleased to have joined my local credit union, as I am sure everyone in the room has joined their local credit union, as a place for savings. The point about a high-street presence is extremely important. My local credit union in Crawley operates out of a community centre, which as...
Ahmadiyya Community — [Annette Brooke in the Chair] (20 Oct 2010)
Henry Smith: In my constituency, the attacks in Lahore in May sent a shockwave through the local Ahmadi community. However, I was very impressed that, despite that sense of shock, several months later the community displayed its altruistic and inclusive nature when it invited representatives of many different faiths in my constituency-Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim-to come together for a celebration at...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: Thank you, Mr Walker, for the opportunity to raise the matter of better consumer protection for those using private car parks. Having just walked through Westminster Hall, I am deeply aware that we are close to a place of great significance in our nation's history, and that the subject of the debate might sound somewhat mundane, but it has been the single greatest issue of concern expressed...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. The strange practice of making the demand for payment look like an official ticket and the threatening nature of the letters mean that many elderly constituents become concerned and are essentially intimidated into paying the fines. Other people are worried that their credit rating will be damaged if they do not pay the fine, as that is often used as a...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris) makes a good point. I have found that there is zero compassion from the car park company in my constituency. In local authority car parks, justifiable reasons, such as a ticket falling off a windscreen, are at least usually heard fairly in an appeal, but no discretion is allowed by the private car park firms that I have been...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I fully support the Government's proposal to ban wheel-clamping on private land in England and Wales. That has been successful in Scotland since 1992; the ban has not created any problems there. He is right, however, to highlight the fact that such a change could shift some private parking operators from their usual suspect practices to simply using the...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. I spoke earlier about my political instincts, which may not be shared by everyone across the Floor. My instincts are that if an industry can self-regulate, it is probably preferable that it does so. He is right to mention the industry body called the British Parking Association, but from the research that I have done, it seems that it has failed to...
Private Car Parks (14 Sep 2010)
Henry Smith: My hon. Friend raises a good point. My instinct is not to increase regulation-I am a fan of increased local accountability and control. I am not claiming today to know the answer. One of the reasons why I asked for this discussion was to have an opportunity to explore how best to address the situation. Personally, having researched the issue, I think that a local licensing function need not...
