Speeches by Lamont.

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for magnificently introducing this petition on behalf of the Petitions Committee. I also thank the more than 4,000 local residents in the Scottish Borders who have signed the petition. This issue cuts to the very heart of the relationship between …”

“Will the Minister give way, please?”

“On a point of order, Ms Furniss. Could you clarify how long the Minister has left to speak? By my understanding, he has until 7.29 pm so as to give the proposer of the motion a minute to respond.”

“That is helpful. One last question from me. If the opinion polls are to be believed there are going to be some radical changes after the next election, with perhaps a whole new way of doing government. Do you think our system of standards in public life are sufficiently robust to deal with new ways of doing government …”

“The EIC now has a more formal role in terms of co-ordinating the various standards bodies that exist. Do you welcome that more formal role of co-ordinating that the EIC has?”

“The Government have been very clear about their wider commitment to restore confidence in government and ensure Ministers are held to the highest standards beyond the establishment of the EIC. What other reforms do you think might be necessary to achieve that goal?”

“If you fast-forward five or 10 years how would you define success or failure of EIC?”

“In terms of the office and the role that you hold now, how do you anticipate the relationship with the EIC evolving over time?”

“Are there any other bodies that deal with standards that should be part of this network that are not currently?”

“Good morning, Sir William. My question is about the Government’s replacement of the Committee on Standards in Public Life with the EIC, the Ethics and Integrity Commission. What is your view on this change?”

“Andy Haldane, former Bank of England chief economist, has said that the Government’s “repeated mistakes” and misinformation about the public finances have sucked all the energy from the economy. Chief Secretary, the former chief economist is correct, isn’t he?”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Budget creates no incentives for people to invest and take the risk of setting up and growing a business. It sends out all the wrong messages about what we want in a country that has traditionally been full of entrepreneurs. Because of the doom loop that the Chancellor has create…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The intention may have been to force overseas investors, trust funds and others out of the farming sector, and to attack big landowners, but the tax is doing the complete opposite: it is destroying the family farm sector, forcing tenant farmers out, and seriously impacting on our foo…”

“This Labour Government came to power with so many promises. The Chancellor promised to kick-start economic growth, and not to increase the taxes of working people. Now that Labour is in government, I am afraid that it is doing the exact opposite. If it can be taxed, the Chancellor will tax it—an electric car, a holiday…”

“My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech about the flaws in this Labour Government’s Budget. Does he share my concerns about the many farmers who were outside Parliament today to express how strongly they are opposed to the impact of inheritance tax changes on their business? It is very telling. I know he was there a…”

“The hon. Lady is speaking about the measures that she supports in the Budget. I wonder about her views on the council tax surcharge. I had a quick look at the websites of estate agents in her constituency, and I can see that dozens—if not hundreds—of properties will be affected by the council tax surcharge. Does she su…”

“My experience of hustings has been that most people who go to them have made up their mind already and are there to support one candidate or shout down the other. I had seven or eight hustings in my very big constituency the last time, and I saw just about the same people at them all. Do you think undecided people turn…”

“My hon. Friend makes an excellent pint. It is the fear—the prospect of being dragged through that process—that is causing so much anxiety. I suspect that is why so many veterans are so strongly opposed to this Bill. We should also be clear about the difference between the actions of soldiers and those of terrorists. Wh…”

“We rely on British soldiers to keep our country safe—they put their lives on the line to defend our country, putting themselves in harm’s way to do so. However, a shadow hangs over our armed forces today, which is this Bill. As a member of the Petitions Committee, back in July I had the privilege of opening the debate …”

“Last week, brave grooming-gang survivor Fiona Goddard spoke of how she was trafficked to Scotland as a vulnerable teenager. As she rightly said, the idea that this issue stops at the border is “insane”. Despite clear evidence from victims about grooming gangs operating in Scotland, the SNP Government in Edinburgh still…”