Speeches by Lamont.

“I am told that the predecessor Committee, back in 2006, took the view that there was no later workable “trigger point” for the sub judice resolution biting on coroners courts and inquests, despite their often lengthy nature and long periods of inactivity. Have there been any substantive changes in how those legal proce…”

“So you are content to have different bite points between the different types of cases?”

“First-tier tribunals are not covered by the resolution. Can you explain why that is, and whether you think it is clear what types of courts and cases are and are not covered?”

“Tom, I was reflecting on one of your earlier comments while I was voting. You said the Table Office monitors who has been charged. How much resource does that take, and how do you actually do that practically?”

“Thinking about the difference between criminal cases and civil cases, the latter usually run for significantly longer periods of time than the former. Do you think it is appropriate to have the sub judice rule applicable for that entire period, or is there a more appropriate point of applicability?”

“Anyone who has met businesses in Aberdeen will know that they rely on the oil and gas sector. This Labour Government’s “net zero at all costs” policy is a disaster for high-quality skills and jobs in the north-east and across Scotland. What urgent action will the Government take to restore confidence and stability in t…”

“Many of my constituents in Berwickshire would prefer to use NHS services in Northumberland, which are much closer to them—indeed, Northumbria healthcare NHS foundation trust has said it would welcome those patients—but the SNP Government do everything to stop them, meaning that elderly and sick patients have to travel …”

“Just to be clear, my understanding is that there is a contest happening, certainly with the SNP, but they do it behind closed doors among their MPs, as opposed to all MPs getting to choose.”

“My understanding of what happened with the SNP in the last Parliament, certainly with a couple of candidates who would have gone forward to a full election of the House, is that there was sufficient pressure and the internal contest happened to ensure that only one candidate was put forward for ratification, which is o…”

“It is not in the spirit of the rules, and that is basically what they are doing.”

“To follow up on the point you made about the SNP and the Lib Dems, is that not them just circumventing the rules of the House? My understanding is that they have their own internal contest and pick the person they want. They are not getting the judgment of the rest of the Members of Parliament as to who we want as Chai…”

“I was not making the point about the weakest link. I was making the point that Committee Chair becomes one of the appointments that the Whips control and that can be offered to colleagues as—”

“May I expand on a point that Gavin made? As you may know, I was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for 10 years, and in the Scottish Parliament, Committee Chairs are appointed by the party Whips. As Chief Whip for the Scottish Conservatives, one of my jobs was to appoint Committee Chairs. You are probably aware of the…”

“Whoever feels best able to answer.”

“Do you think the voting system that you described so well, Professor Russell, is clear to the general public and to MPs participating in the election?”

“I think the recollection that the hon. Lady and I will have of our time in the Scottish Parliament was of voting physically, albeit electronically, together in the Scottish Parliament Chamber. The difference now, of course, is that some Members of the Scottish Parliament are voting in the Chamber, while others are voti…”

“The hon. Member is making a very good speech. As a fellow Member of the Scottish Parliament for 10 years, I concur completely with his comments regarding the Committee structure. There are many faults about the other place, but it is significantly better at scrutinising Government, holding Government to account and imp…”

“The hon. Member makes a key point, which I will come to later, that often these projects generate many jobs while the developments are being constructed, but the jobs disappear as soon as they are finished. That is unlike nuclear power, which the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) menti…”

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

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