SPEECHES : 2007 This page contains
excerpts from many of the speeches made by Peter.
Nearly all are speeches made in the House of
Commons, Westminster.
The paragraph listed contains the introductory
text to the speech. For the full text, plus
the context in which the speech was made, simply
follow the link at the end of the paragraph.
Oral
Answers to Questions - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Renewable Electricity Generation Peter Soulsby: I suspect that the Secretary
of State may share the disappointment felt by hon. Members
on both sides of the House that the Government felt
it necessary yesterday to vote against new clause 4
of the Energy Bill, which would have paved the way for
the introduction of renewable energy tariffs. Read
more... There
is one other speech in the same debate:
Written
Answers - Health: NHS: Fees and Charges Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Health (1) what the estimated value is
of HC2 and HC3 certificates issued between 2000-01 and
2006-07 to (a) students and (b) people aged under 25
years; (2) how many people who applied for health cost
exemptions with an HC1 form who received neither an
HC2 or HC3 certificate between 2000-01 and 2006-07 were
(a) students and (b) people aged under 25 years. Read
more... There
is one other speech in the same debate:
Written
Answers - Innovation, Universities and Skills: Astronomy:
Finance Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if
he will place in the Library the documents his Department
holds relating to the withdrawal of funding for all
ground-based solar terrestrial physics facilities in
the UK; and on what date the withdrawal of this funding
was announced publicly. Read
more...
April 1 2008
Orders
of the Day: Counter-Terrorism Bill Peter Soulsby: My hon. Friend has referred
to the overwhelming evidence given to the Home Affairs
Committee and others. As a member of that Committee,
can he confirm that its fundamental conclusion was that
no case had been made that 28 days was inadequate, and
that the subsequent discussion about special circumstances
is little more than an attempt to provide a fig leaf...
Read
more...
April 1 2008
Oral
Answers to Questions - Communities & Local Government:
Eco-towns Peter Soulsby: Will the Minister give
an assurance that in the next phase to which she has
just referred there will be an adequate opportunity
for neighbouring local authorities to express their
very real concerns about the potential effect of eco-towns
on transport and regeneration? Read
more...
March 19 2008
Deferred
Division: Post Office Closures Peter Soulsby: It may be that the Conservative
motion is opportunistic and cynical, but I happen to
agree with every word of it. In my constituency, the
consultation on the closure of two post offices in Walnut
street and Francis street-I do not have time to go into
details of the devastation that would be caused by those
closures-was a sham. Postwatch was dreadful, and the
Post Office itself...Read
more...
March 11 2008
Westminster
Hall debates - East Midlands Trains Peter Soulsby: I congratulate the right
hon. Gentleman on securing a debate that is important
to those of us who live along the main line. In his
concluding remarks, would he welcome the moves that
EMT is making to bring about joint control of the track
with Network Rail? Read
more... There
is one other speech in the same debate:
Westminster
Hall debates - Governance of Britain Peter Soulsby: I congratulate my hon.
Friend on securing this important and timely debate
on issues that he feels powerfully about and on which
he is speaking again today persuasively, as he has spoken
and written in the past. Read
more...
March 3 2008
Written
Answers - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
Post Offices: Closures Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
what discussions have taken place between his Department
and Post Office Ltd. and (a) the Equality and Human
Rights Commission and (b) disability rights organisations
on the impact of local post office closures on people
with disabilities.Read
more...
February 28 2008
Written
Answers - Health: NHS Foundation Trusts Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Health which organisations have been (a)
commissioned and (b) contracted to manage NHS foundation
trust ballots. Read
more...
February 28 2008
Oral
Answers to Questions - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform: Postal Services Peter Soulsby: Will the Secretary of
State acknowledge that Postwatch is seen as totally
ineffective in representing the needs of residential
and commercial customers of the Post Office, as it was
in my constituency in the closure of Francis street
and Walnut street post offices? Read
more...
February 27 2008
Written
Answers - Communities and Local Government: Housing:Leicester Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Communities and Local Government what her
target is for the number of new (a) houses and (b) family-sized
houses to be built in Leicester in the next 25 years.
Read more...
February 18 2008
Written
Answers - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
Post Offices: Closures Peter Soulsby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of
the quality of the Post Office's consultation process
for proposed branch closures. Read
more...
Oral
Answers to Questions - Prime Minister: Earned Citizenship Peter Soulsby: I very much welcome
the recognition again today by the Home Secretary of
the enormous benefit that Britain as a whole and constituencies
such as mine have gained from those who have chosen
in recent decades to make their home in this country...
Read
more...
February 7 2008
Written
Answers - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
Postwatch: Finance Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
how much Postwatch received from public funds in
(a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. Read
more...
February 7 2008
Written
Answers - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
Post Offices Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
on how many occasions in the last six months Postwatch
met Post Office Ltd to discuss proposed post office
closures in Leicester; and who attended these meetings.
Read
more...
February 7 2008
Written
Answers - Home Department: Human Trafficking Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for the Home Department how many people have
been (a) arrested and (b) convicted for offences relating
to human trafficking in (i) Leicester and (ii) the East
Midlands in the last four years. Read
more...
February 7 2008
Business
of the House Peter Soulsby: In response to an earlier
question the Leader of the House referred to the Select
Committee inquiry into the post office closure programme.
Given the concern about that programme in all parts
of the House... Read
more...
February 7 2008
Oral
Answers to Questions - Electoral Commission Committee:
Democratic Process (Public Participation) Peter Soulsby: With respect to the
hon. Gentleman, I do not think that he replied adequately
to the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley
(Mrs. Cryer). She made the point that the extent of
under-registration in several areas can genuinely be
addressed only by door-to-door canvassing... Read
more...
February 6 2008
Written
Answers - Justice: Prostitution: Leicester Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted
for offences relating to prostitution in Leicester in
the last four years. Read
more...
February 6 2008
Written
Answers - Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
Post Offices: Closures Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
how many submissions were received by Post Office Ltd.
to its consultation on proposed post office closures
in Leicester. Read
more...
January 22 2008
Written
Answers - Health: Dental Services: Leicester Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Health what plans he has to increase the
number of NHS dentists in Leicester. Read
more...
January 22 2008
Written
Answers - Communities and Local Government: Local Authorities:
Rodents Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Communities and Local Government what information
her Department holds on (a) the number of local authorities
which charge for treating mice infestations in residential
properties and (b) the average price charged by local
authorities for such treatment. Read
more...
January 21 2008
Written
Answers - Communities and Local Government: Local Authorities:
Rodents Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance
her Department has issued to local authorities and registered
social landlords on dealing with mice and rat infestations
in residential properties. Read
more...
January 17 2008
Orders
of the Day: Clause 4-Power of Office of rail regulation
to charge fees Peter Soulsby: As the right hon. Member
for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) said, I have added my
name to amendment No. 9. I did so because, as he suggested
in Committee...
Read more...
January 17 2008
Orders
of the Day: Clause 1 - Powers of Secretary of State Peter Soulsby:
The hon. Gentleman makes the use of those platforms-which
is, indeed, very desirable-sound very simple. Does he
not accept that it is a complicated issue that would
involve alterations not only to the station, but down
the track, and particularly at Clapham junction, as
has been suggested? Read
more...
Written
Answers - Health: Influenza: Vaccination Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Health how many influenza vaccinations
were administered in Leicester in each of the last five
years. Read
more...
January 15 2008
Written
Answers - Health: General Practitioners: Leicester Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Health how many GPs are practising in Leicester.
Read
more...
January 15 2008
Written
Answers - Communities and Local Government: Regional
Planning and Development: Planning Inspectorate Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance
her Department issues to the Planning Inspectorate on
the admission of oral representations from hon. Members
during examinations in public of regional plans... Read
more...
January 15 2008
Written
Answers - Communities and Local Government: Regional
Planning and Development: East Midlands Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Communities and Local Government which
hon. and right hon. Members made formal submissions
to the public consultation on the draft East Midlands
Regional Plan. Read
more...
January 15 2008
Westminster
Hall debates - Science and Technology Facilities Council
Peter Soulsby: I congratulate the hon.
Gentleman on securing this important debate on what
he rightly describes as a crisis in the STFC's funding.
Is he aware that the crisis affects not only the organisations
and institutions in his constituency that he mentioned...
Read more... There
is one other speech in the same debate:
Orders
of the Day: Education and Skills Bill Peter Soulsby: Another teacher, I am
afraid, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Newly qualified, I started
teaching in the early 1970s at what was then the Crown
Hills secondary modern school in Leicester. I quickly
learned my place in the school hierarchy...
Read more... There
is one other speech in the same debate:
Commons
Debates - Opposition Day - [5th allotted day]: Network
Rail Peter Soulsby: There is no doubt that
the rail industry in the UK is challenged by its own
success. The 40 per cent. increase in passenger numbers
that we have witnessed over the past 10 years and the
projected continued growth in numbers is something that
the rail industry in general... Read
more... Several
other speeches in the same debate:
Orders
of the Day: Clause 7 — Acquisition of land not
subject to the power under section 6(1) Peter Soulsby: I have looked closely
at the amendment. The hon. Gentleman talks about the
easements expiring no later than the day on which the
first passenger train runs. Read
More... Other
speech in the same debate:
Orders
of the Day: Clause 23 — Overriding duty of Office
of Rail Regulation before Crossrail operational Peter Soulsby: I understand what the
hon. Gentleman seeks to achieve, which is the construction
of the whole scheme, and to have it open and carrying
passengers. Does he not accept, however, that setting
such an artificial limit could have a perverse effect?
Read
more...
December 13 2007
Orders
of the Day: Clause 57 — Application of act to
extensions Peter Soulsby: As one of those who
did two years of penal servitude on the Select Committee
on the Bill, I could speak at considerable length now
that I am free.... Read
more... Several
other speeches in the same debate:
Written
Answers - Work and Pensions: Winter Fuel Payments: Leicester
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Leicester
South received the winter fuel payment in each of the
last five years. Read
more...
December 11 2007
Westminster
Hall debates : Canals Peter Soulsby: Does the hon. Gentleman
agree that if British Waterways sought to meet the deficit
through a massive increase in licence fees, it would
be a major deterrent to people who use the waterways-people
who are often on comparatively low incomes-and who ought
to be encouraged further to do so, in order to make
them the lively and thriving places that they deserve
to be? Read
more... Several
other speeches in the same debate:
Written
Answers - Home Department: 101 Calls: Leicester Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary
of State for the Home Department (1) what expenditure
her Department incurred in advertising, marketing and
promoting the 101 telephone line in Leicester... Read
more...
December 5 2007
Treasury:
Death: Weather Peter Soulsby: To ask the Chancellor
of the Exchequer how many people in Leicester aged 65
years and over died o