In the House - Chris Matheson MP

Below is a feed of all my contributions in Parliament. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions.

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

It is great to hear that from the hon. Gentleman. I will come to the question of spreading the work around in a moment—the question that the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Neil Gray)...

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

I absolutely agree. I hope we can also see this as an opportunity to train people in situ during the project, but someone has to do the training itself, so we will certainly have to upskill our...

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for that suggestion. I had not realised until recently that it was only a temporary building. It has become such an important and integral part of...

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

I am most grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that contribution and for emphasising the point I am making. This is about driving forward the process right from the start and getting buy-in across...

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

I thought that the Leader of the House answered that fairly during her speech; there will never be a right time to do this. I am delighted that the right hon. Gentleman has been recruited to join...

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Commons debates

May I start by offering the House the apologies of the shadow Leader of the House, my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall South (Valerie Vaz)? She has a long-standing personal commitment and has...

Business Rates Relief: Music Venues

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

The music sector contributes billions to the economy and so much more in terms of life enrichment, but the opportunity pipeline is being constricted as music venues close under pressure. Will the...

Business Rates Relief: Music Venues

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to more music venues.

Investigation of Veterans

Commons debates

Chester is a proud garrison city, and I am proud to represent ex-service and current service families, many of whom have raised their concerns with me. Their concerns are generally twofold. The...

Cyprus

Oral Answers to Questions - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

I have a constituent who was assaulted by bouncers at a club in Cyprus and is now in the regional neurological centre with severe injuries. The authorities in Cyprus have dragged their feet...

Environmental Education

Oral Answers to Questions - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

Palm oil is an essential component of much of our food production, but unsustainable palm oil production across south-east Asia is wrecking a lot of natural forests. Will the Government join me...

Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Bill

Public Bill Committees

May I ask the Minister a technical question? Is it the Government’s intention to bring forward all four boundary orders in one, or will they be brought forward as and when each individual...

Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Bill

Public Bill Committees

What a great pleasure it is to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Owen. I echo the sentiments of the hon. Member for Glasgow East and the right hon. Member for Forest of Dean in welcoming the...

LGBT Rights: Brunei

Westminster Hall debates

Is my hon. Friend aware that this afternoon the Police Federation has announced that it will boycott the Dorchester for its police bravery awards? Will she join me in congratulating the Police...

Loan Charge

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

I fully support measures to close loopholes for disguised remuneration, but not when they affect my constituents retrospectively. If the loans were illegal at the time my constituents took them...

Loan Charge

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

What representations he has received on the introduction of the 2019 loan charge.

Infrastructure Resilience

Oral Answers to Questions - Wales

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

The resilience of the major road network in north-east Wales is entirely dependent on the M56, just across the border in my constituency, which is now beyond capacity. Will the Secretary of State...

Infrastructure Resilience

Oral Answers to Questions - Wales

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

What recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the resilience of infrastructure in Wales.

Colombia Peace Process

Oral Answers to Questions - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

I understand that there were a couple more paramilitary killings last week. Did the Minister read the report by Michel Forst, the UN special rapporteur, who has said that the national landscape...

Colombia Peace Process

Oral Answers to Questions - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Chris Matheson made a speech in the House of Commons

What assessment he has made of the progress on the Colombia peace process.