It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. In accordance with parliamentary tradition, may I congratulate the new hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) on securing this important debate? As I understand it, he is a graduate of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. In accordance with parliamentary tradition, may I congratulate the new hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) on securing this important debate? As I understand it, he is a graduate of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and...

It is important that Israel abides by the law of armed conflict, but in that context I welcome the deployment of these assets, not least to try to locate the British hostages. The Secretary of State will know that, ultimately, Hamas and Hezbollah are funded and trained by Iran, so...

It is important that Israel abides by the law of armed conflict, but in that context I welcome the deployment of these assets, not least to try to locate the British hostages. The Secretary of State will know that, ultimately, Hamas and Hezbollah are funded and trained by Iran, so...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about the UK's maritime surveillance capability gap.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about the UK's maritime surveillance capability gap.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, whether laser designators on UK Reapers carrying out surveillance missions in Syria are marking targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, whether laser designators on UK Reapers carrying out surveillance missions in Syria are marking targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the surveillance mission in Syria has made; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the surveillance mission in Syria has made; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, from which bases the UK's (a) Reaper UAVs and (b) River Joint aircraft operate for their surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, from which bases the UK's (a) Reaper UAVs and (b) River Joint aircraft operate for their surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, how many of the UK's Reaper aircraft will be deployed for surveillance missions over Syria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 63WS, on the Middle East, how many of the UK's Reaper aircraft will be deployed for surveillance missions over Syria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many surveillance aircraft with capacity to intercept telephone or other electronic telecommunications his Department operates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many surveillance aircraft with capacity to intercept telephone or other electronic telecommunications his Department operates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department was (a) aware of the nature of and (b) consulted before the start of surveillance being carried out at NSA Menwith Hills.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department was (a) aware of the nature of and (b) consulted before the start of surveillance being carried out at NSA Menwith Hills.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers tax inspectors have to conduct intrusive surveillance; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers tax inspectors have to conduct intrusive surveillance; and if he will make a statement.

Is that it?

Is that it?

: The hon. Lady has discussed the Liberal Democrat commitment to localism and local people. Will she explain how it squares with the Liberal Democrats’ traditional support for regional government, given that when that concept was put to the vote in the north-east it was destroyed by a margin of...

: The hon. Lady has discussed the Liberal Democrat commitment to localism and local people. Will she explain how it squares with the Liberal Democrats’ traditional support for regional government, given that when that concept was put to the vote in the north-east it was destroyed by a margin of...

I am grateful to the Minister for acknowledging the strength of feeling in the county of Essex. She said that the Government would take advice from the professionals. No doubt they will. Will they also take advice from the most senior police officer in Essex—the chief constable, Roger Baker, who...

I am grateful to the Minister for acknowledging the strength of feeling in the county of Essex. She said that the Government would take advice from the professionals. No doubt they will. Will they also take advice from the most senior police officer in Essex—the chief constable, Roger Baker, who...

When I served as a young officer in the Territorial Army, I learned a bit about morale. One of the great mottoes that was drummed into me as a junior subaltern was, ““If it ain’t broke, sir, don’t fix it.”” Our police force is not broken and it genuinely does...

When I served as a young officer in the Territorial Army, I learned a bit about morale. One of the great mottoes that was drummed into me as a junior subaltern was, ““If it ain’t broke, sir, don’t fix it.”” Our police force is not broken and it genuinely does...

I am enjoying my hon. Friend’s speech. If I may say so, he is making a powerful case. As for the level 2 tasks, I understand that the Government have rejected the so-called federation approach of getting a number of different constabularies in a region to work together to combat...

I am enjoying my hon. Friend’s speech. If I may say so, he is making a powerful case. As for the level 2 tasks, I understand that the Government have rejected the so-called federation approach of getting a number of different constabularies in a region to work together to combat...

I thank my fellow Essex Member of Parliament for giving way and endorse his comments on the future of Essex police. Does he agree that one problem that we have had with internal mergers is the high turnover of BCU commanders and that that does not always make for good...

I thank my fellow Essex Member of Parliament for giving way and endorse his comments on the future of Essex police. Does he agree that one problem that we have had with internal mergers is the high turnover of BCU commanders and that that does not always make for good...

I thank the Home Secretary for his courtesy in giving way again. He has already stressed in his speech the importance of maintaining the support of communities, but is he aware that, with regard to his proposed changes to police forces, all the methods that have been used so far...

I thank the Home Secretary for his courtesy in giving way again. He has already stressed in his speech the importance of maintaining the support of communities, but is he aware that, with regard to his proposed changes to police forces, all the methods that have been used so far...

I am mindful of the guidance that Madam Deputy Speaker has given the House with regard to sub judice and I shall attempt to abide by it. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that when that powerful treaty was put through the House, we accepted it on the basis...

I am mindful of the guidance that Madam Deputy Speaker has given the House with regard to sub judice and I shall attempt to abide by it. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that when that powerful treaty was put through the House, we accepted it on the basis...

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point, which is entirely right. In most of the examinations carried out by the police, Essex constabulary scores rather highly, so it is not as though the system is broken. The Essex force is not broken and it genuinely...

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point, which is entirely right. In most of the examinations carried out by the police, Essex constabulary scores rather highly, so it is not as though the system is broken. The Essex force is not broken and it genuinely...

I am delighted to be the fourth Essex Member of Parliament to be called to speak in the debate, following very good speeches by my hon. Friends the Members for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) and for Harwich (Mr. Carswell), and by the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay). It is...

I am delighted to be the fourth Essex Member of Parliament to be called to speak in the debate, following very good speeches by my hon. Friends the Members for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) and for Harwich (Mr. Carswell), and by the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay). It is...