Mike Weatherley MP

17th April 2013

Mike Weatherley: The aim of a decarbonisation target is laudable, but does my hon. Friend agree that we should not rush forward with increased proposals for the nuclear option, which might be seen to be an easy option in the long term?

7th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: As someone who has witnessed first hand the long-lasting devastation of a nuclear accident at Chernobyl, where signs of contamination remain to this day-even affecting Cumbria, when the disaster struck 25 years ago and 1,200 miles away-I believe that nuclear should be an option of last resort on risk and environmental grounds alone. The debate is not about environmental risk but...

7th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: The hon. Gentleman is entirely wrong, and I shall come on to the reasons for that later. Many alternatives from emerging markets must be considered, rather than the obsolete and declining markets. We should try to keep as close to a free market as possible, whenever possible, rather than take the easy state intervention option. Indeed, my political hero, Sir Keith Joseph, emphasised that by...

7th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. If I may, I will ask him to listen to my concluding remarks, which will show conclusively that by not subsidising nuclear, we will have a greener economy, rather than a carbon-dependent one. If new nuclear is unable to meet the free market test, showing that it is competitively viable in the long term, it should yield to other forms of energy,...

7th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: I am sorry. I cannot give way because I am allowed only two lots of injury time. Other factors can cause decommissioning costs to jump. Current laws can be amended. The 2002 White Paper “Managing a Nuclear Legacy” identified exactly this point as being a factor in the Sellafield costs. Secondly, fuel and waste management represent additional unknown financial burdens. Fuel...

7th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: I will try to give way before the end, if I can. A good indicator of commercial viability is where the sector’s insurers stand. A 2010 Department of Energy and Climate Change working paper concedes that commercial insurance companies would not be willing to cover some of the nuclear industry’s liabilities. The UBS financial group said recently that investing in nuclear power is a...

5th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the legislation on squatting in residential premises introduced in 2012.

5th February 2013

Mike Weatherley: There are indications that as a result of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 squatters are increasingly targeting commercial properties. What plans does my right hon. Friend have to evaluate the size of the problem of squatting in commercial premises nationally and to take action to amend the law if necessary?

25th October 2012

Mike Weatherley: I am sure my hon. Friends are aware that bovine tuberculosis is the most infectious type of TB. It is able to infect most mammals, although, thankfully, the threat of humans contracting TB from animals today is very remote. The disease originated in cattle, it is a farming problem and it has had an impact on wildlife throughout the world, with devastating effects. Culls and mass slaughters...

23rd May 2012

Mike Weatherley: Last weekend, the Squatters Network of Brighton and Hove invited its anarchist friends from around Europe to campaign against what they call Weatherley’s law. Will the Prime Minister condemn, with me, the Green party’s support for squatters and welcome, as I do, the criminalisation of squatting?

16th April 2012

Mike Weatherley: How many people aged 16 to 18 started an apprenticeship in (a) Hove constituency, (b) the south-west and (c) England in 2011.

16th April 2012

Mike Weatherley: I congratulate my hon. Friend on the outstanding progress he has made in promoting apprenticeships. The previous Government provided for so-called “apprenticeships” without even a requirement for apprentices to have a job. Will he reassure me that under this Government the requirement to be in proper work will remain the core of our apprenticeship offering?

22nd March 2012

Mike Weatherley: Will my hon. Friend welcome with me the measures for the video games industry, which are so important to Brighton and Hove, protect jobs in this country and stop them going abroad?

22nd March 2012

Mike Weatherley: Will the Minister welcome with me and the digital economy in Hove the news yesterday that Hove will be included in the next round of superfast broadband bids?

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: How many prosecutions have been brought in respect of illegal encampments involving vehicles on public parks in the last 12 months.

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: Will the Minister consider a review of the powers of local authorities to prosecute trespassers effectively and/or to charge occupants fees so that there is an effective deterrent against uninvited encampments and so that some of the costs associated with unwelcome activity can be recouped?

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: I thank the Minister for a detailed reply. On that specific point, have the Government initiated any inquiries into alternatives, or are they waiting for the industry to come back to them?

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: I understand the point about criminality, but what about the ownership of the performance? There has been no mention of that. Surely, performers owning their product is at the heart of our creative industries.

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: Will the Minister commit the Government to look at the French example to see why it was put into statute-going live today-and what the benefits or problems will be once it has gone live?

13th March 2012

Mike Weatherley: It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Crausby. I believe that the free market is by far and away the best method by which to allocate resources effectively. Provided the often-quoted five criteria regarding the definition of perfect markets-identical product, all firms are price takers, all firms have a relatively small market share, perfect knowledge, and no barriers to...