William Wragg
MP for Hazel Grove
Con
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Response classifications show how directly each question was answered.
I have a cheerful question that I know my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will find impossible to resist. He will be aware of the work that I have been doing with No. 10's UK Ambassador for mental health, Dr Alex George, to establish early intervention mental health hubs across the country. We have got the pilot, which seems to be lost somewhere between the Treasury and the Department of Health—I know he will sort that problem out—but will he meet Dr Alex George and me to discuss it further? These hubs will make a massive difference in constituencies across the country. We all know the problems with child and adolescent mental health services and the perverse situation where children and young people have to get progressively worse before they get the treatment they need. I know that the Prime Minister will be very supportive of this one, Mr Speaker.
Context
The questioner is working with the UK Ambassador for Mental Health to establish early intervention mental health hubs across the country. The pilot programme seems stalled between departments.
Rishi Sunak
I know that my hon. Friend is rightly a passionate advocate for improving mental health support for young people, which is something I know we are doing, and I am proud of our record, particularly in increasing the number of mental health support teams who work with schools and expanding community services. I know that the Department of Health and Social Care is looking at the role that early support hubs might play in this plan, but I am happy to meet my hon. Friend personally to discuss how we can push this through.
Session: PMQs
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Mr Speaker, I am not a cynical sort but I was slightly perplexed this week when the Cabinet Secretary and the director general of Government Propriety and Ethics, no less, were banned from attending my Committee, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, to give evidence. That meeting had been scheduled for two months. I cannot possibly think why, Mr Speaker. I wonder which particular subjects my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister was most concerned about being raised by my Committee. Was it the case of undeclared loans and donations in kind, security insights into appointments to the House of Lords, or indeed the consultation of the Propriety and Ethics unit in ministerial appointments?
Context
The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee had its scheduled meeting cancelled.
Boris Johnson
I know my hon. Friend is not a cynic; he is one of nature's idealists. I will make sure that all relevant Ministers and civil servants appear before his Committee.
Session: PMQs
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When can we expect the co-ordinated chorus of SAGE members recommencing their media appearances to depress morale, and does my right hon. Friend fear having to give another press conference at which he again postpones the return of our freedoms? We are rightly told that we need to learn to live with covid, so what can the Prime Minister say to the country to convince us of that reality?
Context
The questioner is concerned about the resumption of SAGE members' media appearances.
Boris Johnson
Academic and scientific freedom are an invaluable part of our country, and I note that my scientific colleagues would echo my sentiment that we need to learn to live with covid.
Assessment
Commitment to convincing the public was not given
Defending Academic Freedom
Session: PMQs
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Will my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister join me in paying fulsome tribute to all the staff at Stepping Hill Hospital, particularly those caring for patients with covid-19? Does he recognise that many people have not been attending hospital as usual? How will he be assisting hospitals, such as Stepping Hill, in ensuring that my constituents can access healthcare as usual?
Context
Wragg pays tribute to staff at Stepping Hill Hospital and highlights that many people are not attending hospitals as usual, asking how this can be addressed.
The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)
I thank my hon. Friend. One of the most important features of the way this country responded to the epidemic was that we did protect the NHS. We maintained capacity in the NHS throughout. Nobody went without a ventilator. There was space in intensive care units throughout the crisis, but we have a situation now, as he rightly says, where too many people are not going to hospital or the doctor to seek the treatment they need and deserve. I certainly encourage people with conditions that need medical treatment to go and get that treatment now. That will help us to reduce deaths this year and throughout the crisis.
Session: PMQs
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I have been busy beavering away, together with the UK Government's mental health ambassador, Dr Alex George, on the early support mental health hubs project. It will relieve pressure on child and adolescent mental health services and save undue distress and money. The pilot scheme is ready to go. Might I suggest that the shared outcomes fund could be the means to press on with the pilot?
Context
The MP is working on a pilot scheme to relieve pressure on child and adolescent mental health services through early support hubs.
Steve Barclay
Dr Alex George does a lot of fantastic work. I am due to meet him shortly in the coming days, and I look forward to that discussion. My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of getting more mental health support into the community, which is exactly what our additional funding is focused on delivering.
Session: Topical Questions
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Welcomes the appointment of the Minister and asks if he has recent assessments of the television production industry in Wales and compares it to the expansion of Media City in Greater Manchester.
Context
Media City in Greater Manchester is expanding, creating success for the TV industry there.
James Davies
My hon. Friend will know much more about that issue than me, but Manchester is near to north Wales, and the success of Manchester influences media performance within north Wales.
Session: Channel 4 Privatisation Television Production Industry
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Could the Minister confirm that she will approve the Marple bid sooner rather than later?
Context
Local communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly for projects such as Marple active communities hub.
Dehenna Davison
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising his bid, but at this stage I cannot comment on the merits of individual bids.
Session: Levelling-up Fund
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May I reiterate to my right hon. Friend—whom I congratulate on his appointment—that vaccine certification is useless now and will no doubt be useless then? We have fresh pairs of eyes in the Department, and fresh perspectives. Can we please just bin it now?
Context
The MP welcomes the new ministerial team and inquires about the necessity of mandatory vaccine certification.
Nigel Adams
In light of growing voluntary uptake and latest epidemic data, we do not expect mandatory certification to be needed from the end of September.
Session: Mandatory Vaccine Passports
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My hon. Friend the estimable rail Minister—the antidote to Dr Beeching—is doing sterling work with the restoring your railway schemes. Perhaps he can provide an update on the bid to reconnect Rose Hill Marple, Romiley and Bredbury with Stockport. This is a cross-party effort with diverse support from me, from the hon. Members for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) and for Stockport (Navendu Mishra), and, indeed, from the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela Rayner).
Context
A cross-party effort supports reconnecting Rose Hill Marple, Romiley, Bredbury with Stockport through the restoring your railway schemes.
Chris Heaton-Harris
Following his question to one of my colleagues yesterday, I was not sure that my hon. Friend was all that keen on vaccines—or vaccine passports, at least. I am obviously well aware of my hon. Friend's bid for the Ashton-to-Stockport line, including the Rose Hill connection, which is in round 3 of the restoring your railway ideas fund. He has kindly given me a great deal of information about the bid, and I have met him and the other proponents of it. I promise him that we are assessing the bids, and expect to announce outcomes very shortly.
Session: Topical Questions
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In the inquiry by the Select Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs into the collapse of Greensill Capital, many of our witnesses so far have prayed in aid the advice given to them by Sue Gray. She has been invited to attend our Committee but her office declined citing senior Cabinet Office advice. Can I ask my right hon. Friend to ensure that she will attend on Tuesday as planned?
Context
The Select Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs is investigating the collapse of Greensill Capital, a major financial firm. The committee was invited to interview Sue Gray, who was director general for propriety and ethics at the Cabinet Office during the events.
Michael Gove
My hon. Friend chairs the Committee brilliantly, but there are rules—the Osmotherly rules. They stress that serving civil servants act only in accordance with the wishes of Ministers and therefore it is rarely appropriate for them to appear to be questioned in the way that my hon. Friend would like. So I am ready, willing and able to appear in front of the Committee, but it is my view that it would be inappropriate for a serving civil servant to appear in the way that my hon. Friend requests.
Session: Topical Questions
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I welcome the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to our first exchange at the Dispatch Box, but I only wish that it were in better circumstances. The testimony that we heard yesterday has left families across the country wondering what happened to their loved ones and how they died. It has left all of us fearing that the Government have not learned the lessons or taken the action needed to prevent more avoidable loss.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster once said that he had
“reluctantly but firmly”
concluded that the Prime Minister was
“not capable of…leading the party and the country in the way that I would have hoped.”
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster knows Dominic Cummings very well as his former chief of staff—better than anyone else in this House. Does he believe him to be a credible and truthful witness?
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster once said that he had
“reluctantly but firmly”
concluded that the Prime Minister was
“not capable of…leading the party and the country in the way that I would have hoped.”
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster knows Dominic Cummings very well as his former chief of staff—better than anyone else in this House. Does he believe him to be a credible and truthful witness?
Context
The MP is questioning the government's handling of the pandemic based on testimony heard in committees, particularly regarding Dominic Cummings' claims.
Michael Gove
First, may I welcome the right hon. Lady to her place? She is someone who started her working life on the frontline of social care, who has been a highly effective trade union representative and who has spoken passionately and movingly in this House about the need for greater social mobility and educational reform.
Session: Topical Questions
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Does my right hon. Friend still agree with himself in his opposition to covid vaccine certification to attend the pub, as he expressed on Sky News recently?
Michael Gove
Consistency is often the hobgoblin of small minds, but my view on this issue is consistent. A system that relied purely on vaccination would not be appropriate, but what would be right was a system that ensured that we can open up our economy to the maximum extent, that takes account of vaccine status, but also recent test status and potentially antibody status. But the best thing to do is to be guided by scientific and clinical advice and then to subject that advice to proper, rigorous, ethical questioning, rather than taking an instant, off-the-shelf, instinctive approach.
Session: Topical Questions
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What assessment has my hon Friend made of the benefits of this ambitious £2 billion scheme for home insulation, and when will my constituents be able to access it to make those improvements to their homes?
Context
The MP is asking about the assessment made by the government regarding the £2 billion scheme for home insulation, including when constituents can apply for it.
Kemi Badenoch
From the end of September, homeowners and landlords across England, including in my hon Friend's constituency, will be able to apply for vouchers to fund at least two thirds of the cost of upgrading the energy performance of their homes. Additionally, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has the opportunity to bid for part of the £500 million being made available to local authorities to help low-income households directly.
Session: Energy-Efficient Homes Support
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What financial support is being provided to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes. The Government recognises the importance of energy efficiency in achieving climate change objectives and tackling fuel poverty; hence, I am asking about the funding announced by the Chancellor.
Context
The MP is inquiring about the government's financial assistance to enhance the energy efficiency of homes, focusing on a specific announcement made by the Chancellor.
Kemi Badenoch
The Government recognises the importance of energy efficiency in achieving climate change objectives and tackling fuel poverty. In July, my right hon Friend the Chancellor announced over £2 billion of new funding to upgrade homes through the green homes grant scheme. Additionally, various policies are in place to support home energy efficiency improvements.
Session: Energy-Efficient Homes Support
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I pay full tribute to all the schools in my constituency that have reopened on time and in full. As the Secretary of State will be no doubt aware, this is against a background of record investment, which of course, came into play in April. He will also know that this was mooted as but tranche 1 of a two-tranche funding settlement, so can he give us a reassurance this afternoon that the further investment will be introduced on time in the next financial year?
Context
Record investment has been made in schools, with further funding expected.
Gavin Williamson (The Secretary of State for Education)
I know that as a former teacher my hon. Friend was itching to get back into the classroom if there was a need for extra teaching support. He was ready, willing and most certainly able to do so had the call come. He will probably have seen that schools in his constituency are seeing a more than £47 million cash increase, which will be followed in the next financial year by a substantial cash increase, and then in the third financial year there will also be a substantial cash increase. Schools were one of the few areas, if not the only area, that were able to get a three-year deal, and I believe this will have a real impact in helping them plan for the future delivery of the best education.
Session: Topical Questions
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Given that under amended lockdown regulations, the Government must now review the need for those regulations periodically, will he commit to publishing a statement at the end of each review period?
Context
The question asks about the commitment to publish statements at the end of each review period explaining the reasoning for amending or maintaining existing regulations.
Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)
That is a characteristically good idea from the Chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and I will discuss it with my Cabinet colleagues.
Session: Topical Questions
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Further to her answer, will she tell me how the Crown Prosecution Service is working with the courts to manage the impact of covid-19 on its services and particularly to support them in planning for recovery?
Context
Building on previous points, this question focuses on the practical efforts being made by the CPS in partnership with other justice entities to manage the impact of the pandemic and plan for recovery.
Suella Braverman
Justice is non-negotiable, and notwithstanding the crisis we are facing, it is important that justice continues to be done. There has been effective work between the CPS and other partners to ensure practical arrangements for our justice system's continued function through technology use and resource management. The focus now turns towards recovery by exploring options for phased recovery.
Session: Covid-19 CPS
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Notwithstanding the kindly overtures from the shadow Leader of the House, may we have a debate in Government time on restoration and renewal, particularly given the National Audit Office investigation into the shambles of the Big Ben restoration? We cannot afford to spend upwards of £6 billion on this place when there are better value-for-money options available that do not involve a full decant.
Context
The MP requests a debate on the restoration and renewal programme.
Jacob Rees-Mogg (The Leader of the House of Commons)
My hon. Friend makes an important point. Obviously, this is a new Parliament and a new House of Commons, and it will be entitled to make decisions as it sees fit. It is accepted that the mechanical and engineering plant needs replacing, but some of the costs that one has read about are eye-watering. We have to focus on value for money, so I am sympathetic to the approach that my hon. Friend is taking.
Session: Business of the House
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The scrapping of the 375 bus service by Transport for Greater Manchester and Stagecoach, serving constituencies in Mellor and Hawk Green, has been met with dismay. Will my hon. Friend meet me urgently to maintain this important service?
Context
A local decision to scrap the 375 bus service has caused concern.
Kelly Tolhurst
My hon. Friend will know that decisions are made locally for Transport for Greater Manchester, and Greater Manchester already receives just under £3 million each year to support local bus services. The Government have also committed to £5 billion more for buses, which I hope is a cause for optimism for him, but as he knows, I will always be happy to meet him to discuss any particular issues.
Session: Topical Questions
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Other Parliamentary Activity
Debates led and petitions presented.
Business Banking Resolution Service — [Mark Pritchard in the Chair]
11 July 2023
Responding: Andrew Griffith
Main Concerns
['The Business Banking Resolution Service (BBRS) has failed to restore trust between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their lenders. According to a report by the all-party parliamentary group on fair business banking, 73% of SMEs would rather grow more slowly than borrow due to lack of confidence in borrowing. The BBRS was established to resolve disputes but has resolved only 28 cases out of an estimated potential of over 60,000 complaints, with financial awards amounting to between £1 million and £2 million since its launch at a setup cost of more than £40 million.']
Specific Asks
['The proposal for a financial services tribunal must be seriously considered. Such a body would provide meaningful redress in a fair and independent way, similar to employment tribunals. The creation of this tribunal should also involve amending section 138D of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to enhance legal rights for SMEs.']
Acting Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
25 March 2024
General Debate
Led by this MP
The motion to appoint a new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman began in the summer of last year with an appointments panel reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and recommending thr...
Ceasefire in Gaza
21 February 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Secretaries of State in the House of Lords: Commons Scrutiny
25 January 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Israel (Promotion and Implementation of Divestment, Boycotts and Sanctions) Bill - First clause of the Bill
03 July 2023
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities moved that the bill be read a Second time. He paid tribute to Lord Kerslake who passed away recently. The Bill's purpose is to honour a...
Illegal Migration Bill: Economic Impact Assessment
27 June 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Ukraine Recovery Conference
22 June 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Covid 19 Inquiry: Judicial Review
05 June 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
11 May 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
List of Ministers’ Interests and Ministerial Code
24 April 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Illegal Migration Update
29 March 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
4
PMQs Asked
15
Ministerial Questions Asked
93
House of Commons Debates Involved
1
Westminster Hall Debates Led
0
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
0
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1457 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
+9% above average
This MP:
4
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
+12% above average
This MP:
15
Average:
13.4
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-60% below average
This MP:
1
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+1814% above average
This MP:
93
Average:
4.9
Statements / Bills Proposed
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Voting Attendance Rate (%)
-100% below average
This MP:
0.0
Average:
69.2
Important Context
- - Ministers answer questions rather than asking them, so have different activity patterns
- - Activity quantity doesn't measure quality or effectiveness of representation
- - Some MPs focus more on constituency work than parliamentary questions
- - Newly elected MPs will have less parliamentary history
About This Page
This page tracks William Wragg's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.