To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost to (a) local authorities, (b) the Valuation Office Agency, and (c) the Exchequer, of administering and enforcing the new arrangements for business rates on firms in ports, including the cost of the deferment scheme.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost to (a) local authorities, (b) the Valuation Office Agency, and (c) the Exchequer, of administering and enforcing the new arrangements for business rates on firms in ports, including the cost of the deferment scheme.

SI 2010/992. With an explanatory memorandum from the Treasury. Coming into force 16 April 2010.

SI 2010/992. With an explanatory memorandum from the Treasury. Coming into force 16 April 2010.

Debate on a motion that this House has considered the matter of the Intelligence and Security Committee annual report (Cm 7807) and the government's response (Cm 7808).

Debate on a motion that this House has considered the matter of the Intelligence and Security Committee annual report (Cm 7807) and the government's response (Cm 7808).

That is one of the issues that everybody has wanted to look at, but my experience of the telecommunications industry is that those involved want to be as helpful and supportive as they possibly can; obviously, they often have commercial strictures and intellectual property issues that they want to address....

That is one of the issues that everybody has wanted to look at, but my experience of the telecommunications industry is that those involved want to be as helpful and supportive as they possibly can; obviously, they often have commercial strictures and intellectual property issues that they want to address....

Does the Minister share my concern that one of the barriers to progress in this area has been the reluctance of the telecommunications industry to engage properly in the process?

Does the Minister share my concern that one of the barriers to progress in this area has been the reluctance of the telecommunications industry to engage properly in the process?

The Minister is letting election fever get the better of him. Our position is that we are strongly inclined in favour of a judge-led inquiry, but we know that, first, there are possible legal proceedings that would affect, or probably affect, the timing of any such inquiry; and secondly, if...

The Minister is letting election fever get the better of him. Our position is that we are strongly inclined in favour of a judge-led inquiry, but we know that, first, there are possible legal proceedings that would affect, or probably affect, the timing of any such inquiry; and secondly, if...

The doyen.

The doyen.

The Minister says the doyen, but I suppose he is more continentally minded than I am. Above all, I pay tribute to the ISC's Chairman, the right hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells). Listening to the tributes during today's debate, he must have at times feared that he was in...

The Minister says the doyen, but I suppose he is more continentally minded than I am. Above all, I pay tribute to the ISC's Chairman, the right hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells). Listening to the tributes during today's debate, he must have at times feared that he was in...

I add my salute to members of the Intelligence and Security Committee and, in particular, to the four members who have announced that they intend to leave the House at the forthcoming general election: the hon. Member for Wirral, South (Ben Chapman); my right hon. and learned Friend the Member...

I add my salute to members of the Intelligence and Security Committee and, in particular, to the four members who have announced that they intend to leave the House at the forthcoming general election: the hon. Member for Wirral, South (Ben Chapman); my right hon. and learned Friend the Member...

I have not got a problem with a judge-led inquiry, if it is designed to try to reassure the public that we have now got all the facts out, but I certainly do not agree that either the ISC or Ministers lacked the means of getting to the truth at...

I have not got a problem with a judge-led inquiry, if it is designed to try to reassure the public that we have now got all the facts out, but I certainly do not agree that either the ISC or Ministers lacked the means of getting to the truth at...

We must make sure that we get this point right. As my hon. Friend says, neither the ISC nor the Government got to the truth about Diego Garcia initially. Both we and the Government asked questions of the United States Government, who are in control there. They who gave us...

We must make sure that we get this point right. As my hon. Friend says, neither the ISC nor the Government got to the truth about Diego Garcia initially. Both we and the Government asked questions of the United States Government, who are in control there. They who gave us...

Did I mishear the hon. Gentleman, or did he say that Ministers and members of the Intelligence and Security Committee had not been telling the truth?

Did I mishear the hon. Gentleman, or did he say that Ministers and members of the Intelligence and Security Committee had not been telling the truth?

No, I did not say that. I said that they had not been able to get to the truth. For example, I consider it indisputable that Ministers were unable to get to the truth when I was given blanket denials on the issue of Diego Garcia. For whatever reason, they...

No, I did not say that. I said that they had not been able to get to the truth. For example, I consider it indisputable that Ministers were unable to get to the truth when I was given blanket denials on the issue of Diego Garcia. For whatever reason, they...