Daylight Saving Bill

Angie made two interventions to outline her support for the Daylight Saving Bill, which calls on the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of putting clocks forward an hour throughout the UK, resulting in lighter evenings every day of the year.

To see what Angie had to say, please click here.

Future of Town Centres and High Streets

Angie made a speech during a Backbench Business Debate on the future of town centres and high streets. To read her speech in the full context of the debate, please click here.

Education Questions

Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton, Conservative)

Having opened just last September, the West London free school has had more than 5,000 visits from interested parents, its places are now heavily over-subscribed and it has just applied to set up a new, free primary school. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that all goes to demonstrate just how enthusiastic parents are about these new free schools?

Michael Gove (Secretary of State, Education; Surrey Heath, Conservative)

My hon. Friend makes a brilliant case. The West London free school was attacked and criticised by many on the left of the political spectrum. Fiona Millar said that the idea would never take place. Now it is the single most popular and over-subscribed school in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, providing a superb education of a comprehensive kind for all children. I recommend it to you, Mr Speaker, for the future.

Mortgages

Angie tabled a series of written questions to the Department for Communities and Local Government about the Government's Housing strategy:

Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

(1) whether lending decisions made under the New Build scheme will be audited to ensure that lenders maintain high standards of lending;

(2) how any risk to the public purse will be minimised in the context of the Government's mortgage indemnity guarantee;

(3) what processes will be put in place to ensure that lenders maintain high standards of lending for mortgage finance made available in the context of the new build scheme.

Grant Shapps (Minister of State (Housing and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; Welwyn Hatfield, Conservative)

The Government announced their support for the industry led new build indemnity scheme, as part of the Housing Strategy. The scheme will help credit worthy households access up to 95% loan to value mortgages, for new build homes and flats. This will enable up to 100,000 families and young people to buy their own home.

The Government are working closely with partners, including the Home Builders Federation, Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Financial Services Authority to finalise the scheme's design. As a requirement of the scheme, mortgage approvals made available will remain subject to current regulatory requirements and lenders' existing approval criteria. In addition, the final scheme design will be agreed with the Financial Services Authority.

Monitoring arrangements will be put in place take account of the scheme's impact. The Government will also conduct an evaluation of the scheme after two years, to ensure that there has been an appropriate and positive effect on the price, demand and supply of new build properties.

High Speed Rail

Angie put a question to the Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, after the statement announcing the go-ahead to HS2:

Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton, Conservative)

I very much welcome the statement, particularly confirmation that the station at Heathrow will go through in phase 2. Does the Secretary of State agree that when phase 2 is completed and there is a direct link from the north to Heathrow, that should make a significant contribution to reducing the pressure of domestic flights at Heathrow?

Justine Greening (Economic Secretary, HM Treasury; Putney, Conservative)

I agree with that. We have estimated that around 4.5 million air flights a year will transfer on to high-speed rail as a result of this.

Artist's Resale Right (Droit de Suite)

Angie has been asking a series of questions about the extension of EU legislation that is due to take effect from 1 January 2012. She has received responses from the Minister responsible at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to minimise the effect on business of changes to artists' resale rights.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 December 2011, c448W)

Edward Davey (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs), Business, Innovation and Skills; Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)

On 2 December 2011, the Department laid Statutory Instrument 2873 which will amend the implementation of Artist's Resale Right in the UK. The instrument is intended to simplify the administration of the right, by clarifying the nationality requirements for heirs and nationals of non-EEA countries entitled to receive royalties on a reciprocal basis. These changes will come into effect on 1 January 2012. On the same date the 2001 Directive will be fully implemented in the UK, when Resale Right is extended to sales of in copyright works by qualifying deceased artists. I expect the changes made by this instrument to simplify administration of payments following that extension.

Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the consequences for inbound tourism to London of planned changes to the art market in 2012.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 15 December 2011, c860W)

Edward Davey (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs), Business, Innovation and Skills; Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)

On 1 January 2012, the Artist's Resale Right Directive 2001 will be fully implemented in the UK, when Resale Right is automatically extended to sales of in copyright works by qualifying deceased artists. On the same date, Statutory Instrument (2873) will come into force, correcting the requirements as to the nationality of those entitled to exercise Artist's Resale Right.

No specific assessment of the effect of these changes on tourism has been made, however the total economic impact of the right once extended to deceased artists has been assessed at less than 0.15% of market turnover (around £12 million in royalties in a market worth £8 billion per year) and accordingly the extension is not considered likely to damage the market. The changes made by the Statutory Instrument on the other hand are actually estimated to reduce administrative costs for the art market by 10% to 20%.

General Debate: European Union

Angie made an intervention during a General Debate on the European Union. To see her comments in the full context of the debate, click here.

General Debate on the Economy

To read Angie's intervention, please click here.

UK Extradition Arrangements

Angie made an intervention during a debate on UK Extradition Arrangements. To see her comments in the full context of the debate, click here.

Opposition Day Debate on Living Standards

Angie intervened during an Opposition Day debate on Living Standards to remind the House that the Government is tackling the deficit that the Labour Opposition built up over thirteen years and to lend her support to the National Citizen Service scheme.

You can see her comments in the full context of the debate by clicking here and here.