Dr Hywel Francis | ProjectParly

Parliamentary History

Labour

Aberavon

7 Jun 2001 – 30 Mar 2015 (13 yrs 9 mo)

Ideology spectrum

37.9

ProgressiveCentreConservative

Leaning progressive — based on 37 coded votes across 3 axes (2% coverage).

Policy axis scores

0 = progressive, 50 = centre, 100 = conservative. Based on coded division votes.

Economic policy 40

Medium confidence 10 votes

Civil liberties 0

Low confidence 3 votes

Climate / energy 42

Medium confidence 24 votes

Voting trends (most recent 12 months of activity)

Voting record

March 2015 13 votes

Division	Date	Vote
I was simply making the case that our procedures are brought into disrepute when we have not had the chance even to debate a huge number of amendments, much less to put them to the vote, including an important amendment that would have closed a tax-dodging loophole for private equity firms. Can we look again at the way in which the business of this House is organised, Mr Hood? I thank the hon. Lad...	25 Mar 2015	NO
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, and there is also the issue about where people live, where they work and what services they use. The south-west has a particular issue when its population doubles every summer, because people may not make a contribution through taxes paid directly in the south-west, but they are using services there. There is another whole argument to be had about the locat...	25 Mar 2015	AYE
He also said that “the best evidence we have still suggests that raising the top rate of tax would raise little revenue and make, at best, a marginal contribution to reducing the budget deficit an incoming government would face after the next election.” I am spoilt for choice, but ladies first. I thank the Minister for his generosity in giving way again. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said t...	25 Mar 2015	AYE
That is why the £12 billion of welfare cuts that have been pencilled in for some two years now in various statements by the Treasury, and by the Chancellor in particular, are very important. Part of that approach might be to cut away further the support given to people in work, perhaps through the tax credits system, at some future point. Tax credit is to be replaced by universal credit, but the i...	25 Mar 2015	AYE
For most people, a Government who are fiscally credible are a Government who meet their own fiscal targets. The budget deficit will be around £90 billion this year, and next year’s budget, far from being balanced, as was promised in 2010, is projected to show a £75 billion deficit. Meanwhile, public sector net debt will be £217 billion higher in 2015-16 than was projected in 2010. How can the Gove...	24 Mar 2015	NO
“(aa) in subsection (1)(h), omit “36(2),”, and”. (4) In section 55B(4)(a) of the Income Tax Act 2007 (transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners: entitlement to tax reduction), for “£1,050” substitute “£1,060”. (5) The amendments made by paragraphs (3) and (4) have effect for the tax year 2015-16 and subsequent tax years. And it is declared that it is expedient in the public...	23 Mar 2015	NO
(c) for any relief, other than a relief that— (i) so far as it is applicable to goods, applies to goods of every description, and (ii) so far as it is applicable to services, applies to services of every description. The Speaker put forthwith the Questions necessary to dispose of the motions made in the name of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ( Standing Order No. 51(3) . Question put,	23 Mar 2015	NO
No, I will not. This is the most significant tax cut for working people in a generation. As a result of the increases to the personal allowance, a typical basic rate taxpayer will be £905 a year better off in 2017-18, and 27.2 million individuals will have benefited from increases to the personal allowance since 2010. As a result of these changes, over 3.7 million people— [Interruption.] Oppositio...	23 Mar 2015	NO
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was saying, I am slightly confused. It worries me that we are having a debate about immigration when we should be debating slavery, which is what this Bill is about. Does the Minister agree that we seem to have heard the Labour Front-Bench team and the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty) being what some might call soft on immigration...	17 Mar 2015	NO
That sort of process is a scandal, to be frank. We would not tolerate it in other public bodies, and I do not understand why we are allowing it to happen with TfL. The whole purpose of having the lists proposed in new clause 1 is to make sure that the information is genuinely public. At the moment, even some of the people living on these sites are unaware of TfL’s ambitions. They were certainly no...	16 Mar 2015	NO
It may be that the Minister is coming to my fourth question, but I would be grateful to know whether it is correct, as my constituent claims, that Ark held out that it was regulated by HMRC and the Pensions Regulator. If that is correct, does he believe that any responsibility for the fact that the scheme was advertised in that way rests with those two regulators? I reassure the right hon. Gentlem...	11 Mar 2015	AYE
My hon. Friend referred to the 80,000 figure that I quoted for retaliatory evictions as “fantasy” figures. He prefers his figure of 6,000. I understand that the English housing survey does not give figures on retaliatory eviction, but just talks about the fact that 9% of tenancies are ended by the landlord. As I understand it, that does not provide the clarity that he wants on the numbers. My hon....	10 Mar 2015	AYE
“larger proportional falls in income for higher-income households.” That is absolutely vital. Inequality has fallen and the biggest burden has been borne by those with the broadest shoulders. We can only have a fair society on the back of a healthy, well-functioning economy and we can only have a healthy, well-functioning economy on the back of sustainable public finances. The Government’s long-te...	4 Mar 2015	AYE

February 2015 14 votes

Division	Date	Vote
My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Yardley (John Hemming) also touched on the issue of partnerships, and I am very pleased that he has picked up the baton from me as the Member who deals with the most delegated legislation. I commiserate with my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood) on being the poor relation in terms of entries on the Register of Members’ Financial Interes...	25 Feb 2015	AYE
It is fair to say that bankers got it very wrong over a number of years. Regrettably, they are still getting it wrong, and several Members mentioned HSBC. Its chief executive, who is in front of the Treasury Committee this afternoon, has apologised for the failures and errors, which have been pushed out into the public domain. However, the reality is that the Government have taken action to sort o...	25 Feb 2015	AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. New clause 25 added to the Bill.	23 Feb 2015	AYE
(a) to promote change in the social and cultural patterns of behaviour with a view to eradicating prejudices, customs, traditions and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority of women and which may amount to pressure to seek a termination on the grounds of the sex of the foetus; (b) to ensure best practice exists in identifying women being coerced or pressured into seekin...	23 Feb 2015	AYE
(a) the Association of Chief Police Officers; (b) the National Crime Agency; and (c) such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.”” — (Diana Johnson.) This amendment establishes child abduction warning notices (CAWNs) on a statutory basis, addressing concerns raised in the House of Lords on the issue, by introducing a two-stage process providing judicial oversight, without compromising...	23 Feb 2015	AYE
(c) the Disclosure and Barring Service. (7) A person guilty of an offence under this Part of this Act shall be liable— (a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both such imprisonment and fine; (b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.”— (Diana Johnson.) Brought...	23 Feb 2015	AYE
(2) After section 8, insert— “(8A) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under any provision of this Act to prove that he knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, that the information, document or article disclosed was— (a) germane to an official investigation of, or inquiry into, historic child abuse, and (b) provided only to an officer of such an investigation or inquiry.”— (John...	23 Feb 2015	AYE
As freedom of information requests have revealed, the Government’s attempt jointly to badge all stakeholders together did not succeed, because the BMA rejected the very guidance published by the Government. It said that gender selection abortion is “normally unethical”, but that the guidance “fails to reflect the…full legal situation regarding abortion and gender.” The BMA therefore had a differen...	23 Feb 2015	NO
I leave the House and the Minister with the thought that in the present economic climate, given the fall in the price of oil, we can allow ourselves the luxury of making sure that the regulatory regime is independent and fit for purpose and that no fracking will take place until the regime has been tried and tested. to oil prices internationally. That is why I and other Members on both sides of th...	11 Feb 2015	NO
Question accordingly negatived. Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 31(2) ), That the proposed words be there added.	11 Feb 2015	NO
We have been calling for Lord Green to make a full and frank statement. No allegations have been made, but he needs to explain what he knew about what was going on at HSBC. The Exchequer Secretary should correct the record on what we have been requesting from the Government and from Lord Green and say whether she agrees that he should make a full and frank statement. Let us be quite clear on the p...	11 Feb 2015	AYE
“the draft Country Specific Recommendations published 2 June call for commitment to the UK’s Youth Contract to be maintained.” In other words, it would not pursue Labour’s proposal on guaranteed jobs, and what we did was correct. We supported people and put money in place to create work experience, sector-based work academies, and incentives. I am grateful to the Minister for giving way; this must...	11 Feb 2015	AYE
That is not all. Contrary to the impression that we are somehow drawing the heart out of local communities through this funding settlement, we have to see it in the context of resources that have been given to local areas. For instance, £12 billon is being given to local enterprise partnerships in England to spend on local economic priorities. Those growth deals will help to train young people, cr...	10 Feb 2015	NO
Division 150	10 Feb 2015	NO

January 2015 3 votes

Division	Date	Vote
This has been a very good debate in many respects— [ Interruption. ] Yes, there is a “but”. I want to return to the opening of the debate. We have a motion before us that seeks to divide the House. I have sat here and listened to all these excellent speeches and searched for the issue of substance that divides us. What have we got in the motion that seeks to divide us? The 0.7% target? We were all...	28 Jan 2015	AYE
My hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock) talked about the huge financial problems facing his trust, and made a powerful case for its uniqueness in terms of its geographical position and transport links, such that it needs to be looked at seriously in future. My hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson) expressed concern about financial irregulariti...	28 Jan 2015	AYE
Division 144	28 Jan 2015	AYE

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