Mr David Laws | ProjectParly

Parliamentary History

Liberal Democrat

Yeovil

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

Ideology spectrum

59.7

ProgressiveCentreConservative

Leaning conservative — based on 22 coded votes across 3 axes (1% coverage).

Policy axis scores

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

Economic policy 40

Low confidence 5 votes

Civil liberties 100

Low confidence 1 votes

Climate / energy 63

Medium confidence 16 votes

Voting trends (most recent 12 months of activity)

Voting record

March 2015 8 votes

Division	Date	Vote
Social care is a priority for the Government, and, in the context of difficult spending decisions, we have taken steps to protect care and support services. For example, we have allocated extra funds for those services during the current Parliament. We have created a better care fund, which, next month, will introduce a £5.3 billion pooled budget for health and care that will provide much needed f...	25 Mar 2015	AYE
“(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	AYE
(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	AYE
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	AYE
I absolutely agree with my friend, but time is— Order. Time is running out, but we are speaking to specific amendments and I do not want us to get into a general debate about the general election. We will be doing that soon enough—if we have not already been doing it for 12 months. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I conclude with this thought— Just before the hon. Gentleman concludes—and being mindfu...	16 Mar 2015	NO
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	NO
As many in the House are aware, I have been interested in the secondary ticketing market for many years now, and, alongside the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) , I have co-chaired the all-party parliamentary group on ticket abuse, the report of which spearheaded the former amendments to those we are debating today. Does the hon. Lady agree that it was bizarre that the CMA came out with guid...	9 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	NO

February 2015 12 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	NO
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	NO
Question accordingly agreed to. New clause 25 added to the Bill.	23 Feb 2015	NO
(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	NO
(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	NO
(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	NO
Question accordingly negatived. Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 31(2) ), That the proposed words be there added.	11 Feb 2015	AYE
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	NO
“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	NO
Division 150	10 Feb 2015	AYE
With the leave of the House, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a few more comments about the order. I am grateful to the official Opposition for their co-operation. There has been a remarkable consensus in the House this evening, despite all the efforts of the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) , who did his best to challenge that consensus by violently agreeing with everything that was said ...	2 Feb 2015	AYE

January 2015 10 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	NO
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	NO
Division 144	28 Jan 2015	NO
“make provision which is the same or similar.” There is real anxiety about the fact that the form of words used by the Government does not include such a provision, and hence does not abide by the agreement reached by them and by the last Government with the trade unions. Amendment 115 refers to “all the rights and liabilities relating to the person’s contract of employment.” It is a pleasure to h...	26 Jan 2015	NO
(Stephen Williams.) This amendment aims to secure that, in England, the species control provisions will not apply to Eurasian beavers which are released into the wild under licence. It will continue to be the case that Eurasian beavers may only be released into the wild under licence. Amendment made: 85, page 33, line 35, leave out “which is” and insert “the freehold interest in which was” — This ...	26 Jan 2015	NO
made by the Minister and explain why new clause 16 is, on all fronts, a better and neater solution that the very welcome concession the Government have made. Let us bust some myths. First, new clause 16 simply puts pubs on the same footing as laundrettes, theatres and—would you believe it—casinos and nightclubs, which currently enjoy more protection under the planning law than pubs do. Most people...	26 Jan 2015	NO
“unconventional petroleum” means petroleum which does not flow readily to the wellbore. (6) In section 3 of the Petroleum Act 1998, at the end of subsection (4) add “and subsection (4A). “(4A) Nothing in this section permits the grant of a licence to search and bore for and get unconventional petroleum in Great Britain during the relevant period. (4B) For the purposes of subsection (4A) “relevant ...	26 Jan 2015	NO
‘(1) The Scotland Act 1998 is amended as follows: (2) In Schedule 5, Part II, section D2, after “gas other than through pipes,”, insert— “( ) The licensing of onshore shale gas extraction underlying Scotland. ( ) Responsibility for mineral access rights for onshore extraction of shale gas in Scotland.”’— (Tom Greatrex.) Brought up.	26 Jan 2015	NO
I am delighted that my hon. Friend says that compensation for blight may indeed be possible, as proposed in my amendment 61. I am sorry that there is such a lack of time to make a serious response to the amendments still outstanding for debate this afternoon. Will the hon. Lady give way? No—I am sorry, but I am short of time. Labour’s new clause 19 does not offer the kind of protection it pretends...	26 Jan 2015	NO
Division 137	26 Jan 2015	NO

Page 1/58

Next →