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Mr David Laws

Mr David Laws

Last served Yeovil (2001-06-07 – 2015-03-30)
59.7
Leaning conservative
22 coded votes
1,732
Total votes
865
Ayes
867
Noes
0
Other

Parliamentary History

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

November 2014 8 votes
Division Date Vote
such as having a multiple-negotiated outcome, rather than the European arrest warrant. We will not be able to talk about the other implications of Europol and Eurojust for the actions of the European Court and the ability of the Home Secretary to pass laws that protect us. All in all, I think that this is a very unfortunate outcome for Parliament today—a very clever parliamentary trick, but very p... 10 Nov 2014 NO
Secretary promised a debate on the European arrest warrant and promised a vote on it, and she has not given it. Do you agree that that is not a reply to a business motion debate? I think I have set out the position clearly and there is nothing at this stage for me to add, but Members will form their own view. That is the fairest thing I can say—Members will form their own view. I think I am right ... 10 Nov 2014 AYE
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. She makes a point that she and other Labour Members have been fighting for. This Government are bequeathing the people of England a fractured landscape in the NHS, in skills and in transport, but we are embarking on a journey to empower people and places across England to work together, and we are placing the bus at the centre of that, as has been done so well i... 5 Nov 2014 NO
(a) the extent to which the current legislation governing prostitution in England and Wales acts as an effective deterrent to demand for sexual services from exploited persons; (b) the extent to which the current legislation governing prostitution in England and Wales enables effective enforcement action against those trafficking people for sexual exploitation; and (c) the extent to which alternat... 4 Nov 2014 NO
Question accordingly negatived. Proceedings interrupted (Programme Order, this day). The Deputy Speaker put forthwith the Questions necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded at that time ( Standing Order No. 83E ) New Clause 2 4 Nov 2014 NO
I am encouraged that the Minister says her mind is open and that there will be further consideration. Can hon. Members take that as a distinct hint for more progress in the Lords? If my right hon. Friend will allow me to continue my comments, I will speak first about new clause 1. The new clause would open the way for the GLA’s remit to be extended to any area of work or sector, which would be a m... 4 Nov 2014 NO
Despite the Crown Prosecution Service guidelines, children are still prosecuted. It should be an imperative for us in this legislation to stop that from occurring in the future, and this Bill provides us with an opportunity to do that. I point out to the Minister that in July the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the Government, in relation to trafficked children and to all children co... 4 Nov 2014 NO
Division 66 3 Nov 2014 AYE
October 2014 6 votes
Division Date Vote
When we talked about Remploy and the staff who used to work there, a couple of points made by the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms) were wrong. In fact, 80% of former employees have now found jobs or are receiving specialist tailored employment and support to help them find one. These are the sort of things we are doing to help disabled people, as well as helping an extra 116,000 peop... 28 Oct 2014 NO
“My HIA Inquiry panel colleagues and I welcome the written statement made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the House of Commons in which she has given assurances that all So Sir Anthony Hart appears to be robust in his determination, as we are in ours, to uncover the truth about this horrible matter. Taking all these strands together, I hope that this reassures those on both sides... 22 Oct 2014 AYE
“whether the person, in carrying out the activity in the course of which the negligence or breach of statutory duty took place, demonstrated a generally responsible approach towards protecting the safety or other interests of others.” We heard a degree of teasing from the Opposition about the “generally responsible approach”, but I am afraid that the issue is a bit too serious for teasing. I want ... 20 Oct 2014 NO
If the hon. Lady has concerns about local commissioning decisions, she should take them up with local commissioners. Time forbids me from going into the rationing of services by the previous Labour Government. It is important that clinical services are now designed and delivered by front-line health care professionals, and if she is concerned about them, I am sure she will take that up with her lo... 15 Oct 2014 NO
Travel times are a genuine issue. If somebody is expected to travel—during the day as part of their work, rather than to and from work—that time should be included for minimum wage calculation purposes. I shall repeat the number for the pay and work rights helpline, which investigates these complaints: 0800 917 2368. Zero-hours contracts will be discussed in more detail in the Small Business, Ente... 15 Oct 2014 NO
Division 56 15 Oct 2014 NO
September 2014 6 votes
Division Date Vote
Will the Deputy Prime Minister give way? I will give way, but then I must make progress. Given that there are many in the House who have very strong concerns about this—I will vote for the motion, but with a very heavy heart—will the Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister commit to coming back to the House very regularly, particularly early in October when we return, to make statements to the Ho... 26 Sep 2014 AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. Question put accordingly, That the Bill be now read a Second time. 12 Sep 2014 AYE
This Government have made such an effort to stop welfare dependency at home, and I support everything that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has done to try to stop a culture of welfare dependency in this country. People cannot expect to sit and wait for their next handout from the state. How one earth can a Government who have done so much on welfare dependency— [ Interruption .] I jus... 12 Sep 2014 AYE
It is up to CCGs to set out terms of reference for any joint committee arrangement, such as the scope for decision taking, and arrangements for membership or voting. They may also determine situations in which a CCG would wish to withdraw from a joint committee arrangement. The hon. Gentleman was worried that one CCG might feel oppressed or bullied by others, but it could set the terms of referenc... 9 Sep 2014 AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. Bill read a Second time. On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. During the debate, many points of great interest have been raised and it has been suggested that further amendments will be made. I therefore think it would be highly beneficial if the Bill were referred to a Select Committee. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice of his intention... 5 Sep 2014 NO
Question accordingly agreed to. Question put accordingly, That the Bill be now read a Second Time. 5 Sep 2014 AYE
July 2014 10 votes
Division Date Vote
sure it works for smaller pub companies and the smaller brewers, as well as the big pubcos. On the issue of franchises, most also have ties, particularly for the beer arrangements, and that is why we have included them. Several Members asked for more details. We are consulting on the level of the fines and will bring forward more details in due course. That amounts to huge progress, and it matters... 16 Jul 2014 AYE
I warmly endorse what the hon. Gentleman is saying. Does he agree that if more examples were given of a collated nature—such as those we read about frequently in individual criminal court cases—about the vital role that such data play, that would go a long way to allay unnecessary public suspicion about the importance of having such data available for the forces of law and order? The hon. Gentlema... 15 Jul 2014 NO
I will speak to Government amendments 7 and 8 and new clause 7, which were tabled by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. I will also address the provisions that have been tabled by Opposition Front Benchers before turning to the issues with the timetable and the sunset clause. The Government amendments provide for a review of the powers and capabilities. I am grateful to the right hon. Member... 15 Jul 2014 NO
As you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, we are here because of the European Court of Justice and its decision to strike down regulations to enable internet providers to retain communications data for law enforcement purposes for up to 12 months. That is an issue we must address for the reasons the Home Secretary and the Minister have outlined. We also need to ensure that the Government respond to the n... 15 Jul 2014 AYE
The other point that I am afraid is not very pleasant about the way Ministers are handling this matter is them bringing the Bill forward a week before the Session As for the Lib Dems—I do not want to sound naive, but their brand has always been that they are the defenders of the nation’s liberties, yet they are colluding with the Government on this guillotine motion. Whatever we think of the conte... 15 Jul 2014 AYE
I am incredulous about what the Minister has just said. If Navitus Bay has paid for the assessment, how on earth can it be independent? I am not the planning Minister, but as far as I am aware, it is normal practice for the developer to pay for the independent assessment. The assessment is still independent and is effectively done at arm’s length from the developer. My hon. Friend the Member for B... 9 Jul 2014 AYE
The second test is fairness. The new system must be fair, with those on middle and low incomes still being able to access products that give them the certainty they want in retirement. The billions we spend on pension tax relief must not benefit only those at the very top. We have talked about a report and analysis. Even though the statistics now show that after a 33-week consultation only five of... 2 Jul 2014 AYE
work and about the amount of any tax liability will not be changed. The taxpayer would have already paid the money had they not entered an avoidance scheme. The taxpayer can continue to dispute the case, and will be paid back with interest should they win. We are not restricting people’s rights. Prudent taxpayers should recognise that tax avoidance carries a significant risk of not working and tha... 2 Jul 2014 AYE
I will give way one last time. The Minister seems to imply that the worldwide downturn—the economic recession that was a consequence of the banking crash—was the responsibility of the previous Labour Government. It is a ludicrous assertion. Surely he will accept that there was an international banking crash that led to the economic difficulties with which the Labour Government were faced in 2007. ... 2 Jul 2014 NO
It is a disgrace that while millions of ordinary people suffer the privations of wage cuts, unemployment and poverty, a rich minority is avoiding and evading taxes. I am talking about corporates and billionaires. There is indeed one law for the rich and one for the poor, the poor being the great majority of wage and salary earners. They are not necessarily poor in the specific sense, but they pay ... 1 Jul 2014 NO
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