Speeches by Strickland.

“T3. A recent Sunday Times investigation found worrying evidence that multiple businesses run by the Reform leader of Durham county council had failed, owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax and national insurance and an unpaid covid loan. Does the Chancellor agree that it is just more evidence that, just like the…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent speech about the rich cultural heritage of County Durham. Does she agree that a key part of that cultural heritage is the history of the Stockton and Darlington railway, of which we celebrated the 200th anniversary before Christmas, and which runs through my constituency? Would …”

“I welcome the Minister’s announcement that readiness levels have been revised and increased so that, if a just peace can be successfully negotiated, forces are ready to deploy to prevent future Russian aggression. Will the Minister set out to the House the extent to which the coalition of the willing is ready for such …”

“My constituents Mellissa and Nikita were left devastated a few months ago when their four-month-old puppy was mauled to death in the streets by XL bullies that had escaped from a nearby house. Nikita, who is just 18, needed hospital treatment for the serious wounds that she sustained in the attack. The family is campai…”

“I have three minutes to celebrate three fantastic community organisations. Since Chance Drama in Ferryhill was established in 2017, it has trained hundreds of local young people from across my constituency in theatre arts, singing, dancing and performing. It was brilliant to have recently been in the audience for its p…”

“Does the Secretary of State agree that this appalling case of a senior Reform politician being jailed for accepting Russian bribes shows that the corrupt Putin regime is not only cyber-attacking our national infrastructure and interfering with our critical infrastructure under the sea with its shadow fleet, but trying …”

“T6. Last week, I was proud to meet Filtronic, a leading satellite communications business at NETPark that is part of a growing space cluster. How will Ministers from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology work together to champion our innovative space industry?”

“I am pleased to speak in support of the Bill, particularly as a Member of Parliament representing a proud manufacturing seat. Our country as a whole has a proud tradition as one of the world’s leading trading nations, and exports remain a critical part of our modern economy. Here at home, British companies continue to …”

“I thank the Minister for the action that he has taken on Ajax. As other Members have said, this relates not only to issues in that programme but to long-running issues in defence procurement, which, as I know from businesses in my constituency, is often too slow and too expensive and fails to deliver the effective kit …”

“8. What steps she is taking to reform the water sector.”

“It is crucial that the Government have the powers to crack down on polluting companies, but the Environment Agency’s budget was cut by half by the previous Conservative Government. What will this Government do to make it quicker and easier to fine the companies polluting our rivers with raw sewage?”

“I was proud to welcome thousands of visitors to my constituency recently to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington railway, but we want to build a permanent tourism legacy. Will the Leader of the House help me to meet the relevant Minister to discuss whether we could put forward this fantastic, …”

“Q5. I am speaking on behalf of my constituents Shannon and Tyler, who lost their two-year-old son Hudson earlier this year. Worried about their son, they called 111 and were told that he had gastroenteritis. In fact, Hudson had a twisted bowel and, after being rushed to hospital a few days later, he tragically died.Sha…”

“Q12. Central to growing our economy is delivering major events that drive footfall and investment. Does the Prime Minister share my disappointment that since Reform took over the running of Durham county council, it has slashed funding for Durham Pride, which brings in 20,000 people a year—[Interruption.] Reform Member…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for his incredibly powerful points. He was quite right to say earlier that the north-east has been a cradle of railway ingenuity for many years, and we want to recapture that spirit. We want to recapture high-quality manufacturing in the area—many of us here have worked hard to save the Hitachi r…”

“The hon. Member is absolutely right that it is only by understanding the rich social and cultural heritage across our United Kingdom that we can look properly at and understand the future. I understand he is also a doughty champion for his constituency, from time to time. The Stockton and Darlington railway made a grea…”

“I thank all hon. Members from across the House who took part in the debate today. I thank the Minister for her very generous summary and for acknowledging colleagues who worked so hard on this anniversary, and I thank the Opposition spokespeople for their excellent speeches. It is wonderful to hear that across the coun…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the heritage festival of the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. This month we celebrate a pivotal moment in our history: the first steam-powered passenger train, which marked the birth of…”

“I agree with my hon. Friend. She is a doughty champion for the city of Carlisle and has an astonishing knack of linking all subjects back to Carlisle’s rich heritage. We indeed celebrate its crucial contribution in this debate. Carlisle is lucky to have such a good advocate.”

“9. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers.”