Speeches by Ballinger.

“Before being elected, I was proud to serve alongside our European allies, including French, Dutch and Estonian forces, in Afghanistan and elsewhere. In the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine, it is more important than ever that we build on those alliances to strengthen European security. Can the Secretary of State t…”

“For many of our communities, youth services are a lifeline. They provide essential support to young people, helping them to navigate the complexities of adolescence and the transition into adulthood, but unfortunately those services have disappeared across the country. The decline of youth services in towns such as Hal…”

“rose—”

“My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does he welcome the news announced today that 12,000 civil servants will move out of London and into the regions to work on exactly these issues? Would he recommend that some of the civil servants moving to the west midlands should come from the Department for Business and …”

“If this plan is not enacted and we see a return to large‑scale military operations in Gaza by the Israelis, what would be the consequences for the situation in Lebanon?”

“Who might that body be? What would be a credible Palestinian governance structure?”

“You will have seen the Arab proposals for peace in Gaza put forward by Egypt, Qatar and others. First, I would like your reflections on those peace proposals. To what extent do you think it is a credible plan? Is it something that could work in Gaza? Also, how much is peace in Lebanon linked to the situation in Gaza? W…”

“Given that the last Government reduced our Army to a size not seen since the Napoleonic era, we should take no lectures on defence from Opposition Members. The people who will benefit from this are the defence contractors in my constituency who have been struggling to sell their components to the EU since Brexit and ha…”

“Which of our red lines cause a problem with that?”

“To complete the circle, do you have anything to add, Ms Gaston?”

“Thank you. Mr Grant, you spoke about the SAFE fund, which is the £150 billion cross-EU package that is available. Might the UK access that? How would we go about negotiating access?”

“You have all separately spoken about the challenges with defence and industrial co-operation. I have seen some of those in my own area, in the Black Country, where a lot of defence manufacturers have lost out on contracts with EU suppliers that they might otherwise have got before Brexit. We have talked about the barri…”

“3. What steps his Department is taking to support GPs to spend more time with patients.”

“My constituents in Halesowen have written to me time and again complaining that they are calling their GP surgeries at 8 am, as instructed, but are still unable to get a same-day appointment. Can the Minister set out how the £100 million investment in GP surgeries, consulting rooms and other facilities will finally put…”

“It has now been more than two months since Israel blocked food and aid getting into Gaza. Aid agencies tell us that 95% of their work has been stopped or drastically reduced because of the blockade. I welcome the Minister’s comments condemning these appalling actions, but we are now facing a total collapse of the aid s…”

“Eighty years ago, Britain celebrated victory in Europe. The war was over, although the real achievement was not just the military triumph but the extraordinary effort that got us there: the unity, the resolve and the national determination to stand up to fascism and defend freedom and democracy. I have thought about th…”

“I congratulate the Minister on securing this vital trade deal. The automotive sector in the west midlands has been worried about increasing tariffs in the US, so a trade deal with India—a country where UK brands are highly respected—is extremely welcome. Can the Minister tell my constituents in Halesowen who work in th…”

“I add my words of support for the action the UK took last night. The Houthi group is a terrorist organisation that has been deeply destabilising and it is right that we are playing our role in protecting freedom of navigation. The Halesowen community of Yemenis are really concerned about the desperate humanitarian situ…”

“Q15. I welcome the Government’s decision this month to secure British Steel. At a time when European security is critical, defence manufacturers in the Black Country, like Somers Forge in Halesowen and B.B. Price in Cradley Heath, will be using that steel to make the military equipment that our defence needs. Will the …”

“This may be quite an advantageous process to get to a European fighting force that is more effective.”