Speeches by Martin.

“Q One of the biggest changes is made by clause 3, which allows people outside the armed forces to make a complaint or raise a concern. Do you think that will be a good thing? Mariette Hughes: I think it absolutely will be a good thing. The Bill pitches it right: such individuals will be able to raise concerns but, as I…”

“Q Thank you for your service and for doing what seems to be a great job in the circumstances. You alluded to the fact that this has been a long time coming, that you have been pushing for this and that there had previously been no backlog. The aim of the new Bill is to improve service licence conditions for service per…”

“Q We have heard about the erosion of the contract and that the same issues are raised time and time again. On top of that, the MOD has already produced several independent although non-binding reports to Parliament—Haythornthwaite, Kerslake, Sheldon, Etherton, Atherton. What makes this different? How and why will this …”

“Q Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for your time this afternoon. All three of you will have seen much during your working lives and in the roles you have now, and had extensive conversations with service personnel. We are aware that there is an attrition rate from the service, low morale, dissatisfaction with th…”

“Q You touched on this, Sir Andrew, when you talked about the size of the job and the role. Do you think that the proposals for resourcing the commissioner’s office are adequate to fulfil those functions? You talked a lot about trust and transparency, and others have spoken about impact. To either of you, is there anyth…”

“My son is in the Navy.”

“We are in a housing crisis. Last year, the number of planning permissions granted was the lowest in a decade. What work is the Minister undertaking to turn the page on the failure of the last Government, so that we can build the social housing that is desperately needed in places such as Portsmouth, where viability and…”

“At a recent local public meeting in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, parents raised concerns about school provision and the learning environment. As a local authority, we sit in the bottom three in the league tables. What steps is the Secretary of State taking not only to improve recruitment and retention in specialist subjects…”

“3. What steps she is taking to improve teacher recruitment and retention in Portsmouth North constituency.”

“The IFS has estimated that it would cost the Government about £400 million to sustain 16 to 19 education funding in its current level per student but in the recent Budget £300 million was allocated for further education. What are the likely consequences of this shortfall for the sector?”

“On that note, at least 8,000 of my constituents in Portsmouth North work in freight and logistics, and it has been highlighted to me that freight crime has really discouraged female drivers from entering and remaining in the industry. The International Transport Workers’ Federation found that a lack of secure parking f…”

“Residents in Portsmouth North have loved ones and family members in Bangladesh and, like this House, are concerned about their safety and security. Does the Minister agree that we need to see a peaceful pathway to an inclusive and democratic future for Bangladesh, and can she give us and Portsmouth North constituents i…”

“Residents in Portsmouth North are concerned about the rising cost of housing asylum seekers. Although it is not what we would have wanted as a Government, it is good that we have been open and apologetic about having to house, on a temporary basis, these people because of the inactivity of the previous Government. Does…”

“As a former teacher, I hope that the Government are working across Departments. Will we work with the Department for Education to ensure that these conversations are had in our schools, right from the beginning, at primary level, and all the way through?”

“These changes are fantastic and are much needed to get Britain back to work after 14 years of dismissal and neglect of real lives and real people under the last Government. However, areas such as Portsmouth North do not have a devolution deal yet. Can the Secretary of State provide details on how those not in work in P…”

“Antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping, off-road bikes and e-scooters racing along pavements and streets, and an epidemic of shoplifting are all issues raised time and again by my constituents across all wards of Portsmouth North. Does the Minister agree that we need police officers back on the beat in local communities, eq…”

“Brilliant—so you do not have a date, but you look forward to getting one. The Government also announced the creation of a cross-party child poverty taskforce to develop a child poverty strategy for spring 2025. How will you contribute to this process, and have you started?”

“Yes—those who are choosing to home school.”

“I want to look at two reports that you have done, and that you have touched on in some of your answers. The first is the family section in The Big Ambition. You have advocated for the establishment of family hubs and universal access to parenting courses. What discussions have you had with the new Government on greater…”

“I have a few questions around family but before that I want to come back to something you were talking about with Caroline Voaden: home schooling. You said the words, “No fear”. You have also talked about personal relationships and communication, and obviously welcome the register. What work have you done with local au…”