Speeches by Brandreth.

“The Countess of Chester hospital is the local hospital for me and for many of my constituents. They will rightly want to know the outcome of the inquiry. On top of these historical matters, last year the CQC rated the Countess of Chester hospital’s urgent and emergency care services inadequate and found that the overal…”

“Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Bertie, April, Oliver, Rhys and Isaac from Wrenbury primary school, who have successfully completed the horticulture, food and futures project run in partnership with Reaseheath college? This fantastic pilot has transformed these pupils’ enthusiasm for education by…”

“Baddington bridge has been under a 7.5 tonne weight restriction since September 2025, with an hour-long diversion, leading to significant additional costs for local businesses and farms. Without a workable alternative, some drivers are ignoring the restriction, causing damage and disruption to country roads and nearby …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I start by thanking the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) for securing this important debate, and for sharing his family’s experience. I recognise the vital work of the Changing Places consortium, established in 2005, in continuing to …”

“On Chagos, can you confirm whether Mauritius will receive any of the money that was pledged in the Government’s treaty this year, even if the legislation has not been passed in the UK Parliament to implement the treaty?”

“Thank you for that, and thank you for raising Sudan. I want to pick up specifically on the British Indian Ocean Territory. According to the minutes of the Mauritian Cabinet meeting on 10 July, the UK has informed the Mauritian Government that “a new UK Prime Minister was likely to be appointed by 20 July 2026, but the …”

“So you do not know, as Foreign Secretary?”

“We are very short on time, and I think all of us here know the issues, but what I am really keen to understand is whether the new Prime Minister intends to bring the Bill back in the same form, and whether he has been involved in these talks with the Mauritian Government.”

“On that point, in the Home Secretary’s speech in the House yesterday she said that “The Foreign Secretary and I will continue to work on all avenues to pursue a deportation.” Do you agree with the shadow Home Secretary that, if a country refuses to take back a convicted criminal, they should face visa sanctions?”

“But you are not aware whether the assertion made by the FCDO came in any way from the new Prime Minister.”

“So it is possible that money may be passed over in the Budget even if it does not go through.”

“Foreign Secretary, at the start the Chair asked you about your priorities. In March, you wrote to the Committee setting those out, against the backdrop of what you described as a “volatile, contested and unstable” world. I welcome the Government’s continued support for Ukraine, which rightly has been steadfast. but bey…”

“On that point—I can imagine what your answer will probably be to this as well, but I just want to check—are you aware whether the new incoming Prime Minister has engaged with the US Administration on the Chagos deal?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) on securing this debate. The financial pressures facing pig farmers—indeed, farmers in every sector of our rural economy—are serious. Independent producers have seen pri…”

“Moving on to a totally different topic—you will be relieved to hear—as you know, yesterday the Home Secretary took steps to close legal loopholes so that the leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, Shabir Ahmed, a vile individual who is guilty of horrendous crimes of exploiting, raping and abusing young girls, can be dep…”

“The hon. Member is making a really important point about the need for consumers to be clear about where their food is produced and reared. I draw his attention to my private Member’s Bill on that very topic. I hope that he and others across the House will support it.”

“Can you give a specific example?”

“Have you ever withheld or reduced funding because you feel that conditions have not been met, or has that not occurred?”

“That would be really helpful. Thank you. I want to pick up on a couple of the things that you referred to. You referred to the welfare policy, also known as the PA’s “pay for slay” policy. When was the last time you raised that directly with the Palestinian Authority? Also, to follow on from Dr Dixon’s answer, can I co…”

“To clarify, from my own understanding, are you saying that there are certain things you may or may not fund, but that there are not any conditions in relation to the funding that you do give?”