Speeches by Fox.

“Tourism is very important to Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State reassure business owners in those towns and villages that her Government have no plans to introduce a tourism tax?”

“Although I am disappointed that the Minister has not accepted the new clause, I will withdraw it at this stage. I can count 10 Government Members and only five on the Opposition Benches, so my chances of success in a Division would be limited. I hope the new clause can find its way back into the Bill, perhaps in anothe…”

“Tourism is very important to Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State reassure business owners in those towns and villages that her Government have no plans to introduce a tourism tax?”

“I am looking for the political justification for it.”

“Well, it is not an answer, is it?”

“8. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed increases in employers’ national insurance contributions on job creation in Northern Ireland.”

“I am grateful for the warm welcome. How does the Minister expect businesses in Northern Ireland to grow and invest in their communities, given that they have to pay the enormous tax increases imposed by the Chancellor?”

“Chair, if I may, as Lord Hermer has given a very lengthy reply to that, what I think undermines faith in politicians and the rule of law is that, whenever I want to ask a question about why the Government want to reopen the door to a wave of meritless litigation in relation to events over 50 years ago that will result …”

“Good morning, Lord Hermer.”

“Okay. Thank you, Chair.”

“I see. You have acted for Gerry Adams in the past. Could you tell the Committee whether you acted for him on any form of conditional fee agreement?”

“You could provide a justification for the policy reasons without commenting one way or the other on whether you had advised.”

“Could you explain to me the Government’s rationale behind the repeal of section 46 and section 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act and whether you advised on that?”

“I am not looking for legal advice—”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. The amendment will ensure that the provisions of section 12(2) of the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 remain effective even in the context of the changes proposed in the Bill. Section 12(2) will make it a criminal offence for an individual to be in possess…”

“Government amendments 191 and 192 are designed to ensure legal continuity for actions and decisions made regarding existing enforcement officers prior to the implementation of part 5 of the Bill. They stipulate that any actions or procedures carried out “in relation to” enforcement officers before the new provisions co…”

“The amendment would grant enforcement officers, under part 5 of the Bill, the authority to exercise the powers outlined in section 37 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Specifically, it would enable those officers to extract information from electronic devices in certain circumstances. Of course, eve…”

“The hon. Member makes a number of valuable points. The proposed removal of the GLAA raises concerns about how its important functions will be handled. It is imperative that a robust alternative structure be put in place to address those critical issues and to continue protecting workers’ rights and preventing exploitat…”

“Amendment 196 seeks to clarify the applicability of general and specific provisions and the relationship between the general provision outlined in paragraph 6 of schedule 7 and any more specific provision within that schedule. The amendment ensures that, in the event of a conflict or overlap between general and specifi…”

“My hon. Friend makes a valuable point. The reason that the Bill is in such poor condition is that the Labour party was under a political obligation to its trade union friends to bring it forward within 100 days. Had it waited a month or two, we would not have needed such detailed scrutiny and so many Government amendme…”