Speeches by Fox.

“But would it not be more efficient if the Ministry of Justice kept an eye on the SRA? What do you add?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I thank the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson) for introducing this debate, and other Members for their contributions. In particular, I thank the hon. Member for Blaydon and Consett (Liz Twist), who described so movingly the circumstances l…”

“I was slightly concerned when I heard the Minister say that she was “working at pace”—that is the phrase that Ministers in the Ministry of Defence have used about the defence investment plan, which has been repeatedly postponed and still is not with us—so can she give a more precise timescale? Does that mean sometime i…”

“The Minister will forgive me if I describe what she has announced as a whole load of waffle. The problem is that the 28-day period is too short, and she should consider some mechanism to allow it to be extended. Providing for training, notices and stuff on websites will not help many victims, who just need more time to…”

“If there was no intention to delete the data, why did the Chair of the Justice Committee write to the Lord Chancellor asking him to stop the deletion of that data?”

“I do agree, and I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the additional time. The legacy legislation introduced by the previous Conservative Government intended to halt that injustice is now being repealed by Labour. That is disgraceful. Not only is Labour’s campaign against our veterans deeply unfair; it endangers us i…”

“Governments of all colours reduced defence spending after the cold war to spend more on health, education and welfare, but the world of today is not the world of 1991. This Government must deal with President Putin rather than President Yeltsin. Since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, it has become increasingly clear th…”

“Rather than raising taxes, could the Minister perhaps not send £36 billion to the Government of Mauritius to rent back an airbase that we already own?”

“The two-child benefit cap. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]”

“The Lords amendments might not be perfect, but do they not set out the principled objection to the Government taxing some basic rate taxpayers more for choosing to save for their pension and at the same time using that money to increase welfare spending?”

“Constituents of mine in Moorland and Fordgate live under the constant threat of flooding. This winter they have been very grateful to the frontline workers from the internal drainage board, the council and the Environment Agency for helping them out. Will my hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to those frontline work…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that small businesses, not only in Bridgwater but across the country, were hit last year by the Chancellor’s jobs tax and have been hit this year by the additional burden of the unemployment Act and higher business rates, and that the prospect of higher fuel duty in September is disastrous not…”

“I was grateful for the Minister’s visit to Somerset, but does she accept that when the Environment Agency announces that it is withdrawing from main river maintenance and will stop dredging the River Parrett, that is exactly the sort of action that contributes to the devastating flooding that she witnessed?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. These regulations introduce four key obligations for institutions delivering specified initial teacher training for further educational courses. First, providers must register with the Secretary of State, who will maintain and publish an official list of approv…”

“T2. Small businesses in Bridgwater were hit last year with the Chancellor’s jobs tax. This year, they face the additional burdens of the Secretary of State’s unemployment Act and higher business rates. With petrol and diesel prices rising, the last thing they want is a fuel duty increase. Will he speak to the Chancello…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I thank my Somerset neighbour, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke), for opening this debate and describing how important carnivals are to Somerset’s culture, life and economy. My neighbour in north Somerset, the hon. Member for Weston-…”

“Does the Minister acknowledge that debt reduction is taking place only because the Government have increased taxes by £66 billion? That contrasts with the tax rise of £7 billion that the Labour party promised in its manifesto. Could he explain the huge discrepancy between that manifesto promise and what the Government …”

“Would the Minister concede that if that was offset by £12 billion less welfare spending, there would not be any threat to the sustainability of the finances?”

“Has my hon. Friend noticed a common thread through the Budget, which is that everyone who works hard, saves hard, invests and creates jobs is being penalised, and all that money is being used to benefit Benefits Street? It is no wonder that the growth rate is going down. [Interruption.]”

“It sounds as if the Minister is adding many, many extra pages to our tax code. What provisions will he be bringing forward to shorten and simplify the tax code?”