Speeches by Voaden.

“You are advocating the defunding of AGQs. If they have struggled with T-levels because they are too academic—the equivalent of three A-levels is quite a lot for somebody who is choosing not to go down an A-level pathway. If we defund technical qualifications, where do those people go and what do they do?”

“I add my voice to the calls to extend bereavement support payments. I was very lucky—well, not lucky—because I was bereaved before those changes were made, and I had bereavement support payments for quite a long time. I want to say a couple of things on that. The reason why someone gets bereavement support payments is …”

“It is an honour to speak under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Member for Stevenage (Kevin Bonavia) for opening the debate. I would like to acknowledge all the people who have signed the petition, and Mark and John for all their work—it is good to see them in the Public Gallery. I speak as someone who h…”

“It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for securing today’s debate on the UK fishing industry. He has been a steadfast supporter of the UK’s fishing communities for many years. I echo his words and those of many others i…”

“The hon. Member talked about the importance of encouraging young people into the industry. That is important for us all, wherever we are. It is clear for us all to see that our fishing communities were deeply let down by the previous Conservative Government, and that the promises made to them in the run-up to Brexit ha…”

“I am aware that my predecessor used to say it was digital-first and that the paperwork did not exist, but I can tell Members that 17 pieces of paper have to be signed every time Offshore Shellfish wants to do an export consignment. It does not matter which side of the channel that comes from. The point is that it was a…”

“It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate the hon. Member for Darlington (Lola McEvoy) on bringing forward this important debate. The internet has undeniably introduced a valuable resource for learning that has transformed society, but technology has also brought with it significant ris…”

“I welcome the ICC’s decision, and I sincerely hope that we will live up to our international obligations if the Prime Minister of Israel visits the UK. You have said yourself that you regret the fact that more aid is not getting into Gaza, and that you have been calling out the Israeli Government for not letting in mor…”

“The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for proper neighbourhood policing, so we welcome this announcement. Sadly, I have heard at first hand the concern and fear of one community in Dartmouth, following a police decision to redeploy a local sergeant who had spent a couple of years building positive relationships an…”

“I see a little bit of a disconnect in something that you said. You talked about a child who has been off for a while coming back into school wearing the wrong uniform, and then being given a detention and sent home. I have literally heard that very example in Devon—of a child immediately being sent home after coming ba…”

“As you have just said, we know that there are a lot of reasons for non-attendance. Some of it is elective because parents think they would rather school their children at home, but there are many children who are struggling in mainstream settings because of their additional needs. How can efforts to improve attendance …”

“The Government’s Children’s Wellbeing Bill is expected to include a requirement for local authorities to maintain children not in school registers, which is a recommendation that was made by the previous Committee. How effective do you think this will be in reducing the number of children who are not attending school?”

“I congratulate the hon. Member for securing this debate. I think we can all agree that the number of children involved in this conflict, particularly the 16,000 children who have been killed, is just absolutely horrific. The UK has suspended some arms licences to Israel, but in light of the violations of humanitarian p…”

“What more do you think local authorities and schools could do to trace children who go missing from education?”

“I want to come in very briefly on something that you were talking about, systems thinking. I was talking recently to an expert in systems thinking and we can see it particularly in justice and the impact of the care system on what then become people who are involved in the justice system later on. Do you see any indica…”

“Parents of pre-school children in South Devon are finding it all but impossible to find nursery or pre-school places due to the lack of availability and the financial pressure that such establishments are under. This is making it extremely difficult for parents, often mothers, who would like to return to work after hav…”

“The Government have repeatedly said that they will not consider lifting the two-child benefit cap, but as we have been hearing from Members, the cost of infant formula can be prohibitive for parents who are not particularly well off. Will the Minister again consider lifting the two-child benefit cap, which we know is t…”

“4. What steps the Government are taking to support women back into work.”

“Lord Darzi said in his review of the NHS that “urgent action is needed to develop a contract that balances activity and prevention, is attractive to dentists and rewards those dentists who practise in less served areas” such as mine in South Devon, where not a single dentist is taking on NHS patients any more. Would my…”

“In our strength, yes, and in our desire to protect the UK fishing industry, but we will do it with kindness. Access to EU markets is crucial, and restrictions would risk not only livelihoods but the £60 million in revenue that supports hundreds of jobs local to me. While we negotiate with the EU, we must ensure that lo…”