Speeches by Cane.

“Many of our hospitals are crumbling, but even those that appear sound may contain hidden dangers, notably asbestos. Last week I met a constituent who is suffering from mesothelioma, contracted from asbestos. He was very concerned that so many of our hospitals and other public buildings still have asbestos within them, …”

“T3. Cambridgeshire’s rural crime action team is successful, but it does not have the resources to be available 24/7. Indeed, it was not available during the recent hare coursing incursion into my constituency of Ely and East Cambridgeshire. What assessment has the Minister made of ensuring the 24/7 availability of rura…”

“There are no criteria that you have pre-set against which you are going to do these judgments?”

“The voter ID was introduced to tackle electoral fraud. What evidence is there that electoral fraud has been reduced?”

“In the Government’s response to the Commission’s report, you say that public trust has been undermined. Could you outline how it has been undermined and explain how significant a crisis it is for the UK’s political system?”

“What resource are you going to put into doing all those things, a lot of which people would say have been happening for some time? What resource are you going to put in to ensure that those things are happening and that it does improve trust?”

“Can you give an example of something specific that has been done or is about to be done?”

“I am pleased to hear about the initiatives around protecting candidates, but I am not entirely sure that they are directly relevant to trust in our politics. They are relevant to participation and they are important, but I am not sure that they are relevant to trust. What is concerning me is that, as you say, there are…”

“We know that at the last election a minimum of 16,000 people were excluded. The Electoral Commission tells us the figures are significantly higher because there are people who simply did not even try. And yet I think, if I am right in remembering, the number of charges for personation was 34. What are the criteria you …”

“You are looking at the impact on voters and whether or not they were able to vote, and it is good to hear that. However, I have not heard anything about the impact on electoral fraud—which was why it was introduced in the first place—and how that is being measured, and I have not heard what your criteria are for judgin…”

“Farmers in Ely and East Cambridgeshire face the threats of flood and drought, which are made infinitely worse by the climate change that my right hon. Friend is talking about, in addition to all the other challenges that farmers are facing. Does he agree that the Government should invest in rural flood management and w…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden) on securing the debate and summing up the issues so comprehensively. I want to talk about transport. Successive Governments have judged transport investment by the number of people usi…”

“I welcome much of what was in the Prime Minister’s statement, particularly what he said about our continued support for the brave people of Ukraine, but I was shocked by what he has described as a difficult and painful decision to cut overseas aid. I suggest that it was nowhere near as difficult and painful as it will …”

“Your manifesto committed to replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second Chamber and to consulting on proposals. What is your timetable for that consultation, and how will you ensure public input to it? Nick Thomas-Symonds: On the timetable, we will look to get the hereditary Bill on to the statute book in t…”

“Good morning, Minister. You have largely answered my first question, which was about what the EU’s formal position was going to be. In other words, we do not know yet. We have heard various linkages that have been coming out, for example, on fisheries and youth mobility. How are you working to calibrate our negotiating…”

“11. What steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase access to assessments for special educational needs.”

“Cambridgeshire has some of the lowest funding in England for GP practices and schools. Given the Government’s focus on growth for the area and the record demand for special educational needs and disabilities and young people’s mental health services, will the Minister work with colleagues across Government to ensure th…”

“I agree—who wouldn’t?—but the EU has a structure. It has shared ideas, freedom of movement across the EU and things like that. It will have its red lines, just as we have our red lines. How are you trying to plan our negotiations so that you know how you will respond to their red lines? Nick Thomas-Symonds: I am pragma…”

“How are you working with the various Departments that will be impacted? Your Government’s major priority is growth, so obviously, business and trade will have a big interest in these negotiations. But in terms of the youth mobility scheme, how will you be working with the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Off…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. Labour’s family farm tax will be a disaster for hard-working farmers in Ely and East Cambridgeshire, and throughout the country, and they are farmers who have already suffered under years of Conservative cuts. This new tax policy threatens to devastate farms …”