Speeches by Vince.

“Nazeing in my constituency is home to many rural businesses, including—as I mentioned before recess—the Lea Valley Growers Association. It has said to me that the biggest challenges it faces are the considerable increase in the cost of energy and energy security, so how does the Minister think the British industrial co…”

“Does the Minister agree that, as we become more and more reliant on IT systems—I am thinking in particular about the new patient registration system at the Princess Alexandra hospital in my constituency—it is more and more important that we combat potential cyber-attacks, particularly from foreign powers and enemies of…”

“I thank the Minister for giving way; I apologise for intervening again. Is there a piece of work we need to do on culture? When businesses or the public sector are victims of cyber-crime, there is a danger that employees may feel embarrassed or nervous about reporting their concerns. We need to encourage people if they…”

“This is a friendly intervention, as I always like to get a bit of cross-party agreement where possible. I mentioned to the Minister the importance of changing the culture among employees to ensure that they feel confident about reporting cyber-attacks. Does the shadow Secretary of State agree with that?”

“Mr Speaker, I wish you and your team a very happy new year. I welcome the Minister’s work on the defending democracy taskforce. How can MPs like me, and political parties more generally, get involved in supporting the taskforce, because I am passionate about representing Harlow and not Moscow?”

“I put on the record my thanks to the farmers in my constituency of Harlow who have engaged really productively on the issue. In particular, I pay tribute to Richard and Jack Scantlebury of Great Canfield. Can the Minister talk further about how the record investment of £11.8 billion in sustainable farming can help to b…”

“As a former maths teacher, I would be very interested to see the trends with regard to absconsions and the moving average over a period of time. However, ultimately one absconsion by a dangerous criminal is one too many. More specifically, what is the Minister doing to support and train prison staff to ensure they unde…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg, and I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate and for her very personal testimony. Does she agree with me and PACT for Autism, which is based in my constituency, that we should not only support people in work, but support people into work? The applicati…”

“Digital IDs have the potential to make life much easier for my constituents in Harlow. However, I have constituents who are concerned about data security. What reassurance can the Minister give them that their data will be safe with this new system?”

“I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. As he will be aware, my constituency of Harlow has a lower than average number of young people going to university, which is something that I would like to see addressed. However, can he talk me through the benefits of the Erasmus+ scheme for young people in Harlow who do not…”

“rose—”

“It’s Christmas! I have been here the whole time, by the way, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Minister talks about the impact on different earners. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury mentioned that only one in five self-employed people actually gets a pension, and there was another statistic about low earners. Can th…”

“That is a really important point; thank you.”

“I appreciate that there is a specific day for this—24 January—but, as you have heard, there is a long wait. How important is the specific day for you? Are you willing to wait for potentially a month or so?”

“I declare an interest as a former teacher. This is a hugely important issue and I understand why you want a Chamber debate. Would you take a Westminster Hall debate if it were to come earlier, or would you rather wait for the Chamber?”

“Jim, your most recent debate was on World COPD Day on Thursday 20 November, and there was not a great turnout of people to speak—probably because it was a Thursday. I notice that you have asked for a Tuesday for this debate, which may deal with this question. Are you confident that the majority of people on the applica…”

“I agree with that. Could I just ask, in terms of ITT, are there any particular cold spots? I am thinking not simply in terms of subjects, but in terms of geographical locations.”

“What developments have been made in the initial teacher training market since the ITT market review report published in July 2021? How have those changes affected the recruitment, training quality, and overall support of teachers?”

“Yes, but are housing costs in whatever region affecting teacher retention? Because that is a serious consideration for teachers.”

“Continuing on the topic of pay, to Daniel’s earlier point, I felt I should also declare an interest as the husband of a teacher who has just gone on maternity leave. What do we think future pay awards need to do to ensure that teaching remains attractive but also competitive?”