Speeches by Smith.

“This is an important subject. There seems to be a common denominator in many of the comments: the significance of rural areas. I note that my hon. Friend’s constituency has large rural areas, as does mine. Does he agree that there is a particular challenge—whether with rural B roads or even major national roads or nati…”

“I welcome the landmark £5 billion agriculture budget announced in the Budget, which is the biggest-ever budget for sustainable farming. My farmers in North Northumberland desperately need that money. In that context, what more can the Secretary of State do to push for his Department to get that money out the door in a …”

“I am interested in the clawback mechanism. Presumably, though, that then requires, as has been described elsewhere, an active farmer test or designation to identify who is in this middle ground of family farmers. What would be the best way to create that definition?”

“It is worth further discussion, but I should probably take us back to some of the specifics to do with inheritance tax. This might be covering ground that we have already covered to a degree, but it is the nub of the issue here. There is a difference between the number of farms projected to be affected by inheritance t…”

“I wonder if I might ask a supplementary to the preceding conversation before I go into the question that I am planning to ask. The Government are in the process of publishing a defence industrial strategy, which is recognising the place that we are in at the moment in the world, and investing in the production of armam…”

“Your concern is that the food-producing family farms are the ones that are going to be hit most.”

“Someone suggested earlier—forgive me; I cannot remember who said it—that the majority of farms in Northern Ireland would tend to be owned farms and would be their own landlord. Have you anything further to say about that differential between tenants and owner-occupiers, as it were, with farmers, in terms of how this po…”

“Is there a feature that has to do with longevity, and demonstrating the longevity over a generation, a decade or whatever—pick a number—of farming in that location?”

“I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate, and I am grateful that the Conservatives, after many years of ignoring farmers, have finally decided to pay attention to farming and food security. Farming plays a vital role in the past, present and future of North Northumberland. There are almost 2,000 farms across N…”

“I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. I was in Belfast this week with other members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, and it was clear that all sections of Northern Ireland society were opposed to the legacy Act as it was constituted. Will the Secretary of State work with all stakeholders going for…”

“According to Women’s Aid, a fifth of all crime in Northern Ireland is domestic abuse. We know that paramilitary organisations make reporting, confronting or escaping such abuse even more difficult. How are the Government working with the Northern Ireland Executive to break down those coercive barriers to support for wo…”

“8. What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling violence against women and girls.”

“As we have been hearing, the situation in Gaza—especially northern Gaza—is dire, with the UN anticipating that this year up to 60,000 children under the age of five could be facing acute malnutrition. At the same time, the trucks entering Gaza have reduced by 63% since October 2023. I welcome the leading role that the …”

“9. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in the middle east.”

“Can I ask about the commission itself then? Given that that is the part that you have committed to keeping, how would you like to see it reformed? How will you engage stakeholders in that reformation process? If I may as well, how will you orientate it significantly more towards the reconciliation dimension of its remi…”

“What parts of the September Northern Ireland Court of Appeal judgment are you seeking to appeal and why?”

“This is the penultimate question for me, if I am allowed. Going back to ICRIR, Secretary of State, are you saying that you see no role for ICRIR in the agenda of reconciliation and/or do you see any other role for a UK Government-supported reconciliation process in Northern Ireland?”

“Welcome. There remains some uncertainty regarding the Government’s plans on legacy. What is the timeline for the repeal and replace process, please?”

“I have a simple question: would the hon. Gentleman agree that the last Government had 14 years to dual the A1 and did not manage to do so?”

“I am absolutely delighted to speak in this debate alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Joe Morris), and I am delighted that he secured it. The lack of accessible transport options to Northumberland secondary schools, in particular, may not attract national attention, but it affects children, young people and…”