Speeches by Baxter.

“A very merry Christmas to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My constituents would have been forgiven for thinking that Christmas had come early last weekend, because we were treated to not one, but two major sporting achievements. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Stephen Robinson and everyone at St Mirre…”

“Merry Christmas to you, Mr Speaker, and to everyone across the House. I reiterate what colleagues from across the Chamber have said about the importance of reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act. It is 60 years old and has not kept pace with modern medicine, new technology or the way that veterinary practices are run. W…”

“Thank you for joining us this morning. You have talked about Connect to Work a little already. It is obviously being rolled out currently. How confident are you that it will achieve its objectives for disabled people and other disadvantaged groups, bearing in mind that intersectionality point you have just made?”

“Do you think the right lessons have been learned on the funding, commissioning and delivery models, or is that a work in progress?”

“We are very pressed for time, so I will keep my questions short. You have spoken a lot about Connect to Work being different from what has come before. Are the Government right to require all support to adhere to either IPS or the supported employment quality framework?”

“Thank you.”

“2. What steps she is taking to help tackle online content promoting the torture of animals.”

“Earlier this year, two teenagers were prosecuted for the torture and killing of kittens in a public park. A BBC investigation has since uncovered a disturbing international network sharing videos of extreme cruelty to cats and kittens, and users here in the UK and those prosecuted have been found to be in possession of…”

“Thank you very much for joining us this morning. I will address my question to Professor Stafford in the first instance. We are interested in looking at the evolution of employment support for disabled people over the last 20-odd years, or so. The previous Labour Government’s flagship programme was the new deal for dis…”

“I will try to keep my question brief. The SNP and the Tories sat on their hands while jobs and livelihoods were at risk, so I warmly welcome the announcement today and I thank the Minister and all Departments involved. The announcement not only protects 500 jobs; it is an investment in our national security. Does the M…”

“I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement and thank him for mentioning the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. I recently co-ordinated a cross-party letter to the Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Do…”

“One of the many challenges that Ukraine will face should a peace agreement be reached is the task of clearing land of mines and unexploded ordnance so that it can once again sustain Ukraine’s vital agricultural economy. How do the Government intend to invest in innovative de-mining technologies and work with Ukraine to…”

“Although the new US security strategy contains some elements that many across the House will find concerning, it also states that the US will seek peace everywhere. We all want to see a lasting and just peace in Ukraine—a sovereign Ukraine where the killing stops and the 20,000 stolen children are returned to their fam…”

“Some 60% of UK households enjoy the company of a pet, but the cost of caring for their health has increased exponentially in recent years. Since 2015, vet fees for household pets have soared by 63%, far outpacing inflation. The Competition and Markets Authority recently published its provisional findings into the veter…”

“On St Andrew’s Day, we honour a Scotland rooted in community, fairness and responsibility—the values that have shaped our nation for generations, and which continue to guide communities like mine in Paisley and Renfrewshire South. Legend has it that St Andrew foretold the future site of the city we now know as Kyiv, an…”

“Is it not the case that there are more people waiting more than two years in individual health boards in Scotland than in the whole of England? Does the right hon. Member agree that that is a disgrace of the Scottish Government?”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that this Bill is the foundation for good industrial relations in this country and the best uplift to workers’ rights in a generation? Does he therefore agree that it is surprising that not a single Scottish National party Member is in the Chamber to debate workers’ rights in this country?”

“I thank the Minister for his response to the urgent question, and also for his unshakeable commitment to putting the safety of service personnel first. Can he tell us when the Ajax programme was last paused before this incident?”

“I warmly welcome the publication of the child poverty strategy, in particular the lifting of the two-child benefit cap, which will lift 1,560 children in Paisley and Renfrewshire South out of poverty. But 100,000 children in Scotland remain stuck in homelessness accommodation, and that is on the SNP’s watch; it has con…”

“President Putin has proposed that Russia assume sovereignty over Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk as part of any so-called final peace settlement with Ukraine, which would carry profound consequences for the 1.6 million children who are currently living under Russian occupation in those regions. The evidence is clear that R…”