Speeches by Grady.

“People across Glasgow East welcome the proposed ban on social media for under-16s. I thank the Secretary of State and the Minister for AI and Online Safety for their excellent work, which means that young people across Glasgow and Scotland will be much safer. However, kids will get round the ban and young people aged 1…”

“Briefly, to your wildfire point, is there a need for a much stricter remedy for accountants who advise snail farms and things like that, so some sort of interim order that would stop them from advising them to do that?”

“There are no additional risks from one to the other to public health.”

“On that, you are correct, Mr Townsend, and it is called piercing the corporate veil. Is there a need to review company law to enable the corporate veil to be pierced to a civil standard on a more frequent basis, so that those behind these entities are held personally liable for the tax?”

“Ms Cheeseman, tobacco itself is a high-risk product, self-evidently. Where would I look for reliable evidence as to any additional health risks arising from illegal tobacco?”

“The RSF have slaughtered children and used rape as a weapon of war. As we return to our constituencies, we should reflect on how we would act if this were happening in them—to our mothers, our sisters, our partners and our children. The UN Security Council says that there will be no impunity for those committing war cr…”

“Finally, Ms Pardoe.”

“Ms Rennie, that has taken me to exactly where I wanted to wrap this section up, which is that a lot of these reforms are targeted at pension savings and things like that. However, in my constituency of Glasgow East and in other cities in Scotland, people need basic help with things like insurance, current accounts, sav…”

“Briefly I will go round the panel, because time is marching on. Mr Daley, do you have anything to add to that?”

“Ms Rennie, back up to Scotland.”

“Mr Daley?”

“Ms Concha?”

“Ms Rennie raised the question of the independence of the FOS and the chair, so I am picking up concerns about the strength of the chair’s independence. On the proposal to give the chair more independence and for the chair to be demonstrably independent, what would you do? Do you think it is a good idea that this Commit…”

“Do you think the Government need to focus on reforms to enable that cohort of consumers—the poorest cohort of consumers—to get access to better advice?”

“If there is no scrutiny role for this Committee, what conclusions do you think consumer groups and consumers would draw about the independence and robustness of the chair?”

“On that point, it would be helpful if you followed up in writing—I’m sorry I’m dishing out homework. On insurance generally and people becoming uninsurable because insurance is more data rich, does that take you to the point where you feel there should be some sort of basic insurance product that people can access in t…”

“Briefly, because I think you have covered it all, just answer with a yes or no. Do you feel that the Treasury has engaged effectively with consumer groups on reforms to the FOS? I will start with Ms Pardoe and then work my way round. Just a very brief answer, please.”

“Thank you. Briefly, Ms Rennie, because time is marching on, do you have anything to add to what Mr Daley and Ms Concha have said?”

“Thank you. Ms Rennie?”

“Thank you. We will move on to insurance. I do not know who wants to go first in outlining briefly where they see the main harms in the insurance market to consumers at the moment.”