Speeches by Lamont.

“That was the example I used, but there are other examples that could easily be pulled out.”

“Just to go back to where I started, surely you would agree it is wrong that as a UK Member of Parliament I cannot get data that allows me to compare levels of child poverty between Liverpool and Dundee?”

“But surely it should not be a matter of what suits the policymakers and the decision makers. You rightly make the point that we have devolved Parliaments in this nation, but we are still part of the United Kingdom. When it comes to assessing how different parts of the United Kingdom are performing, surely we need a con…”

“That is my point. When I was trying to compare the levels of child poverty in Liverpool to Dundee, for example, that became an almost impossible task because of the lack of availability of data from Scotland. Do you agree that that is a problem?”

“Are you therefore confident that the data is being collected on a consistent basis across all parts of the UK?”

“T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.”

“My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does he agree that the Labour Government’s proposals are creating the worst of both worlds? On one hand, they are failing to tackle the rising welfare budget, but on the other they are creating anxiety and fear among many disabled and vulnerable people, who do not understan…”

“The award-winning bookshop and deli Mainstreet Trading Company in St Boswells has been forced to reduce its operating hours because “increases to employer national insurance mean that our operating cost base has increased significantly.” What advice does the Chancellor have for small businesses suffering because of thi…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 700036 relating to driven grouse shooting. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. As a member of the Petitions Committee, I have been asked to open this debate, and it is my duty to present the petition reasonably and fairly. After doing s…”

“Mrs Harris, you will be relieved to hear that I will not take the remaining hour to conclude the debate. I thank the petitioners; I thank the Petitions Committee for facilitating the debate; and I thank the 104,000 people who signed the petition. I suspect those people will be a little surprised by the lack of balance …”

“Research shows that 91% of farmers see poor mental health as the industry’s biggest hidden issue. Last year, Kelso farmer Neil Stewart very sadly took his own life. His friends and family have since raised over £80,000 for RSABI, which provides support for people working in farming. Will the Leader of the House join me…”

“My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. I have had similar challenges in my constituency in the Scottish Borders. Like him, I have been campaigning for banking hubs—in Selkirk and Eyemouth. Indeed, I presented a petition in the House of Commons a few weeks ago. The banking hub we have in Jedburgh is working very …”

“My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech about banking services in Hertfordshire, but I want to make a broader point about the criteria for allowing banking hubs. To be fair to the Minister, she has engaged well with me, too, but surely the point has come for Government intervention, to try to persuade—or tell—Link…”

“In addition to some customers not being comfortable using digital, some are unable to do so because they do not have broadband. I am sure the hon. Lady’s constituency is like mine. For some communities, if the bank branch has gone, using the banking app is not possible because the broadband capability is not there.”

“7. If she will take steps to stop the use of smartphones in schools.”

“T4. Scottish education was once the envy of the world, but under the SNP it is being destroyed. Data shows that a quarter of 11-year-olds in Scotland are not achieving expected literacy levels. Does the Minister agree that the SNP needs to drop its weird obsessions and get back to the basics of sorting out Scotland’s e…”

“Mobile phones in classrooms are linked to disruptive and violent behaviour. Does the Minister agree that mobile phones should be banned in all schools so that children are focused on their education, not glued to Instagram and TikTok?”

“It is common ridings and festival season in the Scottish Borders, a spectacular and ancient tradition dating back to the battle of Flodden in 1513, bringing together each of the Borders communities to celebrate, so may we have a debate on the importance of the Scottish Borders common ridings and festivals? Will the Lea…”

“You referenced earlier a spike in the caseload after the election last year, was it 370?”

“Looking at how you might adjust the system, of that 370, what proportion needed a deep dive because of the potential conflict and how many do you think should have been waved through?”