Speeches by Whitby.

“These might be quite quick questions. First, to Mr Kite, what are your members telling you about the capacity and capability of local planners and ecologists to process housing applications?”

“On the point about longevity and heritage, Wirksworth Heritage Centre—a key community space and cultural asset in Derbyshire Dales—has recently had to close because of economic pressures. Does my hon. Friend recognise the specific challenges facing cultural and heritage sites on rural high streets?”

“A question for Ms Neal: are building surveyors finding local planning authorities will not be able to cope with a significant increase in planning applications?”

“These might be quite quick questions. First, to Mr Kite, what are your members telling you about the capacity and capability of local planners and ecologists to process housing applications?”

“A question for Ms Neal: are building surveyors finding local planning authorities will not be able to cope with a significant increase in planning applications?”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government policy on children in care. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I asked for this debate because we as parliamentarians must maintain the focus on children the state is responsible for. I have been a foster carer for 25 years, a member of an …”

“Unsurprisingly, I definitely agree with the hon. Member: of course we need to support children in kinship care. I am sure the Minister will talk about kinship care as well, and I am glad to say that part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill requires local authorities to make an offer on kinship care, which is v…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that the voice of the child is key at every step of the way. We must listen to children, so advocacy is entirely fundamental. For full disclosure, I should say that I have not received fostering allowances since last May, as I have been busy doing other things, so I have nothing t…”

“I obviously want children to stay in the family network as much as possible. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill supports that with family group decision making and the kinship care offer, so hopefully more children will stay within the familial network, which is better for them and for the state. The previous Go…”

“I do agree. It appears as though the Government are expanding the services available to children in kinship care, and that sounds like a good thing. I would like every child in care to have therapeutic support, because they all need it. They have all been massively traumatised by something. The next question is: why ha…”

“I recognise that children go to placements with plastic bags, and it is heartbreaking. What a fabulous thing the hon. Member has raised. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including approximately 1 million children—nearly triple the number in 2017…”

“There is clearly a theme here. I am sure the Minister will address the growing consensus that kinship care needs the support that children in care receive. Children are bound to be impacted by the problems they have experienced. That is not to say that we accept poor results; it is just to put them in context. The stat…”

“All of government and all councils need to do more. They need to understand that we need to do more for children in care to create a level playing field, because they have such difficult issues to overcome. I completely agree with my hon. Friend. In the same period that the cost of children in care went up to £7 billio…”

“3. What steps her Department is taking to support female offenders.”

“What family support is available for women at Foston Hall prison and young offenders institution?”

“Secretary of State, following on nicely, a key part of the Government’s approach, as you have already stated, to delivering net zero is the clean power by 2030 mission. How do you respond to the National Energy System Operator’s contention that delivery of key elements of that plan “are at the limits of what is feasibl…”

“With that in mind, I think I know the answer to this question, but is it realistic to think that all the elements of this mission can and will be delivered simultaneously and at pace?”

“As clean power by 2030 is a core element of delivering net zero, is there a plan B for net zero if we do not hit all the clean power targets?”

“A question first of all to Dr Sayers. How comprehensive and how joined up is England’s monitoring of flood risk and water levels, especially in those areas most susceptible to flooding?”

“Dr McDonagh, do you have any more comments on coastal communities?”