Speeches by Whitby.

“My hon. Friend mentioned other Derbyshire MPs. Many of my constituents have told me how Ashgate hospice has been there for them in their darkest moments. Paula Reeve told me that what Ashgate did for her mother, Joan Dempsey, “felt nothing short of miraculous...That time was a very precious gift and my family remain in…”

“Agriculture is a major source of secondary particulate matter. How can we improve air quality in that sector?”

“Dr Megson, what are the risks to humans from PFAS entering the food chain? How could they be managed?”

“Ms Robinson, Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency withdrew approval for eight additional PFAS-containing pesticides, following an earlier ban on 25 products. What would be the economic and practical implications for the agricultural sector if PFAS-containing pesticides were phased out?”

“Parts of Derbyshire are threatened by fracking because they fall within the Bowland-Hodder basin. We have a complex limestone geography, historical mine workings and natural cave systems. Fracking could undermine sub-surface stability and cause earthquakes, as it has elsewhere. Reform is promising to end the moratorium…”

“The new East Midlands Railway timetable will remove a second morning train between Matlock and Derby, significantly impacting commuters in the Derbyshire Dales. That will jeopardise employment and students’ education. Will my hon. Friend join me in urging EMR to find a solution that would ensure that the early morning …”

“Secretary of State, the new just transition mechanism will be applied by all countries, including our own, once the details of its operation have been agreed. As the UK decarbonises, how are you looking to ensure there is a just transition here, when people, places, sectors and workers are left behind?”

“You mentioned the clean energy jobs plan. It has been criticised for being too focused on short-to-medium-term jobs, such as construction for major transition projects, and lacking a longer-term career pathway. How do you respond to that assertion?”

“We may get caught out by the Division bell, but very quickly, we have heard that fleet and freight decarbonisation is off track, with heavy vehicles facing high costs and infrastructure uncertainty. What are the biggest barriers to electrifying vans and HGVs? What is the single policy change that would unlock scale?”

“Assuming we still need to roll out more charging—I hear what you say about how the range has increased—what are the blockers to increasing the roll-out? Is it grid connections? Is it planning? Is there something else? What can help to fix that?”

“It is a leap of faith. I drive an EV, and I must say it is the charging. The network is definitely a lot better than it used to be but, on that point, it still remains that the public charging is notably more expensive and less accessible than home charging, creating a fairness issue. What are the key structural reason…”

“Ms Sinclair, EV uptake has slowed, certainly relative to the Climate Change Committee’s expected curve. What would you put that down to? What do you think would increase confidence?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Barker. Years of austerity have stripped out much of the vital support that young families once received through—dare I say it?—Sure Start. The number of children in care has risen by 28%, the number of children in residential care homes has more than doubled, an…”

“I welcome support for all children, but I am trying to make the point that there is no negative judgment here. I say to those parents, “If you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.” I have also heard the Secretary of State say that privately and publicly. Unfortunately, though, there are people—although ve…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies) on securing this important debate. UNESCO was founded from the ashes of the second world war out of a recognition that we must protect our unique cultural heritage for generations to co…”

“In Derbyshire we have seen a significant increase in reports of agricultural crime; police figures show a 45% increase in the past 12 months. Earlier this year one of my constituents, Jane Bassett, had her farm broken into and a significant amount of specialised equipment was stolen. Such attacks can be traumatic for v…”

“2. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for rural crime.”

“The Climate Change Committee notes that meeting the seventh carbon budget will require substantial up-front capital investment, but, if we invest in those changes, we will produce £35 billion of cost savings by 2050. First of all, do you agree with those estimates? Are they deliverable? What do those estimates tell us …”

“On a very similar subject, Professor Rogelj, how affordable are the recommended changes from the Climate Change Committee, particularly for households, small businesses and the public sector over the next decade? Can anything be done to make these changes more affordable?”

“Mr Spiers, the Climate Change Committee stresses the importance of having a just transition. How can we ensure that the transition to net zero is done in as fair a way as possible? What are likely to be the trade-offs on affordability, competitiveness and equity between different groups and regions?”