Speeches by Edwards.

“I thank the Chancellor for her statement, and welcome the OBR forecast that unemployment will fall to 4.1% by the end of the current Parliament. No doubt that will have been driven by excellent policies such as the youth guarantee and the apprenticeship reforms. The NEET rate remains stubbornly high, though, so may I u…”

“We are all deeply concerned about the escalating situation in the Gulf. Following the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday, has the Secretary of State had any discussions with her counterparts in the US, Europe or Israel about measures to secure any nuclear or radiological material in Iran, in the light of the possibil…”

“I welcome the Bill, particularly the parts that will deliver on the Government’s manifesto commitment to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, introduce automatic voter registration, and widen the list of accepted forms of voter ID. By taking those steps, the Government are improving the way in which our democrac…”

“I thank the Minister for the work he is doing in prisons to improve literacy, but last week the Government confirmed to the Justice Committee that core prison education provision has been cut by a quarter nationally under retendered contracts. The independent monitoring board recently raised concerns about the impact t…”

“6. What steps he is taking to ensure that education and training programmes support the rehabilitation of people leaving prison.”

“What fundamental difference to your role does this power make?”

“You were also given the power of your own initiation. Have you had any cause to use this power yet?”

“You are commenting on the individual behaviours and decisions of Ministers as they relate to the ministerial code and nothing broader, in terms of the way the Government conduct themselves.”

“In a letter to the Committee in response to our ministerial statement inquiry, you told us that you consider your role as focusing “on the conduct of Ministers as individuals and not on the actions, policies and collective decisions of the Government”. How do you make that differentiation? To play devil’s advocate a li…”

“Last week the Chief Secretary announced a new programme of change within the civil service—a sort of rewiring of Whitehall. Do you have any reflections or comments about that proposal?”

“This Government have made a number of changes to your role, including the slightly Monty Python-esque changing of your title from the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. What has this meant in practice, in terms of how you do your job?”

“Previously, you had the power to initiate an inquiry subject to the agreement of the PM, and now, as you have said, you have the power to launch regardless of the PM’s views, although it was normally given. You have talked a bit about the benefits; are there any risks of you having this new power that need to be manage…”

“The interim chair of ACOBA, before it was abolished, told us that she had concerns about the Government’s transparency reporting. Do you feel that Ministers are sufficiently transparent about the meetings with those seeking to influence Government policy, or would you make any changes to the level of detail or the time…”

“T2. There is concern in the hospitality industry that the Government are reviewing funding for some important level 3 and level 4 apprenticeships, such as those used to train chefs. Hospitality is a key means by which we can tackle the challenge for those not in education, employment or training, but to deliver positiv…”

“I thank the Minister for her response. Earlier this week, I attended a local multi-agency roundtable on tackling violence against women to discuss how we can work together better to support victims, and I have reflected on what I heard from a very brave constituent who shared her story. Will the Minister set out how th…”

“2. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Crown Prosecution Service’s violence against women and girls strategy 2025 to 2030 on outcomes for victims.”

“Thank you, Mr Speaker, and merry Christmas. Will the Minister outline how the Government are delivering a fairer system to clean up waterways such as the River Medway, which runs through my constituency? It saw over 200 sewage outflows in 2024 and the estimates for this year are even higher, while consumers are also fa…”

“7. What steps she is taking to clear waterways.”

“Just finally, what is being consulted on? When can we expect to see the results? Do you have a timeframe in mind?”

“Are you confident that, by the end of the five-year term, presuming that it goes that long, you will have made those big changes to the way in which the civil service operates to deliver that mission-led approach?”