Speeches by Powell.

“The right hon. Member is absolutely right: the situation in relation to the small boat crossings continues to be intolerable in many regards. This country cannot sustain what we are seeing. The situation in Calais, including the steps that are being taken, or not, is not acceptable either. That is why we have brought f…”

“Absolutely; my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Sarah Edwards) did raise this matter with me before recess. As I said then, I know that when roadworks are constantly delayed and are not delivered, it can have a huge impact on local people and on local businesses, schools and hospitals. I reiterate what I said befor…”

“I thank the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee for announcing a number of debates that will be widely welcomed. Many of those issues get raised with me in these sessions, so I am glad his Committee has accommodated them. I would say, however, that I am sure you would be a lot happier, Mr Speaker, with a debate o…”

“I am sorry to hear about the tragic fire in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I join him in commending the amazing work that our emergency services do, and the professionalism and bravery with which they do it, putting their own lives at risk in doing so.”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that question and I welcome him to his first outing at business questions. He raises serious issues with the performance of and services provided by Thames Water. They are raised with me many times during these sessions and elsewhere in the House. Frankly, some of its actions have been unacce…”

“This issue will be familiar to many of us in the House. Poorly carried out roadworks can cause a great deal of disruption to people and businesses, like those in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I hope that her local council will have heard her call, and I encourage the council to get a grip of this project so it does no…”

“May I first update the House on the work of the Modernisation Committee, which I chair? We established the Committee to rebuild trust in politics, raise standards, improve culture and make Parliament more effective. In recent years, the role of an MP has changed significantly, with many more demands and expectations in…”

“This is becoming a weekly occurrence, but I have to say that today’s offer of an invitation is one that I really could take up. Visiting the hospitality businesses in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency that have made the final of the Countryside Alliance awards would be fantastic. I congratulate them on getting so far.”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The warm homes scheme and the other measures that the Government are introducing are vital to reducing our demand for energy, as well as reducing people’s bills. My hon. Friend raises an important point, and there is always a balance to be struck between keeping people’s homes warm a…”

“I join my hon. Friend in thanking Rye News and the Hastings Independent Press, on the occasion of their 10th anniversary, for all the amazing work they do. She is absolutely right that local journalism—however difficult it might be at times for us as local MPs—is vital to our media and our communities in unearthing and…”

“I am sorry to hear that Hampshire county council has removed the ability of disabled people to use their concessionary bus pass before 9.30 am. That decision is of great concern; it flies in the face of what that this Government—and, in fact, this country—should be seeking to do, which is to support those with disabili…”

“Absolutely. Without apprenticeship reform, and without increasing the number of young people who can access apprenticeships, we will not be able to meet our big ambitions for house building, infrastructure and other programmes. That is why we have begun the process of reform: we have made announcements this week about …”

“Absolutely—I am all for supporting local businesses, especially ones that serve sausage rolls and beer. I am sure we can all be encouraged to continue to do that. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: shopping local and shopping independent supports our vital high streets in communities such as his, and I am sure that we…”

“Absolutely. Colleges such as Corseford in my hon. Friend’s constituency, which provide education and support for those with complex needs, are vital for our young people, and I am sorry to hear about the uncertainty it has faced. This Government have boosted funding for colleges, but this is a devolved matter, so I hop…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We do need to take further steps to secure our borders, because the levels of illegal immigration coming into this country are not acceptable. That undermines the whole system that he has described, and trust in that system, which is there for those who need it most and are fleeing p…”

“I am really sorry to hear of what could happen to Alan and June—it is just unthinkable—and of the proposed closure of the care home. It will not help my hon. Friend’s constituents right now, but the Government are obviously committed to sorting out the social care crisis, and that is why we have a special commission le…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending our condolences once again to the families of those who were killed in that horrific attack. The Prime Minister met those families this week, and he confirmed that a retired judge will be appointed in due course, that…”

“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking David and all our nuclear test veterans. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for what they did and what they put themselves through for this country. We are looking into the unresolved questions about the medical records. It is a priority, and I hope that the House will be…”

“I am pleased to hear that action is being taken in my hon. Friend’s constituency on crime and antisocial behaviour, because it is such a blight on our communities and gets raised with us as Members of Parliament all the time. As part of our safer streets mission, the Government are committed to reducing antisocial beha…”

“Absolutely. England has not hosted the Ryder cup since 2002. I know that Luton Hoo has a strong bid to host it, and I wish it the very best. She is absolutely right that big sporting events bring huge amounts of regeneration, economic input, jobs and opportunities, as well as giving pride in place for constituents like…”