Speeches by Powell.

“I thank the hon. Member for that. Judging by the themes of the early Backbench Business debates that he has granted for the Chamber and in Westminster Hall, it seems as if the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) was at the front of the queue many times! I am sure that will continue, but I encourage other Members t…”

“I wish my hon. Friend a happy birthday as well. I am sure he was already aware that he shared his birthday with His Majesty the King, but his is of course a much more important occasion—for this House today, anyway. I thank him for again raising that important matter for his constituents. He has already become an impor…”

“I agree that local and hyper-local journalism is vital to combating misinformation and disinformation, which are spreading quickly in many of our communities. That is why the Culture Secretary recently announced the Government’s intention to develop a local media strategy. My hon. Friend may want to raise this directly…”

“I also wish His Majesty the King a very happy birthday. This is Islamophobia awareness month—a chance for us all to come together to tackle all forms of religious and racial hatred. It is also transgender awareness week, which started yesterday, celebrating our trans heroes. It is a chance to remind ourselves that the …”

“The infant formula crisis is heartbreaking. We do not want to see mums having to shoplift to feed their babies, but all too often that is happening. The CMA recently published a report about price inflation and the lack of competition in this space, and there will be a final report in February. I hear what my hon. Frie…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for raising those issues, which will be very familiar to many hon. Members from their casework and those they meet. Women’s health still does not have parity of esteem in our health service. That is why the Government are taking forward the women’s health strategy for England. I will ensure that …”

“I am glad that my hon. Friend supports the action the Government are taking on a national youth service and a youth strategy. As my hon. Friend knows, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport came to the House to make a statement on that earlier this week and she is keen to keep the House informed, because w…”

“What an important topic to raise! My hon. Friend is right that many issues remain, but I was delighted that this Government announced the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for carer’s allowance. It was the first time it has been increased for many decades. That sits alongside the extra support we are…”

“Fly-tipping is regularly raised in this place, and we all know what a significant problem it can cause. I suggest that my hon. Friend applies for a Westminster Hall debate, which I am sure would be well attended.”

“My hon. Friend can hear the agreement, which suggests this might be a topic that has cross-party support. This Government take food security incredibly seriously because it is an issue of national security. We are committed to increasing solar energy as part of our mission to become a clean energy superpower by 2030, b…”

“My hon. Friend will be aware that the Prime Minister has pledged, under the homes for heroes scheme, to exempt veterans and serving personnel from rules that require a connection to a local area. She might want to raise some of these issues on Second Reading of the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill next week.”

“I am delighted to thank the Aylesbury Wombles for all their litter-picking. It is not glamorous, but it is an important job that needs doing. The previous Government failed to do what they promised on litter-picking, and they bottled it on a number of issues, including the deposit return scheme that this Government wil…”

“It is clear for all to see that there are serious questions for the Post Office to answer about how it runs its business, as serious change is needed. I am sorry to hear about the franchise branch in Basingstoke, because local post offices are critical to their communities and to supporting banking hubs. I will support…”

“My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. Those working in adult social care have, for too long, been seen as Cinderella care workers and have not been given the support, status and training they need to carry out their work. That is why this Government are bringing forward a range of measures to upskill those worki…”

“I hope Anglian Water has heard my hon. Friend’s comments. If not, I will raise his comments directly with Anglian Water, because this needs to be resolved swiftly. I am sure the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will want to help, too.”

“I send my condolences to the families of Ivy Spriggs and Daphne Holloway. I am very sorry to hear about what happened. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that there will soon be another debate on issues raised by the Grenfell report. Although care homes fall outside the current requirements, he would be right to raise …”

“Fireworks are a big issue that is raised with every Member of Parliament, and I think many people will be asking about this today and in future weeks. We will soon launch a renewed firework safety campaign. My hon. Friend might want to apply for a Backbench Business debate, as I know it would be very well attended.”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right that drowning is among the leading causes of accidental death in this country, which might surprise many. This would be an excellent topic for an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate, should he want to apply for one.”

“Well, Madam Deputy Speaker, my hon. Friend was doing really well until he reminded me that Bournemouth beat Manchester City recently, so I am not sure I will be visiting all that soon, but he makes a very good plea for his constituency.”

“What an important topic, which is very close to my heart as a woman STEM graduate. It is shocking that so many years after I graduated—well, maybe only a few—we still face such a disparity in the number of women and girls, and the number of men, studying STEM subjects and pursuing the careers that come thereafter. My h…”