Speeches by Perteghella.

“Looking at the data that we got, Universities UK estimated employer national insurance contributions cost the higher education sector in 2025-26, £430 million, and the Institute of Fiscal Studies has estimated £319 million of fee increase. There is not much left, is there, after national insurance contributions?”

“I am pleased to speak to several amendments, tabled by my Liberal Democrat colleagues, that relate to community assets, planning and local democratic engagement. These are practical proposals designed to strengthen the community empowerment provisions in the Bill and make them work in our communities. The Bill removes …”

“I should have put on the record earlier that I worked for nearly 20 years as a university lecturer. How would you respond to the argument of Universities UK that in the short term the increase in tuition fees has been wiped out by the cuts to grant funding, the freezing of foundation year fees and increases in taxes, i…”

“Thank you. We have had private higher education providers become insolvent in the last few years. What lessons can be drawn from those experiences? In one instance, the institution went into immediate liquidation with closure and restricted access to premises. In another example there was a structured exit instead so s…”

“Thank you. Baroness Smith, what incentives are there now for universities to partner, merge, take over those institutions that are on the brink of financial collapse?”

“I thank the hon. Member for his support in Committee. We know that two-tier governments —district councils in the shires in particular—will be abolished, and town and parish councils will have to take on more assets and deliver even more services. However, as I said in Committee, the voice of town and parish councils i…”

“I will speak to the amendments tabled by me and Liberal Democrat colleagues, particularly new clause 5 and amendment 27. If the Bill is to deliver meaningful and real devolution, it must involve the people who live with the decisions made by mayors and combined authorities. However, too much of the Bill as drafted keep…”

“In my constituency, the charity Act On Energy gives advice and support on energy efficiency to residents, many of whom are in fuel poverty. Its work is particularly relevant in rural communities where properties are older and harder to insulate and, in many instances, rely on oil and liquefied petroleum gas. Does my ho…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that diagnosis is just the beginning, because too many people tell us that after receiving that life-changing news, they just feel abandoned? Nearly one quarter receive no information about Parkinson’s services and no adequate information about their condition, so does my hon. Friend agree tha…”

“Does my hon. and gallant Friend agree that personnel who are injured on active duty deserve support and recognition?”

“This morning I joined residents, schoolchildren and veterans in Stratford-upon-Avon for our Armistice Day service. Standing together in silence, we reflected on the lives behind the names, and the sacrifices that shaped our community and our shared history, including those of the Royal Observer Corps, established durin…”

“It is essential that the BBC’s independence and impartiality are upheld at all times. I am afraid that serious concerns have been raised about Sir Robbie Gibb’s conduct on the BBC board, including alleged attempts to influence recruitment and editorial decisions. If the Secretary of State cannot remove Gibbs from the b…”

“Department for Education data shows that only 22.7% of students retaking GCSE English or maths post-16 achieve a grade 4 or above. This means that many young people are trapped in a loop, and they often miss the grade by one point. What steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that students who are unlikely to …”

“One of my constituents has written to me about feeling misled when the industry uses the word “buy” for video games that can later disappear from their digital library. Does the hon. Member agree that we need transparency, so that consumers know exactly what they are paying for at the point of purchase? We need clarity…”

“In my constituency, as in many other areas, increasingly residents are finding that the video games that they thought they owned simply stop working when the online support ends, or that ownership is limited by the terms and conditions of the licence, which is deeply frustrating for consumers who have paid money in goo…”

“I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I will speak to new clauses 12, 20, 52 and 59. New clause 12 stands in my name, new clause 20 in that of my hon. Friend the Member for Frome and East Somerset (Anna Sabine), new clause 52 in that of my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney) an…”

“We will not press new clauses 12, 52 and 59 to a vote, although we may reintroduce them on Report, but we will push new clause 20 to a vote.”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendment proposed: 362, in clause 66, page 70, line 31, at end insert— “(c) the training of members newly appointed to an audit committee.”—(Manuela Perteghella.) This amendment would require the provision of training for all new members of …”

“These amendments go to the heart of local accountability and good governance. They would ensure that the checks and balances that protect public money are independent and not micromanaged from Whitehall. Amendments 17 and 18 would remove the Secretary of State’s power to appoint or control audit committees, and instead…”