Speeches by Harding.

“I would like to shine a light on one of those many stories. My constituent in Esher and Walton paid over £16,000 for a kitchen remodelling that was never delivered, and the same company is alleged to have defrauded other constituents, including one this year who lost £20,000. When fraud occurs on this scale, it is thef…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing this important debate to the House. Modern slavery remains one of the greatest violations of human dignity in the world. In Pakistan, an estimated 2.34 million people—more than one in 100—are affe…”

“I am sorry to keep popping in and out, but what you are saying is inspiring ideas in my head. I am interested in the risk appetite of localisation and what your response to that is. It strikes me as being essential, as you say, to get to the neediest, but then there is an increased risk appetite around that, which if w…”

“So is it a cultural inheritance, a legacy issue?”

“Why do you think we lack that appetite?”

“It struck me, when you were talking about you as experts, how the role of ICAI has changed after the merger. Is there more of a role for ICAI now that perhaps some expertise has been lost from the FCDO, as was stated after the merger? How did your role change in that environment?”

“I think you have answered it all; thank you.”

“One of the things we as a Committee are very interested in is the public perception of aid. While it seems that the popularity of aid has remained consistent over decades, sometimes the effectiveness is questioned. How does ICAI play into that debate? Did you have any media interest in some of your reports or reviews? …”

“Welcome. Could you start by telling us what the ICAI’s highlights have been since the beginning of this commission in July 2024?”

“I would like to raise the plight of hairdressers. Angels in Thames Ditton in my constituency told me that this Government are hitting small businesses with higher employer costs, rising business rates and wage hikes that are already squeezing very thin margins. They are facing not just one increase, but a combination o…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this vital debate and powerfully laying out the success of the Global Fund. Stepping back now and cutting our contribution to the fund, just as the United States is abandoning vaccination programmes altogether, would be devastating for some of the world’s most vulnerable people…”

“My hon. Friend raises an important point in his powerful speech, and I would like to take it further. Even if British-made weaponry is not being diverted and ending up on the battlefield in Sudan, the UK is still breaching sections 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 of its own arms export licensing criteria. Those rules not only prohibi…”

“It is indeed a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) for securing this debate on a critical issue. It is critical because we are at a cliff edge. This year, with 120 armed conflicts, more than at any moment since the second world war; thi…”

“I speak today to new clause 42, which is in my name. It would require the Secretary of State to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of removing the cap on sitting days in the Crown court and to lay a report before Parliament. I am pleased to bring this issue before the House. Our criminal courts are cripple…”

“Renewed violence in Gaza continues against a backdrop of unimaginable human suffering. Millions remain in desperate need of food, water and medical supplies, yet aid convoys continue to face unacceptable obstacles. The UN reported yesterday that many of the 177 aid trucks that entered Kerem Shalom were limited by conge…”

“The total ODA budget, not just for Sudan.”

“In terms of the protection of budgets, it is your indication that we need to go further into crisis, because the humanitarian situation is getting far worse, so can you commit that the ODA budget will not be further cut from where it is at the moment?”

“Thank you for joining us, Minister. Last time we saw you, you confirmed that funding for Sudan would not be cut, yet in the annual report and accounts we see an 18% reduction for Sudan and a 23% reduction for South Sudan. Can you explain those cuts in light of your previous comments?”

“I have a final question. You talked about a lack of political leadership. Why do you think there is a lack of political leadership on this?”

“I want to drill down on the accountability, if I may, and what practical steps we can take, but first I want to return to what you were saying about the blackout and why there is no public consciousness of this. We are receiving information about human rights atrocities; the American Administration under Biden called i…”