Speeches by Kohler.

“As we all know, strong connectivity is vital to economic growth and social prosperity. It is not just about convenience; it is key to boosting productivity, attracting regional investment and raising living standards. Central to that is making public transport more available, affordable and accessible. The transport cr…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I have read paragraph 19 of the explanatory notes, but given the physicality of the description in the Bill, what is the legal justification for saying that it also covers electronic tickets? We can assume that it does, but I can see a defence barrister making…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. The Lib Dems support the Bill and applaud the Government’s ambitions. This is an excellent move forward, and we support the purpose set out in clause 1. The stated aim to “improve the performance, accessibility and quality of bus passenger services” in the UK i…”

“The concern raised by many stakeholders about this Bill is not about its contents. We all agree with its contents, but the money and expertise are lacking. Local councils do not have either. As I said on Second Reading, although this Bill “hands councils a set of keys to a new bus network, it does not ensure that there…”

“I am a councillor in Merton.”

“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement and for advance sight of it. What we have heard today is clearly a damning indictment of Conservative mismanagement. Connecting our largest cities with high-speed rail was meant to help boost economic growth and spread opportunity. The original idea—a high-speed rail net…”

“Can I ask you about how you prioritise VAWG funding, particularly in light of the Government’s target to halve it over the next period?”

“Let me begin by laying my cards on the table. I am, of course, a liberal and have always supported the right of individuals to choose freely when they want to end their life. I have no religious or philosophical objection to assisted dying, and when the debate on the Bill began, I assumed I would vote in favour of it. …”

“I agree entirely with the hon. Member. It would not be a free choice if we make that choice now, given the standard of palliative care.”

“This is the last one; I will.”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. Giving people a choice when they look on the internet and see how awful their death might be because of the shocking state of palliative care is not a free choice. This is an extraordinary Bill. It has 55 clauses and 38 regulation-making powers, of which five are Henry VIII …”

“I thank the Secretary of State for her speech, and congratulate the Aviation Minister on the Bill. The challenge facing the aviation sector—as with our entire economy—is decarbonisation. Reaching net zero by 2050 is essential, and given the scale of the scientific and technical challenge, it is clear that decarbonising…”

“These contracts have been in existence for a number of years. Why have you not used the used the power to benchmark? Why have you not done that? You are going to in the future, so why?”

“You said non-performance issues?”

“Thank you for coming. I want to look at the costs of asylum accommodation. Hotels cost 76% of the accommodation costs. We need to cut down on those costs. Sharing rooms is one way of cutting down on the costs. I note that in the House, the Home Secretary, when she was Chair of this Committee, criticised the sharing of …”

“But government is about making choices. You cannot describe this ODA money as a legacy issue because this Government have decided to continue using it.”

“You have made no attempt to stop using ODA money. You have stopped fighting, apparently.”

“Minister, you described the use of ODA money as a legacy issue, but you do accept you were not bound by that decision. This Government have decided to continue using ODA money.”

“Thank you.”

“There is even confusion—”