Speeches by Wilson.

“A lot of the abuse is designed either to damage candidates during an election campaign or to deter them. I have witnessed that with some of the female candidates in my own party in Northern Ireland: the abuse is designed to deter them and others from going out canvassing. It is important that the law and the process sh…”

“To follow on from Mr Betts’ last question, I think this is the point he was trying to get at. This isn’t just an offence against an MP or someone who is standing to be an MP. It is an offence against the whole democratic system; the whole point is to try to disrupt the electoral process. In a case like that, what power…”

“May I just follow up on that, please?”

“By their very nature, many of the offences will be against an MP, although that may be the conduit for disrupting the electoral system. While we are not wanting to have, as you suggested, special offences for particular individuals, the two things are intertwined—the MP is the victim because of the attack on the system…”

“It is amazing that we are to give up an important security base without it being necessary to do so, that we are to pay billions to a Government that will allow them to make tax cuts while we impose tax burdens on our own country, and that the Minister stands here today at the Dispatch Box and says that he does not hav…”

“Anyone who witnessed the disgusting images of young, middle-class, educated morons chanting “Death to the IDF” at the weekend can only be alarmed that we have stooped to this level in our society. Even worse, the state broadcaster broadcast those images across the nation. I welcome what the Secretary of State said, and…”

“Many on the DUP Benches want to support the Government in achieving the objective of getting people back to work, and being fair to those who cannot work, but does the Secretary of State realise how difficult her actions make it for us to give support? Last week the Deputy Prime Minister stood at the Dispatch Box and s…”

“Whatever the specific reasons for the company’s failure, the fact of the matter is that the refining industry has been squeezed for decades as a result of Government policy. When the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero stands up and demonises fossil fuels, it is hardly surprising that there is not inves…”

“Mr Spence and Mr Hirlam, do you have any comments on the recommendation or the suggestions made to us today that we should really take the precautionary approach and say, “Let's ban PFAS” because of either the already identified dangers and risks that it presents or the possible risks that it presents?”

“At Johnson Matthey, how do you manage the life cycle of these chemicals from their original use to their eventual disposal?”

“Because of the costs involved?”

“Dr Rajapakse, you gave us a couple of examples of the products that your company is engaged in and why it is essential to use PFAS in them, because there are no alternatives. We have heard about products such as school uniforms and packaging where there are alternatives, but to what extent are there goods, technologies…”

“Obviously, there are still companies that use materials with PFAS in them. Why do they continue to do so? Is there a cost element? What is the difference between producing the kinds of goods that you produce and the PFAS packaging that is used in other products?”

“Once again, Dr Rajapakse, you touched on some of the qualities of PFAS that made it essential to products. Could you elaborate on the logistical and technical constraints that there would be if you did not have these products available to you?”

“Before we move to the questions, I wanted to ask this. Mr Hirlam and Mr Spence, in developing the new products that you are talking about, are we likely to find in the future that, because you have had to change the nature of the product, there might be equally damaging components in the new products that have not been…”

“Today, and in some of the other evidence we received, we were told that the precautionary approach should be used, and even where, perhaps, we still need to do some investigation into the impacts of PFAS, the Committee should recommend a precautionary approach. If that were our recommendation, and if that were the poli…”

“Before we move to the questions, I wanted to ask this. Mr Hirlam and Mr Spence, in developing the new products that you are talking about, are we likely to find in the future that, because you have had to change the nature of the product, there might be equally damaging components in the new products that have not been…”

“I have a follow-up question. The argument seems to be whether we take a precautionary approach or whether we go for specific chemicals where there has been proven harm. You said that there is so much we do not know about these chemicals, that there are studies that show there could be risks, and also studies that would…”

“In terms of common consumer products, are there any that you can identify that use PFAS and there is no alternative?”

“I have a follow-up question. The argument seems to be whether we take a precautionary approach or whether we go for specific chemicals where there has been proven harm. You said that there is so much we do not know about these chemicals, that there are studies that show there could be risks, and also studies that would…”