Speeches by Champion.

“I really welcome the statement and all the commitment that the Government are giving to nature. I know that the 30 by 30 plan is focused just on land, with the justification being that 40% of our waters are marine protected areas, but the Joint Nature Conservation Committee has said that less than 1% of our MPAs are as…”

“However, we must be honest about what a defence is and is not. A defence does not stop an organisation from being caught by an offence. An aid worker or an NGO could still be investigated. They could also still be prosecuted and find themselves in a criminal court, having to shoulder the immense legal, financial and re…”

“As it stands, political reassurances alone are simply not good enough to prevent a catastrophic chilling effect across the sector—for example, driving banks to de-risk and forcing NGOs to pull out of regions where millions rely on UK-supported aid. I therefore welcome the Lords amendments that provide a statutory defen…”

“Subsequent guidance regarding how these statutory defences are intended to operate in practice must provide a clear, comprehensive and consistent direction on the treatment of legitimate, impartial humanitarian activity. Such materials must make it explicit that humanitarian organisations acting in accordance with inte…”

“I rise to welcome Lords amendments 1 to 6 and to support the progress being made regarding the implications of this Bill on the vital work of the humanitarian sector. I place on record my thanks to Baroness Northover, Lord Alton, Lord Anderson, Baroness Helic and Baroness D’Souza for all their work in the other place. …”

“Given that humanitarian actors would otherwise be required to rely on the availability of a defence only after an investigation or prosecution had been initiated, it is essential that the accompanying guidance minimises legal uncertainty and reduces the risk of legitimate humanitarian action being deterred or disrupted…”

“Can the Minister give some assurance that, in the guidance, we will be able to see that in black and white, so that the defence is laid out for all to see?”

“I make these specific requests of the Minister. Will she ensure that explanatory notes, prosecutorial guidance and any industry guidance issued to regulate entities provide clear, comprehensive and consistent direction on the treatment of legitimate, impartial humanitarian activity? Those materials should make it expli…”

“To ensure that such materials are both legally effective and operationally workable, humanitarian organisations should be meaningfully consulted during their development. Those with practical experience of delivering assistance in complex and high-risk environments are best placed to identify areas of ambiguity, antici…”

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“A true exemption would take impartial humanitarian actors out of the scope of those offences entirely, removing the legal risk from the table and protecting organisations from the threat of proceedings altogether. Therefore, while I welcome the Lords amendments as a step in the right direction, I urge the Government to…”

“Residents of Catcliffe and Treeton in my constituency have suffered two devastating floods in the last decade or so. That means that, even if people are eligible for insurance from Flood Re, it is extremely expensive, and in some cases prohibitive. Can the Minister reassure us that that will not apply to, in particular…”

“It is reassuring that we are going to have the consultation. Would it not have been much better to have had it before the scheme was implemented? The Minister mentioned a meeting with my constituency business, Beatson Clark. That meeting only happened because I urged the previous Secretary of State and the Minister to …”

“We have two and a half hours, Minister.”

“It is right that the Government acknowledge that Israel’s presence in Palestine is illegal under international law, but for two years they have not responded to the ICJ’s advisory ruling that Israel’s actions towards Palestinians in the west bank may constitute forcible transfer. The Israeli Government expressly back t…”

“Can the Minister tell us whether that will be the 75% discount that the glass industry is asking for? Does she know what the falling rates will be, please?”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“Perhaps the hon. Member was distracted when I mentioned the issue of me holding a roundtable with all these industries on this very issue, but I am happy to meet colleagues from across the House on these issues. I explained in the point that he perhaps missed that it is tricky because it has to be regulatable—we have t…”

“That is absolutely my concern. People do not talk about the impact on the supply chain. We already know that at least 350 jobs—more than 5% of the direct workforce—have been lost so far, but we do not know about the impact on the supply chains and associated businesses. These are not abstract numbers; these are well-pa…”

“I am very grateful that you have granted tonight’s debate, Madam Deputy Speaker, and that we have so much time to discuss this important issue. Packaging extended producer responsibility, which I will call EPR, is a policy that genuinely has a laudable goal: the move towards a circular economy, in which recycling is th…”