Speeches by Hall.

“I have read quite a lot about workforce shortages. Is there a plan for tackling some of this to make sure you have the right people in place to do the jobs?”

“I want to ask a question about inequality of access to palliative and end-of-life care. We know that there are significant inequalities in access, based on geography, conditions or just the affluence or deprivation of an area and whether there is a charitable hospice that is able to raise the funds needed for it to exi…”

“Obviously, there is a lot of variation at the moment. Does having one set of guidance, which they all adhere to—”

“You can have those honest conversations.”

“I could not agree more. I will come on to some of the work that GMB, Unison and USDAW—the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers— are doing in this area. The barriers that I mentioned are what disable people. Too often, neurodiversity is still approached through the medical model of disability, focusing on what…”

“I agree and feel that the hon. Member is describing me a little bit in that. So yes, I absolutely agree with that characterisation. Just as concerning is the fact that nearly a third of neurodivergent workers have not told their manager or HR department at all, not because they do not need support, but because they fea…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered neurodiversity in the workplace. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. Neurodiversity is still too often misunderstood, overlooked or treated as a marginal issue, when in reality it affects millions of people across our workforce, across every sector and…”

“I absolutely agree. Some neurodiverse people would describe it as a superpower; some do not like that term, but there are so many wonderful assets and abilities that we in the neurodiverse community have. If only we were given a chance, we could make a real difference and be fantastic in whatever we choose to do. Recru…”

“I absolutely agree with the hon. Member. I am passionate about inclusion in the workplace and for children in schools. I would be happy to work with him on driving that forward. The response to my constituent was not inclusion, but exclusion, and it shows how neurodivergent women can be pushed out of work at exactly th…”

“I agree, and I will come on to that point in my asks of the Minister. Something that I hear repeatedly from constituents is the lack of consistency around reasonable adjustments. Support agreed with one manager often disappears when roles change, teams move or a restructure happens. People are forced to re-explain them…”

“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention; I absolutely agree. I echo his comments about the fantastic work that is being done in Northern Ireland on inclusion, and I am sure that the Minister will address the points he made in her closing remarks. It is also important to say this clearly: not all neurodivergent peo…”

“I could not agree more. My hon. Friend makes a very good point. Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found that one in five neurodivergent workers have experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their neurodivergence.”

“8. What recent discussions he has had with NATO counterparts on European security.”

“Yesterday I visited the Ukrainian family hub in Warrington for its Christmas celebrations. Many families who fled Putin’s war of aggression have made Warrington their home, but they are deeply worried about what the future holds, what peace might look like and whether they will ever be able to return safely to Ukraine.…”

“Hello. Before I start, I will declare a bit of an interest. Before becoming an MP, I was the cabinet member for children and young people in Warrington for a few years, so I know a little bit about this area. My first question, to kick it all off, is around whether home to school transport is going to the children and …”

“Don’t we all? I mean a realistic aspiration.”

“It is a package of things. There are things going on now. The big thing is the reform itself. In terms of a timeline, when can we expect to start seeing things improve slightly? Do you have an aspiration for that?”

“That sounds great, but the concern that people have is that this is a very significant issue now. In terms of urgency, they are looking for some kind of action to happen or start taking effect as soon as possible. We are still at that stage where the consultation or co-production is happening. There will be a White Pap…”

“Just on that point, SEND parents feel that co-production is a very important tool. At these events, will they be presented with a set of proposals? Are they being consulted or are they helping to produce something that will help address their needs?”

“I am going to start by again declaring an interest. Before becoming an MP, I was the cabinet member for children and young people in Warrington, and I have a lot of experience in this area. I would like to turn to the SEND reforms and how they are affecting things, but, first, to give a little bit of local context from…”