Speeches by Olney.

“To go back to the Chair’s previous questions about the model and fairness, Mr Couling, you referred to disability as being something that might be overrepresented. The Report highlights that it is older claimants and non-UK nationals who are being over-referred in terms of what you might expect. First, is that a concer…”

“You sent us this letter at the beginning of the week with the revised forecast from the OBR. Is the OBR forecast based on a detailed analysis of your plans and its estimate of the impact they are likely to have, or is it just a reflection of the fact that greater investment is going into tackling fraud and error?”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that, although it is certainly advantageous to encourage pension funds to invest in the UK, mandation creates the risk of reducing returns on investments? Would it not be better to incentivise pension funds to invest more productively—in housing and social care—through the creation of appropri…”

“Because the Minister was maintaining his own running commentary throughout my speech, he probably missed me making the point that, although he keeps saying that this is equalising council tax between poorer areas and richer areas, he must admit that it in fact does nothing of the sort. When people owning £2 million hou…”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“Families and businesses across the country will have heard yesterday’s Budget and been disappointed that the Government missed their second opportunity to seriously address some of the key issues we are facing. Energy bills remain sky high, the cost of employment continues to rise, and, with no substantial reference to…”

“I congratulate the Secretary of State and the Department of Health and Social Care on the launch last week of the men’s health strategy. My constituent Philip Pirie, who sadly lost his son to suicide, has been calling on the Government to launch a public health campaign to reduce the stigma of suicide. Nearly 75% of th…”

“My constituency covers two local authorities: the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London borough of Richmond upon Thames. For a number of years, they have both operated a committee system that works extremely well; it is well accepted by the local community and both local authorities function extremely we…”

“On that point, will the Minister give way?”

“T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”

“I also thank the Minister for advance sight of the statement. Critical minerals are vital to national security, economic development, the green transition and regional prosperity. The Liberal Democrats believe that the UK must strengthen and regularly update its industrial strategy. The 2022 plan and the Critical Miner…”

“May I say what a privilege it has been to have this debate today, not least because it has given me an opportunity to highlight the work of my friend and constituent Philip Pirie? It has been a wonderful tribute both to his hard work and to the memory of his son, Tom. It has also been a privilege to hear the contributi…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of reducing the stigma associated with suicide. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell, in this very important debate; I am grateful that time has been found for it. Suicide can be an extremely difficult topic for people to discuss, whether…”

“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I am so sad to hear Sam’s story. It is very encouraging to hear about the steps that Ben has taken to raise awareness of the issue. The hon. Member makes an important point about academia at schools and universities; that is another big risk factor for young people. Th…”

“My hon. Friend makes an important point about how specific groups and particular sectors can be impacted. Just under an hour ago I was having a conversation with my friend Diana Chrouch, who is the adviser to the APPG for ethnic minority business owners, of which I have been a co-chair for many years. She pointed out t…”

“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that encouraging example of how taking steps to reduce the stigma around suicide can have a positive impact, and how we need a community approach to help reach out to all those people who might be struggling. Although talking about mental health is becoming more socially acceptable, …”

“Sorry to interrupt, but are you not collecting that already?”

“Would you mind explaining that? You said you would keep a bed free in response to a particular child. What does that mean?”

“Dr Kerr, one of my big concerns as a London MP is that something like 90% of children in London are not placed in their home authority. You were talking about the various barriers to making sure we have the right providers at the right cost and in the right place. What more can be done to make sure we get homes where t…”

“So local authorities are currently not required to look at these kinds of financial indicators—the ones that are available and the ones that are not—in order to assess suitability?”