Speeches by Smith.

“I wanted to talk a bit about the impact on agricultural land value based on planning permission. From some of the evidence that we have received, we know there is a significant increase on the basis of planning permission being awarded. There is a Savills report on this that highlighted that, against about a 23% increa…”

“I welcome today’s announcement. It is a huge and significant step that sends a clear message to the Israeli Government. However, millions of people in Gaza go to bed every night, if they can even find a bed to sleep on, unsure whether they will wake up in the morning and whether their family members, who might have sur…”

“The Government have rightly prioritised rail as a key factor in the future viability of our transport infrastructure. There exists in Hyndburn an outstanding opportunity to create a freight rail terminal that would fit with the Department for Transport’s targets for increasing rail freight capacity by 75%. The proposal…”

“1. What steps she is taking to help ensure the transport system supports economic growth.”

“Q5. Last week, I visited Sacred Heart primary school in Hyndburn, where the excellent teachers expressed their frustration at the current special educational needs and disabilities system. One wonderful boy, despite being non-verbal and requiring personal support, has been waiting for over 18 months for an education, h…”

“1. What discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the entry of aid and food supplies into Gaza.”

“The current intentional blockade of food, water and medicine by the Israeli Government is preventing life-sustaining supplies from reaching thousands of children, who the Minister knows are most vulnerable to malnutrition and premature death. Save the Children estimates that over 65,000 children are suffering. What dec…”

“Coming back to the issue of cost pressures and service reform, what are your proposed timings? I am assuming that ideas are coming forward about significant service reform in the key areas that we have been discussing so far. I am interested in specific ideas about what those might be and when they might be coming forw…”

“Specifically on the issue of SEND, it seems like almost every week there is an inadequate report coming back from a county council or council in the country on this issue, which leads to the question, what is your assessment of the systemic challenges that are faced? Do you do you agree that it is about the system, and…”

“Sarah Smith, Labour MP for Hyndburn.”

“Anna, are there any further lessons that you would like to highlight in terms of your experience of how land value capture has been used as part of that Northern line extension scheme? I know you have spoken at points this morning about that.”

“Hugh, thinking about new towns, what sort of land capture tools do you think would be most effective in supporting those developments?”

“I am Sarah Smith, MP for Hyndburn.”

“I echo the comments from my hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward), and I find it deeply troubling that the only Members who were detained and deported at the weekend are not white. Will the Minister express in the strongest terms his concerns about these events in any future Government dis…”

“Access to arts and culture can help to break down barriers to opportunity in areas such as mine in Hyndburn and Haslingden. Sadly, our much-loved Oswaldtwistle civic theatre closed in 2023 and had to be placed on the theatres at risk register. I welcome the recent grants awarded by the Theatres Trust and Hyndburn borou…”

“T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.”

“Why do you think there has been such a delay in bringing it forward? Why haven’t the Government already committed to introducing it?”

“Obviously this issue has been back in the news in the last couple of days; that is linked to what I am about to ask. When will the Government make a decision on whether to introduce a national oversight mechanism for overseeing the implementation of recommendations from public inquiries? I ask because the Committee has…”

“I am Sarah Smith, the Member of Parliament for Hyndburn.”

“There is a huge need for greater transparency; would you consider making publicly available the tracker that I believe is in use in the Department?”