Speeches by McDonagh.

“I have met Moderna, a leading company in developing cancer vaccines. I asked if it would give University College London a cancer vaccine for free for a trial on glioblastoma brain tumours, but it refused. Its excuse was that it could not make enough of the drug for 16 people. This is the rub: commercial companies do no…”

“The chapter on rare cancers says that a named individual at NIHR will be responsible for progress in rare cancers. If there is no progress, will they get the sack?”

“Together with a number of Members here, I met representatives of Servier, and people are now in receipt of vorasidenib. I would be happy to talk to the hon. Lady about how we went about that. On its own, foundational research is not enough for the people who will be diagnosed with glioblastoma this year, next year or i…”

“We all know that, while money is important, if the institutions that are given money do not spend it, we are all left frustrated and wondering what will happen. I have met cancer Ministers in both the last Conservative Government and this Government, all of whom have been well-intentioned and meaning to bring progress,…”

“The financial inclusion strategy focuses heavily on access to products, but research suggests that lack of confidence is a major barrier to saving and investing. Does the strategy sufficiently address the behavioural and psychological barriers people face?”

“I wondered if I had my numbers right.”

“Banks are currently committed to 250 banking hubs across the UK but, in deciding a banking hub, they do not take into account face-to-face banking services—the sort of advice, Ms Williams, that you referred to earlier. If they did, we could see that number double perhaps, providing a greater introduction. Do you think …”

“The post office network underpins access to cash across the UK, yet its sustainability relies heavily upon funding from the five major banks on five-year contracts. Is there a credible, long-term strategy to ensure that services remain in communities as cash usage declines?”

“The financial inclusion strategy relies heavily on digital access to banking and payments. Given the national payments vision will shape the future payments infrastructure, is financial inclusion sufficiently embedded in that work or is there a risk we end up with a very sophisticated system that has not been designed …”

“I wanted to ask about the type of financial and debt advice. In my experience as a constituency MP, the very best organisation is Christians Against Poverty. It takes a holistic view of the family and stays with them throughout the journey to become debt-free, so it can do some of the things that you mentioned, Ms Will…”

“My concern is about how councils pursue council tax. Clearly, they have to and I do not have an issue with that, but are you shocked by the speed at which they proceed for a court summons, banging £75 on top of what can often be a tiny amount of money owed?”

“I am very sorry to say this, but it would be great if the two final Back Benchers could stick to about four minutes.”

“In order to get everybody in, I ask Members to adhere to a discretionary five-minute limit on speeches. I call Katie Lam.”

“Going back to that borderline between implementation, advice, technical and opinion, ISAs generate about £1.45 in revenue for every £1 spent. When you get changes to these models, do you look at how that is impacted by changes in the system, or would you just think, “We just need to introduce these?””

“Yes. If you look at proposed changes in the lifetime ISA, they already make significant money for the Revenue and for the country; I am not suggesting that it is for you personally. Has HMRC deemed it more effective in terms of future tax revenue to introduce a new product and forfeit what you already make from LISAs, …”

“You would give that interpretation.”

“Do you just show what is happening or do you say to people who are dealing with a million things every day, not just valuations, “Be very conscious of this”?”

“Yes. You drop a lot of data. What responsibility would you have, Mr Russell, to say, “This is the data. Please be aware”?”

“Chair, I may be being a bit slow here, but where is the dividing line between technical and policy? While it is the Treasury’s duty to decide what the rules are in the Budget and all the rest of it, what responsibility would the Valuation Office Agency have to put an interpretation to Ministers about their proposed inc…”

“No, that is not my point.”