Speeches by Darling.

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. I thank the Minister for his introduction to the clause and for his assurance that there will be a consultation; it would be helpful if he could explain the likely consultees. Also—Opposition Members have repeatedly raised this question—what are the key pr…”

“The Minister alluded to proportionality and not wanting to criminalise people in undertaking an administrative charge. As my hon. Friend the Member for Horsham alluded to, it would be helpful if the Minister unpacked a little more for the Committee where that proportionality kicks in.”

“Thank you for coming along today; we appreciate you giving up your time for us. You have already hinted at what you would like to see prioritised, but can you lay it out a bit more in black and white what you think the priorities should be for the new jobs and careers service?”

“Can you unpack that a bit more? You talked about the kickstart scheme. How did that work particularly well for you, if that is a good example, and are there any others?”

“Thank you. How could you better work with the Department for Work and Pensions in respect of employing more diverse communities, whether it is people with a disability or people who are neurodiverse? As employers, how could the DWP help you on that journey? I am aware of some large employers who have entered that marke…”

“The DWP runs the Disability Confident employer scheme. Is it worth the paper it is written on for your organisations? Not that that is a loaded question, of course.”

“I am pleased to hear that.”

“Thank you both for the work that you do with people in our communities. I know from organisations like Eat That Frog and Sound Communities in my community of Torbay what a real difference you make to people’s lives. It genuinely is life changing. Ramesh, in your written evidence you talked about people being “recycled”…”

“Thank you. That is really insightful.”

“I beg to move amendment 37, in clause 75, page 41, line 25, at end insert— “(1A) Prior to appointing an independent person, the Minister must consult the relevant committee of the House of Commons. (1B) For the purposes of subsection (1A), ‘the relevant committee’ means a committee determined by the Speaker of the Hous…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. We have touched previously on having an independent overview of the activities that will take place under the Bill, and this is another opportunity to have the checks and balances I have alluded to on a number of occasions. Of course, all Members in the roo…”

“I am pleased to have had the debate. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 75 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 76 Entry, search and seizure in England and Wales”

“The power to seize items, down in the weeds of an investigation, is essential to ensuring that we hold the right people to account. However, I am alive to the fact that seized items are often kept for a long time. Our mobile phones often contain our whole lives. Not that long ago, a resident in Torbay who was accused o…”

“I seek the Minister’s guidance as to how DWP officers, when they undertake these acts, will ensure that seize and sift will not be the standard modus operandi and that it is used only in appropriate cases. When will the Government publish a code of conduct? What guidance will be given? It might be tempting to undertake…”

“I just want some assurance on how it was decided that one month was long enough. For my sins, I served the people of Torbay in elected of office for 30 years before getting elected to Parliament. I am alive to the fact that some people have chaotic lives. I am only too aware of how sometimes people turn up to the citiz…”

“The holy grail sought by all Governments, of whichever hue, is economic growth. I therefore think it important for us to look through the lens of economic growth, and to think about whether the Bill drives it. I recall from my time in Committee, where I spent many hours listening to the oratory of the hon. Member for M…”

“As somebody who was adopted myself, I know only too well the importance of supportive love. I have been heavily involved with children’s services, and I know that the best care for children in need of loving homes is often not too far away from home. The more that children’s services can be less of a child-rescuing ser…”

“I agree with my hon. Friend. When I go and speak to primary school teachers, they say that they face a challenge where there is poor attachment between the parent and the child, which can have a significant developmental impact on young people. By giving greater powers through this Bill, we can drive stronger connectio…”

“Legislation that is rushed is often legislation that is dangerous, and I fear that that is where we are today. The hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire was very polite in putting his challenges to the Minister, but I would like to be a little more robust and say that I believe it is extremely unreasonab…”

“Will the Minister confirm whether, once the Bill has passed, he could choose to increase the scope to include all pensioners?”