Speeches by Witherden.

“I agree with my hon. Friend, who cites some absolutely appalling statistics. An essentials guarantee would embed the principle that universal credit should, at a minimum, protect people from going without food, heating and other basics. A protected minimum floor would ensure that no one falls below a humane safety net.…”

“Following on from something that Andrew asked, are certain countries prioritised over others for attracting inward investment? If so, what are the criteria by which they are prioritised? You have the growth in Asia and proximity in Europe; you mentioned the Gulf states as well, and I wonder whether there are ethical co…”

“Is there anything that you would like to add, Mr Newns?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward. I place on record my firm opposition to proposals to dramatically extend the timeline for the route to settlement, and in particular to the deeply unfair plan to apply the changes retroactively. To now withdraw that promise is, as the Work Rights Centre has ri…”

“Q8. The thug in the White House has shown that he does not listen to grovelling or sycophancy, and he will continue to harm British interests no matter how compliant we are. Like all bullies, he will always find the weakest link. Will the Prime Minister close ranks with our European allies and commit to retaliatory tar…”

“President Trump’s threats to Greenland must be taken very seriously. Given Trump’s banditry in Venezuela, I fear the Prime Minister’s hopes of “calm discussion” may fall on deaf ears. Will the Government stand firm with our European allies and the people of Greenland in opposing rampant American territorial expansionis…”

“Hospitality is the UK’s third largest employer; when the sector is hit, jobs are affected at scale. Pubs sit at the heart of the hospitality industry. In Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, we have 136 great pubs, employing more than 1,100 across the constituency, including the Eagles in Acrefair, where my wife used to work b…”

“I thank my friend the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Manuela Perteghella) for securing this incredibly important and long-overdue debate, and for being such a strong voice for those excluded from covid-19 financial support. The gaps in covid-19 financial support all-party parliamentary group, which I chair, current…”

“I am glad that the hon. Gentleman made that intervention. I am an MP from a devolved nation, too. There are few of us here, and it is fundamentally important that we recognise that this is a four-nation issue. It is complicated by the fact that education is devolved, which is the main reason that I think science centre…”

“Yes, I do. I do not think that DCMS and DFE should be completely absent from the equation, but I agree that DSIT should lead. What meaningful action does the Minister intend to take to address the funding and infrastructure challenges currently faced by science centres? Will he respond to the request from the Associati…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of Science and Discovery Centres on national science and technology priorities. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I am pleased to have secured this debate and look forward to contributions from hon. Members representing some of the 28 sc…”

“I have a confession to make: after CAT, Xplore!, in my hon. Friend’s constituency, is my second favourite SDC—I have visited it many times. I am in full agreement with him, as the House would expect. Solefield school has brought pupils to the CAT for 40 years. Its head of science, Kevin Farmery, said: “I can teach them…”

“I am in full agreement. As the hon. Member will see, one of my key asks is that we look at the funding for SDCs moving forward. As a teacher, nothing matters more to me than ensuring that people have access to opportunity. As a drama teacher, STEM was never my strongest suit, but the importance of fostering curiosity—a…”

“I am happy to convey that ask. Through their role as trusted anchor institutions with strong civic ties to schools, teachers, industry and research partners, SDCs have an important role to play in a number of areas. The UK faces a serious STEM skills shortage. Nearly half of engineering and technology businesses report…”

“It is lovely to hear that my hon. Friend is just as passionate about the SDC in her patch as I am about the one in mine.”

“I thank all the speakers in today’s debate. There were some lovely speeches. I was interested to hear the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) speak about his work on tsetse flies in New Zealand, which emphasises the global contribution that our science centres make. I was extremely relieved to hear that his favour…”

“President Trump has behaved like a member of a criminal gang—bombing Venezuela, a sovereign country; kidnapping its Head of State and his family; and killing many in the process. Where next—Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Greenland, here? Does my right hon. Friend agree that if we do not stand up to deviants and bullie…”

“This month marks 12 months since I first called on the Government to raise the APR threshold. I strongly welcome their decision to do so, and thank NFU Cymru and the Farmers’ Union of Wales for their tireless campaigning. Can the Minister assure me that the Government will continue to listen to rural communities like m…”

“I want to thank you for the frankness and honesty of your answer. Building on the theme of data, would you support the introduction of a Welsh-speaking survey designed by both His Majesty’s inspectorate of prisons and the inspectorate of probation in collaboration with the Welsh Language Commissioner? It could be used …”

“Thank you for your candour.”