Speeches by Munt.

“I wish to make it really clear that I am vice-chair of WhistleblowersUK, a non-profit-making organisation set up to protect whistleblowers. Nothing should slow down the promised Bill, and it is essential that those who hold public office are held fully accountable. If we are to prevent the now constant stream of scanda…”

“Post maternity, many women suffer female pelvic prolapse, but I am unable to get any answers on the matter of surgical mesh implants. Will the Minister please work with his counterparts at the Department of Health and Social Care to get a realistic update on exactly what has happened as a result of the Hughes report, a…”

“On exactly that issue, I represent the city of Wells, which has wonderful, beautiful streets, but when delivery vehicles park on the pavements, they break the paving slabs. That makes it an absolute peril for people who have accessibility problems and are less mobile. Does my hon. Friend agree that that has to be dealt…”

“I want to take you into a scenario in which there are a very large number of victims—maybe people who are deceased, people who are severely injured—and many family members. You have explained a little about how you might approach that, but I just wonder how, in practical terms, you think you would manage a situation in…”

“I’m sorry; I do not want to divert from this, but you will probably have an idea of the sort of size of budget that you might want in the first year, and then in future years. Have you elucidated that anywhere? Have you suggested a figure?”

“What do you anticipate?”

“I do not want to press you too far, but let’s ignore the set-up costs. What do you anticipate you might need in year two, or after you have set up, ish?”

“I will not press you any further, because I can see—”

“Hello, Cindy. I am Tessa Munt, the Member for Wells and Mendip Hills. Everything is per my declaration of interests on the register, but I highlight the fact that I am the vice-chair of WhistleblowersUK, which is a non-profit company.”

“I just wonder whether you can project yourself forward a little and think about the fact that different sets of victims might have very different interests, in the widest sense. You may have a tension between different groups who are victims of such an incident. How would you deal with that tension, where you may have …”

“You did; I was not curious enough to ask you at that point. I did not expect to be seeing you here, but it is very nice that I am.”

“Thank you. I am going to ask one question in which I have a particular interest, which I have declared, and that is whether you are familiar with calls for an office of the whistleblower and whether you see some interaction, because it again relates to people who are raising problems. Have you any thoughts on that?”

“I was going to ask you about your ability to challenge authority, but I think I am fine on that; it was a question thought up a long time ago. What I would like to ask you about is the proposed Hillsborough law and the duty of candour for public servants, and how you feel that might assist you in your role. Have you ha…”

“You have explained a little how you have already supported people through inquests and inquiries. Do you anticipate any difficulty with the lack of public funding? As an MP, I have certainly come across situations in which no publicly funded legal aid or other representation is available to victims and families, partic…”

“May I ask a quick question? What is your annual budget?”

“Do you know what the annual budget for the role is?”

“May I ask whether you have raised that? I am sure you have.”

“At midnight, The Times published an article on the ME final delivery plan, carrying quotes from three ME campaign groups. The charity Action for ME published a five-page briefing at the same time, and “BBC Breakfast” also featured the plan, so they had all read the plan. I checked with the relevant officers and went to…”

“Could we ask the Minister for clarity about the women who have dependent children or elderly relatives, who are often unable to meet the income thresholds required under settlement routes such as the skilled worker visa or the global talent visa? Could we also ask for clarity for their children, who have learned Englis…”

“Can the Secretary of State publish the data that quantifies the amount lost in leaks, so that the public can understand exactly how much water and how much of their hard-earned money is lost? It will also help the water companies to focus on fixing their pipes; it is no good just building another reservoir, as they mig…”