Speeches by Hobhouse.

“So all of those messages would land well if they were packaged up in the right support for jobs, for people’s pockets, for something that they can see with tangible benefits?”

“Jobs?”

“Do you think that UK Government support should be focusing more on energy security or on the narrative around climate change? We have already investigated a bit what is a more popular approach. Do you think that would be the same in Northern Ireland and that, ultimately, if the Government focus on the message of energy…”

“In many research projects—or whenever we talk about it—local leadership is always seen as very important, but what do you think that the UK Government could do to create that trust or these counter-narratives?”

“Is that linked to Stormont often not sitting? Do you think that had an influence—that the messaging was going out from the UK, which is a long way away, and Stormont was not sitting?”

“Bath is as close to Northern Ireland as we can make it. The latest Northern Ireland Life and Times survey indicates fewer people in Northern Ireland believe that human activity is the primary cause of climate change compared with those recorded in the UK and Europe. Why do you think this is? We have already heard about…”

“So it is linked to the economy?”

“They start combusting.”

“Is it that some things are plain wrong, and misinformation drives all of that, and if only there was reliable information that would disappear?”

“Do you find that people trust these new technologies or not?”

“It is absolutely fascinating, because you have already pointed out that there is general support for net zero—people are generally saying yes to it—but when it comes to the specifics it becomes more fragmented. I am wondering whether that is reflected in the support and whether, once you know a bit more about it, how c…”

“Voices is a domestic abuse charity in Bath that supports victims to recover from the long-term trauma and stresses of domestic abuse. It is in a new funding crisis, because mandatory funding goes into crisis and immediate risk-management services, not long-term recovery. May we have a debate in Government time on the v…”

“Over the years, the development of smart meter technology is expected to enable appliances to automatically switch on and off in response to supply, tell me what I feed in, and so on and so forth—amazing things that I am not quite sure my smart meter is doing currently. Pil Krogh Tygesen, what is being done in Denmark …”

“Ultimately, you are saying that the whole roll-out is driven by the consumer. We have been hearing that people want a smart meter because they can see the benefits of it. Should our Government aim for a 100% roll-out, because it is also important for balancing the grid, or should we just aim for those customers who rea…”

“Over the years, the development of smart meter technology is expected to enable appliances to automatically switch on and off in response to supply, tell me what I feed in, and so on and so forth—amazing things that I am not quite sure my smart meter is doing currently. Pil Krogh Tygesen, what is being done in Denmark …”

“Ultimately, you are saying that the whole roll-out is driven by the consumer. We have been hearing that people want a smart meter because they can see the benefits of it. Should our Government aim for a 100% roll-out, because it is also important for balancing the grid, or should we just aim for those customers who rea…”

“Across Bath, people wait far too long for the NHS care that they urgently need. There are proven ways to bring down waiting times and boost NHS capacity, but they are not always used to their full potential. I recently visited Bath Clinic, an independent sector provider with the infrastructure, staff and capacity to de…”

“I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called. I will call the Front Benchers at 10.28 am. It looks like all Members will get to speak if they stick to six or seven minutes.”

“The convention for 30-minute debates is that the lead Member makes a speech, to which the Minister responds, and only with prior permission can another Member make a speech. More and more, it has become the norm that Members intervene quite a lot. That is not really the point of a 30-minute debate, but I remind Members…”

“The solar panels on my roof started working last week, and I am very excited. If you do not have any solar panels, Mr Speaker, maybe you could give yourself a birthday present and ensure that you have an array, too. Mine were made possible by the Solar Together scheme organised by Bath and North East Somerset council. …”