Speeches by Hobhouse.

“During the long debates that we had around Brexit, we understood that supply chains are now very global or international. I remember that a seat in a BMW crosses a border seven times. That is just the seat in a BMW. That is a challenge if you do not have a strong manufacturing base compared with other countries. The UK…”

“Welcome to the Committee. We have met relatively recently, and it was very interesting. You were already edging towards this, but in which specific areas is it not feasible to have domestic supply chains and why? Some of this you have already answered. Darren, how do current import tariffs or trade barriers on low-carb…”

“I have a very small point. You have said that we have lots of research on this and we do not need more—we just need to implement it—but enough research been done to identify domestic alternatives for materials that the UK currently relies on importing? Should we be doing more research? Do we not need another report bec…”

“Again, this is not just about things but also about people.”

“You are big.”

“We do not need more research; we need to implement those longer-term targets and, to the extent you can grow, local supply change will follow.”

“Is the problem mainly for smaller companies, and bigger companies do not have the same issues?”

“Welcome to the Committee. We have met relatively recently, and it was very interesting. You were already edging towards this, but in which specific areas is it not feasible to have domestic supply chains and why? Some of this you have already answered. Darren, how do current import tariffs or trade barriers on low-carb…”

“In the UK, electricity prices are linked to the global fossil fuel market, which is at the bottom of UK households’ paying the highest energy costs in Europe. To fix that, the use of a single levy-controlled system has been suggested, with two simple rates—one for electricity and one for gas—set by Ministers. That woul…”

“Last night, I attended a concert in Bath abbey called “Together We Stand”. The Ukrainian deputy ambassador was there, and he particularly praised the direct link that my Bath council had formed with the city of Oleksandriya. It has formed such strong people-to-people contact, and it is enduring and provides direct supp…”

“Comments made yesterday by the UN Secretary-General about increasing violence in the west bank by Israeli settlers have shocked my Bath constituents and people across the country, and Members across the House are frustrated by the lack of action. Will the Government sanction those who advocate for that violence, especi…”

“5. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of sanctioning violent illegal Israeli settlers.”

“I welcome the increased uptake of electric vehicles. Indeed we do still need to dispel many myths. In my constituency, charging infrastructure is still a big issue, and the distribution networks struggle to speed up connecting to the infrastructure that is needed. Will the Minister outline what work she will do with di…”

“On Monday, there will be a concert in Bath abbey in support of Ukraine. My constituents have been unstinting in their support for Ukrainians living among us, but also for Ukrainian communities such as in Oleksandriia. Now is not the point at which to weaken our support. How will the Government ensure that Ukraine’s voi…”

“Would a single point of contact not be best placed in the council? Although councils get a lot of complaints, whenever we ask in surveys who residents trust most—is it an industry body, an independent body or the council?—a lot of people respond that it is the council. Yet the councils do not have the capacity currentl…”

“Do you think that your own roles should be extended, and what is the scalability of that?”

“Would a single point of contact not be best placed in the council? Although councils get a lot of complaints, whenever we ask in surveys who residents trust most—is it an industry body, an independent body or the council?—a lot of people respond that it is the council. Yet the councils do not have the capacity currentl…”

“We have been sitting here for two hours. Forgive me, but I feel myself to be in two separate panels here. We hear about the outrageous thing that has happened to Amanda and Zak, and they still do not have any redress. We are hearing from you that it is all quite under control, and you can deal with it, and you want to …”

“You are ultimately satisfied with the support and the scalability, and you think that for what you have been set up for, you are okay?”

“You are ultimately satisfied with the support and the scalability, and you think that for what you have been set up for, you are okay?”