Speeches by Hobhouse.

“I have already mentioned this morning that Bath is a city of music. Today marks the release of “Love is Enough”, a Christmas song written by six young carers and performed by Bath Philharmonia’s young carers choir and our Liberal Democrat leader—yes, he is branching out into music. More than anything, the release highl…”

“Bath is a city of music, but so many of the musicians in the city and across the UK face enormous bureaucratic barriers when they want to perform in the EU. Can the Secretary of State update me on what progress has been made on this issue?”

“The Electric Vehicle Association says that 14 non-governmental organisations, think-tanks and campaign groups are advocating for upholding the ZEV mandate. We have just seen the most devastating storms, which have been dangerously accelerated by climate change. I know that the Government know that net zero is not negot…”

“I do not know whether the Secretary of State will still be in the Chamber when I talk about Spice-spiked vapes. I see a gap in the Bill: it does not talk about refills. The harmful practice of spiking vapes with Spice comes from the refills. I hope that the Government will listen to my concerns and be flexible, as they…”

“rose—”

“We should also look at online sales. A lot of young people purchase products online. May I ask the Minister what the Bill says about that?”

“I congratulate the Government on their very strong stance on tobacco and protecting children, but—the Minister will know what is coming—when it comes to refillable vapes, the Bill is missing the mark. Research by Professor Chris Pudney at the University of Bath discovered that one in six vapes confiscated in schools co…”

“Bath is a very popular tourist and shopping destination, but it has also seen the highest increase in shoplifting offences between 2023 and 2024. For my shopkeepers to feel safe, they want a much more visible police presence in Bath. What can the Government do for them?”

“A breakthrough moment at COP28, the previous COP, was the creation of the loss and damage fund, but the financial contributions from each individual country were miserable, including that of the UK. Supporting communities and climate-vulnerable countries is in all our interests, because it prevents large-scale migratio…”

“I add my condolences to the family and friends of Lord Prescott. I was occasionally in the same room as John Prescott when I was a councillor in the north, and he was indeed pugnacious and fun, even for those who happened to be a target of his remarks. Dorothy House and many other charities in my constituency have cont…”

“Bath’s council is consulting on creating 6.2 km of cycle roads. The recent £100 million increase to the active travel fund is welcome, but councils need long-term funding. Will the Secretary of State commit to long-term funding of the active travel plans?”

“And risk is not defined by the nuclear in itself, but risk just by the duration?”

“I am very much interested in community energy, but a lot of it is really about regulatory changes. You have previously said that you are actually an investment company, and you are not going to get involved in all these regulatory changes, so I am still a little unclear at this point where GB Energy sits in the space. …”

“I know, but where can you influence policy?”

“Since I have been asked, I will ask some questions that the Committee has very helpfully put together. What steps are you taking to develop the domestic nuclear supply chain and ensure nuclear projects source from British companies?”

“Sorry, I asked the wrong question. Several nuclear projects in the UK have seen costs spiral, investors withdraw and timescales lengthen. You have also already really responded to that, but the main question that always arises around nuclear is the public support piece, because people are worried about long-term costs,…”

“There is the National Wealth Fund, the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank. As I understand it—this sounds as if I am an expert on the banking sector; I am not—part of the problem is that there are not the right financial products around to bring private investment in. Would GB Energy talk to the Treas…”

“No, but we are a Committee that wants to express different views. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks that, and it would be interesting to hear about that. I would also like to hear about your assertion about the baseload piece. But let us first talk about allaying some fears that I, and people like me, might—qu…”

“There is the National Wealth Fund, the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank. As I understand it—this sounds as if I am an expert on the banking sector; I am not—part of the problem is that there are not the right financial products around to bring private investment in. Would GB Energy talk to the Treas…”

“I talked to a small start-up that was wanting to develop new modular nuclear, and I asked a question about waste. Sorry for my rather amateur language around this, but it said there is actually waste that can be dug up—that there are waste products that could be reused. Can you explain that a little? I thought that was…”