Speeches by Ballinger.

“The UK does not currently have a bilateral investment treaty with India; it was cancelled recently. Is that in scope after this agreement and how much difference would that make? Dr Zimmermann, can we come to you on this one?”

“Could the Minister talk more about the data that we already have, how we are properly tracking the number of refugees already, and why Lords amendment 37 is not appropriate?”

“Yes, of course. We are a compassionate country, and a place of refuge for many people who are fleeing persecution or face other issues. Everything that the Government have announced this week, and the measures in the Bill, allow us to be compassionate; but we can also be also tough on the smuggling gangs, who are in no…”

“I thank the Minister for his earlier comments. When I speak to constituents in Halesowen, Cradley Heath and Quarry Bank, their message for me is clear: they are concerned about illegal immigration, and they want the Labour party to secure our borders. That was one of our manifesto commitments, because there is nothing …”

“Does the hon. Member recognise that the immunity that was promised never came into action because the British courts rejected it? Does he accept that we are not taking away immunity, because it was never possible in the first place?”

“I come to today’s debate, as many Members on both sides of the House do, as someone who was proud to serve my country and who has the utmost respect for those Members who served in Northern Ireland on Op Banner. For me, this debate is complex, but at its heart are two simple questions: how do we respond to trauma, and …”

“Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?”

“Why didn’t you, then?”

“I thank the shadow Chancellor for giving way. He will of course remember his time as the Work and Pensions Minister, when he oversaw a £33 billion increase in the welfare budget. Of course he is talking about cuts now, but not about welfare cuts, because he had the opportunity to make those cuts and failed to do so. He…”

“Does the shadow Chancellor recognise that the previous Government were the only Government in living memory to oversee a reduction in real living standards over the course of five years? Does he accept that the difficult situation with the cost of living is in large part due to his Government’s decisions over those fiv…”

“My constituents, of course, remember Liz Truss’s devastating mini-Budget, when those rules were not followed. That had a massive impact on not just our public services but the mortgages and cost of living that my constituents are still feeling today. Does my right hon. Friend agree that going back to that irresponsible…”

“The hon. Member is raising some good points about national security and migration. He is probably well aware that the top three nationalities that come to the UK on small boats are from conflict-affected states: Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. Does the hon. Member share my concern that the UK dismantling the Foreign, Comm…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd, and a pleasure to join this important debate, called by my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm), which gives me a chance to raise an issue that really matters to my constituents in Halesowen—the rising number of houses in multiple occupation. We al…”

“I am really glad that you raised the interaction between climate and security; that is an area that the public do not always think about. They look at the climate negotiations and they generally agree with keeping the world below that 2° target, but they do not realise the knock-on effects that climate change might hav…”

“How is it an investment in global security? How does investing in preventing climate change improve security in the world?”

“How is it an investment in global security? How does investing in preventing climate change improve security in the world?”

“I am really glad that you raised the interaction between climate and security; that is an area that the public do not always think about. They look at the climate negotiations and they generally agree with keeping the world below that 2° target, but they do not realise the knock-on effects that climate change might hav…”

“I welcome the statement of the Chair of the Committee. I think all of us on the Committee are relieved that since our report was published, we have now reached a ceasefire. The UN has been able to re-enter Gaza and the situation it has seen on the ground is devastating. The UN’s humanitarian chief described it as like …”

“I think Aphra had some questions on the loan.”

“Of course. Those are quite catastrophic figures that you are describing—35 office closures and 43% of staff cut. That is an enormous change to the British Council’s footprint. Has there been any recognition by the FCDO of the situation that you are facing? At our last meeting, you talked about the material uncertainty …”