Speeches by Macdonald.

“Thank you very much for that powerful testimony. Moving on to the issue of hunger, malnutrition and famine, I have a factual question for Sam. Has the availability of food improved since you spoke to the Committee in January?”

“We have got the message very clearly that there is not an alternative in terms of some of the services provided. You mentioned the UN General Assembly and UNRWA being a body under that. What is the timeline and what is your optimism, I guess, around any change and the ban not going ahead? If the UK Government were goin…”

“Going back to the effect on children, in other conflicts children have been able to be medically evacuated and sent elsewhere for treatment. Was that something that you were advocating for in the hospital you were working in? Did you see it happen? If it didn’t, do you think that is something that could be pushed furth…”

“Yes—if it is possible to do that.”

“In terms of the horrendous things you are describing—drone targeting and snipers, as you just mentioned—is there a way to bring that together? In the same way that you are sharing this evidence with us here now, was that shared back on the ground, in different ways, with different people?”

“Yes, thank you; it is very powerful testimony. You mentioned at the beginning that about 60% of the people you were seeing were women and children. Can you expand a little more on the effects on women and children—for example, presumably there would be pregnant women coming in—and the challenges you were seeing, partic…”

“Emina, we have been talking for a long time about famine looming and starvation looming large. There is still a high risk of famine. At what point is starvation deemed a weapon of war under international law? Do you think that is what is happening right now?”

“Thank you very much for that powerful testimony. Moving on to the issue of hunger, malnutrition and famine, I have a factual question for Sam. Has the availability of food improved since you spoke to the Committee in January?”

“We have got the message very clearly that there is not an alternative in terms of some of the services provided. You mentioned the UN General Assembly and UNRWA being a body under that. What is the timeline and what is your optimism, I guess, around any change and the ban not going ahead? If the UK Government were goin…”

“Going back to the effect on children, in other conflicts children have been able to be medically evacuated and sent elsewhere for treatment. Was that something that you were advocating for in the hospital you were working in? Did you see it happen? If it didn’t, do you think that is something that could be pushed furth…”

“Yes—if it is possible to do that.”

“In terms of the horrendous things you are describing—drone targeting and snipers, as you just mentioned—is there a way to bring that together? In the same way that you are sharing this evidence with us here now, was that shared back on the ground, in different ways, with different people?”

“The dire state of the finances of higher education institutions such as the University of East Anglia is likely to be improved by this announcement, but can the Secretary of State assure staff and students that mechanisms are in place to ensure that increased income from fees translates into fewer job losses and helps …”

“My constituent Claire’s son Elliot was diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy at the age of four and needed a wheelchair immediately. Elliot is now eight, and his chair desperately needs adjusting. However, due to the waiting list for reablement services, Claire and Elliot have had to wait over six months. May we have …”

“A UN investigation found today that rape is widespread in Sudan. The accounts are horrific, yet as we have heard, the conflict is the world’s forgotten war. How will the UK use its presidency of the UN Security Council in November to ensure that the crisis is no longer forgotten and that the world acts, including on se…”

“Next year will mark 20 years since the Gleneagles summit, when G8 leaders agreed to an ambitious debt cancellation deal under the previous Labour Government. At present, however, the unfair debt burden is holding back many developing countries, including some in the Commonwealth. What discussions has the Minister had o…”

“Today, a report found that rivers in the east and in London have the worst water quality in the UK, with an alarming amount of chemicals found. Citizen science has played a key role up to now in monitoring the quality of our water, so will the Secretary of State join me in paying tribute to citizen scientists and volun…”

“I congratulate the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Tom Gordon) on his cultured and moving speech—and on delivering it without notes, which is always very impressive. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in today’s debate. I come from a family that is rich with GPs—primary caregivers who are the be…”

“In Norfolk, safety concerns regarding school ceilings have recently been identified. Norfolk county council has inspected 60 schools and at least 15 are in need of urgent repairs; signs of these faults were reportedly missed in previous inspections. Can we have a debate on school safety in Government time to ensure tha…”

“As we have heard, the SEND system is in crisis, and Norfolk is emblematic of that crisis. I know that the Government are determined to do all they can to tackle that crisis and I believe they have the backing of all of us, across the House. We have touched on many of the topline issues affecting SEND provision and I wa…”