Speeches by Gardner.

“My hon. Friend is right that we hunt as a pack: when the three Stokie MPs get together with our Staffordshire colleagues, we make a formidable bunch, and I am very proud to be part of the team. I am incredibly proud to work for a Labour Government who are breaking down the barriers to opportunity, tackling child povert…”

“As my hon. Friend will know, Stoke-on-Trent sits on a side branch of the west coast main line that feeds a conurbation of over 400,000 people, many of whom work in and travel regularly to Manchester, London or Birmingham. Does he agree that any future development of the line must not impact negatively on direct service…”

“Stella Gilbert, née Forster, was a much-beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister to my partner, Jim. She died of a rare cancer. Stella was great—my partner’s only sibling, a huge matriarch and, as we found out at her funeral, given to bossing her local vicar about. She had bile duct cancer, which affects approximat…”

“I really welcome the statement today, as I am sure do the residents of Normacot, whose excellent family hub they fought hard to save many years ago. But we need more in my constituency of Stoke-on-Trent South. Stoke-on-Trent consistently lags behind the national average. Many children start school unable to speak, and …”

“I am really heartened by clause 11 and I welcome it. I am sure the Minister agrees that consulting people who live with disabilities is vital for any future public transport service. Even with the best of intent, one cannot plan accessible services without understanding the lived experience of disabled users and the as…”

“The industrial strategy rightly recognises the role of ceramics as a key foundational industry and, of course, the central role of Stoke-on-Trent not just historically but in the exciting new world of advanced ceramics—providing parts for wind turbines and even small modular reactors, if we get the investment our way. …”

“The most recent data, from 2023, showed that 25% of manufacturing jobs in Stoke-on-Trent were in ceramics. Ceramics—especially advanced ceramics—is critical to strategic industries such as defence, nuclear energy and steel. Does my hon. Friend agree that the industrial strategy must recognise the foundational industry …”

“I rise to support a number of new clauses and amendments to the Bill. The common thread running through all of them is a need to address some of the gaps in the safeguards and oversight. Should the Bill pass, I at least want to ensure that we improve its protections and remove some of the risks that it contains. New cl…”

“I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. To expect MPs to improve the Bill without clarity as to what the regulations are or what they will be, and how the service will be delivered without rigorous regulatory oversight is fundamentally wrong. Furthermore, the fact that the implementation of the Bill will be automatic in …”

“8. What steps he is taking to support rooftop solar power projects.”

“Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. In my Stoke-on-Trent South constituency, businesses such as the Bestway Group, which owns Well healthcare in Meir Park, and Goodwin International in Newstead are keen to invest in rooftop solar, but they cannot get national grid connectivity. In the case of Well healthcare, it will have to w…”

“I commend my hon. Friend for his outstanding advocacy, in particular for the workers of Moorcroft. I know how hard he has been working for them, and I agree that they are a testament to the great skilled craftsmen and women in British manufacturing. Stoke-on-Trent, the Potteries and Staffordshire are globally renowned …”

“Child poverty rates in Florence in my constituency have reached over 60% in recent years—the highest rate across Stoke-on-Trent, which routinely scores highest for infant mortality rates. Does my hon. Friend agree that as we publish the child poverty strategy in the autumn, Stoke-on-Trent South needs sustained investme…”

“I rise today in support of new clause 1, which deals with a country of origin marking for ceramic products and which my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) so eloquently introduced. My constituency is home to “The Great Pottery Throw Down”, based in the wonderful Gladstone Pottery Museum in…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that timely and right intervention. I join him in his campaign. We do not always have the level of detail needed in this country, and we need to address that nuance so that consumers know exactly what they are buying. That is important, because the pottery industry is at great risk from cheap…”

“The hon. Member is right to point out that Stoke and Staffordshire are not the only places that produce wonderful ceramic and other products. I understand that new clause 4 is broad in scope. I am speaking today to new clause 1, which relates to ceramics. I hope he will indulge me. A few months ago, I was proud to meet…”

“Does the Minister agree that online marketplaces should have a greater responsibility to ensure the safety and authenticity of the products they sell, just like a retailer on our high streets?”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I am not well today for the very reason that we are here. I may need to sit down during my speech if that is okay. I am deeply grateful to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor) for securing this incredibly important debate. [Interruption.]”

“As hon. Members may have guessed, this debate is not only important to thousands of women across the country—according to the Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign, about 1.7 million women suffer from chronic UTIs—but incredibly personal to me. I have suffered from UTIs as a result of menopause for more than 10 year…”

“The Royal College of Psychiatrists states that it does not feel that, at this moment in time, there are sufficient psychiatrists able to take up a position on such a panel. What response does my hon. Friend have to that?”