Speeches by Lewin.

“Speaking of daring, the Leader of the Opposition said today that the Conservatives do not want any more centrist ideas. What does the Minister make of that and their future with young people?”

“I am pleased to have an opportunity to talk about young people, how we invest in their future, extend opportunities and do all in our power to leave nobody behind, but in order to have a serious debate about the prospects of young people in work, we need to look back at the unique set of circumstances that people in th…”

“Good morning. Andrew Lewin, the Labour MP for Welwyn Hatfield.”

“Matt, I thought your Built for Zero campaign was really compelling. Would you be would willing to write to the Committee with a few more details of that project, what worked, and how you are looking to expand it? That is exactly the role of the Committee: looking at good local best practice and how we can play a part i…”

“We have covered a lot of ground today and it has been an excellent session, so thank you. We have talked about closing the subsidy gap, and I asked the previous panel about new supply and the Government’s local authority housing fund. Obviously, the Government operate in a world with finite resources, but there is a mo…”

“We have just touched on the importance of new supply, and my question relates to that. The Government in their homelessness strategy say: “We cannot improve the quality of temporary accommodation without also increasing supply.” Then they reference the local authority housing fund, which enables councils to acquire hom…”

“I welcome the investment and the news earlier this month from the Office for National Statistics that the number of people in employment has risen by 500,000 since July 2024. I am sure that the Minister will join me in celebrating the fact that more people are entering the labour market under a Labour Government. While…”

“4. What steps he is taking to support people with health conditions into work.”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) on her powerful and deeply personal speech. The theme of the debate has been the stories of sons and daughters of new towns, and of people who have gone to new towns to make their lives there. Each new town has its charms, its o…”

“Good morning. Andrew Lewin, MP for Welwyn Hatfield.”

“Thank you both. That was very comprehensive. It might be one for outside the Committee, but I would say there are echoes in history here. Welwyn Garden City, of course, was already in development before it became a new town. This is not the first time we have had to deal with this problem. One more question if I can, C…”

“I am keen to come back on delivery and development vehicles. To take a step back, in the first generation of new towns development corporations played an integral role. In the two towns that I represent, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City, the development corporation was set up in 1948 and ran all the way to 1966. One of …”

“In NHS Providers data published just before Christmas, we learned that in East and North Hertfordshire NHS trust, the number of people waiting for treatment has fallen more than in any other trust in the country. That is fantastic news for my community. Will my right hon. Friend commend all the staff involved in this s…”

“Happy new year to you and your team, Mr Speaker. It was a happy start to the new year, because we learned that in 2025, more renewable energy was generated in this country than at any time on record. That was driven by growth in solar in particular. Will my right hon. Friend make it a new year’s resolution that the Gov…”

“Sorry, just quickly on that if I can: we were talking about downsizing, and I agree that is a really important consideration. If you have a difference between someone being presented with a stamp duty bill of £25,000 versus an incremental payment of £100 to £150 a month, that could be a material change and drive a real…”

“Joe, Timothy, any other observations? I know we have covered it, but it is an important subject, so are there any alternatives? Because that is what we need to look at as well.”

“Morning. Andrew Lewin, MP for Welwyn and Hatfield.”

“I am keen to jump in here, because we anticipated that stamp duty would come up. I am really interested in your answers so far. Indulge me in a scenario: say that we had to have a policy that was revenue neutral, and the Government position was that you could not get rid of stamp duty because it would cost too much to …”

“One more question for me on transaction taxes. There is a lot of data out there to say that a lot of people buying a home are simply not aware of all the additional costs, whether it is conveyancing fees or whatever they be. The question for the panel is: what can the Government do to both increase transparency and und…”

“Is that the norm internationally? We have talked about Australia, but I am interested in other examples. Is the obligation on the supplier greater elsewhere?”