Speeches by Lewin.

“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…”

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

“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…”

“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…”

“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…”

“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 …”

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

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

“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…”

“Forgive me, I have to go in a minute, but I want to inject some optimism and perhaps issue a challenge. First, I was reading a report just a few weeks ago that said that the earnings ratio is now 5.9 earnings to house price. That is the lowest it has been for 10 years. Obviously just before Christmas we had the sixth i…”

“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?”

“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.”

“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…”

“There is fierce pride in Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and our villages, but we are a community of contrasts: the gap in life expectancy a few miles down the road is 13 years. I have had an initial look, and it seems that Welwyn Hatfield will benefit to the tune of about £9 million. That is wonderful news for our commun…”

“It was Christmas eve five years ago when Boris Johnson signed his fateful deal, which took away opportunities for young people and kicked us out of Erasmus. I thank the Minister for exorcising that ghost of Christmas past. Does he agree that the message we have heard in the Chamber today is that the Conservative party …”

“I agree. My hon. Friend’s constituency has a proud cricketing history. I know a little bit about the work of the Lord’s Taverners; it is an inspiring organisation that helps young people with disabilities and additional needs to thrive and enjoy our great game. In respect of domes, it is so important that we keep an ey…”

“There were so many good speeches, and I want to briefly reflect on the highlights from each. I congratulate the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) on the new cricket pitch and pavilion landing this year. I was really sorry to hear about the flooding that impacted the club of my hon. Friend the Member for Great…”