Speeches by Alaba.

“I thank my hon. Friend for allowing me to intervene. In my constituency of Southend East and Rochford, we share many of the same issues that my hon. Friend is experiencing in her constituency in Norwich. We have a high street that needs to be reanimated and low levels of antisocial behaviour. Nevertheless, as my hon. F…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (Perran Moon) for securing this really important debate. His important work as a rugby coach and a key stakeholder within his community is to be commended. I come from a football and track and field …”

“I agree. That is one of the reasons we are all here: we are talking about the unique offer and appeal of our communities. All and any history regarding families and individuals who have helped to shape, and shown commitment to, our communities should be cherished and showcased. I see how that example shows the uniquene…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the cultural heritage of market towns. It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I thank everyone here today for attending and showing their interest in this very important debate, and for contributing to and supporting it. I welcome all Members who repr…”

“Oh, guys. I am more excited to hear the thoughts of other Members present, because I know that they bring insights into their communities from which we can all benefit.”

“To summarise our debate, it is fair to say that market towns are up against it and often feel the sharp end of economic downturns. I know at first hand how local communities’ involvement in decision making creates thriving economies all year round and a long-term sustainable protection for cultural heritage. By harness…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right: that sort of resource helps under-resourced councils. As I said, councils have lost specialist infrastructure and staff, and that has a huge impact on their ability to shape how the local economies grow. The lack of expertise, compounded by shrinking budgets, means that casework is g…”

“I have had the pleasure of meeting my constituent Mark Hughes, who kindly shared his experience of a terminal diagnosis. Would the Leader of the House join me in commending Mark on his hard work on his successful “Scrap 6 Months” campaign? As a result of that campaign, those who receive a terminal diagnosis of 12 month…”

“We have the national youth strategy. How key, how pivotal, how important is sports to that strategic intention?”

“You are right.”

“I want to go back quickly to what you think are the biggest challenges for access to facilities. Alistair, you mentioned affluence; Montell, you mentioned connections. Is there anything else that you would like to touch on? I will start with the athletes.”

“Ali, with school estates and resources and how best they can be utilised, you mentioned earlier the statutory protection around the finance and how you charge for facilities. Do you see that as something that schools should try and do if they want other parts of the community to access their facilities? Is that somethi…”

“This is a question for the athletes. Do you think that the Government focus too much on elite sports? You are all of elite status but obviously you came through the grassroots system. What is your take on that? There are certain takes on confidence, resilience and networks, all those byproducts that came from your jour…”

“Sir David Amess was a hugely respected parliamentarian of massive popularity across all parties and in his wider community. He worked every day with true compassion to improve the lives of residents in Southend West and Leigh, Southend East and Rochford and more widely. My constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Mem…”

“I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s announcement on devolution in Essex, which both the Conservative leader and the Labour-run unitaries are very supportive of. This announcement is right. It is generation-defining, and will deliver real local democracy. Southend and Rochford, and Essex, will be at their very bes…”

“As I am sure Members know, Southend and Rochford is an area of immense cultural heritage, vibrant businesses and a picturesque coastline. Last summer, we faced high-profile incidents of antisocial behaviour and crime. I would like to thank the Minister for her support during that time. As a new MP, it was a very trauma…”

“I am speaking on behalf of my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West and Leigh (David Burton-Sampson), who has been working closely with the Home Office and, most important, with the family of the late Sir David Amess. It makes me angry to listen to the litany of errors that occurred when a…”

“I also commend the Minister for his great announcement, which is welcome and needed. The Minister has often spoken about the importance of shifting from sickness to prevention, from hospital to community, and from analogue to digital. Residents of Southend East and Rochford deserve an NHS that is there when they need i…”

“I commend the Minister on the progress he has made on setting up Great British Energy. Can he outline to the House what opportunities our publicly owned champion will bring to Southend East and Rochford and the wider south-east region?”

“17. Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a Great British Energy office in every region.”