Speeches by Lake.

“I see a lot of heads nodding in agreement. Is there anything that anybody would like to add before we move on?”

“Can I ask for your assessment of the Government’s proposed welfare reforms and their impact on those facing housing insecurity?”

“Just on that very specific point, Ms Dalton, are you finding any evidence as yet of accommodation being created or renovated above the high street? For example, in Aberystwyth we are now starting to see people deciding that what used to be the second floor of a shop is no longer viable and they are renovating it. I am …”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making such a powerful speech. Does he share my concern that one of the other consequences of these changes might be that fewer young people decide to go to university? That would obviously be to their detriment, but it would also be to the detriment of society in more general te…”

“I am grateful to the Minister for her generosity. I agree wholeheartedly that it is important that these hubs offer that wider range of banking services, and I draw her attention to the plight of community bank account holders, who often need to have access to a service that currently is available only in a bank branch…”

“I must concede that the DVLA was perhaps not the best of examples to cite. The right hon. Member is correct that the original Firearms Act—back in 1920, I believe—differentiated between the smooth barrel and the rifle for very good reasons. Others have touched upon that, and my hon. Friend the Member for Angus and Pert…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I thank the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for opening the debate in such an effective and measured way. Some 292 of my constituents signed the petition, and I thank all those who have contacted me in recent weeks to relay and explain their c…”

“On a similar theme, and specifically with regard to the legacy of disused metal mines in Wales, perhaps surprisingly, I have quite a few abandoned lead mines, in particular, in my constituency. This Committee has previously undertaken an inquiry into the matter. One of the things that the scientists who have given evid…”

“I know that will be very reassuring to the members of S4C, because one of the things they raised with us as a Committee was their prominence on smart platforms. You also mentioned YouTube; they explained to us just how important that platform now is in terms of a lot of their content, and in particular for children’s c…”

“The Committee recently took evidence from S4C. We had the lead independent board member, the chief executive and the chair. When asked what the priorities were for the coming period, they very much emphasised the need to ensure the prominence of S4C on smart TVs and digital platforms, as well as, of course, the BBC cha…”

“I would like to turn to S4C. I am not sure whether—”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Pritchard. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) on so eloquently detailing the importance and urgency of this matter. I also congratulate the petitioners on organising such an important petition. I speak as the Member of Parlia…”

“I agree wholeheartedly with the hon. Member’s important intervention. Perhaps we in this country need to wake up to the nature of the threat: it is all-encompassing and comprehensive, so every single tier of government and of society needs to be engaged. Perhaps a national conversation about the seriousness of the thre…”

“I thank the Foreign Secretary for her statement today, and particularly for her engagement with the African Union and regional partners. I know that she will be concerned by the possibility of broader destabilisation as a consequence of this conflict. In the light of reports of renewed clashes in Blue Nile state and th…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for securing this very important debate. He mentions mobile services, from which my constituency benefits greatly. Does he share my concern that the Post Office tasks individual postmasters with an ever greater number of mobile spots? Although we are very grateful for their effort, t…”

“Finally, you mentioned a few members of the team—and Liz is with us today. How many team members are based in Wales or predominantly work on Welsh matters?”

“Thank you, that is very useful. Lord Stockwood, you mentioned that it is sometimes useful when you have regional mayors, for example, because they will have an economic plan and that helps inform your thinking. Do you have a similar conversation with the Welsh Government? Do they present a set of priorities or key sect…”

“Not at all. You mentioned the Shotton Mill development, semiconductors and energy. Could you share a little more about the pipeline of opportunities that you see Wales being able to benefit from in the forthcoming years?”

“Thank you both for appearing before the Committee this afternoon. Mr Newns, you mentioned earlier that it was a little more challenging to attract investment in mid-Wales than in the north and south. I am a mid-Wales MP, and am sat next to my constituency neighbour, so can I quickly ask: what challenges are you encount…”

“Thank you—that is very kind.”