Speeches by Stephenson.

“My first question is to you all but let’s start with you, Mr Lockhart. The Prime Minister has said that he will put builders, not blockers, first and that in his view, blockers include planning committees, local councillors and local residents’ groups. My local councillors who sit on planning committees will be horrifi…”

“Does the hon. Gentleman think that universities are companies? If he does, would he advocate imposing VAT on fees for university education?”

“Perhaps my final question would be a follow-up to that. Are there examples, in a UK context, of us doing just that—ratifying a treaty, putting it on the top shelf and letting it gather dust? That would be a bad example. Conversely, do we have good examples of how we have implemented treaties and how we have good, trans…”

“I think there is a consensus on the panel that the framework is comprehensive and that the issue is with implementation. This Committee would like to assess how effective the international treaties are. With that context, Professor Barnes, what are the challenges in even assessing whether the UK is meeting its obligati…”

“I think there is a consensus on the panel that the framework is comprehensive and that the issue is with implementation. This Committee would like to assess how effective the international treaties are. With that context, Professor Barnes, what are the challenges in even assessing whether the UK is meeting its obligati…”

“Perhaps my final question would be a follow-up to that. Are there examples, in a UK context, of us doing just that—ratifying a treaty, putting it on the top shelf and letting it gather dust? That would be a bad example. Conversely, do we have good examples of how we have implemented treaties and how we have good, trans…”

“It is certainly complex, because there are scores of treaties and, as you say, they are implemented in UK law by being dotted around in lots of legislation. Therein lies some complexity in the implementation, but also in tracking it—what is the Government doing on each of those parts of the legislation? Do you think th…”

“T3. What steps are the Government taking to support pioneering British companies, such as Cranfield Aerospace Solutions in Mid Bedfordshire, in their pursuit of hydrogen-powered flight? How will the industrial strategy ensure that the UK remains a global leader in sustainable aviation technology?”

“It is certainly complex, because there are scores of treaties and, as you say, they are implemented in UK law by being dotted around in lots of legislation. Therein lies some complexity in the implementation, but also in tracking it—what is the Government doing on each of those parts of the legislation? Do you think th…”

“Does the Minister agree that the national security law for Hong Kong is in direct conflict with article 23 of the Basic Law for Hong Kong and a clear breach of the Sino-British joint declaration?”

“I will be really quick, Madam Chair. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) for securing such an important debate. I am absolutely astonished that so few Government Members have attended. It was not so long ago that they were community champions seeking election. In Mid Bedfordshire, o…”

“For my sins, I too will be running the London marathon next year. I will be running to raise money for Keech hospice; I know, as do other hon. Members who represent constituencies in Bedfordshire, what fantastic work that hospice does and the care it provides to our county. The Minister has been asked lots of times to …”

“10. What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of safeguarding high-grade agricultural land.”

“High-grade agricultural land in Mid Bedfordshire has been farmed for generations, and it is critical for our food security and our freedom, but it is under extreme pressure. We have talked this morning about climate change and flooding, and also about the Government’s family farm tax. What has not been mentioned so muc…”

“Are all of those things that the Government want to do, and will do, to stimulate demand?”

“Q2. Since the summer, thousands of commuters using Harlington and Flitwick stations have had to put up with nearly 8% of trains being cancelled in the evening peak, while nearly a third of trains that do arrive are more than five minutes late. Is it a mere coincidence that such poor performance follows this Government’…”

“Minister, you have touched on multinationals already, which bridges nicely into this question. Nature recovery schemes in England are quite limited compared with other countries, where they have got multinationals involved to invest, so how can nature recovery investment opportunities in England be scaled up, in your v…”

“I rise to support the amendments and new clause 1 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Bourne (Gareth Davies). If this Government’s goal was to fix the foundations, I am afraid the result has been subsidence. Business confidence has plummeted, and two thirds of firms think that Labour’s Budget, inc…”

“I welcome many of the measures in the Bill and will focus in the time available on the real action our constituents need from Government to bring our sewage network up to date. Too often and for too long, our constituents have paid the price for a failure of forward planning by the water industry. In September, my cons…”

“I absolutely agree on the importance of nature-based solutions, and those solutions are talked about frequently in my community and, I am sure, in communities across the country. They were not necessarily spoken about five or 10 years ago, but we have a real opportunity to make a difference if we focus and deliver on n…”