Speeches by Thomas.

“Residents living in villages across north Worcestershire in my constituency of Bromsgrove are often victims of crime that originates from urban areas, including Birmingham. What message would the Minister send to my constituents who want a reassurance that the Probation Service is being strengthened in order that repea…”

“That is a bit of a cheap jibe. If the hon. Member takes a look through Hansard, he will realise that I have taken an interest in social care for some time. The reality is that councils across the country spend circa £7 out of every £10 on social care. It is important that society spends money on social care, but while …”

“For decades, high streets have been more than a place to shop. They are a barometer of the economic and social vitality of the country and of the communities where they are located. They are a gauge of whether we are prospering or declining. They are the sweet spot on the Venn diagram of societal indicators and policy …”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government present an illusion of choice? I will give him a very brief example. Two weeks ago, I met the owners of a business in my constituency—a young couple who own a hospitality business. They have two young children; one is three weeks old. They are buying a new house, and have s…”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“I agree with the hon. Member. Earlier, the hon. Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden) made the point that because the losses in retail are dispersed thinly across the country, this erosion takes place in plain sight, but if the same thing were happening in an industry with a collective centre in one location, it wou…”

“At the minute, an estimated 13 million households in this country—just over 50% of all households—are net recipients from the state, rather than net contributors to it. What would the Minister expect that figure to be by the end of this Parliament?”

“My hon. Friend is making a good point. As I often point out to my constituents when talking about the future of the high street—the situation will be similar in other constituencies—there are approximately 50,000 households in my constituency, and if each one of those spends £5 per week supporting a local business, tha…”

“Benj, do you have anything you would like to add?”

“This brings me to my final question. If you had an ask of Government, what would it be?”

“I put the same question to Elizabeth de Jong on the pressure facing the sector. How much is down to the net zero trajectory versus the general trading environment?”

“For comparative purposes, are you able to put into perspective the situation we are talking about? As a multiple, how much more expensive does Fawley cost to run relative to a comparable ExxonMobil asset in a comparable economy such as the US or elsewhere in North America?”

“I have two questions. This was going to be my second one but, as Paul Greenwood has touched on it, I will ask it first. Given the pressure the sector is under, and given the value of the sector to UK plc—Elizabeth has pointed out that every facet of modern life is dependent somehow on the refining sector—how fertile is…”

“Benj, do you have anything you would like to add?”

“This brings me to my final question. If you had an ask of Government, what would it be?”

“I put the same question to Elizabeth de Jong on the pressure facing the sector. How much is down to the net zero trajectory versus the general trading environment?”

“For comparative purposes, are you able to put into perspective the situation we are talking about? As a multiple, how much more expensive does Fawley cost to run relative to a comparable ExxonMobil asset in a comparable economy such as the US or elsewhere in North America?”

“I have two questions. This was going to be my second one but, as Paul Greenwood has touched on it, I will ask it first. Given the pressure the sector is under, and given the value of the sector to UK plc—Elizabeth has pointed out that every facet of modern life is dependent somehow on the refining sector—how fertile is…”

“I call on the hon. Gentleman to reflect on the fact that, regardless of our political differences, it is the Conservative party that has delivered three female Prime Ministers and the first Prime Minister from an ethnic minority background, while his has not managed to present any other leader than a white man.”

“The Minister is in no position to lecture on reducing the size of the state, given that when Labour attempted to reduce the welfare bill, it marched all of its MPs up the hill, only to march them down again, when it buckled under the pressure from its own Back Benchers.”