Speeches by Thomas.

“You have been involved in none of the conversations or anything?”

“It sounds from what you say that that is driven by getting the grant, getting the money and just installing a solution. It sounds like that is what happened to you.”

“Thank you, Chair, and welcome, Zak and Amanda. I am sorry to hear about what has happened as well, because it sounds like what you are both going through—and what your mum in particular, Zak, is going through—is not just soul-destroying, but you probably think, “What’s the point?” When this commenced, what were the fir…”

“A very quick one for you, Shabir and Damian. Who do you think householders should consult for advice before proceeding with schemes? Do you think the Government should foot the bill for the advice that people are receiving so that it is delivered in an accredited fashion?”

“A quick follow-up: one of my fears with any scheme like this is that when a government grant is available, an illicit underbelly emerges in any industry to exploit the grants that are available. Do you feel that is what has happened in this case?”

“Thank you, Chair, and welcome, Zak and Amanda. I am sorry to hear about what has happened as well, because it sounds like what you are both going through—and what your mum in particular, Zak, is going through—is not just soul-destroying, but you probably think, “What’s the point?” When this commenced, what were the fir…”

“You have been involved in none of the conversations or anything?”

“It sounds from what you say that that is driven by getting the grant, getting the money and just installing a solution. It sounds like that is what happened to you.”

“4. What steps he is taking to protect undersea infrastructure.”

“The Secretary of State agrees that the threat to critical undersea infrastructure is serious, so will he prioritise development of underwater capabilities, such as uncrewed systems, including under pillar 2 of AUKUS, and will he increase research and development investment into systems that could protect that critical …”

“Does the Minister agree that there is a double standard in the Government backing Heathrow expansion to drive economic growth, but not providing the maximum possible support for our domestic oil and gas industry?”

“We have heard that there are no easy answers to the topic of tackling illegal immigration, but as Members of this House, we have to find within ourselves the collective will to succeed. Since July, 24,586 people have crossed the channel, compared with 19,300 in the same period the year before, which represents a 28% in…”

“Not at the moment. Furthermore, many of them pay thousands of pounds to smuggling gangs before they make the journey. These false cases do huge damage to public trust in the asylum system, as well as to the cases of genuine asylum seekers. Over the past two decades, our economy has become addicted to mass migration, an…”

“Will the Minister agree to publish the full, comprehensive analysis of the cost of providing support to Drax versus the alternatives?”

“T5. Can the Minister assure the House that as the Government push to decarbonise the electricity grid, the vast majority of new electricity generation and transmission infrastructure will be built in the UK, not imported from foreign countries, including China?”

“6. What steps he is taking to support high street businesses.”

“Yesterday, Bromsgrove received the devastating news that it is about to lose both its Lloyds and Halifax bank branches in the town centre. Those banks are a lifeline to many small businesses, particularly those run by independent small entrepreneurs, as well as many residents who use their banking facilities on probabl…”

“Can the Minister explain why the review appears to focus on the symptoms of extremism rather than its underlying root causes? Can he assure the House that that mindset is not directing policy in the Home Office?”

“Constituents across Bromsgrove and the villages are sick and tired of violent criminality and lawlessness creeping over the border from Birmingham into our constituency. In the past year, Romsley Co-op and Wythall post office at Drakes Cross—both of which are on the northern fringe of my constituency—have been raided, …”

“10. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce the backlog of cases in the Crown court.”