Speeches by Thomas.

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“I am not sure that I heard an answer to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Lincoln Jopp). Does the hon. Member support a two-child cap, or would he like it removed?”

“Can the hon. Gentleman clarify the bundle of contradictions that we have heard over the last year from Labour Members? I recall that, in July 2024, we heard from the former Leader of the House, the right hon. Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell), that Labour had to abolish winter fuel payments for older people b…”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“I wonder if the hon. Gentleman could tell the House whether he would be content if income tax, national insurance or VAT were to rise in the Budget in two weeks’ time.”

“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…”

“Can the Justice Secretary tell the House whether in the last 16 months any prisoners have been accidentally released from Hewell Grange prison in Worcestershire and, if so, how many?”

“T8. Why did the Government vote against releasing migrant crime data?”

“4. What steps his Department is taking to help support the Probation Service to manage repeat offenders who cross jurisdictional boundaries to avoid supervision.”

“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 …”

“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…”

“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…”

“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…”

“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 …”

“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?”