Speeches by Voaden.

“Is there anything you would like to add, Debbie?”

“This morning, we have heard about the follow-up actions that need to take place as well as an apology. I would like to talk to you about adoption records. You have said that by the end of this year, there is going to be a free online resource showing where adoption records are held. That does not suggest that the proce…”

“I am looking at their reactions behind you—”

“My hunch is that what you are saying is not exactly what they are looking for. Will you commit to a meeting Sally and her colleagues to guide you through how they would like the process to be carried out?”

“Absolutely.”

“My hunch is that what you are saying is not exactly what they are looking for. Will you commit to a meeting Sally and her colleagues to guide you through how they would like the process to be carried out?”

“Are you working with adult adoptees in the process, to be guided by what they need?”

“Every year, the UK loses £33.4 billion in tax revenue, as multinational corporations and the super-rich choose tax havens over tax payments. However, the UN tax convention has the potential to solve this problem, so will the Minister show leadership, not ambivalence, and commit to securing an ambitious UN tax conventio…”

“Will the hon. Lady give way?”

“On the point about utility companies, we had a major gas outage in South Devon at the beginning of the year. We had a problem that is probably very familiar to MPs in Cornwall; the utility company could not trace who owned the second homes, because the homeowners were not there. As the utility company was working throu…”

“You have all spoken very powerfully about the lifelong trauma you have all experienced because of what you have been through. Could you give us a brief assessment of the current availability of trauma-informed mental health pathways for adult adoptees and birth mothers? That might be a one-word answer. Also, what steps…”

“The hon. Lady is being very generous with her time. In my constituency, several homes along the seafront were very badly damaged by storms in February, and as they cannot be lived in, the residents have been evacuated. Seafront protection, which is a responsibility of the Environment Agency, is key—particularly if thos…”

“Would the hon. Lady agree that the film-style age rating system that the Liberal Democrats have come up with speaks to exactly what she is saying? An app that allows children access to strangers or is built with an addictive algorithm, for example, would have a different age rating than something that is absolutely saf…”

“Communal groups where children can read together and parents can be encouraged can really boost a parent’s confidence in their ability to share a book with their child, because some parents to do not feel as confident reading as others do. Last Friday night, I had the pleasure of reading “The Gruffalo” to my 18-month-o…”

“The hon. Member’s contribution illustrates the draw of the smartphone, which is pulling children away from books—and it is not just children. I am sure many of us in this room are guilty of being addicted to the algorithm late at night, rather than going to bed early and reading a book. Finally, we need to pay more att…”

“The hon. Member is absolutely right. When I was a rather frazzled single parent of two young children, I remember that my mum would sit calmly and quietly with the girls and read them stories when I did not have the headspace. It was a lovely thing to see, and they developed a very special bond. This week, we on the Ed…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse, and to respond on behalf of my party to this debate on World Book Day. I commend the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes) for her excellent opening speech and for securing the debate. World Book Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to discu…”

“Coastal erosion has caused immense damage in South Devon to homes, businesses and a vital A road. The impact of winter storms this year illustrates the need for joined-up thinking in Government and for support for local government in coping financially with the eye-watering costs of repair. Can we have a debate in Gove…”

“Medical devices and equipment are increasingly becoming pressure points as trusts rely on ageing, life-expired kit. Torbay and South Devon NHS foundation trust has had fantastic results in bowel surgery from a free trial of a robotic surgery system that it was offered, but it cannot afford to buy the system because it …”

“We have talked a lot about reading in the early years. I would like to look at secondary school because, Jonathan, I think you said that there is a noticeable dip when children go to secondary school. Perhaps you could talk a little bit about what best practice looks like in secondary schools to address the change and …”