Speeches by Dewhirst.

“You announced a £13.7 billion investment plan for the next price review. Ofwat has, basically, reduced that to £13 billion. Does that curtail your ambitions to reduce pollution?”

“Net debt is increasing and is reported to be £8.76 billion, if that is correct. Your gearing is just below 65%, so just below what you would say is the upper range of what you would want to see. Ofwat recommends 55%. Is it a sustainable position to be 10% above where Ofwat would like you to be?”

“Like other water companies, you have been overspending on service delivery and enhancing your services. It has also been widely reported that you have been paying dividends greater than profits. How has that overspend been funded, and is it sustainable?”

“I have one final point on Windermere specifically and the ambition to reduce phosphorus levels. You have talked about working with third parties. Does the regulatory environment easily allow that third party working, or is it a challenge to work with others to achieve those aims in the current environment?”

“On a general point, do you feel that the price review process is effective, given the fact that you, like other companies, are having to overspend?”

“Q The Information Commissioner has indicated that some of the areas of previous concern on the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill have been answered. Do you not share that position, and do you continue to have concerns in that area? Ellen Lefley: We continue to have concerns, acknowledging that there are two …”

“Q A number of times you mentioned the importance of human engagement throughout the investigative process. Are you convinced that this programme will be sufficiently resourced? The previous Government, for the DWP angle, said that they needed an extra 1,400 counter-fraud officers and 2,000 additional officers to look a…”

“T4. Open access operators such as Hull Trains offer excellent, cheap, unsubsidised inter-city services to locations across the north, so why are Ministers trying to block their expansion and stifle growth?”

“rose—”

“I thank the petitioner and the hundreds of people in my constituency who signed the petition. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) eloquently put it, it is encouraging to see many more MPs present on the Government Benches. I mean that genuinely; previous debates have been a li…”

“Could you just confirm for the Committee that Coquelles would be the Eurotunnel?”

“Lucy, turning to operations in Dover, quite clearly, from what you have said, you are not resourced to the level you would ideally like to be. Could you perhaps give us a flavour of, if you could go to the Treasury tomorrow and ask for extra money and resources, what that would look like? What scale of resources do you…”

“It is fair and reasonable to say that Border Force’s priority is guns, bombs, people, et cetera, and this does not fall at the top of the list.”

“I wanted to come to David in terms of Border Force priorities and where animal and plant disease incursion risk sits in your priorities and day-to-day work.”

“I could not have put it better myself. It is so important to get the balance right between ensuring a secure financial future for our unions and the availability of the game to the widest possible audience. A symbiotic, positive relationship between those things will ensure the healthy future of the game across the Uni…”

“I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It is important that we get the timings of the games and everything else right so that we optimise the broadcast number. As we have seen with various experiments in recent years, whether games take place on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons, rather than the traditional Saturday afterno…”

“I could not agree more. I hope that the hon. Lady’s local clubs will play a key role in the rebuild of the national side and that there will be a few more victories in future. Returning to listed events, the broadcast rights must be offered to the main free-to-air terrestrial broadcasters on fair and reasonable terms. …”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of free-to-view access for the Six Nations Rugby Championship in 2026 and beyond. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I am pleased to have secured this timely debate on the future of the Six Nations and its broadcast in the UK, a…”

“We could. Perhaps that is an opportunity for later in the year; we could return to Westminster Hall. There were several reports in the media last week that a deal between the Six Nations and TNT Sports for coverage in 2026 and beyond was imminent. I am grateful to the Six Nations for providing me with clarification on …”

“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and the debate is very timely, given what I am about to say. I am also grateful for her contribution, given her role in Parliament as regards rugby and her previous role in the sport as well. I am very aware that income from broadcast deals is vital to the home nations’ ru…”