Speeches by Abrahams.

“Our declining healthy life expectancy, as underlined in today’s Health Foundation report, is a real worry, but as Professor Sir Michael Marmot has shown, that is no surprise after 14 years of austerity and its impact on our public services. There is the potential for a significant knock-on effect on Department for Work…”

“I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. For clarity, could he confirm to whom, and when, the UK Security Vetting report outcomes were made available? Could he also say what guidance is given to senior officials on matters that must be escalated to their Ministers?”

“Going back to the asset aspect of the debate, I came across some new analysis from the New Financial that shows that over the last 10 years UK equities allocation by DC pensions has fallen from 25% to just 5%. It argues that this has helped create a self-fulfilling doom loop of lower demand, lower valuations and lower …”

“I must say that I am slightly surprised by the shadow Minister’s speech. I understand that Pensions UK agrees with the asset allocation, and has welcomed the change that has been announced, which is in line with the amounts prescribed in the Mansion House accord. The accusations about the Government stealing pensioners…”

“I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for all that he is doing towards de-escalating the conflict in the middle east. I agree with him that we should not get drawn into the conflict. May I ask him about Palestine, and the west bank in particular? More than 30 former UK ambassadors have said that any bidder for contr…”

“Q3. I thank the Prime Minister for the funding for three new primary school nurseries in Oldham, but may I ask him specifically about Monday’s Liaison Committee meeting, at which he agreed that the Israeli settlements in the west bank are unlawful and that their expansion threatens the viability of a Palestinian state?…”

“Good morning, Dame Rachel. You have just mentioned what you think about targets. In a recent paper in the BMJ, Professors David Taylor-Robinson and Kate Pickett are making exactly that point. There were legally binding targets in the previous child poverty strategy, and those countries that have carried on in that vein…”

“I take your point. It is a very wise point to make in terms of the timing. What we currently have is a not particularly ambitious programme with no targets, which may reduce about 10% of child poverty. I have another paper on targets before the strategy came out. It modelled what would be the outcome—you have talked ab…”

“Good morning, Dame Rachel. You have just mentioned what you think about targets. In a recent paper in the BMJ, Professors David Taylor-Robinson and Kate Pickett are making exactly that point. There were legally binding targets in the previous child poverty strategy, and those countries that have carried on in that vein…”

“I take your point. It is a very wise point to make in terms of the timing. What we currently have is a not particularly ambitious programme with no targets, which may reduce about 10% of child poverty. I have another paper on targets before the strategy came out. It modelled what would be the outcome—you have talked ab…”

“Can I press you on what we will do? Will we issue a statement?”

“Do you not see parallels in how the current conflict could be de-escalated?”

“Prime Minister, I appreciate exactly what you are saying, but in December we had the deregistration of 37 international humanitarian organisations, against international law. We had the announcement on 31 December of the expansion of the E1 settlement development, jeopardising the two-state solution. As yet, we have no…”

“Good afternoon, Prime Minister. The Attorney General has said that the UK wants to play its role in ensuring compliance with international law and the rules-based system; he will be making another speech on that this afternoon, I believe. On that issue, we know that there has been condemnation—from UN human rights expe…”

“The International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in July 2024 ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and must end, including the cessation of all new settlements. Last month, the French joined nine other European states, as well as many Arab nations, to condemn t…”

“The Attorney General said that the UN is “a beacon of hope” in maintaining our rules-based system, but for millions of Palestinians, UNRWA is their beacon of hope, helping to keep them alive. The outgoing UNRWA commissioner general said at the weekend: “It is incomprehensible that a UN entity has been allowed to be cru…”

“I commend my right hon. Friend on her statement, and I thank her and her offices for the safe return of two of my constituents who were caught up in the original bombings. I support what my right hon. Friend says about the Government’s position not to get embroiled in this war of choice, but I note her equivocation aro…”

“A number of Arab ambassadors attended a meeting in the House of Commons last week. They were clear that the military action undertaken by Israel and the US emanated from the action that we have seen over more than two years in Gaza, and that the solution needed meaningful peace in the area. What are Ministers doing spe…”

“I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, and I absolutely agree that this year the British public will start to feel the difference that it makes to have a Labour Government. Will she expand on what she is doing to ensure that all dimensions of inequality—inequality of income, wealth, power and health—are tackled, a…”

“I thank the Prime Minister for his statement, and for his reassurance about the principles for involving the United Kingdom in any military action. For those on this side of the House, it is important that, as well as having a viable plan, we stand by the rule of law. Has my right hon. Friend been able to have any disc…”