Speeches by Dollimore.

“So you are awarding bonuses to the lowest-paid members of staff of between 3% and 5%?”

“Which would have more than covered the 98 projects put back.”

“But it did not work.”

“On a similar but related topic, there has been a lot of discussion recently; we touched on it earlier in terms of the various trade deal conversations ongoing. The Government have previously said that chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef are no-go areas. Are you happy to confirm that to the Committee?”

“We saw someone whose van had been stopped and was being examined. I have never seen somebody so relaxed and chilled out about the fact that their van was being examined by Border Force and other officials. The more punishments and the more we can deter that, the better.”

“I am aware this has been a fairly long questioning session, so I will keep this brief. I just wanted to touch on animal welfare more broadly, which falls within your ministerial portfolio. Obviously, we all have many constituents who care deeply about animal welfare. We are a nation of animal lovers. The Government mad…”

“Does DEFRA have any insights on what the market is for this illegal meat? Where is it going? What is driving that here? Is there work that can be done here at the demand level? Can we do more work there to prevent that flow?”

“Part of what we picked up when we were there was that people wrongly feel that they can get off scot-free if they bring in meat illegally. What new steps can be taken by this Government? I know that there has been a discussion about crushing cars.”

“On the topic of illegal meat imports, which is a huge issue and something that the Committee was able to see at first hand on our visit recently to Dover port, we know that this carries a huge risk to public health. Our farming community is also extremely worried about illegal meat imports coming in. As we have just he…”

“A film is played before your flight lands. I hear the commitment from you as the Minister on pushing as hard as you can, but perhaps it is a takeaway for us as a Committee as well that we need to ask the airlines.”

“On the theme of fixing the roof while the sun is shining, and horizon scanning, something that I was very alarmed to hear about as a south coast Member of Parliament was the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the future. Is that on your radar? Is it something that you are working on?”

“Gareth, as the person before us with probably the most institutional memory here, having been in post since July 2019, the year after Exercise Blackthorne was conducted, it just strikes me as a little unsettling that you cannot give the Committee an assurance that the serious recommendations since 2018 and 2019, when y…”

“It is also important that we look at where we can learn from other countries that are doing this well. Some countries in Asia are very rigorous.”

“Last month, I held a public meeting in my constituency with over 100 parents, carers and pupils to discuss our concerns about the quality of secondary education in my constituency. It is an absolute scandal that over 60% of young people leave school without a pass—level 4 or higher—in maths and English GCSE, a trend th…”

“As we build new homes, it is important that we make sure that existing homes are as safe as they can be. I recently met representatives of a leading fire safety business in my constituency, who told me of the unacceptably long delays that it faces from the Building Safety Regulator. Will the Minister meet me and my loc…”

“I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way and for the record investment of this Labour Government in fixing potholes. I particularly welcome the £21 million for East Sussex to fix our roads. Does she share my frustration at the fact that Conservative-run East Sussex county council has told me that it will have a lowe…”

“So, no.”

“So, in future you will make yourself available to the media during incidents—yes or no?”

“You earn around five times what the Prime Minister earns, and you think it is okay to evade media scrutiny when there is a major crisis happening in your company. Do you think people would think it was acceptable if the Prime Minister just went missing during a major crisis and did not want to speak to the media?”

“The BBC and ITV were in Brixham, but you could not take five minutes to speak to them?”