Speeches by Asser.

“I had a feeling you might not.”

“The Government, in their written evidence, have suggested or put forward that consideration could be given to limiting the number of WPQ submissions that could be made, citing the cost to taxpayers. Do you agree? What are your thoughts on that?”

“I join other hon. Members in sending my condolences to the families of the students who have died. As my right hon. Friend will be aware, I was once upon a time the National Union of Students officer responsible for national health campaigning, and a meningitis outbreak on campus was always one of our great anxieties. …”

“This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the West Ham station attack, in which an IRA bomb exploded on a tube train, injuring nine people. Post Office engineer Peter Chalk was shot and seriously injured, and the tube driver, Joseph Julius Stephen, was shot and killed, as they attempted to stop the attacker escaping. …”

“I put on record my role as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Bulgaria. The APPG recently visited Sofia, where we met businesses that are keen to build their trade relationships with this country, particularly in the energy and tech sectors. We also saw the good work being done by our embassy in partnership…”

“14. What steps he is taking to increase trade ties with Europe.”

“4. What steps her Department is taking to support youth activities in urban communities.”

“Based in North Woolwich in my constituency is Fight for Peace, a boxing and martial arts facility that also delivers employment and education skills for young people, helping to divert them from gangs and knife crime. Like so many organisations over the last few years, it has faced a tough time. Does the Minister agree…”

“Rokeby school in Canning Town has just received national recognition from the Department for Education for its exceptional achievements among disadvantaged pupils. This is an incredible achievement for the school and the local community, where families and children face many disadvantages and challenges. Will the Leade…”

“My constituents are plagued with endless disruption and roadworks from Thames Water, which is leading to disruption for motorists, delays in public transport and, in some cases, serious safety concerns for cyclists. Does the Secretary of State agree that such infrastructure works should be properly monitored and inspec…”

“13. What steps she is taking to improve the inspection of water infrastructure.”

“T2. The London Design and Engineering university technical college in the Royal Docks has just received an “outstanding” Ofsted report, including a commendation for the way it prepares students for the next stage of employment. Does the Secretary of State agree that an industry-level offer of resources and training at …”

“I recently had a conversation with a chip shop in my constituency. One of the issues it raised was getting younger people interested in going into the business because there are other opportunities elsewhere. Indeed, the person I spoke to—it was a family business—had moved on to other opportunities. The hon. Member is …”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“I declare that I am a leaseholder. Correspondence from leaseholders in my constituency, which makes up a lot of my inbox, mentions poor service, rising charges and homes that they can no longer remortgage or sell, causing financial difficulty. They will very much welcome today’s announcement, but will the Minister reas…”

“My constituents are not receiving the service they deserve. Many are facing real issues over water pressure, which is intermittent, unreliable and on some days non-existent. This issue has even been raised with me by primary school children when I am on school visits. Can the Secretary of State reassure my constituents…”

“This follows on from when we were asking about the role of Members, because it is something that MPs consider when we ask a question and there is a live legal case. In what circumstances do you think comments in Parliament could prejudice a trial and potentially lead to it being abandoned? Do you think that risk is hig…”

“As you can tell, we have had some interesting discussions on sub judice and contempt of court. Some of what I was going to touch on, Lee has successfully worked his way through, but I will continue on that interesting theme. Your written evidence to us suggested we should consider whether the sub judice rules should be…”

“Can I tempt you to lean one way or another, or are you very happy where you are?”

“It was worth asking the question.”