Speeches by Athwal.

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) for securing this important debate on an issue that matters greatly to my constituents. My first job was as a paper boy; I would not say that I had to lie, but I certainly had to say that I…”

“I absolutely agree. I have been saying for the last 10 years that that should be done. The Government finally acting is a real positive; we are going in the right direction. Fly-tipping blights our area, but when the council removes it quickly, people feel it is okay to dump rubbish on our streets because someone will …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn) for securing this incredibly important debate. I pay tribute to the South Park Users Group in Ilford South. Come rain or shine, they dedicate their time to keep our parks and st…”

“The grooming gangs represent the most profound betrayal of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and the victims were failed by the very institutions that should have protected them. Justice was denied, while perpetrators escaped accountability. The vile individuals who systemically groomed, abused and vio…”

“To keep with the current theme of the beautiful game, the Buza youth football academy in Ilford South has been running for only six years, but, in that time, the youngsters—the under-nines—have won the Echo junior league, and the under-11s and under-13s have won cups and competed abroad. Two of its players now have con…”

“4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the cost of living in Wales.”

“This Government removed the two-child cap, which took 5,000 children in my constituency out of poverty. Will the Secretary of State please explain how that is helping children in Wales?”

“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement. Thames Water is by far the worst water company when it comes to sewage spills, pollution incidents, flooding across overloaded sewer systems, customer complaints, regulatory penalties—the list goes on. The establishment of a robust, proactive regulator is a step in the …”

“Thames Water, which serves my constituency, has had a chequered history—it has gone from bad to worse—and there has been sewage on the streets of Ilford too frequently. When is enough enough? When will we take back control from Thames Water?”

“11. What recent progress her Department has made on implementing the violence against women and girls strategy.”

“Harshita Barela was just 24 years old when she was murdered and her body was dumped in a car boot in Ilford. Nearly two years on, her husband and alleged killer has still not been arrested, and is believed to be hiding in India. A few weeks ago I was humbled to meet Harshita’s parents, who had made the journey to trace…”

“I thank the Home Secretary and the shadow Home Secretary for the way they introduced this very sensitive issue. The murder of Henry Nowak was a wicked act of brutality. His family and all those who loved him have been left with unimaginable grief, mourning their brother, their son and their friend, who they will never,…”

“I thank the Home Secretary and the shadow Home Secretary for the way they introduced this very sensitive issue. The murder of Henry Nowak was a wicked act of brutality. His family and all those who loved him have been left with unimaginable grief, mourning their brother, their son and their friend, who they will never,…”

“Many constituents have raised concerns about the restrictions on Palestinian worshippers accessing the al-Aqsa mosque—one of Islam’s holiest sites. They fear that the measures, which have been presented as security-related, may be limiting freedom of worship and increasing control over access. These concerns sit alongs…”

“I welcome the Government’s recent efforts to improve victims’ experiences in the courtroom, including the expansion of the Operation Soteria principles and the introduction of a national independent legal adviser service to provide dedicated legal support throughout the criminal justice process. However, many victims s…”

“12. What plans he has to help improve victim confidence in the justice system.”

“I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for his statement. Parents of teenagers and students across the country will be looking on with increasing anxiety. What is the Secretary of State’s advice to parents in other parts of the country, particularly those in the Kent area? What exactly are the symptoms tha…”

“I thank all colleagues who have contributed to the debate; it is really appreciated. As I close the debate, I would like to make the declaration that my paternal great-grandfather served in the first world war, and my maternal grandfather served in the second world war. I often remember a quote by General Sir Ian Hamil…”

“I absolutely agree with everything my hon. Friend said. From undivided India alone, around 74,000 soldiers were killed, each one a son, a brother, a husband or a friend—each one a life cut short by war. For many years, the full story of Commonwealth contributions was not widely recognised. Remembrance often focused on …”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the contributions of Commonwealth troops in the First World War. I grew up in Ilford as a youngster with my childhood friends Harp and Sukha. We were ordinary lads bound together by a love for football, and oblivious to the fact that our fathers, grandfathers and great-gran…”