Speeches by Craft.

“I completely agree: deaf children need qualified teachers of the deaf. I thank Mrs Smith, who is in the Public Gallery today—an exceptional teacher of the deaf in my constituency. I come back to the point about the patchwork of sign language provision for parents. There is an estimate that the availability of courses h…”

“The hon. Lady is quite right that there is a real case for children across the board learning some BSL. We never know—for one child, it might spark a lifelong love of the language. Indeed, I believe there is a young girl in the Public Gallery who has her BSL level 1 qualification and she is still at primary school, whi…”

“My hon. Friend is quite right. All children should be offered the opportunity to learn BSL level 1 at school. As she says, it can only help to break down those barriers to the deaf community and open up our society for those who are BSL first-language speakers. I will conclude because I know that other Members want to …”

“I thank all Members who have taken part, particularly those who took the time to learn some BSL. I also thank the interpreters, who have made it possible for the deaf community to join us. I have a few reflections on things that were raised. There is certainly a learning point for all Members across the House to consid…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered British Sign Language Week. [In British Sign Language: I beg to move, That this House has considered British Sign Language Week.] It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank those who have supported today’s debate: the hon. Members who sponsor…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Turner. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) on securing this important debate. Down’s syndrome regression disorder is an aspect of Down’s syndrome that has been, until now, largely overlooked. It affects roughly 1% to 2% of p…”

“I just wanted to pick up on something that you said, Jayne, which is that you are concerned that every day feels very negative and that you never want your daughter to feel like she is a burden. I would just like to offer you all the opportunity to tell us something about the people who you care for before the Chair wr…”

“Good morning. We are very pleased to have you with us. I have a nice easy question to start with: would you tell us a bit about yourselves and your experiences as carers and as young carers?”

“You are a very busy woman, basically. How does your work react to your caring responsibilities? How does it tie in?”

“I am one of the 6% to 8% of people living with a serious mental illness in employment, despite 80% of us wanting to work. I am here despite a mental health system that I have always found unsupportive, and because I went out of my way to forge my own pathway of support and care. Although I welcome the Secretary of Stat…”

“The crisis in our NHS goes deep. I am sure that the Secretary of State agrees that it is an existential crisis that poses a threat to the future of the NHS if fundamental change does not happen. While I strongly welcome today’s statement, what assurances can he give me and the House that the right people will be in the…”

“My hon. Friend is right that powers introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill will go some way towards alleviating some of these problems. He raises a good point about how the noise itself is an issue which exacerbates people’s fear of this kind of antisocial behaviour, which makes some areas almost a no-go zone. That …”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Alice Macdonald) on bringing forward this important debate. Antisocial behaviour and disorder is a blight on our high streets and town centres, and I hear all too often from my constituents in Thurrock a…”

“I am an Essex MP, and I am interested in the shadow Minister’s comments on enforcement measures over the last few decades. It is my understanding that the issuance of public notices for offences such as being drunk and disorderly, and other low-level behaviour, actually fell to zero in 2023, whereas such notices were c…”

“The majority of young people do not commit crime or antisocial behaviour, and obviously there are parenting choices in there to be applauded; however, there is considerable data about, for example, the prevalence of special educational needs and undiagnosed disabilities among the prison population. Does the hon. Gentle…”

“The Minister speaks about the excellent work of the police and crime commissioner in her area and in Norfolk; however, in Essex our police, fire and crime commissioner took the controversial decision to slash all 98 PCSOs—a decision he rowed back on after outcry from myself, my Labour colleagues and Opposition Members.…”

“Meeting my constituents in Thurrock serves as a constant reminder of the state of our NHS and the health of our nation. I regularly hear from residents who cannot access NHS services, who are stuck on a waiting list or who are unable to see their doctor. I see how the social determinants of health play out, putting peo…”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“Does the hon. Member not consider the workforce a vital part of the NHS? Properly funding the workforce, through a pay deal that appropriately recognises the effort they put in, is part of the work of turning around the outlook for our NHS.”

“I was indeed at that Committee, and I also remember the reflection that NHS England was incredibly grateful for the amount of money that was being given. It was the highest amount of money given to any Department at the Budget, and it was much, much more than has been given in previous years. Waiting lists have fallen …”