Speeches by Norman.

“We also thank you for your putting that service, as with members of this Committee, to the benefit of this nation. That is a profoundly important thing to put in the record. My colleague the Member for Spelthorne mentioned the legacy issues with veterans. You will understand that in my part of the world that is a very …”

“One of the effects of the covenant, as you have described it, is that it is going to be extended into central Government Departments. Will that include the Treasury?”

“It would be your ambition, if you like, to have the Treasury.”

“I can say this as a former Treasury Minister. Bringing that particular part of central Government into a deeper understanding of what is going on is pretty foundational, not just to the success of the policy, but to its being effectively funded, which inevitably must be an issue. You will know, in terms of new policy a…”

“I very strongly echo that, but there are also cases in which veterans are not able to take the full benefit of their own capabilities developed within the forces, perhaps because they have not had the academic finishing or the kind of credentials that might allow them to succeed elsewhere. You will know that the Govern…”

“I would be very grateful if you could send me or direct me to something in that area. It would be very helpful.”

“We can expect that in the Armed Forces Bill early next year.”

“Can we move on to other areas that you think will be subject to the covenant legal duty apart from the one we have just touched on?”

“That is very interesting. There is always a danger in security and defence that people lead with the budget; they do not lead with the need. Can I take it that you guys are focusing on the need and are going to allow the rest of the issue, as it were, to follow that?”

“That is not just apprenticeships or the equivalent but genuine skills-based higher education.”

“Mr Speaker, may I first associate myself very strongly with your kind remarks about Peter Hipkins and his service to this House? We join all colleagues in celebration of International Women’s Day this Saturday. I am sure the whole House will also share my deep concern at the latest news in relation to Ukraine and will …”

“Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“Thank you, gentlemen, for coming in. I am sorry that I joined late. You talked earlier about bright engineers and degree apprenticeships. I should declare an interest, because I am very much involved with our New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering in Hereford. There is a route, which is a three-year acceler…”

“We like it in Herefordshire.”

“Their career pathways, if you like.”

“As a supplementary to those really helpful contributions from all of you, there is a problem of scale and just a raw shortage of numbers. Is there also a problem of skills and capabilities that we would like to be reaching into in terms of reserves?”

“You raised at least three interesting points there. One is that we are shockingly bad at this compared, for example, to the Americans or, indeed, the French, who can just run in and out of the administrative, political, defence and commercial world with, it seems, much greater ease. Secondly, the example that you have …”

“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker—[Interruption.]”

“Mr Speaker, I am not quite sure what mental obfuscation is filling my head this morning, but I thank you again. It is my happy task to open by saying that today sees the retirement of Dawn, a stalwart of the Tea Room. I am sure that I speak for the whole House in wishing her a very happy retirement. On a very different…”

“Touché, Mr Speaker. Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”