Speeches by Shannon.

“I will be brief, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am descended from the Stewarts of the lowlands of Scotland, and I am probably the hon. Gentleman’s Gaelic cousin. This screening needs to be carried out in Northern Ireland as well as Scotland.”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I thank the hon. Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (Alan Strickland) for setting the scene. I was here for his first debate in Westminster Hall; I am now here for his second, and I am sure I will be here for many more to come. It is a real plea…”

“I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate. Northern Ireland does not produce any of its own wine; we do not have the necessary climate. We could use European Union grapes to make wine, due to Brexit regulations—but that is by the way. What can we do in Northern Ireland to ensure that English wine is something th…”

“That comment is on the record. I always wanted to be in the Army and I joined the Ulster Defence Regiment as an 18-year-old. There were different rules back in the ’70s—everyone will now be able to judge my age—and I served for three years as a part-time soldier in that regiment. It was clear that that was an anti-terr…”

“I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. He is right to address this issue—I spoke to him just before his introduction. We have great difficulty across all this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland when it comes to securing GPs for practices. In recent years, I have been trying to ensu…”

“The hon. Lady is right to outline that. Clearly, the Minister should be in no doubt that I commend him and this Labour Government on their commitment to the armed forces. I am impressed by what has happened, and I am also impressed by the 5% commitment to GDP by 2035. How could anybody not be impressed by that? Today, …”

“I thank the Minister for his comprehensive and helpful response. I had a conversation with the Minister for Veterans and People some time ago, and he told me personally that extra money would be available for the cadets in the Northern Ireland, specifically to recruit another 1,000 cadets. The cadet forces and others h…”

“I thank the Minister for her answers, which have been positive and strong—it is just what this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland needs today. I welcome the news that these jets are to be procured. Having watched the Red Arrows’ intricate manoeuvres in Newtownards on Armed Forces Day last Saturday, I …”

“I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate, which intrigues me. Coming from Northern Ireland, we are a nation of flag fliers; I have flown a flag nearly all my life. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the only flag that should have pride of place on public buildings is the Union flag? We should take the …”

“Again, Chair, I thank you and the Committee for your kindness to me, and for the information that I never knew existed. Chris Curtis made representations.”

“It will be the FCDO—both of them will be, actually.”

“Thank you for the second go. Obviously, these things are incredibly important. I met Dr Sasa, a Christian from Myanmar. I know there are many ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar who are persecuted, especially the Rohingya Muslims, but there are also the Shi’as, the Sunnis, the Christians, the Baha’is and many ot…”

“I did not know that statistic until now, but thank you. Jim Shannon made representations.”

“You are incredible generous, and I bow to your generosity.”

“You get two for the price of one here.”

“There is another request.”

“Yes, we have more people interested. Sarah Champion has added her name, as have David Smith, Valerie Vaz, Siobhain McDonagh, Iain Duncan Smith, Sarah Dyke, Jamie Stone, and Ruth Jones.”

“I will leave this list with you. We have 16.”

“You are absolutely right. I come in here, and I know exactly what it is about, but the title does not portray that. You are absolutely right.”