Speeches by Shannon.

“To my mind, the upward trend is worrying. There must be a zero-tolerance policy, so that if someone leaves the house with a knife in their pocket or coat, a custodial sentence is necessary. Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that that has to be part of the strategy?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Siobhain. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson) for setting the scene incredibly well. I hate to say this, and apologise for doing so, but I am disappointed that no Labour Back Benchers are present because, as the Minister will know, my alle…”

“Yes, it is disappointing, and I cannot ignore that fact. I always like to think that good people come together, reach out and try to address those issues, but the hon. Gentleman is right that they should not have to. In September 2023, NEA undertook a Northern Ireland-wide representative survey to assess the impact of …”

“The right hon. Gentleman was doing so well that I felt like leaving him in full flow. He is absolutely right that we need to focus on that issue. I was successful with that lady’s attendance allowance form, and I am pleased that the benefits system justified her claim given her complex health needs, including mobility …”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“I thank the Minister very much for his answers. The time is coming, and I hope we will have better news for the future. President Trump has been very clear that he wishes to work with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to build on the friendship that already exists, but he is also clear that …”

“I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response to the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers), who set the scene very well. In my constituency of Strangford, I think of the Church groups, and in particular of the Elim Missions, which has a very constructive and positive strategy for Zimbabwe and Swaziland. In Swa…”

“I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing a debate on this critical issue. There has been a rise in television programming showing people at their lowest being evicted or having their possessions repossessed. Often, we see the despair of ordinary people, and the bailiffs sometimes show a lack of compassion that should …”

“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention. The Minister has been listening, and I know that he does listen. The hon. Member has outlined a specific issue that is incredibly worrying. The older we get, the faster time goes; I am not sure whether that is right, but it seems to go faster. June will be here tomorrow—it…”

“It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Western. I thank the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) for leading the debate. She has been assiduous, enthusiastic and committed on this issue, and we all owe her a debt for setting the scene so very well. It is a real pleasure to see the Minister in his place…”

“I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this issue forward for a debate. It is obvious that if she had applied for a 90-minute debate, or even a three-hour debate, she would have got a good crowd for it. One feature in my constituency—I am sure that it is the same in hers—is church-based organisations. Churches remain the…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I am not sure if this is the first time that you have chaired Westminster Hall, but if it is, I wish you well. I am sure that there will be many more opportunities to chair and to keep us all in place—thank you for being here. I thank the hon. Member for Su…”

“There is clearly a need to consider vasa praevia as part of antenatal care. The hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Connor Naismith) set the scene very well and the Minister responded in a good fashion. This issue, which the hon. Member was right to highlight, is also an issue in Northern Ireland. Will the Minister sha…”

“T5. There are 153,000 people in the United Kingdom living with Parkinson’s, and one in 137 will be diagnosed during their lifetimes. There are 18,000 new cases every year, 4,200 of them in Northern Ireland. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is time we had a Parkinson’s charity, not just for England but for Scot…”

“The sharpened tension in Northern Ireland is palpable after the ruling. The day after the shooting, the Provisional IRA issued a statement boasting that the men were in the East Tyrone brigade and on active service. Mr Speaker, you and I know the Bible, and it is very clear: live by the sword, die by the sword. If you …”

“I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. I cannot imagine that any Member on either side of this Chamber will not be concerned about the prospect that we face, but we have to live with the reality. Given the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organisation, it is essential that lines of communicati…”

“I commend the hon. Lady on her excellent speech. I echo what she says about the stress experienced by the elderly generation—the mums and dads. They are probably getting ready for the future and settling themselves into handing the land over to their families, but the situation is causing stress, anxiety and depression…”

“I spoke to the hon. Lady before the debate, and I commend her initiative. Her constituents can feel immensely proud of her efforts. Scrabo residents’ group has done something similar in an area of disadvantage in my constituency where people do not have opportunities. The group has provided jobs in security and HGV dri…”

“I kindly say to the hon. Gentleman—he will know that that is my form when I ask questions—that there is a serious problem with the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, with people coming in through the Republic, into Northern Ireland and across to the mainland. What are the Minister and the Government doin…”

“I commend the shadow Minister. He is speaking exceptionally well and encapsulating the opinion of almost everyone in this Chamber. I thank him for that. In my contribution, I referred to the threshold. Instead of being £1 million on a rateable value in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and the whole way through, it should be at tod…”