Speeches by Powell.

“Joe Powell, Kensington and Bayswater.”

“Maybe the posh ones.”

“Briefly on funding, Councillor Newmark mentioned one idea on the tourist levy. I just wanted to see if any other panellist wanted to come in on revenue raisers, which might be different local taxes—we have had evidence in this Committee on a land value tax, for example. Are there other ways of assigning national taxes …”

“The previous two witnesses both mentioned the housing revenue account. Can you quantify the impact of the pressure on the housing revenue account’s ability to build new homes and what would allow councils to get building homes faster again?”

“In the brief time available to me, I want to reinforce my tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven and Workington (Josh MacAlister) for his excellent work in leading the Bill, which I have been proud to sponsor. In the hearings over the past few months, it has been eye-opening to see parents and campaigners …”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Lloyd Hatton), who plays an instrumental role in the all-party parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, for securing this important debate. I was really proud to stand on a manifesto commitment to strengthen the rules on donations to political parti…”

“At the recent lunar new year celebrations, I met democracy activists who have had bounties placed on them. The fear in the room was palpable. People chose not to attend the event so that they would not be photographed with people who have a bounty on their head. I fear that that chilling effect is already very real. I …”

“Do you think that there should be a target on the timeframe for decisions?”

“I am Joe Powell, Kensington and Bayswater.”

“I have a quick, specific follow-up question on the BSR, because we have heard this before in this Committee about the delay. What do you think would make the BSR more effective?”

“That process is—”

“You are saying that the majority are not.”

“I thank the Minister for his reference to money laundering. He will know full well the extent to which Iran uses illicit financial networks to evade sanctions and to fund hostile activities. Will the Minister update us on what the Government are doing to follow the money and disrupt those money laundering networks, par…”

“Anyway, we can come back to that. There is a lot of unfinished business still with criminal liability and so on.”

“Another wider industry challenge has been alluded to. Post Grenfell, there has been a lot of focus on construction products. We heard that there is a new Green Paper looking at construction product reform. The Government are looking at potentially debarring some companies from public procurement contracts that were inv…”

“Do you think product quality and certainty over these things has had an impact on some of the challenges we have been talking about?”

“The Elections Act 2022 passed by the previous Government imposed a strategy and policy statement on the Electoral Commission, undermining its independence for some confected agenda about voter fraud, and eroding trust and confidence in the commission. Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the best course…”

“10. What discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission on the arrangements for the publication of the first strategy and policy statement.”

“I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for her statement today and the Prime Minister for his statement on 4 September, which made it clear that the lessons from Grenfell are central to this Government’s missions. Today is another painful step towards truth, justice and change for the bereaved families of the 72 people who …”

“I warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s statement. In particular, I know that the Ukrainian forces on the frontlines will be reassured today. Clearly, the aid spending decision will not have been taken lightly, but following reductions at the US Agency for International Development, it does mean tens of billions out of t…”