Speeches by Fenton-Glynn.

“Is there a governance arrangement that people think would work better to allow the health service, local authorities and VCSE organisations to share space better?”

“When I look back at my days as a councillor, that feels like the kind of thing you would do for a few years and then, after a while, an officer would say, “We could also look at the rents again and see whether we could bring them into line.” How secure are they? I do not mean for you specifically, but that does not fee…”

“Is it a particular LIFTCo problem, or is it a general issue that public-private partnerships are just not flexible enough as a model?”

“I thank the Minister for her statement and for her ongoing commitment to flood defences—both the natural flood management in which organisations such as Slow the Flow in my constituency specialise, and the more traditional types that have just been signed off for the town of Hebden Bridge. More than half the homes in C…”

“Will the Minister reassure me that we remain committed to repealing in this Parliament the presumption of contact in family courts, to bring full justice to the 67 children murdered at the hands of abusive ex-partners with whom contact should never have been granted?”

“I echo what was said by my colleague from the Health and Social Care Committee, the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran). Baroness Amos pointed to workforce challenges and their impact on care and safety, and she noted that 67% of midwives reported burnout. Meanwhile, a General Medical Council survey …”

“I welcome the Minister’s statement, and particularly the decision to remove products where there is no domestic production. That will make a real difference to specialist manufacturers in Calder Valley, but they are understandably worried about what the tariffs will mean for their businesses. Will the Minister clarify …”

“In her remarks this morning, Donna Ockenden noted that maternal deaths are at a 20-year high, and total clinical negligence costs are greater than the money spent on maternity services. That should give us pause for thought. It is a national emergency, one that is causing unimaginable pain. The failure of the regulatio…”

“Very quickly, I will go to Abigail for my last question, which is: do you think that the Government are going for the right things in terms of hitting the drivers of poor mental health?”

“Thank you. I will hand back to the Chair in the brief moment we have a positive note.”

“To follow up on that, you said it is about lack of hope, thinking about the job market and so forth. Is that for the older young people or is that throughout the piece, from quite young children up to young adults?”

“Thank you. That gives us a more complete picture. Jo Hutchinson?”

“I am sorry to be speaking from so far away—that is the weird thing about this Committee Room. I am sure there will be a lot of discussion about social media, but I want to start by looking at the other drivers that impact young people’s mental health. Our first witness mentioned poverty and neurodivergence, and posited…”

“Thank you. I will hand back to the Chair in the brief moment we have a positive note.”

“Thank you, that is very powerful. Going back to the original question, Connie, what are the key drivers beyond social media of the increasing mental health problems among young people?”

“Connie, since you are from a think-tank, I will ask a slightly more policy-heavy question. To go back on that, you are suggesting that the result of austerity—closing youth clubs and greater child poverty—has led to an increase in poor mental health among children and young people. Would you then posit that the cost do…”

“Will the cost of the long-term mental health impact of austerity have a bigger cost over people’s lives?”

“To follow up on that, you said it is about lack of hope, thinking about the job market and so forth. Is that for the older young people or is that throughout the piece, from quite young children up to young adults?”

“Just to follow up on that point, you talked about the gender divide. Is that a gender divide in the raw numbers of people with mental health issues, or in the types and acuity of mental health issues?”

“I am sorry to be speaking from so far away—that is the weird thing about this Committee Room. I am sure there will be a lot of discussion about social media, but I want to start by looking at the other drivers that impact young people’s mental health. Our first witness mentioned poverty and neurodivergence, and posited…”