Speeches by Smith.

“6. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates on the hospitality sector.”

“2. What discussions she has had with North Yorkshire council on the progress of the development of the A59 Kex Gill bypass.”

“This link is vital for east-west transport. I urge Ministers to talk more frequently with the council, because the cost overruns are now becoming quite a challenge for it, and it is vital that we get the project completed.”

“I want to thank all the military servicemen and women who served on Operation Banner. It was not just the military. On every visit to a police station in Northern Ireland, I saw the long lists of officers who were lost. I pay tribute to members and family members of the RUC and to our security services, agents and staf…”

“I thank the Minister for that answer and for the constructive debate a week or so ago. May I press her on timing—as she said, this is important for consumers, businesses and the legal sector—and test her on the opportunities for early dispute resolution, which were mentioned in the CJC report and which I would encourag…”

“16. Whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on litigation funding agreements.”

“It is great to hear of these commercial companies doing so much good work. I think of FinTrU in Derry, which is actively recruiting autistic people because of the skills and values they have. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that we have to much more effectively match those companies with people with an autistic backgroun…”

“I welcome the tone of the statement, but this is not just about editorial challenges for the BBC; there has been a total lack of deftness in dealing with talent-related issues and other scandals over the past few years. There are also governance issues with BBC Studios—a commercial organisation with separate whistleblo…”

“I echo tributes to the train staff and emergency services, and to the Home Secretary and her team, who I am sure were working flat out all weekend. The case is being investigated, but given the events of Saturday and in the run-up to Saturday night, can I urge her to bring together police chiefs to talk about informati…”

“I agree with the hon. Member; I will come to some protections that I think he might be attracted by. The last election stopped the Litigation Funding Agreements (Enforceability) Bill, which was going to overturn the PACCAR judgment, but on 1 August 2024, Lord Ponsonby said in a written answer to a parliamentary questio…”

“I agree with the hon. Member; the Vodafone case, which involved franchisees across the UK, is another example of how litigation funding can help. The Supreme Court’s judgment in the PACCAR case in July 2023, which involved a claim against truck manufacturers for anti-competitive behaviour, rendered many third-party fun…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the Civil Justice Council’s review of litigation funding. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Harris. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—until the summer, I was voluntary chair of the Centre for Effective Dispute …”

“The Institute for Global Prosperity and CreativePower have produced an excellent report on the sheer impact of the World Service, which reaches 320 million people globally and is trusted by 75%. In a key market for the Government—India—75 million people listen to or watch the BBC. How will the Government maximise the o…”

“10. What steps her Department is taking to provide sustainable funding for the BBC World Service.”

“Q2. Those on family farms in North Yorkshire and across the UK are increasingly worried about the tax changes coming up next year. We really need the next generation of family farms to keep farming for our national food security. The Centre for the Analysis of Taxation has produced an excellent, detailed academic repor…”

“Many families are desperate for answers about what happened to their loved ones. That is often not about wanting to take legal action; they just want to know. Under this new Bill, how quickly will that be delivered for those families? How quickly will they get the information that they have waited decades to receive?”

“It is worth remembering that most victims are not in a group, are not in the media and are not taking action; they just want to know what happened to their loved ones. As we debate the forthcoming legislation, I hope we can all collectively remember that, because investigations are key to delivering for those families.…”

“It is fitting that this statement is followed by one on Northern Ireland. The UK has world-leading experience in sustaining peace, whether it is security, intelligence or military, and whether it is decommissioning, policing or political institutions. Could I urge the Prime Minister to do an audit of the generations of…”

“Devolution is starting off well in North Yorkshire, but North Yorkshire council is really concerned about the upcoming local government settlement, which will obviously be challenging for all councils. May I urge the Secretary of State in his new role to look carefully at the most rural county in England and the partic…”

“It is not only on this issue, but on many other issues that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other middle east nations have developed a real niche and leadership in mediation and conflict resolution. Will the Minister look at our own conflict resolution unit and its resources and spend, and double down on how we are working wit…”