Speeches by Malthouse.

“Mr Speaker, you and I have been through this rigmarole many times over the past 14 months. I was going to ask today about the fate of Dr Abu Safiya, but I think we all know what will happen to him. I was going to ask about the babies who are freezing to death while blankets are being denied entry into Gaza, but I do no…”

“This impact assessment is extremely important, not least because at a macro level—given that the UK is essentially a services-based economy in which human capital is the most expensive fixed cost, effectively—there is no way to escape this tax. Unlike corporation tax, which is levied on profits, this tax is levied whet…”

“How much are you trying to raise?”

“Does it give lifetime protection?”

“I wanted to ask about research into some of the medieval hits that used to impact on us, which are, effectively, eminently eradicable, but which are not eradicated in parts of the world, such as leprosy and cholera. Are the barriers purely practical? Is there research into some that were previously big killers here and…”

“Just a final question on dementia. When I was at City Hall in 2014, I was involved in the thinking that eventually resulted in the Dementia Research Institute. At the time, there was a big advantage and a big stimulus to its creation. The big stimulus was that up to that point industry had collectively spent about £30 …”

“The issue with industry always was that it does not want to show other people its homework because there is money involved. It was all researching the same dead ends and coming to the same conclusion, without people necessarily telling each other. The point in 2014 and 2015 was to say, “Look, this is such a challenge f…”

“I am not sure I heard you say this. Do you think there is a prospect of us hitting the WHO deadline for curing Alzheimer’s by 2030?”

“Help us to manage it.”

“You say there are new cholera vaccines.”

“I have a final question for Dr Stockdale. I know that the Jenner Institute was instrumental in the covid vaccine. Presumably, there is a canteen in the Jenner where you all mill around and different research groups get together. Which group are you all talking about that will be the next big thing coming out of the Jen…”

“That is what all the talk is about in the canteen.”

“rose—”

“Our concern is that there has been no assessment of the impact on the rental market. All that the Opposition new clauses are asking for is a review, because no evidence has been adduced in this debate. There are three people who have spoken in this debate who have second properties—who are landlords—and that is complet…”

“I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, but I am surprised she has not declared her interest because I believe she is herself a landlord. She presumably owns another property, so to cast aspersions on people who do as some kind of plague is, I think, a little unfair. I assume from this measure that the Minister w…”

“I hope that the shadow Minister shares my surprise at the Minister agreeing to pay the stamp duty retrospectively on her flat. Let us hope that the cheque makes its way to HMRC. When stamp duty reaches penal rates, it not only diverts people away from becoming landlords, but means they may operate differently. Is there…”

“Will we be able to get an estimate of what that figure might be? Some of that number will be on existing research programmes, which you are continuing. Some of it will go to the Crick, which is a standard organisation. Some of it will be new. There must be an impact within the Department that is being assessed.”

“As I said, there was lots to welcome—do not get me wrong. I am just trying to work out what the figure is.”

“Forgive me, but that is not really what I was asking about. I understand that. What I am trying to get to is how much of the 8.5% is going straight back to the Treasury.”

“Sorry, but I thought that you were implying that you were going to look at what the impact of the national insurance rise was on, for example, the Crick and to say, “We will give you another 3 million quid, so that you do not have to cut your research budget”.”