Speeches by Kyrke-Smith.

“Where else do you see good practice? Which other donors do you look at and think that they are doing well in terms of their expectations around value for money or does FCDO lead the way?”

“I will just build on that a bit on a very affirmative yes. Digging into that, how much influence does the FCDO exert in terms of your approach to value for money? You talked about it being based on what used to be DFID’s approach. Is that because you decided that is best practice or do you see now the FCDO playing quit…”

“Interesting. Have you seen that insistence change as it has shifted from being DFID to FCDO or has there been the same level of expectation and scrutiny?”

“How do you then manage that when you have other donors presumably also having expectations around value for money? What if they do not align with the FCDO’s expectations?”

“One final question about USAID. I cannot resist asking you what you can say about how the potentially very drastic cuts in USAID might affect you and ultimately the people who you are there to serve?”

“T2. This week is National Apprenticeship Week. I know from my constituents that apprenticeships are a vital and successful route into the workplace. Will the Minister join me in welcoming the 26,000 apprenticeships in the defence sector across the country? Will the Government continue to build the right skills and work…”

“I draw the attention of the House to my entry in Register of Members’ Financial Interests and the support I receive from the Refugee, Asylum and Migration Policy project. Members across the House want an immigration system that is well managed. When I speak to my constituents, they tell me that is what they want, too—g…”

“We have seen a really worrying escalation of violence on the west bank, just at the time when this fragile peace has been found in Gaza. Large parts of Jenin refugee camp have been completely destroyed by Israeli security forces, and thousands have been forcibly displaced. UNRWA services have been interrupted. What mea…”

“I agree: mother and baby units are vital. For women in the period from six weeks after giving birth to one year after giving birth, the leading cause of death is suicide. While I want to speak more widely today, I want us to be very conscious of that extreme end of the risks that women face. Despite the potential serio…”

“I absolutely do, and I am sorry to hear of the experience of my hon. Friend’s friend. What are the consequences of all this? The human suffering is immense, but maternal mental health has economic consequences and costs, too—an estimated £8.1 billion each year in the UK, according to research from the London School of …”

“Absolutely—that is one way in which people can experience severe mental health challenges and consequences, and it needs to be considered. I also want to acknowledge that new dads and partners experience mental health challenges too, but given our limited time, I am focusing today on maternal mental health.”

“I agree; we need to shed more light on this, precisely for that and other reasons. I will touch briefly on my first recommendation, which is to ensure that specialist perinatal mental health services are protected. In the last 10 years, there have been significant steps forward. Mother and baby units in particular can …”

“I absolutely agree. A recent report from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance highlighted huge variation in the support services available locally, with confusing referral pathways, inequitable referral criteria and long waiting lists—some women have to wait six months for an assessment and up to a year for treatment. T…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered maternal mental health. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I am so glad to have secured this debate on maternal mental health, which I know really matters to people in my constituency and across the country, yet it is still too easily overlooked. Fo…”

“I agree with the hon. Member; that support is needed, and I will come on to that. The causes of these mental health challenges are really varied. Some people will have past experiences of mental health problems or difficult childhood experiences. Some will struggle after a traumatic birth. Some will be experiencing str…”

“Thank you, Minister. One of the tests for me of the impact of our nutrition programming is whether it is reaching those who are in the hardest to reach areas, whether they are geographically isolated or facing multiple intersecting vulnerabilities that make it hard for them to access programming. What measures are we t…”

“Thinking of places that are hard to reach, I have to ask about Gaza almost a week after the effective ban on UNRWA, knowing that, since the ceasefire, 60% of the food aid that has got into Gaza has been through UNRWA. What is your assessment of the situation there and what are we doing to ensure that food aid is still …”

“I was very pleased to hear about the ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, which will create great opportunities for my constituents. I was particularly pleased to note the emphasis on infrastructure, including the East-West Rail link, and I would love to see a rail link from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes an…”

“I am glad to hear of the uplift in funding for Gaza, and I share the Minister’s serious concerns about the effective ban on UNRWA coming into force this week. Of course, 60% of the food that has entered Gaza during the ceasefire has been delivered through UNRWA, which plays a vital lifesaving and stabilising role in th…”

“I thank the Foreign Secretary for his updates, and for his clear and deeply felt commitment to Sudan. It is the largest humanitarian crisis on record, yet both of the warring parties are choking humanitarian access. The SAF have blocked the UN from reaching areas controlled by the RSF, while the RSF is increasingly imp…”