Speeches by Powell.

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This Government have taken swift action to bring down waiting lists, which are down by almost 200,000 in a year, with 100,000 more patients treated in that time. We are putting extra money into the NHS because reducing waiting lists is critical to our economy and the health of everyb…”

“My hon. Friend sounds like a dog with a bone. This is an important issue that is raised with many of us by our constituents. I will ensure that the Minister updates him and, if necessary, the whole House.”

“Absolutely. We are proud of the free breakfast clubs that we are introducing. We are also proud that we are extending free school meals to all those on universal credit, because it is critical to every child’s learning that they are not going hungry.”

“A citizens panel in Bournemouth sounds like a fantastic initiative, bringing people together to revitalise the great town she represents.”

“Absolutely. Fly-tipping and littering are a blight on many of our communities, which is why I am proud that this Government are finally acting by giving councils and the police the powers they need to seize and crush many of these vehicles. My hon. Friend will know that I recently took part in a vehicle-crushing exerci…”

“I join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those small charities in his constituency. We recognise that the last few years have not been the easiest for charities. We are taking a number of steps to keep them going, including with the charitable tax reliefs and exemptions. We are also ensuring that local government, o…”

“My hon. Friend has campaigned on these issues for a long time. We have not yet voted on, or even considered, the Bill. We will have an extensive and, I am sure, thorough parliamentary process in which to do that. I ask colleagues to think about the principles of welfare reform on Second Reading, and to then really dril…”

“Once again, the hon. Gentleman raises a serious issue. We strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Damascus and continue to monitor the situation closely. We do note on this occasion that the Syrian Government’s response was swift and robust, but we will of course keep monitoring it.”

“I am sorry to hear of that story. Everyone deserves dignity and respect in our society. We committed in our manifesto to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Our immediate priorities for the trans community are a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices and strengthening the protections from hate crimes, which…”

“My hon. Friend is a real advocate and champion for ceramics in his constituency and beyond. I am delighted to hear that, after this issue has been raised with me a number of times, Moorcroft Pottery has been saved by Will Moorcroft. I thank him for doing that. My hon. Friend will not have to wait very long at all for t…”

“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating Anne MacDougall and James McLaren on their honours. I am sure the whole House would agree that our honours system is an opportunity for us to thank and reward all those in our communities who do the work that Anne, Jim and many others across the country do.”

“I join my hon. Friend in recognising this important Roman site in her constituency, which chariot racing took place on—how fantastic. I know that she and her constituents are proud of their rich heritage, and I am keen to see what the future holds for them.”

“Road closures can be a blight on local businesses, local communities and footfall on the high street, and they are obviously affecting my hon. Friend’s constituents. I am sorry to hear that the Scottish Government seem to have mismanaged these roadworks, and I hope they are listening today and get on with the job.”

“Arts and culture play a huge part in all our communities and can play a really important part in economic regeneration, as they are doing in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I join her in celebrating the reopening of those facilities and look forward to visiting soon.”

“My hon. Friend is right to highlight that the irresponsible use of disposable barbecues can have devastating consequences like those he describes. Local authorities have existing powers to apply controls to restrict or ban the use of such barbecues in certain areas, but I will ensure that he gets an update on how we ca…”

“My hon. Friend is a great champion for his area, and I am incredibly sorry to hear that his Conservative local authority has decided to close this valuable local garden centre, which does so much for his community. We have given local authorities one of the biggest boosts in local funding that they have had for some ti…”

“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in wishing the Bamber Bridge community all the best with their barbecue this weekend, and their celebration of the stand that people took against racism all those years ago.”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that important final question. I am strongly in favour of women being far more involved in decision making; when they are, those decisions are often better ones.”

“I am pleased to hear that Royal Shrewsbury hospital A&E is doubling in size and about the initiative that my hon. Friend describes to provide a park-and-ride scheme. The issue of hospital parking, particularly for staff, is vexed, and I am sure that we will continue to debate it.”

“We still have far too many dental deserts in this country, and I am sorry to hear of the situation in East Anglia. My hon. Friend is right that the Government are committed to creating more dental appointments, but it is also vital that we have dentistry schools to make sure that we can train and retain the dentists of…”