Speeches by Smith.

“Can the Minister say more about how the Government are reflecting the experiences of victims when tackling grooming gangs in Wales?”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I am happy to help with her key point about messaging. Members, as employers, could implement a domestic abuse policy. To help with this, the Members’ human resources advice service has specific guidance and templates available for Members, and can support them with implementati…”

“I am pleased to report that the House of Commons Commission agreed in October to seek accreditation from the White Ribbon campaign. The campaign does important work to prevent violence against women and girls by promoting equality, building networks and challenging harmful attitudes and behaviour. The accreditation pro…”

“The new education booking system is being devised to help with regional equity. The hon. Member has hit on a really important question about transport access to this place, as well as about places to stay overnight. I will look into that further and get back to him.”

“My constituency of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney is 1,200 feet above sea level and we get snow a lot, so “Just be careful what you ask for” might have been good advice to that lovely eight-year-old. Of course, we need to improve access to this place. Fairer access to Parliament is a good cause, and our education department…”

“The Commission has taken steps to widen access to schools in terms of both volume and geographic spread, and these changes have led to an increase in the number of schoolchildren able to visit. More than 71,000 are expected to visit this year—an increase of over 20% since 2022—and we expect the numbers to be even highe…”

“In terms of paying more for Microsoft Copilot, there is a version that does come at a monthly cost.”

“A new approach to proactively understand Members’ needs has been introduced by the Parliamentary Digital Service to shape improvements to digital services. Recently, its research informed a trial of a paid version of Copilot artificial intelligence with Members, including me, and with staff. To ensure that any new solu…”

“May I thank the Leader of the House for his kind words about those of us who campaigned for miners’ pensions justice? There is real momentum for new economic opportunities now that Labour-led councils, the Welsh Labour Government and the UK Labour Government can work in tandem. In Blaenau Gwent, the council has applied…”

“My hon. Friend has a fair beef. The volume of unwanted emails received by MPs is a known problem, but no one yet has an easy solution. Testing of whether Copilot or other digital solutions can help with inbox management has taken place, but Copilot is unlikely to be the answer for it. I understand that the technology m…”

“Given both the Baltic sea incident in 2024, where underground cables were said to be sabotaged, and the latest provocation where the Yantar is said to be mapping undersea cables, will the Minister please outline how allied co-ordination, particularly with our Nordic and Baltic partners, could be strengthened?”

“Coalminers powered our great country in the 20th century. They need justice in this century in relation to their pensions. Labour put right the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, but parity is needed for the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. Will the Leader of the House ask the Treasury for a statement on pension jus…”

“I thank the Minister for her response to the urgent question. The Frankland attack was awful. Given that body armour is crucial to the safety of prison staff, can she please tell us more about its procurement, so that prison staff are protected as best as possible, as soon as possible?”

“The stealing of 20,000 children like this is an outrage. I thank the Minister for his statement. Does he agree that the Bring Kids Back campaign is right to emphasise that the return of these children is non-negotiable in any future peace deal?”

“Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney neighbours Monmouthshire. Last winter, we experienced coal tip slipping because of heavy rain. People experiencing flooding deserve all our support. Can the Minister please tell us more about the support available to residents who are claiming insurance or emergency financial help in order to …”

“I thank the Minister for his answer to the urgent question. He has done a great job over time updating this Chamber—he has been terrific through this difficult period. Will he say more about the type of aid that he thinks our country needs to send into Gaza to support the people there?”

“Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29 October.”

“I am often asked on the doorsteps what we are doing to tackle this issue. Will the Minister please set out more information on what the Government are doing to stop small boat arrivals in the first place, so that we can close more hotels more quickly?”

“I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about supporting Jamaica. Across our country, and in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, off-road bikers are a menace. They tear up our environment, and turn our streets into racetracks. After years of Tory cuts, Gwent police are now tackling that. Does the Prime Minister agr…”

“My hon. Friend’s point about these issues affecting older women is, of course, fair and understood, but is it not also true that younger women can be affected and need support?”