Speeches by Thomas-Symonds.

“My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for infected blood victims, and he can rest assured that I will continue to drive progress as quickly as I possibly can. That is how we have got to the stage where over £1.8 billion-worth of offers have been made, and I will continue to drive that progress quickly.”

“Attendance levels are certainly important, but the hon. Gentleman has got some chutzpah, because under the previous Prime Minister—I note he is no longer in his place, although he was earlier in the questions—the UK lost more days due to strike action than France did, and the hon. Gentleman is here trying to lecture us…”

“The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is operationally independent, but I am accountable to this House. It is important that I have regular conversations and provide challenge on the kind of timescales the hon. Gentleman is talking about. The infected blood scandal predates modern-day devolution and he can rest ass…”

“I am certainly looking at the issue of the special category mechanism, as I undertook to do. If the hon. Lady writes to me I can look at the specific list, but I am also hoping, with Mr Speaker’s permission, to update the House on this and other infected blood issues very shortly.”

“Cases of the kind my hon. Friend is talking about are the reason we have been consulting on a public interest test. On the specific case he raises, if he writes to me I will ensure that the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven (Chris Ward) provides him …”

“I stand up for British interests in every negotiation with Brussels. I will tell the hon. Gentleman what is not standing up for British interests. We negotiated, within 10 months of coming into government, the new common understanding that will be good for jobs, bear down on bills and give us the tools to secure our bo…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who raises a very serious case. If he were able to write to me directly about it, I will certainly look at what would be the most suitable ministerial meeting.”

“My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for her constituents, and the common understanding will of course benefit the businesses she mentions. Our deals on emissions, energy trading, food and agricultural trade will all reduce costs for businesses. Astonishingly, the Conservatives and the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel F…”

“That is a really good question and challenge. Not only do I lead the negotiations with the EU, but I chair the interministerial group with the devolved Administrations. While the Northern Ireland voice is obviously hugely important, those discussions are also about Scotland and Wales. So there is, Sorcha, a direct form…”

“Let me pick this up, because this is something where there are technical exchanges currently ongoing. You have the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. Both have been published. They have been notified at the moment; that is the situation under article 13(4), which is the process that Gavin was dis…”

“At the moment the level of confidence between the UK and the EU is very high. When I came into office, I promised a reset in the relationship. I have no doubt that has happened and you can see it, visibly, in the Prime Minister’s relations with European leaders, and in not just the work that I do but the work that is d…”

“It is non-agricultural geographical indicators.”

“Delivering the “Safeguarding the Union” commitment to lift the remaining bans on plants—that would actually be delivering the “Safeguarding the Union” commitment. By the way, I do note it very much in negotiations, Gavin, always. The point is that we support the structure of the Windsor framework, which you have been d…”

“The SPS agreement is one of the two mandates that the EU still has to agree, along with the linking of the emissions trading systems, which we may come on to in due course. I understand that that mandate and the SPS mandate will be agreed—I hope shortly, within a few weeks—by the European Union. That is the next step i…”

“Yes, of course they inform it. We have had three reports in recent months: the FSB’s report, which I have looked at very carefully, Lord Murphy’s report and the report by the Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee in the Lords. Broadly speaking, the first theme coming through is reducing trade barriers. That is exactly th…”

“First, let me say that it is very good to be here, Chair. On the latter part of the question, I would of course be delighted to come back in future. On the report, let me first express my gratitude to Lord Murphy. He was working within a particular envelope of putting forward proposals that were going to command cross-…”

“We voted for the Windsor framework in opposition, when the previous Sunak Government negotiated it. We support it and have sought to implement it. However, what the SPS agreement can do—I will not go through all of it, but I will give some examples—is take away some things that are currently there. For example, SPS pap…”

“If I can just come in, there are two points. First, on the internal market guarantee and the 80% threshold within it, we have not yet had the report from the Independent Monitoring Panel to see what that percentage is. Obviously, I will look at it extremely carefully because we are very committed to the internal market…”

“Again, I am not suggesting perfection, but the fact that the impact on Northern Ireland was identified very early is of course a positive thing. Nobody would suggest that it is not, and I think it is really important. All I would say in respect of steel is that it is a foundational industry for the whole of the United …”

“Let me just say this, because this is hugely important issue for Northern Ireland, and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom. At the moment, the European Union has launched a consultation and they are looking at the issue of world overcapacity in the steel industry. They are looking at things around the tariff rates an…”