Speeches by Waugh.

“Can I ask a little more about the disproportionate compliance burden on smaller clubs that you referred to? National League clubs are lucky if they have a handful of backroom staff who are not playing staff, and they will have to deal with the new regulator. Obviously they have concerns. Will the regulator do anything …”

“What is certainly central to your remit is obviously the financial resilience of English football; that is the whole purpose of this regulator. That is why, until recently, there has been cross-party support for this initiative, because everyone can see that football is not just about a sense of local pride; it is also…”

“Do you think that it will be a key test of the success of the regulator as to whether or not there is a deal on those parachute payments in the next few years?”

“Sure, but you have underlined that the legislation is doing that. Finally, people often ask, “What do we want? Which is more important, a competitive Premier League or a more fair pyramid?” Do you think that those two can go hand in hand, or is there a real, inherent contradiction between those two things?”

“The murder of 26 civilians in Pahalgam was truly horrific, but India’s airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. This cannot be a bizarre, macabre game of tit-for-tat where the only people who suffer are civilians on both sides. Can the Minister reassure my Rochdale constituen…”

“Let us be clear, the masked murderers of Hamas could end the suffering of the Gazan people today if they released the hostages and agreed to a ceasefire. But let us also be clear that this extremist Israeli Government, in their own actions in the past few days and weeks, are endangering the state of Israel. As the righ…”

“I pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the counter-terrorist specialist firearms officers who took part in the arrest of an Iranian national in Rochdale over the weekend. It was a reminder of not only the constant threat that we face, but the intelligence and police services’ daily work to keep us all safe…”

“I welcome the significant strengthening of ties between the UK and the Palestinian Authority, not just in trade and extra funding from the UK, but because, as the Foreign Secretary said last night, “The UK is committed to urgently advancing Palestinian statehood as a key part of a two-state solution.” It was my pleasur…”

“My constituents, particularly those from the Kashmiri and Pakistani communities, strongly condemn this terrorist atrocity in Pahalgam. They are also worried about India’s response, in particular its suspension of the Indus waters treaty, but also the bulldozing of homes of those not connected to this attack in any way.…”

“On Friday, in Rochdale, I met Jayne Ward and her colleagues from St Mary’s sexual assault referral centre in Manchester, which is staffed by former police officers, nurses and social workers who are all committed to helping victims and survivors particularly in areas such as Rochdale which have suffered from grooming g…”

“I welcome Bury FC’s revival, not least because Rochdale FC can now beat them in the local derby. On Saturday, I was at Spotland to see Rochdale clinch a play-off place for the national league, thanks to a 5-1 win over Hartlepool FC. Many people there knew it was a super achievement, precisely because a year ago we were…”

“I know the Leader of the House has a sweet tooth, so she may be disappointed that she missed out on the very first chocolate festival held by The Oxford pub in Shawclough over the Easter break. The festival was attended by 800 people, and it was held in conjunction with the chocolate maker Slattery. As well as having a…”

“Paige, cheerleading in particular is really unique in capturing and retaining girls’ interest in sport, just at the age when a lot of them fall out of love with sport. In my area, there is a local dance troupe, the K Stars. They do morris dancing, but have elements of cheerleading and are very popular as a result. What…”

“I find that quite shocking in many ways. Obviously, this Committee is going to hold the Government to account, but it is also our job to hold various bits of sport to account. It is quite shocking, given that in a constituency like mine, in Rochdale, we have a strong Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritage. All the kids are obs…”

“One of the beauties of each of the sports we have talked about, whether it is padel, cheerleading or basketball, is that they are grassroots, have grown organically and have come from the people, yet each of you have talked about the importance of reflecting that in schools in a more formal way. Can we drill down a lit…”

“Stewart, let me ask you the same question. Have you seen any specific examples in basketball of where a school has really engaged with the local popularity of the sport, and put it at the centre of what it does in PE?”

“Paige, cheerleading in particular is really unique in capturing and retaining girls’ interest in sport, just at the age when a lot of them fall out of love with sport. In my area, there is a local dance troupe, the K Stars. They do morris dancing, but have elements of cheerleading and are very popular as a result. What…”

“One of the beauties of each of the sports we have talked about, whether it is padel, cheerleading or basketball, is that they are grassroots, have grown organically and have come from the people, yet each of you have talked about the importance of reflecting that in schools in a more formal way. Can we drill down a lit…”

“Stewart, let me ask you the same question. Have you seen any specific examples in basketball of where a school has really engaged with the local popularity of the sport, and put it at the centre of what it does in PE?”

“I just wanted to pick up on something that you said. Did I hear correctly that the ECB is cutting the funding for your Street programme?”