Speeches by Bedford.

“Turning to private pensions and savings, clearly mandation as part of pensions schemes was a very controversial topic. However, I understand that you said recently that you were going to clarify the position on the use of that power in the Bill. Can you elaborate on how that is going to happen? Is it going to be at the…”

“This is a socialist economic statement. If it moves, the Government tax it; if it keeps moving, they regulate it; and if it stops moving, they subsidise it. Will the Secretary of State accept that his national insurance rises, the changes to business rates and the “unemployment” rights Act have contributed to the hosti…”

“People should have the right to protest, but that needs to be coupled with responsibilities. As my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) mentioned, it is outrageous that fringe groups feel emboldened to protest in support of terrorist ideology, contrary to basic British values. What steps is the Departm…”

“Turning to how local government can help the Government hit their target of getting two-thirds of young people into higher-level learning, Jan, you have some examples from initiatives that you were conducting in Norfolk. Can you touch on how local government can help support this and what more government can do to supp…”

“I am conscious of the time. Kate, do you have anything else to add to the ideas that have already been suggested?”

“Yes.”

“As we have heard, the number of NEETs has surged to just under a million. The CIPD says that 37% of employers are reducing or freezing recruitment for new posts and 74% of employers say that the Employment Rights Act, as we have just heard, is going to add significant costs. In that difficult employment environment spe…”

“Do you feel that you are inputting your expertise and ideas in this area into Government policy on that, and are the Government listening? Is the DWP listening? Are those people charged with implementing the policies listening?”

“When this Government came into office, unemployment stood at 4.2%. After a brutal 18 months of job-destroying, anti-business, anti-growth policies, it now stands at 5.2%, with young people bearing the brunt—1 million of them are not in employment, education or training. We Conservatives believe in being in work and off…”

“The hon. Member has made her point clearly, and I am very sympathetic to the argument she puts across. In my constituency, I have seen the impact of these economic policies and the tough environment for small and medium-sized charities such as Wyggestons and Trinity Almshouses, which provides sheltered accommodation an…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) for introducing this immensely important debate. The UK’s charity sector is facing mounting challenges. Just like many small businesses, charities across the cou…”

“If the Government get their way, young people will not be able to access social media anyway, so I am not sure the hon. Member’s argument holds up. Secondly, other inconsistencies arise because the Government believe that those young people should be shielded. They should be shielded from fatty foods, smoking alcohol a…”

“It is quite frankly absurd to grant children the right to vote, and even place 14 and 15-year-olds on the electoral register, all while maintaining the plethora of age-based rights elsewhere. Just look at the contradictions. A 16-year-old would be able to determine who governs the country, yet not able to enter legally…”

“I could not agree more. I think that, at times, Departments work in silos. Strategy is not often cross-departmental and decisions made in one Department mat have a massive impact on another, so I absolutely agree with the point that the hon. Member makes. As I said, these outcomes demand serious and sustained attention…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for securing this important debate. Men are often told that we do not talk enough about our feelings and that we bury our heads in the sand, and too often in this House and across Whitehal…”

“The hon. Lady and I both served on Leicestershire county council together, so we are both well aware of that issue. We have made the case before to ensure that the money is invested in local infrastructure, and will continue to do so. Secondly, I have seen in Mid Leicestershire the consequences of being a constituency …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted (Victoria Collins) for bringing forward this debate. On paper, Mid Leicestershire is well connected between the M1 and the A46, but the reality for my constituents is a different story. I am not coming …”

“Does the hon. Lady agree that the utility sector should be a statutory consultee? In a previous life, I worked for a utility company. One of the frustrations for that company was that it was often asked to provide infrastructure to support massive housing developments, yet there was no requirement for it to be consulte…”

“T7. It has been reported that lawyers—some of whom now sit in this House and in the other place—have relied on the European convention on human rights to support the prosecution of patriotic Brits who fought for their country. Does the Secretary of State agree that this is yet another example of activist lawyers and un…”

“I turn 40 next week. I hope that does not render me too old to highlight the realities faced by some of our young people. They feel let down and some even speak of intergenerational unfairness. The facts are stark: youth unemployment is rising, home ownership feels out of reach, NEET levels are at unprecedented highs, …”