Speeches by Swann.

“A call list would not help that; if the Chamber becomes so fluid that you get the same prepared points time after time because nobody knows what even their party colleagues said three speeches prior because they were not there, there also comes the problem that you start speaking in a debate into an empty Chamber.”

“That’s all right.”

“It is maybe just us who notice that.”

“I agree with Claire about some of the speeches that you have to sit through and try to see the relevance of, either to the topic or to where we are trying to get. That is the challenge for us—sitting and waiting to the end. I think something could be done earlier in regard to speaking times, but I would not be in favou…”

“I think there is an opportunity to look at fixed time slots in regard to speaking rights. I no longer prepare six-minute speeches; I prepare a three-minute speech, because I know where I am coming.”

“They do. In the Northern Ireland Assembly it is a bit clearer than the Order Paper here. It is very much set out that, for example, there will be a debate between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm, but it can still change should a Minister want to make a statement, for example.”

“I come from the other end. I would be opposed to introducing a call list because it would manufacture an expectation of when people will speak, and it would move the Chamber away from being a debating chamber and towards being a public speaking chamber. It is common that, as smaller parties, we are always at the end of…”

“May I welcome the Minister to his place as well? Will he ensure that there is that co-working across the Northern Ireland Executive and the Ministry of Defence with regard to the Executive’s investment strategy, which is also integral to the defence industrial strategy, and that the NIE will work to remove any blockage…”

“I congratulate the Prime Minister on getting us to this point. The Labour Government’s role in decommissioning in Northern Ireland is not as complete as portrayed. In a memo of 17 January 2003, an adviser to the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said: “The IRA will never be able to account for all their weapons or retri…”

“On that assurance from the Secretary of State about the protections for veterans, on 19 September he stood beside the Irish Government when he made this announcement, and later that evening the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, went on Irish media and clearly said that there were no added protections for veterans in the legacy d…”

“I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for securing this debate and for continuing to raise what is an important issue. He mentioned the manufacturers, but would he also agree about the impact on the Road Haulage Association? We have seen not only the implementation of additional bureaucracy and costs but the recent in…”

“I welcome the Government’s announcement of a dedicated procurement hub in Northern Ireland to support our SMEs, although I note that no location has been announced in Northern Ireland. Can I remind the Minister of the excellent opportunity that the Aldergrove base in my constituency presents and how it would be an exce…”

“I am joined today in the Gallery by the leadership of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, an organisation and young people who are passionate about youth work, our rural countryside and the future of farming and agriculture. Agriculture policy is devolved, but the Prime Minister’s agricultural inheritance tax is the th…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I thank the right hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) for securing this debate. I am sure that we will hear in the Minister’s response what the Government have done to alleviate some of these issues, but it is the practicalities that Members from Norther…”

“In a previous role, I found that health workers took industrial action only in extreme circumstances, so I agree with the Secretary of State that if the strikes can be prevented, they should be. During previous resident doctors’ strikes, elective or scheduled procedures were usually postponed, or planned to be postpone…”

“13. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of industrial action on NHS services.”

“5. What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that post-16 education provides the skills necessary to support the economy.”

“The apprenticeship levy is collected equally across the United Kingdom, but unfortunately it comes back to Northern Ireland under the Barnett consequential. Will the Minister look at an option for a system in which those employers who contribute to the apprenticeship levy can draw it back directly to support apprentice…”

“As far as I can see, some of the Paymaster General’s announcements and his acceptance of some of the recommendations and sub-recommendations will cause devolved administrative bodies to have to stay open for a longer period. I believe they were initially scheduled to close on 1 February 2026, but they will now have to …”

“A previous parliamentary inquiry into the funding of Northern Ireland political parties expressed a concern about the lack of visibility on how cross-border parties—the likes of Sinn Féin—manage their fundraising and the difficulty for regulators in verifying that no Republic of Ireland, or indeed US-based, funds were …”