Speeches by Rushworth.

“1. What steps her Department has taken to support the delivery of youth services in deprived communities.”

“As a young man who owes as much to youth theatre as to my schooling for giving me the confidence to speak in this place, I know the importance of youth services. I am really pleased that the Government have the better youth spaces fund, which organisations in my constituency have been engaging with, and I hope that the…”

“Q11. Between 2021 and 2023, 41 mental health patients in the care of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust lost their lives. That led to a damning report from NHS England and calls from my constituents for a public inquiry. This is not just historic; my surgeries are still filled with harrowing stories of…”

“Could you also explain a good example of the work that HALO has done in a conflict or post-conflict setting that supported the lives of women and girls in that area?”

“Fawzia, could you speak to the same?”

“Thank you. It is a great organisation. I had the privilege of working with your people in northern Sri Lanka a year ago. Could you tell us about how, through your work, you see the importance of women as agents of change in conflict and fragile states?”

“Could you also explain a good example of the work that HALO has done in a conflict or post-conflict setting that supported the lives of women and girls in that area?”

“Just to be clear, obviously levels of sexual violence and use of that as a weapon of war is very high, but does it make a woman a particular target because she tries to enter the civic space and tries to engage in peace-building processes?”

“Fawzia has already touched on a good example of this, but my question to you all is about safety concerns, including physical threats—I think we have lost Hanin—and online threats that affect yours and other women’s participation in peace processes. Hanin, were you able to catch that? I think you cut out for a second.”

“Just on that point, is it possible to share who you feel is leading on those things?”

“Fawzia has already touched on a good example of this, but my question to you all is about safety concerns, including physical threats—I think we have lost Hanin—and online threats that affect yours and other women’s participation in peace processes. Hanin, were you able to catch that? I think you cut out for a second.”

“Thank you. It is a great organisation. I had the privilege of working with your people in northern Sri Lanka a year ago. Could you tell us about how, through your work, you see the importance of women as agents of change in conflict and fragile states?”

“Fawzia, could you speak to the same?”

“Just to be clear, obviously levels of sexual violence and use of that as a weapon of war is very high, but does it make a woman a particular target because she tries to enter the civic space and tries to engage in peace-building processes?”

“Just on that point, is it possible to share who you feel is leading on those things?”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent speech. Like all people around Durham, I have been deeply touched by Maya’s case. When I first heard about it, I have to admit that I asked myself whether the guidelines had been incorrectly followed or whether we needed a new law. My hon. Friend is making that point excellently…”

“ODA is derisking the BII investment, a bit like GB Energy. The purpose of GB Energy is to derisk investment, isn’t it?”

“Yes, thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Are there any opportunities for the UK energy sector, though, in what we are doing overseas in development of R&D, expertise and business opportunities?”

“I mentioned GB Energy, and this Government use the language of Britain becoming a clean energy superpower. Of course, a superpower has weight in the world as well as in its own territory. In the context of our overseas work on clean energy, what do you see as the potential benefits to the UK taxpayer and UK trade and i…”