Speeches by Smith.

“If would be good, Minister, if you could lay out the actions that you are taking to tackle rough sleeping and specifically the rough sleeping emergency. Could you please also talk about the actions you will take that are not just about the current emergency, but also about tackling this and ending this for good?”

“I am Sarah Smith, Hyndburn.”

“Building on that, what support do you provide for these housing associations when they are struggling with their finances? We may be talking about those V3 or V4 categories. What are the consequences if a provider is receiving that failing viability grade? Fiona MacGregor: We do a huge amount of monitoring work across …”

“You say it is non-negotiable, but it would appear evident, from some of the worst examples that unfortunately have reached the press, that some of the housing standards under some housing associations may be worse than under others. To what extent within the regulator is financial viability held as the most important e…”

“I am Sarah Smith. I am the MP for Hyndburn.”

“Would you agree that, if it was required, it would help to push them even further on that journey? Fiona MacGregor: If I may, I will go away and double-check the exact wording of our consumer standard. I will write to you.”

“You have alluded to the fact that you are seeing a change in the number of housing associations that are receiving poorer viability grades over recent years. In which areas are they most struggling within the assessment? Fiona MacGregor: Again as we have heard in the previous session, there have been a number of pressu…”

“Would you agree that, if there was a requirement on housing associations to communicate the outcome to all of their tenants, that would drive up their standards even further? Fiona MacGregor: In terms of driving up their standards, we are working really hard to make sure that that is being done in any event. One of the…”

“I thank the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley (Chris Coghlan) for his moving contribution. Members on the Opposition Benches should be ashamed to defend the status quo. The current system has seen one third of young people being failed. They leave the system feeling like failures because they have not achieved the bas…”

“How does the hon. Gentleman respond to the situation under the current system, whereby a third of young people fail to get a good GCSE in English and maths, and we have the most unhappy young people in the OECD?”

“Removing that adversarial approach from the system is really important. That is something you hear again and again. Often, currently, those with the loudest voices are those with the most time and capability to fight within the system. The children that might need the help even more are constantly left behind, because …”

“Deputy Prime Minister, I am going to talk a bit about the SEND issue, which is certainly one of the biggest issues that comes up on the doorstep in Hyndburn and in my inbox. What are the Government’s plans for the broader reform of SEND and adult social care funding, given that the current levels of spending by local a…”

“How do you envisage solutions being found that will not just improve where we are now? There are families out there who are really worried that there may be winners and losers out of these reforms. I am assuming that the approach is hoping to avoid that. How will the approach avoid there being losers in the things that…”

“Currently, councils, including in Lancashire, are considering the option of delaying elections to allow for devolution and local government reorganisation to move forward at pace. However, it has led to some suggestions of our country being like a dictatorship. I was curious as to how you would respond to those accusat…”

“Research from the Bloody Good Period campaign shows that one in five women and girls is now experiencing period poverty, so not only is there a socioeconomic disadvantage, but a further gender penalty. This gender-based injustice costs the UK billions—some £3.3 billion—in lost work annually. Will the Minister tell the …”

“1. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the potential impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on future earnings.”

“I do agree with the hon. Gentleman. We must also recognise the Palestinian state, of course, as the route towards a two-state solution. We know that the United Kingdom is firm in its support for UNRWA, and I welcome the recent announcement of £13 million of further support for it, but it is not good enough if support a…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. Last week, a needs assessment carried out by a Gazan NGO and sponsored by War Child Alliance charities revealed the psychological trauma of young people in Gaza living through the ongoing war. The assessment was carried out back in June. The results are deva…”

“I welcome this Government’s ambition to ensure that 40,000 extra children are school ready every year. However, at schools such as West End school in Oswaldtwistle in my constituency, there are no extra classrooms to make extra nursery provision available. Will the Minister consider capital funding to ensure that lots …”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”