Speeches by Hoare.

“That happens a lot when you go to Bristol airport.”

“My apologies for being late. I have two quickish questions that, I hope, may meet the Chair’s strictures of quick answers as well. UK agriculture and food production are in a very competitive marketplace internationally, for both export and import markets. Is there any merit in revisiting the wider devolution settlemen…”

“My right hon. Friend is making a characteristically powerful and informed speech. He mentioned the importance of the role of volunteers, which I think the whole House will recognise. Does he, however, share my concern that, with an ageing population, we seem to be seeing a smaller cohort of people prepared to step up t…”

“I think the word the Leader of the House was looking for was “sorry”. There is much in this place which, as we know, is complicated and arcane, but the ministerial code is crystal clear on this point. The job of the Leader of the House is to represent this place and Back Benchers of all parties around the Cabinet table…”

“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Given the seriousness of the issues—the defence of the realm is the first duty of Government, as we know—is there any merit in you, sir, considering suspending the House to allow those who are to be called to speak on behalf of their respective parties at least the courtesy t…”

“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I do not wish to be flippant or to test the patience of the House, but we have just heard an important speech from a former Attorney General on some key legal points. This is still a private Member’s proposal. How can the promoter of the Bill, the hon. Member for Spen Valley (…”

“The hon. Lady is absolutely right on the matter of eating disorders, but my understanding of the amendment is that it relates to those who effectively starve themselves into a position of becoming terminally ill without having an eating disorder—that is the thrust of the amendment. Does she see that, and how does she i…”

“Mr Speaker, to pick up on your statement, for which I think the whole House will be grateful, I am sure that my Committee will take up your clear urging for us to look at the issue with regard to the ministerial code. I know the Minister will agree that domestic abuse cannot be an issue to which lip service is paid in …”

“There is little doubt that the Minister takes the issue seriously—I think the House accepts that—but does he acknowledge that what he has said in answer to questions from the Opposition and from his hon. Friends will offer the sector rather cold comfort? He recognises that this is an issue, as the Government do, and ar…”

“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. You will recall that on Monday, Mr Speaker took to task those on the Treasury Bench for making a very important announcement about major policy changes on immigration to the media before it was made to this House. The hon. Member for Aberdeen North (Kirsty Blackman) had an urg…”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“A long time ago!”

“As my hon. Friend knows, heaven rejoiceth when a sinner repenteth. Does he share my hope—let us hope it is not naive—that, with this volte-face by Members on the Treasury Bench on this important issue, the cross-party consensus about the seriousness and perniciousness of modern slavery is restored, so that the House ca…”

“We all understand the need to strike the right operational atmosphere and balance in prisons, but in the interests of the retention and recruitment of prison officers, which is absolutely key if our prison estate is to work effectively, I hope that—irrespective of what the review might advise—the Minister and the Depar…”

“What role does the Minister envisage the Commonwealth playing as an honest broker in discussions between India and Pakistan? Will he also assure the House that, given the fact that the trade deal with India was signed just yesterday, there will be a clear demarcation of Government response and the Government will not f…”

“I am still trying to find my yes or no answer.”

“I was not asking you, Mr Robinson.”

“I want to draw out all three of you on this point, which may help this Committee when it makes recommendations to Government in its report following this inquiry. For too many people, Brexit was seen as an event rather than a process to be implemented over time, with different events that would occur and would need to …”

“Before I bring in Dr Whitten, there seems to be a theme emerging that the domestic processes of evaluation, assessment and response written for a different period of time are potentially not fit for purpose to meet the in-real-time, analysis-response legislating that we may find ourselves facing. Is that a fair assessm…”

“My questions are to Mr Reland and Dr Whitten. The Northern Ireland Secretary, as we know, recently reiterated the Government’s manifesto commitment to upholding and protecting the UK internal market and, alongside that, preventing new regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland and the other parts of the UK. We would …”