Speeches by McDonagh.

“It is a general point that a long time before 2024 and 2025 there were people saying, “Hang on a minute. This is a problem.” You have made a lot about the fact you are undertaking inquiries into individual complaints, but if you see something that you know might come down the track and cost billions of pounds to compen…”

“I have been contacted on behalf of Paul Carlier, who is a whistleblower, and he says that in 2016 he submitted a claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service, in which he provided evidence proving the unlawful and widespread use of the incentivised commission arrangements that are at the heart of what is now the car financ…”

“I am delighted to announce to the House that we will be opening a drug trial for glioblastoma brain tumours in May, in memory of my late sister, Margaret. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] But for how long will progress on this depend on people baking cakes, running marathons and organising dinners? When will the NHS and t…”

“Experience suggests that that is not the case because we have a whole section or stream of businesses that provide services to people who are poor. They are not mainstream businesses. This is not for you to answer but is a rhetorical question: why do lots of mainstream supermarkets, such as Morrisons in Mitcham, close …”

“On a panel we had last week, we met a very nice young man with learning difficulties. He wants to be part of mainstream society, as we all do. He wanted to go to Starbucks but he does not have a debit card or may not be able to use a debit card to manage his money. He wants to go to Starbucks on a Saturday afternoon.”

“That will exclude certain marginalised people in our society, as large businesses move away from accepting cash.”

“Welcome, and congratulations on your appointment. I understand your point about small businesses, but what about big businesses? Should Starbucks accept cash?”

“What comes up time and time again, in all financial services in this Committee, is the poverty premium. If you are poorer and you live in a poor neighbourhood, it is hard to get car insurance; it is more expensive; it is harder to insure your house. It is harder to access what all the rest of us take for granted and do…”

“Oh, I am sorry; I nearly denied the hon. Member for Strangford his right to sum up. I apologise. I would never wish to silence him.”

“I apologise again to the hon. Member for Strangford. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered innovation in the field of rare retinal disease.”

“The hon. Gentleman can go on for as long as he likes.”

“Order. I will now put—[Interruption.]”

“I think my point will be unlike that of any other Member in the House. The specialist emergency care hospital in Sutton is in tier 2 of these schemes. Can I say to the Secretary of State, as I have said to every Health Secretary over the past 25 years, that no one wants this? We want the services at St Helier hospital …”

“How concerned are you about the risk of HMRC being taken down by a cyber-attack? Sir Jim Harra gave evidence to the Committee on cyber-attacks. He talked about people trying to hack individual accounts. In your role as chair of the HMRC board, do you think HMRC is sufficiently prepared for a cyber-attack, which might t…”

“How many public sector systems actually achieve that level, given the amount of ingenuity and dexterity of the hackers? Could you put your hand on your heart now and say that it will not happen to HMRC?”

“Does HMRC have access to the funds to ensure it has a premier system that holds out against the hackers?”

“This week, we have spent a lot of time talking about Elon Musk and his concern about violence against, and the sexual abuse of, women. I am aware of an ongoing case in which a woman continues to be stalked by a man who has already been convicted of stalking her, and who has set up an X account in her name and is postin…”

“It saddens me to make this contribution. Three main aspects of the Bill are of particular concern to me: the proposal to make it compulsory for academies to teach the national curriculum; the harmonisation of teachers’ pay across academies and maintained schools; and the pathway for future failing schools. When I was e…”

“Last summer we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the elective orthopaedic centre in south-west London. The driving force behind that was Professor Richard Field, who came to my surgery every week after the 1997 election. With the help of the Prime Minister Tony Blair and the late Health Secretary Frank Dobson, he made…”

“We are both going to get into trouble with the Chair because she wants us to move on. In November, you published work relating to life insurers’ bereavement claim processes. You said, “There is a significant opportunity for improvement in the measurement, monitoring and delivery of good service outcomes for customers.”…”