Speeches by Darling.

“Putin’s patsy!”

“The Minister has already acknowledged that it is olive harvest season in the west bank—a harvest that supports approximately 100,000 farming Palestinians—yet we have seen more than 150 attacks by settlers against those farmers. How are the Government holding the Israeli Government to account to stop those settlers acti…”

“My two sons both went to Torquay boys’ grammar school. One undertook the international baccalaureate. The other went down the A-level route and got three A*s. Universities do not like students taking more than three A-levels. We often joke with him that perhaps he should have stretched himself and undertaken the intern…”

“In Torbay, in Devon, we have the third highest prevalence of strokes in the United Kingdom, and yet, within the last 12 months, we have seen cuts to support for the local stroke association. That has left people who are suffering from strokes feeling isolated and abandoned. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to see…”

“The Government have made a promise that those transferring from legacy benefits to universal credit will find themselves no worse off, yet Liberal Democrat colleagues from all over the country are finding that people are worse off. Will the Minister share evidence of how the Government are supporting the most vulnerabl…”

“I note that last year the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said that it is open to debate as to whether the two-child limit is harmful. I note also that this policy has been the most impactful in driving children—more than 730,000 of them—into poverty. Will the Minister acknowledge that the two-child limit …”

“Brixham has the highest-value catch in England, yet it is in Torbay, which is the most deprived local authority in the south-west of England. How will local levels of deprivation colour the allocation of funding for England?”

“T10. I have recently been contacted by International House Torquay, a language school, which has welcomed the opportunity for German foreign students to use ID cards to travel as a group. Can the Minister advise what further opportunities there will be for other European countries such as Switzerland, Italy and Spain t…”

“I have a couple of questions but, strangely enough, I think we know the answer to this one. How effective would you say the mechanisms are for making complaints about not making additional payments?”

“Are any members of the panel aware of any successful complaints in these systems one way or another or is it fairly barren?”

“Looking at the ombudsman process, are there any particular wicked issues within that that you feel we need to be alive to and it would be useful to cast some light on?”

“Thank you. I would welcome from across the panel some reflections in respect of the ombudsman and the courts, and where you are aware that people may have felt let down by them. Do you have any reflections on how that could be tackled? There has already been comments about expectations and outcomes. Are there any ways …”

“Mr Robinson, do you see that members have effective mechanisms to challenge where discretionary payments are not being made? Where would you see opportunities to improve if you do not believe that they are effective, if I could put a slight word in your mouth?”

“What is the general atmosphere? Is there an adversarial relationship between trustees and employers because there is this refusal, or does it rarely happen because trustees are not pushing at that door?”

“In your view, is the idea—I don’t know if you were here earlier—of enhancing the number of beneficiary employees a false panacea, or would it be helpful anyway?”

“I would be grateful if the panel could reflect on the relationship between employees, employers and trustees regarding releasing additional payments and how that may have changed over time.”

“That is abhorrent. Thank you.”

“To unearth that a little more, what has your collective experience of the power of the pensions ombudsman in this situation been?”

“You are effectively flogging a dead horse with any form of complaints?”

“Thank you for chairing this debate, Mr Efford, and I congratulate the hon. Members for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) and for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) on securing it. Homelessness—what we see on the streets across the United Kingdom—is just the tip of the iceberg of the crisis in our housing system. For more than…”