Speeches by Witherden.

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Siobhain. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Alloa and Grangemouth (Brian Leishman) on securing this important debate. Last week, barrister Sam Fowles warned parliamentarians of the real risk that the UK could be in breach of international law. Given the In…”

“Prynhawn da, First Minister. You have described health and social care as one of your top priorities. We took evidence three weeks ago on how interconnected the Welsh and English NHS systems are, and how frequently patients have to travel across the border for treatment. In that context, what do you need from the UK Go…”

“I would also like to direct my question to Mr Davies. Since the UK left the EU, have alternative trade routes emerged to connect the European mainland to the Republic of Ireland that circumvent Holyhead and, if so, can we quantify the effect this aspect of Brexit has had on the Welsh economy?”

“6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help create new jobs in Wales.”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East (Andy McDonald) on securing this crucial debate. I have had the privilege of standing in solidarity with the facilities management staff and speaking at the PCS pickets that have b…”

“I welcome the news that the Secretary of State has signed a memorandum of understanding on four Welsh growth deals with Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Rebecca Evans. Will the Minister outline how this UK-Welsh Government partnership will deliver the well-paid jobs and economic growth needed in areas like Montgomeryshir…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I congratulate the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies) on securing this important debate about a topic of major concern for many of my constituents. Farming is at the heart of Wales’s social fabric, playing a vital role in our economy, food security and …”

“I would like to hear from the panel as a whole, starting with Carol. What do you hope to see from the UK and Welsh Governments’ new partnership to drive down NHS waiting lists on both sides of the border, announced by the Secretary of State in September?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Neil Duncan-Jordan) on securing this crucial debate. Migrant workers are vital to the UK’s economy and society. They make up over a fifth of our workforce and support essential industries such as hospitality and …”

“Women’s Aid highlights that the pro-contact culture in family courts can force children into contact with abusive parents, sometimes against their will. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is crucial that family justice agencies recognise children as victims in their own right, as outlined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021,…”

“Simon, I believe the area of Wales that I represent is the only one that straddles two trusts. Around 65% of the constituency is covered by Powys Teaching Health Board. I have spoken before about how Powys is in a unique position with no full service hospital. What arrangements for joint working does NHS Shropshire, Te…”

“Thank you. I had planned to ask what you feel the English NHS can learn from Wales and vice versa, but you touched on that in some of the answers, so I will leap straight to my most important question for my constituents. Do you think that greater cross-border working has the potential to cut waiting lists for Welsh pa…”

“T5. I draw Members’ attention to my entry in the register of all-party parliamentary groups. During the covid-19 pandemic, 3.8 million self-employed UK taxpayers were shamefully excluded from Government financial support. Many, including pregnant women and war veterans, were forgotten about by the Conservative party. W…”

“1. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to demonstrate UK leadership on climate change.”

“The rising death tolls from the wildfires in Los Angeles and the damage to our communities recently caused by Storms Bert and Darragh serve as clear reminders of escalating weather extremes and the urgent need to tackle the climate emergency. Will the Minister explain how the Government are actively driving efforts to …”

“25. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle violence against women and girls.”

“Palestinian women detained in Israeli prisons face sexual assault, beatings and threats of rape and death, according to United Nations reports. Given our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, what discussions is the Minister having with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office colleagues about th…”

“Before my election, I spent nearly 20 years as a secondary school teacher, seeing at first hand the devastating effects of food poverty on children’s health, concentration and academic performance. I welcome the introduction of free breakfast clubs in primary schools, which will improve child health and learning outcom…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) on securing this important debate. Research in 2023 revealed that mothers in the UK earned, on average, 31% less than fathers—a gap worse than the one 40 years before. The motherhood pay pena…”

“We rightly place huge emphasis on danger to life when deciding the severity of weather warnings. Should we also place an emphasis on danger to livelihood? Both storms have done tremendous damage to people’s livelihoods. I am interested to hear your thoughts on that.”