Speeches by Hobhouse.

“We have said very little about hydrogen. I had a meeting with a gas grid, Wales & West Utilities, which basically provides the gas in my Bath constituency, and this question comes from them. We have heard relatively little about hydrogen in heating homes in the past, and they want to ask how we ensure fair policy decis…”

“I did put that into speech marks, Secretary of State.”

“I put that into—”

“Indeed. It then always comes down to what is the most cost-effective. When you made the announcement, I think I asked you about difficult-to-decarbonise industries, but also waste, and whether there should not at least be a prioritisation towards those projects that are very difficult to decarbonise, or attaching them …”

“Welcome and thank you for coming, Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary. Can I commit to you, before I start, the real commitment of the Liberal Democrats to work cross-party on the challenges that you set out at the beginning? Having said that, I have a few questions about CCUS. Given the large subsidies offered …”

“You are very generous, Secretary of State.”

“Last Friday, I met Wales & West Utilities, which runs the gas grid in my constituency and beyond, where I heard that hydrogen is still a very viable option for home heating. Although there have been a number of pilots, the Government have recently gone quite quiet on hydrogen in home heating. Will the Minister upda…”

“Before upskirting became a specific criminal offence, people said it was “just a laugh”. Does the hon. Member think we have a massive problem in society when offences against women are dismissed as just a laugh and seen as acceptable?”

“I welcome the Secretary of State to the Dispatch Box, and say happy birthday to the Aviation Minister. Buses in my constituency are not adequate and the situation has been made worse since the £2 fare cap was lifted. Local authorities in Bath want to improve the situation. They want to franchise bus services themselves…”

“It’s fine. I think we really need to move on. I was going to make a similar point.”

“Will the right hon. Lady give way?”

“Having been a secondary school teacher before I became an MP, I congratulate the Government on bringing forward legislation that once again puts children at the heart of what we in this place want to achieve. The Every Child Matters initiative was introduced nearly two decades ago. My party and I welcome many things in…”

“Does the hon. Lady worry, like me, that the recent attempt in the debate to reopen an inquiry is less about supporting victims and stamping out sexual violence, and more about inciting racial tensions?”

“I have a small question on the cost to low-income households. We always say that the cheapest energy is the energy we do not use, so it is also about insulation programmes. Isn’t there a piece that could be done around low-income families living in rented accommodation? Isn’t that something the Government should focus …”

“Many of my constituents are deeply worried about the intolerable suffering of the people in Gaza, but at this moment they are particularly worried about the ban on UNRWA, which will come into force at the end of the month. The Minister’s previous answer on UNRWA was simply not good enough. Where is the urgency to do so…”

“9. What recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on military support for Ukraine.”

“I thank the Minister for his reply. Last year, Bath and North East Somerset council entered into a formal agreement with the city of Oleksandriia, providing medical support as well as strengthening cultural and community ties. In talks with the incoming US Government, will the Minister ensure that they are aware of the…”

“6. What his planned timetable is for the introduction of legislation to ban imports of hunting trophies.”

“May I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, your fantastic staff, and colleagues across the House a merry Christmas? Bathford village shop and café, a volunteer-run community enterprise, recently won an award for its fantastic work supporting the elderly, lonely and vulnerable, but there is a risk that it will soon lose its …”

“It has been 10 years since the senseless killing of Cecil the lion. It is still legal to import hunting trophies into this country. There has for a long time been cross-party support for banning trophy hunting. In 2023, the Labour party asked the then Conservative Government, “What is stopping you bringing in legislati…”