Contributions
184 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsAbsolutely. I agree wholeheartedly that unitarisation or local government reorganisation alone is not a magic bullet. The things the hon. Member describes are due to severe…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsAs I asked earlier, when the hon. Member did not correct me, did he have an issue when his former leader—either his current former leader or the one before—delayed elections as…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsWhat the right hon. Gentleman describes is already happening. Suffolk county council represents the entire county. The argument he is making is already playing out at the moment.…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsI think there is a short-term memory issue here. The hon. Gentleman talks about referendums, but the Conservative Government held a whole heap on mayoralties in 2012 and then…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsThe hon. Gentleman makes a valid point; there is a balancing act to be achieved, ensuring that we have the size and scale of councils to deliver public services efficiently, while…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsWill the hon. Member give way?21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsI thank the hon. Gentleman for that correction from a sedentary position. The right hon. Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick), while Secretary of State for Local Government, when…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsWe are sitting here with a parliamentary party of more than 400 MPs. That is an overwhelming mandate under the electoral system that we have been operating under for centuries.…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsAs I have already laid out, and as the hon. Gentleman will know from when he was a member of the Conservative party, postponing elections where a local government was undergoing…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsI am afraid the hon. Gentleman is slightly mistaken. In my own patch in Suffolk, for instance, the devolution proposed under the previous Government meant handing out a few more…21 Jan 2026HANSARD Local Government Reorganisation: ReferendumsIt is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Ms McVey. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire (Mr Bedford) for securing this debate. It is always right that the House has the…21 Jan 2026HANSARD ADHD DiagnosisThank you, Ms Vaz. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson) for securing this important debate. He spoke powerfully about the long and agonising waits…20 Jan 2026HANSARDSupport for Entrepreneurs8. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support entrepreneurs.09 Dec 2025HANSARDSupport for EntrepreneursOver the last 18 months I have been working hard to drive investment into my town, county and region, and I was proud to unveil the east of England’s £4 billion investment…09 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismThe hon. Lady is absolutely right that that had a huge impact on many autistic and vulnerable children, not least because of the lack of clear and consistent communication that I…02 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I will come to some of that in a moment. I pay huge tribute to those who were working in Northern Ireland at the time. The pandemic was…02 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismI thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. We also saw severe cuts to early intervention support during the pandemic in my home area of Ipswich and Suffolk. At the height of…02 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismI agree wholeheartedly with the hon. Gentleman. In February 2021, Ivan’s parents, Jayne and Gary, wrote to the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, describing how their son was…02 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismMy hon. Friend has done a huge amount of work in this area and he is absolutely right. I pay huge tribute to all the people in our charity sector, and the many organisations that…02 Dec 2025HANSARD Pandemics: Support for People with AutismI beg to move, That this House has considered support for people with autism during pandemic-type events. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I am grateful…02 Dec 2025