Mark Pritchard MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 19 Dec 2024 · Harland & Wolff · Hansard source

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  I welcome the statement, and particularly the protection of the fleet solid support programme, but I join my Front-Bench colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), in saying that we will have to wait to see the details. In principle, however, the deal sounds very encouraging indeed, and I congratulate the Secretary of State and all his team and officials for getting it over the line. He mentions world-class shipbuilding in the UK. He said from the Dispatch Box that national security is the foundation of the plan for change, and his Department’s online statement talked about sovereign capability, but does he accept that without steel, ships cannot be built? Will he take this opportunity to say what more can be done, in a dangerous world, to reduce the UK’s increasing reliance on imports from elsewhere, including from Sweden and Asia, so that ships can be delivered in times of conflict or war?

• 19 Dec 2024 · Syria · Hansard source

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  I am sure colleagues on both sides of the House welcome the fall of the brutal Assad regime, and perhaps very cautiously welcome the early inclusive statements—in part, at least—of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the HTS’s leader, but I have to confess that I am somewhat nervous. Are these statements too good to be true? Does not the international community, particularly the UK Government, need to be careful that it is not being played? In particular, the transitional Government should be judged on their deeds, not just their words and BBC TV interviews. Briefly, when will the UK embassy in Syria reopen? What will the Government do to ensure the protection of minorities, particularly, at Christmas, Christian minorities, and to make sure that they are represented in the transitional Government and, indeed, the future Government of Syria? Although some of the biological and chemical stockpiles held in Syria have been bombed by Israel—that is welcome, in my view—we have to ensure that they do not fall into the hands of any rebel group or transitional Government, but are completely destroyed or given over to another authority that can destroy them.

• 19 Dec 2024 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  I also welcome the new funding for Ukraine today and the Minister’s statement. With an unstable Government in France, new elections in Germany, foreign influence operations in the recent Romanian presidential election and a new Administration in the United States, what recent discussions has the Minister had with NATO colleagues about how NATO will continue to support Ukraine to the very end, to steel its resolve and work towards the just peace that he referenced? Briefly, on other NATO members, the Minister will know that Denmark’s policy on defence for Ukraine is to allow Ukraine to grow its own industrial base. That is being supported by Norway and some other Baltic countries. I get the transparency point and support the Government on that, but, to come back to an earlier question, is there any potential of joint ventures to allow Ukraine to grow its own industrial base?

• 19 Dec 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Could we have a debate on putting children at the heart of public policy? In her statement, the Leader of the House mentioned children and the emerging Bill. She will know that there is an equality impact assessment in pre-legislative scrutiny, and that there can be no discrimination on the basis of age. There have been two dominant themes in these business questions so far: Herefordshire—as a Herefordshire boy, I am delighted by that—and children. I hope that the Government, across Departments, will consider a potential new policy that will look at policies, Bills and laws and how they impact children.

• 16 Dec 2024 · United Front Work Department · Hansard source

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  The Security Minister mentioned the breadth of the national security threat against the United Kingdom. He mentioned Russia, China and Iran, but, unless I missed it, he did not mention North Korea. Will he comment on that? Following on from the question that my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin) asked about resources, is the Minister confident that the UK intelligence community, across agencies, has sufficient resources to manage the increased threat that he has recognised today?

• 16 Dec 2024 · Israel and Palestine · Hansard source

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  Order. At the discretion of the Chair, if the Minister is so minded, he can continue to talk for beyond 10 minutes, given that we have time because some colleagues have left. However, I am aware of his busy schedule, so it is entirely in his hands.

• 16 Dec 2024 · Israel and Palestine · Hansard source

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  We now move on to the Front Benchers, who have 10 minutes each. I call Monica Harding.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Border Security: Collaboration · Hansard source

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  I welcome this joint action plan. It is in our national security interest that it works, and I hope it does so. I am also grateful for the Home Secretary’s points on Syrian asylum seekers, and we look forward to hearing more details as that story unfolds. She mentioned working upstream. May I encourage her to meet the interior Ministers of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia and also interior Ministers in the Sahel, because she will know that a lot of the migration through the Mediterranean is coming out of north Africa, and particularly Libya?

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  I apologise for my Hereford-Shropshire accent. Some of us from the west midlands are still in this place.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  Order. I am afraid I will have to put a three-minute limit on speeches, because this debate is so popular and oversubscribed. For new Members and those who may have forgotten, there is a clock on either side of the Chamber to encourage you to keep to the time limit.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  I am afraid that we are down to two minutes each for the last two speakers. I call Olly Glover.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind hon. Members that interventions are part of our regular work, and it is entirely up to the speaker to take them. However, when an intervention is taken, it adds one minute to the speaker’s time slot, which takes time away from others.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  On behalf of right hon. and hon. Members, I thank the broadcasting and sound team for an excellent job this afternoon. Question put and agreed to . Resolved , That this House has considered the responsibilities of housing developers.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  The Clerk doesn’t know it and I don’t know it, but I hope you know it.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  Order. I call Gideon Amos.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Responsibilities of Housing Developers · Hansard source

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  I call James Naish. [ Interruption. ] Yes, I called you.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Rail Services: Devon · Hansard source

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  Order. I will suspend the sitting for Divisions in the House. We expect three votes; 15 minutes are allowed for the first one and 10 minutes for subsequent votes. There may be two or three. If Members get back as quickly as possible, and the mover of the motion and the Minister are in their place, we will commence the debate. That is an encouragement for others to make it back tout de suite from the second or third Division.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Rail Services: Devon · Hansard source

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  We come now to the Front-Bench speeches: five minutes for the Liberal Democrats, five minutes for the official Opposition and 10 minutes for the Minister.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Rail Services: Devon · Hansard source

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  Order. I just remind Parliamentary Private Secretaries that they do not usually intervene, either officially or unofficially, if they do not mind my saying so.

• 29 Nov 2024 · Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way and congratulate her on the measured way in which she has conducted this debate over the last few weeks. Whatever side of the House and whatever side of the debate, I would like to recognise that—it is not always the case. But is it not the case that the Bill crosses a new and irreversible medical red line for doctors and nurses? Is it not the case that in other Bills we have seen in this House over the years, the safeguards invariably become obsolete over time, and so the safeguards in this Bill, however well meant, should be seen as temporary safeguards and not immutable safeguards?

• 25 Nov 2024 · Serious and Organised Crime · Hansard source

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  The Home Secretary knows that rural areas are not immune to county lines activity. Will she put on record her thanks for the excellent work of West Mercia police, who recently arrested quite a few people on charges relating to drugs and firearms? What more can the National Crime Agency, and particularly the multi-agency co-ordination centre, do to support rural forces and smaller forces such as West Mercia?

• 13 Nov 2024 · Family and Work Visas · Hansard source

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  We now come to the Front Benchers—five minutes each for the two in opposition and 10 minutes for the Minister.

• 13 Nov 2024 · Family and Work Visas · Hansard source

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  I remind hon. Members that this is a 60-minute debate. There is no formal time limit right now, but I encourage everybody to stick to around four minutes.

• 13 Nov 2024 · Educational Opportunities · Hansard source

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  Order. Before I call the Minister, I should say that if she wants to make time for the mover of the motion to have a minute or two at the end, I think we have time, if she is so minded.

• 13 Nov 2024 · Educational Opportunities · Hansard source

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  Order. The debate is very popular and oversubscribed; over 17 Members want to speak. To get everybody in, I am afraid that I will be imposing a time limit of two and a half minutes. I call Jamie Stone, who I am sure will set a great example.