Mark Pritchard MP: speeches

Speeches

• 22 Apr 2025 · Ukraine Update · Hansard source

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  Does the Defence Secretary believe that reports that the US has withdrawn intelligence sharing with Ukraine are an exaggeration? If not, does he believe that the UK and our trusted partners in the coalition of the willing can do a work-around on intelligence sharing?

• 2 Apr 2025 · Green Book Review · Hansard source

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  That was an excellent example of a four-minute speech, with no repetition either—well done.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Green Book Review · Hansard source

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  Order. I am sure the Minister knows this, but I remind him that he has 10 minutes. He can leave a minute or so at the end for the mover of the motion, but it is entirely up to him.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Green Book Review · Hansard source

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  Order. I will suspend the sitting because we have a Division. I encourage Members to come back as quickly as possible. If there are multiple votes, a maximum of 15 minutes will be allowed for the first vote, with 10 minutes for subsequent votes, but please try to get back earlier.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Green Book Review · Hansard source

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  I do not like setting time limits, but I am trying to get everybody in, so I will set an informal time limit of around four minutes.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Irish Guards: 125th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  I will call Gavin Robinson to move the motion. I will then call the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may only make a speech with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and from the Minister. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Irish Guards: 125th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  Let us crack on. The debate must end at 4.40 pm; I am sure hon. Members will be mindful of that.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Irish Guards: 125th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind the hon. Gentleman that, even though this is all fascinating, interventions do need to be kept short. I am going to be flexible; the Chair has discretion. If the mover of the motion is happy for him to continue and the Minister is happy to reserve his remarks until after the hon. Gentleman has concluded, then I will let it go. I want to hear all this. I will probably get in trouble, but subject to the mover of the motion and the Minister agreeing, I will let the hon. Gentleman continue. Are you happy, sirs?

• 2 Apr 2025 · Irish Guards: 125th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  Order. Forgive me, but there is a Division. I am sure we will get around to these excellent tributes and stories of the Irish and the Scots Guards, and others indeed.

• 1 Apr 2025 · Syrian Constitutional Declaration · Hansard source

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  The Foreign Secretary will know that this is a five-year draft constitution. Does he share my concern that the legislative, Executive and judicial separation of powers in it need to be beefed up? The appointment of the new Government appears, prima facie, to be inclusive, but does he agree that the people’s committee also needs to be inclusive given that it will be mostly appointed by the President?

• 31 Mar 2025 · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Hansard source

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  In 30 seconds!

• 31 Mar 2025 · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Hansard source

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  President Dodik’s language and actions are both reckless and dangerous. Given that the Minister has just admitted to there being Russian meddling in the region—as we know, it has been going on for many years—can I ask what conversations he has had with the Americans to ensure that they continue to have command of the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo? To the point made by the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Lewes (James MacCleary), can the Minister say whether the UK could play a bit more of a role in EUFOR, and, from his discussions with the French Minister, whether there is likely to be an extension of that mandate?

• 26 Mar 2025 · Mobile Coverage: Ofcom Reporting · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his candour and honesty. He is one of the most effective, experienced and able Ministers in the Government. Having paid those compliments, can I encourage him to visit Shropshire, where there are still too many notspots? Perhaps one of the reasons is that this country has only four mobile network operators. Is it not time that we had more competition? Finally, is the shared rural network agreement likely to hit its targets by the end of this year?

• 24 Mar 2025 · Planning and Infrastructure Bill · Hansard source

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  I gently say to the Secretary of State that none of my constituents is saying, “In Shropshire, we don’t need any more homes. We don’t want any more homes.” They just want to be consulted. They want the homes in the right place, at the right scale, with the right architecture and in the right numbers. They want their voices listened to through a local plan—not ignored, as the current Government are doing.

• 24 Mar 2025 · Disruption at Heathrow · Hansard source

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  The Secretary of State mentioned consumer rights. Not only were Heathrow customers delayed and disrupted, but they were ripped off, with huge hikes for alternative flights, car hire and hotels. Is it not time that the Government brought forward robust anti-price-gouging legislation? In fairness to the Secretary of State and Labour Front Benchers, I also asked the previous Government, who did absolutely zero on this issue as well. [ Laughter. ] It is true, and I think we saw the result of that in many other ways. On behalf of the British consumer and international consumers, many of whom have been ripped off through no fault of their own as a result of this incident, is it not time that for new legislation? Should we not also carry out a wider review of the monopoly held by the operators of hotels at Heathrow and the lack of competition among airlines coming into Heathrow?

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  Does the Minister agree with the Resolution Foundation, which I think he knows very well, and its enlightening paper “Public Pivot” from January this year, which talks about big implications for living standards? He may well know that document, although he did not actually write that one, for a change. It mentions the winter fuel allowance and states: “Tax rises on top of lacklustre economic growth make for a gloomy living standards outlook in 2025.” Is there not a direct correlation between living standards and this cruel cut to the most vulnerable in our society, whether in Swansea West or in the Wrekin in Shropshire?

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  Is it not very telling that, although when this policy was voted on in this House in September the Government had a majority of 120, there are very few Labour MPs on the Government Benches to defend their own policy in this debate?

• 18 Mar 2025 · Welfare Reform · Hansard source

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  Youth unemployment stood at 642,000 as of the last quarter of 2024—a rise of 136,000 on 2023—with a youth unemployment rate of 14.8%. The Secretary of State talked about earning and learning. Does she agree that one way of attracting some people back into work would be to get more young people into His Majesty’s armed forces—the Air Force, the Navy and the Army—and will she discuss that with the Defence Secretary?

• 17 Mar 2025 · G7 · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s statement and all his hard work in travelling all around the world trying to make us all safer. He mentioned the OSCE, and while the previous model in Ukraine may not be fit for the future, I hope he recognises the important role that the OSCE will play in future elections in Ukraine, perhaps with a new model alongside a security force. May I bring the Foreign Secretary’s attention to the joint statement from Canada? It highlights that “Iran is the principal source of regional instability”, and some would argue of global instability and insecurity. In his statement today, he said: “Tehran is producing highly enriched uranium at a rate that makes a mockery of the limits set in the joint comprehensive plan of action.” If Israel, with or without US support, takes direct action to make the world a safer place and to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, will the UK Government support that action?

• 4 Mar 2025 · Gaza · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for mentioning orphans, who, unfortunately, do not have much of a voice in this place, although sadly there are too many in the world as we see more and more conflict. I agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse) that civilian lives are just as precious whether they are Israeli or Palestinian, and that we should do all we can, across the House, to save lives. I fear, however—this may be a surprise—that the biggest foreign policy headache for the Government over coming months may be not Ukraine but Israel, with the divergence of the new American Administration over Israel being of great concern. Does the Minister accept what has been agreed today at the Arab summit in Cairo—a $53 billion five-year reconstruction plan for Gaza which will allow displaced Palestinians to return, no Trump Gaza riviera, and countries in the region putting Palestinians back into Gaza and at the heart of its future?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  I commend the Prime Minister and indeed the Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary for their ongoing support for Ukraine. I also commend the leadership that the Prime Minister has shown over the last few days. He mentioned not making a false choice between our allies the United States and Europe, and I completely agree. Does he agree that there is a historic opportunity for his Government, hopefully supported by the Opposition, and for this country to be a diplomatic, political and defence bridge between the United States and Europe?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Women’s Health Strategy · Hansard source

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  The Minister will be aware of the Ockenden report back in 2022, which highlighted the tragic cases of more than 200 mothers and babies who were killed over a period of years at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Donna Ockenden recently returned to the trust and said that she was surprised and disappointed to hear from those parents and families affected that the trust had not been communicating as well as it should have been and had not been updating the families in a timely manner. Does the Minister agree not only that communication is key, but also that reviews, such as those undertaken by Donna Ockenden, should have the remit to go back to check and monitor the progress of maternity services that are either improving or not?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Extremism Review · Hansard source

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  When tackling extremism—whether violent or non-violent—is the Security Minister satisfied that the current division of labour between counter-terrorism policing and the security service is understood well enough by those two organisations, and is delivering and working well?

• 27 Jan 2025 · Fiscal Policy: Defence Spending · Hansard source

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  The Minister says the strategic defence review will be announced in the spring, but is that the astronomical spring, which he will note ends on 21 June, or the meteorological spring, which ends, from memory, on 31 May? He talks about a “pathway to 2.5%”. That is a carefully crafted phrase from the Dispatch Box. Is the pathway short or long? Can he not give an answer to a straight question: when will we hear about 2.5%? When will it be announced? What is the date and the year?

• 21 Jan 2025 · Community Engagement Principles and Extremism Definition · Hansard source

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  The Minister mentioned a rapid review; perhaps he can give the House a timetable. As part of that review, could he include the Charity Commission and ask what charities might be dividing our communities rather than unifying them? Also, could more officials from the Cabinet Office and the Home Office be seconded to his Department so that the decisions around Prevent and this review are taken in a better way?