🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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Government funding for local pharmacies – Shivani Raja. Westminster Hall debate; 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
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The topic of this debate is a matter of great sensitivity, but I oppose the proposal in the petition. Automatically recognising intended parents as legal parents from birth could remove important safeguards at precisely the moment when a child is most vulnerable. We should begin with the most important person in this debate: the child. A child cannot consent to a surrogacy arrangement, and...
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I begin by paying tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne), and I thank him for his continued work and his commitment to this Bill. As colleagues may know, this Bill carries a particular significance for me, as I recently celebrated the first birthday of my son. In fact, today we celebrate him being 395 days old, so I am pleased that Members on the...
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I thank my right hon. Friend for that wisdom, and I could not agree more. As a first-time parent and a young mum, I can confirm that I have felt the pressures faced by many mums across the country. Again, that is why I am grateful to Leicester Mammas for providing guidance in my post-partum journey, including breastfeeding support. They give encouragement to my family and many other families...
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At the 2024 general election, just 52% of overseas postal ballots were returned in time to be counted. That is a shocking systemic failure of our democratic process. It means that nearly half of all overseas electors who took the time to register, requested a ballot and tried to exercise their democratic right were effectively disenfranchised by international mail delays. As Members of this...
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At the 2024 general election, just 52% of overseas postal ballots were returned in time to be counted. That is a shocking systemic failure of our democratic process. It means that nearly half of all overseas electors who took the time to register, requested a ballot and tried to exercise their democratic right were effectively disenfranchised by international mail delays. As Members of this...
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Every young person I speak to in Leicester wants the same basic things: to work, to earn, to learn and to build a future for themselves. They want the dignity that comes from that first pay packet, the confidence that comes from responsibility, and the chance to prove themselves in the workplace. They do not want to sit on the sidelines of our economy and—let us be honest—we do not want...
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The best way to lift poverty is to support people into work and create jobs. What assessment have the Minister and her colleagues made of the impact that their crippling national insurance hike has had on families with children living in poverty?
More of Shivani Raja's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the causes of public sector net borrowing exceeding the initial forecast published by the Office for Budget Responsibility by over £2 billion; and what fiscal measures HM Treasury is taking to address this variance.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence adoption on the number of entry-level and graduate vacancies.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support entrepreneurs and small business start-ups seeking to open commercial premises on high streets.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure people in low-income areas can access artificial intelligence technologies and related public investment.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of access to finance, innovation support, and business expansion in Leicester East.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve the growth and productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Leicester East.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to incentivise local businesses and public bodies to offer targeted apprenticeships and skills training for young people at risk of dropping out of formal education.
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To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing postgraduate training bursaries for Religious Education in 2026/27 on meeting the target set out in the 2026 Schools White Paper of an expert teacher in every classroom.
More of Shivani Raja's written questions
