Graham Jones: I want to speak very briefly about Hezbollah’s role in Yemen and the human catastrophe it is involved in. There is a clear link between Ansar Allah and Hezbollah in that they are both supported and funded by the Iranian Government in this proxy war. Since the war broke out, the Houthis—Ansar Allah—have unseated the legitimate Government, with the help of Hezbollah in training,...
Graham Jones: Is the Minister concerned, as I am, that Iran is using Yemen as a testing ground for its missile programme? We have seen the UN panel of experts talk about the new kamikaze drones that are coming out of Iran. We have had the Badr-1—the missile system that looks like the V2—being launched into Saudi Arabia, and we are seeing from technical reports that the enhancements being applied by...
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Serious Crime Act 2015 on prosecuting perpetrators of financial abuse.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has given to HRH the Prince of Wales on raising human rights abuses in Cuba with representatives of the Cuban Government on his forthcoming visit to that country.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the latest statistics on people between 16 and 24 years old who are not in education, employment or training in each local authority area.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of recruiting a new Chair of the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations of the September 2018 Commission on Religious Education Religion and Worldviews report entitled The Way Forward.
Graham Jones: It strikes me that the point the Minister has just made is a very middle-class view. What do working-class communities think about ASBOs? Were they asked if they were beneficial before they were taken away?
Graham Jones: rose—
Graham Jones: rose—
Graham Jones: The police and crime commissioner for Lancashire is watching this debate, and he has just sent me a very informative message to say that he has published his reserves, which are actually £25 million. I ask the Minister to correct the record at the Dispatch Box.
Graham Jones: I just want to put this point on the record because my hon. Friend may have somebody in her constituency that she thinks the same about. I would like to say a big thank you to PC Dave Pearson, a local beat manager, because he has done a fantastic job. He has sorted out a lot of antisocial behaviour, and he deserves to have that put on the record.
Graham Jones: Will my hon. Friend consider the fact that one of the this Government’s failures is the number of NEETs—those not in education, employment or training—that we have, with the figure running between 6% and 10% across every county and area? Where are these young people? What are they doing? Why are they not in education and training? [Interruption.]
Graham Jones: I concur with the previous speakers. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson) on securing this important debate. Antisocial behaviour is a significant matter for a considerable number of residents in our constituencies and we need to find some better answers. I did not want to say a lot but, as there is a bit more time, I will try to say a bit...
Graham Jones: I concur with that. Indeed, I think my hon. Friend has seen an advance copy of my speech, as I want to raise a number of those issues. I will not address them directly now, except to say that, on council estates, we have moved away from having the old tenant manager and collecting rents at the door. I do not suggest we have that now, but the system had some advantages and we have replaced it...
Graham Jones: Let me explain to the Minister how finance works. Most public authorities usually keep back around 5% to 10%—that is the Audit Commission’s advice—because there are peaks and troughs in what they pay out each month. They need to have money there in case what they pay out rises. There is also a capital investment programme. The Minister may not know, but I know, that Blackpool police...
Graham Jones: I will give way to the Minister, and if she does not want Blackpool police station doing up, she should just say so.
Graham Jones: I think that is what I have talked about so far. The Minister had no answer to my question; it seems she does not really care about Blackpool police station.
Graham Jones: If the Minister wants to get up and speak about Blackpool police station, I would be more than happy to give way, but I give way to the hon. Member for Fylde (Mark Menzies).
Graham Jones: I was using it as an example of why a police and crime commissioner would retain reserves. The hon. Gentleman has just proved the point that I have been making: the police and crime commissioner in Lancashire, Clive Grunshaw, does a wonderful job by making sure that there are reserves so that, as the hon. Gentleman says, Blackpool and the Conservative MP there can get a brand new shiny...