Jeff Smith: Two of my constituents who were innocent victims of this scandal recently contacted me to raise their concerns about the appropriateness of Herbert Smith Freehills as what they describe as aggressive litigators of compensation claims on behalf of the Post Office, as well as concerns about the level of Government and independent oversight of the process operated by the Post Office with public...
Jeff Smith: My constituents Matt and Liz are hosting two refugees, Anna and Nastya, who fled Ukraine and came to the UK in their car. They have been able to get a maximum of only 12 months of temporary car registration. To avoid some very high and complicated UK and Ukraine registration charges and import taxes, they are planning to drive back to Dnipro next month to leave their car in the war zone. It...
Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether local authorities will be able to apply to the Swimming Pool Support Fund to reopen (a) permanently and (b) temporarily closed swimming pools.
Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Swimming Pool Support Fund, what estimate he has made of the number of swimming pools he expects that fund to support.
Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Swimming Pool Support Fund, when those funds will be made available to local authorities.
Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether distribution of allocations from the Swimming Pool Support Fund will be at the discretion of local authorities.
Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Swimming Pool Support Fund, when he plans to publish further guidance and eligibility criteria for that fund.
Jeff Smith: What fiscal steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the economy in reaching net-zero carbon emissions.
Jeff Smith: Why does the Chancellor not rewire local economies by taking inspiration from President Biden and backing Labour’s policy for a national wealth fund to support half a million new jobs this decade?
Jeff Smith: The head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said of the Chancellor: “Continuing to muddle through, massage the figures, and implement poorly designed policies will only make the problems worse.” That is a pretty damning verdict on his Budget, is it not?
Jeff Smith: The Secretary of State said that the contract would be extended with the “expectation” that Avanti would win back the confidence of customers. I have to say that my constituents in south Manchester are a long way from having confidence in Avanti. I speak regularly to people who are driving rather than taking the train because they know it is the only way in which they can guarantee that...
Jeff Smith: It is good to see you in the Chair, Mr Twigg, and it is a pleasure to respond on behalf of the Opposition. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist) not just on securing the debate, but on her excellent speech, which set out all the issues and made some good asks of the Minister. As Members have said, she has been stalwart in raising awareness of the issue, and giving...
Jeff Smith: Following the Lionesses’ stunning success in the Euros, it is important that we capitalise on the momentum behind women’s football, so we welcome the Government’s commitment to equal access to school sport for boys and girls—we have been calling for that for a long time. How are the Government going to make sure that schools have the facilities to be able to deliver that and how are...
Jeff Smith: Whether the committee has had discussions with the Electoral Commission on whether it plans to make an estimate of the number of voters turned away at polling stations for not having acceptable ID on 4 May 2023.
Jeff Smith: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. It is good news that data will be collected on the number of voters who get turned away for not having ID at a polling station, but as we all know, parties often have tellers outside who will remind people about the voter ID requirements, so how can the Electoral Commission collect data on voters who turn away before they even get into the polling station?
Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of the coking ovens at British Steel's Scunthorpe site on the level of UK demand for coking coal from the proposed Whitehaven mine.
Jeff Smith: What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services.
Jeff Smith: Perinatal mental health problems affect one in four new or expectant mothers, and 40% of deaths in the first year after pregnancy are related to mental health. What steps are the Government taking to improve support for women with perinatal mental health needs, particularly in the light of the women’s health strategy?
Jeff Smith: Every day, the families of women who took the drug Primodos in the 1960s and ’70s continue to suffer the consequences of a lifetime of disability. Baroness Cumberlege’s review made it clear that Primodos caused avoidable harm and that the families should be given redress, so why have the Government recently refused three mediation requests on behalf of those families?
Jeff Smith: What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for renewable energy in Wales.
