Kelly Tolhurst: Will the hon. Lady Give way?
Kelly Tolhurst: What support his Department is providing towards the finding of a political solution to the conflict in Yemen.
Kelly Tolhurst: The Yemeni population continues to suffer from preventable military incidents carried out by both sides in the conflict, most recently at the funeral where 140 were killed and 500 injured. Given the Minister’s timely and important visit to Riyadh last week, what assessment was he able to make of the standard of the regional initiative seeking to address the high number of civilian casualties?
Kelly Tolhurst: Many Members have expressed the view that the BBC is indeed one of our most beloved cultural institutions. Each of us will have fond memories of the TV shows that made us laugh and cry, and those that educated and inspired us. To this very day, some of the world’s most famous TV programmes call the BBC their home, or can at least trace their roots back to it. The BBC also has a proud record...
Kelly Tolhurst: I am pleased to contribute to this debate because, since my election, my constituents have called upon me to raise this matter in the House. I want to focus on the fairness of the illegal incursions. We expect everybody to abide by the law and accept that there are rules we have to abide by. Over the last couple of years, Medway has seen a large increase in the number of illegal incursions....
Kelly Tolhurst: Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Labour party’s cynical attempt to block the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill on Monday shows that it is still interested only in playing party politics, rather than delivering the best deal for our future, which is what my constituents and the majority of this country want to see?
Kelly Tolhurst: I am extremely pleased to speak in this debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) on introducing the Bill. His speech was very good, and it was lovely to listen to him. I also congratulate the hon. Member for Halifax (Holly Lynch) on working with her colleagues over the past 12 months to highlight the issue. It is great that a Bill has finally been introduced to...
Kelly Tolhurst: The hon. Gentleman has been to my constituency many times. I am keen to see what happens to the definition of “emergency worker.”
Kelly Tolhurst: I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. I was just going on to say that in Rochester I am blessed to have some amazing PCSOs. These individuals go well above and beyond their job description in how they deal with the community. One particular officer, who is part of the community and often works on her own, was attacked this year after going to help somebody. She was supported and...
Kelly Tolhurst: I concur with my hon. Friend about the understanding that Members gain from people visiting their surgeries. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake) for promoting the Bill. I am lucky enough to represent a constituency with two amazing charities, Abigail’s Footsteps and Making Miracles, and our area will be part of the bereavement care pathway trial. It...
Kelly Tolhurst: Last week we had a Labour Opposition day debate on pausing the roll-out of universal credit, and now we are debating the outcome of that Opposition day debate. Universal credit is a great move forward in how benefits are claimed. It is replacing an outdated system—a system which is complex, and which I have seen from my own experience in my constituency discourages people from working for...
Kelly Tolhurst: My hon. Friend raises an important point, which serves to show that there are some inconsistencies in the Opposition’s argument against universal credit. The Government are doing a gradual roll-out, so that testing can take place, and they are then able to modify the implementation based on what is learned from the experience of the practical implementation of the scheme. As Ministers have...
Kelly Tolhurst: I will not give way at the moment. The Opposition are scaremongering rather than talking about the benefits of universal credit in helping people move into work and making it easier for claimants in the long run. Universal credit is a good step forward in how benefits are delivered to the people who need them. Claimants who need these advance payments because of their particular circumstances...
Kelly Tolhurst: I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, but there is an assumption that everyone on universal credit will already be in debt, which I refute. For Labour to suggest that this Government want to deliberately disadvantage people when they need help from the state is frankly appalling. I am also amazed by the indignation of the Opposition about the outcome of last Wednesday’s debate, which...
Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department as made of the gross value added to the UK economy by the general aviation sector in the last 12 months.
Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of airfields in the UK.
Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase regional aviation capacity.
Kelly Tolhurst: The growth of Dovetail Games in my constituency is a prime example of the UK’s flourishing creative industries. Could the Minister outline the support he plans to give to help creative hubs continue to develop over the exciting years ahead?
Kelly Tolhurst: I welcome my right hon. Friend’s announcement, and I thank her for all her work, but can she confirm that areas such as mine in Medway will benefit from the new funding formula? We are being charged with building historic numbers of homes in the Medway towns. We are seeing new free schools coming on line, but will we get more? Under Labour, we saw schools shut in the Medway towns.
Kelly Tolhurst: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Angela Smith), and I may refer to one of her comments later. As she knows, I very much respect her, having worked with her in the Council of Europe. I would like to congratulate the hon. Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova) on her maiden speech. Well done to her! I would also very much like to congratulate my...