Speeches and Questions - Cat Smith MP

Cat Smith MP in the House of Commons

Summer Adjournment

Commons debates

It is always a pleasure to speak in the debate on matters to be raised before the summer Adjournment. I welcome the Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury, the hon. Member for Horsham...

Business of the House

Speaker’S Statement

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I do hope that recent kipper waving has not been a red herring. When can we expect to see the Fisheries Bill back in this place?

Business of the House

Speaker’S Statement

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I do hope that recent kipper waving is not a red herring. [Interruption.] May I ask the Leader of the House when we can expect to see the Fisheries Bill back? [Interruption.]

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. Last week, I visited a National Citizenship Service programme at Lancaster and Morecambe College and, as he probably did in his constituency,...

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

My hon. Friend makes an excellent plea for youth services. There is a particular need in areas that are being targeted by county lines, which are having an impact on young people’s lives....

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I agree with the hon. Gentleman’s point, particularly with regard to rural services. Young people in rural areas can feel particularly isolated because when the school bus drops them back...

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I agree. That is why much of the excellent work that is being delivered is being done by volunteers and lower-level qualified youth workers. Many services are lacking that sufficiency of...

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about the diversity of the current provision of youth work, and I pay tribute to the work that he does in Leeds, where he champions young people’s...

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

My hon. Friend pre-empts a future section of my speech, where I go into detail about that. He is absolutely right and I agree with every word that he said about the sustainability of the...

Youth Services

Kew Gardens (Leases) (No. 3) Bill [Lords]

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

I thank the Government for scheduling this general debate on the role and sufficiency of youth services. The Opposition welcome any new moneys announced today, because they are certainly needed...

Fracking: Planning Policies

Housing, Communities and Local Government

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

Fifty seven earthquakes of up to 1.5 magnitude were detected in Lancashire last year in the two months when Cuadrilla was fracking at Preston New Road. Will the Minister commit to listening to...

Fracking: Planning Policies

Housing, Communities and Local Government

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

What steps he is taking to ensure that planning policies on fracking provide for the safety of people and communities.

Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [Lords]

Commons debates

It is probably worth noting that much of the debate on this Bill has not been about its content, which concerns inclusivity for LGBTQ people in the census. That is a good sign that the issue is...

Disability: Children

Department for Work and Pensions

Cat Smith received a response to a question they put to the government

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to co-ordinate cross-government policy on disabled children.

Point of Order

Commons debates

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance. I am sure you are aware that the Cabinet Office has a role in co-ordinating the cross-governmental response to climate change,...

Topical Questions

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office

Cat Smith made a speech in the House of Commons

This morning’s Committee on Climate Change report should make stark reading for the Cabinet Office, which has a responsibility to co-ordinate the cross-governmental response to climate...

Higher Technical Education Reform

Commons debates

May I draw the Minister’s attention to the final question asked by the shadow Minister, my fellow Fylde coast MP, which was about the challenges in the FE sector in recruiting and retaining...

NHS Pensions: Taxation

Commons debates

Constituents have been raising this issue with me. Not only have clinicians been affected, but patients have been left waiting longer for treatment, which seems totally unnecessary, given that...

Television: Licensing

Department for Work and Pensions

Cat Smith received a response to a question they put to the government

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents...

Business of the House

Commons debates

There is a heatwave rolling across Europe, with record June temperatures recorded in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Yesterday we saw huge numbers of people from across our...