Speeches by Atkinson.

“It is a big week for Derby County, as we fight valiantly to stay in the championship. There are no guarantees of who will rise and fall in the football league, but we trust that our clubs themselves will go on. To be able to speak in support of a piece of legislation that gives more control and certainty back to our co…”

“Do you think it is missing an opportunity, though, particularly along that route, to move it on to rail there rather than just facilitating more HGVs?”

“We understand that integrated transport is a priority. There was a call for evidence at the end of last year around an integrated national transport strategy, framed from the point of view of the individual passenger. What do you want that to achieve?”

“When do you expect the strategy to be published?”

“Do you plan to set out an integrated strategy for other elements of the transport system, whether it is freight like we were talking about or looking at overall strategic objectives, modal shift and how transport and planning should interact?”

“I did—I often do. In our report there was a powerful quote from Baroness Grey-Thompson, who said that if we do not see change, “In my lifetime, I will not be able to get on a train without the permission or support of a non-disabled person.” We still have so many physical barriers on our train network from the lack of …”

“Certainly going forward, we would expect, would you agree, that all new trains should absolutely have level boarding?”

“A very quick one, building on what you have said about people living alongside lines, when you have poor air quality. The midland main line is at 48,000 tonnes of carbon. It is a line that is really densely populated. When you are looking at the significant savings there are with continuous electrification, will you al…”

“The Railways Bill consultation said that Great British Railways would enjoy operational independence from the Department, which has been welcomed by many of those I have spoken to in the rail sector, although obviously they will be bound by direction and guidance from you. Given that the Government have been looking at…”

“How will you balance the ambitions of local Mayors for rail infrastructure and network management with the Great British Railways single directing mind approach?”

“I think that in part you have already answered my question. With GBR rather than ORR being the ultimate arbiter, there has been concern about what incentives GBR would have to allow use of its network for open access and for rail freight. Do you feel that when it comes to making those decisions there are adequate safeg…”

“I have a follow-up on that before the next question. With the significant expenditure on alleviating the vehicle congestion on the lower Thames crossing and the freight on vehicles, what, if anything, is being looked at to enable moving some of that freight on to rail rather than it just being on our roads?”

“Transport creates and underpins so much economic growth, but there is significant inequality between the regions in transport spend. The east midlands and the south-west get little more than half the United Kingdom average spend. Will addressing that regional inequality be a priority for you in the spending review?”

“We have the stunning River Derwent running through Derby, but it was polluted by sewage 2,675 times in 2024, lasting over 15,000 hours. I invite the right hon. Member to take responsibility for cutting the Environment Agency budget by half, leaving it without the powers and resources to combat this kind of sewage.”

“rose—”

“Q5. This time last year, train manufacturing at Alstom in Derby was grinding to a halt. On a single day, workers with a combined welding experience of nearly 1,000 years walked out of its doors, but the whole city came together with crucial backing from this Prime Minister. What a difference a year makes, with Alstom s…”

“Thank you. Access to opportunities, whether to get jobs or training or to access culture or healthcare, is so frequently dependent upon transport—upon whether you can actually get there. When you look at the evidence setting out the spend per person by region, the significant inequality between regions and countries is…”

“I did play with a selection of graphs; I could have done it taking out HS2 spend as well, but we limited it to one.”

“11. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of reoffending among young people.”

“Engineered Learning in Derby teaches welding skills to young people at risk of offending and reoffending. A qualified, experienced welder can earn more than £50,000, yet we have a national shortage of welders. Does the Minister agree that preventing reoffending and securing the skills our country needs is a win-win, an…”