Speeches by Platt.

“Leigh and Atherton has many exceptional SMEs that are driving local growth, particularly in manufacturing, engineering and construction. What steps is the Minister taking to make sure that SMEs in areas like mine receive targeted support as part of efforts to address regional imbalance and reduce reliance on our major …”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (Jim McMahon) for bringing this really important debate to the House. I am immensely proud to represent the communities of Leigh and Atherton—towns that embody the very best of Britain, …”

“I thank the Secretary of State for visiting Golborne All Saints during the summer. As she saw, it is a shining example of inclusive education in action. As we mark ADHD Awareness Month, will the Minister outline the potential impact of the curriculum review on children with ADHD, and how that can become standard for al…”

“4. What steps her Department is taking to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) for bringing this important issue to the House for debate today. As we know, Ada Lovelace Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) for bringing this really important debate to the House. Growth goes where growth is, but when transport is inefficient, access to opportunity is limited. Leigh and Atherton, once thriving industrial hubs, now sit between Manchester and Liverpool, al…”

“Our high streets in Leigh and Atherton are being undermined by illicit shops that are used for money laundering, illegal working and counterfeit goods. Raids on shops have taken place this week, leading to the seizure of over £10,000-worth of illicit goods, but the shops reopen within hours. Criminals are exploiting lo…”

“Manchester city council has demonstrated what is possible when local government, major events and cultural assets work together, raising £250,000 to support grassroots music venues thanks in part to the big-ticket events that we have had in Manchester like Oasis—which I attended—and Sam Fender. It has created a bluepri…”

“It is an important point to make. My personal experience of working with artists is that they are artists; they are not funding applicators. This is the problem that a lot will feed back. It is really worth while to have that sort of conversation.”

“Obviously there are a lot of artists affected. Locally, I have had artists approach me. A lot of groups and sectors are reliant on funding that is due now for them to exist. Given what is at stake and the criticisms of the system since its onset, will the Government provide extra support in getting this right, to impro…”

“Thank you, Chair, and can I thank the Secretary of State for those words and that commitment to independent cinema? I declare an interest as a patron of Leigh Film Factory. I know those words will be widely appreciated, so thank you. Lots of artists from different sectors are expressing their concerns about the ongoing…”

“Well, if one is deemed too controversial, what is that? There must be criteria if someone is deemed too controversial.”

“I think it goes back to the previous question from my colleagues. How are you deciding how much airtime there is outside of news and current affairs for personalities who could be described as political? Is there not a danger for the BBC of falling into the culture war trap?”

“The basis of who gets on to “Strictly Come Dancing”.”

“So there is not a specific set of criteria that you are adhering to? I mean, with Thomas Skinner, is he controversial?”

“Okay. There is a claim that Narinder Kaur was deemed too controversial to be on “Strictly Come Dancing”, so how are you evaluating this?”

“Tim, by what criteria did you choose to put Thomas Skinner on “Strictly Come Dancing”?”

“Anne, is there anything else that you could add?”

“Thank you, Chair. Good morning. There are lots of Government changes and reforms to the planning system, especially in reducing the barriers and consultees, such as Sport England and the Theatres Trust, rather than adding requirements. Tim, what reception have you had to the recommendation of making the national planni…”

“Rather than just planning—again, this is to you, Tim—what needs to happen to reverse the decline in mobility of children that we have seen over the decades?”