Speeches by Turner.

“Moving on to the design of streets, I suspect that colleagues have the same experience as mine, which is that constituents are often looking for modifications to roads to tackle dangerous driving. The Department seems to be setting a lot of store by updating the manual for streets. Do you think this is the right emphas…”

“Would you say it is likely that either drivers would need to be charged or some form of Government funding would be needed to create capacity with those third-party organisations?”

“I have a quick question on cognitive testing. This is obviously a sensitive area, so where would the capacity be to carry out the testing? GPs could not do it. Practically, which bodies could administer such tests?”

“You mentioned willingness to participate. Have you had an approach from the DFT about participation in drawing up the work-related road safety charter?”

“The Manchester and London voluntary charters, from which the Government seem to have taken some inspiration, are quite heavily focused on delivery drivers. On my local high street, new safety issues have arisen from heavier bike vehicles that are modified to go faster than they should. What specific issues around deliv…”

“I should draw attention to the register of interests and the fact that I am a member of the GMB and Unite trade unions. In the road safety strategy, the Government announced that they would be piloting a work-related road safety charter. Do you think that a voluntary approach is the best way forward? What examples shou…”

“Mr Cole, you mentioned RIDDOR reporting. My understanding is that most injuries sustained on the public highways are not reportable under RIDDOR. Do you think that work-related road injuries should come under the RIDDOR system, even before any wider system is put in place?”

“I draw attention to my membership of the GMB and Unite trade unions, and I welcome and acknowledge the Minister’s firm commitment to this area. The Department recently published its response to the trade union right of access consultation. Capping fines at £500,000 equates to a potential liability of 0.02% of operating…”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. In Birmingham Northfield and across the country, there are many reports of inappropriate houses in multiple occupation that prove actually to be poor-quality supported exempt accommodation. At its best, SEA can provide a valuable service, but at its worst it can be a byword for neglect,…”

“6. What progress his Department has made on implementing the Employment Rights Act 2025.”

“I want to take us back to contracts and oversight. When you appeared before the Committee in July last year, Mr Wild, you said that there was a fallback if negotiations could not be concluded. You said, “In areas where we have a little bit more flexibility to reallocate work we will do that, but for the majority we wil…”

“Finally from me in this section, one of the weaknesses highlighted in the Lovegrove report was that, in the past, there was a lack of an effective shareholder voice on the board—or, to put it in different language, no taxpayer voice was being represented in those discussions. Is there a more assertive approach now from…”

“We have heard—and I have heard privately—from people who have been engaged on the project that one reason for the high vacancy and turnover rates was culture. People felt that they were prevented from, or could not, escalate and report problems. Do you accept that characterisation?”

“Is the most recent set of estimates, which was announced yesterday, an example of the kind of decision that went to the taskforce? Are DFT and HMT aligned on that range of estimates?”

“Finally, on transparency, HS2 Ltd only had a limited audit opinion for the 2024-25 accounts. At the October meeting of the audit and risk assurance committee, to quote: “Members discussed the objective to create an improvement plan to enable HS2 to achieve a Moderate audit opinion by April 2026.” Was that achieved?”

“That is helpful; thank you.”

“I think I am right in saying that, before the general election, the ministerial taskforce met only four times in three years. What is the frequency of meetings now, and what tangibly comes out of them?”

“To follow up on trying to quantify uncertainty, there have been various attempts in the past to put a P number—either P50 or P95—on those estimates. For that future spend, within those ranges announced yesterday, is there a P number attached, and can that be shared?”

“Mr Wild, you have been in post now for a year and a half. How has the relationship between HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport, on the one hand, and the Treasury, on the other, changed during that time?”

“Bus?”