Speeches by Turner.

“Q We heard quite a balanced account from the previous panel; there were measures in the Bill that they welcomed, alongside measures that they wanted to see changes to. Mr Hallas, I notice that you have said that gaps in employment law are becoming an increasing challenge. So I want to ask the same question to both of y…”

“I again refer to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my membership of the GMB and Unite trade unions.”

“Q I want to ask you about the international dimension; I am thinking about manufacturing businesses. Do you have sites in other countries? Mondelēz Cadbury in south Birmingham comes to mind. Among your members that have exposure to different systems of employment law and labour market regulation, have you received any …”

“Q I think it is common ground that there are productivity challenges in construction that are particular to the industry, as well as a historical fragmentation of employment relationships. Do you see any opportunities for marrying the levelling up of employment standards with productivity gains? The industry has done s…”

“Do you see opportunities for marrying the levelling up of employment standards with productivity gains in construction? Alasdair Reisner: In terms of industry productivity, there is a lot to do, but one of the biggest drivers will be people being happy and healthy at work, and being provided with appropriate training t…”

“I draw people’s attention to my declarations in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am also a member of the Unite and GMB trade unions.”

“Given that the Conservative party’s record was a 20% cut in the bus service operators grant, a 40p-in-the-pound cut in local bus funding, and 12,000 bus services cut between 2010 and 2023—a fall of more than half—does my right hon. Friend agree that some of what we have heard today is a bit rich?”

“It was in relation to the question Olly asked about fuel duty and the relative cost of public and private transport. We had a discussion about this year’s decisions, but the long-term trend has been for that relative gap to widen as a result of central Government decisions. With reference to the objectives of achieving…”

“I want to talk about motorways as well. As you know, drivers’ journey times are going up, and something went very badly wrong with the smart motorways programme. Our predecessor Committee said that National Highways had over-promised and under-delivered in the last road investment strategy. The regulator has just found…”

“Would you say that that ambition is shared across Government in other Departments that may take an interest, including the Treasury?”

“The Labour party’s “Getting Britain Moving” document published in April said that Great British Railways would operate “without the micromanagement of the current system or of British Rail”, but there is a long history of central Departments interfering, late scope changes and annualised budget setting. How will you ac…”

“You said earlier that you wanted to base your reforms on evidence. Has the Department undertaken an assessment of the value for money and effectiveness of the cap policy and, if so, is it going to be published?”

“Thank you, Chair. I want to ask about funding, and bus fares specifically. Secretary of State, some welcome new funding has been announced for bus services—I think about £1.1 billion in total—but there was a significant increase in the bus fare cap. Why was the figure set at £3, specifically? Why wasn’t it set at £2.20…”

“Thank you. I look forward to seeing a Dijon level of public transport in Birmingham.”

“I was going to ask about RIS3 but it has been answered, so thank you very much indeed.”

“The shadow Secretary of State said that we should pay attention to performance statistics. The figures that I have obtained from the Department show that over the past seven years, there was a 35% increase in temporary and emergency speed restrictions on the network. The Secretary of State has a difficult inheritance, …”

“Given that only 3% of people who arrived by small boats between 2018 and June 2024 have been returned, a period of reflection from the Conservative party on this issue would be welcome. Does the Minister agree that a Government who have dispensed with gimmicks and who focus on the day job are delivering that progress o…”

“I draw the House’s attentions to my declarations in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. As we approach Remembrance weekend, I would like to draw attention in this health debate to the excellent work that the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine does in Birmingham. In July, the people of Birmingham Northfield vot…”

“Will the hon. Lady give way?”

“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for securing this debate. With her permission, I would also like to commemorate for the record the events in Birmingham in 1839, when reaction and the gathering radicalism that first found expression in the Birmingham Political Union—which did so much to shape the “People’s Charter”—comb…”