Speeches by Western.

“Alan Johnson and Markus, would you be working with organisations such as the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre? Is the UK playing a part in future alternative fuels for global corporates such as yours?”

“So it is okay.”

“How long do you think that plan should be? If it is too short, how long should it be?”

“Stephen Phipson, can I pick up on the point that the Chair was making in terms of the SMEs? You were saying that for smaller businesses, which are much more hand-to-mouth, there will be a much more immediate impact. To what extent is DBT being agile enough in supporting those businesses?”

“My next question is looking at the opportunities for advanced manufacturing over the next decade. Which sectors offer the greatest potential? Professor Greenwood, perhaps you could start on that.”

“Double?”

“The Government have set out that they want to be the fastest growing economy in the G7. This could be a significant sector. To what extent do you think the clean energy sector can contribute to the UK being the fastest economy? What kind of growth do you think you can imagine, say, over the next five or 10 years coming…”

“Towards the end of the answer you were saying “10 years plus”. Would you like to see something that is 10 or 15 years and that actually helps National Grid scale up, get the skills, get the staff, get the trained personnel, but also, as we talked about the steel industry before, get the pylons produced, get the cables …”

“That is what the Winser report is, is it not?”

“So we have a plan.”

“Have the Government adopted that plan?”

“As my hon. Friend says, productivity in this country has flatlined since 2008. It is great that he has secured this debate, because productivity is one of my pet subjects, and as he has said, the Manufacturing Technology Centre is doing some fantastic work. I am sure he will have seen the video last week of Chinese rob…”

“Last September in my constituency, a new school, Oakley, opened without even a direct footpath to the site, and certainly no cycleway. Sadly, within four weeks, there was a serious accident involving a child who had to be airlifted some 60 miles. Does the hon. Member agree that schools should not be allowed to open unt…”

“I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate. To add to the point she is making, is she not shocked by the scale of what we are seeing across the country? Of the new homes built in 2021-22 by the 11 largest developers, 80% are subject to fleecehold.”

“Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that, in the years between 2010 and 2023, steel production in this country fell by 50% —40% to 50%—and does that not underline the lack of strategy under the previous Government?”

“A recent PWC survey showed that the UK is now the second most attractive investment destination among global chief executives, ahead of countries such as China, Germany and India. That shows that the Government’s careful stewardship of our economy has led to stability within the global landscape. Does the Minister agre…”

“Madam Deputy Speaker, you might not be aware that there is such a thing as the RAC pothole index. It shows that something like four out of 10 incidents of damage to cars happen as a result of potholes. The owners of vehicles are paying road tax and fuel duty, but they do not have the road infrastructure to support them…”

“I was concerned to read about the cancellation of shipments of essential coking coal and so on for Scunthorpe. The Business and Trade Committee heard from British Steel and Tata about some of their needs. The Minister will be aware that an area where we have failed as a country over the last six years or so is not havi…”

“I thank the Secretary of State on behalf of my constituents, many of whom work for Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin. This update is very welcome news, especially the changes for small and micro manufacturers and for hybrid, too, particularly in the light of Washington’s tariffs last week. Electrification and hydrogen…”

“Had this been the right hon. Members for Salisbury (John Glen) or for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis), I would have stood in support of them, as I am sure many colleagues would have done too, because this issue affects us all. I therefore find the Leader of the Opposition’s comments extraordinary. We must not forget…”