Speeches by Blake.

“That is a while ago now.”

“I welcome the Bill and commend the Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela Rayner), for her leadership in bringing it forward. For too long, decisions about our communities have been made far from the people they affect. This Bill signals a profound shift, putting trust back…”

“I thank the Minister for her action. Steel remains a key part of the South Yorkshire industrial and economic strategies. Can she reassure the House that workers’ wages and livelihoods will continue to be prioritised throughout the whole process, and will she join me in thanking our hon. Friends the Members for Peniston…”

“It is a privilege to be in the Chamber today to hear that we are finally getting the inquiry that has long been campaigned for by the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, the NUM and many in my community and across South Yorkshire. They are simply asking for the truth. The shadow Minister has just said that the inquiry…”

“I think that we have all been very distracted by that mouse, haven’t we? But thank you for that answer. We have heard the word “strategic” a lot. Who is going to have oversight of that “strategic” level. Is it going to be DEFRA, or is it going to be—”

“You are thinking about it and making sure that it is embedded. That is fine. This question is probably for you, Minister Creagh. How will you ensure that DEFRA is confident that the nature restoration fund does not start to undermine BNG, or how you can prevent it from undermining BNG?”

“I have a couple more questions on biodiversity net gain. One may have been for Minister Pennycook, so I wonder if he could write to us with an answer, if possible. We have heard evidence that small sites have a really good benefit on BNG. There is concern from some that excluding small sites will have quite a damaging …”

“Beyond that—”

“That is helpful. In the revised NPPF, the term “vision-led” development was used. Can you give a clearer and more practical definition of what “vision-led” means, beyond what is currently set out within the framework?”

“It sounds quite complicated when you layer it all up, however. Would you welcome recommendations on tightening some of the relationships between the different plans, strategies, networks and all the rest of it?”

“Which one is top trump at the moment, as it were?”

“I declare that I am co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on local nature recovery, and I am asking a question that relates to that. Ministers, can you both explain how the local nature recovery strategies, nature recovery networks, biodiversity net gain, environmental delivery plans and NPPF revisions—such as …”

“Yes, exactly. It is harder to decarbonise. We are off target already. How are you going to guarantee that those carbon emissions are going to be picked up elsewhere in the Department, if they are not achievable, because they are ambitious?”

“If you cannot meet the target within the Department, what happens at that point?”

“Ms Donkin, how is the impact of airport expansion on the climate and environment factored into the current planning system, and is it adequate?”

“That does not mean that they will be met.”

“That is very helpful. What I am trying to get at is where DESNZ comes into this if DFT fails to meet the targets. Where does the responsibility sit in your Department to make sure that DFT is delivering? If it is not, how does that escalate up to the Secretary of State?”

“Finally, what mechanisms and contingencies do you have in place to agree reductions across other Government Departments if aviation does not deliver the required reductions? Do you have anything already in mind?”

“Is that the only kind of offset that you are looking for from other Departments?”

“It would be remiss of me not to mention Doncaster Sheffield. Doncaster Sheffield is not currently open. I was intrigued by the claims around the best ever months for Manchester and other places. Is that displacement because of some of these closures and some of the struggles that I know other regional airports are havi…”