Speeches by Kumar.

“After months of campaigning, public meetings, presenting a petition, sending letters, meeting Ministers, holding a day of action outside Ladies Walk and scrutinising Dudley council, I am delighted that the Ladies Walk Centre in Sedgley, a vital community hub providing NHS and library services, will remain open. This is…”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for calling me to present a petition this evening on behalf of the constituents of Dudley. Despite the Conservative council pledging funding in a public question and answer session in April, the Sycamore Adventure Centre is due to be privatised, with a risk of a hike in entrance fees. T…”

“The Committee has already highlighted some of the evidence that the UK’s financial mobilisation lags behind our international peers in terms of public sector investment and crowding in private capital. What lessons do you think we could learn from places such as Singapore?”

“What targeted policy areas do you want to see the Government implement to make it more attractive for venture capitalists to come in? I particularly want to speak about women, because only 2% of venture capital goes to women, as well as looking at under-represented minorities such as those with disabilities and those w…”

“With the spending review coming up, what would you say to the Chancellor?”

“What about the long-term solutions?”

“Allen, there are 79,000 vacancies in the food and accommodation industry in the UK. First, can you tell me the impact of the high vacancy rates in hospitality? Secondly, can you give me two short-term solutions and two long-term solutions?”

“The only problem with the community right to buy, which is a fantastic thing going for the devolution Bill, is that, most times, communities struggle with financing this. What is the solution? How can we break through those barriers?”

“The Local Data Company found that, nationally, in the final quarter of 2023, one in every seven shops were closed. In Dudley, in my constituency, over 35 shops are empty. It attracts all sorts of antisocial behaviour and just makes the town a lot less attractive. How can we incentivise people to invest in bricks and mo…”

“How is that shared?”

“There are colleges and places that are doing some excellent work. How are we modelling that as a benchmark for other areas that maybe are struggling or have some challenges for that to be replicated across the country?”

“It does indeed. It is an excellent college with 11,000 students and is now becoming a construction college. It is a good format and I thought that I would ask the question anyway.”

“In places such as Dudley, there is low employment and high levels of people in in-work poverty. How do you think you can get residents or learners without any qualifications who are in SMEs to access education as employees?”

“David, do you feel like the local skills improvement plans are working with businesses?”

“I warmly welcome the Minister to his place. In the light of the cyber-security breaches survey published in April 2025, which reported that 43% of businesses and 30% of charities experienced a cyber-attack last year, what steps is he taking to strengthen national cyber-security? How are the Government working with busi…”

“The Sycamore adventure centre in Upper Gornal has been a lifeline for children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, for over 15 years. Yet despite pledging funding for it for five years in April in a public Q&A, the Conservative-led council is now forcing it to be privatised, with uncap…”

“I warmly welcome the statement. Families in Dudley are now benefiting from 30 hours of Government-funded childcare, including new places in school-based nurseries such as at Beechwood Church of England primary school in St Thomas’s, one of the most deprived wards in the borough. Can the Minister set out how this expans…”

“Lisa, you just mentioned the neighbourhood policing guarantee and the safer streets mission. Is that enough to tackle high street retail crime?”

“Alice and Alison, can I get you to go to the original question? What specific barriers are there to complying with tax and how can we simplify it?”

“We know from looking at the stats for Making Tax Digital that there is a high percentage of small businesses that are simply not using the new software and are still having to ring up. How do you see that being addressed? You are saying that there is still going to be a phone system, but it does not address those peopl…”