Speeches by Kumar.

“I welcome the relocation of civil service jobs across the country. With a recent study showing that Dudley has high levels of economic inactivity, what reassurances can my right hon. Friend give me that young people in Dudley will have every opportunity to build their career in the civil service, whether through traini…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend and Black Country colleague on securing this important debate. The Office for National Statistics reports that it takes 158 days from the police referring a rape case to the Crown Prosecution Service to the CPS authorising the charge. That compares to 46 days for other crime. Does my hon. …”

“A constituent has written to me to tell me the story of her mother, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2020. Her father was 86 and the primary carer. They spent over £7,000 on five weeks of respite. Does the hon. Member agree that we need to expand respite centres, day centres and home care to ensure that families are …”

“Last week I visited Meadow Road youth centre to see the fantastic work that Lloyd and other youth workers are doing to provide an outlet for young people. However, it could be closed down due to funding uncertainty. Does the Minister agree that sporting centres such as that reduce youth offending and are hubs for rehab…”

“Does my right hon. Friend agree that consistency and clarity are exactly what businesses require to grow and thrive? That is why the Government should consider the report’s recommendation to consult with industry on rejoining the pan-Euro-Mediterranean convention. PEM membership could support tariff-free trade, simplif…”

“I wholeheartedly support the Football Governance Bill, which is about to begin its Committee stage in this place. It is crucial that we support football at all levels of the football pyramid. What work is the Minister doing to ensure that an adequate number of 3G and 4G pitches are available in areas like my constituen…”

“I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this important debate. As a physiotherapist I meet patients with chronic UTIs who tell me about the increasing urgency leading to incontinence. The stigma behind incontinence is disgraceful. Does he agree that we need a wider strategy? When it comes to UTIs we need to look at …”

“I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Dudley and Sedgley regarding the future of the Ladies Walk centre. It declares that the health and library services provided by the centre are at risk of closure, as no agreement has yet been reached to ensure that the lease for the property does not expire in …”

“Currently, 4,000 newborns in Gaza are unable to access essential lifesaving care due to the destruction of medical facilities. Severe malnutrition and the death of critically ill children is now a daily reality. In the light of the ongoing suffering of children, does the Minister agree that it is time for the UK to go …”

“Holden’s Bottling company in my constituency has written to me with concerns about EPR, saying it makes the company simply uncompetitive. Does my hon. Friend agree that if EPR fees were calculated on volume not weight, it would incentivise using more sustainable materials such as glass over plastic?”

“Secretary of State, how will you hold mayors to account for delivering the industrial strategy—with a focus on not just cities but towns such as Dudley?”

“Moving on to devolution, what proportion of funding allocated to the industrial strategy will be delivered, first, from a national point of view and, secondly, locally?”

“Coming on the back of this, a number of businesses speak to me and they say that they have financial literacy, but they are struggling to get access to finance or they are struggling with marketing. Would a solution be to have a centralised hub where businesses can access different training modules for different parts …”

“Are these all British-backed? Is this only for British-backed SMEs or can anybody go for this?”

“How long is the process taking from an SME wanting to bid for a contract to them getting one? When I worked in the NHS as a manager, it took over a year for me to list any new contracts. There were monopoly suppliers, and getting a new contract in or trying to look at any other cost-saving SMEs was ridiculously difficu…”

“In terms of tackling some of the barriers, it sounds like the process is a little bit simpler. In particular, SMEs find it very difficult to apply for Government contracts because of all the bureaucracy. What other avenues are you pursuing to try to break down these barriers?”

“What concerns me is that sometimes a certain supplier has a monopoly on supplying the NHS, for instance—I know this as a former NHS manager. They will supply all the healthcare products and there is no competitive review in any way. If there are SMEs that want to get in, they cannot because they just do not have the ab…”

“The Centre for Inclusive Living in Dudley, which supports those with disabilities, and many residents have written to me to raise concerns about the PIP entitlement criteria and assessment. What reassurances can my hon. Friend give that this Government will protect those most vulnerable in society and that those with d…”

“5. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on access to venture capital for women.”

“For every £1 of equity funding, only 2p goes to fully female-funded business—a figure that has barely shifted in recent years. Closing that gap could unlock up to £250 billion for the UK economy. Will the Minister outline what further steps the Department will take in collaboration with the Treasury and the Department …”