Speeches by Shanker.

“I am going back to concerns. Are there particular concerns that you hear from women, for obvious reasons?”

“Do we see these same problems outside the UK?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank my hon. Friend and very good friend the Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) for securing this important debate and for his tireless campaigning on the issue, which I know is close to his heart. It cannot be at all easy. According to Beat, one i…”

“That is the point that I was just about to make. It is absolutely vital that Government support be available, because the charity sector alone cannot be left to provide that support and fill the gap. We need a national response that matches the scale of the challenge that we face. I welcome the Government’s commitment …”

“Last year, a staggering one in four kids in Derby lived in poverty. Our local charities, such as the Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance, do amazing work; last year, they handed out 20,000 food parcels. Will the Secretary of State ensure that the upcoming child poverty strategy addresses the root causes of child food poverty…”

“The Derwent runs through the heart of Derby, but thanks to the polluting water companies and the Tories, its health is in serious doubt. Can the Secretary of State reassure my constituents that this Labour Government are committed to taking the robust action that is desperately needed to restore the river and preserve …”

“T8. Meaningful work experience can be a life changer for our young children, cutting the risk of their being out of education, employment or training. The Derby Promise is hard at work linking schools with employers to raise the aspirations of our young people. Does the Minister agree with me, and does she recognise th…”

“I have one other question. Office of Rail and Road data suggests that the average age of the 15,000 or so vehicles that we have is about 16 years, with a life span of 30 to 35 years. We have seen recent refurbishment projects on the west coast main line of the 390 Pendolinos, which are thought to have saved hundreds of…”

“Hopefully, you have seen the written submission by Alstom UK & Ireland, now the only company in the UK where you can design, build and test trains, situated coincidentally in the brilliant place of Derby. They made several interesting points and recommendations. You spoke about consistency earlier. Whether it is interc…”

“We have touched on this, but I would like to explore it a bit more. The Rail Industry Association told us that companies typically need around three years of certainty of work in order to invest in important things like apprenticeships and graduate schemes. They tell us that they just do not have that at the moment—the…”

“How do you anticipate the Treasury’s proposed changes to the Green Book impacting development of the rail investment pipelines?”

“Would the same principles apply to other infrastructure, such as headquarters and buildings?”

“I welcome the Government’s decision to support the lifting of the super-injunction today and bring this awful matter properly into the public domain. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is right and proper that this issue is now fully scrutinised by Parliament?”

“The National Audit Office 2025 report on mega-projects emphasised the importance of establishing the purpose of mega-projects across Government. With that in mind, beyond the economic case for HS2, how well do you think the strategic case was made and articulated?”

“Anybody who runs, sponsors or manages a project knows that delays ultimately cost money. You now have a very difficult task and negotiating contracts is part of it. That, hopefully, gives you benefit on the money side, but you must be mindful that any delays will cost as well. How do you balance that and trade it off?”

“The thing that keeps coming back is the desire for speed. Everyone talks about speed—the clue is in the name—versus the capacity constraints. With that confusion, do you think it has had an effect on the delivery of the project?”

“As someone born and raised in Derby, I know how deeply our football club runs through the heart of our city. Derby County is more than just a team; it represents our identity, our pride and the strength of our community. However, like so many in this House, I also know what it feels like when that identity is put at ri…”

“Absolutely, the faces of Opposition Members say it all. I will talk a little more about the content of the shadow Minister’s speech in a second. The EFL has needed this Bill, and it wants this Bill. It will establish the independent football regulator, introduce proper financial oversight and finally require clubs to e…”

“Obviously there is a lot of talk about GBR. How are you guys feeding into the process of establishing GBR—if at all?”

“Several contributors to this inquiry have called for early investment pipelines to be depoliticised. We have had a bit of a chat about it already. Is this realistic, and how could it be achieved?”