Speeches by Shanker.

“What is the present outlook for rolling stock manufacturing for industry? What does it look like at the moment?”

“On skills, briefly, as an ex-engineering apprentice myself, do you think you are engaging early enough with prospective employees, not at 16 or 18 but much earlier?”

“What is the earliest age at which you engage young people? What are the youngest children you engage?”

“I refer the House to my business interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. As a proud advocate of UK aviation, I am pleased to speak in support of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, and I add my thanks to the Aviation Minister for his determination in support of UK aviation and to the Secretary of Sta…”

“Will the Minister say whether a good licensing regime and, if necessary, revocation of licences would prevent clubs from going into full administration—as in the example of Derby County that my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak described—and the knock-on effect of that on supporters, suppliers and the local communit…”

“I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I also wish you a happy birthday, Mr Speaker. What a wonderful day today is proving to be. As a proud Derby MP, I am delighted to welcome the selection of Rolls-Royce to deliver the first of the UK’s small modular reactors. We know that the …”

“10. What steps she is taking to build more social and affordable homes.”

“Having access to a safe and secure home is a basic human need, but the Tories absolutely ignored this when they cut Government funding by £4.8 billion in just five years, and Derby has suffered the consequences. Last year, waiting lists for social housing in our city reached record highs. What steps is the Secretary of…”

“18. What steps she has taken to help increase economic growth in Derby.”

“Shockingly, in Derby South 62% of adults in the community are financially vulnerable, which is far above the national average of 38%. To lift people out of this vicious cycle, we need a growing economy, but for those who are worried about how they will make it to the next payday, dreading an unexpected bill or struggli…”

“19. What steps he is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are able to participate in defence procurement contracts.”

“Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable and listening to businesses in Derby—small and medium-sized businesses in engineering and manufacturing, including the vital defence sector. With nearly 70% of Government defence spending directed towards businesses outside of London and the south-east, we k…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The austerity cuts have affected so many groups in Derby that either no longer exist or have had to scale back their services, and it is truly shocking. The Derby County Community Trust does fantastic work. Safe and Sound also does excellent work in our city. The Derby promise, which…”

“It was fantastic to attend Primary Engineer events in Derby earlier this month, supported by the amazing Jemma Smalls and the wider Rail Forum. Pupils from local schools showcased model trains that they had designed and made themselves. We are proud in Derby of our rail heritage, and we know that through investing in o…”

“Motorists and cyclists across the country are still facing the Tory pothole plague. In Derby, 17% of our roads are in a poor condition due to Tory austerity. It is not right that drivers have to fork out hard-earned cash to the tune of a whopping £460 for repairs that are more severe than a puncture. Can the Minister p…”

“19. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon East (Natasha Irons) on securing this debate. In Derby, there are so many organisations that work really hard with our fantastic young people, whether that is Children First Derby, which provides mentoring services and support for vulnerable young children and their …”

“Okay, thank you. Finally—I think you will like this one—on delivering better bus services—”

“In your written evidence, you refer to rural franchising pilots. What are the main questions and issues that you are trying to tease out and explore through these pilots?”

“You mentioned Jersey. Are there any specific parts of that model that you think could be used in England?”