Speeches by Shanker.

“In my constituency, in Derby, like many other constituencies in towns and cities, there are lots of streets with terraced housing. What needs to be done to address the barriers to adopting EVs for households without off-street parking?”

“Going back to cross-pavement charging, over the years councils have worked on clearing streets of street furniture and obstacles, just because of accessibility issues. With cross-pavement charging, how do we ensure that that does not create new safety issues?”

“I will come back to cross-pavement charging in a second, but off-street charging for homes in multiple occupancy usually involves multiple cars and vehicles. How do we address that?”

“I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. Whether by delivering a record-breaking fair funding settlement for our council or backing Team Derby, this Government are definitely turning the page on years of brutal Tory austerity. However, many in our city still feel left out and left behind because of the depth of …”

“I thank my hon. Friend for securing this really important debate. Will he join me in recognising the work that brilliant charities such as the Derby County Community Trust do to bring communities together, whether through the Harrison’s Hub, where it provides meals for those across communities, or its provision of ment…”

“We have spoken a lot about the importance of physical infrastructure, and obviously data sharing and good data and technology are really important to get good integration. How could different types of technology improve joined-up travel for passengers?”

“How do we make the platforms and the technologies more consistent? The biggest frustrations for passengers—your customers—are different platforms being used, different ticketing, and different real-time systems. What can be done to make it more consistent and easier for people to navigate?”

“I thank my hon. Friend for securing the debate. I have read that Gaza is now home to the largest number of child amputees but, according to Save the Children, the prosthetic centres there are not functioning. Does my hon. Friend agree that Israel needs to lift all restrictions on aid getting into Gaza, so that young pe…”

“In Derby, we have heard concerns about the impact of food delivery drivers on our high streets and the city centre, particularly on St Peter’s Street. Will the Minister work across Departments to ensure that food delivery companies are operating safely on our high streets and in our city centres?”

“It is great to speak under your chairship again, Mr Dowd. I thank all Members for their contributions and interventions. I remind the Lib Dem spokesperson that the UK extends beyond London’s boundaries, and I remind the shadow Minister that the debate was about town and city centre safety—maybe he picked up the wrong n…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered town and city centre safety. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I declare my interest as a city councillor in Derby and former council leader, but most importantly as a proud Derby-born resident since 1972—yes, the year we won the league. In Derby, as …”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right: such shops do not help other businesses and residents, and do not make our city centres a safe environment, so more measures are needed to tackle that. Last year, there was another really difficult day for our city. Gurvinder Singh Johal, also known as Danny, was tragically murdered …”

“I congratulate Inspector Ditta and my hon. Friend on all the work she does to help her local police, coupled with the additional investment in the police from our Government. Nobody here will want to talk down their city centre and I am not here to talk down Derby. Like our constituents, we are proud of the places we r…”

“The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. We need clean, vibrant, buzzing city centres, and organisations must work in partnership with the police—it is everyone’s responsibility. At home in Derby, I have worked to drive practical action on crime and antisocial behaviour. I have teamed up with local partners and my neigh…”

“It is critical to have the right funding and a sense of partnership working to tackle the problem together. Young people often tell me they want to take in everything our wonderful city centre has to offer but knife crime, and the perception of knife crime, makes them worry for their safety when they are out and about.…”

“Thank you, Mr Dowd. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson)—my fantastic MP—for her intervention. She is absolutely right: it is a partnership of investment, but people need to feel safe in our city centre. As my constituent John told me, we can see how much effort and investment are…”

“Absolutely. There is no time when the police presence should not be there. It should be there during the day, in the evening and during night-time hours. Last year, I was absolutely chuffed to see the Chancellor back Team Derby, which will bring everyone with a stake in our city’s future together to ensure that every p…”

“It is simple: if they are illegal, they should be banned. Unfortunately, John and his family are not alone. I hear those concerns reflected at my surgeries and in my inbox time and again. Families such as John’s tell me that they are worried about the drug and alcohol abuse they see on our streets.”

“My hon. Friend makes a valid point. The police need to work with local authorities to tackle these issues sensitively.”

“Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Ali Davies-Marsh, the fantastic founder of Greener Littleover in Derby, which does outstanding work bringing people closer to nature, through initiatives such as the Great Big Green Week, and by doing outreach in our local schools. Does the Leader of the House agree that voluntee…”