Speeches by Shanker.

“Finally, when we had Laura at this Committee in January she spoke about having a delivery plan and making that available publicly. What is the progress on that plan? Will we be able to see it?”

“Driving tests are an issue that affects my constituents, and constituents everywhere. Back in December we heard about the seven-point plan, 450 new examiners who are going to be recruited, a review of the booking process, cracking down on bots and resellers, and the Ready to Pass campaign. All of this would drive the l…”

“If we are not meeting the seven-week target in the summer, when do we expect to meet it?”

“I am sure you recall your October statement on Heathrow word for word, when you said, “Britain wants to fly, and this Government will act to meet public aspirations.” Is that our aviation strategy, in a nutshell?”

“Shadow Great British Railways was launched about a year ago with a senior team of people, ahead of GBR proper. GBR proper is now obviously a step closer with the Railways Bill that came out last week. What do you see as the main achievement to date of shadow GBR?”

“I have a little further probing on SAF. The revenue certainty mechanism is welcomed. The more ambitious SAF mandate is really good, ratcheting up to 10% by 2030 and then 40% by 2040. If we cannot scale up SAF as much as we need, what is our plan B?”

“When given the right tools and support to succeed, we know that members of the autistic community can thrive in the workplace. Despite research showing that the majority of working-age autistic people want to work, the reality is that only about three in 10 do so. Local to me, Autism West Midlands champions autistic co…”

“We know that in our children and young people dyslexia frequently co-occurs with other special educational needs like ADHD or developmental language disorders. With fewer than half of education, health and care plans issued on time last year, too often families are left struggling to secure the support they desperately…”

“Thank you, Mr Turner. Does my hon. Friend agree that services such as those are vital in building the skills and confidence that help these people work?”

“Do you think the Government’s new growth and skills levy will help upskill workers and create opportunities?”

“Do you have anything to add to that, John?”

“I should declare an interest as a proud Unite member of 36 years—I know I do not look old enough, but it is 36 years now. Last year, a number of reforms to the apprenticeship system were announced. How do you think they affect the supply of skills into transport manufacturing industries?”

“Brilliant. Just to highlight, last week I was visiting Alstom with the Secretary of State, and we met a former apprentice, a young girl called Chloe, who had done a four-year apprenticeship and is now working as a process engineer at Alstom and had recently bought her first house. These have transformative impacts on p…”

“The advanced manufacturing sector plan includes a target of 35 by 35—that has nothing to do with my age—which is aiming to increase women’s representation to 35% by 2035. What are the Government’s plans to meet this target, and is transport a priority area in this?”

“Sarah, just on the general perception issue of jobs in manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, what more do you think your organisation could do?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good afternoon. This is relatively simple: all cities and towns across the UK have a vibrant city centre, and Derby is no exception, but people want theirs to be a good vibrant city centre. City centres are changing hugely—they have to change with the way in which people now shop. In Derby, we are encouraging more hous…”

“As we approach Remembrance Day, I thank the volunteers at Chellaston women’s institute, Little Angels at St Andrews nursery, Greener Littleover in Blagreaves, Carlisle Against Crime, scout troops, marine training corps and many more. Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising their fantastic efforts to honour …”

“I still want every young person in Derby to see technical education and apprenticeships as first-class, not second-best, routes to success. University technical colleges, from which students are four times more likely to progress on to apprenticeships, are key to unlocking that success. Will my right hon. Friend meet P…”

“3. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that post-16 education provides the necessary skills to support the economy.”