Speeches by Shanker.

“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?”

“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…”

“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 …”

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

“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…”

“We are all supportive of apprenticeships and everyone speaks highly of them, but we still have a massive skills shortage. How effective have they been and why have we still got this shortage, given that lots of companies still have apprenticeships and have had for so many decades?”

“Because they want those skills now and in the next few years.”

“To build on what the Chair said, do you know the number for transport manufacturing?”

“What impact do these shortages have on your sectors?”

“What are the most acute skills shortfalls in the transport manufacturing industry? Maybe you could quantify that, as we have been doing, for the short term and then longer term.”

“Providing jobs for 800 people and supporting a further 7,000, East Midlands airport is a fantastic example of how aviation powers regional growth. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, whether it is through Heathrow expansion or at East Midlands airport, delivering sustainable expansion in aviation is not just about fl…”

“Earlier this year, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Needles pub in Alvaston, where Mel and Trevor have created a great atmosphere and a welcoming space for the local community, whether through pulling pints or raising vital funds for local charities. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we do not want to see…”

“The most recent national taxi and private hire driver survey found that over half of drivers have experienced verbal or physical abuse. From my conversations with drivers, I am not surprised at that figure; I thought it might even be higher. Lots of actions have been discussed: CCTV, panic alarms, protective screens, l…”

“Do you accept you can do more, though? A local knowledge test being one example.”

“I think there is more that can be done.”

“Any local knowledge tests?”

“Other authorities have that though, do they not?”