Speeches by Atkinson.

“The crime of group-based child sexual exploitation is probably the most heinous imaginable. It is so brave of victims to speak out, seek justice and drive change so that other young lives are protected from such crimes. Can the Minister tell us more about how the national inquiry will engage with victims and survivors …”

“I strongly endorse what my hon. Friend says. The majority of the people First Steps ED support are children and young people, but sadly demand is at a record high, outpacing the support available. I welcome the additional funding that the Government are giving to these services, but does my hon. Friend agree that ensur…”

“The oldest surviving locomotive roundhouse in Britain is in Derby, and what was once at the forefront of Victorian engineering is now a cutting-edge learning environment for local young people who will build the homes of the future. But the site is full to bursting—Derby college needs more space. Does the Minister agre…”

“6. What steps she is taking to help improve the condition of the further education college estate.”

“More than 60 year 4 pupils from Walter Evans primary school in Derby wrote to me and the Secretary of State worried about sewage dumping and plastic pollution in our rivers. I thank the Secretary of State for his clear commitment that the Government will halve pollution in our rivers by 2030. Does he agree that had the…”

“The written evidence talked about encouraging Great British Railways to produce a pipeline that draws together rail investment, rolling stock and major programmes as well as the smaller-scale renewals. Is it not within your gift to require Great British Railways to do just that rather than just encouraging it?”

“But we had nearly 1,000 years of welding experience combined walk out of the doors at Alstom before that was put in place. It is just about trying to ensure that we still have those skills when the works starts, isn’t it? Doesn’t that still need more support?”

“Thank you. I want to ask questions about fragmentation and Great British Railways. It has been acknowledged in the written evidence that an unsteady pipeline, as we have been talking about, creates inefficiencies in the sector. You have talked about Great British Railways enabling that kind of long-term thinking and pl…”

“I have just one final question, Chair. Would you acknowledge that it means that electrification will cost the taxpayer more by having this pause? Is there not also a risk that we will lose national capability in electrification when skills and plant go to other countries that have much more stable pipelines of work whe…”

“But this decision is absolutely in contrast to everything that national strategy seeks to achieve. We have seen the open letter from RIA—the Rail Industry Association—and the Rail Forum on Monday. That is absolutely in line with the evidence this Committee has received from rolling stock and others, saying that electri…”

“As they are not building them yet, is there anything more that needs to be done to ensure that the supply chain still exists by the time the work starts?”

“While I absolutely accept that further south you will have the benefits of those who live alongside the tracks having lack of the air pollution that is now going to continue to be seen for the rest of the midland main line, doesn’t it also smack of short-term decision making when there is general agreement that it need…”

“In light of the delay that the companies and the supply chain have had to manage to navigate, waiting for the spending review and the announcement since, what support is being given considering that so many of them feel that they have gaps in their order books and have real difficulties in surviving while waiting for c…”

“Alex Hynes was talking about how consistency of strategy and doing more means that you learn, and that brings the cost down. That is what we were seeing when it came to electrification of the midland main line. The cost of electrifying that was coming down significantly per kilometre. It was something that was being de…”

“My colleague has further questions on this point, so I will leave it to him.”

“I was just surprised that in citing the figures it was saying they do not justify the boom and bust happening, but aren’t we in a period of bust right now?”

“Thank you.”

“That will be a living breathing plan, not something that is set out once and then does not get updated. Do you agree that it would be important for it not just to produce one but to maintain it?”

“Will that be included explicitly in the Bill or its licence?”

“Lord Hendy, there is a very obvious relationship between a steady investment pipeline and maintaining a skilled workforce. The Department has acknowledged that in written evidence. You wanted to be focused on facts. The National Skills Academy for Rail reports that there has been a 9.4% reduction in workforce over the …”