Speeches by Atkinson.

“With 80% of offenders being reoffenders, does that not show that our current system is really broken and that we need a different approach? Does my hon. Friend agree that we have an opportunity with the sentencing review to keep our communities safer by properly addressing reoffending?”

“Worryingly, only 9% of secondary vocational learners are studying engineering, manufacturing and construction compared with the OECD average of 32%, so I warmly welcome that this industrial strategy confirms a £100 million investment to support engineering skills in England. Will the Secretary of State outline how that…”

“Will my hon. Friend give way?”

“How can Government work with industry—you have talked about procurement being a part of that—to encourage entry into the rail sector? You talk about it going back and forth; what are the mechanisms?”

“Are pre-apprenticeships early enough? My friend and constituency neighbour, Baggy Shanker, the MP for Derby South, is clear about the need to inspire people in primary school. You were talking earlier about the fact that the apprentices we need and will get in the future are already in primary school. Are we leaving it…”

“Yes, having a strategy means it is clear that we need more, but doesn’t having one mean that we and industry can plan to identify and meet the shortfalls?”

“I declare an interest as a Derby MP, as the headquarters of Great British Railways is coming to Derby. What structural focus would you like to be placed on skills and workforce within GBR’s organisation, when it is stood up? Does there need to be some sort of skills unit within GBR?”

“Jonathan, you gave Australia and its states as an example of determining the infrastructure needed and being able to determine the skills and workforce needed to deliver. I am pretty sure that the answer from you all will be, “Central,” but what place should skills and workforce have in the development of the Governmen…”

“Can I ask a specific question, Lydia? In your written evidence you say that the current shortage of engineers in the UK will be exacerbated by the Government’s industrial strategy. Could you tell us more about why?”

“Given our workforce challenges—we have seen data on a third of the workforce being 50 or over and fewer than 10% being under 30—how important is it to have a more diverse workforce for the long-term sustainability of the industry?”

“I am very interested in procurement mandates, but can I clarify something? You started your answer by saying that you need three-year certainty, but you explained that the actual time it takes to get the qualification is three years, so people will only be qualified at the end of that three-year period. You were also t…”

“I am conscious that time is tight. Derby has seen the first hand the pain and the cost of boom and bust in rail, which a number of you have already mentioned. I do not want to end this session without giving you the opportunity to explain from the point of view of your members what it means for individuals, for their l…”

“Finally, what is the strategic advantage in making decisions on rail investment in the context of a broader infrastructural and industrial strategy, and in making sure that you are part of that wider strategy?”

“What is the importance of taking decisions in rail investment—infrastructure, passenger and freight—on a system-wide basis?”

“The Conservatives announced that they were scrapping the northern leg of HS2 in a former railway station, summing up their attitude to the railway and sending shockwaves through the industry, including in Derby, a rail city that will be building the HS2 trains. Will the Transport Secretary ensure certainty and timeline…”

“I thank the Minister for having taken the time to meet me and hear the case for Saint Benedict school to be rebuilt to be more sustainable, safe and secure. The neighbouring primary school, St Mary’s, is the greenest in the UK and an incredible example of what a rebuild can do to inspire young minds. Will the Minister …”

“I will not be alone in having shed tears over the heartbreaking photograph of the Royal Derby hospital doctor, Dr Prateek Joshi, his wife Dr Komi Vyas, and their three beautiful children, Miraya, Nakul and Pradyut, in the aeroplane moments before take-off and then the crash. I was with their friends and hospital collea…”

“I welcome this evidence-led action on grooming gangs. It takes courage to come forward and share deeply traumatic experiences, so will the Home Secretary confirm that this inquiry will build on the evidence already collected and recommendations made over previous inquiries, investigations and reports, including the las…”

“I want to ask about Great British Railways but, before I do, you have talked about 10-year timescales, when we know that the life cycle of a train is more like 30 or 35 years. Is there not benefit in looking beyond 10 years, at what will come next? It is not as if, with this kind of product, we do not know.”

“Absolutely.”