Speeches by Collier.

“How many new driving examiners have come in since September 2025?”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Chris Evans) on securing this debate and on the passionate way in which he laid out the case. The Crime and Policing Act was a key moment in our journey to a society in which the job that we do does n…”

“I thank the Minister for his personal engagement on this matter. As he knows, time is of the essence. Businesses are already telling me that they are cancelling orders, and that these quotas and tariffs create uncertainty. I cannot understand why we would put tariffs on our own British businesses when they cannot obtai…”

“Obviously we are very pleased that you agreed with some of us who were campaigning to clamp down on the reselling and swapping of driving test slots. You admitted at the start of the session that driving test wait times are still too long. How is that feeling for people who are still waiting for a driving test slot?”

“My hon. Friend makes a great point. I have often heard about repeat offenders and the same sort of people coming into the shop. Workers often have to protect themselves from individuals who they know are going to commit a criminal act. Unfortunately, abuse against customer-facing workers happens everywhere in society. …”

“The Government have led with a NATO-first approach in the SDR and have worked to strengthen the alliance. At the 2025 Hague summit, the alliance committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035. Can the Minister say what conversations he has had with NATO partners on the DIP, so that we can all work towards that in…”

“Do you think that the strategy sets out a vision that feasibly supports economic growth? Thomas, you mentioned the opportunities earlier. Do you think that it meets that ambition?”

“How realistic do you think the timetables are in the strategy? Do you think there is sufficient clarity provided on who will actually manage and own the integrated ticketing platforms?”

“What lessons do you think can be learned from the roll-out of contactless and pay-as-you-go systems in major cities? Nottingham was mentioned; are there any lessons that you think we can learn?”

“This is obviously a keen interest for me. As I look to the Bee Network and TfL, I would absolutely love that in my constituency. What are the technical and regulatory challenges to delivering that single nationwide integrated ticketing system? Do you think that the strategy outlines a feasible plan to address some chal…”

“Thomas, you were agreeing with that. Is there anything you would like to add?”

“Is the strategy clear on the future role of national agencies such as Great British Railways or National Highways in delivering that integration at a national level? What else do you think the Government should ask of those bodies? Jamie, you touched on this earlier, could you start?”

“I fully support the need to buy British, but does the Minister recognise that JCB, based in my constituency, cannot source the grade and size of steel required for its machines entirely from the UK, and that a significant proportion of its steel comes from the EU? The proposed tariffs will apply to imported steel even …”

“How do you think that we get that balance between the tough penalties but also, as you say, rehabilitation to ensure that people are not continuing these behaviours? Do you have any thoughts on that?”

“Do you think that the Department’s consultation on motoring offences focuses on the right priorities to improve road safety?”

“What do you think are the practical interventions that can be put in place to improve safety on our rural roads?”

“Research from NFU Mutual says that the number of lives lost on rural roads is 72% higher than on urban roads. Clearly, as we have already heard from your evidence, this needs to be a key focus. Do you think that the strategy does enough to propose practical action to reduce KSIs on rural roads?”

“Scott is going to touch on graduated driving licences, but do you see any potential risks or drawbacks for young people and their access to education or work? When I was growing up, I needed a car to be able to get to my job.”

“We have already touched on this briefly. The Government are consulting on a three or six-month minimum learning period for learner drivers. Separately, we are looking at driving test wait times; it could be that the Government are inadvertently hitting that target already because people are waiting so long. How much re…”

“12. What steps he is taking to help increase the production of clean power.”