Speeches by Murphy.

“Very quickly, just to complete the part on transport, do you think there has been enough focus on equitable access to electric vehicles in terms of them not just being for those who are wealthier? How is that kind of thinking shaping the seventh carbon budget?”

“We are talking about public engagement, which is a nice way to segue into my questions on it. On the point about citizen engagement, have you considered formalising the relationship between the CCC and citizens and making it part of your governance structure to have a permanent citizens panel?”

“More broadly on public engagement, you have talked a lot about it, but how important is it to reaching our net zero goals? Do you not think it is time that the UK Government had an actual strategy around public engagement? How would you rate the Government’s strategy on public engagement?”

“All of the polling shows that if people think it is going to cost them more, they don’t make it enough of a priority to make the change. What is the answer?”

“A very final question. Do you think Government and politicians are as effective as they could be in communicating on climate? There are lots of ways of talking about it—reducing bills, affordability and creating jobs—but a lot of people are sceptical about job numbers. All of the evidence that I have seen shows that th…”

“Could you confirm that failure to mitigate and tackle climate change will result in much higher costs and impact around adaptation, and that that is what the evidence suggests? The costs of adaptation, flooding and impacts, will be much higher if we fail to mitigate. Is that what the evidence shows?”

“Thanks very much. It is good to see you both. On the point about electricity, given how disciplined you have been in mentioning it, would you go as far as saying that you think it would be desirable to take money from other schemes, rather than reduce some of the spending on installation measures, on BUS or other thing…”

“I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Public transport plays a role in making town centres accessible, but we must think about the wider need for infrastructure that supports all modes of travel, to ensure that additional footfall to support entrepreneurs such as Kevin and Fran. Central to this debate is the recognit…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for town centres. Thank you for the opportunity to lead this important Westminster Hall debate on the future of Britain’s town centres under your chairship, Ms Vaz. Like so many towns across the UK, my constituency of Basingstoke is grappling with the con…”

“I think it was the hon. Gentleman who suggested that he might come in early, but I thank him for his intervention. I agree, but I will leave it to the Minister to respond more fully. I will take interventions from a number of Members. I am grateful to those who made it clear in advance that they wish to speak. I will t…”

“I fully agree, but I will leave it there—for the sake of time, I will be short in agreeing with interventions. None the less, like many towns and villages across the country, Basingstoke’s town centre is a hub of remarkable independent businesses that continue to thrive, despite years of neglect, from the unique offeri…”

“I fully agree with my hon. Friend and look forward to seeing auctions playing a role in rejuvenating high streets such as those in Basingstoke and in her constituency. I also welcome the Government’s action on small business access loans in the Budget, with £250 million for the British Business Bank’s small business lo…”

“I totally agree with my hon. Friend—I was just about to come on to that point. Antisocial behaviour and retail crime remain significant barriers to a thriving town centre. I am sure that businesses in his constituency have shared with him, as those in mine have shared with me, their frustrations over theft, vandalism, …”

“Absolutely, and this is something that we have seen businesses plagued with over the last 10 to 14 years. It is really important that, as well as improving footfall and stabilising the economy, we tackle those costs facing businesses. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister and the businessman Theo Paphitis vi…”

“I completely agree with my hon. Friend. It is just those kinds of entrepreneurial businesses that are seeking a better future not just for themselves, but for the town as a whole. We must create a supportive environment for them. Like many local businesses, they are community minded at The Gabardine—they put on food an…”

“I completely agree. I look forward to seeing the role that those auctions can play in Bournemouth and elsewhere, and to seeing them rolled out in places like Basingstoke as well; they are a really exciting innovation. I want our town centre to be a vibrant place that people keep coming back to. The opportunity is there…”

“I have one very brief question. Following the NDA report, there was lots of reporting around tensions with the Treasury and discussions around the wider fiscal environment. If you ever thought that your fiscal settlement was compromising the safety, which is fundamental to your operation, would you feel able to raise t…”

“Is this proposal assessed by the NAO, or is this subsequent to its report?”

“Fair point. May I ask tangentially about the on-site laboratory? Obviously analytics is crucial, and that was identified as one of the risks by the NAO: the reliance on the 70-year-old site. There have been problems with the new site that was going to be developed. Could you tell us a little about what the status is wi…”

“I should have declared my membership of GMB and Unite earlier. Your last five-year strategy was consulted on in 2020 and published in March 2021. Will you put out a similar consultation next year?”