Speeches by Edwards.

“In terms of your new powers and responsibilities, what Mr Swain has to look after, and making sure that there is compliance and that the ID checks being done, that surely incurs a cost to you as an organisation. Have you looked at what that cost actually is going forward, when you are introducing all these new elements…”

“Have you developed a model? These flags are going up and pinging. Do you have, or are you creating, software based on the analysis that you are doing?”

“Mr Swain, the last time you gave evidence, you said that you could not quite give us a clear estimate of the percentage of companies on the register that contained false information. Have you got any further in being able to give any figures on that?”

“On International Women’s Day, our community in Tamworth came together to not only celebrate the achievements of women, but reflect on the important issue of the safety of women and girls. Local women Tamanna and Mckenzie took the initiative to organise a walk-and-talk event, bringing together key organisations, includi…”

“13. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.”

“The Minister has mentioned the examples of the automotive sector and cyber-security, and how many people do not realise that they are working in comparable industries. As parliamentarians, how can we work to showcase the different ways that people are contributing to the defence industry, or could be working in it? How…”

“That contribution is paramount to the debate; the west midlands is very proud not only of being the third largest region in terms of our contribution to the defence sector, but that our constituents work very hard to contribute to that. It is incredibly important that people see that they are a part of this endeavour, …”

“I absolutely agree with the hon. Member. In fact I will go on to talk about just how important it is that all our regions and nations are embedded in this process, and that they all contribute different skills that are of value. There are so many different aspects to defence, and our defence industries that contribute …”

“I absolutely agree. This industrial strategy is essential in making sure we have the focus to support our businesses right across the region, and in making sure that they are successful. The upcoming defence industrial strategy must prioritise British businesses, including SMEs, ensuring that investment creates jobs an…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered defence industries in the West Midlands. It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. Global threats are evolving, making defence investment more critical than ever. A strong defence underpins our security and sovereignty, but we must scale up to meet the mod…”

“Mr Cowdock, your organisation, Transparency International, warned that limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships can act as a loophole to facilitate money laundering and sanctions evasion. Can you describe how that can happen and how those partnerships can be used?”

“You have identified some of the ways that you would try to mitigate that risk now, and Mr Neidle also set out examples. Perhaps I could come to other members of the panel now, starting with you, Ms Hodges. Is there anything you think could be done to mitigate these risks?”

“Ray, would you like to follow up on that?”

“I absolutely agree. We have to back British, we have to buy British, and we have to keep the west midlands in pole position, innovating and ensuring that companies working across civil and defence can get the maximum benefit from the new procurement contracts coming from the MOD. A comprehensive review of the UK supply…”

“I absolutely agree. It is almost as though my hon. Friend predicted what I will speak about next, because I will soon tell a story about a visit that I made. The fact that the company has been in his constituency for 130 years shows that Britain has this prowess, and we do not want to lose it. Through this strategy, we…”

“I absolutely agree, particularly with my hon. Friend’s shout out to his constituency and, of course, Staffordshire, which plays an important role. As hon. Members have said, we have a concentration of hard-working companies, and there is a benefit to their dual-use aspects. That is something we should push as a nation …”

“Ms Smyth, you said in your strategic intelligence assessment that the £50 fee to incorporate a company is “highly unlikely” to deter fraudulent mass incorporations. Is there a level of fee that would stop that? Is that the way that it could be worked?”

“In my constituency, a local hospitality business’s energy provider, E.ON, has behaved appallingly by back-billing and incorrectly billing, leaving that business nearly bankrupt. While I welcome the new expanded remit of the Energy Ombudsman, we need to ensure that it has the capacity and powers that it needs to protect…”

“Following on from that piece, Mr Bell, could you perhaps provide a bit more information on where you might be in regard to securing a deal with the Government over the future of Scunthorpe and if there are any issues outstanding that you can share with the Committee?”

“Can you just about cope with three years, or do you need greater certainty? If you could have greater certainty what would be your preferred time limit to get some clarity for the business?”