Speeches by Edwards.

“That point is incredibly important. I serve the Tamworth constituency, which has a historic market town and 1,000 years of history; it is known for its castle. It is really important that heritage is used for regeneration. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government’s £4.85 million heritage revival fund will help tow…”

“I have one last point, just to pick up on that. The Government have laid out their industrial strategy and their trade strategy, but we also need to think about how domestic elements such as procurement could be used. That could have a lot of benefits for the entire country, looking at where growth can be maximised acr…”

“Picking up on that point, how successful has the UK been in attracting investment into the professional and business services sector, compared to its international competitors? Where would you put us in that global ranking?”

“Is the UK an exciting market for professional and business services? If not, why not?”

“I held a business roundtable in my constituency of Tamworth in December, and I asked people what opportunities they thought the Government could provide. One of the things they said was public procurement. That is something that is an opportunity but, at the moment, it is also a barrier, because a lot of SMEs have basi…”

“I have one last question, to Sir John. You have talked about pensions as potentially unlocking some money, and you have given us your thoughts on that. What other steps might the Government be able to take to mobilise capital and crowd in investment?”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing such an important debate, celebrating the immense value of football and our local clubs. I commend the mention of women and girls; I used to play football myself for a team. I want to talk about Tamworth FC. My local chairman contacted me about the 3UP campaign, which is pushin…”

“You have both mentioned the ILO. In thinking about the ILO and the World Trade Organisation, how effective do you think they are in enforcing good labour standards through supply chains? Do you have any thoughts on their effectiveness or any improvements that could be made?”

“Eric, I will come to you as you are on the screen and then I will come back into the room. Labour standards in global supply chains can be addressed multilaterally, bilaterally or with unilateral action. Which approach do you think is most effective?”

“Frank, from an industry perspective around that circular economy and the carbon emissions factor, what do you think could improve from the same perspective around those products that are being created?”

“We have covered off a little bit of what I was going to interrogate. I am just going to ask for a brief comment from Sean, and then I am going to slightly change the direction and ask Lord Sedwill something as well. We have talked a lot about national security and economic security, particularly around batteries and li…”

“The UK’s policy on product standards is what I wanted to pick up, around eco-design requirements and reducing carbon emissions. What are your thoughts on how policy could be changed or improved to assist with that? We know we need to move towards an environment where we stop throwing things away all the time, and we re…”

“If I come back to the panel here, Tom and Rosa, do you want to comment on that? Then I have a further follow-up question as well.”

“I will ask this with a slight slant for each and then we can combine them. I am interested in what your thoughts are on a free trade agreement with the US, given how difficult that has been for the UK to negotiate. Particularly, where should that time be focused? Lord Hannan, you have mentioned low-hanging fruit and th…”

“Tamworth town centre is being obliterated by roadworks that started on Monday. Staffordshire county council has not properly consulted or informed schools, businesses, residents or the borough council. A hotel has lost £700 of business in 24 hours; traffic is at a standstill; and roadworks are going through the night—m…”

“14. What discussions she is having with airlines to encourage the operation of flights from airports outside London and the south-east.”

“In my constituency, the largest sectoral employer is logistics. Tamworth sits within the “golden triangle” for distribution, centred around the European rail link. Within this hub is East Midlands airport, which handles approximately 440,000 tonnes of freight each year, second only to Heathrow. What steps will the Mini…”

“I thank the Minister for her statement and the additional support that the Government have announced. It is essential that the UK supports Ukraine, and that the annual £3 billion pledge continues. Does she agree that working alongside our allies is even more essential in these turbulent times to bring about an end to t…”

“Picking up on that point, with growth being at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s ambition, do you think that the right amount of money has been set aside for the industrial strategy?”

“You talked about the statutory intent, which is really important, because it shows the commitment behind it. The Government said that the council’s recommendations, “should not include specific proposals for tax or spending measures, or proposals for appropriate levels of spending.” Do you have enough scope to speak up…”