Speeches by Kumar.

“I have a follow-up question in terms of digital literacy. There are high levels of digital illiteracy that need to be addressed. Does HMRC have any plans to tackle that, any programmes that it is willing to roll out or any localised support it wants to give out to certain areas that particularly are struggling with com…”

“What specific barriers do small businesses face when trying to comply with the tax system and how can we address them, whether it be local support or simplification? I will start with Jonathan and then go across.”

“James, on the back of that, what needs to be done to help small businesses distribute that burden? Who should be giving that support to small businesses to prevent crime?”

“Save the Children reports that 61% of pregnant women and new mothers in Gaza were malnourished in early August: a sharp rise linked to the blockade and health system collapse. Will the Government consider enabling the medical transfer of pregnant women needing specialist care to the UK and outline their strategy for su…”

“At the start of the summer, I welcomed the Government’s decisive action in sanctioning Chinese companies involved in manufacturing and supplying boats used by criminal gangs to facilitate dangerous channel crossings. Disrupting those supply chains is a vital part of smashing the gangs. Will my right hon. Friend update …”

“Residents of the new Goodrich Mews estate in Gornal, which was completed in 2013, have been dealing with a collapsed retaining wall for years now. The management agency originally confessed that it was poorly constructed, and it was repaired. It should have had a 60-year lifespan after that, but it has once again colla…”

“The national security strategy talks about us collaborating with a number of our allies, including NATO. What lessons do you think we have learned from other attacks that have happened in other countries, and what sort of co-ordination are we doing with our allies?”

“How can we speak to businesses so that they can assess potential risks that might be coming through? There may be a supply chain that has gone from China to the UK, but it might be feeding into our UK procurement.”

“In the words of the Defence Committee in 2021, “China is well known to engage in large scale intellectual property theft.” The National Cyber Security Centre has also issued specific warnings about China’s state-sponsored cyber-activity targeting CNI networks. Given the lack of information about the China audit—it has …”

“How long do you think the rebuild time will be? What timeframe do you envision?”

“How has the £300 million that you lost in the cyber-attack affected your future plans, and how have you changed your model? Has it changed any of your mergers or acquisitions? Has it changed any of your future plans now?”

“In terms of the recovery point of view, is there any area where we could be sharing communication, or have an alert system or mandatory reporting? Is there anything else from the recovery stage—that part of the process—that you think we could be doing better?”

“We are living in a technical world, and cyber-security will be at the forefront of ensuring that businesses are secure for the future. Can you walk me through what you think we should be doing for UK businesses to increase resilience from a prophylactic point of view, from points of entry to an alert system to recovery…”

“I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement. In Dudley, our family hub is in St Thomas’s, one of the most deprived wards in the borough. Currently, it provides parent groups, baby clinics, prenatal support and much more, but its funding is uncertain. Will my right hon. Friend outline how the new announcement…”

“Over the past 14 years, police forces have faced significant cuts to personnel and resources. While many areas are returning to 2010 staffing levels, the west midlands still has 540 fewer officers. I support the efforts of the police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster. How can we address the funding gap caused by an …”

“As an NHS physiotherapist, I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and the ambition set out in the 10-year plan. In Dudley, we are already seeing the positive changes of a Labour Government in bringing down waiting lists. With renewed focus on community care, will my right hon. Friend commit to empowering a…”

“Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate on the growing number of empty shops in town centres? In Dudley, the Conservative-hiked parking charges, current poor transport links and antisocial behaviour as well as the rise of online shopping are driving businesses away, damaging our local economy and community life.…”

“I am going to ask my question in two parts. The business birth rate in the hair and beauty sector has increased since 2023 compared to the national picture. Why has this sector bucked the trend? You might have mentioned some of these things. I will start with Toby and then go across.”

“Yes, I am saying that it might be different from Victoria’s—”

“Gareth, I want to come back to the point that you made at the beginning about money laundering and what is happening on shop fronts. Can you go into a little bit more detail on that?”