Speeches by Race.

“Does the Minister agree that although we have a cross-party consensus here today and I accept the words of the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson) at face value, the history of HIV action in this country over the last 10 to 15 years paints rather a different picture? We might be closer to eradicatin…”

“As the Secretary of State knows, the south-west peninsula already contributes significantly to the UK economy, including through life sciences and climate tech. We are, however, held back from reaching our full potential by under-investment in transport connectivity, which is made worse by upcoming works at Old Oak Com…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship for the first time, Dr Allin-Khan. I congratulate my good friend the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) on securing this debate. The world is a difficult place for many in the LGBT+ community today, at a time when solidarity is ne…”

“On the Oxford-Cambridge arc, you are the champion of that while also being the science Minister for the whole country. Should there be a ministerial champion for the Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds corridor and the Plymouth-Exeter-Bristol arc? It feels like we might be in danger of gilding a lily that, as you acknowledge, i…”

“I am sorry you didn’t mention Exeter in your tour of the country, which means that we need you to visit to see everything that is going on.”

“You mentioned the 3:1 crowding-in of private investment for public investment, but in 2021-22 UKRI spending was 1.7% in Wales and 6.7% in the south-west, for example; and 52.8% in the south-east. Public spending is not equally shared around the country. Can you explain what your role is and how you see that going in th…”

“London gets about £1,350 per head spending on transport infrastructure. The south-west gets a quarter of that. To what extent is your role also to talk to other Departments to make sure that the infrastructure is there to get opportunities off the ground in other places outside the greater south-east?”

“Great, thank you. Just a final question from me on regional inequalities in funding. When we look at venture capital and private equity, in the south-west we get about 2.7% of all that private funding. Dame Angela at a recent Committee hearing said that she had joked to a few people that universities should buy some he…”

“Thank you. In terms of the RIO and how it has been set up, what are the regulatory barriers that we hope it is going to overcome? What role does it play in the development of the industrial strategy?”

“How do you pick what goes in? What is the process? Is it picking winners, or do companies and sectors come to you?”

“If the private sector investment into innovation, start-ups, and so on, largely follows the public funding, we simply will not be able to rebalance the economy if we do not make a better attempt at making sure that where we have the innovation, like in Exeter or Manchester, we properly support it rather than focusing o…”

“That is a good segue into my next question. What do you think might need to be changed in the regulatory underpinning to encourage this?”

“I will ask a question of you all, on the basis that no question is a stupid question around this table. To what extent does it matter whether we get it right in the UK, given what is happening in China with DeepSeek and with other models with the US? The UK Government are trying to balance the third biggest global crea…”

“A final question for me is on consistency in transparency. Vinous, consistency is probably key to start-ups and scale-ups understanding what they are supposed to be doing. Where do you think that the Government can come in to avoid unnecessary complexity and to give people a clear steer on what they are supposed to be …”

“That is a good segue into my next question. What do you think might need to be changed in the regulatory underpinning to encourage this?”

“The consultation says that some R&D funding might be made available to support new tools to encourage greater transparency. Do you think that is necessary? Do you think that is a necessary part of what might be a new ecosystem, or do you feel like you are doing it already and that that is unnecessary, and that there is…”

“If I am right, your company, James, might be one of the tools that would help start-ups and scale-ups to comply with any new transparency requirements. Is that right?”

“James do you have anything to add on that?”

“I note for the record that the Startup Coalition provides the secretariat for the ClimateTech APPG, which I chair. I want to move on to the transparency of inputs and outputs. The UK wants to see ever more start-ups setting up and then scaling up, leading on AI but also utilising AI for new and exciting businesses. Vin…”

“I will ask a question of you all, on the basis that no question is a stupid question around this table. To what extent does it matter whether we get it right in the UK, given what is happening in China with DeepSeek and with other models with the US? The UK Government are trying to balance the third biggest global crea…”