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Alex Davies-Jones – 2023 Speech on Fertility Treatment (Transparency)

The speech made by Alex Davies-Jones, the Labour MP for Pontypridd, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require providers of in vitro fertilisation to publish information annually about the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles they carry out and about their provision of certain additional treatments in connection with in vitro fertilisation; to require such providers to publish a report about their provision of NHS-funded IVF treatment in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes.

It is an honour to speak on this Bill about a subject that colleagues will know is very close to my heart. I thank the Bill’s sponsors, many of whom are here today, for their support. Indeed, I am extremely grateful to have support from colleagues across the House who have recognised that there are currently gaps in IVF policy more widely.

Ask anyone who has experience of IVF, whether personally or from watching loved ones go through the process, and they will tell you that IVF is one of the most emotionally and mentally challenging processes that someone can ever undertake. My own IVF journey began in 2018, and I have been very open about the fact that I knew from the start that my road to pregnancy would be difficult. While I am certainly one of the very lucky ones—after only one round of IVF, I was blessed with my beautiful son Sullivan—I still had many eye-opening experiences during my fertility journey that have led me to this point today.

Let us be clear: the current state of the IVF offering across the UK is far below what would-be parents deserve. I will be honest with the Minister: none of the devolved nations, or England, is currently getting it right.

It was those first-hand experiences that brought me to this issue and prompted me to introduce the Bill. Since I was elected three years ago, I have campaigned extensively to “right”’ the “wrongs” that I have experienced at first hand as an IVF patient. I passionately believe that many of the problems that currently affect patients seeking IVF can be addressed by an improvement in the transparency requirements to which clinics must adhere.

In my view, there are two areas in which inadequate transparency levels are most pressing. First, there is an unacceptable lack of transparency in respect of the number of NHS-funded cycles that IVF clinics are offering. We need to be able to hold the clinics to account for their failures to adhere to guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which clearly state that NHS England should offer three full cycles of IVF to all women under 40 if they have been trying unsuccessfully to have a child for more than two years. The reality is that across the UK fewer than half of all IVF cycles for under-35s were funded by the NHS, and in England it is even worse: just 36% of IVF cycles are funded by the NHS. The result is a patchwork of different IVF services across the country, with unacceptable regional disparities. Not only will compelling clinics to publish the extent to which they are abiding by NICE guidelines empower patients to make informed choices about paying for treatment, but we will be holding clinics to account over where they fall short. Because of these regional disparities, the vast majority of clinically eligible patients ultimately face funding their own treatment. Such a high proportion is plainly and simply against NICE guidelines. Some couples are having to pay up to £15,000 for a single IVF cycle, and that cannot be right.

The second transparency issue that the Bill seeks to address relates to the controversial “add-on” treatments that IVF clinics market to their patients, often without sufficient information about their efficacy. Different clinics call these products by a wide variety of names. Some refer to them as “supplementary” treatments or “adjuvant” treatments, or, most ambiguously of all, simply “embryology treatments”. These add-ons often add thousands of pounds’ worth of extra “treatment” to the overall cost of IVF, and the science behind them is often murky, or at least unclear.

The mis-selling of IVF add-ons is an issue of particular importance to me. I know at first hand that for many would-be parents seeking IVF treatment, especially those on low incomes and those who have endured several rounds of IVF already, being offered these additional products can often mean making heart-wrenching decisions. When you feel that you would do anything just to increase your chances of successfully having a baby, perhaps even by just 1%, shelling out thousands of pounds for procedures including “endometrial scratching”, “preimplantation genetic testing” or perhaps an “intrauterine culture” seems a reasonable—perhaps even routine—step to take, but the reality is that none of those add-ons has a solid evidence base to support its effectiveness, no matter how scientific they sound. We know that they lack solid clinical evidence because of the work of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and its “traffic-light” system for rating add-ons.

Of course that rating system is useful to many thousands of IVF patients and I commend the HFEA for its work, especially its calls for clinics to be more open about the add-ons they provide, but I strongly believe that we need to do more, which is why the Bill’s second primary purpose is to mandate that clinics publish data on the number of add-on treatments that they sell. We cannot allow a situation in which desperate would-be parents are not properly informed about the efficacy of eye-wateringly expensive add-on treatments, and are exploited and seen as cash cows by clinics that just want to make money. As with the regional disparities issue that I mentioned earlier, by requiring the publication of data on add-on services we can hold clinics to account far more easily, and use that data as a key tool to improve the way in which IVF services are offered across the country.

Put together, the transparency issues that plague our IVF services contribute to what is commonly known as the “postcode lottery” of IVF. Up and down the country, IVF clinics are offering vastly different levels of NHS-backed IVF, often in breach of NICE guidelines, and all with differing approaches to selling add-ons. The NHS’s new integrated care systems, introduced by the Government’s Health and Care Act 2022, were set up specifically to tackle inequalities in access and health outcomes, including IVF outcomes, but if the issues of transparency are not addressed, those inequalities will simply continue to persist. That is why I believe that the Bill is a vital step in ensuring that ICSs fulfil their obligations.

This Bill is a starting point. With the useful data that it will provide, we will have the tools to address the issues that I have raised today. In no way is it trying to fix all the problems that prospective IVF parents currently face. Indeed, I pay tribute to colleagues on both sides of the House who have campaigned tirelessly on other important issues relating to fertility access. I pay particular tribute to one of my co-sponsors, the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Nickie Aiken), for her work on her own Private Member’s Bill requiring employers to provide paid fertility leave.

We have much more to do if we are to improve the way in which our country provides IVF, and improving our cultural attitudes to it, including attitudes in the workplace, is no exception. I believe that the Bill is an important starting point. From transparency will come accountability, and with accountability we can finally address the IVF postcode lottery once and for all.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Alex Davies-Jones, Nickie Aiken, Tonia Antoniazzi, Steve Brine, Stella Creasy, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Christine Jardine, Dame Diana Johnson, Justin Madders, Siobhain McDonagh, Charlotte Nichols and Caroline Nokes present the Bill.

Alex Davies-Jones accordingly presented the Bill.

19/01/2023
Ben Bradshaw – 2023 Statement on Church of England’s Ban on Same-Sex Couples

The statement made by Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. You may have heard that today the Church of England bishops have recommended no substantial change to the Church’s current ban on same-sex couples being married in church in England, although of course it is already possible in Scotland and will soon be possible in Wales. Many Members across the House—the majority, I would judge—believe that by continuing to exclude lesbian and gay people from its full rites, the Church is no longer compatible with its established status, which confers the duty to serve the whole nation. Has the Second Church Estates Commissioner indicated to you whether he will come to this House and make a statement on this very serious state of affairs and its potential constitutional consequences?

Mr Speaker

The answer is no—nobody has come to speak to me—but the Second Church Estates Commissioner is here with us and may wish to answer the right hon. Gentleman.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous)

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I hear exactly what the right hon. Gentleman says. He will know that I will be answering questions in this House next Thursday, and I will willingly take questions on that. I should also point out that the Church of England has not yet made a formal, full statement on the matter. That will happen on Friday; I myself am only being fully briefed on it tomorrow. I am available to this House next Thursday and at any time at your discretion, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker

Unless the right hon. Member for Exeter (Mr Bradshaw) can get a question, he may not be able to get in as easily, so it may be appropriate for the Second Church Estates Commissioner to come forward with a statement rather than waiting for Church Commissioners’ questions. It would be helpful to have that statement on Monday; I would encourage that, because it is a topic that the House will wish to know about. I will leave that with the Second Church Estates Commissioner.

19/01/2023
Lloyd Russell-Moyle – 2023 Personal Statement on Comments Made to Miriam Cates

The personal statement made by Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wanted to notify the House at the earliest opportunity that I have written to the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Miriam Cates) to acknowledge that the tone of my remarks in the Chamber yesterday was a mistake. I stand by the words that I said, and I profoundly disagree with the comments that the hon. Member made, but our job as MPs is to channel passion and anger into considered debate to win our arguments—in this case, on the trans community and devolution. I recognise that I failed to control that passion during what was an emotional debate. I should have expressed my deep disagreement on what I believe is an abhorrent view in a more appropriate way. I want to particularly apologise to Madam Deputy Speaker, who had to preside over the debate.

Mr Speaker

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving notice that he wished to come and make that point of order. It allows me to take this opportunity to remind hon. Members of the importance of good temper and moderation in contributions from all sides and all Members. We will disagree, but how we express that disagreement is important. Please, let us have moderate and temperate language going forward.

19/01/2023
Alan Brown – 2023 Speech on Electric Vehicle Battery Production

The speech made by Alan Brown, the SNP MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

I express sympathy with all those affected by the job losses, but this is an abject failure of the mythical levelling-up agenda. Unfortunately, that should not come as a surprise. It has always irritated me that the Tories claim that they are the ones to level up communities—the very communities that they devastated in the first place.

Just over a year ago, the former, former Prime Minister was boasting about the construction of Britishvolt’s gigafactory. He said that it would create 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 supply-chain jobs, and support the production of 300,000 batteries for car production. That meant putting our faith in a company with no pedigree, no assets except a field and no products to deliver a £4 billion factory—and that with one owner with a conviction for fraud. We know that the Government do not care about paying taxes, but that is akin to awarding a ferry contract to a company with no ferries. When did the Government do due diligence? When did they realise that there was a problem and what actions did they take? When will we see a coherent strategy for battery production, EV manufacturing, the roll-out of charging points across the UK and, importantly, hydrogen vehicle manufacturing and green hydrogen production?

Graham Stuart

I share the hon. Gentleman’s enthusiasm for the opportunities that come from net zero. That is why we are moving so hard on nuclear, which of course anybody who is not a prisoner of some ideological opposition and is genuinely committed to green energy would support. We are supporting that across the piece. I do not think that Conservative Members will take lessons on industrial intervention from Scottish nationalists after their shipbuilding enterprises in the north.

19/01/2023
John Redwood – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Pausing the Ban on New Petrol and Diesel Vehicles

The parliamentary question asked by John Redwood, the Conservative MP for Wokingham, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con)

As we are very short of commitments to assemble more EVs in the United Kingdom, which would be needed to create battery demand, will the Minister pause the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles until our EV capacity has caught up? Otherwise, the industry will shrink too much.

Graham Stuart

I thank my right hon. Friend, whose economic insights I always value and appreciate. However, we are committed to electric and zero-emission vehicles and we will not stimulate investment in those sectors by removing the mandates that drive consumer choice and have led to such a significant change in our road transport emissions. We are going to have even more ambitious steps.

19/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Business Secretary launches ambitious vision to make UK scale-up capital of Europe [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 19 January 2023.

Grant Shapps outlines his vision for ‘Scale-Up Britain’ in a keynote speech to business leaders at Davos.
- Business Secretary throws open doors to new and alternative business voices in quest for growth – Scale-up Summit launched with goal of answering how we can create an Amazon or a Google in Britain
- UK ranked among 5 most innovative nations on earth by World Intellectual Property Office, ahead of South Korea, Germany, China and Singapore
- Shapps claims we are on the cusp of new Industrial Revolution, and the change we have seen over the past 50 years will pale into significance when compared to the next five decades of innovation
The Business Secretary Grant Shapps today (19 January 2023) set out his vision for ‘Scale-Up Britain’ in a keynote speech to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, vowing to support the Chancellor and Prime Minister in the government’s growth agenda.

In his speech, hosted by the Confederation of British Industry, the Secretary of State noted that the UK now has a government which is making the right decisions for Britain and for our economic recovery.

Acknowledging the current global economic challenges, the Secretary of State said:

At difficult times like this, our instinct could be to turn inwards, think smaller, hedge our bets, and protect domestic industry by closing ourselves off.

But that’s precisely the opposite of what’s needed right now. Rather, we must open up more. We must think bigger, take strategic risks.

Mr Shapps continued:

Now for this government, ‘growth’ isn’t a goal, a target or a destination. It’s the cornerstone of everything we are doing. And that’s because it’s the single biggest enabler of everything we want to deliver.

How do we fix the NHS? Growth. How do we tackle the cost of living? Growth. How do we level up our country and make it fairer for all? Growth.

The Business Secretary noted that, in the last 50 years, roughly half of the UK’s productivity increase has been achieved through innovation, praising “entrepreneurs, disruptors, risk takers and innovators.”

With the world on the cusp of a new Industrial Revolution, Mr Shapps set out both the advantages and challenges facing Britain in the global economic race. He said:

We have never lacked great inventors, clever ideas, or promising start-ups. Last year, the UK was ranked among the five most innovative nations on earth by the World Intellectual Property Office, ahead of South Korea, Germany, China and Singapore.

What we must do better is convert start-ups to scale-ups. I want to inspire ‘Scale-up Britain’. Building businesses that don’t just develop in the UK, but stay to grow and mature into world-beaters.

Mr Shapps highlighted the economic opportunities presented by the UK leaving the European Union, including winning back powers to back investment in Britain, coupled with other natural advantages enjoyed by the UK, including our position as a leading global finance centre, our universities and our regulatory environment.

The Business Secretary also highlighted that while we can learn from the success of other nations, we can also learn from their mistakes, ensuring that growth and scale-up in Britain reflects the high standards for which we are famous around the world.

He said:

I think we can learn a lot from Silicon Valley’s ambition and its record creating global tech brands. But we can also learn from the mistakes it has made.

Its unicorns have sometimes prioritised shareholder value above all else. Its culture sometimes falls short of the standards we expect from modern employers. And whilst it has made a few people unimaginably rich, the wealth isn’t shared by everyone with homelessness in nearby San Francisco a visible sign of this inequality.

So what I want to create is a Silicon Valley with a British edge.

In order to help the government to seize these opportunities, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a new Scale-up Summit, allowing ministers to listen to key frontier tech figures who have worked around the world.

Concluding his speech, Mr Shapps said:

To help us raise our game, we need to listen to a wider variety of entrepreneurs currently driving change.

So I will launch a Scale-up Summit to bring together key frontier tech, development and finance figures who have accelerated tech businesses from start-ups to scale-ups…who have worked around the world, from California to Tallinn and who can help us replicate their success in the UK, from Catford to Teesside.
19/01/2023
Grant Shapps – 2023 Speech at the Davos World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

The speech made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in Davos, Switzerland on 19 January 2023.

Introduction / 50 years of Davos

Good afternoon everyone.

It is 52 years since Professor Klaus Schwab founded the World Economic Forum……

And chose Davos as the location for its annual meetings…… a place described as the perfect sanctuary to escape the outside world.

And there was no shortage of problems for those first delegates to escape in the early ‘70s…..

A looming oil crisis.

Cold War tension with Russia.

Industrial unrest.

And soaring inflation…..

To name just a few….

Looking back over half a century later, it doesn’t take too much imagination to see parallels with today’s world.

Countries experiencing a wave of distinctly old-fashioned economic shocks…..

From an energy crisis, and war in Ukraine…… to strikes and the rising cost of living……

All things we hoped had disappeared along with bell bottomed jeans in the 1970s….. but have regrettably flared up again.

However, unlike those first visitors to Davos five decades ago……

We are not here this week to escape the problems of the outside world.

We’re here – Government and industry – to fix them.

Prime Minister / Growth

We’ve now got a government which is making the right decisions for Britain, and for our economy.

A fortnight ago, in his New Year speech……

As well as pledging to halve inflation this year, and make sure national debt is falling……

The Prime Minister was unequivocal in his commitment to ‘growth’.

Now for this Government, ‘growth’ isn’t a goal…. a target….. or a destination.

It’s the cornerstone of everything we are doing.

And that’s because it’s the single biggest enabler of everything we want to deliver.

How do we fix the NHS? Growth.

How do we tackle the cost of living? Growth.

How do we level up our country and make it fairer for all? Growth.

Nothing will deflect us from this most urgent of priorities.

Innovation

But how do we achieve it?

If we analyse Britain’s economic growth since the first Davos five decades ago…….

Roughly half of our productivity increase has come from innovation.

Half of the progress we’ve made as a country, is thanks to entrepreneurs….. disruptors….. risk takers….. and innovators…..

People and businesses daring to think differently.

And the exciting thing is, the change we’ve seen over the past 50 years will pale in comparison when compared with the next 50.

We are truly on the cusp of a new Industrial Revolution.

A revolution in how we do business.

How we communicate.

How we travel.

How we feed a growing global population.

How we power our homes and industries……

A revolution in how we live our lives.

And we have a choice.

Either we sit back as a nation, waiting for change to happen…… and lose our position as one of the world’s leading economies……

Or we propel ourselves forward……

Using the unique combination of assets and talents which Britain possesses to shape the future.

And my overwhelming focus as Business Secretary will be the latter path……

To help businesses grasp the opportunities that lay ahead.

To inspire and support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

So Britain can create its own success.

And the key challenge is this:

We have never lacked great inventors, clever ideas, or promising start-ups.

Last year, the UK was ranked among the five most innovative nations on earth by the World Intellectual Property Office……

Ahead of South Korea, Germany, China and Singapore.

So that’s not our issue.

However, we must do better is convert start-ups to scale-ups.

So I want to inspire ‘Scale-up Britain’.

Building businesses that don’t just develop in the UK…..

But stay to grow and mature into world-leaders.

And that’s what I’d like to talk to you about today.

Raising ambitions

The first step to a ‘Scale-up’ nation is to ‘scale-up’ our ambitions.

I want to make Britain the most dynamic place in the world to launch, grow and do business.

A high-skills, high-wage economy, with a business-friendly culture, where creative enterprise is encouraged and rewarded.

At difficult times like this, our instinct could be to turn inwards, think smaller, hedge our bets, and protect domestic industry by closing ourselves off.

But that’s precisely the opposite of what’s needed right now,

Rather, we must open up more.

We must think bigger, take strategic risks.

We must target high-growth sectors with long-term potential.

We must form new global partnerships….. inviting the world to come and invest in Britain.

And we must build a business ecosystem that harnesses our incredible potential to be a leader in the fourth Industrial Revolution, just as we were in the first.

Tech

We know that emerging technology is a market we want to lead.

And we already have the largest tech sector in Europe….. worth over $1 trillion in 2021……

Making us only the third country in the world to ever reach this historic landmark.

So we’re well placed, but how do we scale-up innovators into global leaders?

We must face facts.

We have failed so far to develop any home-grown tech giants that can compete with the biggest global players.

Granted…… that blessed with the world’s finest universities and most enquiring minds, we have produced more billion-dollar unicorn start-ups than France, Germany and the Netherlands put together…..

But why do so many companies move abroad after being nurtured in the UK?

And why doesn’t Britain produce a Google, Amazon or Apple?

After all, it was a Brit who invented the World Wide Web….

I think we can learn a lot from Silicon Valley’s ambition……

And its record creating global tech brands……

But we can also learn from the mistakes it has made.

Its unicorns have sometimes prioritised shareholder value above all else.

Its culture sometimes falls short of the standards we expect from modern employers.

And whilst it has made a few people unimaginably rich, the wealth isn’t shared by everyone…… with homelessness in nearby San Francisco a visible sign of this inequality.

So what I want to create is a Silicon Valley with a British edge.

A scale-up Britain with global ambitions to lead the tech market and improve the world.

UK strengths

So how do we get there?

Well, as Business Secretary, I recognise we have an extraordinary mix of assets in this country to help businesses on this mission.

We host 4 of the world’s top 10 universities .

We have a research-friendly regulatory environment now capable of greater speed and flexibility, in part due to Brexit.

The international language of business is our mother tongue.

We’ve announced the largest R&D budget in our history to become a science superpower.

And the ONS recently revealed that the UK is investing close to 3% of GDP in research and development – significantly higher than previously thought.

When it comes to scale-up finance, we are home to one of the world’s two biggest financial centres.

We’re releasing £100 billion more through the Solvency II reforms that will be used for investment.

We are number two in the world for business start-ups.

And we are number one in Europe for venture capital investment.

Put simply: no-one else has such a unique blend of advantages.

But we have to bring them together to become more than the sum of those parts, to truly harness all our powers – if we’re to scale-up Britain and achieve our potential.

Brexit

Now, I know that some thought the UK’s vote to leave the European Union was a signal of global retreat.

And I won’t deny that Brexit has brought significant challenges.

I personally voted remain, not through any love of the European Union, but largely because of the huge hassle of leaving.

But here’s the thing……. I was a minister both before and after Brexit.

And now we’ve gone through the process of leaving the EU, I can see how we reap the benefits……

With new trade deals, and new regulatory freedoms.

For example, we got back powers that are already attracting new investment to Britain.

As PricewaterhouseCoopers’ annual survey found this week, the UK is now a top 3 global investment market.

We’re removing years of burdensome EU regulations in favour of a more agile, forward-looking approach.

Just recently, for example, I visited Teesside to see the site for a new lithium refinery built by a company called Green Lithium.

The plant will supply battery grade materials for use in gigafactories for electric vehicles, as well as renewable energy and consumer technology.

This is not just levelling-up in action….. helped by Government funding…..

It’s Europe’s first large scale lithium refinery….. securing critical minerals at a volatile time for global markets and supply chains.

It will provide 8% of Europe’s refined lithium……mainly for cars…..and was made possible by Brexit freedoms….. because we could change how the mineral is classified and that nimble work unlocked investment.

By being more agile, we can adapt to changing circumstances.

And here’s another productivity example…..

When I was Transport Secretary, we faced a global shortage of lorry drivers.

You probably remember the tanker driver shortages which led to petrol queues in 2021.

Well, I announced a large package of measures to help secure fuel deliveries to petrol stations…… many of which again, were helped by Brexit freedoms.

For example, I was able to change the law to streamline driving tests …… something I could not have done if we’d still been a member of the European Union.

And of course, we showed how agile regulation can deliver fast, effective results when Britain led the world in approving COVID vaccines, both delivering the jabs and coming out of lockdown first.

Leadership

All these benefits give us incredible scope for the future.

Not just to compete. But to drive the tech revolution ourselves.

The market is changing, and there’s a clear space for leadership.

But we are.

A British version of Silicon Valley specialising in digital technologies and deep tech .

We are pioneering so many breakthrough technologies…… from clean and secure energy to life sciences and transport.

We are investing in our world class Catapult Network to explore how technologies can be further applied to industry.

And through initiatives like the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum, we will continue setting the pace.

We can lead a new wave of digitalisation too….. by developing the Metaverse, Digital Twins and new AI enabled robotic systems .

This wave will be driven by open ecosystems of start-ups and scale-ups, with major players collaborating across borders…..

And like-minded countries developing world-leading standards.

The UK will play a key role in this – for example through the OECD’s recently-announced Global Technology Forum.

We will work with partners to become the global hub for a responsible cyber-physical future.

Our futures will be defined by not just one tech, but many.

Artificial intelligence….. advanced communication networks….. robotics….. augmented reality and immersive technologies….. quantum and blockchain…… all potentially game-changers.

And the UK has strengths in not just one of these technologies – but all of them.

The potential they offer together is greater than the sum of their parts……

With the power to transform whole industries around the world.

Summary

So – to recap – we have a unique opportunity here……

Unprecedented in our lifetimes……

To re-equip and re-boot British industry….. for a rapidly changing world.

We have a government committed to growth.

We have expertise in a wide mix of cutting edge technologies.

We have the right environment to nurture business.

We have already launched more than four and a half thousand startups and scaleups working in advanced digital technologies in the UK.

So, with the largest tech sector in Europe, we’re already well on the way to becoming a British Silicon Valley.

Scale-up Summit

But to help us raise our game, we need to listen to a wider variety of entrepreneurs currently driving change.

So I will launch a Scale-up Summit to bring together key frontier tech, development and finance figures who have accelerated tech businesses from start-ups to scale-ups……

Who have worked around the world, from California to Tallinn…..

And who can help us replicate their success in the UK, from Catford to Teeside.

In particular, we want to hear from those who have achieved high growth, unicorn status…… and experienced multiple exits.

We will use the Summit to build networks and share expertise.

And establish how best we can use our skills and strengths to spark the growth of tomorrow.

Conclusion

So, despite the prevailing economic news right now……

The difficult challenges that almost every government and business is grappling with……

This is no time to sit back and escape the problems of the outside world, as those first Davos visitors did half a century ago…..

It’s time to confront them.

And the best way to do that is to get our economy growing.

We in government know that this country can’t thrive unless its businesses are fit and flourishing too.

That’s why the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and I are working flat out to not only recover from the toughest period in recent economic history…… but also to prepare for the next 50 years of British innovation…..

Using the unique assets Britain has at its disposal……

Building resilient businesses with global reach…..

And leading in emerging markets that will deliver in the long-term.

That’s how we’ll scale-up our ambitions.

And that’s how we will shape the future.

Thank you.

19/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Local communities to get £750,000 for Windrush celebrations [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 19 January 2023.

Applications for the Windrush Day Grant Scheme have been opened by the Department for Levelling Up.
Community groups to bid for funding to celebrate 75th anniversary of Windrush

Funding open to applications from Northern Ireland for the first time

Part of wider £3.75 million committed to honouring the Windrush legacy to date

Applications for the Windrush Day Grant Scheme have been opened by the Department for Levelling Up, today (18 January 2023).

Community groups, charities and councils will now be able to bid for their share of the £750,000 pot of funding to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush community in their local areas.

Each area can bid for up to £50,000 to fund celebratory parades, educational resources, arts and sporting projects, providing they are focused on the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

Currently in its fifth year, the scheme will for the first time be open to applications from Northern Ireland in recognition of Windrush communities who resided there.

Communities Minister Lee Rowley said:

“The 75th anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at the Port of Tilbury, marks a seminal moment in our nation’s shared history.

“This government is fully committed to honouring the Windrush generation and their immense contribution to this country. This funding will really help local communities come together, honour the past and celebrate our country.”

To date, the government has dedicated £3.75 million in funding toward honouring the Windrush legacy. This includes £2.75 million across five years of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, and £1 million allocated to the National Windrush Monument.

Last year 35 projects across England were given a share of £500,000 funding to help commemorate Windrush Day. They included:

The establishment of the Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir, a six-month project that included vocal workshops and specially commissioned music.

A one-day festival at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, celebrating many aspects of UK Caribbean life, from music and dance to food and storytelling; and

A Windrush exhibition across museums, cultural centres, schools and colleges in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire together with live performance and online workshops.
19/01/2023
Jonathan Reynolds – 2023 Speech on Electric Vehicle Battery Production

The speech made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

When the Britishvolt site was first announced in 2019, with the promise to deliver the UK’s second ever gigafactory and create 8,000 jobs in Northumberland, it was lauded by the Government as their flagship example of levelling up: the right hon. Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng), then Business Secretary, said that Britishvolt is

“exactly what levelling up looks like”,

and Government Ministers fell all over themselves to take the credit, so now they must also accept accountability for its failure, because, much like their levelling up strategy, all we have been left with is an empty space instead of what was promised.

The collapse of Britishvolt into administration is in no uncertain terms a disaster for the UK car industry, but what is even more worrying is that this is a symptom of a much wider failure. The automotive manufacturing sector currently employs over 182,000 people, and if we are to continue to make cars in this country we must make electric batteries in the UK. The Faraday Institution says we need 10 factories by 2040 to sustain our automotive sector, so even if Britishvolt was going ahead we would still be nowhere near where we need to be. These factories are being built in competitor countries, and that is because they have Governments with the vision and commitment to be the partner that private firms need to turn these factories from plans on paper into a reality. Surely the Government must accept that we need an industrial strategy.

Will the Minister update the House on the Government’s plans to urgently increase UK battery-making capability? Can he tell us when the Government first had concerns about Britishvolt’s ability to deliver the factory, and why did these concerns not come to light when the Department conducted its extensive due diligence investigations into Britishvolt’s plans? What conversations has he had with other companies to secure the site and ensure the factory is built in Blyth? And will he now commit to Labour’s plans to build eight new gigafactories across the UK and expand the roll-out of charging points to support electric vehicle manufacturing?

Wherever we look the Conservatives are failing this country, whether in public services or our iconic industries. Unless this Government wake up to the scale of the transition required, we will not only risk many of the good jobs that so many of our communities rely upon, but we will miss out on one of the greatest economic opportunities this country has ever had.

Graham Stuart

The hon. Gentleman is right about one thing: there is a tremendous opportunity. That is why we have the automotive transformation fund. That is why we did thorough due diligence on Britishvolt. It is because we set conditions around milestones that it had to meet that not a penny of that fund was dispensed to Britishvolt. However, I make no apology for supporting companies that are going to be part of that opportunity. The idea from the Labour party is that, if it were in power, it would build these factories. That is not how the economy works. That is why, in 2010, after 13 years of Labour Government, we saw youth unemployment up by more than 40%. That is the truth. We saw communities such as Blyth left behind and ignored. We saw an economic strategy that did not work for our young people and did not contribute to net zero in the way that it should. On the underpinning energy system, a bit more than 7% of our electricity came from renewables when Labour left power. Now it is more than 40%.

The net zero strategy announced £350 million for the automotive transformation fund. That was in addition to the £500 million announced as part of the 10-point plan. That is why we are seeing investment. That is why we have nearly full employment. That is why we have factories and manufacturing going ahead in a way that would never happen under Labour.

19/01/2023
Graham Stuart – 2023 Statement on Electric Vehicle Battery Production

The statement made by Graham Stuart, the Minister for Energy and Climate, in the House of Commons on 18 January 2023.

Britishvolt entering into administration is a regrettable situation, and our thoughts are with the company’s employees and their families at this time. The Government are entirely committed to the future of the automotive industry and promoting EV capability. As part of our efforts to see British companies succeed in the industry, we offered significant support to Britishvolt through the automotive transformation fund on the condition that key milestones, including private sector investment commitments, were met. Unfortunately, the company was unable to meet these conditions and as a result no ATF funds were paid out. Throughout the process, we have always remained hopeful that Britishvolt would find a suitable investor and we are disappointed that this has not been possible. We want to ensure the best outcome for the site, and we will work closely with the local authority and potential investors to achieve this.

The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy, and it is integral to delivering on levelling up, net zero and advancing global Britain. We will continue to take steps to champion the UK as the best location in the world for automotive manufacturing as we transition to electric and zero-emission vehicles.

Despite what the party opposite may claim, we are not giving up on the automotive industry: on the contrary, our ambition to scale up the electric vehicle industry on our shores is greater than ever. We are leveraging investment from industry by providing Government support for new plants and upgrades to ensure that the UK automotive industry thrives into the future. Companies continue to show confidence in the UK, announcing major investments across the country including: £1 billion from Nissan and Envision to create an EV manufacturing hub in Sunderland; £100 million from Stellantis for its site in Ellesmere Port; and £380 million from Ford to make Halewood its first EV components site in Europe. And we will continue to work through our automotive transformation fund to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, boosting home-grown EV battery production, levelling up and advancing towards a greener future.

19/01/2023