The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 10 December 2021.
At a time of growing threats and increasing competition in the High North, we have some of the closest cooperation with our Danish, Swedish and Norwegian partners.
We work together annually on military exercises and operations, learning from each other and strengthening our partnerships.
Our ability to operate in this way is the firm foundation of our shared resolve to stand up for our values.
The comments made by Victoria Atkins, the Prisons Minister, on 10 December 2021.
We want our new, modern prison in Glen Parva to be rooted in its community. That’s why we are extending an invitation to local people to help choose its name.
The prison will create hundreds of jobs when open – giving a major boost to the local economy and helping to protect the public.
The statement made by Christine Middlemiss, the Chief Veterinary Officer, on 10 December 2021.
This animal tested positive for bovine tuberculosis on two separate occasions using highly specific tests. Due to the complexity of the disease, further testing has not enabled us to use Whole Genome Sequencing to try to understand how the animal became infected in the first place.
Our sympathies remain with all those with animals affected by this terrible disease which devastates farmers’ livelihoods. It is important to remember that infected animals can spread the disease to both animals and people before displaying clinical signs, which is why we take action quickly to limit the risk of the disease spreading. We are grateful for the cooperation of livestock farmers to allow this to happen.
The comments made by George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, on 10 December 2021.
More animal species are now threatened with extinction than ever before in human history and we are appalled at the thought of hunters bringing back trophies and placing more pressure on some of our most iconic and endangered animals.
This would be one of the toughest bans in the world, and goes beyond our manifesto commitment, meaning we will be leading the way in protecting endangered animals and helping to strengthen and support long-term conservation.
The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 10 December 2021.
The government has worked tirelessly to tackle the driver shortage caused by coronavirus and years of undervalued wages. We have now introduced 32 actions to help get more HGV drivers on the road. It is good to see that these measures are clearly working, with the haulage industry reporting a significant increase in tests carried out and licenses issued. Now these training camps will provide a further boost for the sector as we work together towards its recovery.
The comments made by Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education, on 10 December 2021.
HGV drivers are vital to keeping this country moving. It’s brilliant to see the first people with their hands on the steering wheel as they head towards new well-paid careers in the industry.
To help even more people get the training they need to be road ready, we’re expanding our HGV Skills Bootcamps to support more than 11,000 people to gain the skills they need to progress in the industry, and to help those with previous experience refresh their skills so they can get back on the road.
The comments made by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at Shildon Railway Museum on 9 December 2021.
We are absolutely committed to levelling up opportunities across the whole of the UK so people have good jobs and greater opportunities.
It’s fantastic to see how our £20 million investment will enhance this popular tourist attraction. This will boost access for rural communities so they can enjoy the area’s rich railway heritage and connect people to key transport links nearby.
The comments made by Stephen Morgan, the Shadow Schools Minister, on 9 December 2021.
It is outrageous that because of the Government’s incompetence schools are being left with no option but to open windows as temperatures plummet and heating bills rise just to get adequate ventilation. Schools and local authorities are working incredibly hard to support children, but the government is again treating them as an afterthought.
The Government should have had a proper plan in place to stop a third year of Covid disruption to education but their chaotic, last-minute approach is leaving children bearing the brunt of the pandemic once again.
It is already cold. In a month’s time it will be colder. Ministers must get ahead of this virus now and put in place the ventilation systems which Labour, teachers and parents have been calling for many months. Schools are having to spend money on energy bills which they should be spending on our children.
The letter sent by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, to Kathryn Stone, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, on 10 December 2021.
Dear Kathryn Stone,
I write regarding today’s finding by the Electoral Commission that the Conservative Party broke the law by failing to properly declare donations towards the refurbishment of the Prime Minister’s flat in Downing Street.
In our previous correspondence, you confirmed that you would wait for the result of the Electoral Commission’s investigation before taking any further action. Given the Commission’s finding of a clear breach of the law, I write to request an immediate investigation into the conduct of the Prime Minister in this scandal.
Today’s report demonstrates that the Prime Minister has failed to declare donations which appears to put him in clear breach of the Members’ Code of Conduct as well as the Conservative Party having breached its own legal obligations.
I am concerned, although not entirely surprised, by the Prime Minister’s additional failure to properly disclose these donations towards the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat in his declaration of Ministerial interests.
Revelations in the Electoral Commission’s report call into question the conduct of the Prime Minister in relation to the Ministerial Code. It is clear that the Prime Minister misled the public, along with the independent adviser, when he told Lord Geidt during his investigation that he was unaware of the Lord Brownlow donations until February 2021. Today’s investigation report reveals that the Prime Minister messaged Lord Brownlow via WhatsApp on 29 November 2020, asking him to authorise more money towards the refurbishment works on the residence. This shows that the Prime Minister is in flagrant breach of both the Members’ Code of Conduct and the Ministerial Code.
The Ministerial Code clearly states: ‘Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public’. This has not happened.
The Members’ Code of Conduct incorporates the seven ‘Nolan Principles’ for standards of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. With these principles in mind, I hope you will undertake an investigation to determine whether the Prime Minister did in fact breach the Members’ Code of Conduct in this case.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP
Deputy Leader of HM Opposition
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The speech made by Jacob Young, the Conservative MP for Redcar, in the House of Commons on 18 December 2021.
The Tees Valley has a proud history as the home of our nation’s railway. Starting with George Stephenson’s revolutionary launch of the Stockton to Darlington railway in 1825, our region has been a pioneer in the development of Britain’s rail sector, from steel forged in the furnaces of Redcar for the construction of the London underground to the production of new trains at Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe.
Recent announcements show our commitment to levelling up rail in Teesside. From next year, TransPennine Express services will be extended from Redcar Central to Saltburn, something I have been campaigning on for well over two years. As of next week, LNER will launch a direct service from Middlesbrough to London Kings Cross—a fantastic step, but we need more than just one a day. And the £l00 million redevelopment of Darlington train station creates new platforms, a new station building and the potential for more frequent services on the local network.
The Tees Valley is also playing a huge role in the development of the wider national network, and a key way we can strengthen this role is by committing to using British-made steel from Teesside. HS2 is one of this Government’s biggest infrastructure projects but it has yet to commit to signing the UK steel charter. It is a false economy to continue to bail out our steel industry and not secure its pipeline through procurement rules in the UK. Using UK-sourced steel in the construction of HS2 will help us to secure the future of this vital national industry and support over 1,000 jobs in Redcar alone.
This IRP delivers for the north, but there is more work to do. The Minister will know that I am pushing for the east coast main line to extend its services not just to Middlesbrough but to Redcar to complement our new freeport. Along with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I am supporting the return of passenger services to east Cleveland on the Boulby potash line, if we are able to achieve it. But as we rightly increase services on the Redcar line, such as the TransPennine service to Saltburn, we run the risk of cutting Redcar in half, virtually blockading our level crossings in the town centre. There is no doubt that resolving this roadblock to growth in Redcar will require significant funding, and there is no obvious solution right now, but I seek assurances from the Minister that Redcar town will not be cut off as we grow our network, and that we will seek to minimise the length of time the crossings are down. This is a Government committed to levelling up and transforming Teesside for the better. Thanks to this Government and our Conservative team across our region, we have never been better connected by rail, road and air. Long may it continue.