Seema Malhotra
MP for Feltham and Heston · Labour (Co-op) · United Kingdom
“Public sector productivity is improving, with the latest Office for National Statistics figures showing output continuing to grow faster than inputs, and Departments being challenged to improve efficiency and modernise outdated processes.”
“I was proud to support the Feltham Convening Partnership’s young leaders summer programme last month. What struck me was their ambition for themselves and their community, as well as their call for more work experience opportunities.”
“We will be working to commence the socioeconomic duty on public bodies in section 1 of the Equality Act to require public authorities to put addressing socioeconomic disadvantage at the heart of their strategic decision making. There will be more on that to follow. Let me again thank my hon.”
“For generations, the message to those who want to enter public life or elite professions has been that if they want to get on, they must sound like everybody else. When Margaret Thatcher became leader of her party in the 1970s, she famously underwent intensive elocution lessons with a tutor from the National Theatre.”
“Whether a young person chooses a degree or a trade, their journey must be determined by merit and their potential—never by whether they have to change their voice or pretend to be someone else to fit in.”
“Interestingly, studies also regularly show that regional accents such as Welsh or Yorkshire are rated by the public as trustworthy, warm and honest. Yet when those same studies measure perceived intelligence or employability, standard southern English and received pronunciation invariably top the metrics.”
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“Will the Government confirm whether they asked for the bonuses to be repaid? Finally, will the Government now confirm that the interest on compensation paid to victims will be exempt from tax?”
“I think the Minister has made this commitment, but can he give a timescale for when he expects to publish Amanda Burton’s report? The Post Office and the Government must now convince the British public that they understand not only the scale of what happened, but the priority and importance of urgently getting compensation to victims. Sub-postmasters have had their lives ruined, and they need more than repeated apologies and further delayed compensation. They must also be confident that lessons have been learned from these failures. Sadly, it seems the Post Office has failed to do that. The Government must get a grip of what happened and how it was allowed to take place. Can the Minister confirm how and when the Government became aware of the bonus payments? He said it was last Friday and Saturday, but how did it happen?”
“The Post Office even implied that the bonuses had effectively been approved by Sir Wyn, which he has denied, saying that the confirmation it received from him was misleading and inaccurate. This is, in no uncertain terms, completely unacceptable. The Horizon scandal is one of the greatest injustices in modern British history, and these bonuses add further insult to injury. The Post Office has very serious questions to answer on corporate governance, not least in relation to the remuneration committee. I am glad to hear that an inquiry is being undertaken, but there are also questions about Government oversight if the Minister himself had been kept in the dark for weeks. I would be grateful if he could clarify what role Tom Cooper played as an adviser, what he knew and when he knew it.”
“I, too, thank my right hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) for his ongoing work, and for securing this urgent question. Here we are again. Just when we thought we had reached a low in the ongoing saga that is the Post Office’s Horizon scandal, a new low is reached. The Minister is right that the situation is concerning, but it is much more than that: it is a disgrace. After years of fighting compensation claims against honest sub-postmasters, using every trick in the book to draw things out for as long as possible, the Post Office somehow found it appropriate to hand out bonuses for co-operating with Sir Wyn Williams’s inquiry, which executives had a statutory obligation to do anyway.”
“What is the Government’s strategy on the rebuilding of rundown primary care facilities, not only to assist the recruitment and retention of GPs but to better facilitate the work taking place between GPs, pharmacies and other community healthcare services?”
“The steps proposed in the statement reflect what Labour has been calling for, and are well overdue. I am glad that at least some steps are being taken, but they fall well short of the scale of the challenge that we face. Pharmacists need to work in a strong primary care environment. We need to see more GPs, an increase in primary care services, and more tests, diagnoses and minor procedures carried out in the community, speeding up primary care and taking the pressure off secondary care. Three years ago, I met Ministers and officials in the Department to seek advice on and support for the rebuilding of the rundown Heston health centre in my constituency.”
“That represents over half—56%—of the estimated foreign ownership of UK assets. Can the Minister explain why the Government are not doing more to ensure that overseas entities cannot hide behind trusts? It is vital that the Government get their act together on dealing with economic crime, the scale of it, and the means by which it is happening. While the Opposition support the changes introduced by the SI, it is important that we continue to work at speed and that loopholes are closed, because continuing loopholes will make a mockery of the aims of the register, which we have spoken about today.”
“I would also welcome clarity on further issues with the register. The Chartered Institute of Taxation has also argued that setting a beneficial ownership registration threshold of ownership of at least 25% of the shares in an overseas entity could easily be avoided—for example, by having a family of six say that they each own 16.67% of the shares in a company. Do the Government have any plans to re-evaluate the threshold? The SI also does nothing to address a major loophole in the register: the use of opaque offshore trusts, which offer overseas entities a layer of protection, enabling them to access UK property and financial markets from behind a cloak of anonymity. A recent Transparency International report found that almost 52,000 UK properties are still owned anonymously, despite the register of overseas entities.”
“Some 32,000 overseas companies were required to register with Companies House by 31 January. The Minister said that a majority have done so, but according to a written ministerial statement of 1 February, as of the 31 January deadline, around 7,000 companies required to register had not done so. The Minister told us that that might relate to companies that had been struck off and said that there may be other reasons why companies had not registered, but it would be helpful to know whether the figure has come down since the written ministerial statement of 1 February. How many companies do the Government feel still need to register? Will the Minister confirm whether companies have faced penalties for not registering by the legal deadline if they have not given a clear reason why?”
“That is a welcome provision, but will the Minister expand on whether already false or fraudulent information has been supplied to the register? If so, has any action been taken against the entities responsible? Finally, the SI amends the requirements for the protection of personal information from public inspection in particular circumstances of serious risk and the need to demonstrate that risk. We support that change. To sum up, this SI reflects years of delay and inaction from successive Conservative Governments on economic crime. It is disappointing that we are still debating and amending legislation a year after it came before the House. It is important to put on the record the fact that there are still issues with the register of overseas entities not covered by this SI.”
“Under the 2022 Act, if a foreign limited partner meets certain criteria, they qualify as a beneficial owner needing to provide information to the registrar, but the Act does not provide a complete definition of what constitutes a foreign limited partner. Has the Department made any estimate of the number of foreign limited partners who up to this point have not provided information on the register due to this missing definition? Have overseas entities faced any repercussions for not providing information on foreign limited partners in the time when there has been no definition? The SI additionally introduces new provisions allowing for the rectification of the register through the removal of any inaccurate or misleading information from the register.”
“However, there was still the issue of overseas entities owning property in the UK to obscure their identities when concealing illicit funds or laundering money through UK property. The register was therefore introduced last year to provide a means by which overseas entities owning or buying property in the UK provide prescribed information to Companies House, specifically about their beneficial owners. The aim of the register is to increase transparency and deter crime; deter money laundering; preserve the integrity of the financial system; and require the same transparency of overseas entities as is required from UK companies. The SI makes certain technical changes to the operation of the register. First, as the Minister has outlined, it defines the meaning of “foreign limited partner”.”
“It took the devastating Russian invasion of Ukraine to force the Government into action. As a result, last year’s legislation to provide a basis for a register of overseas entities had to be rushed through on an expedited timetable, and questions remain about the effectiveness of the register in preventing economic crime. I turn to the specific measures in the SI. As the Minister noted, they amend the register of overseas entities created by the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022. In 2016, the UK implemented a register of beneficial ownership of UK companies called the “people with significant control” register, which provides information to Companies House about who holds significant control of UK companies.”
“In 2016, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron—that seems like a very long time ago—made what would turn out to be the first of many promises to introduce a register of overseas owners of UK property, saying that “foreign companies that already hold or want to buy property in the UK will be forced to reveal who really owns them”. Yet here we are, seven years later, finally taking the steps to implement the register. The SI defines the characteristics of a foreign limited partner and allows for the removal of incorrect or fraudulent information from the register, as well as making changes to protected information. The changes are common sense and, as the Minister will know from our previous debates, the Opposition will support them, but the changes are also long overdue.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Fovargue. I thank the Minister for his opening remarks, but the statutory instrument reflects the Government’s response to economic crime and corporate transparency. The Minister may or may not agree that it has been too slow and very reactive, but for years we have seen a blind eye turned to corruption and dirty money. The Foreign Affairs Committee stated in 2020 that the Government had allowed the UK to become a “laundromat” for dirty money, and estimates suggest that economic crime could cost our economy hundreds of billions of pounds a year.”
“The Minister has a track record in Parliament on this, but I think it is important to say that over the last seven years things have not been moving as quickly as they should have done. It is important to put on the record that various Committees in Parliament have raised this issue. We welcome things moving forward more quickly, but we have to keep our foot on the accelerator. That is extremely important.”
“It is not just the Opposition who are raising this issue. The Minister will know that many of the organisations with which he has worked in the past have also raised concerns about the threshold. I want to probe him on the threshold being 25%. It was not clear from his answer whether he was saying that any threshold, even a low one, would have people working around it. It feels fairly high for this purpose.”
“It is a disgrace that while energy prices rocket, huge delays to grid connections are holding back the supply of renewable energy to UK homes and businesses. Wind farms coming online today were approved when Gordon Brown was in power. Even now, energy companies are having to wait for 13 years, until 2036, for connections for some projects. How on earth did it get this bad? Is it not true that the Tories have taken their eye off the ball on the National Grid, and it is now costing British families and businesses dear?”
“Learning opportunities should be there for everyone everywhere, yet since 2010 almost 4 million fewer adults have taken part in learning, thus holding back their learning and economic potential and our country’s productivity. It has been a decade of decline, which we cannot afford to continue, so will the Secretary of State back Labour’s plans for a better skills system, working for people and businesses across the country, starting with the urgent reform of the apprenticeship levy, which she will have heard criticisms of, just as we have?”
“The Minister was right when he said that we need to stop people coming here by boat. Last night, Labour voted for the establishment of a cross-border police unit in the National Crime Agency to target the criminal gangs smuggling people across the channel. That measure would make a huge difference, in the short term and the long term, to the protection of our borders and to the welfare of migrants, so why on earth did the Government’s MPs vote against it?”
“And the petitioners remain, etc.] [P002819]”
“The petition states: “The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge Transport for London and Hounslow Council to review the safety of crossing at this junction to avoid further loss of life. And the Petitioners remain, etc.” Following is the full text of the petition: [The petition of residents of Heston, Declares that, following a tragic accident in which a Hounslow father, Terence Gillard, lost his life, the safety of the junction at the intersection of Jersey and Great West Road must be improved, notes that this junction is unsafe for pedestrians and more safety measures must be introduced as soon as possible. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge Transport for London and Hounslow Council to review the safety of crossing at this junction to avoid further loss of life.”
“I rise on behalf of residents of Heston to present this petition calling for urgent safety improvements to the Great West Road-Jersey Road junction following the tragic death of 84-year-old Heston resident Terence Gillard. Terence Gillard was a loving husband and father. He was also a much-loved pillar of the community and a generous man who supported everyone around him. He was hit by a car while crossing the A4 junction after posting a birthday card, and suffered serious injuries. He passed away seven days later. The petition, set up by his wife Chotti and son Arjun, to whom I pay tribute, calls for more safety measures for pedestrians and has been signed by 141 residents, while 734 people have supported a similar online petition. I am grateful to the my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) for her support.”
“They deserve greater legal protections than they currently receive. Multiple Ministers have promised us that change is coming, but that is not a message currently commanding the greatest of confidence. The Minister is likely to say that he is reviewing the whistleblowing framework and moving forward as soon as possible. That is an area on which we have common ground.”
“The National Crime Agency estimates that fraud costs the UK economy £190 billion each year, including £40 billion to the public sector. Between 43% and 47% of serious economic crimes are exposed by whistleblowers. The numbers show the huge scale of the issue, the huge role that whistleblowers play in exposing economic crime, and the impact they could have on our economy, if they were granted more protection under legislation. One example is the Danske Bank money laundering scheme, where criminals took advantage of UK limited liability partnerships. It was a whistleblower that exposed the $230 billion economic crime operation, halting a stream of Russian money laundering. That is why better protection of whistleblowers is so important—because, in so many cases, they are the first line of defence.”
“The importance of whistleblowing in upholding transparency in opaque institutions and exposing law-breaking cannot be underestimated, whether that is regarding sexual abuse scandals, Grenfell, economic and financial crime, financial institutions, the police, Government Departments, sporting organisations, religious institutions or large multinational corporations—the list goes on. In every single one, at some point, whistleblowers have been responsible, sometimes solely, for drawing attention to wrongdoing and for bringing justice. I reiterate the comments of the hon. Member for Cheadle on economic crime, an area in which I worked closely with the Minister, on the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.”
“The right hon. Lady called for clarity and, perhaps, more urgency on the Government’s next steps. I acknowledge and support the arguments made by colleagues and the connection with the harrowing Casey report that is out this week and is very much a part of all our lives, particularly those of us who are London Members of Parliament. I also thank the hon. Member for Erewash for chairing roundtables at some of the events this week. SNP colleagues have also been supportive, not just today but during the ongoing debates on the issue.”
“Most importantly, as I am sure the whole House and all who are present will agree, those in most need of our thanks this week are the whistleblowers themselves, for the extraordinary risks they take and the great sacrifices they make to uphold justice, transparency and accountability, in this country and internationally. It is clear from the contributions today that that sentiment is felt across the House. The hon. Member for Cheadle laid out some of the new insights that were shared at roundtables this week and spoke about the misuse of non-disclosure agreements. There were also important contributions from the hon. Members for Bury North (James Daly) and for Erewash (Maggie Throup) and the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), who has her very own constituency connection to the passing of PIDA 25 years ago.”
“I thank WhistleblowersUK for its relentless advocacy in this space. I encourage everyone to be involved as much as possible in any remaining programmes and activity this week. I am sure that Whistleblowing Awareness Week will be an annual event; it is vital to keep a focus on the issue and keep Parliament’s mind focused on not just legislation, but perhaps how well that new legislation could be working. It was a pleasure to speak alongside WhistleblowersUK chief executive Georgina Halford-Hall at the start of the week, with the Minister also present at the event.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms McDonagh, and to speak on this important issue during the first Whistleblowing Awareness Week, which was launched in Parliament on Monday. I am pleased to add my voice to calls for organisations to change and for people to have the courage to come forward. There should be no fear or cover-up in organisations, and we need to look at how we change the law to enable and support that. I congratulate the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mary Robinson) on securing the debate. There is no greater champion in Parliament for the protection of whistle- blowers. We now also have colleagues in the Lords, whom we have mentioned today, who are taking forward the call for stronger legislation. I support the hon. Lady’s argument that UK standards should also be global standards.”
“Member for Cheadle— “so correctly highlighted.” —[Official Report, 25 January 2023; Vol. 726, c. 1094.] So I ask the Minister: what progress have the Government made in carrying out that latest commitment? I seek assurances from the Minister that action is on its way—not just a commitment to having a review, but genuine action. I look forward to his response and hope that the Government will get a grip of what is an important issue and make sure that there is support for whistleblowers and for the sacrifices that they make every day to uphold justice and transparency.”
“Meanwhile, the United States, which has an Office of the Whistleblower, met 16, and that office received 12,300 disclosures in 2022, nearly double the number of 2020. The Labour Front Bench will join cross-party calls in Parliament to increase protections for whistleblowers at a time when it could not be needed more. I hope the Government will say more today about the steps that they will take. I note that during the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill through the Commons the Security Minister said he agreed with the need for an office of the whistleblower. His exact words were: “what the country needs is an office for whistleblowers, and what we need to do is ensure that we have the updates to the legislation that she”— the hon.”
“The office would protect whistleblowers from detriment, ensure that disclosures by whistleblowers are investigated, and escalate information and evidence of wrongdoing outside of its remit to another appropriate authority. The objectives of the office would be to encourage and support people to make whistleblowing reports, to provide an independent, confidential and safe environment for making and receiving whistleblowing information, to provide information and advice on whistleblowing, and to act on evidence of detriment. As the hon. Member for Cheadle raised on Report, there is evidence that an office of whistleblowers incentivises and increases disclosures. In 2020 the International Bar Association tested countries with whistleblowing legislation against a list of 20 best practices. The UK met just five.”
“Member for Cheadle, highlights in its recent report, “Whistleblowers in general remain the subject of suspicion and scepticism and while organisations and official bodies sing the merits of whistleblowing and parade policies and procedures the lived experience of whistleblowers remains poor.” It is clear that much more needs to be done if we are to adequately protect whistleblowers and ensure greater transparency in our public and private institutions. That is why during the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill through the Commons, both in Committee and on Report, the Labour party supported the amendment tabled by the hon. Member for Cheadle, which would have established an office of the whistleblower. That happens in the United States, so why not here?”
“The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, which was referred to in the debate, was initially celebrated as groundbreaking. Now, only 4% of people who bring claims under its provisions succeed. There are arguments that it effectively discourages whistleblowing, and there are questions now about its scope. Independent data shows an overall decline in whistleblower reports across the public and private sectors, and reports of harassment against those threatening to whistleblow are increasing. That is utterly unacceptable. Last year the International Bar Association, as has been mentioned, conducted the first review of its kind to assess countries with whistleblower legislation against compliance with international best practice. The UK ranked only 12th out of 16 countries. As the APPG for whistleblowing, chaired by the hon.”
“The hon. Member raises a significant point, which I alluded to in my comments on the speech by the hon. Member for Cheadle. This issue needs serious leadership, commitment and accountability for change. The debates we have had in Parliament on the Casey report are some examples. Transparency and accountability at the very top really do matter. When the Government bring forward measures, this is an area on which we will have common ground. The Minister knows we will support the Government on those measures, but I hope he will also understand that we want to see measures brought forward more quickly than is apparent at the moment—perhaps he will speak to that that in his remarks—because whistleblowers are being let down by inaction.”
“Our great British businesses are being let down by 13 years of Tory failure, with little to help but sticking-plaster policies. The Minister may not be aware, but insolvency numbers are at their highest level in four years, which is perhaps no surprise when we look at this Government’s record on small businesses, with Help to Grow: Digital ditched, energy bill support slashed and business investment the lowest in the G7. It is no wonder that the Federation of Small Businesses says that the Budget has left many businesses feeling “short-changed”. It is clear that for this Tory Government, small businesses are an afterthought, so will the Minister follow where Labour leads—reform business rates, boost skills, make Brexit work and make Britain the best place to start and grow a business?”
“This week, a ban was lifted to allow Israeli citizens back into the sites of four settlements in the occupied west bank. The UK must stand firm against any steps towards annexation. What concerns has the Minister raised about the legality of settlement expansion under international law and its impact on the viability of a two-state solution? Will further calls for action be made by the Government when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the UK?”
“I want to put on record my thanks to Baroness Casey for her report, but it has reached the damning verdict that London’s women and children have been left even further behind. The report states: “The de-prioritisation and de-specialisation of public protection has put women and children at greater risk than necessary. Despite some outstanding, experienced senior officers, an overworked, inexperienced workforce polices child protection, rape and serious sexual offences.” Her report recommends specialist units to deal with violence against women and girls, and it is clear that this must happen across the country. Will the Home Secretary today back Labour’s plans to introduce 999 specialist call handlers for domestic abuse and specialist rape units in every police force, or bring forward her own urgent plans to do so?”
“This is the natural end result of what happens when a Government spend 13 years hollowing out public services and not investing in workers and businesses, and of having a tired Government who have run out of ideas.”
“However, the scheme’s own impact assessment says that the impact of the scheme for small businesses is “negligible”. The latest data released from the scheme shows that 0.4% of all installations in the scheme have been for SMEs. So the evidence is clear: the Government are simply not serious about helping SMEs transition to net zero or about supporting them at all. If the Government were serious about supporting small businesses, they would back Labour’s plan to help Britain become a clean energy superpower by 2030 and provide £0.7 billion in “help to green” grants for SMEs. The lack of a long-term shift in the Chancellor’s statement has left us with the usual sticking-plaster politics.”
“The Federation of Small Businesses has said today: “The distinct lack of new support in core areas proves that small firms are overlooked and undervalued.” The latest ONS data available show that business deaths have outweighed business births for seven consecutive quarters. Even schemes set up by the Government to help small businesses grow are falling short. The Government’s Help to Grow: Digital programme was billed as their flagship small business productivity policy, but after a year of its running, the Government pulled the plug in February because of low take-up. When I recently asked the Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, what programmes were available for SMEs looking to transition to net zero, he cited the boiler upgrade programme.”
“However, the steps announced today are yet again a poor imitation of where Labour has been, and it has taken the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to say: “There is little…that enables the UK to compete with the massive packages of support to power a green transition that are available elsewhere.” Small businesses should also be part of the transition to a green economy. Roundtables I am doing with small businesses across the country have shown how much they need to be central to our plans for growth. However, all we seem to see from the Government is a record of failure and a lack of ambition.”
“This Budget falls way short of the wider plan for green growth that our businesses and communities have also been calling for. The Chancellor announced a £20 billion investment over two decades to create carbon capture technologies, but, as ever, this is yet another poor imitation of Labour policy. There has not been nearly enough of such policies. Last September, over 200 leading businesses and financial institutions wrote to the then Prime Minister, saying that they were committed to protecting and restoring nature and delivering a net zero economy in support of the UK’s targets, with delivery mechanisms strengthened across the whole of Government.”
“We needed to see a strong, serious industrial policy framework for the long term that businesses could trust and that could bring clarity, consistency, stability and certainty, which are even more necessary in the uncertain world that we face. Today’s Budget did not even come close, however, which is not surprising as the Government have spent the last few years watering down their industrial strategy and hoping that nobody will notice. The only E here was for everything but a serious plan. What a contrast that is with Labour’s clear strategic missions and priorities for the British economy and our goal of securing the highest sustained growth in the G7. What we have seen today is little more than tinkering around the edges, more sticking-plaster politics and more attempts at short-term fixes, with a handout for the richest 1% slipped in.”
“The investment that businesses undertake to develop products and services, increase productivity, and create jobs is the most crucial ingredient. The challenge that we have in the UK is that business investment has been lagging for years because of 13 years of Tory failure. That was a problem before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and makes it much harder for us to recover from those shocks. It is a consequence of the low-growth, low-productivity and high-tax economy that the Government have created. The continual chopping and changing of Government policies and priorities has made our economy less stable and has contributed to falling living standards, falling business confidence and falling consumer confidence. In that context, let me speak to today’s Budget—what a missed opportunity.”
“There is good progress on childcare, prepayment meters and supporting the over-50s back to work, but all that is playing catch-up with where Labour has been. My starting point is optimism and ambition for what Britain can become, and how we can rebuild our economy and restore our reputation for trust around the world after the devastating damage particularly done by September’s mini-Budget. That needs a serious plan for stability and growth, however, that commands confidence and makes Britain the best place to invest and to start or grow a business. We know that it is the Government working in partnership with industry that will help British businesses to thrive, grow and invest if we are ever to achieve any of our goals, whether they are making all parts of the country better off or getting on track for net zero.”
“The first test for the Budget was whether people would be better or worse off as a result. The Chancellor has failed that first test, because the OBR’s forecast and analysis delivers a damning verdict. In its executive summary, it says that real household income is due to fall by 5.7% in the next two years, which is “the largest two-year fall since records began in 1956-57”, with living standards lower than pre-pandemic levels even up to 2027-28. There was no mention of support for mortgage prisoners and the Chancellor missed the chance to end non-dom tax status, which could have helped to fund an expansion of the NHS workforce. His pledge for potholes is all very well, except that the highways maintenance budget was cut in 2021 by £400 million, which would have been enough to fill 8 million potholes.”
“I finish by urging the Minister to follow Labour’s lead and to match our ambitions to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030 and secure our energy security once and for all.”
“I would be grateful if the Minister commented on that. At a time of crisis in our energy supply and in tackling climate change, I am sure that balancing all these considerations will be at the top of his mind as well. In conclusion, while the Bill clearly has positive intentions, I must question whether it is necessary to bring it forward in the way that is currently intended. None the less, the work of the taskforce will be important. It does not need me to say this, but the Government have failed on a multitude of fronts to get to grips with energy security and in tackling the climate crisis. I do hope that there will be ways that we can move forward in the interests of our nation to look at the speed of how we decarbonise our economy, and of how we ensure that we realise the opportunities and ambitions of the nation in going green.”