Alan Mak
MP for Havant · Conservative · United Kingdom
“Hayling Island coastguard rescue team provide a vital service in my south-coast constituency. They fear that the MCA’s proposal will have a massively detrimental effect on local recruitment and retention, particularly from the island. How will the Minister ensure that CROs are properly consulted?”
“A recent industry survey revealed that 62% of VCT founders are scaling back growth plans, 45% are cutting headcounts, and 25% are leaving the country. Will the Government reverse the Chancellor’s plans to cut this relief, or will her legacy for Britain’s tech sector be lower growth, fewer jobs and lasting damage?”
“My hon. Friend and constituency neighbour knows that the last Conservative Government created the coastal communities fund, which supported Hayling Island in my Havant constituency. Under the current Administration, there is not a specific equivalent fund to support employment, hospitality or the business community.”
“Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Halifax and Lloyds have all closed, leaving just one building society branch—Nationwide—in Havant town centre. I have worked with residents, Ministers and Link over several years to secure a new banking hub for our community, and it is due to open in the coming weeks.”
“In fact, the Bill is about making sure that progress works for everyone, because we cannot allow a two-tier system to emerge, with one for those who can navigate apps and algorithms and another for those who cannot. I welcome the constructive engagement that I have had with the Treasury and the City Minister on this issue.”
“They are still travelling miles, still struggling to speak to someone, and still left without the support that they need. This is not a failure of the idea; it is a gap in its design, which this Bill would resolve.”
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“On the non-clinical side, reservist roles could include drivers, electricians, logistics specialists, IT experts and communications professionals, and could also include and formalise the many hundreds of other non-clinical tasks that hospital volunteers currently carry out daily across our country. Every year, around 75,000 clinical staff leave the NHS. They are people with relevant skills who could help at times of national or local emergency. Therefore, the NHS reserves would also offer a route for experienced staff to continue helping the health service after stepping down from paid employment.”
“Therefore, every NHS reservist would receive appropriate training, and anyone working in a clinical discipline would be vetted and have to maintain the same up-to-date qualifications as their full-time colleagues. Professional bodies such as the General Medical Council, and charities such as St John Ambulance, would play a key role in that, given their expertise. In practical terms, reservists in clinical disciplines could support or perform a range of roles, such as vaccinators, therapists, triage nurses or telemedicine providers, or help with continuing healthcare. They could also provide general cover in non-specialist clinical roles if private sector staff supply agencies, locums or staff banks were not available to help at short notice.”
“The Fire and Rescue Service has its well-known system of retained firefighters who respond to emergencies around the clock. In fact, the NHS is the only one of our major emergency services not to have a formal national reservist structure. The new NHS reserves that I propose would change that for the better, embodying many of the characteristics that have made our other reserve services so successful. Every NHS reservist would wear the same uniform and have the same equal status as their regular health service counterparts. That would strengthen their role in hospitals and clinical settings, and give confidence to patients and staff. Rightly, when it comes to healthcare, patients expect the very best treatments and the highest standards from our NHS.”
“The House will know that our country already has a proud history of exceptional reserve services. They are founded on dedicated and skilled people who, often at a moment’s notice, rush to the scene of an emergency, give up their spare time to serve their community, or bravely defend our country. Those reservists are the very best of us. For example, the armed forces reserves not only contributed large deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, but provided around 15% of all the military personnel who made the London 2012 Olympics such a resounding success. The Police Special Constabulary is made up of more than 10,000 fully trained volunteers who work alongside full-time officers with the same uniform and equivalent powers.”
“To achieve those goals, we should create the NHS reserves—a new, but recognisable and trusted, NHS brand that will fit effectively into the existing NHS family. The NHS reserves will be a new uniformed standing reserve of clinical and non-clinical volunteers, who can be called up to support our hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies and other healthcare providers whenever more help is needed. That might be during public health emergencies, seasonal increases in demand, or critical incidents such as terrorist attacks or major accidents. The NHS reserves brand will also help to formalise and give greater status and recognition to the many existing health service volunteers, and provide a way to retain and use the skills of recently departed or retired staff.”
“There are thought to be around 80,000 volunteers across all acute trusts in England, contributing more than 13 million hours of volunteering every year. The true figures are likely to be much higher. Those dedicated individuals carry out hundreds of roles, including volunteering on wards, providing administrative support, fundraising, organising patient participation groups, helping patients to find their way around hospitals, supporting relatives of the sick and picking up medicines from pharmacies. One lesson we must learn from the coronavirus outbreak, and an opportunity we must seize, is ensuring that we retain the skills, experience and commitments of both our existing base of volunteers, and those people who have come forward since the pandemic began.”
“As the coronavirus outbreak grew, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care issued his clarion call for volunteers to help the NHS, and the public responded with great energy and in huge numbers. More than 750,000 people, from all walks of life, signed up to become NHS volunteer responders. As of today, they have collectively completed more than 1 million tasks, from shopping and collecting prescriptions, to driving people to hospital and telephone befriending them. I am sure the whole House will join me in thanking everybody who came forward to support their friends, colleagues, neighbours, family and communities since the outbreak began. Those selfless people build on a strong tradition of volunteering that has existed in the health service for many decades.”
“I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to establish a system of reserve National Health Service staff; and for connected purposes. The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge that our health service has faced since its creation 70 years ago. Our inspirational doctors, nurses, paramedics, and clinicians of all disciplines have risen to that challenge, alongside our NHS leaders and non-clinical staff across the country. Those include Mark Cubbon and his team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, and Dr Raj Laly, a GP from my constituency of Havant, who also both contributed to the research for this Bill. Supplementing that immense effort is an army of volunteers, operating on a scale not seen in this country since perhaps the Women’s Land Army of the second world war.”
“My constituency, like my hon. Friend’s, contains areas of high urbanisation as well as areas of environmental sensitivity. Does he agree that those factors should be taken into account in the final algorithm the Government are currently consulting on?”
“As its honorary vice-president, I know that, like other non-league clubs, Havant and Waterlooville Football Club relies on match-day income for its financial sustainability. What steps is my hon. Friend taking to allow non-league football fans safely back into stadiums as soon as possible, and what action is there to help them financially in the meantime?”
“Captain Tom Moore’s fundraising was an inspiration to us all, reflecting the public’s continued strong support for our veterans. What additional welfare support is my hon. Friend’s Department providing to veterans in Havant and across the country to help them to access vital services and to find work?”
“From growing our food and producing renewable energy to managing our environment and setting higher welfare standards, British farmers lead the world in so many ways. On Back British Farming Day, will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking the farmers in Havant and across the country for the contribution they make to our country, our national security and our prosperity?”
“British entrepreneurs are at the cutting edge of developing technology medicines—from apps to medical devices—in the fight against coronavirus. What support is my hon. Friend giving to our health tech start-ups to access overseas markets where British innovation can help to save lives?”
“Britain’s new Advanced Research Projects Agency is vital to securing our status as a science and technology superpower, particularly as we recover from coronavirus. Will my right hon. Friend commit to protecting its funding and its independence, so that there are no obstacles to delivering transformational breakthroughs from clean energy to new vaccines?”
“What steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who cannot work at home are able to work safely at their place of work during the covid-19 outbreak.”
“Trade bodies play a key role in helping businesses to comply with coronavirus workplace safety measures. What engagement has my hon. Friend had with the major trade bodies to keep workers safe?”
“Prison officers, including those from Havant, are working on the frontline to tackle covid-19 on the prison estate. Can my right hon. and learned Friend assure me that they have the right protective clothing and equipment to keep them safe?”
“I thank the Secretary of State for his answer. The development of British apps such as the covid symptom tracker could hold the key to ensuring that life returns to normal. What support is he giving the British tech sector to develop similar apps that could aid our economic recovery?”
“Nuclear fusion and cleantech are key drivers of the fourth industrial revolution that will help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the whole country this decade. Will my hon. Friend ensure that the COP26 summit is used to showcase our country’s green entrepreneurs?”
“My constituency includes a number of semi-rural, coastal and isolated communities, where information on as local a basis as possible will be needed, not just the national picture. Can my right hon. Friend provide me with the relevant departmental and Public Health England contacts so that I can obtain this information in real time?”
“For more than a decade, I have worked with the charity Magic Breakfast to open school breakfast clubs across the country in order to improve the life chances of our young people. What support can my hon. Friend give to expand that breakfast club programme so that it reaches even more young people?”
“Q14. This year, we mark the 75th anniversaries of VE-day and VJ-day. As we honour those who have served our country, will my right hon. Friend outline how his new Office for Veterans Affairs is giving our veterans and their families the support they deserve?”
“The link between investment in research and development and increased productivity is well recognised. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to encourage more private sector investment in R&D to help Britain become a leader in the fourth industrial revolution?”
“I welcome the phasing out of outdated technologies, such as fax machines, in the NHS. As the switch-off date approaches, what steps is NHS England taking to ensure that patient records can be transferred electronically between primary and secondary healthcare providers?”
“Children from disadvantaged backgrounds in my Havant constituency benefit from the national school breakfast programme. What support is my right hon. Friend giving to that programme to expand it so it reaches more children?”
“Hampshire’s local resilience forum is playing a key role in preparations for Brexit. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that it has the right resources and support to make a success of those preparations?”
“This big boost in funding will allow us to invest strategically in cutting-edge science, while encouraging the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs and businesses to invest in the UK, but this country also needs to go further. The Queen’s Speech sets out a path to 2.4% of GDP, but the world leaders, such as South Korea and Israel, reach 3% of GDP and we must match them in time. The Government also announced today that the UK will accelerate efforts to realise fusion energy through investment in a new UK fusion reactor design programme, which aims to deliver the world’s first commercially viable fusion power plant by 2040. I have visited First Light Fusion, a company in Oxfordshire that is doing incredibly exciting and important work in this field.”
“The Queen’s Speech sets out plans significantly to increase public R&D funding, providing a framework that gives long-term certainty to our science community. The Government have already increased public spending on R&D by £7 billion over five years—the biggest ever increase in public R&D funding—which is welcome, because R&D is vital to creating a productive economy. The productivity of firms that invest in R&D is around 13% higher than those that do not, so R&D investment is key to our future. The plans in this Queen’s Speech will help to accelerate the UK’s position in the world and to reach the target of spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027.”
“Those technologies are already transforming our society and our economy, and the Queen’s Speech takes that agenda forward. Speaking as the founder and chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on the fourth industrial revolution, it is important for the House to know that there is an exciting agenda beyond Brexit, supported by the Government, to ensure that prosperity and the advantages of technology are spread to communities across the country. I therefore welcome the commitment to make the UK a global science and technology powerhouse after Brexit, making us a magnet for talented innovators, inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and businesses from around the world, encouraging them to come to this country to invent, manufacture, design and export.”
“The Bill follows a trend of innovation and the adoption of innovation started by my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) and continued by the current Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, because ensuring that our health services are on a proper, strong footing when it comes to technology is incredibly important. All the measures that I have mentioned help to tackle some of the challenges we face today in our public services, in our economy and in delivering Brexit. However, I also support the Queen’s Speech because it is forward looking, helping the UK to stay prosperous and competitive after Brexit, particularly by seizing the opportunities offered by science and technology, artificial intelligence, big data, precision medicine, robotics and machine learning.”
“Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) rightly said, will enshrine in law important measures to cut air pollution, to reduce plastic usage, and to improve the quality of our water. I am pleased that the Domestic Abuse Bill was carried over from the previous Session. Charities such as Stop Domestic Abuse in Havant do important work in this field, and the new Bill will help them. The police covenant is also being put into law, rightly recognising the bravery and commitment of our police. When I went out with a local response unit in Havant, it was humbling to see the commitment and hard work that they put in day in and day out to keep our communities safe. On an extremely positive note, I was pleased to see the medicines and medical devices Bill, which will give the NHS access to the most innovative medicines.”
“As this new Session begins with a new Government and a relatively new Prime Minister, it is important to re-emphasise that investment in technology and science is how this country will secure its prosperity and security after we deliver Brexit. Contrary to the right hon. Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), I think that the Queen’s Speech looks to the future and offers something for communities across the whole country. Looking at Brexit specifically, the seven pieces of legislation in the Queen’s Speech will create a new regulatory framework for agriculture, fisheries and financial services, and it is right that this Queen’s Speech gets our statute book ready for Brexit. I welcome the new environment Bill, which, as my hon.”
“It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bradford South (Judith Cummins). I rise to welcome today’s Queen’s Speech because it lays the foundations for delivering Brexit and ending some of the uncertainty that has affected our country over the past three years. Speaking as a Member who voted to trigger article 50 and against delays, that is what the country needs. The Queen’s Speech also outlines investment in the public services that my residents in Havant rely on—our police, our schools and our health service—which is why I am pleased to support it today. I congratulate my hon. Friends the Members for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley) and for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton) on moving and seconding the Loyal Address eloquently and powerfully.”
“My hon. and gallant Friend is right that 2.4% is a huge investment, but it is welcome that the Government are investing so much in this area. I hope the defence budget will increase to the same level.”
“The grand challenges and the Government’s industrial strategy, to which I had the privilege of contributing in a small way when I was at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, are already helping the country to secure our position in the world, but this Queen’s Speech takes us even further and faster, which is why I will be pleased to support it in the Lobby next week.”
“My Havant constituency is already leading the way in this area, with firms such as Lockheed Martin doing excellent work. This Queen’s Speech will help our world-leading science and technology base to grow even further. Science and technology will be the foundation of our prosperity after Brexit, and it will help us to tackle some of the big challenges facing society, such as ending the UK’s contribution to climate change, managing the adoption and adaptation of fourth industrial revolution technologies, transforming our transport systems and tackling the challenges associated with an ageing population.”
“Returning to the Queen’s Speech, not only is there an increase in public investment in R&D but there is a commitment to fusion energy, which holds the possibility of driving forward our energy market and our energy capabilities in the years ahead. As I mentioned, First Light Fusion in Oxfordshire is doing exciting and interesting work, and I hope it succeeds. The Queen’s Speech also establishes a new space council and launches a comprehensive space strategy. Our space capabilities are increasingly central to our day-to-day lives, whether civilian or military. These important capabilities underpin a range of technologies, from smartphones to navigational devices, so this new national space council and space strategy will help us to lead the way in creating high-value, high-skilled, high-wage jobs across the country.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. In fact, every £1 of public expenditure on R&D typically leverages around £1.40 of additional private sector investment, so it is a powerful tool. If the Government can turbocharge and accelerate investment in R&D, the private sector will follow. To answer my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Beckenham (Bob Stewart), I very much hope the defence budget will also increase in time. There have been significant advances in defence technology, and the Ministry of Defence has led the way in helping small and medium-sized enterprises and incubators to develop products for the defence sector. I hope that increases in the future, as it has been a good model in America and other NATO allies for ensuring their armed forces have access to the latest technology. I hope our armed forces do that, too.”
“High-value manufacturing and engineering are key to our economy, including in my constituency. Will my hon. Friend assure me that as we develop our independent trade policy he will take action to ensure our vital industries are protected from unfair trading practices?”
“Chambers of commerce and transatlantic trade bodies play a key role in shaping trade policy, including on the other side of the Atlantic. What engagement has my hon. Friend had with those bodies to open up trade and markets for our exports?”
“I thank the Secretary of State for the support he has given to Thomas Cook employees in my constituency. Can he reassure me that British officials at embassies and missions around the world are also working hard to provide support where needed?”
“I congratulate the Prime Minister on his election. Britain is establishing itself as a world leader in the new technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. Will he support our small businesses and start-ups that create the wealth that funds our public services?”
“I welcome my right hon. Friend’s efforts to secure the COP 26 summit for Britain. If he succeeds, how will he ensure that schools in Havant and across the country can contribute to the summit, given the importance of climate change to the next generation?”
“T10. I welcome the successful trial of the new NHS app. How does the Department plan to use APIs to allow third-party developers to improve the app for patients?”
“My hon. Friend is making a persuasive speech. This issue is important in my Havant constituency, as it is in the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), who is sitting next to me. Does my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully) agree that while we praise the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, we should also commend it for the research into the condition that it does itself? I urge hon. Members from across the House to support any bids for funding that it makes to the NHS or other funding bodies so it can continue its important work in this field.”
“Drug dealing and violence across county lines involving young people is a growing issue in my region. What support is my right hon. Friend giving Hampshire police to tackle this issue and help our young people?”
“T9. Having worked with his predecessor, it is clear to me that new technology in prisons can help with rehabilitation, so what plans does my hon. and learned Friend have in this area?”
“Will my hon. Friend ensure that digital and IT skills play a role in the early years curriculum to ensure that our young people encounter early on the technologies that they will need to become familiar with as they progress through school?”
“In the absence of Ministers at Stormont, how has my right hon. Friend engaged with public authorities and local authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure political stability and good governance?”
“The Commonwealth is one of the driving forces of UK soft power around the world. What plans does my right hon. Friend’s Department have in place to capitalise on these relationships to improve our power and security?”