To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Salisbury
Wednesday 20th February 2019

Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps are being taken as part of the long-term programme that has been developed to reposition Salisbury after the Novichok attack last year; and what the objectives of that programme are.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The Department is supporting the aspiration of Wiltshire Council to move the narrative away from the incidents and decontamination activity and look to the future for the city and South Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council are in the early stages of developing a longer-term strategy to further promote recovery and ensure the sustainability of growth in Salisbury and South Wiltshire. Visitor numbers need to be supported to increase to pre-incident levels and wider support and investment in Salisbury and across South Wiltshire is needed to ensure the area retains its status an attractive location for tourists, businesses and investors.

The strategy will focus on local community and wellbeing; economy and regeneration; infrastructure, tourism and culture, with key elements expected to help inform the wider Swindon and Wiltshire Local Industrial Strategy which will be published by March 2020.

Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Salisbury
Tuesday 19th February 2019

Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the criteria were for the Government decision to allocate the city of Salisbury a ministerial champion in his Department.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The unprecedented nerve agent attack in Salisbury and subsequent incident in Amesbury was an act of aggression on UK soil, with the hazardous agent involved resulting in the contamination of multiple sites across Salisbury and Amesbury and the tragic death of Dawn Sturgess.

The attack has resulted in an estimated loss of over 1 million visits to Salisbury which is a key tourist attraction in the region, and a potential loss to the local economy of £56 million. With the imminent completion of decontamination activity, the Department has agreed with Defra, Cabinet Office and other key partners that the focus should now move towards building confidence and long-term economic recovery.

In recognition of these unprecedented events, my noble Friend the rt. hon. the Lord Henley in his role as Local Growth Champion for Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which includes the boundaries of Salisbury and Amesbury has agreed to act as the ongoing single Ministerial point of contact within Government for the leaders of Wilshire Council so that they may continue to raise any legacy issues arising at a political level.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Jun 2018
Leaving the EU: Airbus Risk Assessment

"Unlike the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), my constituent Kyle Robinson, a Unite shop steward, works at Broughton every day. He wrote to me this weekend to say that the current situation for him and the families I represent is potentially catastrophic. Will the Secretary of …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Leaving the EU: Airbus Risk Assessment
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 22 May 2018
UK Automotive Industry: Job Losses

"I congratulate my hon. Friend on getting this crucial debate. Given the numbers that he mentions, does he think we ought to return to the subject of the last debate we had here—business rates? The car industry needs a shot in the arm; is it not time that the Government …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: UK Automotive Industry: Job Losses
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 20 Mar 2018
Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port

"rose—..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 20 Mar 2018
Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port

"All red-headed women are actually the same, Mr Rosindell, so do not worry.

Is my hon. Friend aware that I went to see Treasury Ministers well over a year ago about the business rates problem in car manufacturing, but they were simply unable to do anything? Does he agree that …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 20 Mar 2018
Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port

"I thank the Minister for giving way. Is he saying that, given that the automotive industry was used as such an “exemplar”, the kind of arrangements agreed for the period of transition are those that we can expect to help the automotive sector in perpetuity?..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Vauxhall Factory, Ellesmere Port
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 28 Nov 2017
Budget Resolutions

"I have been in this House slightly longer than my hon. Friend, so I saw the former Chancellor, George Osborne, having to U-turn on his deficit reduction plan. He failed to meet every one of his debt targets. Labour kept debt at 40% of GDP, and now it is 80% …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Budget Resolutions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 28 Nov 2017
Budget Resolutions

"Apart from failing to address the inequality for the WASPI women, last week’s Budget failed the central test; it should have taken this on. Our economy faces the incredible challenge of Brexit and last week, the Chancellor should have come to the Dispatch Box, been honest with the country and …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Budget Resolutions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 27 Nov 2017
Industrial Strategy

"The Secretary of State answered my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) elegantly, but all he really did was restate the premise of her question, so let me give him another chance. Page 202 of the White Paper refers to a

“programme that will target areas where …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Industrial Strategy