"Would the Minister explain how the quality and academic rigour of these courses will be evaluated? Has there been an opportunity for pilot programmes? I know some concern has been expressed in various sectors about that...." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"Where these courses have been offered, has there been any change in access, for different socioeconomic groups in particular?..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"I worked for 10 years at the University of Liverpool, and I spent my summers prepping new courses, reading and writing articles. We were compelled to do that to make sure we had the appropriate ranking—it was the research assessment exercise at the time. It would have been absolutely impossible …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"24. It is almost a year since Carillion collapsed, leaving losses to small business supply chains of more than £2 billion. My constituent, Neil Skinner, was among those affected. Will the Minister and the Government support my ten-minute rule Bill, which is coming to the House next week and would …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"Thank you for calling me to speak, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is always a pleasure to see you in the Chair.
I am pleased to have been able to secure this very important debate on a matter that affects so many of my constituents and their families. Working at Shop …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"Absolutely. The irony is not lost on me, and I will come on to that.
What was so disappointing was the failure of Shop Direct to engage with anyone. As Shop Direct directors revealed on the morning of this announcement, this move has been planned for more than 18 months, …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
Shop Direct was created from the merger of the mail order and retail companies Littlewoods and Great Universal Stores, and the sites affected in Shaw, Little Hulton and Raven are the last remaining fulfilment sites in the north-west region. The company has been providing …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"Absolutely; my hon. Friend has hit the nail on the head. This is a thriving business, and the callous disregard with which the workers have been treated is absolutely shameful. My hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Middleton pointed to the fact that this business was named employer of …..." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech
"My hon. Friend makes a very valid point, and this needs to be explored. Again, I was struck by the lack of awareness among the directors we met about that situation, which really needs to be given considerably more thought.
"My specific point about Shop Direct is that we need BEIS support—Government support—to ensure that, if it does ultimately leave the sites in Greater Manchester, alternative employment will be brought in. Just saying that it is the responsibility of the employees to reskill and retrain is not good enough...." Debbie Abrahams - View Speech