"HSBC has shut its branch in Masham and is now doing the same in Pateley Bridge, deep in the Yorkshire dales, in one of the most rural counties in England. In discussions with senior bank executives, will my right hon. Friend make the case for rural areas, lest we get …..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"The number of apprenticeships in Skipton and Ripon, and in Yorkshire more generally, has doubled. Will my hon. Friend confirm that under this Government, work will be the focus of apprenticeships, in contrast to the classroom-based programme apprenticeships that we saw under the previous Administration?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"May I congratulate the Minister on his excellent reforms and urge him to push forward with all the efforts that he is making to attract foreign students to the UK?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"Will the Secretary of State confirm that he will not be swayed from his obsessive, relentless, brilliant and, frankly, ballsy approach to preparing British children for the fire and fury of the global competitive race?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"Has my hon. Friend come to any conclusion about why the Labour party failed so dismally to achieve better results on this issue in its 13 years in government?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"I refer Members to my declaration in the register of Members’ interests.
This really is a dodgy dossier of an EU proposal. The reason given for the proposal on page 3 is that it will ease the functioning of the single market, but on page 9 it states that it …..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"I think it will help, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s work on this issue since entering the House.
Transparency is putting pressure on companies to change. The Association of British Insurers and the National Association of Pension Funds are now reporting the number of women on boards …..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"What measures is the sizzling science and higher education Minister putting in place to ensure that applicants to universities have the very best information on the outcomes of their courses?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"Does the Minister agree that there is much more scope for whistleblowing in this country, given the number of whistleblowers in America and the incentives that they are given to come forward? Does she agree that there may be more work for the Government to do in future months?..." Julian Smith - View Speech
"I am heartened by these amendments, because one of my concerns in Committee was that this process with ACAS could become far too formal. It is really important that as this early conciliation develops we make it as informal as possible...." Julian Smith - View Speech