James Naish

I thank you, Dr Huq, and all Members for their contributions. It came as no surprise to me that this was effectively a debate of two halves. On the one hand, we heard about the positives. The hon. Member for Brigg and Immingham (Martin Vickers) talked about the east midlands having the largest port in the country. The hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) reminded us of that fantastic football result in 2015-16, which is probably still the east midlands’ greatest achievement. My hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Baggy Shanker) talked about the Government’s commitment to nuclear and engineering capability. My hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Adam Thompson) talked about an industrial presence, and it was good to hear about jobs returning to his area. The truth is, however, that the east midlands is building back from years of under-investment. My constituency neighbour, the right hon. Member for Melton and Syston (Edward Argar), mentioned the need for flooding investment and better local government funding. My hon. Friend the Member for North West Leicestershire (Amanda Hack) talked about the fragmentation of strategic and industrial leadership. Many Members mentioned the lack of rail connections, which are so important for boosting our economy, and my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) talked about the need for reliable public transport. I know she, and all of us here, will be seeking to work closely with our relevant local authorities and strategic leadership to make sure that is delivered for our constituents. My hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) was absolutely right to talk about the importance of leading with public sector investment—not relying on the private sector, but moving forward with the public sector. That is what I hope our Government will be doing, and I believe they are seeking to do that, but we must put our foot on the accelerator when it comes to the east midlands because we are starting a long way behind other regions of the country. I am sure we will continue to work across the House to promote the east midlands. With that in mind, I will invite all Members to room W2 at 11 o’clock so that we can quickly reconstitute the APPG for the east midlands and continue this work over the next 12 months. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered productivity and economic growth in the East Midlands.