Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Keir Starmer and Jonathan Davies

Wednesday 4th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Member will have heard me set out what we did by way of pre-deployment, working in conjunction with and liaising with the US. So he understands the context in which those pre-deployments were put in place, and I think they speak for themselves as to why they were put in those places.

In relation to defence spend, obviously we are increasing it to 2.6% of GDP—that is £270 billion over the Parliament—but as I said in the speech I gave in Munich just a couple of weeks ago, we are going to have to spend more and faster after the years of under-investment and troop cuts that—[Interruption.] The Conservatives were the ones who hollowed this out. They were the ones who reduced the size of the Army. They were the ones who did not spend what was necessary on defence. Like everything else they left in such a mess, we are clearing it up, and through our strategic defence review we will make Britain safer.

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)]

Q6. Like the Prime Minister, I had the transformative benefit of a music education as a young person, although he had his some while before I had mine. [Hon. Members: “Ooh!”] After more than a decade of decline in music in schools, the Government’s new national centre for arts and music education and measures coming through the curriculum review will ensure that more young people benefit from the opportunities that my right hon. and learned Friend and I both had. Can he tell us how the new national centre will make a difference for our young people, and what are the Government doing to address the funding shortfalls currently facing England’s music education hubs, including mine in Derbyshire?

[Mr Speaker]

He obviously loves the Back Benches, Prime Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Keir Starmer and Jonathan Davies

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I know that the hon. Gentleman shares our support for East West Rail, which is a vital project that will deliver better journeys and tens of thousands of jobs, and unlock up to 100,000 new homes. I agree that access to Bicester Village must be maintained—my children say that as well—and I think the company has put forward two options for replacing the crossing. I reassure him and his constituents that they will have the opportunity to express their views on what would work for them during the upcoming consultation.

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)]

Q10. The regeneration of Belper mills—a large site with buildings, including grade I listed ones dating from the start of the industrial revolution, at the heart of the east midlands’ only UNESCO world heritage site—took a significant step forward last week, when planning permission for its redevelopment and conservation was finally granted. The Government want to provide more housing—rightly so—and sites like this, though very challenging, provide a very important opportunity to support that aspiration and share our national story. Can the Prime Minister tell me what support the Government are giving to regenerate at-risk listed buildings, and whether we are delivering support to train construction workers in heritage building techniques? May I ask him to take a personal interest in Belper mills, because it is an internationally significant site?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue, because restoring Belper mills is not just about delivering the housing that his constituents want, but about restoring an iconic world heritage site in the east midlands. We are investing over £1.2 billion in skills, supporting apprenticeships—including courses focused on heritage construction—recruiting 60,000 more construction workers, and backing new technical excellence colleges, so that we have the workforce to build the homes the country needs.

China and Japan

Debate between Keir Starmer and Jonathan Davies

Monday 2nd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, I can assure the hon. Lady of that.

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)]

With respect to the statement following the Prime Minister’s visit to China and Japan, I thank him for being in the room and challenging China on its appalling human rights record and for fighting for British jobs. With respect to his visit to Japan, did the issue of Toyota come up? Toyota is a significant employer in Derbyshire and worth more than £5.5 billion to the local economy. Can we do more with Toyota, because it is really good for jobs here?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, we did discuss the car manufacturing going on at the moment and the potential for further work in that regard, along with other issues of trade broadening between our two countries.

Middle East

Debate between Keir Starmer and Jonathan Davies

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)]

The world held its breath over the past few days as a glimmer of hope was on the horizon. I thank the Prime Minister, Ministers, the Government and British officials for the progress that they have made with the United States to bring about this progress. Peace will be embedded and sustained only if it is built with ordinary people—Palestinians and Israelis—who yearn for peace, so what steps is the Prime Minister taking to ensure that that happens?

[The Prime Minister]

It is important to involve Israelis and Palestinians across the board, from all communities, in the physical rebuilding as well as the rebuilding of the relationships that were in place just over two years ago, which held at least the prospect of a better future for the next generation. We need to rebuild that on all fronts.