WORCESTER'S MP has paid tribute to the Queen - saying Her Majesty has provided "a remarkable" service to the nation.

Robin Walker has delivered a long House of Common intervention on the contents of last week's Queen Speech, picking up on a raft of emerging policy areas.

The Conservative has backed the Government's drive to boost apprenticeships, telling fellow MPs it will help with his own personal aims for Worcestershire.

But he has also praised the Queen, picking up on the speech being her 63rd to be delivered.

"I want to join the tributes paid by MPs on both sides of the house to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her 63rd gracious speech," he said.

"Hers is a remarkable example of service to our nation."

He also said the announcement that ministers want to create three million new apprenticeships is a big boost to his hopes for Worcestershire.

Mr Walker wants another 15,000 apprenticeships to be created in the county by 2020 to help chip away further at youth unemployment.

The county has around 1,000 people aged 18-24 currently claiming unemployment benefits.

Mr Walker said: "I have seen in my own constituency how apprenticeships can not only give people the chance to earn and learn and start their careers, but transform small businesses.

"It helps them to realise that by harnessing the youth, vigour and ideas of young people they themselves can grow and learn new things."

During the debate he name-checked some city employers, including Rock Power Connections, based in Buckholt Drive and St Peter's gardening firm Instant Scenery, both of which have just taken on their first apprentices.

He said: "I want to compliment three businesses that have contacted me in the past few days.

"Rock Power Connections and Instant Scenery told me in the past couple of days that they are taking on their first apprentices, while Green Lighting is a Worcester firm that recently won a Queen’s award for innovation and received the apprentice of the year award from the Herefordshire and Worcestershire's chamber of commerce.

"Those small businesses are taking people on, giving them a chance and enabling them to earn and learn - we want to see more of that."

During his speech, which lasted 23 minutes, he also touched on the EU referendum, faster broadband, business rates, house building, education, mental health and faster trains.

"The Prime Minister spoke eloquently about the benefits of investing in infrastructure," he said.

"His constituency and mine are served by the same lovely, scenic and devastatingly slow train service run by Great Western Railway on the north Cotswolds line.

"My constituents live less than 120 miles from London and it's absurd that it takes them two-and-a-half hours to get there, the journey really ought to take under two hours."