House of Commons
Oral Answers to Questions
(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is bringing employment rights into the 21st century, with phased implementation to give businesses and workers, including those in Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch, time to get ready and understand their new rights at work. We have already repealed burdensome trade union legislation, strengthened statutory sick pay, introduced day one paternity leave rights and launched the Fair Work Agency. We continue to consult on measures such as zero-hours contracts and non-disclosure agreements to get the details right. Further changes will happen in October, including trade union reform and better protection from sexual harassment.
Katrina Murray
I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests as co-chair of the Unison group of Labour MPs. For too long, many workers have been expected to keep themselves available for work without any certainty over the hours or income that they would receive. The right to guaranteed hours was designed to change that. As those provisions are implemented, what practical difference does the Minister expect they will make to working people across the country?
Kate Dearden
Through the right to guaranteed hours, we are tackling one-sided flexibility. Qualifying workers are offered contracts that better reflect their hours, and they can then plan their lives and finances. Over 1.2 million people work on a zero-hours contract, and research published by the Living Wage Foundation in 2022 found that 87% of zero-hours workers said that they want more hours in their contract. My hon. Friend will understand the terrible consequences and the impact that not knowing their regular hours or how much they will earn that month can have on people’s lives, including the severe impacts of not being able to feed their kids or know whether they can pay their bills. We are working to get the details right and to get businesses, workers and trade unions to engage in our recent consultation so that we can achieve both flexibility and security.
Mr Peter Bedford (Mid Leicestershire) (Con)
The Government’s impact assessment puts the costs of the Employment Rights Act at up to £5 billion, which will hit small and medium-sized businesses since they lack the human resources teams and the expertise to absorb the additional burdens. What advice does the Minister give to small and medium-sized businesses in my Mid Leicestershire constituency on how they should deal with that?
Kate Dearden
The hon. Member might not have read the updated impact assessment, which significantly lowered that amount, following the passing of the Employment Rights Act towards the end of last year, to £1 billion. On supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, we want to work closely with them because many across the country are already doing lots of the things that are in the Employment Rights Act. They also understand that treating their workers fairly benefits their business and makes the economy grow. I am grateful to the small and medium-sized businesses that I have worked with and which fed directly into the details of the Act. I want to work closely with them to understand the impacts and where we can get this right, and to work on the details. I thank them for their engagement, and I look forward to continuing to work with them.
Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs) (Con)
Today, we Conservatives have launched a campaign to save the summer job. Employment rights do not help young people if they cannot get a first experience of work, and they are trapped in a Catch-22 situation of needing experience to get work but not being able to get any during their education years. Young people say it, businesses say it and Alan Milburn, the former Labour Minister, says it. Will the Government now back our plans to save the summer job, cut employment red tape, support seasonal working and lower taxes?
Kate Dearden
The Opposition’s suggestion of getting 13-year-olds to work later hours on a Sunday is simply not serious. What is serious is the review that we have conducted with Alan Milburn on how we can get more young people into employment. We recognise the challenge, and that is why it is an important priority for us. We inherited a situation in which nearly a million young people were not in employment, education or training. That increased by 250,000 before the general election, and the Conservatives did absolutely nothing about it. Young people written off by a legacy of rising youth inactivity and declining apprenticeship jobs. That is why we are serious about this. I appreciate and welcome Alan Milburn’s review, which is detailing how we can improve the situation. He has looked at the challenges that we are facing and laid bare the scale of them. We have already taken action to help young people by bringing forward the biggest youth employment reforms to create 500,000 opportunities for young people through our £2.5 billion youth guarantee, and we will continue to do more.
Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD)
Research by the British Retail Consortium found that over two thirds of part-time workers in the retail sector took the role because they needed flexibility around educational and caring commitments. The number of young people not in employment, education or training is over 1 million. Liberal Democrats repeatedly warned that Labour’s jobs tax would hammer job opportunities for young people and that its business rates hikes would kill off opportunities on the high street, which gives so many young people their first job. As they implement the Employment Rights Act, which will introduce some welcome measures for employees, how will the Government ensure that this is not yet another burden that prevents businesses from being able to provide entry-level and flexible jobs?
Kate Dearden
I am glad that the Liberal Democrat spokesperson welcomes parts of the legislation, but I wish she would not repeat lines from the Conservatives, who broke our economy and destroyed our labour market. That is why the Act is so important: it will fix problems, particularly the problem of people being in insecure work, which does not grow our economy and will not provide the stability that we need.
I thank the hon. Lady for mentioning flexibility. The problem occurs when flexibility is one-sided and workers bear all the financial risks. That is why, as part of our consultations, particularly on zero-hours contracts, we want to get flexibility and security right, so that we can rebalance them. We are working closely with employers, including in the retail sector, to understand how best to get that balance right, so that it benefits workers and businesses, too.
Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire) (Lab)
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
Resilience is vital in all our supply chains. That is why we have launched the supply chain centre, which will help to strengthen that resilience. War, extreme environmental events and the deliberate or accidental closure of shipping routes can affect everything from agriculture to construction in the UK. We want to do everything we can to predict, assess, minimise and mitigate those risks.
Chris Hinchliff
We have already seen the vulnerability of our economy to global supply chain shocks from the impact of wars on food, fuel and fertiliser prices, but scientists now warn that we are likely to be heading into a super El Niño—a global heating event that will trigger extreme weather around the world, threatening fish stocks and agriculture, disrupting the Panama canal and bringing climate-induced fires that destroy vital timber supplies. How are Ministers preparing for those risks?
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise El Niño. We believe that it has already started, and we are conscious of the issues that may arise from it. We are closely monitoring it and trying to ensure that we have resilient policies in place in every single sector, including agriculture and fisheries.
I should underline that the launch of the supply chain centre is an important moment for us. For the first time, we will have a body that can anticipate future supply risks, identify the inputs the UK needs, build domestic resilience and foster resilience through global partnerships. Those are important ways of ensuring that the UK has strong supply chains.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for his answer. As the Member of Parliament for Strangford, I am particularly concerned about the problems that the Windsor framework has created for those trading across our borders and between our ports—he has answered my questions on this on other occasions. Businesses continue to report increased costs, administrative burdens, disruption to supply chains and delays. As a result, businesses have stopped trading into Northern Ireland. Given the likely negative economic consequences of that, will the Minister consider further steps to reduce those burdens and ensure smooth trade into Northern Ireland?
Chris Bryant
We are doing that all the time, and that is why we bring the issue of resilient supply chains into consideration in all our international trading relationships. For instance, particularly important to Northern Ireland is our relationship with the European Union, to which the hon. Gentleman referred in mentioning the Windsor framework. I am keen to ensure that resilient supply chains are looked at in the relationship between the EU and the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership, because it is not just what happens on the continent of Europe that is important; it could be what happens in the Gulf or the situation in Ukraine, which had dramatic effects on supplies of fertiliser around the world. We take specific action to ensure that we guarantee those supply chains.
Gareth Davies (Grantham and Bourne) (Con)
Our most critical supply chains are those that are directly linked to our national security. From autonomous vehicles to blast protection, British small and medium-sized enterprises are the vital link in the supply chain, ensuring that our armed forces have the capabilities to face down our adversaries. The Government have said that the Defence Office for Small Business Growth has an important role to play in supporting the sector, so how is the Minister co-ordinating with the office? If I am a defence SME, how will it help me?
Chris Bryant
What is really important is the work that the Department for Business and Trade does in knitting together all our different policies—for instance the trade strategy, which looks at these issues, the critical minerals strategy, the small business strategy and the industrial strategy. All those need to mesh together. One of the key things we have done is to produce, for the first time, a growth-driving inputs list that specifies the particular elements that are vital for SMEs’ growth into the future. That is precisely the kind of action that a Government need to take to guarantee economic growth for the future.
Gareth Davies
I am grateful for that very comprehensive answer to a very different question—less of an answer, more of an interpretive dance.
Gareth Davies
I just want an answer! Defence SMEs have said that the delay of the defence investment plan caused great uncertainty and disruption to the sector. In addition, they are completely confused by this Government’s endless offices, initiatives and quangos. Will the Minister commit—if he is still in position in a few weeks’ time—to providing more certainty to such an important sector?
Chris Bryant
I know from my constituency and across south Wales how important it is to have a defence investment plan that delivers jobs across the whole of the United Kingdom. One of my anxieties about the previous Government was that they refused to take action either to invest in our armed forces or to ensure that we were able to produce things in the UK, rather than relying, for instance, on steel to produce everything that our armed forces need. That is why we introduced our steel trade measures earlier this week.
And there is nothing wrong with interpretive dance, Mr Speaker. As you know, the creative industries are an important part of our economic future, with 5% growth under this Labour Government.
Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this vital sector for island economies. Whisky exports were worth over £5.4 billion in 2025, supporting jobs and supply chains across Scotland. We are supporting distillers through UK Export Finance, DBT’s export support, trade promotion and direct engagement with the industry to help businesses, including small distilleries, to grow, invest and reach new markets.
Torcuil Crichton
Distilleries in my constituency—I count nine of them—overwhelmingly rely on kerosene heating oil to make their product. Since President Trump’s folly in Iran, they have seen costs rise by 18%. It is not just the distilleries; seaweed manufacturing, chemical processing at Callanish and the iconic Harris tweed industry all rely on kerosene heating oil to make their products. Domestic consumers in the islands are helped by generous support from the Government, but can the Minister outline what the UK Government can do to help these energy-reliant industries that keep hundreds of jobs in Na h-Eileanan an Iar keep on going?
Blair McDougall
My hon. Friend knows that at this time of year, my heart is in Uist, and I wish I was there now sampling a gin cocktail from the Downpour distillery—my favourite of the nine distilleries he mentioned. We are determined to support energy-intensive industries such as his local distillers. The supercharger for British industry is being reviewed this year, and we are keen to hear from the whisky industry as we review that support. As he says, many distilleries are off-grid and heavily reliant on heating fuels, and are suffering from the Iran war. That is why we are considering the temporary suspension of tariffs on kerosene oil. The consultation on that ended a few days ago, and we will make a decision on it in due course.
Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)
Earlier this year in my constituency, the much-loved brand Slingsby Gin went into administration. A cocktail of different things added to the pressure on the business. Will the Minister wish the new owners of Slingsby Gin, Chris and Asma Williams, good luck in their new venture, and tell me what steps the Government are taking to support them going forward?
Blair McDougall
I absolutely wish the hon. Member’s constituents all the best. It is entrepreneurial spirit like that that drives the economy forward. I will give one example of the support: there is a big extension of UK export finance so that such businesses can find new markets, because the best way to become a more resilient business is for them to open up and diversify their markets. I will gladly put his constituents in touch with people at UK Export Finance to discuss that.
Dr Zubir Ahmed (Glasgow South West) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)
Strong delivery of the 10-year modern industrial strategy is ongoing, including the investment in the British industrial competitiveness scheme—the long-term industrial intervention to address energy costs. We also have the advanced manufacturing sector plan, which includes sector specific cross-cutting measures to support manufacturers right across the United Kingdom.
Dr Ahmed
The Secretary of State will know very well that Glasgow South West is home to a storied, nationally significant collection of advanced manufacturing, from Type 26 frigate construction at BAE Systems, to small satellites at Craft Prospect, to the maritime supply chain at the Malin Group. What conversations is the Secretary of State having with businesses in Glasgow and Glasgow South West specifically about how we can grow this advanced manufacturing base, so that Glasgow can play its full part in Britain’s reindustrialisation?
Peter Kyle
I am really grateful to my hon. Friend for highlighting the extraordinary achievements of our country that have stemmed from his constituency. As he knows, on the Clyde they have adapted from manufacturing the Dreadnought through to the frigates that he mentioned. We are in another era of change, and the Government are on their side in this latest transformation. They will have access to a range of sector-focused interventions from the industrial plan, as well as support for access to finance, innovation and tech adaptation. He will also be aware that the Glasgow city region will receive £50 million through the local innovation partnerships fund—a fund that I launched when I was in my previous job at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. I am pleased to see it being put to good use in his constituency.
Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)
The largest employer in Woking is McLaren. It sells around half of its cars to the US, which, needless to say, has not been easy since Donald Trump took office. What are the Secretary of State and his Department doing to work with the US to lower trade barriers, so that we can continue to have high-quality advanced manufacturing jobs in Woking?
Peter Kyle
I am grateful to the hon. Member for championing what is an extraordinary company. I met the chief executive of McLaren just in the last week, and I will be meeting him again in the next couple of weeks. This is a Government who are on its side—of course, we got tariffs reduced to 10% for 100,000 cars. I have spoken to my counterpart in the United States, the Commerce Secretary, numerous times about the fantastic cars produced in our country, both the high-volume mainstream products and these high-value precision products that do our country proud. I can tell the hon. Member that the deal we have struck with America does those businesses proud too.
Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs) (Con)
This week, our hard-pressed automotive industry has sounded the alarm: under the zero emission vehicle rules, British car makers are being fined for making precisely the type of cars people want to buy. That is costing them £5 billion a year, denying consumer choice, damaging British jobs and putting automotive firms at risk. Like me, the Secretary of State met with car makers earlier this week, so will he listen to them, adopt the Conservative policy of scrapping these rules and support our great British automotive industry?
Peter Kyle
I am very grateful for the hon. Member’s question because he raises important points. First, we are a listening Government, which is why we have acted to tackle the energy costs faced by the automotive sector—of course, we inherited those energy costs from the Tory Government. The BICS will lower the cost of producing cars in this country.
The hon. Member mentioned the ZEV mandate. I am listening very closely to him on that. In general terms, when it comes to environmental regulations across the piece, it is really important that we deliver net zero targets and get to that destination. We need to be creative in how we get to that destination, and I speak in general terms. He spoke to the automotive sector earlier this week, as I did. I was very honest about these issues. He should have been honest, too: his party brought in the rules in the first place—he should have apologised for them if he does not like them.
Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
We are taking two steps to try to drive up our trade with Europe. First, we are seeking bilateral wins with individual countries like the small modular reactors deal that has just been done by Rolls-Royce in Sweden, or opening up the pilot digital trade corridors that we have with Germany and France. We are also seeking to renegotiate a reset with the European Union as a whole. In the words of the Sugababes, we stand ready to “Push the Button”.
Richard Baker
The EU is a key trading partner for Scotland, accounting for almost 40% of Scotland’s international exports. Can the Minister reassure my constituents in Glenrothes and Mid Fife that while we wait for a new date for the EU summit, this Government will press ahead with plans to align with more areas of the single market, so that we can continue to remove barriers for our businesses to trade with Europe?
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, not least because in the most recent figures, our trade in goods with Europe has fallen by 2% in the last year, whereas our trade in services has grown by 7%. All of this shows what a shockingly appalling, shameful, despicable deal was done by the previous Government with the European Union. It was bad enough leaving, but the terms on which they left were absolutely appalling for British businesses. We are determined to turn that around, and we will.
Lara Bird (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) (SNP)
Ten years on, Brexit continues to have a detrimental impact on Scottish businesses to the tune of almost £4 billion in lost revenue per year. Forty per cent of businesses say that Brexit is the main cause of trade difficulties. One of the worst hit sectors is farming, and lots of farmers in my constituency have written to me—even in the last two weeks since I was sworn in—to tell me that Brexit continues to put up barriers to business and trade, including through labour shortages, trade friction and long-term uncertainty over subsidies. At a time when food insecurity and the cost of living cannot be disentangled from the experience of farmers, what is the Minister doing to support farmers in my constituency to produce the food that we need at this crucial time?
Chris Bryant
I want to recruit the hon. Lady to my campaign to make sure we end up with a better deal with the European Union, so that UK farmers can export easily and readily into the European Union and we can get goods from across the rest of Europe into the UK easily. So many sectors are affected. I sat down yesterday with Tracy Emin, one of the world’s greatest artists, who explained to me the problems since Brexit in bringing artworks in and out of the European Union from the UK. Resolving those problems is an important part of ensuring that we remain the second biggest art market in the world—again, part of the creative industries, which we should be supporting.
Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD)
Joining the single market and a customs union could boost UK GDP by about £25 billion a year. Single market membership would give the UK access to EU defence programmes, creating high-skilled jobs in aerospace, advanced manufacturing and defence technology. It would restore passporting rights for financial services, reducing costs and administration for firms operating across Europe. For businesses, joining a customs union would eliminate the rules of origin red tape that adds between 2% and 8% to the cost of exporting.
The current Prime Minister and Chancellor have both admitted that repairing the relationship with Europe is the biggest lever they could pull for growth, and the incoming Prime Minister has stated his desire to rejoin the EU, so does the Minister agree that there is political momentum and a desperate economic need now to negotiate a new growth and defence partnership with Europe?
Chris Bryant
I do agree on the broad principles, but the Lib Dems were part of the coalition Government who created the momentum toward the Brexit referendum in the first place, so I am not going to sign up to any Liberal Democrat campaign. We are going to make sure that we reset the relationship with the European Union.
Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
The Department has not provided guidance on that matter. Fees relating to the accreditation and monitoring of alternative dispute resolution providers have not risen since 2015, and have been significantly eroded by the impact of rising costs. The intention behind the new fee structure is to ensure that, over time, fees are commensurate with the costs of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute performing the relevant functions to the required standards, that they are predictable for ADR providers, and that they provide costs recovery for the CTSI.
Alison Bennett
I thank the Minister for that response. Caroline from Lindfield owns a small business that provides arbitration services. Since the introduction of the one-size-fits-all fees set down earlier this year, her business model and that of so many other small ADR providers has become nigh on impossible to sustain. Has the Minister considered the impact on the sector from the fee changes? Can she explain why no impact assessment has been done? In particular, has she received feedback from trading standards since the legislation came into force?
Kate Dearden
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. A well functioning ADR system makes markets work more effectively and drives economic growth. We are committed to ensuring that consumers and businesses are able to resolve disputes early, which helps to raise consumer confidence and compliance rates. We acknowledge that there will be a period of adjustment as the new fee structure beds in, and in the autumn we will conduct a review to assess whether the fee structure should be amended further. We recognise the importance of ensuring that charges are fair and proportional for all ADR providers and the CTSI as the competent authority.
Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)
John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)
We are investing £2.5 billion over the next three years in tackling the issues around youth unemployment. That will include new initiatives, such as a further 19 technical excellence colleges to provide high-quality training for jobs in key sectors.
Mr Mohindra
I recently met people from Mission Employable, an incredible charity based in Chorleywood, which offers supported internships for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It was deeply concerning to hear that in England only 6% of adults with learning disabilities are in paid work. Will the Secretary of State outline how he is working with other Departments to ensure that the youth jobs grant does not disincentive employers in hiring people from supported internship backgrounds who are not claiming universal credit?
Peter Kyle
The hon. Gentleman raises an incredibly important issue. It sounds as if the charity that he references is doing incredibly important work locally. We want to support that work. It is a shame that in the years running up to coming into office, apprenticeship starts had fallen by 40%. We are reinvesting in apprenticeship starts and ensuring that they are available to everyone, from every background and with every ability.
John Cooper
While still at school, I played my part in the creative industries by playing in bands with names as louche as Street Lethal and Cheap Sweeties. It was very lucrative.
John Cooper
I’ve got it! In the modern era, that all important first job is increasingly hard to find because of the Chancellor’s jobs tax and the massive 330-page Employment Rights Act 2025. Will the Secretary of State go to the new northern powerhouse Cabinet and impress upon the Chancellor the need to save our summer jobs and cut the burden on industry?
Peter Kyle
I am glad to hear about the hon. Gentleman’s childhood experiences. In retirement, perhaps we will see him in the musical “Mama Mia!”. My first job was on a battery chicken farm collecting eggs, so I hope that I can take a different path when I move away from the current profession. I assure him that not only are we are investing £2.5 billion but we are working across Departments to ensure that 400,000 students in disadvantaged schools will take up AI and tech skills through the tech first programme. These are the kinds of initiatives that we are wrapping around young people so that they get support for the age in which we are living. Extending the hours for 13-year-olds is not a serious solution to the challenges we face, but that is the only answer that we have heard from Members on the Conservative Benches in recent times.
Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)
Small and medium-sized enterprises are often best placed to kick-start a young person’s career, but when I met a group of small business owners at the Crown pub in Granborough, many told me that the up-front costs of training and supervision often act as a barrier to taking on young people. Will the Secretary of State update the House on what support the Government are providing to incentivise small and microbusinesses in helping to give opportunities to young people?
Peter Kyle
My hon. Friend makes a really important point. We have created a specific fund to support SMEs and young people to start up businesses. It is incredibly important that people from all backgrounds get to explore their entrepreneurial talents, and that is exactly what this Government are doing to make that happen.
Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)
We are investing £720 million in the greater Lincolnshire investment fund over the next 30 years as part of our devolved funding and support for areas just like my hon. Friend’s.
Melanie Onn
News of apprenticeship incentives, the youth jobs grant and the jobs guarantee will provide a welcome boost for my brilliant young people in Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, but they and other jobseekers will want to know what permanent jobs they can move into. We have huge opportunities and experience in new clean energy and the supply chain. What action is the Secretary of State taking to expand existing businesses and attract new investment in this sector to deliver jobs for my hard-working constituents?
Peter Kyle
My hon. Friend is right that her constituents are hard-working and they deserve to have a Government on their side: in this Government, they have that. We have invested £140 million in a pilot with the mayoral strategic authorities that will benefit her area. That will connect 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training to local apprenticeship opportunities in her area. We are also investing £2.5 billion in the youth guarantee and the growth and skills levy over the next three years. NEETs rose by 250,000 under the Tories and we are doing everything we can to get that down, including in her area by providing specialist advice via the Business Lincolnshire growth hub.
Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
I thank my hon. Friend for his continued advocacy for young adult carers. I have been honoured to visit Carers Count Calderdale in my own constituency of Halifax, and I know about the important and vital support that incredible unpaid carers across the country are providing to their loved ones. We are reviewing the employment rights available to them, including through a public consultation that launched last month and which is currently open for views. We are considering the merits of additional support, including paid leave, improved guidance and a right to return, while remaining mindful of any potential impacts on businesses.
Chris Vince
I thank the Minister for her commitment to unpaid carers. I speak to unpaid carers across my constituency all the time, and I personally thank them for all that they do in caring for loved ones and in the wider community. However, so many unpaid carers I speak to tell me that they struggle to hold down a job, and many of them have had to give up really important careers. I absolutely welcome the Government’s commitment to a review, which has the potential to be absolutely transformative, but does the Minister agree that we must continue to support unpaid carers in Harlow and beyond?
Kate Dearden
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the vital contribution that unpaid carers make to their loved ones and their communities, and the experiences of families in his constituency reflect the challenges faced by unpaid carers across the country. We want to ensure that carers can remain in work and fulfil their potential. Through our review, we will ensure that we are backing our unpaid carers to balance work and care, as well as the employers who support them in the workplace.
Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
It was a pleasure to hear the hon. Member’s contribution in the recent Westminster Hall debate on seasonal hospitality businesses, including those in his constituency. We are delivering permanently lower business rate multipliers for more than 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties. That is backed by a £4.3 billion support package over three years, which includes transitional relief to protect businesses from large bill increases following the re-evaluation. We have increased the hospitality support fund to £10 million over three years, building on the previous scheme, to support larger, longer-term projects. I am committed to working in partnership with industry and across Government to support growth and resilience, including through targeted support measures and engagement, such as with the Hospitality Sector Council.
Andrew George
As welcome as that is, and I am not crying wolf, the hospitality sector faces a very high risk of substantial business failure in the next 12 months as a result of the tax burdens that it has to face simply for attempting to survive, rather than a tax burden to help it succeed—in other words, shifting from VAT and business rates to corporation tax. Will the Minister look again at this issue before real catastrophe comes to the sector? Will she talk to Treasury Ministers and find a way out of this extremely serious situation?
Kate Dearden
Unfortunately, we inherited an absolutely dire situation from the Conservatives when they left office. They left deep scars on our economy from a decade of stagnant growth. We know that hospitality thrives when our economy grows, wages rise and people have money to spend, which is why we are absolutely committed to supporting businesses and working closely with them. The hon. Member will know that the Government need to consider a wide range of factors when introducing new tax reliefs, such as whether they support wider Government objectives. He will also know that the Government keep all taxes under review as part of the policymaking process, and the Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.
Mike Reader (Northampton South) (Lab)
The Northampton-based McManus Pub Company runs 18 pubs and employs 370 people. I spoke to Tom McManus yesterday, who told me that successive Governments have ignored hospitality and that in the past five years business costs have made it harder for him to turn a profit. Tom has asked me to lobby the Government to cut VAT to 10%. What message does the Minister have for family businesses such as Tom’s?
Kate Dearden
I thank my hon. Friend for his question, for raising the preferences of businesses in his constituency and for his continued engagement on this issue on behalf of his constituents. He will know of the recent announcements on the temporary great British summer savings scheme, which will reduce VAT from 20% to 5% on selected hospitality activities between June and September. He will also know that we keep all taxes under review. He should say to his constituents, and particularly to his businesses and pubs, that we are absolutely committed to working with the industry and the sector to support them to thrive. They are vital to our local communities, people and jobs, and I know that he knows that too.
Max Wilkinson (Cheltenham) (LD)
Harry Kane’s heroics last night mean that many England fans are looking forward to an early morning or a late night on Monday, depending on one’s perspective. That is a good thing, but pubs risk missing out on a real opportunity to get more money into the till if Ministers do not make a blanket extension to licensing hours. Will Ministers consider that with their colleagues in other Departments so that fans can enjoy the game in the pub?
Kate Dearden
I pay tribute in this House to the incredible Harry Kane, our captain, for his performance last night—he calmed my blood pressure—and we will be championing the boys on Sunday. The hon. Gentleman will know that pubs can stay open for an extra two or three hours depending on how late the match starts, so that they can still be open when the game finishes. Unfortunately that does not apply to Sunday, given the 1 am start, but going forward we are backing our pubs so that people can watch and support our lads. It’s coming home, hopefully.
Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op)
Titanic Brewery, based in Stoke-on-Trent, makes a fabulous pint—I highly recommend the plum porter. However, the Minister will know that as an independent brewery, access to market is quite difficult because of the way that tied pubs insist that landlords buy their products. Could the Minister make an announcement before the summer recess on the access to market scheme, and in particular the guest beer arrangement that would allow 1,500 SMEs access to market? It would not cost the Government anything, and the Minister could find that lots of people raise a pint to her over the summer.
Kate Dearden
I sincerely thank my hon. Friend for his continued engagement—I know how important the issue of market access for our breweries is to him. I was delighted to meet him and colleagues across this House recently, and I look forward to continuing to engage and work with them as the Government consider the evidence ahead of any announcements.
John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
The hospitality sector remains a major UK employer. It supported around 2.1 million jobs last year, or around 6% of total employment. Employment has grown by over 18% in the past decade, and although growth has stabilised more recently, that follows a period of strong expansion, reflecting the sector’s continued importance to local economies and youth employment. I know myself how vital the sector is for first jobs—my first job was in a café, and that opportunity gave me the skills to go on and succeed in my career. We are supporting jobs through skills investment, including new hospitality apprenticeships, incentives for SMEs to recruit young people, and sector-based work academy programmes to help people into work.
John Glen
I thank the Minister for her answer and the positive news about the sector apprenticeships. Hospitality is critical in Salisbury as we move towards our 800-year celebration next year, but last summer there was a 25% drop in temporary work in the sector, and the cost of employer national insurance contributions for part-time workers in the sector—those working 15 hours—increased by 73%. I say respectfully to the Minister that I recognise that tough decisions have to be made in the Treasury; I was there for seven years, and was part of those decisions. However, this sector is under real strain, and part-time jobs for the youngest workers are not there at the moment. Something quite significant needs to change in the Government’s approach.
Kate Dearden
I thank the right hon. Member for raising the vital role that the hospitality sector plays in providing those first jobs and opportunities for people. I work closely with hospitality businesses, and I am really keen to continue to listen to them, to understand the challenges they face. I know that the right hon. Member will welcome our youth jobs grant, which was launched this week and is open for applications—that was welcomed by the chief executive of UKHospitality. We want to keep working with those businesses, and I thank them for their engagement so far on how we can continue to support them to crack on with the brilliant opportunities they provide in communities across the country.
Joe Morris (Hexham) (Lab)
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
When it comes to international deals, we regularly fight determinedly for the farming sector and the wider food and beverage sector. Sometimes that means defending our UK farming and food standards, but just as often, we are able to secure significant advances; for instance, we have managed to secure increased access for British beef in the United States of America, for lamb and salmon in India, and for lamb and beef in the Gulf. We will always fight for the British farming sector.
Joe Morris
The effects on farmers and food standards are some of the most visible and felt impacts of trade policy, and obviously domestic agriculture is one of our sectors that are most sensitive to import shocks. Does the Minister agree that transition periods are vital when the Government are negotiating international trade agreements? Will he commit to making sure that the farming sector is properly consulted on implementation and transition periods for any agreement that is made, and particularly the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, and will he work across Government on that?
Chris Bryant
I commend my hon. Friend—since he has been in the House he has raised lots of issues on behalf of the farming sector in his constituency. Some of those are issues that need to come directly to Ministers, so that we can take action on them, and this is one of them. We are very keen to make sure that the SPS agreement is negotiated in a way that really works for farmers in the UK, but I would also apply that to any free trade agreement we were to sign up to. I am very keen to ensure we get good deals for British farmers, and as I say, we will always, always, always defend farming standards and food standards in the UK. Those are not negotiable in free trade agreements.
Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con)
Farm profitability in the UK is incredibly low. As we know, for many farms it is less than 1%. Reports show that a poorly negotiated and poorly implemented sanitary and phytosanitary agreement could see a 10% hit to profitability for our arable farmers. That will have a trickle-down impact across the whole agricultural supply chain, impacting many businesses UK-wide. How is the Minister’s Department working with the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that our arable farmers and the supply chain are not impacted?
Chris Bryant
We have regular conversations and at every stage, we are trying to ensure that we get the best possible deal that works for UK farmers. I just say gently to the hon. Lady that I was a Member in this House, representing a Welsh seat with many Welsh farmers, when the previous Government struck the deal with Australia and New Zealand. Welsh farmers, both in my patch and elsewhere in Wales, were absolutely furious, because it did not seem to consider their needs for a single instant.
Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)
This Government are determined to tackle the scourge of late payments, which closes down the equivalent of 38 businesses every day. The Commercial Payments Bill was introduced to Parliament on 19 May and had its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 9 June. This legislation sets out stricter maximum payment terms, mandatory interest on late payments and stronger powers for the Small Business Commissioner to ensure that small businesses are paid on time. That will give the UK the strongest legal framework on late payments in the G7.
Mr Rand
Small businesses are at the heart of Altrincham and Sale West, and when I meet them, often alongside the Altrincham district improvement board, they tell me that one of the biggest problems they face is late payments. Can the Minister explain further how this Government’s action on mandatory interest rates and to force large firms to pay up within 60 days is a win for my high street?
Blair McDougall
My hon. Friend always fights hard for small businesses in his patch. This Bill will ensure that purchasers pay suppliers within 60 days and that mandatory interest is paid on late invoices. For too long, large businesses have used small businesses as a source of free credit. That will end under these plans. That will mean better cash flow for businesses in his constituency, more jobs, more economic growth and better high streets.
Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
The UK was the fastest growing G7 economy in quarter 1 of this year, and we know that we will only achieve a thriving economy once people have a wage they can count on. We want to grow our economy with people in secure work. That is why we are giving greater certainty to more than half the UK’s workforce through our Employment Rights Act 2025 and putting more money in their pockets. External analysis by world-leading experts shows that the Act could increase employment, and our impact assessment shows that it will benefit more than 18 million workers across the country.
Joy Morrissey
The Employment Rights Act, the minimum wage and national insurance contributions are all making it difficult for employers to keep taking on new employees, or even to keep them at all. What advice does the Minister have for small business owners in Beaconsfield and Marlow having to make the difficult decision to either cut jobs or close their businesses thanks to this Government?
Kate Dearden
We are focused on fixing the issues in our labour market that the Conservatives neglected: poor working conditions, insecure work, inequality, the undercutting of good employers in brilliant SMEs, and the bad industrial relations that we inherited. Since July, real wages have grown. We have the third highest employment rate in the G7, and we are focused on backing our brilliant SMEs. They are the backbone of the community. I come from a small business family, and it provided me with that first job and opportunity. We want to get more people into work and to work with our SMEs, so that we can build that thriving economy where people have a wage so that they can get on.
Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)
I am grateful for the opportunity to say that one year ago we published our industrial strategy. Since publication, work driven by the industrial strategy has secured around £360 billion of private investment into the eight industrial strategy sectors and £33 billion-worth of export announcements, supporting up to 120,000 jobs. We are backing winners and giving our sectors with the highest potential everything they need to succeed, and in year two we will go further. We will be cutting energy costs for 10,000-plus manufacturing firms, working with businesses to create jobs for those eight sectors—the IS-8—to secure the workforce of the future, and cutting regulatory burdens to unlock investment. In just under two weeks, on 15 July, our trade deal with India will enter into force. India has never implemented a deal of this size, which could boost UK GDP by £4.8 billion every year in the long run. That is just the start. We will continue to drive delivery to secure investment and good high-paying jobs into year two and beyond.
Mr Mohindra
Micklefield Hall in Sarratt is a great example of a small business that has survived covid, only to be repeatedly hit by this Labour Government. Its representatives have contacted me to say that they are keen to borrow money for long-term investment, but fearful of yet more taxes on business. What reassurances can the Secretary of State give to small businesses that want to invest for future growth, such as Micklefield Hall?
Peter Kyle
It is good to see the hon. Gentleman again in the same session—I suggest that he buy a lottery ticket tonight, because he is certainly having a lot of success in the draw. I can assure him that we are investing in small and medium-sized enterprises, and we have funding targeted at helping young people to start their own businesses. He lists some of the perceived challenges in the economy at the minute. Do not forget that youth unemployment went up by 250,000 in the years leading up to the general election without all the things that the Conservatives keep mentioning we are doing, such as giving rights and delivering investment into the economy.
Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)
Peter Kyle
I pay tribute to the business in my hon. Friend’s constituency that he advocates for. Businesses around the country are paying the price of, and having to adapt to the challenges posed by, the Iran war. It is a good job that we have a Prime Minister who kept us out of the war—those on the Conservative Benches would have plunged us into it and made things even more difficult for businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency and across the country. On his specific question, I can tell him that we are engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure that any emerging risks are identified and managed properly.
Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
There is a bit of an end-of-term feel in the House at the moment. I heard the Secretary of State set out his answer to his essay question, but I point out that UK business confidence is at a four-year low, unemployment is up, millionaires are fleeing, and the Department’s own figures show inward investment falling by 26% this year to the lowest level in over a decade. I would say that is a failing mark. What does the Secretary of State plan to do differently when the new headteacher arrives?
Peter Kyle
I always look forward to the hon. Lady’s questions. The fundamentals of running our economy are going in the right direction. Growth is up, and inflation is down. These are things that the Conservatives never achieved when they were in government, but we have achieved them in two years. We have got more growth into our economy in the last two years than they achieved in multiple years leading up to the election.
Dame Harriett Baldwin
I do not know about you, Mr Speaker, but I did not hear a plan for improvement in that answer. I am afraid the mark is “must do better”.
Let us turn to another bit of the Secretary of State’s coursework in this failing end-of-term report. Will he agree today to compensate all the Horizon victims, and to get Fujitsu to pay towards it, by the end of the year?
Peter Kyle
I can assure the hon. Lady that the Minister responsible, my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Blair McDougall), has met victims regularly. We are accelerating the compensation and the justice from what we inherited, because it was going too slow to deliver the justice that people required. When it comes to Horizon, we will deliver the justice and compensation that people require.
On the plan, our industrial strategy is crowding £360 billion of private investment into key sectors of our economy. We are lowering energy prices for manufacturers. Through plan after plan after plan, we are delivering the change that business is calling for and needs.
Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. We are working closely with various stakeholders to ensure that workers understand and claim their new rights under the Employment Rights Act. I know how vital trade unions are not just to organising, but to educating workers on their rights at work. I am so proud that they have been instrumental to development and implementation of these rights, and we look forward to continuing to working with them closely.
Douglas Lumsden (Aberdeen South) (Con)
In Aberdeen South, there is a jobs emergency, with 1,000 jobs a month being lost from the oil and gas sector. So will the Government ditch their damaging policies that are destroying the oil and gas industry and destroying jobs in Aberdeen South?
Peter Kyle
This Government are investing record amounts in the transition to renewable energy. We need to break the dependence on fossil fuels that our country has been forced into by the Conservative party. We will do so by creating wealth, jobs and businesses in the meantime.
Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)
Peter Kyle
I am extremely grateful for my hon. Friend’s really important question. As I have said throughout this session, we are investing in young people and people in work, so they can adapt to the changes happening in the economy because of the transition to digital technology, particularly with AI. We are providing flexible support through bursaries for younger learners and learner support funding for adults. Do not forget the work that Business and Trade Ministers are doing jointly with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure that people in the workplace are trained and have all the skills they need to thrive in the digital age.
Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)
Small rural businesses in villages such as Pembridge in my constituency tell me that the combination of high business and VAT rates and rising national insurance contributions means they are facing a struggle for survival. Small rural businesses face greater pressure than their urban counterparts, with lower footfall and seasonal fluctuations in trade, so they operate with very tight margins. Does the Minister recognise the additional pressures faced by such businesses and that existing support schemes simply are not enough, and what more will he do to support businesses in constituencies such as mine?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)
Of course, we recognise that this has been not just a tough time for small businesses, but a tough decade for those running one. That is exactly why our small business strategy is improving access to markets for small businesses, improving access to finance for small businesses, and cutting the regulatory burden on small businesses. We will of course keep doing more to make it easier, simpler and more profitable to run one.
Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)
Peter Kyle
I can provide all the reassurances my hon. Friend seeks. We are of course investing in the new technical colleges, as I have outlined. We are investing in young people so that they have the skills to transition from education into the workplace. We know that young people face challenges in this era because of not only the legacy of the last Government but the transition towards an AI future, which is disrupting the workforce. We are focused on training people, and we are working very closely with Alan Milburn, who brought consensus to the diagnosis of the challenges facing young people, and I hope will now bring consensus across the House to how we grab this issue once and for all.
Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)
In early 2025, Rutland police caught a local shop owner red-handed with a carload of illegal fake cigarettes. Since then, I have reported this to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the police and trading standards, and nothing has happened. Will the Minister please haul in trading standards, because this individual runs two shops in my constituency, which are both still open, attracting in children and encouraging the sale of vapes? That is wrong, and such shops are clearly part of the black economy.
Blair McDougall
It is infuriating when we see bogus businesses forcing legitimate, valued, independent retailers out of our high streets. The hon. Member will be aware of Operation Machinize, through which we have put significant resources into tackling the type of crime she raises. That is becoming a permanent approach under this Government. For my part, I am constantly meeting Companies House and the Insolvency Service to talk about how we can improve our enforcement efforts to force these bogus businesses out of our high streets and create space for legitimate businesses.
Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)
Peter Kyle
I am already working with DSIT on these issues, but because of my hon. Friend’s informed question and the imploration for me to do more I will double down on that. He is giving real voice to an incredibly important part of the defence technology sector which we need to foster. The defence investment plan invests much more in drone technology. We will be investing more than £5 billion in drones over the next four years, and that his constituency will be playing a very key role in that.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Blair McDougall
My hon. Friend raises a really important issue. With the issues around Morrisons Daily and TGJones, a lot of people across the country are worried about the future of their local post offices. Under the decision we made to maintain the current size of the post office network, I have been talking to the Post Office, and it is clear that where there is a risk of disruption that does not mean the service will disappear. Around the country, where there is the potential for a closure, it is advertising for alternative sub-postmasters to take over the businesses.
John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)
I welcome the appointment of Parminder Kohli as the chief executive officer of the Office for Investment. He is a personal friend of mine, and he will bring 30 years of experience in the oil industry. Will the Secretary of State set out what measures of success Parminder will face, so we can judge what impact the Office for Investment makes and what role he will play?
Peter Kyle
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his informed question. I, too, celebrate this important appointment and the Office for Investment is doing great work. The criteria for success that I see are how Britain can get more scale-up investment into companies, so they do not have to go elsewhere around the world to find the capital they need to grow, and how more people can start, build and scale right here in the UK. I often ask myself why the continent of Europe does not have a single trillion-dollar company. The Office for Investment, working with the Government, can start to answer that question.
John Slinger (Rugby) (Lab)
When I visited NDT Equipment Ltd in my constituency, the director Dan Lenton showed me the ultrasonic test calibration blocks and reference pieces that it uses and supplies to manufacturers in a wide range of sectors in the UK and abroad. This steel is not manufactured in the UK; it is imported and is high grade. I know Ministers are being flexible and talking to hon. Members. Will the Minister please consider the grade of steel that the company uses, which I believe is EN3B, and exempt it from the tariffs?
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
We have already laid out our steel trade measures, which are there to ensure that the UK has a steel industry. This is vital for our economic future. I want to make clear that 73% of all steel imports into the UK are not in scope of the measure, but I will, of course, look at this specific issue. If my hon. Friend would like to have a meeting with me and officials, we can make sure that that happens.
Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)
Last night this House debated the extended producer responsibility, which is seeing breweries, pubs and other businesses pay twice to recycle glass bottles. What meetings has the Department for Business and Trade had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to raise the economically damaging nature of this tax? If it has not raised concerns, will it?
Peter Kyle
I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are having conversations with DEFRA over these issues. We want to ensure that regulation is right. We need to incentivise the right behaviour and the circular economy, but we need to do so in a responsible way. We are always engaged with the sectors that are impacted, not just because of regulatory measures but because of external measures facing our economy.
Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)
The Government’s critical minerals strategy was a fantastic achievement, with clear targets, and it will kick-start a nascent industry. To take the next step to get the sector up on its feet and to a more competitive place, will the Minister support a Government price certainty mechanism for lithium?
Chris Bryant
That is one of the issues that we need to look at not just in the UK but with our international allies. We have got ourselves in a ludicrous position where critical minerals are available all over the world, but 85% of them are only processed in one country. We need to ensure that we have resilience in this area, and it is precisely the kind of issue that we need to look at to protect jobs in my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)
I recently visited Envirovent, a manufacturer and supplier of sustainable ventilation products just outside Harrogate. It was recognised in The Sunday Times’ best places to work 2026 and recently produced its three-millionth ventilation fan unit. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Envirovent on those achievements, and perhaps visit to see the fantastic work it does for the people of Harrogate and North Yorkshire?
Peter Kyle
I certainly join the hon. Member in celebrating the success of that business—and businesses across the country that are doing such great work for the people who work in them and our overall economy. I would like to hear more about the business, and if I get the opportunity, visiting would be a pleasure.
Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) (Lab)
I know the Secretary of State will join me in wishing the United States a very happy 250th birthday on Saturday. It was John Pym and Members of this House four centuries ago who helped found the American economy, and I know the whole House will wish the young republic well. But it is the Republic of France that I want to ask the Secretary of State about.
Today, I am publishing correspondence between the Committee and the Port of Dover, warning that we will have, without doubt, a critical incident at the border unless France is persuaded to suspend the entry and exit system. The modelling has been done, and we know the chaos that will follow, so what will the Secretary of State do to ensure that we avoid this peril?
Peter Kyle
I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s advocacy, and I share in his birthday message to the people of the United States of America. The Department for Transport is engaged with the Port of Dover, and thanks to the functional and productive relations we have with the EU, we are working with it on those issues to ensure that the worst-case scenario my right hon. Friend outlines does not come to pass,
Max Wilkinson (Cheltenham) (LD)
The Secretary of State is aware of the importance of Cheltenham’s cyber-security industry, which is a key part of this nation’s defence efforts. I have good news for him: we are about to break ground on the Golden Valley development, bringing 12,000 jobs in cyber and tech to my town, as well as much-needed new homes. Would the Secretary of State and his colleagues like to come and visit this success story in due course, not for the ground breaking next week, but in the future? It will be popular with the incoming Prime Minister.
Peter Kyle
The hon. Member’s enthusiasm is infectious. He came to meet me when I was Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to talk about the Golden Valley, and we spoke about our shared ambition in that area for the clustering of expertise that having GCHQ and others brings to the community he represents. I share in the hon. Member’s celebration and hope that I get to visit at some point soon.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)
The owner of Palace Cycles recently told me that while explaining to a customer that he would not service the illegally modified e-bike that had been brought into his shop, the bike shot across the shop of its own accord. When will the Government regulate to ban the sale of dodgy, illegal, unsafe e-bikes and the kits that create them?
Kate Dearden
I thank my hon. Friend for her constant campaigning on this issue. I know how important it is and, I value working closely with her. Businesses producing or supplying those products must ensure that they are safe before they are placed on the market, including online marketplaces. Businesses should not supply products they know—or should know—are unsafe. My hon. Friend knows that taking action includes regulatory action. We work alongside other Departments on this, and our recent consultation looked at how we can go even further to ensure that products are safe.
Business of the House
(1 month, 1 week ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire) (Con)
Recognising that the real Golden valley is in Herefordshire, will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Alan Campbell)
The business for the week commencing 6 July will include:
Monday 6 July—Consideration of Lords amendments to the National Security (State Threats) Bill, followed by a motion to approve the draft Environmental Permitting (Waste Controlling or Transporting) and Relevant Functions of Primary Authorities (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026, followed by a motion to approve the draft Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026, followed by a motion to approve the draft Industrial Training Levy (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2026.
Tuesday 7 July—Opposition day (second allotted day). Debate on a motion in the name of the official Opposition. Subject to be announced.
Wednesday 8 July—Debate on a motion on UK rearmament and war fighting readiness, followed by general debate on corridor care in the NHS. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
Thursday 9 July—General debate on a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, followed by debate on a motion on the impact of strategic lawsuits against public participation. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
Friday 10 July—The House will not be sitting.
The provisional business for the week commencing 13 July includes:
Monday 13 July—Second Reading of the Immigration and Asylum Bill.
Tuesday 14 July—Remaining stages of the Representation of the People Bill, followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords amendments to the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill.
Wednesday 15 July—Opposition day (third allotted day). Debate on a motion in the name of the official Opposition. Subject to be announced.
Thursday 16 July—The Sir David Amess summer Adjournment debate. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
The House will rise for the summer recess at the conclusion of business on Thursday 16 July and return on Tuesday 1 September.
Jesse Norman
I thank the Leader of the House for the business. I know that he and the whole House will want to join me in congratulating the England football team on their win last night, although I must say I am not sure we should be thanking them for the trauma and heart-stopping cardiovascular workout that I, at least, experienced right to the end.
The Prime Minister was quite punishing about the Liberal Democrats at Prime Minister’s questions yesterday for their sanctimoniousness. Let us be clear: we can all agree that he was spot on. However, the Prime Minister has not exactly been immune to sanctimoniousness himself. He was extremely rude about the state of the public finances after the general election and promised “tough decisions” to “fix the foundations”. The imaginary £22 billion black hole that he inherited needed, he said, candour, discipline and hard choices.
Those tests should also apply here and now with the defence investment plan, which commits £15 billion in additional defence spending over four years, of which £4.7 billion will be confirmed at Budget 2026. In other words, the plan, which comes 394 days after the strategic defence review and on the eve of a NATO summit, is partly unfunded from the moment it is published. That is not what candour, discipline or hard choices look like. Irony of ironies, the further £10 billion reportedly needed for the DIP is itself precisely the kind of unfunded bequest to the next Government that the Prime Minister claims to condemn.
Of course, the plan is also too small. The Government say that 3% is their ambition for the next Parliament. Getting to 3.5%—the UK’s core NATO commitment—by 2035 requires about £25 billion a year more in today’s terms. The Government have offered no funded pathway to either figure. It is little wonder that the plan has been so roundly criticised by defence experts across the board. The Leader of the House might feel tempted to make comparisons with 2010; perhaps I might remind him that at that time, the UK was reeling from the global financial crisis, a very different US President was in the White House, Ukraine was not at war and Russia was not directly threatening NATO members.
Cost escalation in defence is just part of a wider British problem with major national projects. High Speed 2 is the starkest warning. As far as I am aware—I spent two years at the Treasury trying and failing to stop it—HS2 is still constructing a gigantic so-called bat protector at a cost of more than £100 million in order to protect 20 or so pairs of endangered bats. There is little to no evidence that such a bat protector will do that or, indeed, to suggest that a few nets with some bells on would not be at least as effective. In other words, Edward Lear himself could not make this nonsense up.
Now we have Northern Powerhouse Rail. This week, the Public Accounts Committee reported that the Government still lack a convincing plan to manage, spend or prioritise benefits within the £45 billion rail budget, with unclear scope, optimistic costing, weak governance and late trade-offs. That is how large projects get into serious difficulty. Other nations have shown that they can do it better. Norway built the world’s longest and deepest subsea tunnel for about £450 million at the time of completion; we should be asking why we cannot do the same.
We have got a great model of our own nearby: the Buckingham Palace reservicing programme, which cost £369 million over 10 years. That is the lesson for restoration and renewal of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Palace of Westminster, the cost of which is currently estimated at up to an astonishing £12 billion to £19 billion. No one doubts that the Palace of Westminster badly needs restoration, and it needs a decision on that soon. No one disputes those points—the fire risk, asbestos, and failing electrical and mechanical systems are real—but Parliament cannot ask parliamentarians and, through them, the poor, long-suffering taxpayer to support a project of that scale without demonstrating the same disciplines it requires of others: not merely cost forecasts but stated and effective governance, a capped budget, independent challenge and proper named accountability. May we have at least two debates in the House on restoration and renewal, with one to discuss the issues in detail and another in relation to an authorising motion?
Sir Alan Campbell
Let me join the right hon. Gentleman in sending our congratulations to the England football team—we all look forward to the early hours of Monday morning.
Before I respond, let me pay a personal tribute to my predecessor, Sir Neville Trotter, formerly the Conservative MP for Tynemouth for more than 20 years, who, unfortunately, passed away at the weekend. We had our political differences, but he was a much respected politician who dedicated his life to public service. My thoughts—and, I am sure, those of the whole House—are with his family and friends.
I congratulate Eve Samson on her appointment as the 53rd Clerk of the House. Eve has worked in the House for almost 40 years. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will be a distinguished successor to Tom Goldsmith. She will also make history as the first woman Clerk of the House.
This week, the youth jobs grant was launched. Businesses who take on jobless youngsters will be offered thousands of pounds in the latest boost to youth employment support. It is a practical step that helps business investment in young people while giving them the confidence, skills, experience and support they need to embark on their careers.
Also this week, the outdated and harmful Vagrancy Act 1824 has been repealed, bringing an end to two centuries of legislation that has criminalised rough sleeping and begging. Repealing the Act is a vital step in ending a system that has failed to address the causes of rough sleeping. It shifts the focus towards prevention and long-term solutions. Many hon. Members, including the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), have raised the issue with me in this forum, and I know they will be pleased to see that the Act has finally been repealed.
Let me turn to the remarks of the shadow Leader of the House. I remind him that, since 2024, tough decisions have been taken, which is why inflation is lower and interest rates have fallen. At the same time, we have invested more in public services. However, we accept that the security situation has deteriorated—the challenges are there—which is why the Government brought forward the defence investment plan, and plans on how we will fund it.
The right hon. Gentleman reminded the House that the situation internationally in 2010 was different—of course, it was—and that the then Government were reeling from the global economic crisis. Let me remind him that in 2024 this Government and the country were reeling from 14 years of Tory mismanagement.
Let me return to the key issue of defence expenditure. The Government have already delivered the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the cold war and surpassed the promises we made in our manifesto. Our plan provides funding to strengthen military readiness, accelerate drone transformation, boost fighter jets and strengthen our nuclear deterrent. At the same time, we will create nearly 60,000 extra UK industry jobs by the end of the decade.
We inherited a situation where £54 billion a year was being spent on defence, but under this Government that figure will rise to almost £80 billion a year by 2029. Any plan will have its critics, but I note that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the Chief of the Defence Staff have backed our plan. We are on track to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament. The vast majority of this package has already been funded through the right and tough decisions to prioritise departmental spending. This will give the Ministry of Defence the certainty that it needs to get on with the job. The remaining £1 billion a year over four years will be confirmed in the usual way in the Budget.
With regard to R and R, the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that any major project needs to be managed properly and that where taxpayers’ money is concerned, we must get value for money. In that regard, I hope to bring forward a motion shortly to allow the House a long overdue debate on the next steps with R and R. The right hon. Gentleman is right that there is broadly a consensus in this House about the need to get on with restoration and renewal, and that message comes through in recent public polling; three out of four people want to see us get on and take the necessary action to restore this place. However, there is not consensus about how we will actually do it. I am very keen to build consensus and ensure that we have the right safeguards; the right hon. Gentleman and others are perhaps critical of some of the report that has been produced, but we want to build that consensus. I am very grateful to the NAO for its recent report and to the Public Accounts Committee. I look forward to the Committee’s investigation, so that it can bring forward recommendations. I hope that, at the end of it all, the House can come together so that we can get on with this, because it is long overdue.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
Order. We need to end this session by around 11.45 am, so let’s help each other. I call Siobhain McDonagh to set a good example.
Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab)
St Helier hospital has the fourth best maternity unit in the country, the only exclusively NHS-run assisted conception unit in south-west London, and a specialist gynaecology ward where nurses are highly trained in counselling. Yet all that is set to close next May because of the need for emergency repairs. Could the Leader of the House find time for a debate on those vital services, and whether they be temporarily relocated somewhere else on the St Helier site and returned to the current building on completion of the repairs?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is a strong defender of the interests of her constituents, and I listen very carefully to her concerns. The Government are committed to improving maternity across the country. That is why we have set up a national maternity and neonatal taskforce, and we are very keen to get on with it. If she wishes to apply for an Adjournment debate, she could hear directly from a Minister about how her specific constituency concerns might be addressed, and if she wishes to seek a meeting with Ministers to make her case, I will help her to arrange one.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
I join the whole House in congratulating the England team, in particular Tottenham Hotspur academy product Harry Kane for his heroics last night. I am also grateful to the Conservatives for their lecture on sanctimony, though I note that self-awareness was never their strongest trait.
This week my community was rocked by the news that Coughlan’s Bakery—a family-run business that been operating in the local area for 89 years—will close its doors for the last time. In their announcement, they say: “This was so devastating as March was a fantastic month, as was a lot of last year with our growth with new stores opening, but as soon as April’s new Government rules kicked in on national insurance, wages and rates, it instantly hit the high street”. That shows that Government policy is directly killing long-term, family-run businesses.
We warned the Government about this, and when we did we were told that they could not fund public services without the rises in business taxes, but let me make it clear to them: the Government will no longer receive any tax income from this local business anymore, and I fear that the revenue loss will continue to grow over the course of this year. Will the Government organise a statement from the relevant Department explaining what they are going to do about small businesses in distress, outlining how many are at risk and how many have already closed since April?
Sir Alan Campbell
I am concerned to hear of a business closing, particularly one that has been around for such a long time and which has served a community. I am genuinely sorry to hear that.
Small businesses are at the heart of our local communities and economies, and the Government are committed to supporting them in every way that we can, which is why our small business plan will save businesses time and money, boost access to finance and create new opportunities—but I do understand that for some businesses, there is an alternative scenario. We are also supporting a large number of businesses through a £4.3 billion business rates package.
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point about national insurance, but the change was made so that we could invest in our public services. He cannot have it both ways; Liberal Democrats constantly talk about the need for more spending on all sorts of things, and yet, when it comes to a difficult decision about voting for the money, they vote the wrong way.
Paul Waugh (Rochdale) (Lab/Co-op)
Shabir Ahmed was the ringleader of a disgusting Rochdale grooming gang. He was convicted of serial rapes against young white girls and repeated rapes of a young Asian girl. Today, Shabir Ahmed is being released from prison with a restriction that he should not enter the Rochdale or Oldham boroughs—yet Shabir Ahmed is joint UK-Pakistani national, and he should be deported to Pakistan. Does the Leader of the House agree that the Home Office and the Foreign Office should do everything possible within their power to make sure that people like Ahmed are deported and that their victims never ever have to face them again?
Sir Alan Campbell
In short: yes, I do. Our thoughts should be with the victims of these appalling crimes. The perpetrators in grooming gangs and sexual abuse cases must face the full force of the law, whoever they are and wherever they come from—let me be absolutely clear about that. If the individual we are talking about breaches the very strict conditions that have been placed upon him, he will be locked up again immediately—I hope he pays heed to that—but I also know that the Government are exploring every option in this case.
Martin Vickers (Brigg and Immingham) (Con)
The Chairman of the Committee sends his apologies, Mr Speaker. In addition to the business that the Leader of the House has announced, the Committee has agreed two Select Committee statements: one next Thursday from the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and one the following Thursday from the Work and Pensions Committee. In addition, in Westminster Hall next week, there will be debates on UK aid policy in the context of global funding trends and on the humanitarian impact of conflicts on older people. On Thursday, there will be a debate on Government support for the Lobular Moon Shot Project. The following week, there will be debates on isolation and hidden deprivation in coastal communities, on the impact of the national planning policy framework changes and on capital funding for Changing Places.
I urge Members to take part in the Sir David Amess debate, which the Leader of the House mentioned. It is an opportunity to raise any constituency matters and perhaps to avoid having to come to the Backbench Business Committee, where we have to find more time for those debates. In addition, will the Leader of the House give the Committee early notice of debating time in September, particularly if it is on the first day back?
Moving on to my own question, I am sure the Leader of the House will be aware of the long-running campaign by the National Association of Retired Police Officers in respect of the injustice to widows and widowers, who can be deprived of their pension if they remarry. I have raised the matter in the House previously. Will the Leader of the House arrange for the Minister to come here and outline the Government’s plans? I know that would please many of my constituents and others across the country.
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving an update on what the Committee is planning, and I thank the Committee for its work. We were able to provide more time in response to the Chairman’s request last time, and it is good to see that coastal communities are getting a hearing. I am pleased to confirm, as I did in my statement, that the Sir David Amess debate is taking place, and I echo the hon. Gentleman’s words that it is a good opportunity for colleagues to raise any concern. I will give early notice, where I can, of plans for when we return in September.
The hon. Gentleman has been an assiduous campaigner on police pensions. The 1987 police pension scheme is now closed and has been superseded by the 2015 scheme, and there are no plans for further improvements to the benefits accrued under it. However, I will make sure that Ministers have heard his concerns; should he wish to raise them with Ministers personally, I will help him to arrange a meeting.
John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab)
I declare a non-pecuniary interest as the chair of the Public and Commercial Services Union parliamentary group. The Leader of the House and many Members will know that since the payment of civil service pensions was outsourced, there has been near chaos; many civil servants have been unable to retire because they have not received information about their pensions, and retired civil servants have not even been receiving their pension. A written ministerial statement yesterday said that there will be an update to Parliament shortly, and that, with regard to Capita,
“the Government will not hesitate to take firm action for continued underperformance.”
Will my right hon. Friend convey to the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office that the update should include a commitment to returning the administration of civil service pensions to public control—and that means insourcing?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my right hon. Friend for his campaigning on this matter, which has been raised often with me in this Session. I had hoped that there would be an update to the House; I still have that hope, and I hope that it happens very soon indeed. What the Minister will say is, of course, a matter for the Minister, and I do not want to pre-empt that, but we should expect that update, during which my right hon. Friend and others can raise concerns directly with the Minister.
Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)
May we have a statement from a Work and Pensions Minister on the lack of routes through which right hon. and hon. Members can contact the Department on behalf of constituents who, as in the case of one chronically ill lady whom I represent, have lost universal credit and wish to challenge that? She has been struggling for more than a year, whereas we have been struggling only for the last six months, to get an answer out of the Department. When the Leader of the House sends on that request, as he always assiduously does, may I include a summary sheet about this case for him to include with his letter to the Minister?
Sir Alan Campbell
The right hon. Gentleman may indeed include that, and I will take this up with the Minister, because I know that his frustrations are shared by many Members of the House. If he lets me have that information, I will get on with it.
Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) (Lab)
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Serhat Erdogan and his team on the successful opening of Cafe Victoria? He has taken on a long-empty shop in Grimsby town centre, which shows great confidence in the local economy of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The Government launched community auctions for empty shops; will the Leader of the House help me to get a Government statement on progress on community auctions?
Sir Alan Campbell
I join my hon. Friend in congratulating everyone involved with the opening of Cafe Victoria. I know the trials and tribulations of coastal communities, and the important role that cafés and hospitality play. If she wants to make the case directly to a Minister and get that update, I will help her to achieve that.
Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)
The right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham)—the Prime Minister in waiting—has said that his approach to devolution would be one of urgency, yet we understand that there may be conversations about delaying announcements on local government reorganisation and devolution of powers, so that the new Prime Minister has the glamour of announcing them. Will the Leader of the House put those rumours to bed, and confirm that announcements on the creation of unitary authorities in Hertfordshire and elsewhere will be made in this House, before the summer recess? That way, Members can ask the Government questions, and local authorities can have certainty about going ahead with local government reorganisation without further disruption to vital services, such as special educational needs and disabilities provision and social care.
Sir Alan Campbell
Let me think about what the hon. Lady has said and find out from the relevant Department what its plans are. On what might happen in the future, let me reassure her and the House that there will be continuity of government. Of course, if there is a new incoming Administration, it is not unreasonable for them to look at plans, but they will be absolutely aware of the need for local areas and local government to plan for the future. Let me think about the first bit. I reassure her that whatever happens in the future, I would expect the next Administration to want to get on with it.
Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)
Many of us remain frustrated by delays to Royal Mail postal deliveries. My constituent Anthony Barnes was removed from a treatment waiting list on three occasions because hospital communications did not arrive in time. I have encouraged local healthcare providers to use Royal Mail’s NHS-specific barcode, which prioritises delivery for health board correspondence. Can I ask the Leader of the House for a ministerial update on Royal Mail’s performance, including uptake of the NHS-specific barcode? That will be important to many of our constituents across the UK.
Sir Alan Campbell
The consequences that Anthony faced due to Royal Mail delivery issues are simply unacceptable. My hon. Friend is right that this affects constituents right across the country. I am pleased to say that the Business and Trade Committee continues to look at Royal Mail’s performance, but I will raise this matter with the Department on my hon. Friend’s behalf.
Robbie Moore (Keighley and Ilkley) (Con)
Back in 2022, the Keighley Cougars were awarded over £2 million to replace the Danny Jones stand, which is in dire need of repair, but Bradford council has still not made a decision on releasing this money, despite it having been awarded to the team. Can we have a debate in this place about how we unlock this money, which had been allocated through the Keighley towns fund, so that we can get these projects underway for the benefit of my residents in Keighley?
Sir Alan Campbell
Let me wish the Keighley Cougars well in their endeavours. Also, I hope that Bradford council has heard the hon. Gentleman’s concerns, that it can get on, and that he gets the positive response that he seeks. If that is not forthcoming, perhaps he would seek an Adjournment debate on the issue, in order to hear directly from the Minister, who I am sure will confirm the importance that this Government give to local sport.
Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Lab)
Rick Rescorla, a son of Hayle in my constituency, was a security guard in the Twin Towers on 9/11, and is widely credited with saving 2,700 lives while sacrificing his own. Decorated in his career in both the British and US armies, Rick was truly a national hero. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on the heroes of 9/11, and also help me secure British and US army representation at a ceremony in Hayle on 9/11?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter in the House. He is absolutely right to highlight the bravery shown that day by Rick Rescorla. It is an absolutely remarkable story from a very dark day indeed. As we approach the anniversary, I hope that my hon. Friend might consider applying for an Adjournment debate on this subject, to start the build-up to what will be a prolonged and important commemoration of those dreadful events. As for his point about ensuring that servicemen or women are at the ceremony, I hope that the Ministry of Defence has heard it. If not, I will point it out to the Department.
Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Reform)
On Tuesday, we learned that the only two major road projects in the east midlands—the A46 in Newark and the A38 in Derby—were to be scrapped. So many questions remain. How were these projects chosen? Why are the only projects being scrapped in the whole country those in the east midlands? Who, if anyone, was consulted? The Labour Mayor of the East Midlands was not. How much money has been wasted over the last 10 years getting to the point that we are at today? Does the Department for Transport even support this decision, given that the only communication we have had—by “we”, I mean the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), the Labour Mayor of the East Midlands and I—came, weirdly, from a special adviser in No. 10, not from the Secretary of State for Transport? It really is a mess. Can the Leader of the House ask the Secretary of State for Transport to get in touch with those of us who are interested in this matter, and to come to Parliament to answer questions on it?
Sir Alan Campbell
Yes, in short; I will ask the Secretary of State to ensure that MPs from the area, including the right hon. Gentleman, get the information that they seek. These are very tough decisions indeed. On the one hand, it is quite right that Opposition—and, indeed, Government—Members should call for greater expenditure on defence; that is why every Department has been asked to look at its spending commitments, including Transport. These are tough decisions, and I understand that they are frustrating and can have a big effect on local areas. I will seek a meeting for the right hon. Gentleman and local MPs, so that they can make their case to the relevant Minister.
Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)
The Leader of the House will know that I never miss an opportunity to raise the subject of the state of Staffordshire’s roads, but they may not have heard this variant before. Residents in Church Eaton have reported a sinkhole on their high street. I have seen it. Nobody seems able to get it filled in. It is on a main road, close to a primary school, and it has become something of a legend among local residents, to the extent that one constituent wrote a poem about it. Could the Leader of the House grant a debate on the condition of rural roads, so that we can get to the bottom of why repairs like this keep falling through the cracks?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend has been a doughty campaigner for her constituents on the issue of local roads, and I pay tribute to her for that. Her constituents are rightly angry about this issue, and I expect better—well, perhaps I do not, but we ought to—from a Reform county council. I hope the council has heard my hon. Friend this morning. We are doubling investment in local road maintenance, and providing a record £7.3 billion boost for councils over the next four years. My advice to the council is this: the money is there—get on and use it.
John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)
In Salisbury, we welcome zero emission buses, and the previous Conservative Administration worked with the ZEBRA—zero emission bus regional area—scheme to deliver 30 new buses. Last week, when I met Ed Wills, the new managing director of Salisbury Reds, we discussed a number of matters, including acoustic measures to mitigate the noise from those buses, but the challenge is that Chinese-manufactured buses are cheaper, and offer greater battery range. The Government need to make a decision about the next round of the ZEBRA scheme. Could the Leader of the House ensure that we have a statement on this, so that local authorities around the country, including those in Wiltshire, can determine the best way to expand provision?
Sir Alan Campbell
Let me draw that to the attention of the relevant Minister. This Government set great store by buses and the environment, but we are encouraging councils and businesses to buy British wherever they can. I will raise that matter directly with the Minister, and we will see whether we can get the update that the right hon. Gentleman is looking for.
Jon Trickett (Normanton and Hemsworth) (Lab)
I have not yet had the opportunity to mention the knighting of Kevin Sinfield—a great human being, a brilliant sports player and, I suppose above all, a humanitarian. One of his distinguishing characteristics is his modesty, but modesty cannot be attributed to the new boss at Royal Mail, who is driving that company into the ground, in spite of the efforts of the posties. He has paid himself a £7 million salary in a single year. Can we have a debate about corporate failure and executive reimbursement? That would allow us to express our frustration about what is happening in the country.
Sir Alan Campbell
Let me join my hon. Friend in once again paying tribute to Sir Kevin Sinfield on his well-deserved honour. Royal Mail is the subject of an inquiry that will report back to the House; there will be an opportunity at that point to debate it. If we need further time for debate on the subject, I will give that matter consideration.
Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)
Cellnex estimates that Mid Sussex is ranked 499th out of 650 constituencies for quality of mobile signal strength. The current obligations on mobile operators are clearly failing to provide the coverage that my constituents deserve in villages like Cuckfield, Bolney and Fulking. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the merits of changing these mobile operator obligations, so that we can have the coverage that we so badly need?
Sir Alan Campbell
That is a concern for the Government. We want to make sure that everyone has the services they need, and we are keen get that coverage rolled out. I encourage the hon. Lady to seek an Adjournment debate, or perhaps a debate in Westminster Hall, to make her case, so that she can hear directly from the relevant Minister what more we can do.
Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)
The Government have shown a clear commitment to addressing many of the issues facing leaseholders, but may I ask them to go further? I say that because many of my constituents who are leaseholders in a particular building that is under 11 metres tall are facing a bill of £70,000—in fact, the managing agent is asking for £3,000 a month. This is not due to any fault on the part of the leaseholders. Will the Leader of the House ask the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to make an oral or written statement on the support available to leaseholders in buildings that are under 11 metres tall?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend raises an important matter. The Government are working hard to strengthen leaseholder protections through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and our forthcoming leasehold and commonhold reform Bill, but I shall certainly seek the update she requests. I remind the House that there is a Backbench Business debate later today on leasehold reform, in which my hon. Friend and other Members will be able to raise these issues and hear directly from the Minister for Housing and Planning.
Bradley Thomas (Bromsgrove) (Con)
The House will be delighted to learn that 17-year-old Leo, whom I have mentioned previously in the Chamber, is now cancer-free after being matched with a stem cell donor. This is excellent news. In addition, Leo is up for an award—the BBC Make a Difference young hero of the year. Will the whole House join me in wishing Leo the best of luck, and perhaps the Leader of the House will root for Leo to go on to win?
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly send my best wishes to Leo for a full recovery. I recall the hon. Gentleman raising Leo’s remarkable story, and I am delighted to hear the news. I also wish him all the very best in relation to the award. There are some remarkable young people, and I hope that Leo is recognised as one of them.
Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
More than 70 organisations and novelist Irvine Welsh are backing the community-led bid for Leith to become the first ever UK town of culture. Can my right hon. Friend put in a word for Leith with Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and will he make arrangements for a written statement to update us on the timetable of the UK town of culture 2028 competition?
Sir Alan Campbell
I am sure Leith is a perfectly lovely town and a fine contender for town of culture; however, my hon. Friend invites me down a route I simply cannot take, because North Shields, a town in my constituency, has also put in a very strong bid—as has Chorley, Mr Speaker—and I do have to return to my constituency, so I have to be careful. None the less, I wish all the towns, including Leith, the very best in their attempts to be crowned the first town of culture. It is a great scheme and, win or lose, a great way to highlight the importance of our towns and the communities who live in them. I will ask the relevant Minister to update the House on the process as soon as possible.
Ann Davies (Caerfyrddin) (PC)
Diolch yn fawr, Mr Llefarydd. On 23 December 2024, my constituent Aaron Jones was killed in a hit and run while walking his dog. The perpetrator was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Two weeks ago, his widow, Lisa, received a letter from the Ministry of Justice informing her of sentence changes under the Sentencing Act 2026, but she will have to wait until the end of August to know whether the man who took her husband’s life will be released earlier than expected. Does the Leader of the House agree that this uncertainty only brings further distress to victims’ families, and will he grant a debate in Government time so we can ensure that the Act is implemented with the required sensitivity, and with the safety and wellbeing of survivors the foremost consideration?
Sir Alan Campbell
I understand the sensitivity of this matter and the distress that the death of Mr Jones and what has happened since must bring to his family. These are difficult decisions, but I understand the hon. Lady’s point about giving families reassurance as far as it can be given. I hope that the Ministry of Justice has heard her comments, and I will raise this case directly with Ministers.
If the hon. Lady seeks an Adjournment debate to hear a Minister explain how else this process can be strengthened, I think that would be appropriate, but let me be clear: this must be a part of every process, not just applied in individual cases. A cultural shift is needed in how we deal with these matters.
Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Bromborough) (Lab)
On 15 June, a vehicle crashed through the fence at Sunny Days nursery in Vale Road, Ellesmere Port, injuring a number of children. Thankfully, it does not look as if there has been any long-term damage. The parents want to praise the staff at the nursery and the local residents and businesses who came to the children’s aid, but the incident has raised questions about security and safety standards at nurseries. I understand that the Department for Education is looking at the issue, but will a Minister make a statement about it?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is right that the Department for Education takes the issue very seriously indeed and is looking at these matters. When it has reached its conclusions, I am sure that the relevant Minister will want to bring them to the House. I pay tribute, as my hon. Friend has done, not just to the staff at the nursery but to the whole community, who sound as though they rallied together after this unfortunate and terrible situation. Let us hope that what comes forward makes it much less likely that something like this will happen again.
Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)
In 2023, I secured funds from the last Government to conserve and bring home our 10-foot sea dragon to Rutland. Unfortunately, Rutland county council has now overrun on another project and has decided not bring the ichthyosaur back to Rutland, which will cost our local economy in terms of future prosperity. The local conservator has said that he will reduce the cost of conserving this specimen of national importance, but the council has said that it cannot accept a reduced cost or retender for the work because of national Government rules. Does that not seem preposterous? It flies in the face of the idea of best value for taxpayer money.
Sir Alan Campbell
It does sound slightly odd, and I share the hon. Lady’s concern. If she provides me with the details, I will take them away and get the Department to look at them to see how the council has interpreted the rules and whether this is the reality, but I hope that the council has heard her remarks.
Phil Brickell (Bolton West) (Lab)
I declare an interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax. This week, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) declared that he is earning an extraordinary £22,500 per hour working for a gold bullion dealer.
Mr Speaker
Order. Have you informed the hon. Member for Clacton that you intended to raise this matter?
Phil Brickell
Questions have also emerged about his lobbying the Bank of England for crypto-friendly policies, having himself invested £215,000 into bitcoin company Stack BTC, alongside former Conservative Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng. Does the Leader of the House agree that Members of this House are public servants and that we should always put our constituents first, before any private interest? Will he use his good offices as Chair of the Modernisation Committee to deliver much-needed reform to the rules on Members’ outside employment?
Sir Alan Campbell
Yes. I share my hon. Friend’s view about the importance of the primary job of MPs. There was a debate on the issue in Westminster Hall yesterday. This matter was raised on a number of occasions and the Minister without Portfolio set out the current Government’s response. The Government believe that an MP’s primary job is to represent their constituents, which is why we have already made some important changes following the general election to tighten the rules relating to MPs’ second jobs. We accept that there is a great deal more to do and I will continue to work closely with the Committee on Standards, which is looking at this matter and I hope will bring forward recommendations that satisfy my hon. Friend.
Ben Maguire (North Cornwall) (LD)
I declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for dairy. I welcome the fact that the Government’s farming road map explicitly designates food production as an issue of national security, but I am deeply concerned that their water White Paper proposes a blanket extension of environmental permitting, from poultry and pig farms to the dairy sector, despite animals in the former being kept mostly indoors and cattle mostly outdoors. My North Cornwall constituents and National Farmers’ Union delegates estimate that this could cost around £10,000 per farm and produce much more paperwork. Can we please have a debate in Government time on the need to support farmers to produce food for this country, rather than deterring our farmers from actually farming?
Sir Alan Campbell
The Government share the hon. Gentleman’s view that it is important that we support farmers, and agree with him about the importance of food security and food production as we go forward. As he alluded to, we need to ensure that what is happening in certain areas of farming and the Government’s plans on water are joined up, because we need to get this right. In order to get an answer from the relevant Minister, I encourage him to apply for an Adjournment debate so that he can hear from them directly.
Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)
Vernon Building Society, which was established in 1924, offers financial services to people in Stockport and across Greater Manchester. It is a true mutual, owned by members, not shareholders. However, as the building society sector grows, there are concerns about meaningful democratic engagement for members. In particular, in Nationwide, which is the largest building society in the world, concerns have been raised about a virtual-only annual general meeting, a lack of member-nominated directors and the quick vote mechanism. When members are owners, they must have a meaningful voice in how the organisation is run and governed. As such, may I ask the Leader of the House for a debate in Government time on the Building Societies Act 1986 and the need for a meaningful democratic voice for the membership?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend raises some interesting concerns, particularly around transparency, and he rightly points out that building societies are a vital and growing part of our economy. I suggest that he should seek an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate so that he can hear directly from a Minister how his concerns might be addressed.
Douglas Lumsden (Aberdeen South) (Con)
EnQuest has just announced that jobs will be lost at the Sullom Voe oil terminal, in the latest blow to the oil and gas sector. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a full debate on the future of the oil and gas sector before it is too late?
Sir Alan Campbell
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. I know that the oil and gas sector was a very big issue in the by-election, and the Government take this matter very seriously indeed.
I very much regret the loss of jobs that the hon. Gentleman has talked about, but I gently remind him that it is not a new phenomenon; some 70,000 jobs have been lost in the last decade. However, oil and gas come out of the North sea 24 hours a day, every day, and they will continue to do so. We have a mixed economy, but we must ensure that green jobs are coming through as well, because the sector needs to change.
I cannot offer the hon. Gentleman the opportunity of a debate specifically on this matter at the moment, but the Government are very cognisant of it. Should we or the Backbench Business Committee get the opportunity to have that debate, I am sure it would be very well attended.
Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)
Increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness are being forced to choose between accessing accommodation and keeping the pets that provide them with companionship, emotional support, stability and a sense of safety. Street Paws is a leading campaigner to remove this preventable barrier. Pet-inclusive approaches have been introduced successfully in a number of areas, including Greater Manchester, demonstrating that such policies can be implemented safely and effectively. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the need to expand that support and ensure that no one is denied accommodation simply because they refuse to abandon a beloved pet?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend raises a very important point indeed, which I know is a concern to many of our constituents. The homelessness code of guidance sets out the framework that local authorities must follow in carrying out their homelessness duties. It is not always possible, but the Secretary of State recommends that authorities give careful consideration to those who rely on pets for companionship when making provision for them. I will ensure that Ministers have heard my hon. Friend’s concerns; if they have further proposals to bring forward, I am sure that they will do so.
Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Reform)
I am sure that the Leader of the House will want to join the people of the Isle of Man this weekend, as they prepare to celebrate Tynwald Day on Monday. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for hosting the Tynwald day reception in Speaker’s House last night with the Chief Minister, the President of Tynwald and the Speaker of the House of Keys.
For several years, I have received correspondence from former constituents who have moved to countries such as Australia and Canada after a lifetime of paying tax in the UK. Nearly half a million British pensioners abroad have their state pensions frozen, while those in the EU and the United States receive annual increases. That is even the case for those who retire to the British overseas territories of Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, St Helena, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos. How can it be right that British nationals are treated differently depending on where they live? Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on this long-standing injustice?
Sir Alan Campbell
I join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating the Isle of Man on Tynwald Day, and wish its people every success going forward.
On the issue of frozen state pensions, I cannot respond in any detail now, because it is a pretty complex area and I may well get it wrong. However, I will raise the hon. Gentleman’s concerns with the relevant Ministers, and see whether we can get an update on where we are and what proposals there might be in future. If the hon. Gentleman seeks a debate about this issue—because not just his constituents will be affected, although he takes a particular interest in overseas territories—he may well get an opportunity to put his concerns directly to the relevant Minister.
Lee Barron (Corby and East Northamptonshire) (Lab)
Just over 18 months ago, Harshita Brella was murdered in Corby and her body was found in the boot of a car. We are aware that there is an ongoing police investigation, and none of us wants to do anything to prejudice that, but her family feel isolated; recently, they flew over from India to get an update. When they hear nothing, they feel as though nothing is happening, so will the Leader of the House work with Home Office and Foreign Office colleagues to ensure that the family receive monthly updates on what progress is being made in securing justice for Harshita?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important case, and share his horror at this horrific attack—our thoughts remain with Harshita’s friends and family, and I understand the strength of feeling about this case. As my hon. Friend points out, there is an ongoing investigation, but I understand that the Home Office will be writing to him soon to address his concerns. Should he want a further meeting with Home Office representatives, I am sure they would be happy to arrange it.
Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)
Yesterday, over 50 parliamentarians from across this House and their Ukrainian counterparts wrote to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport about “Masha and the Bear”, a Russian cartoon series in which the militarisation of children and a distinct lack of regard for boundaries are key themes. It is currently streamed to British children on Netflix and ITVX; it is produced by a Russian studio paying tax to the Russian state, and has been labelled an instrument of Russian soft power by the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation. Does the Leader of the House agree that British children should not be an audience for content with these propaganda concerns, and will he ask the Secretary of State for DCMS to make a statement on what the Government intend to do about it?
Sir Alan Campbell
I share concerns if children are being bombarded with propaganda, because that would be highly inappropriate, and the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise those concerns. I will take them up with the Secretary of State for DCMS and get an update on what the Government intend to do, and can do, about this matter.
Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham) (Lab)
It has been more than two years since the devastating explosion at Coronation Terrace in Willington, and although the immediate emergency has long since passed, the impact on local residents continues. Families have had to live alongside an unsightly, derelict and potentially dangerous site, and there have been prolonged delays in resolving insurance claims involving numerous parties, leaving the community in limbo. As usual, discussions take place behind closed doors, but my constituents deserve to see all those involved working together to bring this matter to a conclusion. Will the Leader of the House advise me on the best way to expedite action in cases such as these, where complex insurance processes appear to have stalled progress for far too long?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter—she is an assiduous campaigner for her wonderful constituency. It is important that work is done, and that that work is transparent and timely. I encourage the local council to engage with this matter and to work with my hon. Friend to resolve it. It is the council’s responsibility to help with these matters, but I will reach out to the relevant Government Department to request that it provides my hon. Friend with any available guidance.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
Will the Leader of the House please ask the Foreign Secretary to make a statement on the escalating abduction crisis in northern Nigeria? Reports indicate that some 1,100 people were abducted in the first four months of this year, and last week, gunmen—terrorists—attacked Government Day secondary school in Lassa, Borno state, and abducted 36 students and one staff member during examination time. What representations have the Government made to the Nigerian authorities to strengthen civilian protection, secure the release of those still held captive, and tackle the armed groups responsible for these attacks?
Sir Alan Campbell
As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises a serious matter. I saw those reports, and what is happening is appalling. The UK stands firmly against these attacks, and at this difficult time we stand firmly with the people and Government of Nigeria and with the families of the children who have been abducted. We continue to work closely with the Government of Nigeria, including through our ongoing security and defence partnership. I will raise the hon. Gentleman’s concerns with the Foreign Office.
Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)
Craigmark Burntonians, a club from my home town and the community I am proud to represent, have won the west of Scotland football league division 3. Vital amateur league football plays a great part in our local communities. I would like to thank Steve Clarke, an Ayrshire man, for his outstanding contribution over the past seven years, which included taking Scotland to the world cup, and that is not to forget our fantastic, amazing fans. Does the Minister agree that those achievements highlight the need for a debate on the vital role that football plays in our local communities?
Sir Alan Campbell
Football at every level, from Sunday league to the world cup, plays an important part in local communities across the United Kingdom. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Craigmark Burntonians on their success. I recommend, particularly in the light of what is unfolding at the world cup, that she apply for a debate on the importance of football. I am sure it would be well attended.
Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) (Lab)
The Leader of the House will be well aware that our UK Labour Government have given more than £340 million to the Plaid Cymru minority Government in Wales, specifically for those with additional learning needs. Could he explain why this money has not been distributed to local councils, as all 22 local authorities and every teaching union have called for? Why is this vital funding being held back? Why is it not being used to support our Welsh pupils with ALN? I am at a loss to understand it. Could he help, please?
Sir Alan Campbell
I am not in a position to help, because I do not understand either. It seems incongruous given what this Government are seeking to do and, I would have thought, with the intended actions of the new Administration in Wales. It is a great deal of money and the need is there, so I do not understand why it has not happened. I hope that the Welsh Government have listened to the very wise words of my hon. Friend. Let us see what happens. Should she want to hear directly from a Minister about what further we can do from here, I would advise her to seek an Adjournment debate.
Joe Morris (Hexham) (Lab)
Last week, Sarah, the head of pastoral services at Hexham Priory school, and the Friends of Hexham Priory school began their 24-hour challenge. They raised more than £28,000 by running and walking laps of Wentworth leisure centre in Hexham for a continuous 24-hour period—in one of the hottest weeks on record, no less. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating them on their actions? Will he support a debate in Government time on support for respite services for the families of children with special educational needs and disabilities in rural areas?
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly join my hon. Friend in celebrating the remarkable achievement of Sarah Dodd and the Friends of Hexham Priory school, who raised more than £28,000, particularly since it was during a heatwave. I would be happy to raise my hon. Friend’s request for a meeting with the Department for Education so that he can discuss how respite services for families of children with complex needs can be improved, but he will have noticed that the Secretary of State for Education is on the Front Bench and will have heard his remarks.
Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)
This weekend, more than half a million people from around the world will descend on the Silverstone circuit—half of which is located in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency—hopefully to see another British win at the British grand prix. The race will also allow Buckinghamshire to showcase its status as a hub for high-performance engineering in which more than 8,000 people are employed by 1,700 businesses. Will the Leader of the House join me in wishing British racers the best of luck this weekend, and might he find time for a debate on the contribution of Formula 1 and motorsport to the UK economy?
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly send everyone my best wishes and I agree with my hon. Friend that Formula 1 and motorsports generally bring a huge advantage to our economy, whether that is through the highly skilled engineers, researchers and developers or the success of British drivers including Sir Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris. We have a great deal to celebrate, and I hope there is more to celebrate in the future. I hope that all fans enjoy the race this weekend, and I thank my hon. Friend for raising the matter today.
Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the 2nd Wednesfield scout group on its upcoming 100th anniversary? I give particular thanks to Steve Rogers, better known as Codge, for 50 years of service. He has shown incredible dedication to so many young people, over many generations, in and around Wednesfield. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking Codge and all involved in our scout groups in Wolverhampton and Willenhall, and across the country?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to champion the good work of the scouts, and I join her in congratulating the 2nd Wednesfield scout group on its upcoming centenary—a remarkable achievement. I also join her in expressing thanks for the voluntary service of Steve Rogers, and of all scout and girl guide leaders, who generously give their time in support of young people.
Dr Allison Gardner (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)
On Sunday, I was delighted to attend a teatime event with the Fulford community choir. It was an uplifting and joyous event, and I congratulate Gail Sullivan, Wendy Godfrey, Dan Hollinghurst, Rowena Davies and all the volunteers and musicians who helped organise the event. Does the Leader of the House agree that choirs and community events, such as the one at Fulford village hall, do so much to improve mental health, tackle loneliness, and strengthen our communities and villages, such as Fulford?
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly agree with my hon. Friend that choirs and local events can do so much to support and bring together our local communities, including by helping with mental health and combating loneliness. Volunteers who help to organise events, such as the members of the Fulford community choir, provide an invaluable service to their local community, and my hon. Friend is absolutely right to recognise them.
Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)
Heat-related mortality has taken 10,000 lives in England over the last five years and exacerbated the risk of ill health, from asthma to stroke. With climate degradation, things are only going to get worse. What steps are the Government taking to address this issue and ensure that there are proper facilities in workplaces, homes and communities, to future-proof our society against extreme heat?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is right to raise that. We know that extreme weather events are getting more common and that these issues will not go away. We are working across Government to respond to severe heatwaves and mobilise support, particularly for the most vulnerable, who are of course at greatest risk of harm. As my hon. Friend will know, the Government are taking action to combat climate change, and I will make sure that the points she raises are shared with the relevant Minister.
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)
Wolverhampton community radio—101.8 WCR FM—in my constituency provides a vital service for people across the city. It gives a platform to local voices, community groups, charities and volunteers, and keeps residents informed about the issues that matter to them most. I have been on the radio talking about knife crime and the Pride in Place programme. At a time when we have had reductions in local radio services following commercial radio mergers, will the Leader of the House please agree to a debate in Government time to recognise the invaluable contribution of community radio stations, such as Wolverhampton community radio, and the importance of providing sustainable, long-term funding for community broadcasting across the country?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend makes a powerful case for the role that local radio plays in giving a platform to local voices and communities. We have launched our local media strategy, with an increase in community radio funding to £1 million per year. I suggest that my hon. Friend apply for a Westminster Hall debate to discuss the role that radio plays in our local communities, because every constituency will be affected.
Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)
I recently did the school run in Ilkeston with Bebe Newton, experiencing it in the way that she does: in a wheelchair. We navigated broken pavements, uneven crossings and all kinds of poorly placed street furniture. It really showed me the barriers that disabled people face every day of their lives. It was so difficult, mentally and physically exhausting and, at times, dangerous. Will the Leader of the House consider having a debate so that we can examine properly the experiences of disabled people and the barriers that they face in everyday life?
Sir Alan Campbell
As ever, my hon. Friend is a champion for the rights of his constituents, and I pay tribute to him for that. We are committed to ensuring that streets and transport networks are accessible for everyone, including disabled people. However, the overall responsibility for the management of pavements, crossings and street furniture lies with the local highway authority. I hope that it has heard his powerful representation on behalf of his constituents.
Graeme Downie (Dunfermline and Dollar) (Lab)
After holding a series of stakeholder events with local businesses and charities and an online survey attracting more than 1,000 responses, I have recently published the results of a city centre survey for Dunfermline. That survey highlighted that people are very proud to live in Scotland’s newest city and ancient capital, but that improvements are needed in the city centre itself to improve aesthetics and attract new businesses. Does the Leader of the House agree that the people of Dunfermline deserve to see improvements in their city centre, and will he help me deliver that for my constituents?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. Scotland has so many brilliant places to visit, and he is right to promote his city of Dunfermline. We are committed to backing Britain’s tourism industry, which supports over 1.3 million jobs and £64.3 billion in gross value added to the economy. I recommend that he applies for what would be a very popular Westminster Hall debate.
Maureen Burke (Glasgow North East) (Lab)
Around 59% of children in the most deprived areas reach a good level of development by the time they start primary school compared with 79% in the least deprived areas. Babyzone is a charity set up to level the playing field by providing free-to-access community hubs that offer services to support children’s development. I recently had the privilege of opening Babyzone’s first Scottish hub in Easterhouse, which I know will make a real difference to local families. Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising Babyzone’s work, and will he consider allocating parliamentary time to debate how we can close the development gap between affluent and poorer neighbourhoods so that every child gets a fair start in life?
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to praise charities such as Babyzone, which deliver a truly positive impact on local communities. Improving outcomes for pupils in deprived areas is an essential part of this Government’s wider mission to ensure that every child, whatever their background, can succeed. I certainly encourage her to apply for a debate on these matters so that Ministers can not just praise the success of organisations such as Babyzone, but outline plans about what further measures we intend to take.
Mr Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) (Lab)
Ward Jackson primary school in Hartlepool has been named one of the top 10 schools in the world for overcoming adversity on behalf of their pupils. In the words of the award organiser, it is a school where
“leaders refuse to let circumstance define what a child can become.”
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating pupils, families, governors and especially the extraordinary school staff at Ward Jackson on this brilliant achievement in leaving no child behind, which shows Hartlepool once again leading on the world stage?
Sir Alan Campbell
This Government are absolutely committed to giving every child the best start in life, and I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Ward Jackson primary school on being named one of the top 10 schools in the world for overcoming adversity. I am sure that this achievement would not have been possible without the support of the brilliant staff, the pupils’ hard work and the dedication of the families.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker