Commons Chamber

Tuesday 14th April 2026

(began 3 hours ago)

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Stephen Kinnock Portrait Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) (Aberafan Maesteg, Labour)
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Well, I thank him for that >> Well, I thank him for that question, and I'm equally pleased about what's happening with the University of East Anglia. When we University of East Anglia. When we came into office in July 2024, I was shocked to discover that there had been no sustained increase in had been no sustained increase in the number of dental places in our country since 2007, and I'm very proud of the fact that this government has turned that around with regard to the.

I had the General Dentistry Council in my office shortly after the general election to ask why the contract has been failing, mainly due to the neglect and incompetence of the party opposite. We've sorted that out. They've got a new contractor in place, and we're going to be delivering thousands more out of

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the backlog of international dentists starting from the 1st of April this year. Peter Swallow. Question seven please.

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please. Mr Speaker Minister coming.

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Mr Speaker Minister coming. Can we? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We promise to improve GP access and we are delivering. There access and we are delivering. There are 2000 more GPS than in July 2024, double our manifesto commitment of double our manifesto commitment of 1000. The previous government plan to increase GP numbers between 2019 and 2024. The number of fully qualified FTE GPS actually fell by 900. We have delivered 8 million more appointments and we are seeing satisfaction going up from 61% where it was languishing in July 20th 24 to 70.4% today.
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None Portrait
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Keras was just 22 when she took her life while an inpatient at Park House in Greater Manchester. The coroner described the unit as a shambles. Keras was just one of a number of deaths at the unit, and there is a national pattern of mental health trusts failing to learn and act when tragedy occurs. learn and act when tragedy occurs. Although reports to prevent future deaths are issued, there is no mechanism to ensure their

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recommendations are acted upon. How can accountability be strengthened? Hey Mr. Speaker, anyone receiving mental health treatment, particularly acute mental health treatment, deserves dignity and high quality care. We are careful short. This government's approach is that sunlight is the best disinfectant. That is why it is absolutely committed to learning and taking action to protect patients and improve inpatient mental health care up and down the country. I am deeply distressed to hear about this case and other cases, including Saint Andrew's and NHS England, and our CQC are acting

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to keep patients safe, and I am happy to take forward any further discussions with her as necessary. Mr Speaker patients in. Chicago

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Mr Speaker patients in. Chicago often struggle to access GP services in their area, and instead they must travel long distances. they must travel long distances. Some years ago, it was confirmed that a new surgery should be built in April. However, significant delays means that we are still waiting for that surgery. So will the Minister work with the NHS

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locally and myself to finally deliver a new GP surgery based in Chickerell? I thank my hon. Friend, I know that the local, town and county council have been working in partnership with Dorset ICB over many years to support GP many years to support GP partnerships within the area to develop a business case for NHS capital or revenue funding. I'd be capital or revenue funding. I'd be delighted to meet with him and to continue to make plans for how we can put pressure on to ensure that this is delivered.
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None Portrait Ministerial statement: Update on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
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Mr. speaker.
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Nick Thomas-Symonds Portrait Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Torfaen, Labour)
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the House on the government's response to the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Additional report. I want to just Additional report. I want to just start by updating the House on the delivery of compensation by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, or Ibca, as we refer to Authority, or Ibca, as we refer to it, as of the 7th of April, 3273 people have received an offer and over £2 billion has now been paid over £2 billion has now been paid out, and that includes the first payments to all eligible groups.

And I'm sure members across the whole House will welcome that progress. In July last year, the Infected Blood Inquiry published its additional report that made recommendations both for the government and indeed for Ibca. And part of our response to that report was a public consultation on changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. I'm here to update the House today on the outcome of that consultation. I should say, firstly, I'm deeply grateful to everyone who responded and provided deeply personal stories.

These must be at the heart of decisions the government makes, just as they were throughout the work of the inquiry. That consultation was vital for engaging the community on our proposals. The government has also sought advice from the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Technical Expert Group, alongside the consultation response. Today I am publishing the group's final report, which sets out their advice to the government and amendments to the compensation scheme to inform that advice. The Technical Expert Group conducted roundtable discussions with community representatives on specific aspects of the scheme, and that was separate to the consultation.

For transparency, I am also publishing the minutes of the round table discussions, the group's own meetings and a summary of written responses to the round tables. Let me now turn Mr Speaker to the changes to the scheme. Today we have published as a government our full response to the consultation, and that sets out how the scheme will now change. I would say before I turn to each change in detail, let me just explain the overall package. The community were clear that the scheme must do more to recognise people's individual experiences and compensate them fairly in a way that minimises the administrative burden placed upon those who have been harmed, minimises the demand for evidence and maintains the delivery of tariff based compensation, and those requirements underpin the changes.

For infected people, the changes will increase the amount of co compensation available and increase the options available for supplementary compensation awards for affected people. Additional compensation will be available to those eligible. We consulted on seven specific areas and we are making substantive changes in all seven and in four areas. We are actually going further than our original proposal. Let me now turn to those. Firstly, the special category mechanism. We will introduce a new supplementary award to give additional compensation to people who have been assessed as eligible for the SCM, or who can now demonstrate to Ibca they meet the criteria.

After considering the community's views, we will ensure that every eligible person has this award backdated to 2017. And that is because that is when the special category mechanism was first introduced. Many of those infected suffered from terrible mental health issues as a result of their infection, as we heard in their testimonies. So we will amend the scheme. So the new SCM Supplementary Award gives people additional compensation, where the psychological harm that they experienced means that the core route compensation simply doesn't go far enough.

We believe this will result in more comprehensive recognition of the mental health issues caused by infected blood and the resulting years of harm. The inquiry recommended we change the core route severity bandings to recognise the harms caused to infected people by interferon treatment and propose a new level two B severity banding for those who receive this treatment. We accept change is necessary and we will introduce this new severity band to increase people's injury, financial loss and indeed care awards.

In addition, if someone has had multiple rounds of interferon treatment, they will be compensated for each round. The inquiry recommended changes to the calculation of past financial loss and past care awards for those who choose to continue receiving support scheme payments, and we will remove the 25% deduction applied to Pasc compensation, as was recommended by the inquiry. The consultation also set out two options for how financial loss could be calculated for those who continue to receive support scheme payments.

The way the scheme currently does it, and an alternative because of the range of views on which was best. We will ensure that people receive past financial loss compensation based on whichever of the two calculations presented is most financially beneficial for them. The inquiry asked the government to look at the evidence requirements for the Exceptional Loss award. We were keen to hear the community's views on this, to develop a way forward that avoided lengthy, individualised assessments of people's circumstances. We will make sure that all forms of evidence of actual earnings can be considered by ibca.

We will also make additional compensation available to infected people who lack evidence of earnings, but who had clear potential to earn more than average. We will offer a £60,000 lump sum on top of people's core awards to those who can show they either had a job offer or recently started a job where the salary was higher than the median salary, but had their progress impeded by their infection. Through the consultation, we also heard Mr Speaker about the experiences of affected people and particular harms they suffered.

We will increase the Core Injury award for several groups of affected people, including bereaved parents whose child sadly died before they turned 18. Bereaved partners and children and siblings affected under the age of 18. These changes will give more compensation to affected people, whose particular experience of the scandal was undoubtedly profound and deeply harmful. These awards will form part of the core award, and they will not require additional evidence from applicants. I know the matter of unethical research is of particular concern to members across the House, and is one of the most shocking aspects of this scandal.

We heard that the existing approach may not have compensated everyone who suffered this wrongdoing. So first, we have changed the scope of this award so that anyone treated in the UK for a bleeding disorder in 1985 or earlier will receive further compensation. It was also clear from the consultation responses that the amount offered does not reflect the harm done. I say today to the House we will increase the unethical research awards. This includes increasing £25,000 for those who attended law school to 60,000, as well as introducing a new unethical research award for those treated elsewhere for a bleeding disorder during childhood at a rate of £45,000.

We also tripling the award for those treated for a bleeding disorder in adulthood to £30,000. Mr. speaker, I have touched on all seven of the areas we directly addressed in the consultation. Of course, I encourage members across the House to realise to read the full response that is being published. The consultation also invited respondents to raise any other concerns they had with the design of the scheme. One of the most compelling things we heard was that the scheme does not sufficiently recognise the profound impact of infection during childhood.

We have heard the community clearly on this, so we will make a further change to the compensation scheme to address this. We will introduce a 50% increase to the Core Autonomy Award for people who are infected at age 18 or under now. I hope these changes go some way to showing our commitment to listening to the community and making decisions with those impacted at the forefront of our minds, in order to make these substantial changes to the scheme, we will bring forward further legislation in due course.

Now, whilst the consultation provided one way for the community to offer feedback, the inquiry recommended there be an identified way for concerns to be considered. So today I am pleased to launch a new mechanism which builds on existing engagement and feedback channels through which people can raise concerns about the function of the infected blood compensation scheme. With the Cabinet Office and with ICA. Both organisations will then publish quarterly summaries of feedback received on the scheme's design and delivery, and any action being taken as a result.

And I tell the House I would expect the first of these summaries to be published in early July. Mr Speaker. The findings of the inquiry must be met with tangible, systemic change. I hope what I have set out today goes some way towards showing our commitment to enacting this change. I'd also like to pay tribute to Sir Brian Langstaff, to his team and everyone who gave testimony to the inquiry for ensuring that that human element of this tragedy remains at the focal point of the inquiry's work.

The compensation schemes most basic purpose is to provide financial recognition of the losses and harms faced by victims, both infected and affected. Beyond this, it must reflect and embody their stories if it is to truly deliver justice, not just for those we tragically lost, but also for those who continue to fight. I commend this statement to the House.
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Mike Wood Portrait Mike Wood MP (Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, Conservative)
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Shadow Minister Mike Wood. advanced copy. We naturally welcome the progress reported today. The fact that 3273 people have received offers totalling more than £2 billion is a significant milestone in a decades long struggle for justice, and I thank the Infected Blood Compensation Authority for their work to speed up these payments. As Baroness Finn said, in the other place, what we call the scandal was, in truth the infliction of grievous harm upon thousands of people by the state.

And nowhere was this more egregious or more shocking than in the case. Those cases where victims were infected as a result of deliberate experimentation in the name of science. And we therefore commend the Minister for the specific increases to the unethical research awards, and particularly that uplift to £60,000 for the survivors of Treloar's school and the expansion of the scheme to include those treated as adults. These are necessary recognitions of a truly outrageous chapter of this scandal. However, while the Minister speaks of tangible systemic change, many victims and their families will be looking at the fine print with a degree of trepidation.

So I have a number of questions regarding the delivery and scope of these announcements. The Minister noted that further legislation will be required later this year to enact these substantial changes, and given that the Infected blood inquiry is additional report was published back in July of last year. Can the Minister reassure this House that this legislative timetable will not lead to further delays for those in declining health? Will the first quarterly feedback summaries that is promised for July provide a hard deadline for when those new level two B severity awards and backdated Aysha.m payments will actually reach bank accounts and if not, does the Minister have an expectation for when those payments will be made? I think that the Minister mentioned increased core injury awards for bereaved parents where children died before the age of 18.

So can he provide greater clarity on the justification for excluding parents whose children are infected when they were young children, but who may have turned 18 before the time of their death? And regarding the 50% increase to the Core Autonomy Award for those infected at age 18 or under, can he confirm that this will also apply to those who are infected through their mothers in utero? The government rightly aims to minimise the administrative burden and the demand for evidence, and we welcome the £60,000 lump sum for those with clear potential to earn, but who lack evidence of earnings.

So how will the Infected Blood Compensation Authority define clear potential without falling back into the very lengthy, individualised assessments that the Minister says that he wants to avoid? And finally, on the compensation scheme, the Minister announced that for past financial loss, the government will use whichever calculation is most financially beneficial for the recipient. This is a pragmatic, pragmatic step that we welcome. However, can he clarify if the removal of the 25% deduction for past care will be applied automatically to all existing offers? Or will those people who have already received offers need to re-apply to have their awards adjusted? The compensation scheme must, as the Minister says, embody their stories.

Justice delayed is justice denied, and we must ensure that these new supplementary awards do not become a secondary bureaucratic hurdle for a community that has already given so much testimony and waited for so long. But before I close, Madam Deputy Speaker, may I turn to a matter that seems to be missing from the minister's statement, and that's that of the inquiry. When the Minister last updated the House before Christmas, I raised the need to move from a period of review to one of rectification and delivery, and asked him how and when the inquiry might be drawn to a close so that there could be a degree of policy certainty.

I didn't hear him refer to it in his statement. So can the Minister confirm that with the implementation of the key recommendations from the additional report and Sir Graham's letters, the public inquiry has now drawn to a close. So once again, I would like to thank Sir Brian Langstaff and his team for their diligent and comprehensive work over the past eight years to help deliver some justice. After decades of scandal and suffering. But most of all, I would like to again pay tribute to the tireless campaigning of the many victims and their families who are infected or affected by the infected blood scandal.

They have suffered for far too long in ways that we can barely begin to imagine, and no compensation scheme can ever reverse the horrific harms needlessly done to them. But I hope that the universal acceptance of the conclusion of these reports, and the determination of all of us to do what we can to make changes to stop others from suffering in the future, will bring them some comfort.
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Nick Thomas-Symonds Portrait Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Torfaen, Labour)
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I thank the shadow Minister for the tone that he took in that response and the tone, indeed, and supportive tone that he has taken throughout. And could I just pick up on some of his earlier points? I agree with him entirely when he talks of the heinous nature of medical experimentation on children that happened in this scandal. And whilst, of course I have increased the specific amounts, it should be pointed out that those specific amounts do not stand in isolation.

They are obviously specific amounts for that particularly egregious nature of what happened that are within much higher settlements, which is exactly as it should be. On the point about the inquiry. Yes, there has now been the formal exchange of letters between myself as the responsible Minister and Sir Brian Langstaff, and I entirely agree with him as well about the need now for policy certainty going forward. I will come back to him because he has some very reasonable, detailed questions. I will come back to him properly in writing upon, but let me just deal with a few of those, because firstly, on the further legislation, I want to bring it forward as soon as possible.

And I say parties across the House when I've brought forward legislation on this in the past, have always worked in a collaborative way throughout to get it through as quickly as possible. And obviously positions are a matter for the parties opposite, but I think continuing that constructive spirit is obviously helpful in terms of getting these things through as quickly as possible. Can I also say as well on the issue of exceptional loss, because that £60,000, again, it is not designed and the hon.

Gentleman referred to this to be this very detailed, individualised assessment, because that's not what a tariff based scheme is meant to do, but it is meant to look at that situation of loss, of a chance, that situation where somebody but for the infection, but for how they refer to both the Scott Arthur infected by the infection, would have had the opportunity to have gone on and perhaps been higher than average earner, but were denied that. And it's designed specifically to look at it on the other very reasonable and detailed matters the hon.

Gentleman raises. response.
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Lisa Smart Portrait Lisa Smart MP (Hazel Grove, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrat spokesperson >> Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lisa Smart. Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement. I especially welcome his statement. I especially welcome within his remarks the recognition of people's individual experiences and the commitment to compensate them fairly in a way which minimises the administrative burden placed upon those who have been harmed. The infected blood scandal is one of the greatest failures within our National Health Service that was unacknowledged for far too long.

Over 30,000 people were infected across the country and face the devastating consequences of this systematic failure. Yet there are people who continue to feel that the scheme has not gone far enough, including one of my own constituents from Marple, who feels the scheme should investigate more potential conditions. Thousands of victims and their families have waited decades for the justice they deserve. Sir Brian Langstaff was straightforward within his findings. Victims have been ignored and frozen out of the process. They fought decades to secure, whilst payments proceeded at an infuriatingly glacial pace.

The Liberal Democrats have long stood with the victims, and the government is right to seek to answer their needs. Both of those infected and affected, setting out a clear timeline for how they can be delivered. Compensation alongside my colleagues. We'll continue to hold this government accountable until every eligible person receives the justice they are owed. Sir Brian Langstaff rightly highlighted how victims have not been listened to by successive Ministers, and we welcome the new feedback mechanism that the Minister set out today.

But I wonder if he could expand a little on his remarks. Could he confirm that this will be a formal advisory body of victims to the IBC, as recommended by the Langstaff inquiry? Madam Deputy Speaker, After so many years of secrecy, deceit and delay, the government should ensure full transparency over the progress of the scheme and open ongoing communication with all those affected. Enshrining a statutory duty of candour is a long overdue reform, one championed by those infected and affected by this scandal and the continued delays to passing the Hillsborough law are shameful.

Victims and campaigners should not be made to wait any longer. Can the Minister say when the government will get this vital piece of legislation moving again, and finally get the Hillsborough law on the statute book? Mr.
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Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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you for the reference. Which brings us to a statement on tackling knife crime. Minister. Sarah Jones. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Before I come to the statement, I want to echo the words of the Home Secretary yesterday following the publication of the inquiry report on the Southport attack. This was a truly sickening crime and my thoughts and those of everyone in this place I know are with the families, the victims and everyone affected. But with the permission. Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to make a statement on this government's plan to halve knife crime in a decade.

That commitment made in our manifesto, is rooted in recognition of a tragic truth. In too many places, a deadly cycle has taken hold as fear and violence feed off each other, leaving people and especially young people, feeling that they have no choice but to carry a weapon, to stay safe. but to carry a weapon, to stay safe. And in the most devastating cases, resulting in the loss of lives which have beer to this house. It is wretchedly familiar to me.

We know it from the long list of tragedies we have. We have talked of in this place where we have spoken with families across the country. We hear it in the anguished words of bereaved parents with whom many of us have met after fatal stabbings in our own constituencies. And we see it when we look at our children, whose safety is too often the cause of worry and sleepless nights in these and in so many other ways, knife crime is destructive and devastating, and it has for too long been plaguing communities and destroying lives.

The task of putting that right falls to this government. And since the general election, we have acted decisively to deliver a response that matches up to the scale of the threat. Implementing bans on zombie-style knives, zombie-style, machetes and ninja swords, restoring neighbourhood policing to the heart of our communities, getting more than 63,000 knives and dangerous weapons off our streets, ramping up action against county lines gangs to record to record levels with over 2700 lines shut down last year, setting up the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime and legislating to deliver the toughest crackdown yet on online knife sales.

The concerted effort we have mounted alongside our partners in the coalition and across the country, law enforcement and communities is having an impact since the start of this parliament. Knife crime is down by 8% and knife homicides are down by 27% to the lowest level in a decade. Together, we are making progress, but it is not enough. Knives are still being carried, stabbings are still occurring and lives are still being lost. Indeed, there have been several fatal cases in recent days, and I take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathies to the victim's loved ones, for them and for all the families out there whose world has been forever changed by knife crime, and for a country as a whole.

We must do more. And we are. With the publication of Protecting Lives, Building Hope, which details the action this government is taking and will take to further reduce knife crime and ultimately achieve our goal of halving it in a decade. The plan outlines activity and investment designed to drive progress against across four key outcomes. These are supporting young people, stopping those at risk from turning to knife crime, policing our streets and ending the cycle of knife crime. And I will take each of those in turn.

First. We will do much more to give every boy and girl the best possible start in life by addressing the root causes of knife crime, increasing investment in youth services, launching 50 young futures hubs to bring together wellbeing support, careers guidance and positive activities in areas badly affected by knife crime and also by stepping up support for children who are persistently absent from school and investing in mental health support teams in our schools. We do all of this and more, Madam Deputy Speaker, because we recognise that to deliver the change that is needed, we must act early and prevent harm before it escalates into violence later in life.

Second, we are ramping up efforts to stop young people being drawn into knife crime, whether they are at risk of being an offender, a victim or both. A new safety in and around schools partnership backed by government funding, will see around 250 schools given targeted support to boost their capacity to tackle knife crime and reduce the risk of harm. We are also investing in the County Lines programme and the highly effective network of violence reduction units, and strengthening crime prevention in the communities that need it most.

Third, we will ensure victims of crime get the justice they deserve and dangerous criminals face the full force of the law through a robust and effective police response. Visible local policing is central to our approach, not just on knife crime, but across the full breadth of this government's agenda on law and order. The severity of the situation we inherited has been well documented, so I will not retrace that ground, except to say that we have made it a first order priority to rebuild neighbourhood policing by putting an additional 13,000 police personnel into neighbourhood roles in England and Wales by the end of this Parliament, with over 3000 in place two months ahead of schedule, and by implementing the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, under which every community has named contactable offices devoted to tackling local issues, police boots on the ground are essential, but we must also ensure forces are equipped and empowered to make interventions that are precise, timely and effective.

We will therefore support the development of tools and approaches that have the potential to enhance prevention and detection with substantial funding to enhance crime mapping. Invest in research and development aimed at improving our capability to detect high risk knife carriers and enable targeted action in the police force areas that see the most knife crime through a new Knife Crime Concentrations fund. We will also support forces in maximising the use of intelligence led stop and search and where the law needs strengthening, we will not hesitate, as shown by our commitment to introducing much tougher rules around the online sale of knives through measures we know as Ronan's Law.

After Ronan Kanda, who was fatally stabbed aged 16 and whose mother and sister have campaigned heroically for change since his death. This will all be underpinned by the most radical programme of police reform in 200 years. Madam Deputy Speaker. Fourth, we will seek to end the cycle of repeat harm by strengthening the youth justice system, improving the rehabilitation of adult offenders to reduce the risk of re-offending, and developing a new national approach to identify, prioritise and manage habitual knife offenders who pose the greatest, greatest risk to public safety.

Each of these four strands is important on its own, Madam Deputy Speaker, and the steps we are taking within them have been chosen because the evidence supports it equally. I am clear that this work transcends individual policies or initiatives. Ours is a whole of government, whole of society mission aimed at building a safer, more hopeful future. For all. The publication of this plan marks a significant moment in that mission, not because of what it says, but because of the action it will drive.

But above all, we think today of the victims and of the families that are smaller than they should be. While we can never undo the pain inflicted on them, we can prevent others suffering as they have. It will not be easy, but in the vital effort to protect lives and build hope, this government will be unrelenting because, as Pooja Kanda so aptly put it, every child deserves to grow up safely. She is right. Of course we must, and we will do everything in our power to make those words a reality in every part of our country.

And with that, Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
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Matt Vickers Portrait Matt Vickers MP (Stockton West, Conservative)
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Shadow Minister Matt Vickers. >> Shadow Minister Matt Vickers. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. >> Can I thank the Minister for advance sight of her statement? Halving knife crime is a measure Halving knife crime is a measure that every member of this House would subscribe to. It is a devastating crime with devastating consequences. Only yesterday this House discussed the tragic events in Southport and the impact that this can have on a community. This event is unfortunately representative of a much broader problem, whereby too many people view it as appropriate to carry and use a knife criminally.

This is horrific and must be stopped. Therefore, we owe it to the country, and particularly those in communities affected by knife crime, to take knives off our streets and prosecute those who believe using weapons is acceptable. Unfortunately, since the election, we've seen that knife crime enable knife enabled crime recorded by the police has increased. In addition, we must acknowledge that based on the data up to September 25th, 30% of all knife offences took place despite London making up only 15% of the population.

Therefore, we need proposals that recognise the geographical nature of this crime, with so much of it occurring in particular areas. As such, it's welcome to see the government's plan includes the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund to support surges in policing where knife crime is most prevalent. However, I'm afraid that the proposals put forward by the Labour government will not be sufficient without two critical foundations powers for officers to stop and search individuals, and sufficient officer numbers to put this strategy into effect.

The hotspot policing outlined by the government must be used in conjunction with effective stop and search, which the government's strategy acknowledges is broadly supported by the public. It's why we have set out plans to triple the use of stop and search, and to use section 60 suspicion Suspicionless stop and search in high crime areas. This should be supported by changes so that a single suspicion indicator is enough to merit a stop and search. This would be supported by 10,000 new officers.

In contrast, the government has presided over a decrease in officer numbers, with 1300 fewer officers during its time in power, with particularly steep falls in the Metropolitan Police, where this crime is most prevalent in the government's plan. They talk about the need for officers, but this is not reflected in the overall figures as police forces across the country highlighted during discussions on police funding. If we want to see the police help achieve these reductions and for the government to meet its targets, there cannot be fewer of them.

In addition, under proposals introduced in the Sentencing Act 2026, many of those convicted for knife crime will be eligible for an earlier release than under previous rules. There are many important areas covered by the strategy, but there are fewer references to sentencing perpetrators of knife crime for longer. It's pitiful that those convicted of knife crime offences who would previously have gone to prison could now avoid it. This is unsurprising, as it took extensive effort from members on this side of the House and those in the other place to increase knife crime sentences in the Crime and Policing Bill.

The Labour Party repeatedly speaks strongly, but it fails to back this up with the necessary custodial sentences. The government statement today and its strategy set out a number of important proposals and rightly recognise the importance of education and culture, building on work conducted by the previous government on violence reduction units and the County Lines programme. However, this must be supported by stronger enforcement, ensuring that those who commit these crimes are imprisoned with appropriate custodial sentences. Knife crime is truly horrific and we owe it to everyone to give the police every power necessary to investigate and seize these weapons.

I worry that without stronger enforcement, this plan will not be the significant moment the government believes it will be.
13:43
Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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Minister. >> Minister. >> And can I thank the spokesman from the Conservative Party for for welcoming this target that we have in terms of halving knife crime and for welcoming its content and the Knife Crime concentration fund in particular. I do appreciate that. And I think where we can we should try and work cross-party on tackling such heinous crimes. I would just say a couple of points to to some of his concerns. He raises the question of sentencing.

It will always Madam Deputy Speaker be the case that people found guilty of serious knife crime offences will go to prison. That that is that that is not changing. We are making a couple of changes which hopefully will be in the direction that he would support. Just to give one example, currently around 1000 children a year are found in possession of a knife and there is no action taken whatsoever in terms of trying to get them away from that activity. None whatsoever.

We have changed the law on that, the rules on that, so that every single child who is found in possession of a knife will have a program which will ensure that they are given the support, given the interventions that they need to move them away from crime. And if they if they don't adhere to those conditions, then they they will become it will become a criminal matter if necessary. So there is a big gap that we are filling there. We are also introducing in the bill that is currently going through Parliament that we're debating this afternoon a new offence of knife possession with intent, which doesn't exist at the moment.

You have possession of a knife possession involving a threat to life, but there is no offence of possession with intent which we are introducing, and there will be a seven year maximum sentence for that crime. So I hope that will reassure the hon. Gentleman. We could get into a debate about numbers. I don't want to do that today because we have done it many times before, and I'm sure we will do it many times coming. But just to reiterate the point that there are at the moment, 12,000 officers in our country who are sitting behind desks, we don't think that's right.

We want to get them out into our communities. There has been an 18% increase in the police that we have in our neighbourhoods in the last year, and we want those officers to also be doing the job that we want them to be doing, not wasting time on bureaucracy. And so we are investing hugely in AI and new technology, which is going to free up the equivalent of 3000 full time officers just from the tech that we can give them that they should have had previously.

That will help them do their job. So we are pushing as hard as we can, not on exact numbers of officers, but on overcomes. And I will end with a statistic which I'm very pleased about, which shows that we are moving in the right direction, which I said in my statement, which is that knife crime is down 8% overall, and that knife murders are down 27%. We are focusing on outcomes, not police numbers. Thank you.
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Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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The.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Thank my hon. Friend for his question? And of course all our question? And of course all our thoughts are with the family of of thoughts are with the family of of his constituent who has lost his life. These things are always tragic, and I know that he will be involved in trying to help the community heal from such a community heal from such a difficult, a difficult situation. I know that arrests have been made both in terms of suspicion of murder and others.

I think four people have been arrested. So that is that is good. But of course, nothing will bring back that young lad. What I would say is we have to understand where knife crime is happening and why it's happening, and we are investing a huge amount of funding in understanding exactly that. Through our work, we are able to identify exactly where the knife crime hotspots are across the country, and we are working with local partners and the police to make sure we understand exactly why they're happening in some parts of the country.

They happen just after the school's end, because sadly, it's something that involves young people. Sometimes it's the night time economy that is driving knife crime. Sometimes it will be other things. So we are getting absolutely focussed both on what the causes are behind knife crime and a lot of support for young people to try and bring them out of a life of crime, but also understanding exactly what is going on in some areas. And as he says, there will be some areas that are going up, some areas that are coming down.

We need to understand coming down. We need to understand that and address it.
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Luke Taylor Portrait Luke Taylor MP (Sutton and Cheam, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrat spokesperson. Democrats welcome the publication of this strategy, and I'm particularly glad to note the involvement of the Ben Kinsella Trust in formulating it. The Banking Sector Trust has remarkable work with young students and with teachers to help make sure we take a holistic approach to knife crime that is so badly needed, particularly their CEO, Patrick Green, who I had the pleasure of meeting at Finsbury Library last year. We Liberal Democrats have said time and time again that we need a smarter approach to knife crime, not just to save lives, but to improve them.

So can the Minister commit to securing the funding for the measures outlined in this strategy over the long term? Because without that guarantee, the strategy will be little more than warm words? Secondly, can the Minister also confirm whether or not the 13,000 new police in the neighbourhood teams that they claim are deploying is actually new resource, or is it an accounting trick where existing officers have been redeployed? Now, the Minister might not want to talk about numbers, but particularly important in London, where sir Mark Rowley, the Met Police Commissioner, has said it is increasingly difficult to keep Londoners safe with a shrinking force.

And where estimates suggest there are 2503 fewer police officers in London today than there were in May 2024, and I'm happy to be corrected on that number. Finally, can the Minister explain why the government continues to skirt around the edges of a meaningful public health approach without outright adopting one? Because we know that knife crime is not just a policing issue, it is a public health crisis. And if we're serious about tackling it as the epidemic it is, we must treat it as one.

One that brings together every person who sees the warning signs teachers, GPS, youth workers, social workers, sports coaches, trusted adults who know when something is going wrong. And tragically, as we've read in the conclusions of the Southport inquiry report, parents two right now, all these groups are isolated and do not talk. We need to break down the silo walls and build real partnerships across civil society. And until the government recognises invest in a public health approach, our progress will be blunted.
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Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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Thank you. And can I welcome the Liberal Democrats welcoming of the plan that is appreciated. And of course, I join with him in in praising the Ben Kinsella Trust and Patrick Green. Patrick's been brilliant through the development of this strategy, as have the whole coalition, which has brought together a group of people, many of whom have lost loved ones in very difficult circumstances but are pushing for action to to stop other people losing their loved ones. And I pay tribute to to all of them.

The funding for this plan goes across the whole of government, not just the Home Office, our sort of home office bit of it is about £130 million. It is very substantial. But if you look at the young futures hubs that DCMS are leading in, leading on, if you look at the interventions in schools that education are leading on, if you look at the Ministry of Justice, with their work, with the youth justice system, huge investment there. This is a this is a big cross-government approach, and I have done a lot of work over the years.

On the public health approach. It's quite simple. It basically says that violence is is catching. If you have violence in your life, you are more likely to be violent in your, in your, in your life. So if you're in a domestic abuse situation in as a child, you're more likely to be violent if you see, if you join a gang, you're more likely to become violent. It's relatively straightforward. And the interventions that we are putting in place are designed to prevent those crimes from taking place, and for that violence to spread.

And that is why this violence is coming down. And we are seeing the first shoots of success. I would say to him on the numbers, there has been a 0.6% drop overall in the number of police officers from March to September 2025. It's a very small drop. The key is what are these people doing? What are our police officers doing? 12,000 officers behind desks is not right. They should be out in our community. Some of them need to be doing jobs, obviously, that don't involve them being out on our streets, but we want our officers out on our streets.

We have always said that 13,000 will be a mix. We said it in the manifesto, a mix of new officers, PCSOs and redeployed officers. We're introducing new technology so that we can free up the equivalent of 3000 officers time. And it is much better to have a mix of officers, because it means that we were able to deliver 3000 already, some of which are already sort of trained officers, so they know what they're doing. When you're just recruiting new, you have the you have the challenges of new officers who haven't got the experience that others have.

So we've always said this is a mixed approach. The point is we're putting 13,000 into our communities, into our neighbourhoods, which is what the public want. They will help tackle the epidemic of everyday crime and knife crime, too.
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Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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Minister. course, all our condolences go to Jamie's family at this incredibly difficult time. And I know the community in Fulton will be reeling and that she will play her role to try and bring people together and tackle what has happened such a young age. For someone to lose their life is is, of course, catastrophic. We through the action plan, which I can commend. I'm not supposed to hold up things. I'm not supposed to hold up things.

There is a. The action plan is what. My point was to try and show that it is a substantial plan and has a lot. Both to try and ensure young people don't get involved in crime in the first place, and then to tackle the challenge. If they do, one of the one of the roles that DCMS are playing is leading our young Futures hub. So that's 50 youth centres across areas that are impacted, particularly by knife crime, which will bring together lots of different services for young people in one place so that they can be supported.

We're also doing more for in terms of interventions for young people. If they are found in possession of a knife. We are backing with £66 million, the violence reduction units, which are doing a range of evidenced interventions to try and make sure young people step away from crime. There is a whole remit, a whole plan of activities, both to get them out of crime, but also to prevent it from happening in the first place. And I hope that her community will see the effects of it.
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Sarah Jones Portrait Sarah Jones MP, The Minister of State, Home Department (Croydon West, Labour)
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Minister can I thank the hon. Gentleman for for welcoming the strategy and for the for the work that he's done as well? He's absolutely right. People commit knife crime offences with all different kinds of knives. There are particularly pernicious impacts of some of the knives that have been banned in terms of the damage that they do to people's bodies, and we are doing a whole raft of interventions to try and have more control over the sale of all types of knives.

So the age verification checks that are in the bill going forward. At the moment, the sale of knives, generally, making sure young people aren't doing this, having a duty of companies to report if people buy in bulk, the work that you've got, my hon. Friend mentioned that campaigners are doing around the design of knives to actually stop them being so impactful. So there is a raft of interventions that we are taking social media. He's absolutely right. We are putting more in the bill onus on social media companies to have a duty to report the sale of knives that are illegal and to do more.

I think there is a lot more to be done in this space, both in terms of very serious, violent content online. I know this government, and my friend next to me has done a lot of work on this, is doing a huge amount when it comes to porn, child sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls. I think there's a there's a, there's another piece of work to be done that we need to do with the companies to make sure all violent content is, is removed.
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Sarah Bool Portrait Sarah Bool MP (South Northamptonshire, Conservative)
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Yeah, yeah yeah yeah.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I beg to move that leave be given to bring in a bill to make provision for a national program for screening of type one diabetes in children and for connected purposes. Madam Deputy Speaker. We've all just returned from Easter recess, and I'm sure with a number of chocolate eggs that have been of chocolate eggs that have been consumed, many may have said, not too much chocolate. You'll get diabetes. Now, whilst this is said diabetes.

Now, whilst this is said in jest, this type of comment reinforces the problem we have around the misunderstanding of diabetes. Around 350,000 people in the UK, including myself, currently live with type one diabetes and like me, 85% of type one diagnoses occur in people with no known family connection with it. But let's take a step back. What is type one diabetes? It is an auto immune condition whereby one's body, mainly one's pancreas, no longer makes insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot use glucose for food, for energy.

So for a type one, when they eat, the glucose from their food stays in their bloodstream, but then their body looks to burn energy and finds an alternative source. So actually burns muscle or fat. However, the by-product of that is ketones, which are acidic and poison the body. Left untreated, one can enter a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, which I'll call DKA going forward, which can and sadly in some cases has proven fatal. Just as a patient has done nothing to cause type one.

Likewise, there is no cure, just management and treatment of the condition. It is absolutely essential that we all recognise the signs of type one. And whilst the 40s thirst, toilet, tiredness and thinning are a crucial tool, ultimately these are signs when the condition has progressed and is underway because Madam Deputy Speaker. There are three distinct stages to the development of type one. But before I run through those, I will just pivot to explain about antibodies and auto antibodies, because they are essential in understanding the development of type one.

Antibodies are a protein that a person's immune system produces when it detects a threat. The problem here is that with type one, an individual's immune system makes these antibodies in response not to a threat, but to their own insulin producing beta cells. These are called islet autoantibodies, and scientists can actually test for these to see if a person has early stage type one. Therefore, let's go back to the three stages. Stage one is where there are two or more auto antibodies present, but with normal blood glucose levels.

Stage two multiple auto antibodies are present. Blood glucose levels are abnormal, but there are no symptoms. And finally, stage three known as persistent islet autoimmunity. Blood glucose is elevated and the person is typically now symptomatic. So that's high blood sugars thirsty urinating more frequently, unexplained weight loss tiredness and blurred vision. And this is the stage where most people are diagnosed as having type one. Now, whilst it is difficult to give a precise number a 2015 to 2020 data found about 38% of those newly diagnosed were in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, and it was actually 44% of those were under five.

No one should underestimate how traumatic it is being diagnosed, let alone when in the state of DKA, which requires hospitalisation and emergency treatment. A US study found that being diagnosed whilst presenting with DKA was associated with significantly greater use of health services and potentially greater healthcare costs in the long term. So armed with this knowledge, it should be clear that we should aim to identify the condition before becoming symptomatic. In stage three, it would mean that individuals are given an opportunity to get onto a trial to delay the disease, which I'll come back to.

Furthermore, early identification gives families the time to prepare emotionally and learn how to manage the condition. Hence the call today for a national screening programme for children. Now, currently, there is no comprehensive NHS screening for identifying individuals in the early stages of type one. Despite compelling evidence to the contrary. International programmes such as those in Germany, Italy, Australia and the US demonstrate that comprehensive screening, paired with public awareness campaigns and psychological support, can successfully reduce DKA rates and improve long term health outcomes.

There is also, as I mentioned before, a pipeline of disease modifying drugs now emerging, which means future generations identified as having markers for type one diabetes will be able to delay its development. So please, my tricky name to say is one of these such drugs, and it can. And at least half of people delay its onset by about 2 to 3 years. Designed for individuals eight years and older with stage two type one. It works by disabling the immune cells that attack the pancreas and destroy the insulin producing beta cells, allowing the body to maintain its own insulin production for longer.

So early identification is really important in this, too. So what next? Well, adoption of any screening program requires the Wilson and Younger criteria, set in 1968 to be met, and these. Look at the viability, effectiveness and appropriateness of any screening program. Type one meets some of these because it is an important public health problem. It does have a recognised latent or early symptomatic stage, and the development of the condition is adequately understood, but further work is required to meet them all.

For example, the target population for screening is not yet clearly defined, but I hope it will be soon. Now, currently, because we are looking at the appropriate ages to carrying out the testing and whilst there are numerous opportunities for screening throughout a person's lifetime, the early years are critical given the possibility of becoming symptomatic in childhood. Now, if one was just to screen once at the age of 3 to 4, one might catch 40% of cases. However, three periods of testing between ages 2 to 4, 6 to 8 and 10 to 15 would increase those to around 80% of childhood type one cases, which ultimately would improve the efficacy of screening and help meet the criteria.

So whilst that final determination is also being made on those correct ages, other questions we're working on include how can we embed this into the clinical care and ensure that the follow up programme is successful, as this may go on for years. Once we're aware of a child presenting, maybe in stage one or stage two. How do we keep in contact? How do we make sure if they test, for example, age three, that they then come back for the repeat tests? How do we make it clear that one negative test does not mean that you may be free of type one, and for those for whom it is coming, how do we make sure that they have the support and training to be ready? We also have to firmly establish a clear balance between the benefits and the harms.

Now, I've rehearsed some of the harms earlier and benefits earlier, even reducing DKA diagnosis with long term benefits that follow. But in terms of harm, we do have to think about the behavioural and the anxiety changes because we need to ensure that psychological support is available for a patient who knows a condition is coming. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and living with a knowledge of an impending condition could be overwhelming. But actually knowing the signs and preparing is vital, and we need to make sure we can then offer treatments that work for all, and particularly for younger ages.

Now, there is clearly some interest in a screening programme already in the UK, because the LCA studies are studies funded by diabetes UK and breakthrough t 1D that offer children aged 2 to 17, a simple finger prick blood test to determine their risk of developing type one. And this study, and I emphasise it's a study, is currently open to families in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with over 20,000 children having been screened so far. But it's really important that we move from studies to an actual national screening programme at the moment.

Elsa is only available for the early adopters, i.e. those who come forward to seek screening, which explains why the make up of participants is nearly 40% of family members. Of those with someone with type one, we make. We need to make sure that any screening system is universal, so we have a fair application that does not discriminate based on background, wealth, or ethnicity. Now, for all the reasons before, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will conclude my call for a national screening programme.

Whilst type one is an unpredictable and relentless condition to live with, I hope within the next few years that we can make the diagnosis of this condition far less traumatic and give families and patients the skills and tools to live with type one. One day I hope that we can cure this condition, but until then, diagnosing earlier and delaying that onset to allow a more carefree childhood years, we might just make people's journey with type one that little bit better.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Yeah, yeah. The question is that the hon. Member have leave to bring in the Member have leave to bring in the bill. As many as are of that bill. As many as are of that opinion say aye. of the contrary, no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Who will prepare and

**** Possible New Speaker ****

bring in the bill? Tom Gordon Josh Newbury. Charlie Dewhirst. Andrew Snowden. Rebecca

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Dewhirst. Andrew Snowden. Rebecca Smith. Jim Shannon and myself? Madam Deputy. Speaker Yes.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

I.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

I. children.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Bill Second Reading. What day? Friday the. 8th of May. Friday the 8th of May.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

May. There we go.
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