Business of the House
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The Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Alan Campbell)
The business for the week commencing 23 February will include:
Monday 23 February—Committee of the whole House and remaining stages of the Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill, followed by Committee of the whole House and remaining stages of the Universal Credit (Removal Of Two Child Limit) Bill.
Tuesday 24 February—Opposition day (18th allotted day). Debate on a motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats, subject to be announced, followed by debate on a motion relating to the charter for Budget responsibility.
Wednesday 25 February—General debate on Ukraine.
Thursday 26 February—General debate on St David’s day and Welsh affairs, followed by general debate on Government support for bereaved children. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
Friday 27 February—The House will not be sitting.
The provisional business for the week commencing 2 March includes:
Monday 2 March—Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill.
Tuesday 3 March—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make her spring forecast statement, followed by consideration of Lords amendments.
Wednesday 4 March—Estimates day (4th allotted day). At 7pm, the House will be asked to agree all outstanding estimates.
Thursday 5 March—Proceedings on the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) (No. 2) Bill, followed by general debate on contributions of Commonwealth troops in world war one, followed by debate on a motion on the future of palliative care. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
Friday 6 March—The House will not be sitting.
The House will no doubt be interested in recess dates going forward. Members may wish to know that subject to the progress of business, and further to the dates that have already been announced, the House will rise for the summer recess at the close of business on Thursday 16 July 2026 and return on Tuesday 1 September 2026. The House will rise for the conference recess at the close of business on Tuesday 15 September 2026 and return on Monday 12 October 2026. The House will rise for the Christmas recess at the close of business on Thursday 17 December 2026 and return on Monday 4 January 2027.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Tuesday 1 September clashes with my birthday, but we can discuss that later. I call the shadow Leader of the House.
Jesse Norman
On behalf of all Members, I thank the Leader of the House for giving us those recess dates, which will be widely welcomed.
Today is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the greatest of all United States Presidents, so perhaps this is a fitting moment to talk a little bit about public service. I congratulate the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rev. Mark Birch, on his new job at Westminster Abbey, and I welcome his successor, the Venerable Andrew Hillier. We thank them for their service.
I note that the International Olympic Committee has banned a Ukrainian athlete from wearing a helmet of remembrance for his fellow athletes who have been killed by Russia—talk about public service.
Otherwise, the news has once again been filled by a succession of the most appalling misjudgments by the Prime Minister. These include decisions by him to ignore both public evidence and private advice, and to appoint to the House of Lords not one but two men with continuing connections to convicted paedophiles. It has been confirmed today that the Prime Minister was aware that his nominee, Matthew Boyle, had campaigned for a man charged with distributing indecent images of children two months before the Prime Minister appointed him.
The fallout from the Mandelson scandal has so far included the departures of the Prime Minister’s chief of staff and his head of communications, one after 18 months and the other after just a few weeks in post. We now have the leaked news that the Prime Minister’s personal choice of Cabinet Secretary is being forced to step down after barely a year in post. As they say at the BBC, deputy heads must roll.
Of course, no Government are free from scandal—goodness knows, I can say that from personal experience—and certainly not the previous ones, as the House will know well, but let there be no deflection or fudge on this matter. There has been nothing to compare with this catalogue of personal misjudgments by a Prime Minister for perhaps 60 years. Every sitting day, the chaplain leads the House in prayer for public service, that we as a House may
“never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals but laying aside all private interests and prejudices”.
Every Member of the House knows those words, but that is precisely what these people have failed to do.
I will end on a positive note with a truly uplifting story from this week. Some years ago, my constituents, Sam and Emily Stables, set up a brilliant charity called We are Farming Minds in Herefordshire. It is dedicated to supporting farmers struggling with poor mental health. Sam is a sheep farmer himself, and he knows only too well from personal experience how immensely difficult, stressful and lonely life can be on a farm—still more, given all the recent troubles that farmers have had to endure, including outbreaks of tuberculosis and other diseases, a dysfunctional farm payments system, increasingly burdensome regulations, and of course, most recently, the farm tax.
On average, a farmer commits suicide every week in this country. On Monday, however, Sam embarked on a walk of hope from Ross-on-Wye to London in support of Yellow Wellies’ Mind Your Head Week and of greater public awareness of mental health in the farming community. By my calculations, he is coming through the Chilterns right about now, heading for High Wycombe. With luck, I will find him this afternoon on the trail around Beaconsfield. That is what real public service looks like. Let us all take this opportunity to send our deep thanks to Sam and Emily, and to their volunteers and supporters, for their extraordinary work.
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly join my hon. Friend in recognising the vital role that trade unions play in improving lives of people across the country. The Government have worked very closely with trade unions and with businesses to deliver the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation through the landmark Employment Rights Act. The Act is a key pillar of the Government’s plan to make work pay, which will grow the economy, boost wages and reduce insecure work, and improve people’s lives.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
Over the last few weeks, there has been a national debate raging that, so far, this place has been pretty silent on. It is on the matter of student loans. I know what some on the Government Benches may be thinking, but I am not prepared to duck difficult subjects.
Let us face it: the student loans system has changed beyond recognition since its introduction, and that is one of the key complaints of graduates. Maintenance grants have been scrapped in favour of loans, which means that the poorest students now arrive at university with the largest debt. Interest rates, tied to inflation, have soared in recent years; following the period of high inflation, people have been saddled permanently with much larger debts than they expected. Thresholds have been repeatedly frozen, including by this Labour Government at the last Budget, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates will add around £3,000 on average to people’s debt pile.
All that means that the agreement that students struck has been repeatedly, and unilaterally, changed by the lender after the agreement. I do not believe that would be tolerable in any other walk of life. When the Chancellor was challenged on this last week, she said that the system is “fair and reasonable”. I do not agree, and I think many graduates do not agree, so will the Leader of the House organise a debate in Government time on the changes that have been made to the student loans repayment system?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising an issue of such importance, and I am genuinely sorry to hear about the cases that he raises. We are committed to building a national care service based on a high quality of care and greater choice and control. I will ensure that Ministers have heard his concern. If he wants to seek a meeting with Ministers to brief them more fully on what is happening in his part of the world, I will arrange that meeting.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
I thank the Leader of the House for mentioning the stabbing at Kingsbury high school. The good news is that the two children who were stabbed are in a stable condition, and the suspect has now been charged with multiple charges, including attempted murder. The police investigation is clearly ongoing, and we cannot comment on it any further.
I thank the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for stepping into the breach at very short notice when the previous debate that the Backbench Business Committee had allocated for Thursday 26 February was withdrawn.
As the Leader of the House has mentioned, estimates day debates are coming up on 4 March. We are open for business for applications by a week tomorrow; we will then decide which debates will be allocated time.
When we return, the business in Westminster Hall will be as follows. On 24 February, there will be a debate on Government support for healthcare systems in Gaza. On Thursday 26 February, there will be a debate on Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2026, followed by a debate on the impact of VAT on independent faith schools. On 3 March, there will be a debate on strengthening community cohesion. On 5 March, there will be a debate on the importance of local museums, followed by a debate on World Book Day.
When we return on 23 February, it will be the third anniversary of the hunger strike by Vahid Beheshti outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He has had terrible privations as a result of this hunger strike, and no Foreign Office Minister in either the previous Government or the current Government has even had the courtesy to visit him. Given the circumstances in Iran, with more than 30,000 civilians being murdered by the tyrannical regime, Vahid has been calling for the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the last three years. Can the Leader of the House arrange for a Minister to at least meet Vahid so that he can convey his reasons for carrying out this hunger strike?
Sir Alan Campbell
I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating Grant McFarlane and everyone else involved in Fèis Phàislig—if I pronounced that correctly.
Sir Alan Campbell
That is easy for you to say, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I said before, volunteers are the golden thread that runs through our communities and we celebrate them and great Gaelic traditions.
Sir Alan Campbell
I do not think there is a need for such a debate, because I am still—I am hesitating here—a member of His Majesty’s Government, as Ministers are members of His Majesty’s Government. That does not mean that, for outward-looking communication purposes, “UK Government” is not an appropriate term. I genuinely do not understand why this is such a difficult concept, but I will certainly bear the hon. Gentleman’s comments in mind.
While we are here, let me commend the hon. Gentleman for following his new leader’s advice on not working from home. It is a shame that many of his colleagues do not do the same—we rarely see them—but he is an assiduous attender of these sessions, and I thank him for that. I would have described him as a flag-bearer for Reform, but I know how excited he gets about flags.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
The Whip on duty has confirmed that the Leader of the House is still the Leader of the House.
Sarah Edwards (Tamworth) (Lab)
South Staffordshire Water is forcing water meters on homes in my constituency, stating that it is “necessary for sustainability”, but residents were never properly informed, with some only discovering the meters after they were installed. My constituents and I find this unacceptable. Can we have a statement on the communication standards that utility companies must meet when imposing such programmes?
Business of the House
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Sir Alan Campbell
This Government have brought forward a young people’s strategy for the first time in more than a decade. A review is also being undertaken into how we can best tackle the difficult issue of bringing down youth unemployment. However, I will draw the matter to the attention of the relevant Secretary of State and see what plans we have to bring forward a debate, or perhaps a statement, so that my hon. Friend can make those points himself.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
I associate myself with the comments made by the Leader of the House about Holocaust Memorial Day and the tributes he paid to the people we have lost.
Last weekend, all the plotting and deceit finally reached a climax. I have to say that the man from the north who I wanted to win that battle did not quite make it. Still, Faraaz played a good game and I thought that Stephen and Rachel were worthy winners of “The Traitors”—[Laughter.] I thought that deserved more.
Moving on, I think the whole House can agree that the world has become less safe. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the instability that Trump has brought to the NATO alliance has focused minds across Europe. We all know that we now need to find a way to increase defence spending as quickly as possible. This week, the Liberal Democrats put forward an idea about the possibility of issuing defence bonds. That would raise funds not only via the financial markets but allow ordinary Brits to take part. We could issue them on a fixed-term basis and hypothecate them specifically to capital spending on defence. We believe that that could help us achieve 3% of defence spending by 2030 and allow everybody to participate in the effort.
Pension funds and investment portfolios allow people to select the style of portfolio that they would like. Sometimes people tick a box to say that they want to invest in environmental, social and governance measures. We believe that if there was a UK-focused portfolio, many people would choose to opt in. In fact, research suggests that Brits would be willing to see lower returns on their investment if they knew that their money was going to a good cause, and to British assets in particular. Could we have a debate in Government time on just how we can get to that 3% target as quickly as possible? We need to build cross-party consensus on that.
Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to champion the work of Greener Littleover and organisations like it. The work done by volunteer-led initiatives is admirable, and it represents the very best of our communities. I hope that everyone in the House will join me in praising Greener Littleover’s commitment to protecting, enhancing and celebrating local green spaces.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I call the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
In addition to the business that the Leader of the House announced, on Monday 9 February there will be a Select Committee statement from the Procedure Committee, the subject of which is secret. That should encourage Members to come along and listen to what is being said. It is secret because the Committee has not yet published its report. On Thursday 26 February—if we are allocated that date—we have offered a St David’s day and Welsh affairs debate, so I am sure the Leader of the House will not want to upset the Welsh.
In Westminster Hall, on 3 February there will be a debate on town and city centre safety. On Thursday 5 February, there will be a Select Committee statement on behalf of the Scottish Affairs Committee, followed by a debate on sustainable drainage systems and a debate on secondary breast cancer. On 10 February, there will be a debate on the Independent Water Commission final report. On Thursday 12 February, there will be a debate on onshoring in the fashion and textiles industry, and a debate on which we are waiting for confirmation. On 24 February, there will be a debate on Government support for the healthcare system in Gaza.
The Leader of the House and I had a very good meeting on Monday. I look forward to the necessary changes to the Standing Orders coming forward to assist the Backbench Business Committee in doing its work.
The Mayor of London is wrestling with a £260 million gap in the finances. There are proposals to close police counters across London to save about £6 million a year. Since 6 October 2023, hate marches across London have cost the Metropolitan police £82 million, and officers have been dragged in from all over London to police them. Council tax payers of London are outraged about having to pay to police those marches. Will the Leader of the House ensure that the Minister who responds to the debate on the police grant tells us how the Government will make sure that the organisers of such demonstrations—rather than the council tax payers of London—bear the cost of policing them?
Several hon. Members rose—
Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)
I welcome this Labour Government’s record investment in repairing and renewing our roads, and in fixing potholes, with £7.3 billion having been allocated to local authorities over the next four years. Following the recent introduction of red-amber-green ratings for how local authorities are spending that money and for their road conditions, I have launched a pothole survey to get feedback from my constituents and ensure that local voices are heard. Will the Leader of the House join me in encouraging my constituents to fill out the survey and to give feedback about where roads need improvement, so that I can ensure that local voices are heard?
Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP)
Yesterday, in response to a question from the hon. Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson), the Deputy Prime Minister made a statement in the Chamber that was incorrect, misleading and disrespectful to Lord Brodie—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. The hon. Gentleman should please be seated, as I am on my feet. We do not accuse other Members of misleading the House—inadvertently perhaps, but not misleading. Perhaps he can correct the record by starting his question again, and keep it short.
Seamus Logan
I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker.
The Deputy Prime Minister made a statement in the Chamber that was incorrect, inadvertently misleading and disrespectful to Lord Brodie, who is chairing a public inquiry into events at the Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow. He stated that the Scottish Government had
“sided with the health board and dismissed families who went through tragic circumstances.”—[Official Report, 28 January 2026; Vol. 779, c. 900.]
That is categorically untrue, given that it was the SNP Scottish Government who set up the public inquiry. [Interruption.] Worse, it was a naked pre-election smear and an act of desperation on behalf of the Labour party, which is struggling to make third place in the polls. What does the Leader of the House propose to do to put a stop to Ministers coming to the Dispatch Box and repeating falsehoods, and will he call on the Deputy Prime Minister to apologise for undermining Lord Brodie?
Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker
Order. Let us aim for much shorter questions and much shorter answers.
Dave Robertson (Lichfield) (Lab)
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership runs 24 schools in the west midlands, including six in my constituency. It is currently trying to plug a £6 million gap in its finances that was caused by what it characterises as an accounting error. The National Education Union has taken nine days of strike action at Arthur Terry schools this month, with nine more planned for February. The Department for Education’s engagement with my office on this issue yesterday was excellent, but may I ask the Leader of the House to ensure that the relevant Minister meets me and other affected MPs as a matter of urgency to discuss the ongoing dispute?
Sir Alan Campbell
I am delighted to join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to Rev. Jim Bennett. His work at both Greenwich and Bexley community hospice and St Augustine’s church has greatly contributed to his community. In paying tribute to Rev. Jim Bennett, let us pay tribute to all the churches and churchmen and women across our country, who play such an important part in our local communities. I wish Rev. Jim Bennett a very long and happy retirement.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
The final question is from the ever-patient Josh Newbury.
Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Stafford Pride is a fantastic event that brings together thousands of people every year in a celebration of the diversity that makes our county such a fantastic place. Two councillors on Staffordshire county council awarded money from its community fund to Stafford Pride, and yet, despite all other recipients having had their funding, approval for Stafford Pride’s allocation has, we are told, been with the Reform cabinet for months. Stafford Pride is taking a stand, not for the money but against what it sees as institutional homophobia. Will the Leader of the House join me in calling on Reform UK Staffordshire to get on with processing this legitimate funding application, and can we have a debate on the worrying increase in discrimination against LGBT+ organisations by certain councils?
Business of the House
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The Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Alan Campbell)
Madam Deputy Speaker, in the light of continuing discussions about tomorrow’s legislation, I am announcing the following changes to business.
The business tomorrow, Wednesday 14 January, will now be a general debate on Ukraine.
The remaining stages of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will now take place on Monday 19 January.
The business on Thursday 15 January will remain unchanged. There will be a general debate on new towns, followed by a general debate on financial support for small businesses and individuals during the covid-19 pandemic. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
I will announce further business in the usual way on Thursday.
Sir Alan Campbell
The short answer to the question is that we are not. My hon. Friend has been a very strong advocate on these matters and a great support for families. We understand the significance of the Bill, particularly in the region that she represents and wider still. The Government are absolutely committed to the duty of candour. I know that there have been questions about the application of the duty to, for example, the intelligence services. We have been very clear that the duty will apply to the intelligence services, but there is a careful balance that we must achieve. This is not about the principles of the duty of candour being applied but how the legislation will apply in practice and having the right national security safeguards in place. Nor is it about whether we can get there in the quickest possible time. It is about ensuring that we get to the right place and that we do it in the right way.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
I thank the Leader of the House for his statement. The whole House wants to get the Bill right, and if a delay is what is required, I think the House will support that. I am glad that the Government have had the humility to withdraw it from tomorrow’s business, even at this late stage, in order to get it right. However, it does seem extraordinary that it would be withdrawn at this very late stage, and it raises serious concerns about what kind of ongoing engagement there has been with key stakeholders up to this moment. Will he assure us that what needs to be worked out can be done meaningfully in less than a week? Will he also commit that the Government will deliver the Hillsborough law as previously promised, and not just a Hillsborough law in name only?
Sir Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) (Con)
Given the existential importance of the subject of Ukraine, and presuming that the Prime Minister will be in the House tomorrow to answer Prime Minister’s questions, will he be staying on to lead the debate, as would seem to be appropriate? Will the Leader of the House also explain what is happening to the Chagos Bill—the British Indian Ocean Territory (Sovereignty and Constitutional Arrangements) Bill—as there was a motion to regret yesterday—
Sir Alan Campbell
I cannot confirm who will be leading the Ukraine debate tomorrow, but I said a moment ago that the Prime Minister will be meeting the families tomorrow, so that probably answers that part of the hon. Gentleman’s question. In terms of the Chagos legislation that was scheduled for next week, as I have said I am expecting, hoping for and intending there to be minimal disruption, so while we will not get on to that important matter on Monday, it will not be long after that.
Business of the House
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Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. I can see Members reviewing their questions; please keep them short.
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)
Will the Leader of the House join me in welcoming today’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Scotland of £140 million of local growth funding for Scotland, including £60.9 million for the Glasgow city region? Does he agree that this funding, together with the record Budget settlement for the Scottish Government, demonstrates that Scotland really is at the heart of this Labour Government?
Christmas Adjournment
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Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. Being called early, as he has a flight to catch, is Jim Shannon.
Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I am going to struggle to get everybody in, and interventions do not help. I call Alex Mayer.
Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
The good news is that I can get you all in; the bad news is that there is a speaking limit of two minutes.
Dave Robertson (Lichfield) (Lab)
People across Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages are looking forward to a very merry Christmas. In the run-up to the big day, many will have enjoyed opening Christmas cards from friends and loved ones—well, they would have done if the cards had arrived. For far too many people across my area, the post simply does not arrive.
The Christmas period is a busy time for letters, so let me be clear: this is not a seasonal issue in Lichfield and Burntwood. Residents have been telling me about serious problems with deliveries from Royal Mail for months. Constituents have gone weeks without mail before receiving a huge bundle of delayed letters all at once. Households tell me that they regularly receive mail only once a week or fortnight—and, in some cases, only once every three weeks. Constituents have missed jury service or court hearings because summonses have not come; they have missed hospital and GP appointments because the invitation and reminder arrived three days after the appointment; they have been fined for late payment of credit card bills that they had never received; or they are waiting for vital letters from their banks with debit cards or pin details.
Royal Mail has clear delivery targets: 93% of first-class letters delivered by the next working day, 98.5% of second-class letters delivered in three working days and 99% of delivery routes to be completed six days a week. In my area, those targets are a joke—we are nowhere near that. I have been writing to Royal Mail about these issues for months and working closely with the Communication Workers Union. I want to take this opportunity to make it clear that none of this is the fault of hard-working posties. They are doing a brilliant job and doing as much as they can, and I want to thank them this Christmas. No, this is on Royal Mail.
Royal Mail has been consistently slow in dealing with my requests and, when it has got back to me, it has batted away my concerns and claimed “There’s nothing to see here.” It has finally admitted that there is a problem, but I am eager to know what action it is going to take in the new year to fix it in the long term for the people of Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages.
In my remaining 10 seconds, I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, all the House staff, and every right hon. and hon. Member for their support this year. I wish everybody a very merry Christmas.
Marie Goldman (Chelmsford) (LD)
I would like to start by saying a big thank you to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, to Mr Speaker and to all your Deputy Speaker colleagues for all your hard work over the year. I also thank all the House staff and parliamentary staff, without whose amazing work and organisation we simply would not be able to do our jobs. It has been wonderful to listen to this afternoon’s debate and especially to hear the pride with which hon. Members from across the House have been speaking about their constituencies.
As many of us look forward to spending more time with our loved ones over the Christmas period, I find myself looking back over 2025 and reflecting on all the amazing people I have visited in my constituency. What strikes me is something very simple: none of the organisations that I visited would be anything without the people working in them and, more often than not, volunteering for them. In every constituency, there are people who give up their free time to help others. That is something to celebrate, to champion and to shout about, especially at this time of year. If you will indulge me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will share a few highlights based on my visits to some wonderful charities in my Chelmsford constituency and further afield.
In January, I spent a cold and blustery winter’s morning with the dedicated Chelmsford Litter Wombles. This is a fabulous group that turns out all year round in large numbers to help keep our streets, verges, parks and everywhere else in between free from litter. Rather than complaining about unsightly rubbish and pointing a finger to say it is someone else’s problem, they roll up their sleeves, quite literally, and get stuck in.
In March, I visited Open Road, a crucial drug and alcohol support service operating across Essex and Medway. Hearing about the important, often lifesaving work that they do with people with addiction problems was incredibly heartwarming. I was delighted to attend a reception in Parliament recently celebrating the work that they do, and crucially hearing directly from some of the many people they have helped, some of whom are now volunteering themselves to help others.
In April, I visited the brilliant Independence Project. This great little organisation in Chelmsford provides opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism to achieve independence. The team do an amazing job supporting those who are perhaps less fortunate by giving them the skills and opportunities they need to lead rich and fulfilling lives.
There are so many more voluntary organisations that I have met in Westminster and beyond who are doing fabulous work on a national level. I am privileged to be taking part in a new initiative called the parliamentary knowledge scheme for frontline services, which is a crucial opportunity for MPs to hear at first hand from the emergency service organisations that rescue us in our hour of need. So far, we have spent time with the amazing Royal National Lifeboat Institution, hearing about the bravery of their volunteer crews who go out in all weathers, all year round, and at any time of the day or night to help those in distress at sea.
An organisation with which I have a personal connection is Mountain Rescue England and Wales. I say that because the service saved my life when I fell from height in Scotland a few years ago. If it were not for the actions of the service’s heroic volunteers, I may not have been here today. While we tuck into our Christmas dinners, or snuggle up on the sofa for some festive viewing, many of those selfless volunteers will be on call, ready to help those in need.
In conclusion, I ask all Members from across the House to spare a thought for all those continuing to help others over the festive period. I encourage everyone to hold their loved ones tight, to raise a glass to those not with us and to celebrate in style the dawning of a new year. Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas.
Bob Blackman
With the leave of the House, I thank the other 25 Back Benchers and the three Front Benchers who have contributed, who have made this such an interesting debate for all those who have sat through all of it. I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for managing the debate so that we actually got everyone in who wished to contribute. It remains for me to wish Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speakers, the whole House, all our staff and everyone who makes this place tick a very Merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and a happy, peaceful, prosperous and, above all else, healthy new year.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That this House has considered matters to be raised before the Christmas adjournment.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
With the leave of the House, I would like to put on record my thanks and pay tribute to all the House staff, the Doorkeepers, the Clerks, the staff in the Ways and Means office—Abi Samuels, James Holland and Emily Pullen—my constituency staff, who enable me to do my job, Pavlina Aburn, Alison Dobson, Conor, Abi, Asja and Bob. I wish everyone in my constituency and everywhere a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.
Business of the House
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
These questions will last around an hour. Members will have to police themselves over the length of the questions that they wish to deliver. I call the shadow Leader of the House.
Sir Alan Campbell
My right hon. Friend is a great champion for her local community, and she is right that local people need to be involved in decisions that affect their local community. She has put on record her concerns, but I would encourage her to go even further on this matter, perhaps by applying for an Adjournment debate.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
I associate myself with the comments about hurricane victims and, indeed, with the comments about Prunella Scales.
Earlier this week, we were treated to the delight of a Conservative Opposition day, and the main thing we learned is that the Conservatives do enjoy being in opposition. We had the shadow Housing Secretary, the right hon. Member for Braintree (Sir James Cleverly), decrying the housing crisis that their Government left behind, and the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride), committing to reducing the welfare bill that went up on their watch.
We hear that we are to get yet another Conservative Opposition day next week. The Conservatives are set to get 17 days to the Liberal Democrats’ three in this parliamentary Session. We would just gently suggest that, if we want to elevate the debate in this Chamber, we may want to redress that balance in the next Session.
Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. Colleagues can see that it will be impossible for me to get everybody in, particularly if you are 13 minutes late—Mr Grahame Morris, you will most definitely not be getting in. [Laughter.] I call Martin Vickers.
Martin Vickers (Brigg and Immingham) (Con)
The Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), sends his apologies, so I am standing in for him. It is unfortunate that we are going to miss an opportunity for Backbench Business time next Thursday, but could the Leader of the House reconsider the following Thursday? We will have Lords amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and that is likely to finish early, so perhaps there could be an hour or two at the end of the day for additional Backbench Business.
In Westminster Hall, there will be a debate next Tuesday on the impact of reductions in official development assistance on international development. On 11 November, there will be a debate on support for dyslexic pupils at school. On 13 November, there will be a debate on modern day slavery in Pakistan. On 18 November, there will be a debate to mark the 80th anniversary of UNESCO, and on 20 November, debates on inequalities faced by unpaid carers and World COPD Day.
Turning to my own question, I have raised on a number of occasions the impact on my local community of the possible closure of Lindsey oil refinery. There is growing concern among union representatives, the local community and possible investors in the refinery, that the Government do not favour a bid that takes in the entire site and continues refining products. Indeed, one potential investor is considering a judicial review of the process. Will the Leader of the House arrange for a statement from the relevant Minister in the next few days?
Sir Alan Campbell
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. Many of our constituents will agree with his concerns. He may wish to seek a Backbench Business or Adjournment debate to raise those matters.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I call my parliamentary chess partner, Warinder Juss, who lost to Kazakhstan by six points.
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)
I am very grateful, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the national curry awards here in Parliament. Penn Tandoori, which is just down the road from where I live in my constituency, was named Wolverhampton restaurant of the year. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Penn Tandoori for its well-deserved win, and does he agree that it is crucial that the Government invest in and support our local hospitality businesses so that they can continue to grow and thrive?
Sir Alan Campbell
I will draw the hon. Lady’s comments to Ministers’ attention and ask that they arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
A tip for Members: look at your question, cross out half of it, and speak for half the length of time.
Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)
We are delighted in Luton to have been granted £1.5 million from the pride in place impact fund. My hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen) and I have launched a survey to get views from local residents about how we can use that funding to improve our neighbourhoods. Will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on the important role of local communities and grassroots organisations in shaping their places and improving them?
Sir Alan Campbell
I invite my hon. Friend to apply for either a Backbench Business debate or an Adjournment debate on the subject. He is right that everyone has a role to play. Local authorities have a key role to play in using their power to ensure that spaces are kept clean. As part of our pride in place strategy, we plan to bring forward statutory enforcement guidance on things like littering and fly-tipping.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
We need super-short questions. I will try to get everybody in.
Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)
We have fantastic further education providers in Cornwall, and I welcome the Government’s recent announcement. However, one of our challenges is the cost and availability of public transport to get learners to and from their college and workplace. Will the Leader of the House arrange for colleagues in the Department for Transport to meet me to ensure that students in coastal areas can get to college?
Sir Alan Campbell
It would not be business questions without a question about the mismanagement of Reform-led Lancashire county council. I congratulate my hon. Friend on raising these matters, and he is of course right to continue the fight for the services that his constituents rely on. As I have said previously, raising these matters in Adjournment debates or in Backbench Business debates shines a light on the record of Reform councils not just in Lancashire, but across the country.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I thank Members for working with me and for speaking at lightning speed. I also thank the Leader of the House, who has got his exercise in for the week.
Privileges
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The Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Alan Campbell)
I beg to move,
That this House—
agrees with the Committee of Privileges in its First Report of Session 2024–26, Matter referred on 14 July 2025: Omagh Bombing Inquiry;
welcomes the acknowledgement in the Petition from the Secretary of the Inquiry that the Inquiry has taken advice on the application of Article 9 of the Bill of Rights to its proceedings and will be mindful of the privileges of the House;
notes the assurance given by the Inquiry that it will handle material provided to it by the House in accordance with its disclosure protocol;
and accordingly orders that the unpublished transcript of unreported evidence taken by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 11 November 2009 be provided to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry and that the Inquiry shall have power to disclose or publish it if it thinks fit to do so, after taking relevant advice.
I welcome the consideration by the Committee of Privileges of this matter and its report. If approved, the motion will enable the unpublished transcript of unreported evidence, taken by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in November 2009, to be provided to the Omagh bombing inquiry, and enable the inquiry to publish that evidence if it thinks fit to do so, subject to relevant advice.
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) and the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) for raising this issue in the House in July. I also thank the Chair of the Privileges Committee, the hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa), for his Committee’s swift work in considering the matter. I commend in particular his Committee’s sensitivity in handling this subject, as well as its commitment to facilitating the important work of the Omagh bombing inquiry.
In relation to parliamentary privilege, the report highlights important points on the matter of exclusive cognisance and the privileges of this House. Be in no doubt, Madam Deputy Speaker, that the Government support the rights of this House and will act to defend them. I hope that the House will support this motion today, and I commend it to the House.
Business of the House
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Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
Last week, Billington Structures, one of the UK’s leading structural steelwork contractors, announced proposals to close its Yate site, with 81 jobs at risk. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are struggling due to the increase in national insurance contributions and rising energy costs. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate in Government time on what needs to be included in the upcoming autumn Budget to avert further job losses?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. Before the Leader of the House responds, we only have 30 minutes to go, so questions must be short and answers even shorter.
Sir Alan Campbell
The hon. Lady would not expect me to speculate about what is in the Budget, but there will be adequate time during the debate on it to address the concerns she raises.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Recent studies from Stanford university and others have shown a clear link between excessive phone use, addictive social media algorithms and deteriorating mental health outcomes for young people. Technology in this area is evolving at an extraordinary speed, meaning that legislation such as the Online Safety Act 2023 is not being implemented fast enough before new harms emerge. Our NHS is picking up the pieces. In my constituency, over 6,000 young people are waiting for a first contact with mental health services, and that takes eight months. Will the Leader of the House please find space in Government time for a debate on how we can protect young people by addressing the growing connection between digital addiction and mental health?
Sir Alan Campbell
The hon. Lady can seek either a Backbench Business or Adjournment debate, because I am sure her concerns are shared by other Members. That way, she can hear an answer to her point from the relevant Minister.
Several hon. Members rose—
Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab)
A return flight from my Western Isles/Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency to Glasgow can cost £600 return. That is enough to make Donald Trump think twice about coming to his mother’s home island. There is an air discount scheme, but what we really need is a public service obligation, with Government support for those vital social and economic flights. Will the Leader of the House lean on the Department for Transport to get together with the Scottish Government, Loganair and the local authority to make those flights more affordable for islanders and for the President of the United States?
Business of the House
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Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
Last week, I visited Christ the King school in Thornbury for the great school lunch, which raises awareness of the benefits of healthy and nutritious school meals. There is real concern that the funding for both school lunches and breakfast clubs is not enough to cover the cost of providing them, putting pressure on school budgets, particularly in constituencies such as mine where schools are among the lowest funded in the country. Will the Leader of the House agree to raise this issue with the Chancellor ahead of the autumn Budget, to ensure that underfunded schools are not left behind?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. Before the Leader of the House responds, let me say that many Members wish to contribute, so can I ask that questions are short and that the Leader of the House is on point as well?
Sir Alan Campbell
So far, 750 schools are offering free breakfast clubs, which puts, on average, £450 a year back into parents’ pockets, and we intend to extend free school meals too. I understand that areas believe this may not be enough, or that other areas are better off. I will draw that to the attention of the Chancellor, but so can the hon. Lady at Treasury questions.
Sir Alan Campbell
Again, this issue is not unique to my hon. Friend’s constituency, and though he is a great advocate for his constituency, I am sure others have similar stories. He may seek a Backbench Business debate to raise these matters, because as far as I can remember, we have been discussing these things for quite a long time and we therefore do need to work out what further things can be done.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Apparently, we have a short question from Jim Shannon.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
Once again, I welcome the Leader of the House to his new role, which he is clearly enjoying very much. I wish him well.
On Wednesday past, I met a deputation from Chin state in Burma. I am deeply concerned about increased reports of junta military attacks on the majority Christian community in Chin state, including last week’s airstrike, which struck a church in Matupi township. Will the Leader of the House join me in condemning this appalling attack and urge the Foreign Secretary to outline what action the Government will take in response to the escalating attacks against religious communities in Chin state in Myanmar?
Sir Alan Campbell
Pubs are at the heart of our communities and often serve as vital community assets, and we certainly do not want them to close. We are working with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council, to address the clear challenges faced. I urge my hon. Friend to raise his concerns at Business and Trade questions on 30 October.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. In order for me to get everybody in, the questions will have to be shorter. I call Warinder Juss to show us how it is done.
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)
Penn cricket club in my constituency has been under an Environment Agency stop notice since July 2022, after soil was wrongly imported on to its grounds, and nothing much has happened since. Will the Leader of the House support my attempt to encourage the Environment Agency to complete its investigations so that my constituents can get their cricket club back?
Sir Alan Campbell
The Government expect local authorities to engage meaningfully with residents on planning. Planning law requires local planning authorities to notify neighbours regarding planning applications, either by site notice or letter, and to publish information about the application on a website. My hon. Friend may wish to seek a debate on those matters, not just to highlight the concerns of his constituents, for whom he is a great champion, but to see what the Minister’s response will be.
Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) (Ind)
As an enthusiastic but error-prone goalkeeper, and having been a golf professional for 23 years, many will say that I have still to find a sport that I am any good at and they will be absolutely correct. Someone from my constituency who is excellent at sport is Ruby Henderson from Sauchie. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Ruby for winning a silver and bronze medal at last week’s taekwondo youth world championships in Croatia?
Business of the House
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The Leader of the House of Commons (Lucy Powell)
The business for the week commencing 8 September will include:
Monday 8 September—Consideration of Lords amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Tuesday 9 September—Second Reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill.
Wednesday 10 September—Remaining stages of the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords].
Thursday 11 September—General debate on regional transport inequality, followed by general debate on suicide prevention. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
Friday 12 September—The House will not be sitting.
The provisional business for the week commencing 15 September includes:
Monday 15 September—Consideration of Lords amendments to the Employment Rights Bill.
Tuesday 16 September—Second Reading of the Sentencing Bill.
The House will rise for the conference recess at the conclusion of business on Tuesday 16 September and return on Monday 13 October.
Hon. Members will also wish to note the written statement made this week confirming that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will deliver her Budget statement on Wednesday 26 November.
Jesse Norman
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hope you and everyone in this Chamber had a very good summer break, with just the right proportions of sun, sleep and family.
If I may, let me start with a double round of congratulations: first, to the Prime Minister on his 63rd birthday this week, putting him squarely in the prime of life; and secondly, to my brilliant colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont), who has just been appointed to the giddy heights of shadow Deputy Leader of the House. That is the reshuffle that really matters. As befits a former lawyer at Freshfields, he will bring his forensic intellect to scrutinising the Government.
I had been planning to talk about the Government’s performance over the summer, taking into account the escalating union demands for pay, the rise in inflation, unemployment and gilt yields, and the record number of small boat crossings in the first half of the year. I think it is fair to say that the past few weeks have been a total shambles for the Government. Little wonder that the Prime Minister has undertaken yet another of his performative Government resets to distract the media and the general public. He insists that everything is absolutely fine, which is doubtless why it is all being changed round yet again. They cannot blame these things on the previous Government, though doubtless the Leader of the House will try.
There can, however, be only one topic today, and that is tax. In the real world, it seems that those of us poor souls who actually do pay tax are about to be confronted with a massive tax-raising Budget, perhaps with a particular focus, it has been rumoured in the media—or kites have been flown—on property taxes. Last year, the Chancellor increased spending by £70 billion, funding half of that through taxes and half through increased borrowing.
Of course, it seems that the only person who will not be paying more tax is the Deputy Prime Minister. I like and rather admire the Deputy Prime Minister—uniquely among the Government, she at least has a policy of trying to reduce taxes. We just heard the Solicitor General talk about Government taking a strict line on fraud; I did not hear so much about taking a strict line on tax fraud—[Interruption.] Or potential tax fraud, but we now have a situation in which the Deputy Prime has tried to dodge paying £40,000 in tax on her third home after demanding that previous Ministers should resign over tax scandals. It appears that she failed even to look at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs guidance on the internet as to whether higher rate stamp duty was payable. That guidance is readily available and is straightforward. It is hard to imagine that any qualified tax adviser—let alone any individual seeking to question their own tax arrangements—would not have taken a look or know about it.
The Deputy Prime Minister signed a deed for what appears to be an off-the-shelf trust scheme from Shoosmiths, the solicitors. Was that crafted to avoid tax? We need to know more about what disclosures she made to the civil service about her three homes, what review was carried out and what advice she was offered. I hope the Prime Minister’s adviser will look at those issues, in addition to all the other issues he is looking at.
Does the Leader of the House believe that Cabinet Ministers—let alone the Deputy Prime Minister of this country—should be using schemes to dodge tax? Should the Secretary of State responsible for housing be flipping her own main residence to avoid paying tax due on it? Does she concede that there is the appearance of very serious impropriety about these proceedings? Does she see how difficult they have made the situation for her colleague, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is planning to put a Budget in front of this House that will include tax-raising measures, many of which will likely be focused on property? Above all, Labour—and every Labour Member stood by this—made a solemn commitment to maintain the “highest standards” in office in its own general election manifesto. Does the Leader of the House accept that this conduct by the Deputy Prime Minister massively falls short of that, and that it discredits both the Prime Minister and the Government as a whole?
Lucy Powell
Welcome back to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and all the House staff. I join the shadow Leader of the House in wishing the Prime Minister a happy birthday for earlier this week.
This summer has been marked by some happy personal events here in the House—no, I am not talking about Taylor Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce, although I am sure we will all want to wish them a happy engagement. We have our very own power couples: my hon. Friends the Members for North East Derbyshire (Louise Sandher-Jones) and for Loughborough (Dr Sandher), who got married to each other over the summer recess. There are also my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt), who married her long-term partner Ian, and my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), who married Kristiam this recess.
The happy news does not stop there. My hon. Friend the Member for Southampton Test (Satvir Kaur) had her beautiful baby daughter. I am thrilled for her and also for my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Shivani Raja) on the arrival of her new baby, too. There are new dads in the House as well: my hon. Friends the Members for Wirral West (Matthew Patrick) and for York Outer (Mr Charters), so that is dispatches for this week. We are very much more a family-friendly Parliament these days, and I am determined that modernisation will continue that trend.
I join the shadow Leader of the House in welcoming the new shadow deputy Leader of the House, the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont), to his place. I hope that he will still on occasion ask me some questions and invite me to his constituency from the Back Benches, which I am always happy to accept as he knows.
I am also pleased to announce that this first bumper Session of Parliament under the Labour Government will last until spring 2026. By any measure, our legislative programme in this first Session is highly ambitious, delivering on the promises that we made in our manifesto and shifting power and opportunity to working people. There are a few highlights, which I know that shadow Leader of the House is always happy to hear about. We are giving the biggest boost to workers’ rights in a generation, finally ending no-fault evictions, stopping water bosses’ bonuses, setting up Great British Energy to get bills down, bringing back rail into public ownership, saving British Steel jobs, seizing and crushing dangerous off-road vehicles, finally recriminalising shoplifting, ensuring that buses are affordable and serve their communities, and protecting our much-loved football clubs. We are taking on the vested interests that hold this country back, and we still have much more to do in the rest of this Session.
In contrast, the Conservatives really have shown on whose side they stand in this Session: on the side of landlords against the Renters’ Rights Bill; on the side of criminal gangs in voting against our Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill; for the few, not the many, in education; and, as ever, dying in a ditch to save the hereditary peers in the other place. We know whose side they are on.
The shadow Leader of the House chose to have another go on the issue of tax and property, which was, I noticed, the subject of one of the Conservatives’ Opposition Day debates yesterday. They could not muster enough speakers for that debate to go the full three hours, so he is having another go today. I repeat that the Deputy Prime Minister has given a full account of her family circumstances and living arrangements. She made it clear that she is now rectifying her mistake. She has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, who is now looking into it. I will not say any more on that matter because he is looking into it.
Suffice it to say that the Deputy Prime Minister is a huge, huge asset to this Government. She is an incredibly effective Minister and she has been delivering, whether on our record investment in social housing, the flagship Employment Rights Bill, the biggest settlement for local government in many years, major planning reforms to get more homes built, or the delivery of devolution and community empowerment, among much more. The Conservatives have a go at her because she is so bloody good at her job.
Yet again, the shadow Leader of the House comes here and talks about the economy and the Budget, but another year has gone by and we have still had no apology from him or his Front-Bench colleagues for the state they left the country’s finances in. Let us just remind ourselves about that. They left a huge black hole in public spending, high levels of debt and borrowing, and living standards that had, for the first time in history, fallen during a Parliament. He is always very selective in his use of statistics; he did not mention that the British economy has grown faster than all other G7 countries in the first half of this year, or that mortgages are now at a five-year low. After a decade and a half of poor productivity because of a lack of investment, we are now powering up this country and investing in the new jobs of the future around the country, with jobs coming every day. The Chancellor will set out the Budget in the usual way, but she has made clear that most of the speculation is quite honestly damaging rubbish.
Let us not forget that we are now coming up to the three-year anniversary of the disastrous Liz Truss mini-Budget. I think I remember that the shadow Leader of the House being the Financial Secretary to the Treasury at that Budget. When Governments lose confidence and take irresponsible decisions, the poorest in society pay the heaviest price when the economy crashes. We will take absolutely no lectures from the Conservatives.
The shadow Leader of the House wanted to talk about the performance of the Government over the summer, but he did not. Let us be honest: the Leader of the Opposition does not need a reset but a full-blown resuscitation—her party spent most of the summer checking whether she had a pulse or not. The truth is that her leadership, like the future of the Conservative party, is, quite frankly, at death’s door.
Lucy Powell
I know what an issue parking charges can be in city centres, such as my own. My hon. Friend is right: that would make a really good topic for a debate. Let us have a look at the performance of the SNP Government in Scotland. They have had the biggest settlement ever in Scotland. What are they doing with that money, and how are they serving the people of Scotland?
Marie Goldman (Chelmsford) (LD)
Yesterday at Prime Minister’s questions, the Prime Minister told the leader of my party, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey), that the situation in Gaza was “horrifying” and “a man-made famine”. We agree. More than 60,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in the conflict. Just yesterday, five adults and a child were reported to have died of malnutrition, as a direct consequence of the Israeli Government’s man-made famine and illegal restrictions on aid entering the strip. It has been the deadliest war ever for journalists, with at least 192 killed by Israeli forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and 20 Israeli hostages are still thought to be alive and brutally held by Hamas terrorists.
Across the House, we have begged the Government to do more to help end the conflict, to save the lives of the hostages and Gaza’s civilians. Indeed, it is something that constituents write to me and undoubtedly all Members about on a daily basis, yet action has been excruciatingly slow. In July, the Prime Minister set a deadline for further action. He said that
“the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace”.
That deadline is fast approaching: the UN General Assembly convenes in less than a week. The House should surely have the right to debate and vote on this important step. Recognising that Parliament will break for conference recess in less than two weeks, will the Leader of the House grant a full debate in Government time before then to show the strength of support for the recognition of the state of Palestine in this House?
Lucy Powell
Can I pass on my congratulations to that employee of local butcher Ben Barnes on the birth of his first child? I am really pleased to hear the hon. Gentleman advocate so strongly for stronger maternity and paternity leave and pay; that has not always been what we have heard from the Conservative party and some of his colleagues. We are committed to strengthening rights and supporting pay. Just this week, we brought in the free childcare package, which will be worth £7,500 a year to families that qualify, and we are extending that further. I look forward to working with the hon. Gentleman on strengthening it in the coming months.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
More than 80 colleagues are bobbing. Unless Members are short in their contributions, they are denying others the opportunity to get in.
Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Ind)
Many parameters of the fair funding review will address social injustices in our communities, but places like York will lose out significantly. It is already the lowest-funded unitary authority in the country, the Lib Dem council previously spent all the reserves and we cannot afford to make further cuts. Will the Leader of the House ensure that local authorities that are going to lose out under the fair funding review can meet the Minister and have discussions before the parameters are published?
Michael Payne (Gedling) (Lab)
Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking Tina Simpson and her team at the Loco Centre in Netherfield, as well as Nathan Kenney and Mapperley All Stars, for their brilliant work this summer in delivering the holiday activities and food programme in Gedling? Will she also welcome its very much-needed extension for three years by this Labour Government?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
That was the hon. Member’s first business question.
Lucy Powell
That was my hon. Friend’s first business question! I welcome him to the delights of business questions. They are normally followed by a compliment to me and an invitation to the constituency—I was waiting for that before I got up to reply. I will certainly join my hon. Friend in thanking Tina, Nathan and all those who provided such wonderful holiday facilities for children.
Lucy Powell
That is how it is done! My hon. Friend was once the master of Doncaster airport, and he is now the master of business question puns. I absolutely join him in wishing the team the best of luck.
Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)
I am afraid I cannot follow that, Madam Deputy Speaker.
I have a growing number of constituents who have reached out with concerns about cancer care, including one family in Berkhamsted in which the father, who has since sadly passed away, struggled to access consistent cancer care support and even found it hard to get hold of his consultant, while the mother-in-law, who lived elsewhere, had access to Macmillan nurses who made a world of difference. Will the Leader of the House help to secure a debate to address this postcode lottery in the national cancer plan?
Lucy Powell
I thank my hon. Friend and a number of other colleagues for continuing to campaign on and raise these important issues. As parents and constituency MPs, we all see the damage that social media and unmitigated use of smartphones can cause to teenagers. He is absolutely right to highlight that schools already have the power to confiscate smartphones, and I am really pleased to hear that a couple of schools in his constituency have done so. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the guidance that we have issued, but I implore schools and parents to take a much more proactive approach in monitoring what children are up to on their smartphones.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. May I urge colleagues to keep their questions short, and the Leader of the House to keep her answers just as short?
Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)
The Leader of the House will be aware of the outrage across the country regarding illegal immigration, asylum hotels and now the huge increase in the number of houses in multiple occupation. This is happening on a large scale in Romford, with a massive boom in HMOs. My constituents want to see an end to illegal immigration and the housing of asylum seekers in local hotels. However, transferring the problem to roads and neighbourhoods, and putting families and children at risk in residential streets, is not acceptable. Will the Leader of the House allow for a debate on the Floor of the House on the need to adopt an urgent strategy to end the use of hotels and HMOs for this purpose?
Lucy Powell
I am very happy to have an ice cream, but I am not sure that the hon. Member’s constituents are quite ready to see me in a swimming costume just yet. I am pleased to hear that Kirkham baths has been saved and will now be refurbished. That is exactly why we have put the money into grassroots sport, but it is also why we have given local government such a big settlement, because things such as Kirkham baths are so important to our communities.
Apsana Begum (Poplar and Limehouse) (Ind)
In asking my question, I will update the House on the extraordinary situation that I continue to face in relation to my safety and security. It is just over a year since my ex-husband stood against me at the general election, after he was expelled from the Labour party last year for his treatment of me in a campaign of ongoing post-separation harassment and abuse—excuse me—with his stated aim of exposing who I really was and getting even with me. I continue to endure this on an ongoing basis, alongside the relentless attempts to unjustly remove me as an MP by a clique of his associates, who are still active and are seeking to stand for office at next year’s elections. The impact of all this is devastating and the wall of institutional gaslighting is incredibly chilling.
Will the Leader of the House grant a debate on domestic abuse and public life to enable us to explore the duty of care that should be placed on employers and political parties to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse are not exposed to further harassment in their roles, including those of us undertaking public service? I have been working with MPs from all political parties to call for this. Thank you.
Mr Calvin Bailey (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)
This Labour Government have committed £13 million to tackling food poverty, supported by an expansion of free school meals and a drive to get fresh produce from farms to families’ tables. After 14 years of Tory economic failure, too many families are still struggling and food banks remain indispensable. In Leyton and Wanstead, a much-loved food bank, PL84U, recently faced eviction, but thanks to the swift action of Waltham Forest council, especially Councillors Grace Williams and Ahsan Khan, it has a new home—I am sure my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Ms Creasy) will be pleased to invite the Leader of the House to visit Saira and her team. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on how we support food banks and community aid to secure premises while this Government get on with the work to tackle the Tory failures that mean they must remain?
Lucy Powell
Food poverty remains a huge blight on our country. This Government are absolutely committed to tackling it, which is why we have extended free breakfast clubs and introduced this huge expansion in free school meals, which is something I am sure we can all be proud of. I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue.
Dave Robertson (Lichfield) (Lab)
For 16 years, people in Burntwood in my constituency have had to visit their GP in portacabins in the car park of a leisure centre. The site was closed in March 2024, but there was no replacement and 5,000 patients were distributed to other surgeries. No one agreed with that decision, but we were told that all would be well because the Conservative-controlled county council would have a replacement built and ready to operate by the end of this year. That council failed, and now the Reform-controlled county council is failing too. It has not even submitted a planning application, and there is no chance that it will keep its promise to the people of Burntwood and open the centre this year. Will you join me in telling that council to get their thumb out and get this done?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
No, I will not be joining you. Obviously you mean the Leader of the House.
Lucy Powell
I am happy to join my hon. Friend in telling Staffordshire county council—which I hear a lot of complaints about in business questions, I have to say—to get its act together and get this new GP surgery open so it can serve his constituents.