Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Adam Jogee

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in commending Mr Johnson for his selfless act of heroism, and I thank her for raising this important matter. We are determined to take the strongest possible action to reduce phone thefts, and I commend Operation Echosteep. We are backing police forces by providing them with stronger powers to tackle this issue in the Crime and Policing Bill.

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

In recent days, a number of women who have been out in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre have reported being spiked. That is both criminal and evil, and does not reflect the town that I live in, represent and know. I have raised the issue with the Home Secretary and with Staffordshire’s police commissioner. Will the Leader of the House join me in urging Staffordshire police to work around the clock to find the criminals who did this? I urge the Government to do all that they can to ensure that our communities up and down the United Kingdom are safe for women and girls.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sorry to hear about the cases raised by my hon. Friend, and I join him in expressing the importance of this matter. Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. Our mission is to halve levels of it within a decade. The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce new criminal offences for spiking, and our upcoming violence against women and girls strategy will look across the whole of Government to see how we can best protect victims.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Adam Jogee

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As yesterday’s debate highlighted, the whole House cares deeply about bus services and their role in our local communities. This sounds like a fantastic event to celebrate an impressive anniversary and a great deal of hard work to organise it. I am happy to pay tribute to everyone concerned and delighted to hear about the event’s success. It might have been for the anniversary of the Midland Red Coalville bus garage, but it is about celebrating buses and volunteers as well.

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

The forced adoption scandal has outraged people in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and up and down the country. This week I heard from Karen Constantine, who gave birth aged 15 in the late 1970s. She was forced out of education in north Staffordshire and into a mother and baby home in Birmingham, and was pushed to give up her child. Although she did not give up her child and fought really hard against others who tried to force who to, other women were not so fortunate. Will the Leader of the House join me in calling on local authorities to preserve and protect all adoption records, so that mothers are able to get the justice they deserve and find their children? Can I also urge him to do all he can to get a formal apology from the Dispatch Box to those women, who so desperately deserve justice?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter and for raising Karen’s case. As he points out, others were less fortunate than Karen. However, these are remarkably distressing and life-changing situations. Such abhorrent practices should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with those affected. We take these matters extremely seriously and continue to engage with those impacted to provide support. We are also improving access to adoption records, including by asking adoption agencies to preserve records for at least 100 years, and I will ensure that the Education Secretary hears about my hon. Friend’s concerns.