Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Janet Daby

Thursday 5th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for his constituents, and I pay tribute to him for that. As he will know, healthcare is a devolved matter, but we do acknowledge that trans people have historically not been able to access the support they need. We are committed to ensuring that the NHS is there for everyone, providing equal access to healthcare for everyone.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities. It should not happen and it is wrong. It spoils and damages communities, and I see far too much fly-tipping up and down my constituency. Lewisham council is doing an excellent job—a fantastic job, even—in doing all it can to manage this, but would the Leader of the House agree with me that we need a wider Government strategy on how to manage and deal with fly-tipping across our country?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. The Government are committed to tackling waste crime, including fly-tipping, which, as she says, is a blight on our local communities. This topic affects a lot of Members, so I encourage her to apply for what I am sure would be a popular Westminster Hall debate, and to put her interesting proposition to and hear directly from a Minister.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Janet Daby

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

If the hon. Gentleman gives me details of the case, I will make sure that the matter is taken up with the appropriate Ministers. Although these issues are to be decided locally, this is public money, so if Ministers can do anything to help resolve the situation, that would be appropriate.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Happy new year to you and your staff, Mr Speaker.

I have some pleasing news: knife attacks in Lewisham have reduced by 23% over the last year, which is to be celebrated. I thank the council, the police, our Mayor of London and all the local community organisations that have helped to achieve this and to bring more peace to our streets. However, you will probably remember, Mr Speaker, that last year, there were two deaths due to knife crime in my constituency. Any knife crime, and of course any fatality, is awful news that nobody wants to hear. Can we have a Government statement on progress since the announcement on the coalition to tackle knife crime in September 2024, and on the knife crime action plan promised in the Labour manifesto?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in thanking everyone involved in this initiative. There is a long way to go, but important progress is being made. Tackling knife crime is a top priority for this Government, although there are still too many cases. Knife crime overall has fallen for the first time in four years, but there is a great deal more to do. The coalition to tackle knife crime has helped to shape key policies, including the ninja sword ban and the online sales review. However, I will draw her remarks to the attention of Home Office Ministers. We are bringing forward further measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to the strengthen legislation on knives.