Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and John Glen

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for her work as chair of the APPG on menopause and thank all those who worked on this important report. Women experiencing the symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long. The Government are renewing the women’s health strategy to tackle inequalities and improve access to healthcare for women across England. I will ensure that Ministers hear what she has to say, that they see the report, and that, if she wants one, she has a meeting with them to discuss it.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

May we have a debate on the regressive taxation of single parents? If we look at the costs for 2025-26 of employing a single parent on the national living wage for 30 hours a week, we find that the combination of the national insurance threshold going down 45%, a 6.7% increase in the cost of the national living wage and additional costs related to national insurance means that it is 11% more expensive to employ somebody who is working 30 hours a week on the national living wage. Surely that is not what a Labour Government should be standing up for?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As the right hon. Gentleman knows, the Chancellor will bring forward her Budget at the end of next month. Some of those issues may or may not be addressed in that, but there certainly will be days of debate after the Budget in which such issues can be discussed. In the meantime, however, I will draw the Chancellor’s attention to his points and, if we can, get a better answer than the one I can give him.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and John Glen

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on her recent marriage. She raises a very important matter, and she is a doughty campaigner for her local community. High streets are a cornerstone of our local communities, and we are delivering 13,000 more officers in neighbourhood policing roles to tackle these matters. I will draw her comments to the attention of the relevant Department, but I encourage her to attend the next Home Office questions next week in order to raise this issue with Ministers directly.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

I welcome the right hon. Gentleman to his new role.

May I echo the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman) in drawing his attention to the reply that his predecessor gave to me on 27 February concerning the Government’s response to the report on valproate? It really is necessary that we get a response. Janet Williams and Emma Murphy from the Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust came to see me this week. They are grateful for the opportunity to meet a Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, but they really need a formal response to the commissioner’s report of 19 months ago.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that I am new to this role, but I give him a commitment that I will follow that up after this session. Hopefully, I will be able to arrange a meeting with the Minister and get a response, which sounds overdue.