Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Tessa Munt

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a champion for the issue of child poverty, and I commend her for that. I agree with her about the vital community work that organisations such as the Annexe, Drumchapel LIFE and Kingsway Community Connections, among others, do in her constituency and many others. It is more than disappointing that at the very time that this Government are publishing the child poverty strategy, the SNP Government should act in the way that they have done. As she rightly points out, we have provided the Scottish Government with a record funding settlement. They have nowhere to hide on these matters.

[Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)]

My constituent Ben has a friend who is in HMP Stocken, and he tells me that family and friends have been banned from sending books into the prison for several months. Can the Leader of the House ask his colleagues in the Ministry of Justice about the guidelines? I understand that they say that friends and families can send or hand in books—which are checked by security staff—irrespective of whether or not there are exceptional circumstances. Will he ensure that the rules are followed in all prisons, particularly when prisoners want to occupy themselves in a peaceable way and want to learn?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will certainly find out from the relevant Department what the circumstances might be at the prison. Of course, we would all want the guidelines to state that prisoners have access to books, but I am not sure what the individual circumstances might be at the prison. I am not going to comment any further on that, but I will draw it to the attention of Ministers.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Tessa Munt

Thursday 20th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Interfaith relations are vital for strong and cohesive communities. Last week was Inter Faith Week, which is a chance for communities to come together and celebrate different faiths and beliefs. I will ensure that Ministers hear my hon. Friend’s concerns and, of course, I am always happy to meet him.

[Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)]

I would like to return to the listed places of worship scheme. Although departmental policy is to keep grant funding records for seven years, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport uses grant records only for the last three years, since 2022, as only that data is considered reliable. The Leader of the House will know that slots for Backbench Business debates are taken until the next King’s Speech, and there is a massive queue for Westminster Hall and Adjournment debates. However, in hope and endless optimism, may I ask him for a debate about financial record keeping? Neither the Secretary of State nor the Treasury can possibly assess the value, importance and impact of schemes like this if they have no idea where the money has gone, because record keeping is so poor, it is inaccurate, or the records have been lost.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I accept that the list of Backbench Business debates is long, but Adjournment debates are chosen frequently, and I encourage colleagues to request them and see where they get. The hon. Lady might wish to raise Treasury matters in the Budget debate; she does not need to wait for an Adjournment debate.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Tessa Munt

Thursday 13th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

This is an important issue and a concerning situation, and I will draw it to the attention of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. My hon. Friend may get an opportunity to raise the issue during the Budget debate, for which there will be a lot of time.

[Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)]

Some of my constituents have had valuable property stolen from their homes during viewings, and have come to discover that the so-called potential buyers or tenants were not who they purported to be. Estate agents usually check the financial readiness and capacity of potential buyers and tenants, but can we have a debate on the need for estate agents to verify the names and addresses of the people they introduce to new properties, regardless of whether they will be accompanied to a viewing by the agent, so we can stop this brass-necked daylight robbery?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The Government are looking at the whole subject of buying and selling houses, and this issue may be an interesting part of that. The hon. Lady may wish to write to the Minister about it.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Tessa Munt

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will ensure that the Department for Business and Trade have heard my hon. Friend’s remarks. She may wish to seek a Backbench Business debate, or indeed an Adjournment debate, so that she can raise those matters, because of course they have been discussed for a long time and are topical, and I am sure will be of interest across the Chamber.

[Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)]

My constituent John appealed his business rate demand 13 months ago as the rateable value on his office is incorrect. He tells me that the business rate appeal is taking between a year and 18 months. Will the Leader of the House ask the relevant Minister to improve the check and challenge system to support businesses through what can be a real barrier to survival, let alone the growth that the Government desire?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will draw that individual case to the attention of the relevant Minister. I remind the hon. Member that we are committed to wider business rate reform and will be pushing ahead with that.

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Tessa Munt

Thursday 23rd October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for his area and rightly puts this in the context of not just his constituents’ frustrations but the importance of economic growth. I suggest he seeks a Backbench Business debate or an Adjournment debate, so that he can raise the concerns directly with a Minister.

[Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)]

The Chinook Justice Campaign presented a petition to Downing Street this week asking for transparency about the Mull of Kintyre crash in 1994. The Ministry of Defence at Boscombe Down grounded these Boeing Chinooks before the flight, but the special forces pilots were blamed by the RAF, only to be exonerated fully and given a posthumous apology by the Defence Secretary in 2011. Can the Leader of the House press the Defence Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Victims Minister, the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones), to have compassion and meet the families, so that they can finally gain an understanding of what happened all those years ago?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will draw that to the attention of my right hon. Friends. This is a serious matter that needs a serious response. It is a devastating situation for the families, so I will draw that to the attention of my right hon. Friends, as the hon. Lady requests.