Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 17th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

I would like to make the Leader of the House aware of the serious delays to cladding remediation faced by residents of the Axis apartments in Mercury Gardens, Romford. It is a common problem across the country. Residents of the Axis apartments have endured years of uncertainty since fire safety issues were identified nearly four years ago, following the Grenfell Tower fire. Despite the building’s management agent applying for permission for remediation works over a year ago, the Building Safety Regulator has still not approved the application. This regulatory delay has left leaseholders trapped; they are unable to remortgage or sell their homes, and face ever-increasing insurance premiums and unaffordable safety costs. Will the Leader of the House ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to make an urgent statement on this matter, so that my constituents, and others across the country facing similar problems, can escape financial ruin and move on with their lives?

[Lucy Powell]

I am sorry to hear about the situation in the hon. Member’s constituency. It is one with which I am extremely familiar; in my constituency, dozens and dozens of buildings face many of the same problems. As he says, there have been very serious teething challenges for the Building Safety Regulator in processing its caseload. That is why the Secretary of State recently announced some quite big changes to its leadership, capacity and management; they were laid before this House two or three weeks ago. I am confident that will speed up the cases he describes. We have a remediation action plan as well, and the Secretary of State will come to the House soon to keep us updated.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Having visited a number of nursery schools in Rossendale over the years, I know of the amazing work that they do to provide children in my hon. Friend’s constituency with the very best start in life. This Government are absolutely committed to supporting and increasing that work and to ensuring that all young people get that best start in life.

I am shocked to hear that the Reform-led county council is planning on closing nurseries. That is a retrograde step and something that it should rethink. My hon. Friend is right to point out that his predecessor, the former Member for Rossendale and Darwen, is now a member of Reform. I think that that former Member might have ambitions to put himself forward as a candidate for the Mayor of Lancashire in the forthcoming elections. I also remember him joining me in the former all-party group on nursery schools in wanting to keep the Rossendale nurseries open. Perhaps he might his start his new career in Reform by telling the party straightaway not to make this decision.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

First, I add my tribute to my late friend, Lord Tebbit of Chingford, who was one of the finest parliamentarians and a man of great courage and patriotism. We owe him so much for what he did for our country. He was also a victim of terrorism, as you will know, Mr Speaker.

This week I had the privilege of representing my constituency at the 20-year commemoration service of the 7/7 bombing at St Paul’s cathedral. For those of us who were in London, in Westminster, on 7 July 2005, it brought back the sheer horror of what took place on that dreadful day. For the 52 people who lost their lives and the countless others who were mentally and physically scarred, the suffering was beyond imaginable. A constituent of mine at the time, Dan Biddle from Collier Row, lost both his legs and an eye in the attack and has been battling that trauma ever since. Will the Leader of the House please ask the Home Secretary to heed Dan’s call for a full public inquiry into 7/7, and to give the victims the justice, the compensation and the closure that they rightly deserve?

[Lucy Powell]

I pay tribute to Lord Tebbit, who was a leading politician when I was growing up. Although I disagreed with him on most things politically, I rated him as a politician who had a clear agenda and was able to take things forward in a way that many others were not. I recognise the challenge that he and many others faced. As the MP for Manchester Central, I also represent those who have been the victims of terrorist attacks and I greatly understand the calls for answers, the calls for truth and justice, and, of course, the calls for compensation. I will ensure that the hon. Member gets a full response from the Home Secretary about the issues that he raises.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear that fire and rehire is still happening across the country, particularly in relation to teaching assistants. That is why I am so pleased and proud that we introduced the Employment Rights Bill. It has gone through this House and is now making its way through the House of Lords. I am sure it will receive Royal Assent by the autumn, and we can end fire and rehire for good.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

I would like to make the Leader of the House aware of the mayhem, disruption and chaos taking place in Romford at the Gallows Corner flyover junction of the A12 and A127, which has been closed for refurbishment by Transport for London and the Mayor of London. Despite the junction being closed for over a week, there is no sign that any works have actually begun, and it is causing unacceptable delays to local businesses throughout Essex and the whole of east London. This is simply unacceptable, and there is now talk of the project going on until September and beyond. Would the Leader of the House be good enough to ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who used to be deputy mayor for transport in London, to get on to her friend the Mayor of London, and TfL, and ask them to make an urgent statement, end the disruption in my constituency and get on with the job?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear about the frustration that roadworks are causing in the hon. Member’s constituency. I am sure that we have all had that experience of seeing roadwork signs but no work happening, just all the disruption instead. I shall certainly raise that with Ministers for him. As he rightly says, this is a matter for Transport for London, and I am sure it has heard his question, but I will ensure he gets a response.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 26th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important matter during Armed Forces Week. I am really sorry to hear that there has not been a response forthcoming. She is absolutely right to raise the issue of the mental health trauma suffered by many of our veterans, and the need to do more to support them in the community. I will make sure that a response is forthcoming.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating my excellent local schools in Romford and Hornchurch—Ardleigh Green infant school, Dame Tipping Church of England primary school, Hornchurch high school, Parklands primary school, Squirrels Heath junior school, St Edward’s Church of England primary school, the Frances Bardsley academy for girls, and Towers infants school—for their superb Ofsted reports, both good and excellent? Will she join me in promoting, as my local schools do, more British values, more patriotism, singing the national anthem at assembly, and flying the Union Jack outside every school across our country?

[Lucy Powell]

I join the hon. Member in congratulating schools in his constituency on their recent Ofsted ratings. The schools in all our constituencies do an amazing job in not just educating our young people, but giving them that full life experience about how to be good citizens—and good British citizens as well. We thank them for all their work.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I know that my hon. Friend has long campaigned on what happened at Orgreave, and that campaigners such as him and others want to see action, accountability and justice. Every community should have confidence in their police, but what happened at Orgreave still casts a very long shadow over mining areas like his and in Yorkshire. As he says, the Home Secretary is committed to resolving this issue and has met campaigners many times. We are working on a response as a priority, and I will ensure that the House is updated.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

Shocking new figures have come to light, showing that white working-class children are falling behind in all but 21 schools across England. In places like Romford, families who have worked for generations are watching their children slip through the cracks. I understand that the Education Secretary has launched an inquiry into why communities like mine are facing this problem, but surely equality should mean that every child counts, not just those who fit fashionable narratives. Will the Leader of the House provide time to debate why this group continues to be neglected and, in some instances, marginalised?

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Gentleman will know that this Government are absolutely committed to reducing educational inequalities wherever they exist, which is why we have a mission to deliver opportunity for all. I do not know whether that means he now supports the education plans that we have set out—for example, reducing VAT on private schools in order to get more state school qualified teachers into the system. I know that the performance of white working-class pupils in our schools has been an issue for many years—in fact, it was an issue when I sat on the Education Committee when the hon. Gentleman’s party was in government. I do not remember it ever being a priority for the previous Government, but we will reduce educational inequalities wherever they exist.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in hoping that everybody who goes to the horse fair in his constituency does so for the right reasons and because they want to celebrate that event, rather than to cause criminality or antisocial behaviour—I am sure we all recognise that. We want to take steps to clamp down on antisocial behaviour and give the police more powers to do that, and that is what our Crime and Policing Bill will do. I hope that everything passes off well for his constituents.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

The Leader of the House will be aware that Queen’s hospital in Romford, which serves the boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham and of Redbridge, is in urgent need of an A&E upgrade. Indeed, I met the Minister for Secondary Care only this week to discuss it. May we have an urgent statement from the Government on this issue? The situation has led to many patients being left on trolleys for more than 24 hours. The hospital serves 800,000 people in that radius, and that is simply not acceptable. Please can some of the money from the statement yesterday be spent in Romford on a hospital that serves local people?

[Lucy Powell]

It is good to hear the hon. Gentleman supporting our spending review measures yesterday and the increased funding that we are providing to the NHS in both capital and revenue. That is to tackle the issues that he describes: the chronic underfunding of our A&E over many years, and the unacceptable delays that many people face in accident and emergency departments around the country—my husband works in one, so I am well aware of the issues. I look forward to the hon. Gentleman voting with us when we implement the spending review. There will be a statement shortly on how that money is being allocated.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 22nd May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

Order. I hope to end business questions at about 2 o’clock, so will Members please help each other out by keeping questions and answers short?

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

Following the outcome of the UK-EU summit earlier this week, will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on the state of British democracy? On 23 June 2016, 70% of my constituents in Romford voted to leave the European Union—as did the rest of the United Kingdom—yet this so-called EU reset is in fact a surrender of our hard-won Brexit freedoms, with rule taking from Brussels once again, the European Court of Justice back in charge, British fish handed over until 2038, and billions in payments back to the European Union. Will she please let the British people’s views be paramount, not the short-term views of the Government?

[Lucy Powell]

What people voted for in the referendum was to leave the European Union but retain many benefits of trade and co-operation, which the hon. Member’s Government failed to negotiate in the aftermath of that referendum. This Government have brought them about. He cannot have it both ways. One of the promises that his Government made was that leaving the EU meant we could do lots of free trade deals with other countries. That is what this Government have delivered, with a unique and unprecedented trade deal with India and a trade deal with the US. We cannot have surrendered ourselves to the EU if we are getting those trade deals and securing those benefits at the same time.

The hon. Member will know that, in fact, since we left the EU we have had to adopt all the EU’s standards and regulations in order to continue trading with it, but we have had absolutely no benefit from doing that. Now we have those free trade benefits as well as doing that. I am sorry to say that our deal is far better than the deal that his Government got.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 1st May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Absolutely, and I assure the hon. Member that the Government’s national cancer plan will consider workforce issues, particularly in relation those who are specialists in haematology and other areas of cancer treatment. I will ensure that health Ministers and the Secretary of State are forthcoming to the House in developing that plan and the workforce plan that sits alongside it.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

I am sorry that Mr Speaker has just left the Chair, because I wanted to commend him for hosting such a magnificent St George’s day celebration in Speaker’s House last week, on behalf of the Royal Society of St George, and on being the first Speaker to wear a red rose in the Chair on St George’s day—a tradition that I hope we will all adopt. I am, however, disappointed that the debate secured by me and the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) for St George’s day is taking two weeks to come to the Floor of the House, and I wondered whether the Leader of the House could explain that.

I also wish to raise an issue on behalf of my constituents. The historic market town of Romford, like many towns represented by hon. Members across the House, has a proliferating and wholly disproportionate number of barber shops, vape shops, fishmongers and outlets that appear devoid of any custom. In Havering we have only one trading standards officer, which is simply not enough. Something is very wrong with our high streets, and my constituents are concerned and want action to deal with that. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time to discuss how we can tackle the growing epidemic of rogue traders and sham businesses that blight our communities, and instead inspire people back to shop local again?

[Lucy Powell]

I join the hon. Member in thanking Mr Speaker for hosting the St George’s day reception last week, and I am sorry that the debate that he and my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) have asked for could not be as near to St George’s day as he might have liked. As he will know, we had to schedule important Government business last Thursday, in part because it was a shorter three-day week, which meant that the Thursday was more like a Wednesday. I am glad that the debate has now been scheduled, and I wish the hon. Member and my hon. Friend well with that.

The hon. Member raises the important matter of the future of our high streets, and many of the issues that he sees on the high street in Romford, which I am sure we can all relate to in our own communities. He will be aware that the police and security services recently did a big blitz on businesses like the ones he described, which might be a cover for other activities rather than the activities they claim to be. That was a successful operation, and we hope to see more of that in future. This Government are committed to the future of our high streets, looking at reforming business rates and other measures, so that we get good, long-standing, independent businesses back into the heart of our communities.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising what is obviously a very important issue for his constituents, and for those still mourning the loss of friends and family in the Kielland disaster all those years ago. I am really sorry to hear that they feel that many questions are still unanswered. I know the British authorities are working closely with the Norwegian authorities in Oslo, but I will ensure that he gets a full reply about that and that his constituents get the answers they deserve.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

In the 1960s, my constituency of Romford, which is part of the London borough of Havering, formed part of Greater London, but we are in Essex. The Government are following through with a devolution plan for the county of Essex. Will the Leader of the House please allow Havering to be considered as part of that discussion? People are deeply unhappy with the control from inner London. We feel much closer connections to Essex, and provided that there can be some guarantees about Transport for London, policing and things of that sort, it makes absolute sense for us to be part of that discussion. Will she arrange a debate on the Floor of the House, and perhaps a meeting with me and the Minister responsible, to try to find a solution to this issue and make my constituents very happy?

[Lucy Powell]

I hear the hon. Gentleman’s strong representation for his constituency to be part of Essex, although I think he said that he would still like the benefits of being part of the Greater London area. We are embarking on the biggest devolution of powers that has happened under any Government, and part of that is about redrawing the map for local communities. His community should absolutely continue to make representations through him. I will certainly ensure that the Minister for Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (Jim McMahon), has a discussion with him about the possibility of Havering joining Essex.

Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in passing on the Government’s condolences and pay tribute to Barry Panter for his contribution to public life, both as a former police officer and dedicated public servant. My hon. Friend has served his constituents very well today.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

I, too, offer my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House on the loss of his father, who sounds like a very fine gentleman indeed.

The Leader of the House will, I am sure, welcome the visit to the United Kingdom this week of the new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney. Canada is, of course, a great friend to the United Kingdom and the new Prime Minister is very welcome. However, the Leader of the House must surely see that the UK economy is suffering from growth flattening, inflation above target and unemployment on the up—all as a result of the economic model adopted by the Chancellor and endorsed by the former Governor of the Bank of England, who was one of her advisers before the election, no less. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate to discuss how printing money, raising taxes and adding more costs to businesses has driven up prices and damaged jobs? Will she accept that former Bank of England economists and Governors seem to have little clue about how the economy actually works, which is bad for Britain and bad for Canada?

[Lucy Powell]

I would gently remind the hon. Gentleman —I can see he knows what is coming, because he is grimacing already—that under his Government we saw inflation go to 11%, the economy crashing, taxes raised to their highest in 70 years and debt out of control. We have had to come along and put the economy back on a stable footing, and that has meant taking difficult decisions. We need to invest in our public services and put the economy back on a stable footing. I am afraid we will not be taking lectures from the Conservatives on that.