Business of the House

Caroline Nokes Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend talks of a matter that I know has been raised in sessions such as this and by many others across the House. It matters to constituents. I am sure that my hon. Friend realises that there is a written statement today that announces that we are launching a consultation on firework legislation. It is an important matter. Once that consultation is under way and the findings are decided on, I am sure the appropriate Minister will want to come to the House to make a statement, or we may indeed have a debate on the matter because it is of such importance.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)]

I join the Leader of the House in his comments about Ann Widdecombe. She was a conviction politician and she was respected for that. I join Mr Speaker, and I am sure Madam Deputy Speaker as well, in thanking the staff for all their service over the course of the term.

I had hoped to start by triumphantly demanding the confirmation of a bank holiday, but I will have to change tack slightly and desperately plea with the Government to give us a day off anyway so that we can get over the trauma of last night.

More importantly, I raise something that I do not think our nation talks about enough, which is the weather and, more specifically, the relationship between the weather and climate change. A study that came out this week said that of the 2,500 articles about extreme weather over the last few weeks, 72%—the vast majority—made no mention at all of climate change. That is despite the fact that scientists tell us that the link between the two is indisputable. The idea that this is a freak, one-off event is, frankly, for the birds, and the Met Office has confirmed this week that

“the climate of the 20th century has now gone.”

The number of days at over 30° in London has quadrupled and the warm weather is even moving further north.

The impact is pretty serious, and we have seen it on our schools, our hospitals, our workplaces and public transport, which have all ground to a halt at times. More seriously, 2,700 deaths in May and June have been linked to heat-related causes. Will the Leader of the House organise for the relevant Minister to come to this place and explain the link between extreme heat and climate change, and lay out what the Government are set to do to mitigate the effects?

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating St Peter’s school on the support that it provides for students. I am delighted to hear that Moses and Nana are so eager to learn; that is a true testament to their hard work, as well as to the support of their families and the school staff. I reassure my hon. Friend that school funding is increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026-27, meaning that core school budgets will total £67 billion.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

I call the Chairman of the Backbench Business Committee.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

I trust that the Leader of the House will inform the Backbench Business Committee of any extra time we will get in September—or will prevail on his successor to do so—so that we can plan accordingly. The business in Westminster Hall in September will be as follows: on the day we come back, 1 September, there will be a debate on face-to-face banking in rural areas; on Thursday 3 September, there will be a debate on vaccination rates in England, followed by a debate on the security assessment on global diversity, ecosystem collapse and national security; on Tuesday 8 September, there will be a debate on the safety of the Jewish community; on Thursday 10 September, there will be a debate on the reform of the vascular care sector, followed by a debate on the contribution of fathers and positive male role models to families and society; and on Tuesday 15 September, there will be a debate on residential building safety remediation.

The incoming Prime Minister has announced that he wants the housing subsidy money available from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to be spent on social rent. I agree with that proposal. However, the London plan, which is out today, has dramatically reduced the amount of affordable housing that will be built—if it even gets to be built. That seems to be in direct contrast to what is needed in London. I hope that the Leader of the House will prevail on whoever will be the Secretary of State in the new Government to come to this House in early September and set out how the Government plan to ensure that we build the affordable housing that people in this country desperately need.

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

With a birthday business question, I call Claire Hazelgrove.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. The summer is a great time for families to create lasting memories, but it can also be an expensive time. Locally, I am hosting a free community advice drop-in event, bringing together local advice organisations. Fellow residents can come by to find out more about support that they may be entitled to around energy and water costs, debt advice and more. Will the Leader of the House join me in encouraging anyone who may need support across the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency to come by, and in thanking everybody involved in providing local support?