Business of the House

Chris Webb Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. I think it is his first business question, and I welcome him. This Government will back only those new waste incinerator projects that meet strict new conditions. This issue is raised with me a lot, so I encourage him to work with Members from across the House—many other Members have raised the issue—and get a Backbench Business debate on waste incinerators.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

We are seeing an alarming increase in heavily pregnant women and families with complex medical needs being shipped in, sometimes in the middle of the night, to our asylum hotel. Our area was abandoned by the previous Government, and we have one of the worst hospitals in the country, yet the previous Government put an asylum hotel in one of our most deprived wards. Can we have a debate in Government time about the support we can give to our NHS workers who are working through this appalling legacy?

[Lucy Powell]

I am sorry to hear of the situation in my hon. Friend’s constituency. He will know that we inherited an asylum system that broke under exceptional strain. We are committed to ending the use of asylum hotels, but that will take time while we tackle the small boats, which we are doing; we have also put record levels of funding into the national health service. However, he is absolutely right to raise this issue. If we do not get on top of the illegal and net migration figures, which are incredibly high, this will continue to put pressure on our national health service.