Business of the House
David Williams Excerpts(2 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that. One of his previous invitations was to Center Parcs— I might take him up on that one. He does regularly invite me to his constituency. He raises a matter that is very serious to his constituents. We all have to recognise that there is a difficult balance to strike, and difficult issues to face, when it comes to getting the infrastructure that we need to be a clean energy superpower, and to have lower bills, job security and, crucially, energy security. There will be some difficult decisions around the grid, pylons and so on. We have to strike a balance, which is why we are exploring how to ensure that communities that need the infrastructure in their locality can benefit from the lower bills that it will bring.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
Back in 2021, residents in Kidsgrove were promised a portfolio of projects as part of the Kidsgrove town deal. To date, residents have experienced delay and confusion. They rightly want more openness and transparency from Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the delivery of town deals, so that local people can see real delivery, and not more delays?
Lucy Powell
I am really sorry to hear about the challenges with the Kidsgrove town deal. What we have seen with the town deal model is a bidding war—a competitive, dog-eat-dog situation—that is not working or delivering for communities. That is why we are putting record levels of investment into communities through local government funding and moving towards long-term, stable core funding, so that local communities such as my hon. Friend’s in Kidsgrove can have long-term certainty about funding.
Business of the House
David Williams Excerpts(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Lucy Powell
Banking hubs are critical to communities such as that of my hon. Friend in West Dunbartonshire. The Government are committed to rolling out our 350 banking hubs—more than 100 are already open. I think that would be an extremely popular topic for a debate.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
This week, the YMCA released its annual report, revealing the devastating cuts to youth services over the past 14 years. Spending in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has been cut by more than 90% since 2010 and funding is not equitable: in Stoke-on-Trent, spending per young person is 10% less than in inner London. Families in my constituency deserve better. Will the Leader of the House make time to debate the need for adequate and equitable funding for youth services?
Lucy Powell
It is a source of national shame that youth funding decreased by three quarters under the previous Government—one of the deepest cuts made to any public services. There was no real strategy for young people, and we are seeing the consequences of that. The Government are determined to turn that around, and we will work with my hon. Friend to do that in Stoke-on-Trent.
Business of the House
David Williams Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank the hon. Lady for raising the case of her constituent Kirsty. She will know that the Employment Rights Bill, which explores such issues, is in its Committee stage. She might want to consider tabling an amendment to that Bill or raising these issues when the Bill returns for its final stages.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
In 2021 in my constituency, a six-year-old girl, Sharlotte-Sky Naglis, was killed after being hit by a speeding driver who was on drugs and was drunk. The driver spent 11 weeks in a coma and while the police had taken a blood sample they were unable to test it without his consent. Ever since, Sharlotte’s mother Claire has been campaigning tirelessly to amend section 7A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to allow blood samples to be tested without consent in cases where dangerous driving has led to a loss of life. Will the Leader of the House please make time to debate this important matter in the House?
Lucy Powell
What a tragic case my hon. Friend raises. Many such cases are raised consistently in the Chamber. We are currently considering possible changes to motoring offences to cover such situations. I will ensure that any such changes are announced in the House first.
Business of the House
David Williams Excerpts(4 months, 1 week ago)
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
More than 20 people are hoping to get in, so let us keep contributions short and snappy.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
I extend my birthday wishes to the Leader of the House.
One of my Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove constituents recently told me about the difficulty they were having in securing a test to qualify as a driving instructor. We have a dire need for more driving instructors to tackle the backlog of those waiting for tests. Will the Leader of the House make time to debate the matter in the House?
Lucy Powell
My hon. Friend is the second Member to raise that important topic this morning. He may not be aware but there is a Westminster Hall debate on 16 October on the availability of driving tests. Of course, having qualified driving instructors is critical to that endeavour, so he may wish to attend that debate.
Business of the House
David Williams Excerpts(5 months, 1 week ago)
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Lucy Powell
As the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, I am all too familiar with the challenges of parking charges in our towns and city centres. That is in part why we as a Government are ensuring that we have better public transport, and in particular better buses, so that people have alternatives. I know that this issue creates a lot of interest, should my hon. Friend wish to apply for a debate on parking charges.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
Over the recess, I met the Hubb Foundation in Stoke-on-Trent, which has delivered yet another fantastic holiday activities and food programme over the summer. I have seen the impact of its work at first hand over many years, and it was a bittersweet moment when it handed out its 1 millionth meal a couple of weeks ago. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the continuation of such programmes to alleviate child poverty in Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove and across the country?
Lucy Powell
My hon. Friend raises an important issue. The fact that in this country in 2024 we still need to operate food banks and holiday clubs to stop children from starving in the school holidays is frankly something that should bring us all shame. That is why we have a child poverty strategy. We will continue to support holiday clubs, such as the one he describes in Stoke-on-Trent North. I thank him for raising this important matter.