Business of the House

Emma Lewell Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join the hon. Lady in congratulating everyone who won an award, and I also congratulate her on not only highlighting this matter but playing such an important role in her constituency in doing so—I pay tribute to her for that. The hon. Lady rightly says that small businesses are the heart of our local communities—that is a constant theme running through Government policy. Should she seek an Adjournment debate and a response from a Minister on what more we can do to support small businesses in her constituency, and indeed others, I am sure that would be appropriate.

[Emma Lewell (South Shields) (Lab)]

I echo Mr Speaker’s comments at the start of business questions and hope that everyone has a lovely summer.

Reform-led South Tyneside council is planning to close down our publicly run, high-quality STANLEY’s—South Tyneside Accredited Network for Learning in the Early Years—nurseries and daycare, which will affect hundreds of children, their families, and staff. The campaigners’ petition has attracted more than 11,000 signatures. If the seven STANLEY’s centres in South Shields close, the children will have nowhere else to go. Will my right hon. Friend use his good offices to press urgently for tighter controls on councils that ride roughshod over their communities like this?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a great champion for her fantastic constituency, and she highlights a theme of many of our sessions, which is that Reform offers a great deal in order to get elected and then delivers very little when elected. Perhaps because I am an optimist, I hope that South Tyneside council has heard what she has said and changes its mind. I also hope that the affected residents reflect on that and do everything they can for the campaign because, knowing my hon. Friend very well, I can guarantee that she is not going to give up on this.