Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 28th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join the right hon. Gentleman in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Annandale Distillery. I was not actually invited, but I do get invited to many places—I am a bit of a lightweight and whisky is not my tipple, but I am sure that if I am in the area I will pay it a visit. This Government are pleased to support the Scotch whisky industry, which is why we are providing up to £5 million to reduce fees for Scotch whisky, along with other measures. I hope the distillery welcomes that.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

My constituent Jo Pyke is a counsellor at a local cancer charity. She has stage 4 mucosal melanoma. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, which is only available in the USA, could save her life. Our community is fundraising to get Jo to America, but Jo and many others need that therapy here in the UK. Will the Leader of the House use her good offices to help Jo fight this awful disease?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear of Jo’s plight. It is awful to have such a terminal and difficult disease, knowing that although therapies are available, they are not yet available for my hon. Friend’s constituent. I will ensure that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has heard her question, and I am sure the whole House will support Jo in her fundraising efforts to get to America.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 25th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Let me be absolutely clear: we on the Labour Benches are incredibly proud of the programme laid out by His Majesty in the King’s Speech last week. By any measure, it is one of the most bold and ambitious programmes of any incoming Government—tackling the challenges that the country faces, delivering on our manifesto commitments, ensuring that our mission-led Government bring about the change that the country wants, and bringing back a Government of service. It is absolutely right that Members elected on a manifesto to bring in that King’s Speech should vote for it in overwhelming numbers, as they did in Parliament this week. I am incredibly proud of the huge numbers of people who supported that King’s Speech programme.

The issue of child poverty has been raised a number of times in recent weeks. This Labour Government, like any Labour Government, are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty—not just its symptoms, but its root causes—whether through early education, housing support, or the Sure Start programme and other such measures. That is why we have established a cross-cutting Government taskforce to look at all of those issues, and we will come back regularly to this House to report on its progress.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Many of us enjoyed watching the Euros in our local pubs, whose licensing hours were only just extended before this House rose for the general election. My private Member’s Bill would have ensured that extensions for events of national importance would no longer be dependent on Parliament sitting. That Bill passed through this place with zero objections, but failed to make the wash-up. I know that my right hon. Friend likes sport and a good pint, so will she make time for my Bill to become law?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. Actually, as she will know, I have become quite a lightweight—I am more of a spritzer girl than a full pint girl these days—but I know her Bill was met with wide support in the last Parliament. The private Member’s Bill ballot will be coming up straight after recess, and I hope she secures a spot in it; if she does not, I am happy to talk to her about how we can take some of these matters forward in our future legislative programmes.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 16th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am very sorry to hear that, and I am sure I speak for us all when I send our good wishes to the hon. Gentleman’s constituent and his family. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education makes a timely appearance; she may have saved me a stamp. However, I will write to her formally and make sure that she has heard what the hon. Gentleman has said. He will know how to apply for a debate, and that is an excellent topic for one.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Northumbrian Water repeatedly refused to release information on the scale of raw sewage dumping at Whitburn and into the North sea. An appeal tribunal has ordered that data to be released, thanks to the persistent work of Steve Lavelle and the Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum. The decision found that Northumbrian Water had a desire to

“avoid media or political attention”.

Can we please have a debate on why the Government have enabled water companies to not only dump sewage into our waters, but evade scrutiny?

[Penny Mordaunt]

First of all, what the hon. Lady says about this Government is not true. If she goes to the Water UK website, she will see real-time information about the projects going on across the country with every water company. That is the largest infrastructure investment of its kind in the world, and it will dramatically reduce storm overflows. The reason why we have these releases, as she will well know, is because of legacy sewerage systems that mix storm water and waste water. We have to make the investment to put that right.

When the Conservatives came into office, less than 6% of such overflows were monitored. That figure is now 100%, and that information is in the public domain. Fantastic local activists like Steve—I have many in my constituency—are not only holding water companies to account, but working with them to improve monitoring. This would be an excellent topic for a debate, because we will very shortly eradicate that kind of overflow.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 25th April 2024 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my right hon. Friend for congratulating Dan and the other councillors who have done so much for their community. Dan is proof that age is not relevant, but political hue is. Elsewhere, in the west midlands, Andy Street has been following Harlow’s example. He has never raised any taxes, and he does not charge an additional precept, yet he has brought billions of pounds of investment into his region, in stark contrast to Sadiq Khan in London, who has increased the mayoral precept by more than 70%, and Labour-run Birmingham, which is increasing council tax by 21% to pay for its errors. It is very clear: if you want better services at lower cost, vote Conservative.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Like many across this House, I was utterly floored to hear the sad news of my friend Lord Field’s passing. His was a life devoted to helping those in poverty, especially children. We worked together on the all-party parliamentary group on hunger, the School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill and the Food Insecurity Bill. We then set up Feeding Britain, a national charity that continues to alleviate hunger across the UK, but we both knew that our charity should not have to exist in a country as rich as ours. With over 4 million children in poverty, does the Leader of the House agree that it would be a fitting tribute to our dear friend to hold an urgent debate on ending child poverty?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Lady for highlighting Frank Field’s legacy, as many other Members have done. The work of the organisations that he helped to found, and that he worked with, will continue. The hon. Lady will know that we brought forward a cost of living package that now exceeds £108 billion. She will also know that there are hundreds of thousands fewer children living in absolute poverty, and over a million fewer workless households. We stand on that record, and we want it to continue.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 30th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am sure I speak for the whole House when I say how appalled we are to hear of that situation. Our thoughts are with my hon. Friend’s constituents and all those affected by this appalling tragedy. The Lord Chancellor is aware of this case. I am sure it will need to be subject to a review into what happened in this instance, but I know the Lord Chancellor’s door is always open to her and I think he may have already contacted her. I thank her for all she is doing in her constituency in the aftermath of this appalling event.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Cases of rickets in children, which is associated with malnutrition, have risen by over 700% in the last two years. My Healthy Start Scheme (Take-Up) (No. 2) Bill would have prevented over 157,000 babies, children and pregnant mothers from missing out on essential food and vitamins, but the Government rejected it. Can we please have an urgent debate on why the Government have dragged our children into Victorian levels of poverty?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Lady will know that there are over 500,000 fewer children living in absolute poverty under this Administration, and that the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire (Dame Andrea Leadsom) has been doing incredible work, bringing together Government Departments to focus on the early years and to create much more effective pathways at a local level for children who are particularly vulnerable.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 14th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am shocked to hear about the situation that my hon. Friend’s constituents are having to endure. It sounds like an urgent one, so I shall raise it with the relevant Departments to see what advice they can provide to him about how to get it resolved. Pleas that I might make from this Dispatch Box for somebody to step up and take responsibility are likely, because of the situation, to fall on deaf ears, so I shall try to get him some advice about further steps he might take to ensure that the matter is resolved for his constituents.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

As my hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) said, last weekend, I joined more than 40,000 people completing our Great North Run. This year, at the finish line in South Shields, we showed our great love and respect for honorary Geordie Sir Mo Farah as he completed his final professional race. Will the Leader of the House please put on record the Government’s thanks to one of our greatest ever sportsmen, Sir Mo, for his contribution to sport and athletics?

[Penny Mordaunt]

First, let me say “good effort” to the hon. Lady for her impressive run. I thank her for the opportunity, which I am sure we all appreciate, to get on record our thanks to Sir Mo, not just for the amazing sporting events and achievements that we have been able to celebrate with him, but for all that he has done in his charitable work, in helping many organisations and in being an inspiration to many people around the world, as well as in this country. So, on behalf of us all, Sir Mo, thank you.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 13th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

That is a shocking case. It is difficult for people to resolve such matters if they are not able to get hold of the companies. My hon. Friend will know that there is a parking code of practice, which was brought into statute in 2019. I shall make sure that he receives a copy of that code and information on what he can do if he thinks that the company is in breach of it—that is a serious thing. We could have a debate on the matter, and I am sure that it would be well attended, going by the sounds of support that he has had, but I think a much better course of action would be for District Enforcement Ltd to listen to what he has said and to the mood of this House, and do the right thing by picking up the phone this afternoon.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

In 2015, my constituent Colin Anderson was involved in an accident at Boulby potash mine. It left him with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and stress on his memory. Unlike others injured in the accident, Colin has had to fight the Department for Work and Pensions every step of the way, and despite being awarded industrial injuries disablement benefit for life, he is still being denied the appropriate level of personal independence payment. Can we have an urgent debate on why, under this Government, the default of the DWP is always to cause misery instead of helping people?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am very sorry to hear about that case. I will certainly ensure, given that Work and Pensions questions are not until the autumn, that the Secretary of State hears the case that the hon. Lady has raised. I encourage officials from that Department to meet her at the earliest opportunity to resolve the situation.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 8th June 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Gentleman will know that I will announce further business for this House in the usual way, but he raises an incredibly important point. He may well be aware—perhaps it would be worth his talking to his local authority about discretionary housing payments—that these matters are being looked at by the Secretary of State to see what further protections we can give to such tenants. I will make sure that the Secretary of State has heard the hon. Gentleman’s remarks today. He will know that the next departmental questions will be on 10 July.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Despite strong opposition in South Shields to 5G masts, which are deeply unpopular, local views are being completely ignored due to Government-led permitted development rights. Can we please have a statement from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities explaining why the Government always favour private developers over the voice of local communities?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I do not have the details of the case that the hon. Lady refers to, but I will contact the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to see whether its officials can provide any guidance or advice on what she can do to ensure that she represents her constituents. Far from what she claims, this Government have done a tremendous amount—enabling neighbourhood planning forums to be established and giving them legal weight is just one example—to ensure people can not only have their say on particular developments but get involved in the design and planning of major developments from the off.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 11th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. I have been looking at this matter. I know that there are key set dates on this issue, including Armed Forces Day, and on other issues, such as International Women’s Day. Of course we want to have such debates every single year, and yet it requires particular Committees to organise them. There are good reasons why we established the procedures that we have and why we lean heavily on the Backbench Business Committee, but I have been making inquiries on this front and I appreciate my hon. Friend’s suggestion.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Homeowners in my constituency have been conned and defrauded by rogue builders. They have lost thousands of pounds and their homes have been left in ruins. The police say it is a civil matter and trading standards is powerless, so their only option is to incur more costs in court. Will the Leader of the House ask the Home Secretary to make a statement on why the new fraud strategy does nothing to tackle this type of fraud?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am very sorry to hear about the situation in the hon. Lady’s constituency. Will she share some more information with my office? The Home Office may not be the Department that is best placed to help her; it may well be the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is responsible for some of the new powers that we have introduced to protect homeowners and those in the rented sector with regard to poor landlords. I will be happy to assist the hon. Lady, and I hope we can help her get this matter resolved for her constituents.

Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 27th April 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the issue of this important memorial day. He is the third Member to do so, and I certainly hope the event he is attending goes well. As I have said before, I will make sure that the relevant Departments focused on these matters—there are more than one—have heard that Members have raised this matter today.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Daniel Futers from South Shields committed suicide last year while on leave from a mental health hospital in the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. Daniel’s inquest found that

“appropriate precautions were not in place to prevent him from doing so.”

The coroner subsequently sent the trust a regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, with recommendations for improvement. The trust disagrees with the coroner’s findings and is not obligated to act on them. May we please have an urgent debate on the effectiveness of regulation 28 reports?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Lady raises a very important matter, and I will certainly make sure that the Secretary of State has heard her concerns. I have heard other Members raise it with particular regard to that provision. The hon. Lady will know how to apply for a debate in the usual way, perhaps through the auspices of the relevant all-party group.