Petitions

Debate between Fiona Bruce and Sarah Newton

Tuesday 5th November 2019 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

I rise to present a petition from residents of the Loachbrook estate in Somerford, Congleton. It asks for the completion of outstanding works to this estate by the developer, Bovis Homes, and is supported by more than 100 residents, representing well over a third of households on the estate.

I recently visited the Loachbrook estate to see these outstanding works and therefore fully support my constituents. Residents have been pressing for their completion for some time and are concerned that some may be dangerous, particularly to children.

This is not the only estate in my constituency where works have been left incomplete for too long after residents have bought new homes. This is unacceptable and I hope the petition serves to highlight local concerns about this issue more widely.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of Congleton,

Declares that the Petitioners call for the completion of outstanding landscaping, drainage, fencing, footpath and clearance works to the Loachbrook Estate.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges Bovis Homes to complete works by the end of this year.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002541]

[Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

There is hardly a family in my constituency that is not proudly associated with the Navy or the merchant navy. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships are based and maintained in Falmouth, along with the ocean survey vessel HMS Scott. I am delighted that one of the new batch 2 river-class offshore patrol vessels has been named HMS Tamar and will be attached to the port of Truro. All five of these new offshore patrol vessels will be maintained by A&P. Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Cornwall after the Duchy of Cornwall. The first was launched in 1692 and broken up in 1761, and the last was launched in 1985 and decommissioned in 2011. Commanders and crew of all the HMS Cornwalls served with distinction, and I want to enable a new generation of Cornish people the opportunity to serve and support the Royal Navy.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of Truro & Falmouth,

Declares that one of the new Type 31e General Purpose Frigates should be named HMS Cornwall.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to ensure this is done.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002542]

Drugs Policy

Debate between Fiona Bruce and Sarah Newton

Tuesday 18th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Newton]

Before I respond to the substantial questions and items in today’s debate, I wish to pay tribute to the excellent maiden speeches we have heard. I shall start with the excellent speech from the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) about Slough’s bright future as the silicon valley of the UK. I am sure he also has a very bright future in this House, and not just because of the bright colours of his turbans. This is a very proud day for our democracy as a glass ceiling has been shattered. He spoke so powerfully about belonging, and everyone, from all parts of the House, wants to welcome him so that he feels that he truly belongs in this mother of all Parliaments.

It was also a great pleasure to listen to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Jack Brereton), whose great maiden speech described the history and the potential of Stoke, and the role it is playing in global Britain. I am sure he will represent Stoke-on-Trent as a powerful advocate for innovation and all those growing businesses there that he so well described. I am also sure we are all going to be lifting up mugs, plates and any other items we buy to look for the words “Made in Stoke-on-Trent” on them. I share with him a strong link to his constituency, because the china clay that is mined in Cornwall is taken to the potteries and has helped to create those iconic brands such as Wedgwood that he mentions. I am very much looking forward to working with him in the weeks, months and years ahead.

We also heard from the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Emma Hardy), who spoke so powerfully about the importance of making a sacrifice so that we can make the powerful difference we want to see in our country and the sacrifice that our families make to enable us to do that. I am sure her daughters will be so proud of her. Having heard her speech today, I am sure nobody will ever underestimate her or Hull again.

The hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West (Eleanor Smith) also spoke powerfully about the scourge of drug use, and the need to look at the root cause of why people take drugs and then to support them on the road to recovery. She is obviously very proud of her constituency, its history, its people and its culture. My sister is a nurse, and I know what powerful advocates nurses are for their patients. I am sure she will be a great advocate for all her constituents.

We also heard from the hon. Member for Ipswich (Sandy Martin), who spoke of his passion to help marginalised people in Ipswich choose a life free of drugs, and I look forward to working with him in that vital task. It is good to hear that he wants to build on the work of Ben Gummer, his predecessor, in improving the local economy and the opportunities there, particularly the rail links, and I wish him well during his time in Parliament.

I will try to cover in as much detail as I can in the remaining time the issues, questions and challenges that have been posed about the strategy. I welcome the fact that the right hon. Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott) welcomed the strategy and recognised some of the achievements of the 2010 strategy. In doing that, she rightly wanted to know what more we are doing in prisons and rightly pointed out the real problem we have with drug use in prisons. I want to reassure her about the actions that are going on now to support prison officers in tackling this dreadful problem. We are enhancing the drug-testing regime, supporting governors by recruiting new officers to our prison estate, looking at how prisons can co-commission drug services with the NHS locally, ensuring that the parameters of prisons are more secure and maintained and improving the searching capability of dedicated teams. It is really important that I have this chance to point out that we are taking a comprehensive series of actions to prevent prisons from being a place where people can readily access drugs.

My hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt) made a really important contribution to this debate. The fact that we have allowed this debate in Government time—we have had a really good debate with a wide-ranging discussion—demonstrates our commitment to getting this policy area right. We have published a lot of data, which my hon. Friend mentioned. We have worked with a wide range of stakeholders to inform our evidence-based strategy, and we will continue to do so.

My hon. Friend and others have asked whether we will be evaluating the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. We are already doing so. We have published the framework for that evaluation so people can contribute, and we will be publishing the findings in 2018. We are determined to be an open, evidence-based policy team. We do look very closely at the work of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, as it is the key Government adviser. It is simply not true to say that we have not taken on board all the recommendations that it has made. It has made a really important contribution to this strategy, and will continue to do so going forward.

My hon. Friend the Member for Reigate also talked very movingly—as did a number of hon. Friends—about the stigma around this issue. He was absolutely right. I have met many parents of families myself. I went along to a very moving service in Westminster Abbey only a month or so ago organised by Adfam. I encourage everyone who has a family member struggling with substance misuse to seek that help, to go to their GP, and to pick up the phone to the helplines that are available because they will receive support on how to manage their issues and their substance abuse problems.

[Fiona Bruce]

rose—

[Sarah Newton]

I will give way briefly, but I do want to cover the points.

[Fiona Bruce]

Does the Minister agree that effective treatment means helping those who are suffering addiction to come off the substance to which they are addicted? It is not just about managing their situation, which might mean being dependent on a different substance.

[Sarah Newton]

We have a broad range of strategies, and I will come on to talk about harm reduction, because, clearly, it has a role to play. The ultimate goal is to enable people to have a drug-free life in which they have a job and are playing a full part in society, but there is a role for harm reduction.