Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. I know that the oil and gas sector was a very big issue in the by-election, and the Government take this matter very seriously indeed.

I very much regret the loss of jobs that the hon. Gentleman has talked about, but I gently remind him that it is not a new phenomenon; some 70,000 jobs have been lost in the last decade. However, oil and gas come out of the North sea 24 hours a day, every day, and they will continue to do so. We have a mixed economy, but we must ensure that green jobs are coming through as well, because the sector needs to change.

I cannot offer the hon. Gentleman the opportunity of a debate specifically on this matter at the moment, but the Government are very cognisant of it. Should we or the Backbench Business Committee get the opportunity to have that debate, I am sure it would be very well attended.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

Increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness are being forced to choose between accessing accommodation and keeping the pets that provide them with companionship, emotional support, stability and a sense of safety. Street Paws is a leading campaigner to remove this preventable barrier. Pet-inclusive approaches have been introduced successfully in a number of areas, including Greater Manchester, demonstrating that such policies can be implemented safely and effectively. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the need to expand that support and ensure that no one is denied accommodation simply because they refuse to abandon a beloved pet?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises a very important point indeed, which I know is a concern to many of our constituents. The homelessness code of guidance sets out the framework that local authorities must follow in carrying out their homelessness duties. It is not always possible, but the Secretary of State recommends that authorities give careful consideration to those who rely on pets for companionship when making provision for them. I will ensure that Ministers have heard my hon. Friend’s concerns; if they have further proposals to bring forward, I am sure that they will do so.

Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 18th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for the work of his Committee and for his update to the House on the business for which it is responsible. I certainly hear what he says about statements on the days of the estimates day debates. I am keen to ensure as much time as possible for those debates to go ahead and for people to take part, but there is sometimes a difficult balance to strike, as he knows, between allowing for debates and keeping the House updated on matters.

I can tell the House that I do not do yoga stretches of a morning—that will come as a surprise to many, I know—but I will certainly think about it. People get into all sorts of positions in this place, don’t they? I had better stop this before it goes any further, but my understanding is that yoga has a calming effect, so maybe the Commission could consider the question of introducing it as part of what we do in the House before we start our business.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

The Ashington, Blyth and Tyne train line, which was closed during the Beeching cuts of the ’60s, reopened in December 2024 and has already been used by more than 1.5 million passengers. There is a burning desire to extend the line to the coast at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, via Woodhorn colliery. Can we have a debate in Government time on the merits and the social and economic benefits of well-supported local train lines and infrastructure to my communities in the likes of Ashington, Blyth and Bedlington and to other communities across the country?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that line in the House, and I pay tribute to him for all his hard work to secure it. I also pay tribute to the hard work of our late hon. Friend Ronnie Campbell, who worked extraordinarily hard on the project while he was a Member of this House. He was much respected and is much missed.

The Government are bringing rail services back into public ownership to ensure that our railways work for all the communities they serve. I recommend that my hon. Friend seeks an Adjournment debate to make his case not just about the remarkable success of the current line, but about its potential for expansion in the area he represents.

Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

Changes to Northumberland county council’s council tax support scheme have left some low-income residents in my constituency facing unaffordable increases, some of nearly £100 per month. Those impacted are the most vulnerable in our communities. Can the Leader of the House imagine what it is like, when they are already struggling to survive through the cost of living crisis, to be lumped with paying an extra £100 per month? That is pressure, Mr Speaker. Can we have a debate on the impact that local authorities can have, both positively and negatively, on the financial wellbeing of our constituents and their constituents?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to that decision by Northumberland county council. It cannot be right, even after 14 years of under-investment by successive Tory Administrations, that less well-off households in his area are being asked to pay more. This Government are taking action so we can keep costs down for everyone and provide support for those who need it more. But the lesson that people need to learn, unfortunately by experience, in areas such as his is this: do not vote for a Tory or a Reform council.

Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 12th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will raise the matter with the relevant Minister and ensure that the hon. Lady gets an update on the important point she raises, but I gently point out, as I do when housing matters are considered, that it is much better if these things are decided locally and communities can go along with them, because we do need more houses. We need more houses for people to live in and to make sure communities are resilient, but I will ensure that she gets a response to the specific point from the relevant Minister.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

Silicosis is a particularly nasty, debilitating respiratory disease. Alarmingly, it is on the increase in the UK, predominantly in young people between the ages of 20 and 30, so we really need to look at it. It is a preventable disease. The reason it is escalating is the increase in dry cutting of engineered stone. May we have a debate in Government time on how the Government can intervene to prevent this debilitating disease from becoming the next national tragedy like asbestos?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend, as ever, raises an important issue. The Government are committed to increasing the capacity of respiratory services, and the NHS has specialist centres for diagnosing and managing lung diseases that cause scarring, such as silicosis. I will ensure that the relevant Minister hears my hon. Friend’s concerns. If he wants a meeting with the Minister, I will help to facilitate that too. We should use the experience of people like my hon. Friend on these matters, because he brings a loud, strong voice to them.

Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important matter. Planning matters are best resolved locally, but I agree that developers have a responsibility to the wider community. The Government are very keen to ensure that infrastructure is in place, including schools, and we are recruiting more teachers so that we have the people to teach in the schools that are built. I will raise his concerns with the relevant Minister, and if he wants a meeting to discuss these matters, I will help him get one.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

Posties deliver our post and keep this country functioning. They do an absolutely tremendous job. It is an essential public service, and at the heart of it is the USO—the universal service obligation, which is a legal duty to ensure the delivery of mail to all UK addresses at the same price six days a week, with next-day delivery by first class. The Royal Mail is failing people in my patch on its USO, and in Blyth and Ashington people are raging at the late arrival of important medical documents about NHS appointments, financial documentation and other important correspondence. It is causing huge distress. The delays are apparently the result of a failure to address staff shortages and the prioritisation of parcels over post. Would my right hon. Friend arrange a debate in Government time to discuss the failings of the Royal Mail and the acute problems it is causing for some of our most vulnerable constituents?

Business of the House

Debate between Ian Lavery and Alan Campbell

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am informed that the changes that we are proposing to the planning framework actually do that, but I point out to the right hon. Lady that it is a matter of balance. I am a firm defender of matters environmental. However, housing is so important, on all sorts of levels. People need somewhere to live. We have been left with a situation in which there is just not enough housing, particularly affordable housing. Difficult decisions have to be made because, quite frankly, some previous Governments failed to make those decisions. Furthermore, housing is not just important in providing places to live; it is crucial to growth in the economy. Without growth in the economy, we will not be able to rescue the public services that were left in a terrible state at the end of the last Conservative Government.

I am sure that there will be a great deal of concern, and I genuinely understand why people are concerned—a number of houses are being built in my constituency almost as I speak. I do understand that, but there needs to be a sense of balance. Politicians have a responsibility not just to join the protest, but to make the case for why we need more houses.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

It is great news that QTS is investing £10 billion in a state-of-the-art data centre in Cambois in my constituency, because artificial intelligence will undoubtedly shape the economy, society and workplaces for decades to come. It is also very exciting that the Government have announced that my constituency will be part of an AI growth zone. I will be holding an AI national conference in Northumberland early next year to share our views and unite our voices, hoping to shape a fair future for all, and I have invited the Secretary of State to attend. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is necessary to bring along businesses, involve trade unions and involve leaders of the community and residents themselves? With that in mind, will he agree to a debate in which we can discuss what AI actually means for the future of constituencies like Blyth and Ashington, and how working people will not be left behind?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I wish my hon. Friend’s AI national conference well. I hope that Ministers have listened to his request for attendance and support; I am sure that they will look to see whether that is possible. He is absolutely right when he says that business is crucial to making this a success, as are organisations across the community.

Typically, my hon. Friend has hit the nail right on the head: AI is the way forward and there is no doubt that it is crucial to the economy that we seek to build, but it has to be a fair economy. It has to work not just for some people, but for everyone. I share his concern, not about the new jobs coming in—that is understandably good news—but about the communities that he represents. I know his constituency pretty well, and we need to ensure that those communities are beneficiaries of AI as well. I am sure that there will be a lot of interest in any Backbench Business debate, whether he wants to call one soon or to come back and report on the success of his conference.