Oral Answers to Questions

James MacCleary Excerpts

Wednesday 5th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

This incident was horrific and senseless, and I thank my right hon. Friend for raising it. I think the thoughts of the whole House are with the victim’s family and friends, and the school community and wider community who have been impacted by this. We are all grateful to the first responders—the police officers and the medical staff who attended the scene—and it is right that South Yorkshire police are given the time and space to carry out their investigation.

We need to do everything we can to bear down on knife crime. It is too easy to get knives online, and it is too easy to carry knives without proper consequences. That is why we have made it an absolute priority in government to absolutely bear down on knife crime, and I hope that it is a cross-party issue.

[James MacCleary (Lewes) (LD)]

Q5. I know that the Prime Minister will share my deep concern that families in my constituency, particularly those with disabled children, face agonising waits for essential adaptations to council housing. In my inbox, I have cases where delays have left people unable to use the bathroom or even access a kitchen to simply make a cup of tea. Will the Prime Minister meet me to discuss how we can make sure that councils have the funding they urgently need to build and retrofit homes, to ensure that all children have the start in life they deserve?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising what is a really important issue for his constituents and for so many constituents. I am pleased to confirm that we have put down £69 billion for councils—that is a 6.8% cash-terms increase—including up to £3.7 billion in vital additional funding for social care. We have doubled the funding for the disabled facilities grant, with an additional £86 million to allow 7,800 more disabled and elderly people to make improvements that enable more independent lives, and we will continue to do so, working across the House.