Oral Answers to Questions

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Wednesday 7th February 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Actually, we are investing record sums in improving hospital infrastructure across the country. In Eastbourne in particular, spades are already in the ground to deliver an elective surgical hub. I know that there is local Liberal Democrat scaremongering about the future of services, but the local Conservative MP is doing a fantastic job, engaging with her community and working with local health officials.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

It was my huge pleasure to host the aerospace defence and security industry apprenticeships event in Parliament yesterday, welcoming two apprentices from Collins Aerospace in Wolverhampton. Will the Prime Minister join me, in National Apprenticeship Week, in celebrating the opportunities that apprenticeships can provide in the defence industry, as well as in our armed forces, which are all in the top 10 apprenticeship providers?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the importance of our apprenticeship provision, which is providing young people with opportunities across the country, particularly in the defence and aerospace sectors, as she said. Those plans are in stark contrast to those of the Labour party, which has caved in to big business and is now proposing to halve the amount of apprenticeship funding and the number of apprenticeships.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Wednesday 12th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The fundamental thing that we have to do is to halve inflation. That is an approach that the International Monetary Fund “strongly endorses”, because higher inflation drives higher mortgage rates. But that is not all we are doing: with the mortgage charter, signed up to by 90% of mortgage providers, we are giving people help to extend their terms, to go interest-only and to reduce their monthly payments. That action is supported by Martin Lewis, a real money-saving expert, unlike the big spenders on the SNP Benches.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

Q6.   Last year, I visited Abbeyfield House in Wednesfield and was impressed by the model of assisted living for older people that gave them the independence of a self-contained flat but the ability to eat and socialise together. I was deeply concerned to hear that a consultation is under way to close Abbeyfield House in Wednesfield. I went back there to speak to older people, and they unanimously want to stay there. Abbeyfield is a charity—His Majesty the King has been a patron for 40 years now—and it cannot meet the cost of updating the estate to meet environmental standards. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to see what support the Government can offer to Abbeyfield so that residents do not have to leave the homes they love?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am of course very happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. I note that we have provided £7.5 billion of additional funding for social care and discharge. On energy specifically, we have an energy advice service to support smaller businesses and we have been piloting new audit and grant schemes that may also help.

Tributes to Her Late Majesty The Queen

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Friday 9th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

I rise in deep sadness but with immense gratitude for the life and service of our beloved late sovereign, Queen Elizabeth. First, I want to place on record the love and respect of my constituents in Wolverhampton North East for Her Majesty. Many have already contacted me about the devastating sense of loss and grief that they feel at Her Majesty’s passing, and I thank them for sharing their thoughts with me. It is an honour to pass them on in this place.

It is extraordinary that so many of us who never met Queen Elizabeth can be so affected by her death, but for everyone in Wolverhampton, the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth, she was a huge presence in our lives. The Queen visited Wolverhampton several times, including our schools and factories. I think that my favourite story is from a visit in 1962, before I was born. It was a visit to Molineux and she was presenting colours to the North and South Staffordshire Regiments and the Staffordshire Yeomanry. She apologised to Wolverhampton Wanderers for her high heels making marks on our hallowed turf at Molineux. Thirty-thousand Wulfrunians cheered her that day, and I know that the strength of feeling for our monarch remains as deep today as it was then.

For millions of us, Her Majesty was a constant presence at so many events in our lives. Every Christmas, I, like millions of people, felt like the Queen was in my living room. Surrounded by my family, we waited every year for her words of wisdom and comfort. Last year, during her last Christmas address, she spoke about her upcoming platinum jubilee and how she hoped it would be

“an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness”.

At so many jubilee events for Her Majesty, my neighbours became my friends, and in all the platinum jubilee events that I attended in Wolverhampton this year she certainly succeeded at bringing us all together.

Because of Her Majesty’s age, and because we knew that she was struggling with some ill health, the celebrations this year were poignant as well as joyful. I am sure that I am not the only person who, through a smile, also shed a tear when Paddington Bear thanked Her Majesty for everything.

She has united our nation once again. On this sad occasion, she now unites us in national mourning. Our thoughts must be for her beloved family, the royal family and especially our new King Charles III as he takes on such responsibility. I hope that the outpouring of love for Her late Majesty will bring the royal family some comfort over the coming days and weeks. I want to express gratitude for her life and many qualities. She was a shining example of strength and of selflessness in public service. May our beloved Queen Elizabeth rest in peace and rise in glory. God save the King.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Wednesday 29th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government are taking to help support Scotland’s shipbuilding sector.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

8. What steps the Government are taking to help support Scotland’s shipbuilding sector.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Iain Stewart)]

As you were notified, Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State is unable to attend today as he has long-standing commitments in Scotland. However, I am very pleased to be joined by the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Neil O’Brien), and the Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea and Fulham (Greg Hands).

We published our updated shipbuilding strategy in March, and it sets out a comprehensive package of Government support to further a shipbuilding renaissance for the whole UK. There will be well over £4 billion of investment in UK shipbuilding over the next three years alone, including a range of opportunities for Scottish shipbuilders.

[Iain Stewart]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. SNP Members are usually only too keen to tell us about what the Scottish Government are doing and how the UK Government should follow suit. That clearly does not apply in the case of shipbuilding, on which the Scottish Government’s record is shameful. It is the UK Government who are delivering for Scotland, not just on shipbuilding but on levelling up, energy security and transport connectivity. We are taking the lead.

[Jane Stevenson]

The SNP has not built any of the planned replacement ferries announced in its 2012 ferries strategy and, since it came to power, the average lifespan of these lifeline vessels has soared from 17 to 24 years. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Scottish Government need to address this as a matter of urgency?

[Iain Stewart]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Not only are the two overbudget ferries languishing in the yard, but the head of CalMac’s engineering division has revealed that the existing vessels could fail at any time. At the weekend, he said that there are no spare ferries, so stand-ins are deployed from other services when one goes out of action, and that has a knock-on effect on other routes. The ships are so basic

“we do not have time to do deep maintenance.”

It was reported that more than a third of CalMac’s fleet is beyond its 30-year design life, making breakdowns more likely. These are the issues on which the Scottish Government should be concentrating, rather than an unnecessary and unwanted rerun of the independence referendum.

Living with Covid-19

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Monday 21st February 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Of course I understand the difficult position that some people may find themselves in, but I hope that everybody will also understand that it is our job to be responsible towards others and to avoid spreading the disease.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

One of the biggest tragedies of the pandemic has been the isolation and desperation of those living in care homes and of their families at home, many of whom joined groups such as Rights for Residents. Can the Prime Minister assure them that they will now be able to visit their loved ones in care homes, with the use of testing and other measures to keep them safe?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Tuesday 8th February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

The right hon. Gentleman is not the only one who has raised this with me; my right hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis) has also been campaigning on it. I am very happy to look at the specific issue. The House has periodically looked at questions of libel law and we will keep those issues under constant review. As I have said in relation to a Bill of Rights, this is an opportunity to reinvent the priority attached to freedom of speech.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the focus on getting prisoners into stable employment when they leave prison has been critical in achieving the current reoffending rates, which are lower than they were under Labour? Can he also outline to the House what further measures he can take in this area?

[Dominic Raab]

I totally agree with my hon. Friend. I was at HMP Hatfield just last week, looking at the excellent work that the governor is doing with a local charity, Tempus Novo. One of the issues is the weighting attached to this key performance indicator, which is far too low. It is currently below 1%, which is extraordinary to me, and it will be ramped up as part of the review in the prisons White Paper. It will be much more central to the work that all prisons do and we are making it a presumption that offenders can be given a pathway into employment when it is suitable and secure to do so.

Ukraine

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Tuesday 25th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman is completely right. It is an underestimated point in our favour that I do not believe, in the end, that Russia wants the kind of isolation that would ensue. Of the global institutions, Russia takes the UN very seriously. Russia values her membership of the UN Security Council. What he proposes about using the General Assembly is entirely right. But it is very important that we not only have tough measures but provide the avenue for diplomacy as well.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

I thank the Prime Minister for sending such a strong and clear message to Vladimir Putin and everyone across the House for backing the Prime Minister on such a crucial issue. At such a worrying time, can the Prime Minister reassure British nationals in Ukraine that our embassy in Kyiv remains open to provide assistance should they require it?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, I am very happy to give that reassurance. As I said just now, the embassy continues to function. At least 30 staff are there to look after British interests in Kyiv and around Ukraine.

His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Monday 12th April 2021 Commons Chamber

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con) [V]]

It is a great pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani), who shared such beautiful words from Prince Philip about his beloved wife. I am deeply honoured to have the opportunity to pay tribute to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. As we mourn his passing, I send not only my sincere condolences but those of many constituents in Wolverhampton North East to Her Majesty the Queen, to Prince Philip’s wider family and to all those who loved him.

I was moved by the words of Princess Anne that she wished to emulate her father’s

“example of a life well lived and service freely given”.

The Duke’s example of service to others was simply extraordinary. From his early career in the Royal Navy to being “strength and stay” to our Queen for over seven decades, his life was an example of duty and selflessness that we must celebrate.

His Royal Highness visited Wolverhampton on several occasions. The earliest visit was in 1948, when he came to view industrial sites; the most recent was in 2014, with Her Majesty the Queen, to open the new Jaguar Land Rover factory in Fordhouses.

The Duke had a keen interest in industry, innovation, engineering and conservation, and he will be remembered for his bright, curious mind, his drive and determination to get things done, and for his wonderful, quick sense of humour. I remember Prince Philip’s visit in 2009 to one of the schools I taught at, Box Hill, where he opened the new music block. This was one of over 22,000 royal engagements that Prince Philip completed. As always, this visit was carried out with genuine interest and obvious enthusiasm.

Box Hill, like Gordonstoun, was founded on the principles of Kurt Hahn, supporting young people to overcome diverse challenges, value service to others, find their talents and develop into confident young adults. From these principles came Prince Philip’s most enduring legacy, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. To measure the value and size of his legacy, we should listen to award winners speak about how the skills they learned and the confidence they gained changed their lives and changed their life chances.

To leave this world knowing we have changed even a few lives for the better should be something we all strive for. The Duke of Edinburgh leaves this world having changed millions of lives around the world for the better. His scheme will continue to change many millions more. I am so grateful to be able to put on record my thanks for the life of such an amazing man, who used his position for the benefit and service of others. Indeed this was a life well lived. May he rest in peace.

Integrated Review

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Tuesday 16th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I have already explained that this is the biggest investment in our armed forces since the cold war, and there will be no redundancies across the armed forces.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con) [V]]

I have been absolutely honoured this year to spend time with the Royal Navy, as part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme. In a world where new powers are using new tools to redefine the international order, does my right hon. Friend agree that it is vital that we now invest in new technologies such as cyber so that our fantastic armed forces personnel are fully equipped to face 21st-century challenges to our nation’s defence?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, indeed, and that is why we are investing in cyber and in shipbuilding. By the end of this decade, we will have 24 frigates, as opposed to the 15 today.

Covid-19 Update

Jane Stevenson Excerpts

Wednesday 27th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I have a very high regard for Michael Marmot, and worked closely with him for many years. I believe that his advice is invaluable, and we will indeed make sure that as we come through the pandemic we look at the way in which it has impacted on the poorest and most vulnerable. We will indeed build back fairer.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con) [V]]

The vaccine roll-out now offers hope and relief to vulnerable people who have spent months living in fear and isolation. We hear that 6.8 million vaccines have been delivered, which is an amazing achievement, and I thank everyone involved in the roll-out. The mass vaccination hubs are an important part of the scheme, but many of my constituents with mobility issues are worried that they are going to miss out on their vaccine, as they cannot make the journey to one of those larger hubs. Can the Prime Minister give them reassurance that they will be offered a vaccine locally—even in their own home—and that anyone unable to travel will be fully supported?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend makes a very important point, and I hope that she will give reassurance to her constituents that they need have no anxieties about that. They do not have to go to the vaccination centres. They can either go to their GP surgery or, indeed, they will be visited in their own home.