Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 29th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady is of course free to apply for a debate, perhaps one in Westminster Hall or an Adjournment debate, in which she can raise these matters. Matters of housing and infrastructure are often raised with me. I gently say to her that what we are trying to do in updating the legislation is ensure that we are building the houses that the country needs. It is really important that we get on with building those houses. I will draw her remarks to the attention of the relevant Department.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

Many girls in my constituency, some as young as 12, have told me that they face misogynistic abuse and sexual harassment in school from boys of a similar age. Some have even told me that reports of their experiences have fallen on deaf ears with the school leads, some often saying, “You should be flattered.” Will the Leader of the House please condemn such words from school leads, and allow for the Education Secretary to lay out what steps her Department is taking to tackle the scourge of misogynistic abuse in schools and academies?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I think most people would condemn the words that my hon. Friend set out. He raises a really important matter, because every parent should be able to trust that their daughter, or indeed their son, is safe in school. Too often, toxic ideas take hold early and go unchallenged. Our violence against women and girls strategy, published in December, seeks to ensure that girls will be better protected from violence and, crucially, that young boys will be steered away from harmful misogynistic influences. I will raise my hon. Friend’s concerns with the Secretary of State.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) earlier, Capita has recognised the scale of the issue and is recruiting additional staff to deal with it. However, there are issues for particular departments as well. I will draw the case and her disappointment to the attention of Ministers. This would be a popular topic for an Adjournment debate, should the hon. Lady be successful in securing one, because we have already seen that it is an issue not just in her constituency but in many others too.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

My constituent Ahmad, a senior skilled worker at Queen’s hospital, has not seen his wife, Israa, for two years as she remains trapped in Gaza. Ahmad applied for a spousal visa, but Israa has been unable to enrol her biometrics because the Gaza visa application centre has been closed since 2024 and no safe route to an alternative centre exists. The original application has expired and the second one faces the same barrier with no access to a visa application centre. Israa’s home has been bombed, leaving her without shelter or basic necessities. Will the Leader of the House urge the Home Secretary to consider alternative arrangements, such as deferred biometrics, so that those lawfully working here can evacuate their spouses from Gaza?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises an important case on behalf of his constituent. I understand that he has already written to the Home Office about the matter, but I am happy to follow up with that Department to ensure that he gets a response. Should he want a meeting with Ministers to see what further can be done, I will seek to facilitate that as well.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As my hon. Friend will know, we are recruiting 13,000 new police officers into neighbourhood policing roles to tackle issues and concerns such as the ones she describes. I will ensure that she gets a meeting with the relevant Minister in the Home Office, so she can make her case and give that invitation to join her herself.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

In 2020, my constituents Christine and Francis Saunders experienced the worst loss any parent can endure when their daughter, Juliet, died at only 25 years old after signs of bowel perforations were dismissed. Juliet’s death was avoidable; had she received timely treatment, she would have had an 80% chance of survival. Juliet lived with Cornelia de Lange syndrome—a condition that causes learning disabilities and physical health complications—and her tragic death is not isolated. Many people with learning disabilities are routinely failed by healthcare services, and they are more than three times as likely to die prematurely from treatable causes. Will the Leader of the House make time for the Minister responsible to make an urgent statement on the steps the Government are taking to ensure that the concerns of patients with learning disabilities are treated seriously, so that no one else suffers in the way Juliet did?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I want to first extend my deepest sympathies to Christine and Francis, because every avoidable death is a tragedy. I thank my hon. Friend for raising this serious matter and will ensure he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to make his case further and hear from Ministers about what further action is planned to address these concerns.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

First, I am grateful to both the hon. Gentleman and the Chair of the Committee for the update on Backbench Business, and I thank everyone on that Committee.

On the constituency matter the hon. Gentleman raises, the Government recognise the importance of regional airports for the communities they serve and the local economy. He outlines the challenge to Humberside airport. We do recognise the potential impact of the Eastern Airways issue on employees and the airport itself, so I thank him for raising the matter. I will raise his concerns with Ministers, and should he seek a meeting to see what can be done to help in that situation, I will arrange that.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

The first duty of any Government is to ensure the safety and security of all its citizens. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal violates international law. I ask the Leader of the House to urgently press the Foreign Secretary to update the House on what efforts have been made by the Government on the release of the British citizen Jagtar Johal.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I note that 4 November was the eighth anniversary of Mr Johal’s arrest. We continue to raise concerns about his prolonged detention at every opportunity, and we emphasise the need for a prompt, full and just resolution to his case. I will draw my hon. Friend’s comments to the attention of the Foreign Office and ensure that Members are updated on any developments in this case.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 13th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will raise the issue with the Transport Secretary, to see how it can be resolved.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

My constituent Michelle would like to move closer to her children, but as a leaseholder, she is trapped in her property. There is only a short term remaining on her lease, and she has tried to extend it, but the freeholder is demanding a sum that is disproportionate to the property value. On top of that, she would have to cover the freeholder’s administrative fees, making the cost entirely unaffordable. For constituents like Michelle, who are essentially subject to the whim of the freeholder, leasehold reform could not be more urgent. Can the Leader of the House ask the relevant Minister to provide an update on the Government’s plans to fix the broken freehold system?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

We are committed to making commonhold the default tenure for flats, and bringing the feudal leaseholder system to an end. I will ensure that the House is kept updated as we publish the consultation on banning leasehold for new flats and the draft commonhold and leasehold reform Bill later this year.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I said earlier, for the sake of truth and justice, it is important that people get access to the information that they need when tragedies like these unfortunately happen. We understand the lack of certainty in the situation. We have only just got the Chinook justice campaigners’ formal claim for a judicial review, so I will not comment on it, but I am sure that the Secretary of State will have heard the hon. Gentleman’s remarks.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

The Metropolitan police have decided not to close a small section of the eastbound A12 during the annual remembrance service at Ilford war memorial, although it has done so for decades. That choice diminishes the solemnity of the occasion and the memory of those who gave their life for our freedom. In comparison, the community across Europe honour their fallen at Menin gate without hesitation every single day. Simply pausing traffic once a year for two minutes for the parade to pass is surely not beyond us. Will the Leader of the House assist me in urging the Metropolitan police to think again and reverse this deeply regrettable decision?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend will recognise that this is an operational matter for the Met police, but in this case, I hope that local councils and the police will work together to ensure that people can come together to remember in safety.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join the hon. Lady in welcoming all the students from BHASVIC, which sounds like an outstanding sixth-form college that produces wonderful students such as those with us today. Their question is a really pertinent one. It is unacceptable that there are those differences in travel costs, which are a real barrier to young people getting the education, training and job opportunities that they need. That is why we are taking steps to address them, whether through our transport strategy plans, bus fare caps and opportunities for young people. We will also introduce the devolution Bill to ensure that areas can work collectively to break down such false boundaries.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

This week, Sky News reported the testimony of an anonymous Israeli soldier, who admitted that the killing or capture of Palestinian civilians often depended on the day and on the mood of the commander. That chilling account adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting a systematic disregard of Palestinian civilian life. In the light of the ongoing reports of killings, violations and forced displacement, will the Leader of the House press the Foreign Secretary to clarify urgently that the UK Government are considering further sanctions, and what concrete representations have been made to the Israeli Government to ensure compliance with international law and the protection of civilians?

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 5th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I am sure we all recognise these cases from our own constituencies. Such circumstances are absolutely shocking. I assure my hon. Friend that our Renters’ Rights Bill, which has nearly reached its concluding stages in the House of Lords, will remove fixed-term assured tenancies and prevent anyone in the future from being locked into exactly the situation that he describes. I will ensure that a Minister meets with him to discuss that.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

Following on from my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss), let me say that this week marks a tragic week: the 41st anniversary of the raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Some 41 years later, questions about British involvement in the desecration of the holiest Sikh site in Amritsar remain unanswered. Labour promised in its 2017 and 2019 manifestos to hold an inquiry, and the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister pledged to do so before the last election. Will the Leader of the House allow time for an update from the Foreign Secretary on the progress of implementing that inquiry and ensure that promises made in opposition are fulfilled in government?

[Lucy Powell]

I really do understand how important it is for the Sikh community to see progress on this issue —that is the second time that it has been raised with me this morning. I will ensure that the Foreign Secretary is aware of the concerns being raised again on the Floor of the House and that the update I previously asked for is made available to Members and this House.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 24th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of care homes such as the Hawthorns in his constituency. I am sorry to hear that his local county council—the Conservative-run county council—is closing care homes at this time. We have seen a record settlement for local government, so the county council should really reconsider its decisions.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

Getting a driving licence in Ilford South has become almost impossible. Learners are having to wait for more than 18 months to book their tests, because rogue individuals and unscrupulous driving schools are booking up the spaces and charging residents up to 10 times the cost of a single test. Learners are being exploited and honest instructors punished. Would the Leader of the House facilitate a positive outcome, including a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss common-sense solutions for our constituents who are locked out of driving by these manipulative practices?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that, and he is absolutely right that access to driving licence tests and other things are not what we would expect them to be. The Secretary of State has taken steps this week to address some of these challenges, and we can go further. I will ensure that he is given a ministerial update on these important issues.

Business of the House

Jas Athwal Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Lady raises an important matter, and I know that the building of new pylons is an issue of concern for local people in many constituencies. We need to build the energy infrastructure of the future, which includes new pylons, but we are bringing forward measures to ensure that those who live near new pylons will receive £2,500 off their energy bills in the coming years. Putting cabling underground is an innovative approach, and the example that she gives is one that I am sure the Secretary of State will be keen to look at.

[Jas Athwal (Ilford South) (Lab)]

May I, too, offer my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House?

Women’s rights have come a long way; indeed, we have had three female Prime Ministers, and we now have our first female Chancellor and a female Leader of the House. However, many women and girls in the UK are still being denied the right to feel safe in their communities, on the streets, in their homes and even online. Although charities and Governments continue to work tirelessly to combat sexual violence—indeed, our Government have a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls—some of my constituents say that many agencies, including the police, still do not take sexual violence seriously, respect victim-survivor testimonies or take serious action to stop the harm. Will the Leader of the House provide time for a debate—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

Order. We really do have to have shorter questions. Can the hon. Gentleman please get to his point?

[Jas Athwal]

Will the Leader of the House provide time for a debate on how state agencies can work to protect victim-survivors better?

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Tackling violence against women and girls is a national emergency, which is why this Government have a really ambitious mission to halve the levels of violence against women and girls within a decade. That will take a huge effort. We have already taken a number of steps, such as banning sexually explicit deepfakes and taking action on stalking and spiking. We are introducing many other measures in forthcoming Bills, and I look forward to debating them with him.