Business of the House

John Hayes Excerpts

Thursday 19th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Chris Law.

[Sir John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings) (Con)]

I am extremely grateful—[Interruption.] Oh, I beg your pardon.

[Chris Law (Dundee Central) (SNP)]

I thought there was a doppelganger in the Chamber for a second, Mr Speaker.

A new Government can make political choices, and one would have thought that, in the week before Christmas, they would be positive choices—things that people could take home and feel grateful and happy about on Christmas Day. However, as has just been mentioned by the hon. Member for South Shields (Mrs Lewell-Buck), millions of women throughout the country, 1950s-born women, have been affected, quite adversely, in respect of their state pensions. Many are in ill health, and are continuing to work in ill health. They lived in hope for many years during their protracted, passionate and very reasonable campaign for fairness and justice, and on Tuesday this week they were told that they were getting none of it. We have an ombudsman, which has made very clear, very fairly and decently, what amount should be paid in compensation, and has also made clear that the Department for Work and Pensions made errors at the time.

Since Tuesday, not only have we received emails, but Members of Parliament, particularly Government Members, have been deleting pages from their websites and Twitter accounts—the very pages that showed them campaigning out there with WASPI women, getting their photographs taken, doing videos, sending messages and so forth. Now they have no voice. They are frightened even to raise the issue in this House. May I therefore urge the Leader of the House and the Business Secretary to arrange a debate as soon as possible, a meaningful debate in Government time? No ifs, no buts; we all need to have our say on this.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend will know that the British Government engage in ongoing dialogue with Bangladesh and other countries. We expect to see democratic norms in Bangladesh, as we do in every other country, and they include press freedom and everything else. She might be aware that we have Foreign Office questions when we return, and she could raise this issue with the Foreign Secretary.

[Sir John Hayes]

Mindful of the Leader of the House’s advice, I am suitably booted, I am speaking through the Chair and, of course, I have Chorley imprinted on my heart.

In that spirit, may I ask the Leader of the House for a debate on the WASPI women? I know she has said we can apply for a debate, and I was going to ask for something quite different, but given what the hon. Members for South Shields (Mrs Lewell-Buck) and for Dundee Central (Chris Law) have said, it is essential that when we have an ombudsman report of such seriousness—I have rarely seen one like it in my time in this House—we have the chance to debate it. If the Leader of the House does not offer a debate, I will apply to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, immediately following business questions.

[Lucy Powell]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman, and he is a very honourable Member. I am sure he is in the good books of not only Mr Speaker but the Deputy Speakers, and is certainly on their Christmas card lists, because he always has the right attire, always speaks through the Chair and always asks punchy, short questions.

On the serious issue that the right hon. Gentleman raises, I know that the strength of feeling is widespread and that people want to air their views. I am sure there will be time, as I am sure colleagues will apply for debates in the usual way.