Ceramics Industry

Juliet Campbell Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2026 Westminster Hall

[Juliet Campbell (Broxtowe) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield (Dave Robertson) on securing this debate and on his opening remarks. His strength of feeling and that shown by the petitioners, including nearly 800 in my constituency, demonstrate how important the ceramics and manufacturing sector remains to communities like mine and across the country. I would like to declare that I am a proud member of the GMB.

The Government have rightly identified advanced manufacturing as a strategic priority for their modern industry strategy. Manufacturing accounts for nearly 15% of the east midlands economy, a greater share than in any other region in England. The £120 million support package for the UK ceramics industry is a welcome example of this Government backing manufacturing in the midlands. Over 450,000 people are employed in manufacturing across the east midlands, including a significant portion in the ceramics industry. These are not just jobs; they represent generations of expertise, craftsmanship and industrial knowledge that have been passed down through families and communities of working people across generations.

Broxtowe still bears the scars of the industrial decline. Parts of Eastwood, a former coalfield community, have never recovered from the loss of traditional industries and the secure jobs that they provided. Broxtowe remains a home to major manufacturers, including Reckitt in Beeston and Caunton Engineering in Moregreen. Yet in meetings with both those companies, they highlighted challenges shared by manufacturers across the country: persistently higher energy costs and the challenge of decarbonising industrial processes while remaining competitive. Those pressures are being felt now. Without action, we risk seeing further investment in jobs being moved overseas.

We must ensure that British manufacturers are not placed at a competitive disadvantage. If we are serious about retaining high-value industrial jobs, businesses cannot continue to face energy costs significantly higher than those of their international counterparts and competitors. We must ensure that the infrastructure needed for industrial decarbonisation is in place. Many manufacturers are ready to electrify their operations but are held back by constraints in local electricity networks and grid capacity. The ceramics industry has rightly highlighted those issues, but the lessons apply across the manufacturing industry. I urge the Minister to consider expanding eligibility for energy cost relief for manufacturers that fall outside the existing schemes and to support investment in local electricity networks and grid capacities to enable industrial decarbonisation.

By supporting energy-intensive industries and providing the infrastructure they need to invest, we can protect skilled jobs, strengthen our industrial base and deliver growth in communities that have waited far too long for their share in prosperity.

Sale of Fireworks

Juliet Campbell Excerpts

Monday 19th January 2026 Westminster Hall

[Juliet Campbell (Broxtowe) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Pritchard. I thank the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for introducing the petition for debate. It is a pleasure to speak on behalf of constituents who have contacted me on many occasions about this very issue: the impact the widespread sale and use of fireworks has on their lives.

The issue clearly resonates not just in my constituency but for people across the country. I have received correspondence from residents, pet owners and farmers who are deeply concerned about the wellbeing of animals. I have a cat myself, and she is left inconsolable by the noise on bonfire night, which can cause lots of distress to pets and livestock. However, the problem is not just limited to animals; I have had emails from veterans, people with PTSD, elderly people and others who are sensitive to loud noises, who find fireworks just too distressing. I have had emails from people from Eastwood, Chilwell, Beeston, Bramcote, Cossall, Trowell and Awsworth—from across my whole constituency.

Some constituents have also written to tell me that there have been injuries from fireworks. I will give two examples. One constituent described an incident in which a misfired rocket headed towards a child’s pram. It was only because of the quick thinking and actions of a bystander that the child was unharmed, although that courageous bystander suffered burns himself. Another constituent described how her son was shot at with fireworks on his way home from school. We can only imagine the distress that that caused. I am sure that many Members around the room will have equally troubling accounts from their constituents. Stories such as those show us why stronger measures are now essential.

That said, I do acknowledge the importance of fireworks in community celebrations such as new year’s eve and bonfire night. Those occasions bring people across Broxtowe and the UK together, so it is vital that we do not diminish them, but it is clear that we need regulations.

[Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

There is clearly a consensus across the Chamber on finding that balance between people enjoying firework displays and the wellbeing and safety of animals, people and communities. Does my hon. Friend agree that in finding that balance, we must prioritise the welfare, safety and wellbeing of communities, people and animals?

[Juliet Campbell]

I absolutely agree that the priority with any changes in policy or legislation must be to take into account all those who are impacted, including animals, as well as the behaviour of people making things dangerous for others.

Any policy put forward on this issue must strike a clear balance between appreciating the events I spoke of earlier and ensuring a long-term reduction in the potential harm of fireworks and in the noise they create. We could learn from our international counterparts, such as the Netherlands, Poland and parts of Italy, where low-noise fireworks have been mandated in certain places and people have felt the benefits.

In conclusion, I hope the debate results in practical, beneficial changes, and that consideration will be given to the valuable contributions made today.

[Mark Pritchard (in the Chair)]

I call Gideon Amos. I will then call Amanda Hack.