Business of the House

Lillian Jones Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady will know that I am keen for Departments to respond in time and fully to MPs, because that is part of their job. Of course, some Departments will find it more difficult to respond, not just because of the complexity of the issues involved, but because of the number of letters and parliamentary questions that they get. However, I will draw her remarks to the attention of not just that Department but other Departments. We constantly remind them of the need to maintain a standard.

[Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)]

According to a CBI report published in 2025, the contribution of the wood panel industry to the UK economy was £1.1 billion gross value added. Given that significant contribution, will my right hon. Friend make time for a debate on how the Government’s industrial strategy will support the UK timber and wood sector, including through measures to strengthen domestic supply chains, increase the use of sustainable British timber in construction, and support rural jobs and net zero ambitions?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise those matters on behalf of her constituents, and others in rural areas. I will raise them with the relevant Minister and get an update on how the Government intend to make progress on this matter.

Business of the House

Lillian Jones Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Anglian Water needs to sort out the situation with the sewer in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and I will raise that for him with Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

[Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)]

The SNP Government have awarded public contracts to China, Turkey and Poland to build Scottish ferries and buses. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the SNP Government should accept the offer from the UK Government to rewrite Scottish procurement rules—as they have previously in a range of other areas, including regulation around the sale of vapes and keeping ScotRail in public hands—and that those changes should get on to the statute book as soon as possible, to stop the disadvantaging of local firms, boost the Scottish economy and protect thousands of Scottish jobs?

[Lucy Powell]

Absolutely. We are taking steps in England to ensure that local communities have more of a say over their local area—we invest in our high streets and local communities—and I implore the Scottish Government to do the same in Scotland.

Business of the House

Lillian Jones Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issues facing the bioethanol industry. We are working closely with the industry to find a way forward and I will ensure that the House is updated.

[Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)]

My constituent Lynne recently wrote to me about a new car purchase. She paid £190 for a full year’s road tax, but then discovered that the tax expiry date was set for the first of the month, not the 29th—the date she bought and taxed the vehicle. When she queried that with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, she was advised that the tax was applied by calendar month, meaning that she effectively paid a full month of tax for just three days. As Lynne said to me, 12 months’ tax should mean 12 valid months. This outdated system is clearly unfair. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate in Government time on the need for a fairer vehicle excise duty system?

[Lucy Powell]

I know that road tax raises lots of issues with our constituents. I was not aware of the issue that my hon. Friend raises, but I will ensure that she gets a ministerial response.

Business of the House

Lillian Jones Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in thanking all the carers in his constituency and right across this country. The Government remain committed to supporting carers. They do a fantastic and wonderful job—and, as he says, they also save the state a huge amount of money through the work they do.

[Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)]

A well-established local business and employer in my constituency is facing an ongoing and costly administrative issue with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. It has been trying since January to close an outdated VAT bond that is no longer required, yet despite repeated attempts, including formal letters to six HMRC departments, it has received no response. Virgin Money continues to charge fees for this unnecessary bond, placing an unfair financial burden on a company that employs local people and contributes to our local community. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate in Government time on how HMRC can be made more responsive and accountable to small businesses facing bureaucratic deadlock?

[Lucy Powell]

This sounds like a particularly frustrating situation for my hon. Friend’s constituents. If she gives me the full details of the case, I will make sure that HMRC deals with it quickly.