Oral Answers to Questions

Lloyd Hatton Excerpts

Wednesday 19th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Either we renew our country with Labour, or we go to austerity 2.0 with Reform and the Tories. The Tories left waiting lists at record highs and almost a million more children in poverty, and they wrecked our public services. The Leader of the Opposition comes here to talk down the country; we are turning the page, with more NHS appointments, free breakfast clubs, free childcare, more homes and better public services. That is what we are fighting for: a Britain built for all.

[Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)]

Q4.  Standing in the heart of Weymouth, the Rectory is an iconic building. Formerly a theatre, once a bustling cinema and then a popular pub, it has stood empty for more than a decade. We want to turn the building into a thriving centre for arts and culture, hosting exhibitions and celebrating everything that makes Weymouth unique. Will the Prime Minister work with me and all the key players on the ground to revitalise the Rectory and reopen this fantastic building for our town?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is a brilliant champion for South Dorset, and he is right to champion the revitalisation of our high streets. The Heritage Minister will be delighted to discuss how we can get this iconic building reopened, as he wants. I am pleased that Weymouth secured £20 million in Pride in Place funding, giving his community the power and resources to make a real difference to people’s lives.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lloyd Hatton Excerpts

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Lady leaves out of her count that we provided £21 billion—the largest ever settlement for Wales—and what did she do? She voted against it, if you can believe it. While we are on the question of money, I noticed that this week, the right hon. Lady accepted figures showing that independence would cost every Welsh person £7,000. Her party should be honest about the cost of their policies to the people of Wales.

[Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)]

Q8. For the past year, I have been campaigning for a new special educational needs and disabilities school to open at the Osprey Quay site on Portland. There are far too few specialist school places for children with SEND in my part of the world, so local families urgently need to see that school open its doors. A new school there would provide around 70 new places for local children. Given the urgent need to finally get this school up and running, will the Prime Minister commit to working with the Department for Education and Dorset council to ensure that a SEND school opens on Portland without further delay?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I know just how important that school is to parents and children in his constituency, and share his determination to fix the broken SEND system. That is why we have boosted investment in SEND to £12 billion, to put new facilities and tailored support in place for children who have long been failed. We want decisions to be taken swiftly, and I will ask the schools Minister to update my hon. Friend about that particular school.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lloyd Hatton Excerpts

Wednesday 12th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the right hon. Member for raising a really important point. The track record is there for all to see. On top of that, we in this country did not hold elections when we were at war. That is a perfectly reasonable and normal course of behaviour. That must be part of our discussions as we go forward, including the meeting that I am convening on Saturday.

[Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)]

Q12.   South Dorset is ready to play its part in making Britain a clean energy superpower, but after 14 years of Conservative failure, there are many untapped opportunities on our doorstep. Green investment opportunities such as Portwind, Morwind and a hydrogen storage hub are all coming down the track, so can the Prime Minister reassure my constituents that the Government will work with the Crown court on these projects, invest in key infrastructure and ensure that South Dorset’s green energy potential is hardwired into our plan for change?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about making Britain a clean energy superpower. We are committing £2.3 billion to support hydrogen projects, and I recognise the huge potential of South Dorset to become home to a storage hub. We are ensuring that public and private investment work together, which is exactly what the Crown Estate Act 2025 does, unlocking significant investment, boosting offshore wind and kickstarting economic growth.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lloyd Hatton Excerpts

Thursday 5th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

All Cabinet Ministers have an interview and make declarations to the propriety and ethics team before they are appointed to the Government. I am aware of what I told the propriety and ethics team before my appointment, but I do not look through the declarations from every other Minister.

[Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)]

T5. The previous Conservative Government exposed themselves to unprecedented levels of corruption and cronyism when delivering contracts during the pandemic. Recent analysis has shown that £1 in every £3 spent went on high-risk contracts, worth more than £15 billion. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that they are always making procurement decisions that are in the public interest, avoiding unmanaged and unmitigated conflicts? What will they do to ensure that taxpayers’ money is always spent wisely?

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Georgia Gould)]

My hon. Friend is right to raise that point. Earlier this week, the Chancellor announced the appointment of Tom Hayhoe as the covid counter-fraud commissioner. The new commissioner will leave no stone unturned to investigate the unacceptable waste and fraud during the pandemic and to make sure that we learn lessons for the future.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lloyd Hatton Excerpts

Wednesday 13th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Because of the tough decisions that we took, we have put forward a Budget with an extra £25.6 billion for the NHS and for social care. That includes an increase to carers’ allowance and £600 million to deal with the pressures of adult social care. We will ensure that GP practices have the resources that they need, and the funding arrangements between the NHS and contractors will be set out in the usual way.

[Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)]

Q2. Members have raised their concerns about a range of damaging policies pursued by the Leader of the Opposition. This includes voting against critical investment for our NHS, stating that maternity pay is excessive and the minimum wage a burden, and even backing harmful fracking when last in government. Is the Prime Minister aware of any attempt by the Leader of the Opposition to justify these dangerous positions, which would cause untold damage to communities such as mine in South Dorset?

[The Prime Minister]

This Government have given millions of people a pay rise of £1,400 by boosting the minimum wage. We have strengthened parental leave with better rights for parents and put huge investment into our schools and NHS—and all that while ensuring that the payslips of working people have not been affected. It is clear whose side we are on: the working people of this country. I have not heard the Leader of the Opposition clarify why she opposes all these things, but now is her chance.