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Written Question
Local Government: Debt
Tuesday 15th September 2026

Asked by: Margaret Mullane (Labour - Dagenham and Rainham)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the department has considered whether debt restructuring or cancellation will be offered to local authorities struggling with high levels of debt and interest rates.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The local government finance framework gives authorities wide freedoms to borrow and invest, enabling them to set their own capital strategies in response to local needs. It is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt in the normal course of business, and it remains their responsibility to manage their own budgets. Councils must, however, act within the safeguards of the system and only borrow what they can afford.

The Government does not normally consider debt support to be an appropriate form of financial assistance consistent with the principles of prudence and local accountability. By exception, the Government has made the unprecedented commitment to provide debt repayment support for Woking and Thurrock councils. This reflects the highly exceptional circumstances that these councils hold significant unsupported debt which cannot be managed locally due to historic capital practices and the value for money case for acting to protect taxpayers from the ever-increasing cost of debt. It is essential that the system protects taxpayers as a whole and does not impose pressures that would ultimately be felt elsewhere in the public sector.

Division Vote (Commons)
11 Sep 2026 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Margaret Mullane (Lab) voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 115 Labour No votes vs 209 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 293 Noes - 218
Division Vote (Commons)
11 Sep 2026 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Margaret Mullane (Lab) voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 153 Labour No votes vs 190 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 270 Noes - 286
Division Vote (Commons)
10 Sep 2026 - Social Housing Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Margaret Mullane (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 245 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 77 Noes - 292
Scheduled Event - 9 Sep 2026, 4:30 p.m. - Add to calendar
View Source
Commons - Westminster Hall debate - Westminster Hall
Pica training within SEND provision
MP: Margaret Mullane
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Sep 2026
Pica Eating Disorder: SEND

"I beg to move,

That this House has considered Pica training within SEND provision.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. Before I go any further, I want to make an admission. Until last year, I had not encountered pica, either in a personal capacity or …..."
Margaret Mullane - View Speech

View all Margaret Mullane (Lab - Dagenham and Rainham) contributions to the debate on: Pica Eating Disorder: SEND
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Sep 2026
Pica Eating Disorder: SEND

"The hon. Gentleman is right, and I thank him for raising that matter. While this debate will focus on training in schools and other educational settings, it is important to note that there is a desperate need for pica recognition and training across the NHS, local authorities, care providers and …..."
Margaret Mullane - View Speech

View all Margaret Mullane (Lab - Dagenham and Rainham) contributions to the debate on: Pica Eating Disorder: SEND
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Sep 2026
Pica Eating Disorder: SEND

"My hon. Friend is quite right. That is ultimately what we seek in the long term. We do not want anyone to have to go through what some families have already gone through. Only if we adopt national training will that actually stop.

Earlier this year, I held a pica …..."
Margaret Mullane - View Speech

View all Margaret Mullane (Lab - Dagenham and Rainham) contributions to the debate on: Pica Eating Disorder: SEND
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Sep 2026
Pica Eating Disorder: SEND

"I thank the Minister and agree with her that this has been a very good cross-party discussion, with thoughtful input from everybody. I know that her door is always open and that she is always there if there is anything we need. What she has committed to today is good …..."
Margaret Mullane - View Speech

View all Margaret Mullane (Lab - Dagenham and Rainham) contributions to the debate on: Pica Eating Disorder: SEND
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Sep 2026 - Plant Health - View Vote Context
Margaret Mullane (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 317 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 371 Noes - 100