Business of the House
Monica Harding Excerpts(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
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Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating all the young people, particularly in my constituency, who have completed GCSEs, A-levels, BTECs, T-levels and degrees, and all the brilliant teachers who got them there, and will he wish them all the best for the summer holidays and a well-deserved rest? The brilliant Esher sixth-form college in my constituency has been hit by the underfunding of post-16 education, as compared to lower secondary brackets, and also by the fact that the confirmed base rate of funding for post-16 is well below inflation. This means that high-achieving post-16 institutions may be forced to cut their academic cloth. Will the Leader of the House give time for debate on this sector, which is so important to our country’s prosperity?
Sir Alan Campbell
The sector is important to our country’s prosperity, and the Government are absolutely determined to do everything we can on that, including getting investment into post-16 education and, indeed, employment more widely. I am more than happy to join the hon. Member in congratulating all the young people in her constituency who have undertaken examinations. I wish them well for when the results come out. I pay tribute to them and the staff, and also to their sometimes long-suffering parents.
Business of the House
Monica Harding Excerpts(1 month ago)
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Sir Alan Campbell
Nobody in this House campaigns harder on behalf of the industry than my hon. Friend, and I thank him for that. The Government have allocated more than £73 million in additional funding to deliver almost 500 zero emission buses across England. The mandate is a devolved matter, but we are working with the devolved Governments to ensure that meaningful engagement takes place ahead of the review. I will raise his concerns with the relevant Minister to see whether there is any further update that we can share with him.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Princess Alice hospice in my constituency on celebrating its 40th anniversary this year? Over the past 40 years, it has cared for tens of thousands of people and has been a staple for local families at their most vulnerable. Only 20% of its funding comes from statutory NHS funding, with the rest mainly coming from selling woolly jumpers; as a result, it is able to meet only one third of the local need. Access to palliative care will come under scrutiny once again in the autumn. Will the Leader of the House make time to address sustainable funding for palliative care to ensure that provision for all is available?
Sir Alan Campbell
I thank Princess Alice hospice for everything it does. Hospices in all our areas are so very important. I do understand its concern about having sustained funding going forward, but the Government have committed £125 million to support the hospice sector, with a further £26 million to support children and young people’s hospices. I suspect that the hon. Lady is right that this issue will come more into focus as private Member’s Bills come forward; I think she will get her opportunity then to make that case. In the meantime, if there is anything the Government can do to update the House about that, I am sure they will think about doing it.
Business of the House
Monica Harding Excerpts(2 months ago)
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Sir Alan Campbell
I thank my hon. Friend for her important question. This is an upsetting case, and I know other responsible pet owners will be concerned about attacks in their communities. There are powers under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to protect the public, and we have reconvened the responsible dog ownership taskforce to explore further measures. When those measures become clearer, I am sure the House will want to debate them.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Would the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Walton and Hersham football club in my constituency? They have secured promotion to the national league south for the first time in their history—an extraordinary fourth promotion in just six seasons. At a time of concern about young people’s mental health and online harms, which I know the House will debate in future, can he provide time for a debate about supporting grassroots football clubs and sports clubs? They are a diversion away from online harms and for better mental health, as Walton and Hersham show so well.
Sir Alan Campbell
I certainly congratulate Walton and Hersham football club because, like other clubs across our communities, they do such important work. Such clubs are at the heart of local communities and I think they should be commended, particularly where they offer diversion activities for young people. What the hon. Member says about the importance of sport in local communities is exactly what the Government are trying to do.
Business of the House
Monica Harding Excerpts(7 months, 1 week ago)
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Sir Alan Campbell
My hon. Friend is a champion for SEND matters, and I thank him for that. The SEND system is broken, but we are working to fix it, investing a total of £12 billion in SEND this year. As my hon. Friend knows, we will bring forward a schools White Paper early in the new year, but politics is about choices and priorities, and it is a great pity that the council he refers to appears to have set itself at odds with so many families in his area by taking the position it has.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
May I wish you, Mr Speaker, and your team a very merry Christmas? I also put on record our thanks for the forbearance that your staff have shown to us new MPs over the past year.
Sandown Park racecourse in my constituency, which was the late Queen Mother’s favourite racecourse, is bringing to a close a year of celebrations for its 150th birthday. For a century and a half, not only has that historic venue brought enjoyment to my constituents; it has also been a vital employer and a contributor to the local economy, driving footfall and trade for Esher high street, and supporting local shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels on race days and during major events. It also provides valued support to our very own Princess Alice hospice through its fundraising events, such as last week’s Santa fun run. Will the Leader of the House consider making Government time available so that the House can recognise the contribution of long-established local venues such as Sandown Park racecourse to local economies—
Business of the House
Monica Harding Excerpts(9 months ago)
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Sir Alan Campbell
I congratulate the organisers of the festival. Carlisle has a very proud history of brewing and I know that my hon. Friend is a strong advocate for the success of much-loved local breweries. We are currently assessing the beer market to identify any structural barriers preventing small breweries from accessing pubs, and I will make sure that the relevant Minister hears her words.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Recent studies from Stanford university and others have shown a clear link between excessive phone use, addictive social media algorithms and deteriorating mental health outcomes for young people. Technology in this area is evolving at an extraordinary speed, meaning that legislation such as the Online Safety Act 2023 is not being implemented fast enough before new harms emerge. Our NHS is picking up the pieces. In my constituency, over 6,000 young people are waiting for a first contact with mental health services, and that takes eight months. Will the Leader of the House please find space in Government time for a debate on how we can protect young people by addressing the growing connection between digital addiction and mental health?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. That question was far too long.