Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly will. Our racecourses are very important, and not just at this time of year but throughout the year. It is clear that they are much more than just a place that people go to watch racing; they are very much part of local communities. I very much support the hon. Lady’s comments and wish Sandown a great future.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

Merry Christmas to all. I bet Members will join me in paying tribute to our hard-working posties and sorting office staff. The team in Ebbw Vale do a brilliant job. However, despite their best efforts, constituents report delays receiving letters and even missed hospital appointments. Royal Mail management cite resourcing challenges. Does the Leader of the House agree that Ofcom should ensure that Royal Mail meets its universal service obligation, and can we have a Government statement on this?

Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 27th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join the shadow Leader of the House in wishing everyone a happy Lancashire Day. I am sure the House will join me in sending our condolences to those affected by the fire in Hong Kong. The tragedy that is unfolding is deeply saddening, and my thoughts are with all those impacted. I am sure that the thoughts of the House are similarly with them.

Before I respond to the points that the shadow Leader of the House has made, I remind the House that this week is UK Parliament Week, which is now in its 15th year. Parliament Week continues to increase its reach each year, engaging schools, youth groups and community organisations in constituencies across the United Kingdom. I have been pleased to be involved in a number of Parliament Week events, and I am sure that a number of colleagues are out doing exactly that as we speak. I know that many Members on both sides of the House have also been involved, and I thank you, Mr Speaker, for your involvement and your leadership on these matters.

Tuesday was White Ribbon Day, when people around the world stand up against male violence against women and girls. I am pleased that the House is in the process of becoming accredited with White Ribbon UK, demonstrating a commitment to preventing abuse and violence against women and girls by promoting gender equality and encouraging everyone, particularly men, to be part of the solution. Ending violence against women is a top priority for this Government, and the violence against women and girls strategy will be published soon. It will outline how we can halve levels of violence against women and girls within a decade.

The right hon. Gentleman refers to the Budget. Yesterday the Chancellor delivered her Budget statement—a Budget that will ease the cost of living, reduce our national debt and bring down NHS waiting lists. He asks about the purpose of the Budget, and those three things are its purpose. Today we begin the second day of debate on the Budget, with further days to follow, which I am sure many Members will want to contribute to.

I recognise the contribution of Members from across the House who have been strong advocates for a number of measures that were included in the Budget yesterday. For example, the Chancellor announced that the Government will transfer the investment reserve fund in the British Coal staff superannuation scheme to the scheme’s trustees. That will mean that more money is unlocked for members of the scheme, and I recognise the contribution of my hon. Friends the Members for Mansfield (Steve Yemm), for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney (Nick Smith), for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher) and for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery), and many others who campaigned on this matter.

The Chancellor also announced that the Government will exempt search and rescue vehicles from vehicle excise duty, which will mean that more money can be diverted into critical frontline services. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton West (Phil Brickell) on advocating for that in business questions. Clearly, the Chancellor heeded his words.

The shadow Leader of the House raises the question of briefings and leaks. I take these matters very seriously, as I know you do, Mr Speaker. It is very important that matters are brought to this House at the earliest opportunity, so that Members can be told first. I understand that the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee is looking into the wider question of briefings outside this House, and we look forward to seeing its findings.

The right hon. Gentleman also raises the question of the OBR leak. We take that very seriously indeed, and the matter is being investigated.

I return to what I have said previously to the right hon. Gentleman and others on his side of the House on our discussions about the economy and Budgets. After 14 years of failure, my advice is that the best thing they can do is start with an apology. He should apologise, because the very problems that we are seeking to address were partly caused by the legacy of his Government. We are bringing down the cost of living and reducing the national debt, and we will be bringing down waiting lists in the NHS.

Let me finish on the point with which the right hon. Gentleman started: the way in which I take these matters and try to approach being Leader of the House. I do so with seriousness and seek to ensure that there is respect for Members of this House, wherever they sit, so I have to say that I was slightly disappointed yesterday—not about the Budget, which is excellent. Important matters should have been the first order of the day, but we heard from the Leader of the Opposition a speech that, quite frankly, fell short because of the tone that she took. We have talked about ending the knockabout in this place. I just think that yesterday hit the wrong tone, and I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will take that message back.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

May I thank the Leader of the House for his kind words about those of us who campaigned for miners’ pensions justice?

There is real momentum for new economic opportunities now that Labour-led councils, the Welsh Labour Government and the UK Labour Government can work in tandem. In Blaenau Gwent, the council has applied for funding to upgrade the A4046 at Cwm. In Caerphilly, the new council leader, Jamie Pritchard, is driving urgent action to repair the land slip on the A469 between New Tredegar and Pontlottyn in the upper Rhymney valley. May I please ask the Leader of the House for a statement on transport interconnectivity and its economic benefits across the UK?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is correct that having a Labour Government in Wales and a Labour Government in Westminster is the best way these matters can be taken forward. I will raise what he has said with the Secretary of State for Transport, and let us see if some progress can be made.

Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will draw the hon. Member’s comments to the attention of Ministers, because, as he will have heard, that is the second time the matter has been raised this afternoon. He may wish to initiate such a debate, because, as I suggested before, his concerns are shared across the House.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

Coalminers powered our great country in the 20th century. They need justice in this century in relation to their pensions. Labour put right the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, but parity is needed for the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. Will the Leader of the House ask the Treasury for a statement on pension justice for our mining communities, to right that historic wrong?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for all his work on that issue. He has raised it with me a number of times—as have colleagues at business questions, so there is real interest in it. Ministers continue to meet the BCSSS trustees, but as my hon. Friend knows, I have just announced the future business, and he will have two opportunities to raise it further: first, we will have a debate following the Budget, when he may wish to go into more detail; and secondly, there is some pension legislation coming down the track.

Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his new role. I genuinely look forward to our exchanges, and to working with him on the Committees that we will both be on. He comes from a very good constituency pedigree, because Tom Brake, who served his constituency between 1997 and 2019, did the same job as he is now doing, including as Deputy Leader of the House in government. He will be a hard act to follow, but I genuinely wish the hon. Gentleman well. I also join him in thanking his predecessor, the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman), for her work, particularly on the Modernisation Committee. I did not get to know her particularly well, although we will continue to work on some Committees together.

In answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question, first I join him in welcoming the landmark first step of a ceasefire being achieved, and seeing the hostages released after so long and aid returning to Gaza. The Government are committed to playing a leading role in Gaza’s reconstruction, and the next stage of talks on the implementation of the peace plan. He is right to say that accountability and justice for everyone who has committed atrocities, including those involved on 7 October, is crucial. The Government’s long-standing position is that it is up to the courts to determine whether a genocide has occurred, and we will continue to support international law and its essential role in achieving justice in the region as we go forward.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

Will the Leader of the House please grant a debate on tenants paying their landlord a reasonable rent? In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, Vodafone is in dispute with one of my community organisations, Aberbargoed rifle and pistol club, over the hosting of a telecoms mast. Vodafone’s rent helps to fund the club’s Christmas dinner, and visits to places of interest such as the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, and Bisley. Does the Leader of the House agree that it is important for large telecoms corporations to work wherever possible hand in hand with our local community organisations?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I agree absolutely, because I think we all have examples of where the opposite is the case and telecoms corporations do not do that. That is not only painful for communities, but ultimately it is also painful for some of those companies. I remind my hon. Friend that the Renters’ Rights Bill is proceeding through the House, and he may wish to raise some of those points in that debate. He may also wish to ask for a debate, and again, because of their experiences, I have no doubt that many other Members will wish to join in.

Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

As ever, the right hon. Gentleman raises an issue that I know he has long campaigned on and its implications for the UK. He is absolutely right to raise it. We should not tolerate slave labour being used in any of the products on sale or being used in this country, and we need to do more to expose and have transparency around that. I think that would make a very good topic for a debate, but I will certainly ensure that relevant Ministers update this House on how we can have the economic security and transparency to ensure that that does not happen.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

I too offer my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House—Torquil Norman sounds absolutely great.

Parc Bryn Bach women have recently won the Welsh cross-country championships, beating the likes of Cardiff and Swansea running clubs to lift the trophy. Will the Leader of the House please join me in congratulating this small club from Tredegar on its achievement? Those runners have made their fellow club members, including me, very proud.

[Lucy Powell]

I thought my hon. Friend was inviting me on a cross-country run there—the answer would have been a clear no. I join him in congratulating the cross-country club from Tredegar of which he is a member on winning the Welsh championships.

Business of the House

Nick Smith Excerpts

Thursday 12th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman, following his election, to his position as Chair of the Backbench Business Committee. I know what fantastic work he did as Vice-Chair of the Committee in the previous Parliament, as he and I were in these sessions together for many hours. I look forward to working with him, and have already been in touch with him to fix up a meeting at the earliest opportunity, so that we can table forthcoming business in the Chamber. We will absolutely work at pace to populate the Committees and get them up and running as quickly as possible.

We announced in the King’s Speech that we would take forward the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will come to the House in due course. One issue that the Secretary of State is considering is how to strengthen the Bill before we introduce it by looking at amendments from the previous Session.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)]

May I say how good it is to see my right hon. Friend in her role as Leader of the House?

The Competition and Markets Authority, backed by the Court of Appeal, found that pharmaceutical firms Auden McKenzie and Actavis UK charged excessive and unfair prices for hydrocortisone tablets. NHS spending on those products rose from around £500,000 to over £80 million a year. Producers gaming the system to gouge the NHS is a bad look. Tens of thousands of people depend on those tablets to treat conditions such as Addison’s disease. May we have a statement on NHS procurement? Our new plan for procurement must prevent bad actors from ripping off our NHS.

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words. It is a pleasure to continue working with him in this new Session, as I did so closely in the last. He is a real champion for transparency, accountability and value for money in government, and he raises those important matters today. He may wish to raise them after business questions, during the statement on the NHS audits that have just been carried out, as procurement is a key part of those findings.