Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for bringing this matter to the House. I know he is a strong advocate on this issue, and I recall him raising it before the recess. I will raise his concerns with the responsible Minister and his reasonable request to see what further progress can be made, to give some certainty. It goes back to what the shadow Leader of the House said; it is about literally joining things up—that is crucial, so I will draw this to the attention of the Minister.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

A constituent of mine requires to renew his driving licence annually because of his age. He applied for a renewal in September 2025 and has now been told that his hospital consultant was asked for verification of his ability to drive in January 2026. Unfortunately, his consultant has not yet received such a request. Meanwhile, my constituent has lost three job offers because he does not have a valid driving licence. The Leader of the House is not unfamiliar with the issue of delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Given this particular case and what we have heard in previous weeks, I wonder whether a debate about the problem of delays at the DVLA is now appropriate.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. As she alludes to, it is not new; delays are affecting the lives of constituents right across our country. The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system, which is expected to deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions, but as I have said before, that is small beer to people who are sitting at home waiting or are unable to take job opportunities. If she gives me the details of the case, I will raise it with Ministers to see what further action we can take.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. I can see Members reviewing their questions; please keep them short.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

Will the Leader of the House join me in welcoming today’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Scotland of £140 million of local growth funding for Scotland, including £60.9 million for the Glasgow city region? Does he agree that this funding, together with the record Budget settlement for the Scottish Government, demonstrates that Scotland really is at the heart of this Labour Government?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will certainly join my hon. Friend in welcoming that investment. As she rightly points out, we provided the biggest funding settlement for the Scottish Government since devolution began, proving that Scotland truly is at the heart of this Labour Government. Our mission is to improve living standards for working people, and the local growth fund is one way we are achieving that for every part of the United Kingdom.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon), the Justice Secretary is monitoring the situation. The care and health of prisoners, whatever their status happens to be, are paramount in these matters. The Justice Secretary is taking these matters seriously and monitoring the situation. Should there be something to report to this House, I am sure he will come and do so.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

Earlier this year, I held a child poverty taskforce event in my constituency. All the organisations that took part identified inconsistent funding as a barrier to their work. I warmly welcome the child poverty strategy, but it is ironic that almost at the same time as it was announced, the SNP-controlled city council announced funding cuts to a number of organisations across Glasgow West. Given the record settlement from this Government to the SNP Government at Holyrood, does the Leader of the House agree that vital community organisations such as The Annexe, Drumchapel LIFE and Kingsway Community Connections—to mention just a small percentage—deserve stable funding to allow them to continue their good work, and that local authorities in Scotland have been underfunded for far too long?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a champion for the issue of child poverty, and I commend her for that. I agree with her about the vital community work that organisations such as the Annexe, Drumchapel LIFE and Kingsway Community Connections, among others, do in her constituency and many others. It is more than disappointing that at the very time that this Government are publishing the child poverty strategy, the SNP Government should act in the way that they have done. As she rightly points out, we have provided the Scottish Government with a record funding settlement. They have nowhere to hide on these matters.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the hon. Member for raising such a serious and unreported issue. As ever, he is a real champion for religious minorities, and I commend him on his commitment to that cause. He knows that the Government are committed to defending freedom of religion and belief for all. The environment for freedom of religion and belief across China is restrictive and includes the persecution of the Falun Gong both in China and overseas. We continue to monitor the situation and review evidence. If these matters are true as he reports them, in our view they would constitute a serious violation of human rights. I will draw the issue to the attention of the Foreign Secretary, but the hon. Gentleman may have noticed that Foreign Office questions are on 2 December.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

As we celebrate International Men’s Day, may I ask the Leader of the House to join me in thanking the staff and volunteers at Men Matter Scotland in Drumchapel? They offer social, financial and emotional support to men. In particular, will he join me in thanking Ian Sproull, who ran 10 marathons in 10 days to raise funds for the organisation? Will he also be so kind as to consider visiting the organisation next time he is in Scotland?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that serious point. I absolutely join her in thanking everyone involved in Men Matter Scotland for their input and work, and I note the success of Ian Sproull. She will know, as I am sure the whole House knows, that this week sees England’s first-ever men’s health strategy. I would be delighted to accept her invitation should I find myself in Scotland.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

Does the Leader of the House believe that sufficient progress is being made in rolling out additional driving test appointments? Learner drivers and their instructors in Glasgow West would suggest not. Will he agree to a debate in Government time on the issue?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

From a personal perspective, the short answer to my hon. Friend’s question is no, I do not believe that the issue is being addressed swiftly enough. However, we are taking action to deliver an additional 10,000 driving tests every month and we are accelerating a consultation into abuse of the driving test booking system, which I understand is a big part of the problem. I will ensure that the Transport Secretary has heard her concerns, but my hon. Friend may wish to raise the issue in a Backbench Business debate.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I do congratulate the partnership’s fantastic achievement. Women who have experienced symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has invested an extra £5 million in menopause care. If my hon. Friend wants to hear a Government response in quick time, there is a Westminster Hall debate later today on World Menopause Day. He may wish to contribute, as well as to hear what the Minister has to say.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

A constituent of mine—an elderly gentleman in his 90s—recently tried to change his energy tariff to one that was cheaper. Unfortunately, when he applied it transpired that he could only do so if he was online, which was not possible for him. Does the Leader of the House agree that this is an unacceptable form of digital exclusion, and can he suggest how we might try to address it?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Digital inclusion is a priority for the Government. It is important that everyone has access so that they can engage in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances happen to be. We have published the digital inclusion action plan to tackle digital exclusion and ensure that everyone is able to access the services they need.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 17th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I think he is the only person who has never missed a business questions session since I began in this role. In fact, I am not sure he has missed any Adjournment debate in the House over the last year. Whether he or I have the highest number of speaking contributions, he should win the award anyway because every day in this place he gives a voice to those around the world and his constituents. I thank him for that.

We have previously discussed the issues in Nigeria. I will ensure that the Foreign Office updates the hon. Gentleman on that, but, as he knows, those conversations are ongoing, and we do ask the Nigerian Government to take action.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

Residents in areas of my constituency have raised the poor postal service they have been receiving in recent weeks, which has led to their not receiving important financial information on time and missing hospital appointments. I realise that that issue is often raised with the Leader of the House, but will she join me in saying that Royal Mail and Ofcom really do need to get their act together and ensure that my constituents do not continue to receive such a second-class service?

[Lucy Powell]

This issue is often raised in these sessions. There have been systematic problems at Royal Mail over recent years, which is why Ofcom has recently sanctioned it twice over its service levels and is further investigating it. I know from meetings for my constituents that under Royal Mail’s new ownership and new leadership we are seeing some improvements to services. I implore my hon. Friend to arrange such meetings in her constituency as well. I think this topic would make for a very popular and well-attended debate.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I have just announced that the Second Reading of the Pension Schemes Bill will take place next week. There has been a great deal of discussion of these issues when putting together that piece of legislation, because it is vital that constituents like hers are able to get the value that they need from their pension schemes going forward.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

My right hon. Friend will be aware of the importance of post offices to communities up and down the country, particularly those where there are no banks and where other facilities are in short supply. I hope she shares my concern that the post office in Drumchapel, in my Glasgow West constituency, is being threatened with closure. Will she allow a debate in Government time on the merits of post offices and their importance to local communities across the land?

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is not the first Member today to raise the issue of her constituency’s post office services, which are vital. Post offices provide a huge range of services, many of which have now gone from our communities and high streets, including access to cash and banking services. I am sorry to hear of the proposed closure of the post office in her constituency. I join her in putting pressure on Post Office Ltd to look at these issues and make sure it takes on board the local MP’s concerns.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 26th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Absolutely. Fly-tipping and littering are a blight on many of our communities, which is why I am proud that this Government are finally acting by giving councils and the police the powers they need to seize and crush many of these vehicles. My hon. Friend will know that I recently took part in a vehicle-crushing exercise with my local police, and I recommend it to others.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

My constituent applied to have his case against his pension provider considered by the ombudsman, and he contacted me because of the delay in receiving a determination. I, in turn, wrote to the ombudsman, who advised that my constituent was in the correct place in the queue and would be allocated to an adjudicator in September 2025. My constituent made his original application in May 2020. I am sure the Leader of the House would agree that this timescale is not acceptable, so will she find time for a debate to shine a light on why such inefficiency and poor response to constituents is happening?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear about this case. My hon. Friend is right that five years is unacceptably slow. The performance of the Pensions Ombudsman has been raised with me in previous business questions, and I am happy to take this up directly for her. She is right that such delays are just not acceptable.

Business of the House

Patricia Ferguson Excerpts

Thursday 15th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating Andy and Tracey on their award-winning farm shop, which sounds fantastic. Maybe next time the hon. Member can offer me an invitation and I might join him.

[Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)]

Football Families for Justice is a voluntary organisation that campaigns on behalf of ex-professional footballers who have died or are suffering from neurodegenerative diseases incurred by heading footballs. Footballers suffer such diseases at four to five times the national average. The FFJ has tried to engage the football industry to persuade it to accept some responsibility for the problem, but to no avail. Will the Leader of the House advise on whether the Government would consider amendments to the Football Governance Bill that would encourage the industry to do so?

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in thanking the FFJ for all its work on this important matter, which she is right to raise. We have debated the Bill on Second Reading. My hon. Friend might want to see if she can join the Public Bill Committee, which will provide a good opportunity to debate further action.