Tributes to Her Late Majesty The Queen

Scott Benton Excerpts

Friday 9th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

I rise with great sadness to pay tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally and on behalf of all the people of Blackpool South. Throughout her long reign, Queen Elizabeth was a figure of national pride, a symbol of stability and continuity, and an inspiration to so many, myself included. Just as importantly—we must not forget this—she was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Just a couple of months ago, I attended street parties across Blackpool for the platinum jubilee. The celebrations brought together people from all backgrounds and faiths, and the old and the young; it was testament to her ability to unite the whole country and to keep the monarch at the forefront of our nation’s life during a reign that saw unparalleled social change. She opened up the family to the general public, and made us feel as though we knew her personally. In return, over the decades, we loved her and shared in her joy—and her grief, most notably on the sad loss of her rock, Prince Philip, only last year. Those constituents of mine who had the privilege of meeting her always, without exception, spoke about her warmth and humility, and how she made them feel so special.

When Her late Majesty was born, it was not likely that she would become Queen, let alone Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, but from the very beginning, service to her country was in her DNA. Her devotion to this country is encapsulated in a remarkable speech that she gave on her birthday, when she was just 21. She stated that

“we must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves”,

and took on the noble motto, “I serve”. Unquestionably, she gave the whole of herself to this country. That is epitomised by the way that she served the country until the very end; she swore in her 15th Prime Minister just three days ago. It will take a long time for the tremendous sadness felt by us all to pass, but we can be comforted by the way that she touched the hearts of so many and served our glorious nation so well.

The example that Queen Elizabeth set has been instilled in King Charles III’s sense of duty and service. At a time of immense sadness for him, he has taken on the responsibilities of the Crown, and the leadership of our nation and the Commonwealth. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, and we offer him our loyalty and devotion at this difficult time, just as we know that he will give his to us. As we move into a new era in this great country’s history, Her late Majesty will always remain in our hearts. God rest her soul, and God save the King.

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Thursday 14th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Con)]

2. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

4. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

[James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)]

18. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

--- Later in debate ---

[Johnny Mercer]

I thank my hon. Friend for his relentless advocacy for the small but very important cohort who struggle with life after service. We have now established Op Courage, the UK’s first single care pathway through NHS mental health services for those who need them. It had 19,000 referrals in its first year last year. I encourage people to engage with the service to talk about their mental health and not suffer in silence. Help is there, and I say to them, “You can get better, and the system is there to look after you.”

[Scott Benton]

I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran. To achieve that, we must prioritise supporting veterans with their mental health. Will my hon. Friend set out how the new digital identification service will contribute towards that?

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Wednesday 29th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Iain Stewart]

The Union is, of course, voluntary. The question in the referendum was put and decisively answered. Of all the comments recently, the most revealing was from Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson, who basically said that, even if there was another referendum and Scotland voted to stay part of the Union, the SNP would keep going—it would be a neverendum. That uncertainty and chaos would be bad for Scotland and bad for the United Kingdom. We want to level up the country and address the challenges; the SNP wants to divide Britain and divide Scotland.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

4. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving Union connectivity.

[Matt Vickers (Stockton South) (Con)]

9. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving Union connectivity.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Iain Stewart)]

I regularly discuss important issues on improving Union connectivity with ministerial colleagues. Earlier this year, for example, I co-chaired a roundtable discussion with Transport Ministers and Scottish stakeholders.

[Scott Benton]

The Union connectivity review provides a boost for regional airports and domestic aviation by suggesting ways in which public service obligations could be reformed to support regional flights. Does the Minister agree that restoring commercial passenger flights between Blackpool airport and locations in Scotland would boost economic growth and help to create jobs and investment in both locations?

[Iain Stewart]

Scotland’s love affair with Blackpool has existed for decades and is well known. The more Scots who can visit my hon. Friend’s lovely constituency, the better. We of course recognise the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK. I know that he is a strong campaigner for more air services to and from Blackpool, and we will continue to consider whether there are further opportunities to utilise public service obligations to meet our Union connectivity and levelling-up objectives.

Bill of Rights

Scott Benton Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd June 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I can give my hon. Friend and his constituents precisely that assurance. The Bill is not anti-human rights. We are strengthening our tradition of freedom, including freedom of speech. It is pro judges; we want our Supreme Court to have the last word on the law of the land, when it is interpreted. It is also pro democracy, and that is the bit missing from the other side’s critique. We believe that, when the goalposts shift, it is elected Members—accountable to his, my and everyone’s constituents—who must have the last word on the law of the land.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

The residents of Blackpool were absolutely furious at the European Court’s move to block the first removal flight to Rwanda last week. They desperately want that policy to work and will warmly welcome the measures outlined by the Deputy Prime Minister today. What assurances can he give them that the reforms will allow our relocations policy to be a success?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

There is no silver bullet that can solve that issue and the small boats issue. Even pulling out of the European convention will not provide a silver bullet. However, I can reassure my hon. Friend—I am happy to talk him through this—that, when it comes to deportation of foreign national offenders or public interest in removals more generally, there will be respect and greater deference to primary legislation passed by this House. In addition, our approach to rule 39 interim orders will mean that we can give him and his constituents the assurances they need.

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Wednesday 8th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Chloe Smith]

We are passionate about improving opportunities for deaf people who use BSL and increasing general public understanding of deaf people’s language and culture. Linguistic exclusion is a problem and can affect education, jobs and more.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Elizabeth Truss)]

I commend the women’s organisations, such as Women’s Aid, that have come out in recent months to support single-sex services for women who have suffered violence and abuse. Service providers know that single-sex spaces are crucial to recovery from abuse and violence for many women and children. The Equality Act 2010 recognises this and allows for the restriction of single-sex spaces on the basis of biological sex. The law is clear, it is on their side and we will defend it.

[Scott Benton]

Reducing inequalities is about much more than protected characteristics. Outcomes for education, health and prosperity in Blackpool are among the lowest in the entire country, and they are particularly poor for men. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to ensure that those who live in Blackpool can enjoy exactly the same life chances as those who live in more prosperous areas?

[The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch)]

In March, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced that Blackpool would be a transformational regeneration place, which means that the Government will partner with Blackpool to address social inequalities, improve productivity and deliver co-ordinated cross-Government support for local priorities. We have already announced measures to support that, including cracking down on rogue landlords and Homes England partnering with Blackpool Council to find exciting new opportunities for regeneration.

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Wednesday 20th April 2022 Commons Chamber

[Steve Brine (Winchester) (Con)]

3. What progress he plans to make on tackling climate change in his COP26 presidency year.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

12. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Glasgow climate pact on tackling climate change.

[The COP26 President (Alok Sharma)]

Countries made significant commitments at COP26 on emissions reductions; finance and support for developing nations; and adaptation, loss and damage. We are continuing to press countries to deliver on their promises. Together with the COP27 presidency of Egypt, I will next month be co-chairing a meeting of a representative group of Ministers from around the world, hosted by the Danish Government, to take stock of progress on the delivery of the Glasgow climate pact.

[Alok Sharma]

I very much enjoyed my visit to Winchester and I commend my hon. Friend for all the work he does in his local community. We had some excellent questions from the very many young people at the event and they were positive in their outlook. In the planning for COP26, and in the country visits I continue to make, listening to the views of young people has been invaluable. That is why in the Glasgow climate pact we have urged countries actively to involve young people in climate change processes.

[Scott Benton]

As the Minister knows, the UK accounts for only 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions, yet the steps we are taking to combat climate change will cost businesses and the Government untold billions. Does he agree that while the UK does what is perceived to be the right thing, it is highly likely that other nations will miss climate targets and that the enormous expense and impact on our own economic competitiveness will all be in vain?

[Alok Sharma]

Tackling climate change is the right thing to do and it is also economically the smart thing to do. That is why at COP26 we had $130 trillion of private sector money signed up to net zero. It is why our presidency has managed to persuade 90% of global GDP to sign up to net zero. It is why our net zero strategy talks about many hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of inward investments. My hon. Friend talks about costs, but I just say to him: look at what the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates as the unmitigated cost of climate change. We are talking about almost 300% debt to GDP by the end of this century. I know that he is a fiscally responsible Conservative, as I am, and he would not want to burden future generations with that level of debt.

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Thursday 24th February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Steve Barclay]

First, I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s opening remarks. The theme this morning has been the unified voice with which this House has spoken on the troubling events in Ukraine. In respect of transparency in the aid budget, I am happy to highlight his concerns to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and ask whether she or one of her Ministers would be willing to meet him to discuss the issue he raises.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend update the House on the cross-departmental work to tackle illegal immigration across the English channel, and specifically the plans for the establishment of an offshore immigration detention and processing centre?

[Steve Barclay]

As part of taking back control of our borders, this is an issue of huge concern. That is why, through my role in the Cabinet Office, I have been working closely with the Home Secretary and other colleagues on a whole-of-Government response to the challenge of illegal migration. The Home Secretary has set out a number of areas of that work and we will be saying more on that in the weeks ahead.

Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Tuesday 8th February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

T5. Reforming our broken asylum system and tackling illegal immigration is in part dependent on reforming the Human Rights Act. The British people expect action on the issue, so how quickly can we expect firm proposals to reform the HRA, following the end of the consultation next month?

[Dominic Raab]

I thank my hon. Friend for his support. He is right that across a whole suite of issues, including illegal migration, the proposals for a Bill of Rights with common-sense, sensible reforms will help us to address the problems. Once the consultation results come back, we will want to listen very carefully and proceed to legislation in the next Session.

Sue Gray Report

Scott Benton Excerpts

Monday 31st January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

When I was knocking on doors in Blackpool at the weekend, I spoke to Julie, who said: “This Prime Minister has had the most difficult job in living history. He’s been dealing with a pandemic in which he nearly died. He’s been dealing with a media who haven’t forgiven him yet for delivering Brexit. And he hasn’t had a chance to crack on and deliver yet for the British people on their priorities.” The report has come out today and the Prime Minister has apologised. Let us allow him to get on and—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

Covid-19 Update

Scott Benton Excerpts

Wednesday 19th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am proud of all the work that we have done together with the authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure that we look after business, such as the furlough scheme and all the loans that we have made available, and to ensure that we continue to support the Northern Ireland economy as we come through the pandemic and beyond.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

Last summer, the Government’s decision to remove all covid restrictions and reopen society was proved correct. The decision to resist all calls for further restrictions before Christmas, as craved by the Opposition, has again been proved correct. Does the Prime Minister agree that, while Opposition Members dither, delay and opine in hindsight, on covid, the Government get the big calls right?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent summary of what I was trying to say in response to the hon. Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting). It would have been a great thing—a fine thing—throughout the pandemic to have had useful advice and co-operation from the Opposition. We did not get it, but I think we have taken the right decisions on the whole and we have got the big calls right.