Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 29th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

The higher education mental health implementation taskforce was convened in 2023 to improve mental health support for higher education students and to ensure that universities were better equipped to support student wellbeing. This taskforce, chaired by Professor Sir Steve West, as the higher education student support champion, was expected to meet until May this year, but no minutes have been published since October 2025. Will the Leader of the House please ask the Department for Education to provide an update on the taskforce’s status, confirm whether Professor West is still in post, and set out when the taskforce expects to publish its final report and recommendations?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I want to reassure my hon. Friend that Sir Steve West remains in post as the student support champion and as chair of the taskforce, and he will continue to do so until at least the end of the current academic year. The minutes of the last meeting, held in August this year, will be published shortly, and I hope they will provide him with the update that he reasonably requests.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am aware of the Children’s Commissioner’s report; it is significant, and the Government believe that these matters are important and are doing everything we can to address some of them. The hon. Gentleman asks why there has not been a statement; there has been a great deal of demand for statements over the past 10 days, and it has been a question of prioritisation. However, I will raise this matter with the relevant Minister to see whether they need to come forward with a statement. Alternatively, the hon. Gentleman may want to call for a debate on the subject, either in Westminster Hall or an Adjournment debate at the end of the day, so that other colleagues can join him in putting questions to the Minister.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

A constituent of mine suffers from Turner syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects only females and for which there is no cure. She has been relying on medication for over 40 years to manage her symptoms. She cannot get a medical exemption certificate because Turner syndrome is not on the medical exemption list; that list was established more than 60 years ago, and has not been meaningfully updated since 2009. Will the Leader of the House please ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to review the list and consider adding Turner syndrome to it, not only on behalf of my constituent, but for around 15,000 women and girls in the United Kingdom living with Turner syndrome?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a champion for his constituents on this matter, but as he acknowledges, it pertains not just to his constituency; it is a much wider issue. I pay tribute to him for his hard work. The point he raises is important. I will make sure that the Health Secretary hears his representations, and that he gets a full response. Following that, if he wishes for a meeting with the relevant Health Minister, I will help him to arrange one.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

It is really important that we hear the voices of local people, and that they are not just heard, but can actually influence the process. At the same time, as the right hon. Member points out, the Prime Minister is absolutely committed to further devolution and making sure that decisions are made closer to where they have effect, rather than coming out from some centralised system or centralised planning infrastructure process. If she wants to seek an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate about planning, she can put that to the relevant Minister and see the direction of travel.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Many families who inherit retirement properties with age-restricted occupancy requirements are finding them increasingly difficult to sell, and bereaved relatives, many of whom are pensioners themselves, can face years of ongoing service charges, council tax liabilities, maintenance costs and significant loss in property value, which cause considerable financial and mental distress. Will the Leader of the House please facilitate a meeting with the Minister of State for Housing and Planning so we can discuss these issues with the retirement housing sector and see how bereaved families in this situation can be helped?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

We are committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement housing, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices, and we are giving consideration to the recommendations of the older people’s housing taskforce, including further work on resale values. I will make sure that my hon. Friend gets the meeting he seeks with the Planning Minister, but this theme has been raised before—I am not sure if it is exactly the same issue, but the issues are similar enough—and perhaps one meeting with the Planning Minister would allow all these issues to be aired.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 10th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to the volunteers in her constituency who ensure that we remember the Eastside bothy fire—it is important that we continue to do so. I am pleased to hear that funding is being raised for a permanent memorial, and I hope that work with East Dunbartonshire council can progress swiftly so that it is built in time for the 90th anniversary.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Concerns raised by the Francis inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust led to section 92 of the Care Act 2014, which makes it a criminal offence for health and social care providers such as NHS bodies to supply, publish or make available false or misleading information where they are under a legal duty to provide information. However, despite multiple reports in recent years of NHS trusts failing to disclose relevant information that might be damaging to their reputation, the previous Solicitor General confirmed on 10 June that there had been no finalised prosecutions under that provision. Will the Leader of the House please arrange for me to meet the current Solicitor General to help me understand why that is the case?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question, which goes to the heart of the transparency and patient safety lessons that we have learned from the events at Mid Staffordshire. This Government take such matters extremely seriously, which is why we are progressing the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to place a legally binding duty of candour on all public servants, but of course I will reach out to the Solicitor General and facilitate a meeting for my hon. Friend.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 3rd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an important matter. The Government have recruited almost 8,700 mental health workers and are dedicated to ensuring that communities can access mental health support when they need it. On the application for his constituency, all I can say is that I will raise the points he has raised today and highlight his campaign with the relevant Health Minister.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

I had the opportunity to visit the Women and Families Resource Centre in my constituency, which last year delivered well over 6,000 essential items to support over 1,000 vulnerable children and women facing poverty, trauma and social isolation. Will the Leader of the House please join me in commending the centre for the vital support it provides to disadvantaged and deprived communities in Wolverhampton? Can he also reassure the charities in my constituency that this Government will continue to invest in early intervention and preventive grassroots support services, so families can have the stability they need to build secure, independent futures?

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As the hon. Gentleman says, climate change is already making heatwaves more frequent, longer lasting and more severe. We are absolutely committed to making sure that we are able to deal with our changing climate. We are transitioning to renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero and adopting infrastructure for extreme weather. I note that there was a well-attended Westminster Hall debate this week on preparedness for extreme heat. When we return after the summer, there may be a strong case for either a statement or a debate to reflect on what has happened and what lessons we can learn.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

While visiting St Peter’s collegiate academy in my constituency, I spoke with Moses and Nana, pupils at the school. I was struck by how engaged they were with their schooling, and by their inquisitive nature, ambition, and desire to learn and succeed. Will the Leader of the House join me in commending St Peter’s school on the support that it gives to pupils? Will he also reassure all the schools in my constituency that this Government will ensure that funding for schools keeps pace with rising costs, so that schools can maintain high standards and meet increased expectations around inclusion, pastoral support and enrichment?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating St Peter’s school on the support that it provides for students. I am delighted to hear that Moses and Nana are so eager to learn; that is a true testament to their hard work, as well as to the support of their families and the school staff. I reassure my hon. Friend that school funding is increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026-27, meaning that core school budgets will total £67 billion.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Wolverhampton community radio—101.8 WCR FM—in my constituency provides a vital service for people across the city. It gives a platform to local voices, community groups, charities and volunteers, and keeps residents informed about the issues that matter to them most. I have been on the radio talking about knife crime and the Pride in Place programme. At a time when we have had reductions in local radio services following commercial radio mergers, will the Leader of the House please agree to a debate in Government time to recognise the invaluable contribution of community radio stations, such as Wolverhampton community radio, and the importance of providing sustainable, long-term funding for community broadcasting across the country?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend makes a powerful case for the role that local radio plays in giving a platform to local voices and communities. We have launched our local media strategy, with an increase in community radio funding to £1 million per year. I suggest that my hon. Friend apply for a Westminster Hall debate to discuss the role that radio plays in our local communities, because every constituency will be affected.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 25th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman back to his place. I hope that all has been well following the addition of baby Lyla to his family. I wish them all well.

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point: every woman deserves safe, compassionate care, and it is devastating when that is not the case. The work of Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos made clear the systematic, sustained and recurring failures in maternity and neonatal care, which are entirely unacceptable. The national maternity and neonatal taskforce, chaired by the Health Secretary, will take the recommendations from the Ockenden report, as well as those from Baroness Amos’s national review, and ensure that it produces a comprehensive action plan by the end of this year. I cannot give him a specific date, but we are proceeding at pace.

In relation to the public inquiry, the Health Secretary made clear yesterday that no options are off the table. We are making progress on maternity care, and there are over 2,000 more midwives, but we accept that much more needs to be done. I am delighted that my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) has been the Government’s first maternity adviser.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Yesterday, during Women and Equalities questions, the Minister referred to the protection of the rights of trans people provided by the Supreme Court judgment, but I have constituents contacting me about their fear of using public toilet facilities when no gender-neutral toilets are available. They include one constituent who expressed the guilt they felt, because, as a transgender woman, she felt compelled to use the disabled toilet while at a museum because she could not use the women’s toilets. She now feels unable to leave her house. Does the Leader of the House recognise the vulnerability of trans people? Will he agree to meet me with a relevant Minister to address this issue so that trans people can feel the respect and dignity that they deserve?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a champion for the rights of his constituents, and I pay tribute to him. I recognise the concern that he has raised. Everyone, including trans people, should have the right to access the services and facilities that they need in a respectful way that protects dignity and privacy. Trans people continue to be protected under the Equality Act 2010, which we on the Labour Benches are particularly proud of. I will write to Ministers on his behalf and see whether we can arrange the meeting that he seeks.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 18th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady is right to pay tribute to carers. They are unsung heroes, and I assure her that this Government respect the contribution that they make. She raises an important point about carers and people being cared for being able to expect safety as they live their lives. I will therefore draw what she says to the attention of the Department responsible, but she might also want to raise this issue in a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate and hear directly from the Minister.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

Last week I visited St Regis Church of England academy in my constituency of Wolverhampton West, and I was impressed to see its outdoor learning space and nature reserve. This week I met a young constituent in Parliament who is participating in an environmental leadership programme. I see young people with a growing passion for protecting and enjoying the environment. In the light of our commitment to protect our young people online, what alternative opportunities will this Government provide so that our young people can also enjoy outdoor activities, green spaces and the environment?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this matter. Alongside our action this week on social media, we are also giving every child greater access to a range of opportunities, including in nature, through the “Every Child Can” programme. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for a Westminster Hall debate to hear from the Minister about what more can be done.

Business of the House

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

This Government are delivering growth in difficult circumstances—not as fast as we would hope, of course, but we are doing it. We are also building more houses, which is important, because people need somewhere to live and because housing is a driver of growth. The right hon. Gentleman talks about the involvement of various agencies in decision making. The principle from Government is very simple: decisions should be made closer to the people that they affect. It is better that the organisations and agencies that he mentions make those decisions rather than attempts being made to determine those matters here at the centre.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

At the beginning of last month, there were more than 1,600 applicants on the social housing register in Wolverhampton requiring a three-bedroom property, more than 270 of whom required emergency priority. In the previous 12 months, however, only 216 three-bedroom properties became available for let. Will the Leader of the House meet me and the relevant Minister to discuss how the provision of social housing can be improved in my constituency and throughout the country?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a champion for his constituents. We are taking action to tackle the lack of social housing, including through the Social Housing Bill, which was introduced to Parliament last month. We are strengthening protections for tenants and giving local authorities the certainty they need to build new and affordable social housing. If he wishes to have a meeting with the Housing Minister to discuss these matters and how they affect his constituency, I will arrange one.