Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I could not agree more about the importance of the availability of toilets in our town centres. I am sure that issue comes to MPs’ attention very often. For many people—particularly those with complex needs or health conditions—the lack of a toilet can be the deciding factor in whether they leave the house. As the issue is clearly one for so many colleagues across the House, I think it would be a great topic for a Westminster Hall debate.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

I too welcome the Leader of the House to his place.

Just three days ago, the BBC revealed how effortlessly an illegal vape laced with Spice can be purchased through Snapchat. One in six confiscated vapes in schools now contains Spice, which is described as a zombie drug—a prison drug. That is potentially condemning young people to a lifelong addiction and a criminal life, yet this week Ofcom wrote that such evidence does not meet the bar for enforcement action, even under the new Online Safety Act 2023. Can we have a statement from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explain why Ofcom is refusing to hold social media companies accountable for drug dealing on their platforms, which puts thousands of young people at risk?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As a former drugs Minister, I absolutely share the hon. Lady’s concern. I have always thought that a strong line should be taken, and of course social media plays a role in that. I thank her for raising that really important issue, which is important for many people, not least parents. I will draw her concerns to the attention of the new Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank the hon. Member once again for her bravery and her powerful testimony. I know many of us continue to be appalled by the experiences she has had over a number of years in the campaign brought by her abusive ex-husband and what he has tried to do in undermining her capacity to be an effective Member of Parliament, which she continues to be. I hear her calls today for the steps that need to be taken to ensure that this cannot happen again, and particularly that it cannot happen again to her. We have an elections Bill coming to the House soon, which will look at issues such as the suitability of candidates and their behaviour towards other candidates, and I am sure there will be ample opportunity for us all to support her in raising some of these issues during the passage of that Bill.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

May I express my sympathy? No woman in this place will not feel deeply horrified and touched by what we have just heard.

I will not invite the Leader of the House to visit Portals paper mill in my constituency, although she should because it is an amazing company that is 300 years old and manufactures security-grade paper. It produces passports for countries across the world, but absurdly not our own, which are produced by a French company abroad. May we have a statement from the Home Office on the security implications if future contracts do not require primary production and personalisation of UK passports to take place here in the UK?

[Lucy Powell]

I think we all remember when the previous Government gave the contract for our passport production to a French company in the post-Brexit era. We all found it rather strange at the time. This Government are committed to buying British and to British procurement, and we will bring forward legislation and other means of ensuring that that can better happen.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 17th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I of course join my hon. Friend in congratulating George Bloor on qualifying for the golf Open championship, and what an achievement—it is a very high bar to attain. I will watch out for him later, when he will hopefully get a few under par golf things—whatever they are called—under his belt and maybe beat Rory McIlroy in the Open. [Laughter.]

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

I had to talk about cricket the other day and could not quite remember what bowling is, so instead I said, “throw a ball”!

One of my young constituents has had virtually no meaningful education since year 1. Now nearly at the end of his primary education, he cannot cope with being at school at all, as he is traumatised by repeated failures in the special educational needs and disabilities system. I know that the Government are planning long-term transformation of the SEND system and early intervention —that is all very welcome—but the crisis is now. The Leader of the House knows, as I do, that long-term transformation takes years to take hold, and people need help now. Can we have a statement from the Government on how they are dealing with the immediate crisis so that the people who are immediately facing all these difficulties can get immediate answers?

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Lady raises the important issue of SEND, and the case she outlines explains the challenges that many families face in navigating the current SEND system. Support comes far too late, outcomes are poor, and it is very costly to all concerned. That is why we need to take a proper, concerted and long-term look over time at how we can reform the SEND system. To her question about immediate support, we have put in an extra £1 billion for this financial year, and we hope that that will reach the frontline so that constituents like hers can get the support that they need.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Research from the University of Bath has uncovered serious violations of the pharmaceutical code of practice by Novo Nordisk, one of the companies behind new weight loss drugs. The company covertly paid millions of pounds to healthcare groups and charities to promote its drugs. In the light of the Government’s active support for weight-loss treatments, can we have a debate in Government time or at least a statement on the transparency and regulation of the companies behind weight-loss drugs?

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Member raises a really important issue. We recognise that medicines and their availability need to be carefully monitored and regulated, and there are various processes in place to do that. I will ensure she gets a reply from Health Ministers about that particular case.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. What has happened in our waterways in recent years—the pollution and the discharges—is absolutely shocking. I am so proud that one of the first acts of this Labour Government was to introduce the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which is now an Act. That has given us the powers to tackle the erroneous and unwarranted bonuses of water companies such as United Utilities, and I am really glad to see the Act in action.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Voices is a domestic abuse charity in Bath that supports victims to recover from the long-term trauma and stresses of domestic abuse. It is in a new funding crisis, because mandatory funding goes into crisis and immediate risk-management services, not long-term recovery. May we have a debate in Government time on the vital importance of long-term recovery from domestic abuse and the financial support needed to keep charities such as Voices going?

[Lucy Powell]

I am sorry to hear of the struggles that Voices in the hon. Lady’s constituency is experiencing. She will know that this Government are absolutely committed to halving violence against women and girls over the next 10 years. That is an incredibly ambitious agenda, and of course it includes working with the voluntary and charitable sector. I will ensure that the Minister for Safeguarding gives the hon. Lady a full reply about that charity.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 5th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that. She is right that social housing landlords do have legal duties to carry out high-standard repairs and maintenance but, all too often, tenants do not have the recourse they need to hold their housing providers to account. We are strengthening that in the Renters’ Rights Bill, which is reaching its closing stages in the House of Lords, but we have to ensure that tenants, whether in the social or private sector, have that recourse and ability to hold their landlords to account.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

No one who has watched David Attenborough’s film “Ocean”, to which the Leader of the House has already referred, will fail to have been moved and terrified by the senseless destruction of our oceans, the lifeblood of our planet. In order to save our sick oceans, we need to safeguard about 30% of them; only about 3% are currently marine protected. Next week, the UN will hold an ocean conference in Nice. Will she ensure that we receive a statement from the Government on the outcome of the conference and what the Government will do to protect our very sick oceans?

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Member highlights just a few of the very moving and powerful impacts of that documentary, which I am sure many people have watched. It is hard to not be moved by the scale of the challenge, and the destruction in recent years, but also by the hope in that documentary that the oceans can quickly recover if we are all willing to take the steps necessary to protect it. That is why I am delighted that the Environment Secretary is going to the UN summit later this week, and it is why the Government are committed to ratifying the ocean treaty in good time.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 15th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Well. [Laughter.] As the MP for Manchester city as well as being a Manchester City fan, I do not want to see Crystal Palace winning on Saturday, but I do recognise that this is a huge step for them; it is, I think, a long time since they have been in the FA cup final. I know that their supporters will be there loud and proud on Saturday, and that the whole of my hon. Friend’s constituency—and south London, I am sure—will be behind them. However, hopefully Man City will win.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Julian House is a homelessness charity that has been operating in Bath for nearly 40 years. Its lease is ending next year, and, with no route to capital or long-term funding, it faces closure. Can we have a debate in Government time on how to end short-term funding cycles for local authorities, which give them little choice but to retain charities on insecure, short-term contracts, which are so devastating for our most vulnerable and at-risk people?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear about the homelessness charity in the hon. Lady’s constituency and the challenges it is facing. She is absolutely right: the short-term funding cycles we have seen for local government are part of the challenge for charities like the one she mentions. We are committed to three-year funding cycles for local government and have boosted local government finances in every part of the country to help to deal with the situations she describes.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[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.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

I add my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House. I agree that at a time when boys and young men are lacking role models, the memory of his father is a powerful example of why dads matter.

King Edward’s school in Bath came third in the national reading champions quiz. I am sure the Leader of the House will join me in congratulating that school on its wonderful achievement, but reading for pleasure is now at an all-time low. Can we have a debate in Government time on how to improve reading proficiency among children of all ages?

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 13th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Hornsby Travel on its amazing anniversary—there were cheers across the House when he mentioned it, so it sounds like a popular bus provider in his constituency. We have brought forward the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, currently passing through the other place, to ensure that local communities have the bus services they need.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Rental income from social housing is currently 16% below inflation. Homes for the South West, which includes Curo in my constituency, is under a contractual obligation to do repairs while also building new homes under increasingly stretched grant funding systems. It makes doing both nigh impossible. May we have a debate on how we can protect our tenants to get the repairs they need, while also addressing the social housing crisis?

[Lucy Powell]

That is exactly what this Government are trying to do, through a range of measures. We have the Renters’ Rights Bill going through Parliament at the moment. We have the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to support developers and those who want to build more housing, especially social and affordable housing. This Government are committed to supporting tenants and getting the new homes built that we need.

Business of the House

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 27th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Absolutely. Women’s football is going from strength to strength. What we have seen from the Lionesses in recent years has inspired a whole new generation. It is great to hear what is happening at Derby racecourse, which is in her constituency, and I am keen to support her in that. I am not a great player of football myself, although I think I am a pretty good tackler in some regards, but I agree that this would make a very good topic for a debate.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

I recently visited Bath’s Roman Boxing Gym—anybody who wants to see my amazing right-hand swing can watch it on social media. More seriously. In connection with the question that the Leader of the House has just answered, how can we support community organisations, such as the Roman Boxing Gym, which provide incredible opportunities for young people to compete internationally and nationally, and also provide important diversionary activities? Can we have debate in Government time on all these activities that are so powerful in our communities?

[Lucy Powell]

I will take a look at the hon. Lady’s left hook—or right hook; however handed she is, I am sure she packs a powerful punch! She makes a really good point. I know from my own constituency how important boxing, boxing clubs and sport activities are in general. That is why this Government are committed to a curriculum review, to ensure that schools and organisations, such as Bath’s Roman Boxing Gym, are able to provide young people with these kind of opportunities. It is also why we are giving local government the biggest boost to funding that it has had in many years, because many of these organisations rely on local government funding. None the less, she is absolutely right: we need to do more to ensure that young people, such as those in her constituency, have the opportunity to access sport, culture and other activities. I am sure that it would make a good topic for debate.