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1. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Bloore

   Performance of Royal Mail

   Yes. We are not going there; they should be coming here. I understand that the world has changed. Letter volumes have fallen from around 20 billion at their peak to 5.6 billion, while Royal Mail must serve 4 million more addresses. The economics of the universal service do not shrink with the volumes. A postie still walks the same streets for 10 letters as they do for one. Around 1,000 delivery offices are changing how they operate in a compressed period. The answer cannot be another round of job cuts, which put more pressure on the very service we want improved. Other European countries subsidise their postal services. We must be prepared to have an open debate about whether further Government support is needed to protect the universal service and whether a new operational model is required

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2. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Bloore

   Performance of Royal Mail

   I agree. That is incredibly frustrating and impacts so many different areas. I am going to make some progress and finish. Recognising the need for change does not mean accepting the unacceptable. Before I turn to what must change, let me deal with the tired old narrative that we must pick a side between consumers and workers—the customer who wants their post and the postie who wants decent pay. That is a false choice, and the evidence contradicts it. Citizens Advice, the statutory champion of postal consumers, and the Communication Workers Union, the voice of postal workers, have reached almost the same conclusions from opposite ends. Both want a regulator that protects the universal service, the same rules for competitors and an end to bogus self-employment. A fairly paid, properly employed postie is how a customer gets their letter.

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3. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Bloore

   Performance of Royal Mail

   I am sorry; I have to make some progress. When workers are squeezed, consumers pay the price—and squeezed they are. I do not blame the posties. I have spoken to a postal worker with 36 years of service, who told me that morale is at an all-time low. Staff are told to complete half a delivery one day and scramble to catch up the next. Overtime is restricted, yet posties work extra hours unpaid just to keep the show on the road. Royal Mail runs a two-tier workforce: new starters on £13.68 an hour against £15.50 for long-standing colleagues. Is it any wonder that the company cannot recruit or retain? All the while, parcel competitors undercut Royal Mail with bogus self-employment—paying nothing in employer national insurance, while Royal Mail pays £650 million a year—and cherry-pick the profitable addresses while passing difficult ones back to the national network to which they never contribute. That matters for Redditch’s small businesses, too. They rely on the post for invoices, cheques and supplies. For them, a late letter is not an inconvenience; it is a cash flow problem. I have four clear asks of the Minister. First, I ask her to strengthen regulation: to ask Ofcom what powers it needs to hold Royal Mail to account, to tie above-inflation stamp prices to meeting service targets and to require transparent reporting of efficiencies to Parliament. If Ofcom cannot regulate effectively, we must question whether it remains fit for purpose. Secondly, I ask her to level the playing field: to tackle bogus self-employment through the employment status reforms, to extend minimum service and consumer protection standards to competitors, and to examine the case for a levy on operators that profit from the universal postal network. Thirdly, I ask the Minister to protect the workforce: to address pay inequalities, to work constructively with the CWU on the new delivery model and to build workloads a human being can actually complete. Finally, I ask her to convene an emergency national summit, bringing together the Government, Ofcom, Royal Mail and the unions to agree a sustainable future for this vital service. We must acknowledge that the postal market has changed, and have an honest conversation about service standards and funding, but change cannot be an excuse for declining standards or intolerable pressures on our workforce. This House has not always got it right when making historic decisions about Royal Mail’s ownership, but we must learn from those mistakes. What matters now is that we act decisively to secure Royal Mail’s future, protect its workforce and safeguard the communities that depend on this vital national service.

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4. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Bloore

   Performance of Royal Mail

   I have already had the best part of 20 minutes, so I probably will not be long. I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response. I also thank the many right hon. and hon. Members from all parties for taking part in today’s Backbench Business debate. I have learned things about the service that I did not think I would ever learn, whether that is the infidelity of a former Prime Minister—I do not know if I am letting the cat out of the bag here—or the Jane Austen quotes that we have heard. My right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Darren Jones) talked about the direction of travel and what is likely to happen if we do not take action. Despite the light-hearted and more serious stories that we have shared today, we are in a position where we could lose universal services if we in this House do not take action. While I may not have set out the same plan as my right hon. Friend in his speech, I really do think we have to understand that we are at a point of no return if we do not take strong and positive action. Our constituents will not forgive us if that universal service disappears, and it will cost us a lot more to try to rebuild it in the future. Once again, I thank everyone for taking part today. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House is concerned about the performance of Royal Mail; and urges the Government to work with Royal Mail to improve its performance levels.

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5. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Catherine Fookes

   Civil Service Pensions

   Communications with Capita did get better for a time, but I am afraid they have dropped off a bit now. Let me share with the House the sad case of a constituent who came to us in May 2026. She had spent two hours on the phone to Capita; she could not get through, and she had two pensions unpaid. She had retired from the Department for Work and Pensions with breast cancer. In June, she was contacted by another scheme member—a completely different person—who said that on two occasions, she had been sent my constituent’s details, both the annual benefit statement and some other details about the scheme, which was an appalling breach of GDPR. Can the Minister please help me to resolve that case, as it is still outstanding, and will she consider compensation for those who have waited for more than two years, and from whom I have many emails in my inbox?

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6. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Catherine Atkinson

   Rough Sleeping and Good Growth Funds

   I welcome today’s additional £432 million to tackle rough sleeping. With reoffending accounting for 80% of offending in England and Wales, securing stable accommodation on release from prison is absolutely central to reducing reoffending and making our communities safer, yet last year around 1,000 people a month left prison homeless. Will the Minister work with the MOJ to use this investment to go beyond the target of halving homelessness among prison leavers? As we seek to accelerate progress on preventing homelessness, I am concerned that the Ministry intends to replace quarterly accommodation figures with annual reporting, so will the Minister press for quarterly publication to continue to be tracked?

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7. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Cat Eccles

   Road Traffic Collision Reporting: Cats

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I declare my interest as a loyal servant to Penny and Hugo. I pay tribute to the CatsMatter team for creating this petition, the largest ever cat-related petition to come to Parliament, and to my constituent Mandy Hobbis, who co-founded the charity. I have supported them and this campaign since becoming an MP, and have twice joined them to hand in petitions at No. 10, so it is fantastic to finally debate this issue. This is not simply about road traffic law; it is about whether the law reflects the place that cats hold in our society. As I said in a Westminster Hall debate earlier this year on the animal welfare strategy, there are significant inconsistencies in the protections given to cats and dogs under the law. Cats are cherished members in millions of households, yet under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a driver who collides with a dog must report the incident, while the driver who collides with a cat does not have to. The origins of that legislation are almost 100 years old. Society, animal ownership and our understanding of animal welfare have changed enormously since then, so the question before Parliament is not why cats were excluded in the past, but whether their continued exclusion can be justified today. As campaigners point out, compulsory microchipping has strengthened the case for reform, but a microchip alone cannot save a cat’s life. Importantly, the UK is increasingly becoming an outlier internationally. Jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Switzerland, Gibraltar and Jersey already require drivers to report collisions involving cats, demonstrating that such measures are practical and enforceable, and that it is neither radical nor unworkable. For many families, the most distressing outcome is not knowing what has happened to a beloved pet. The RSPCA has highlighted the heartbreak faced by owners who never discover what happens to their cat, while CatsMatter has emphasised the importance of prompt action and clearer routes to assistance for injured animals. I recognise that organisations such as Cats Protection have raised concerns about unintended consequences if cats were simply inserted into the existing framework. Those concerns deserve careful consideration, but they should not be a reason for inaction. Instead, the Government should work with animal welfare organisations and develop a proportionate solution that improves reporting and owner notification, while preserving cats’ right to roam. I would like to put several questions to the Minister. Does he accept that the current distinction between cats and dogs is increasingly difficult to justify, given the place cats occupy in millions of British households? What assessment has he made of the reporting requirements for cats in jurisdictions such as Switzerland, Gibraltar, Jersey and Hong Kong? Can any lessons can be learned in England and the UK more widely? Will the Government review whether the current arrangements for microchipping are sufficient to ensure that injured or deceased cats are identified and their owners informed? If the Government do not support bringing cats into the scope of section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, what alternative measures will they consider to improve reporting? Finally, will the Minister commit to meeting the campaigners, more welfare organisations and interested MPs to discuss possible legislative or even non-legislative solutions to this issue? The priority is preventing cats from being left to suffer unnecessarily on our roads. I urge the Government to engage constructively and set out a clear pathway for addressing this anomaly in the law.

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8. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Brian Leishman

   Road Traffic Collision Reporting: Cats

   It is a pleasure to have you in the Chair this evening, Mr Vickers, and I thank the hon. Member for Newton Abbot (Martin Wrigley) for introducing this e-petition debate. My family love cats, none more so than Tishy, who was our tabby cat and lived with us until the ripe old age of 20. Some years have passed, but we still miss her very much. I thank the Cats Whiskers, a charity based in Clackmannanshire that does so much for the welfare of cats and kittens across my constituency. It has just celebrated its eighth anniversary. The fantastic work it does includes running a trap, neuter and return programme; providing temporary fostering; helping pet-owners with food, litter and practical support; rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming abandoned, neglected and vulnerable cats; and supporting Police Scotland, local authorities, vets and other charities in animal welfare cases. I share the frustration and dismay of the people from the Cats Whiskers at the fact that cats are not included in section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. We think it is abominable that if a cat is hit by a vehicle, the driver can just drive away and leave the animal behind injured and in pain or lying dead on the road, and that that is considered acceptable by the law. It is surely a question of basic compassion and decency to change this law. I would not dare to speak for any other right hon. or hon. Member, but I imagine that whatever one’s worldview and politics may be, one decides to run as a candidate to come to this place to positively change the country, if not the world. I appreciate that there may be limitations, barriers or impediments to achieving that level of change as a parliamentarian, but surely making this law fairer for the benefit of people who have a cat as a beloved member of their family and changing it so that drivers must stop and report if they have hit a cat can gain universal, cross-Bench approval. The change is most certainly achievable.

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9. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Brian Leishman

   Road Traffic Collision Reporting: Cats

   I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his kind words at the start. I appreciate them; sometimes I would like it if some of my own parliamentary colleagues thought the same as he does, but that is a different matter. I agree with the right hon. Gentleman: this is achievable and it should be done.

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10. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Brian Leishman

    Road Traffic Collision Reporting: Cats

    I thank my hon. Friend, and I understand that there is a differentiation. This debate is well-subscribed and I do not want to take up too much more time. I will finish with a request from the good people at the Cats Whiskers that they have asked to be put to the Minister: “We want the Government to legislate to require drivers to stop, check and report any road collisions with cats if they’re injured on the road, and hold drivers accountable if they fail to stop and report a collision involving a cat on the basis they left a cat to unnecessarily suffer. We believe asking drivers to be made responsible for seeking help for an injured cat is a perfectly reasonable & simple ask.” As their MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, I wholeheartedly agree.

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11. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ben Goldsborough

    Foreign National Offenders: Deportation

    Nearly 6,000 foreign national offenders were returned in the last year—12% more than in the year before. Clause 20 of the Immigration and Asylum Bill strengthens the measures on circumstances in which it is in the public interest to deport foreign criminals, particularly where their offending is more serious. Will my hon. Friend explain how these changes will build on the progress that has been made, and further strengthen public security?

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12. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Baggy Shanker

    Topical Questions

    Earlier this month I met reps from East Midlands airport who were telling me about the abuse that their staff face. Some 42% of cabin crew nationwide have experienced physical assault. Does the Minister agree that, as in retail, no airport worker should face abuse just for doing their job?

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13. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Foreign National Offenders: Deportation

    Anyone coming to the United Kingdom knows that doing so is a privilege, not a right. Any foreign national who breaks our laws is not welcome. All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence or suspended sentence are now eligible for deportation. Since this Government came to power, we have removed over 11,700 foreign national offenders; that is up 41% on the two years before then. We are determined to ensure that more foreign criminals are removed from our shores.

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14. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Foreign National Offenders: Deportation

    I appreciate the hon. Lady raising this case, and look forward to her supporting our Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is going through Parliament. We are determined to build on the progress we have made, and which I have just outlined. Our asylum Bill will fix the broken appeals system and close the human rights loopholes, so that they cannot be exploited. From early next year, we will be able to remove offenders immediately after sentencing, allowing us to scale up deportations even further. We will be relentless in ensuring that all who break our laws are removed.

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15. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Foreign National Offenders: Deportation

    My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We remain firmly committed to the ECHR and the protections it gives us all, including the prohibition on torture, a right to life and protections from the state. However, we are determined, through this legislation, to protect its principles from over-interpretation, both domestically and internationally, and to ensure we have an immigration and asylum system that has the consent of the British people.

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16. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Foreign National Offenders: Deportation

    It is sad to see the Conservative party so spooked by the far right that they are trashing some of the finest work of their greatest Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. When he said, “Never again,” and led the way in building a European convention on human rights, he knew the protection it gave everyone from tyrants, despots, torture and death. This Government will defend Churchill’s legacy—even if the Conservatives will not—by reforming both the ECHR, internationally, through co-operation with our European neighbours, and its domestic application through the forthcoming Bill, to ensure that its protections and principles are fit for the modern world.

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17. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    I would be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues. Home Office officials continue to engage with Scottish Borders council and other local partners on asylum accommodation. We value and recognise the importance of working with those local authorities, taking account of local circumstances when considering accommodation requirements.

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18. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    The Wethersfield centre, which was opened under the right hon. Gentleman’s Government, has operated for years with robust security arrangements to maintain the safety and security of both residents and the wider community. The chief constable has said that the centre is not having a negative impact on crime. This Government are proud to put fairness at the heart of our approach by moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites, which reduce the burden on communities because they are self-contained, with 24/7 security and CCTV.

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19. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising those cases. I would be happy to meet him to discuss it further and will look into it.

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20. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    I appreciate my hon. Friend raising that question. He will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has visited Denmark. This year she announced that we would introduce a new approach to refugee protection in the UK called core protection, which marks a shift to a more streamlined approach that meets our international obligations without going beyond them. We are committed to upholding our international obligations, but we no longer want a system that is seen as over-interpreting those obligations or that is open to abuse, and that is what my right hon. Friend is ensuring through the Immigration and Asylum Bill.

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21. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    I would be more than happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman to discuss that and hear more about his local area. As he knows, we have made great progress in closing asylum hotels, and we are committing to doing that by the end of this Parliament. We have saved over £1 billion since inheriting the chaotic and disastrous hotel accommodation situation from the previous Government.

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22. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Turley

    Topical Questions

    My hon. Friend is right. We are extremely proud of the fact that we have reduced the numbers of those crossing by boat by 40%, and deportations are up—we have removed over 80,000 people. Those numbers continue to bring down the pressure on the asylum system.

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23. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Dixon

    Topical Questions

    I recently ran a local campaign calling for a ban on illegal e-motorbikes. It is clear they are being used by criminals, and yet police are often powerless to pursue them. Will the Minister look again at guidance for police forces and ensure they have the resources they need, including drones and off-road bikes, to take enforcement action against those dangerous bikes?

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24. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Dixon

    Civil Service Pensions

    I congratulate my hon. Friend on getting a grip of this issue. I am a member of the Public Accounts Committee and, as we have heard, we have had repeated undertakings from Capita that improvements were imminent. Despite that, many of my constituents are still waiting for quotes and pension payments. The Minister has set out clearly that Cabinet Office officials are effectively taking over the delivery from Capita. Does she agree that this is a shambles and that Capita should pay for its failures?

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25. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Anna Dixon

    Work-based Immigration

    I also commend the Committee for its deliberative work and the innovative way it is taking evidence on this subject. When the Public Accounts Committee, of which I am a member, did an inquiry into the skilled worker visa scheme, we found that it was particularly problematic for care workers, as a migrant’s right to remain in the UK is dependent on their sponsorship by a particular employer, and where that is revoked workers are often left vulnerable to exploitation. Is it the Select Committee’s intention to take evidence from overseas care workers and care providers as part of its deliberations? Will the Committee also consider the benefits of sector-wide sponsorship for care workers and look at how we can promote careers in care work to young people, in particular those who are not in education, employment or training?

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26. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andy McDonald

    Topical Questions

    I am grateful to the Policing Minister for her confirmation that £5.2 million will be sent to Cleveland police to help to deal with the mutual aid bill—that is most welcome—but she will recognise that the police funding formula is simply not fit for purpose, especially when Cleveland has the highest level of crime and the poorest level of resources devoted to it. Although I welcome her indication about exceptional funding, does she agree that the situation will not be resolved until there is a complete reconfiguration of policing in this country? The people of Cleveland cannot wait for police restructuring.

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27. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Western

    Jobs and Employment: Staffordshire

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) on securing this important debate and his tireless advocacy for the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the wider Staffordshire area. He has consistently championed the importance of creating opportunities for local people and ensuring that growth brings tangible benefits to local communities. As my hon. Friend said, I was pleased to visit his constituency with him earlier this year to see at first hand the work being undertaken by local partners, including Jobcentre Plus and, as he reflected, Citizens Advice, to support people into employment, education and training. We heard directly from residents and young people about the opportunities and challenges they face and the work he has done to support them. They were indeed, as he so humbly set out, very wise to send him to this place, and if nothing else, that is reflected by his ability to create such a crowd for an Adjournment debate at 10 pm on a Monday night—on a one-line Whip no less. That is truly titanic.

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28. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Western

    Jobs and Employment: Staffordshire

    Indeed, and it is for that reason that I am treading very carefully with the words I use. I hear my hon. Friend’s message loud and clear: do not mess with Staffordshire. My visit underlined the importance of ensuring that everyone can access the support and opportunities they need to achieve their potential, but too often in the past this has not happened and whole communities have been left behind. As my hon. Friend said, people should not be forced to leave the places that they are from just to have the chance to get on in life. That is why the Prime Minister has set out our ambition to deliver growth in every postcode in Staffordshire and beyond. Growth is not an abstract economic concept; it is about whether people can find good work, whether businesses can access the skills they need and whether communities, such as those across Staffordshire, can realise their full potential. Staffordshire has significant strengths to build on, with a skilled workforce and strong businesses across advanced manufacturing, including ceramics and logistics, construction and energy.

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29. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Western

    Jobs and Employment: Staffordshire

    I have heard my hon. Friend loud and clear, and I will ensure that DBIST colleagues do too. The industrial and logistics specialist Indurent plans to invest £800 million in Staffordshire over the next few years—a clear vote of confidence in the county. As he highlights, the ceramics industry remains central to the area’s identity, with companies such as Lucideon, Mantec and Ross Ceramics helping to apply north Staffordshire’s world-leading expertise in advanced materials to industries including aerospace, defence, electronics and nuclear energy. We have recognised the contribution of advanced manufacturing in the Government’s industrial strategy and are working with industry to develop a jobs plan for the sector. This will help to address workforce challenges and strengthen recruitment pipelines, and it will also help to ensure that more people can access the opportunities being created in one of our most important growth sectors. Turning to partnership, I welcome the role played by local colleges, training providers and employers across Staffordshire in developing the next generation of skilled workers. The selection of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group as an advanced manufacturing technical excellence college demonstrates the important contribution the area is making to meeting future skills needs and helping people access high-quality technical careers. My colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions have been working with manufacturing employers to promote apprenticeships, work experience opportunities, careers events and employability activity, including activity targeted at young people who are not in education, employment or training.

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30. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Western

    Jobs and Employment: Staffordshire

    My hon. Friend makes an important and valid point. I will share his contribution with my noble friend the Minister for Skills. In the interest of time, I will turn to the questions raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme. He was particularly keen to understand how we ensure that people in rural communities can access jobs and opportunities. The Government are supporting employment in rural areas through localised get Britain working plans, a reformed jobs and careers service with expanded digital, phone and in-person support, and increased outreach through a flexible delivery network, including jobcentre vans. We have over 650 visiting officers who carry out home visits for customers with complex needs who cannot engage via digital or telephone channels, or attend a jobcentre. We have outreach work in place with local providers and community organisations to help to reach rural areas so that customers who might otherwise miss out on jobcentre services can access facilities. On a cross-Government approach, my hon. Friend is entirely right to talk about ongoing dialogue with the Department for Transport. Bus services are incredibly important, and it is key that we retain strategic routes wherever possible. A particular, broader example of cross-Government working is our new jobs plans, which is a key part of the industrial strategy. Last Monday, the professional and business services jobs plan set out an aspiration to deliver 100,000 jobs in the coming years, including 22,400 apprenticeships.[Official Report, 2 November 2026; Vol. 792, c. 4WC.] (Correction) Departments involved include not just DWP and DBIST, but the Department for Education as well as Skills England. Departments are really working together to shape these plans, ensure that employment priorities are built in alongside skills and identify where DWP’s employment offer can help sectors to recruit the workforce that they need.

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31. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Western

    Jobs and Employment: Staffordshire

    I had made a mental note, from the contributions earlier, of the issues that colleagues have outlined with Staffordshire county council. It appears to be heading towards a meeting without coffee, but in the meantime, I am very happy to give it a chance to rectify its shortcomings when I write to it setting out some of the concerns that colleagues have raised. On engagement more broadly, we want to consistently ensure that candidates come forward with the right skills to meet the jobs that employers wish to fill, to rebuild employer confidence in our services and to reduce skills shortages. The crucial thing there is a strong local understanding of the labour market needs. The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire local skills improvement plan has been shaped collaboratively with employers and other partners to shape a plan for a more productive, inclusive and future-ready regional economy. On the universities, I give my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme the assurance that the University of Staffordshire and Keele University are important partners for the local skills improvement plan. It is absolutely right that they are, and I reassure him that they are and will remain fully engaged. Finally, on the point from my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell), it is absolutely correct to stress the importance of reskilling and upskilling, as well as giving young people the skills that they need. I am passionate about that, and I know that my noble friend the Minister for Skills is too. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme for bringing forward the debate this evening. The level of interest shows the passion that Members across Staffordshire and beyond have for this important issue, and I will take away the actions that I have committed to this evening. Question put and agreed to.

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32. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Ranger

    Rough Sleeping and Good Growth Funds

    I welcome the measures that the Minister has announced. However, over the weekend volunteers have reported to me that homeless people from Wrexham, in Wales, are being put up in temporary accommodation over the border in Chester, where they are being exposed to significant drug abuse and similar problems. Housing is devolved, but this matter crosses the border. What work is the Minister doing with the Welsh Government on safeguarding standards of cross-border care, and what funding will flow to Wales as a result of what she has announced?

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33. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Ranger

    Performance of Royal Mail

    Like colleagues from across the House, my constituents have been telling me for months and months now—in casework emails, in surgeries, on street stalls and everywhere else you can think of—that the service they rely on is no longer the one they used to have. As has been mentioned many times, residents report important letters arriving weeks late, hospital appointments being missed, financial documents turning up long after they were needed, and businesses struggling with uncertainty over deliveries. For communities such as Wrexham, this is not simply an inconvenience; it is a matter of fairness, connectivity and trust in a public service. While many people have embraced digital communication, not everyone can. Elderly residents, vulnerable individuals, rural households and those without reliable digital access continue to depend on the arrival of letters through the door.

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34. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Ranger

    Performance of Royal Mail

    The hon. Member makes a really good point. That is definitely something we need to investigate, because it is probably a very valid point. Postal services remain a lifeline for those who do not have digital connectivity, and any failures disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. As has been acknowledged across the House, Royal Mail is facing difficult circumstances. Letter volumes have fallen dramatically over many years and parcel volumes have grown significantly. That reflects changes across the world. Royal Mail is operating at a loss and faces significant structural challenges. All that being said, understanding those challenges cannot mean accepting poor service. One of the most concerning issues raised with MPs by postal workers and their representatives is the widespread perception that parcels are increasingly prioritised over letters, and constituents say the same. That is despite assurances to the contrary. I have constituents who see parcels arriving promptly, on time, delivered by Royal Mail when they were supposed to be, but not letters. Serious workforce concerns are also being reported. As we have heard, there have been retention problems due to changing terms and conditions, reports of 400 postal workers leaving the organisation each week, a culture of intense monitoring and an increasingly difficult working environment. It is clear that Royal Mail cannot provide a high-quality service without a motivated and stable workforce. At the same time, serious questions remain about the long-term sustainability of the current model, in terms of the universal service obligation, the delivery of letters, and the regulatory model. My constituents and everyone else’s want three simple things: they want their letters delivered on time, they want transparency when things go wrong, and they want accountability from both Royal Mail and the regulator. Too often, MPs are told that performance is improving while residents continue to experience delays. Too often, complaints disappear into automated systems without satisfactory answers, and too often, local concerns are met with generic responses rather than meaningful action. As has been said, Royal Mail occupies a unique position in our national life. It is not just another company; it is a vital part of the UK’s social and economic infrastructure, and it remains a public service even though it is a privately owned company. That is why this matters. I urge the Minister to continue engaging with Royal Mail, Ofcom, workforce representatives and consumer groups to develop a long-term vision for postal services. Any future reforms must protect the universal service obligation, while recognising the needs of communities, supporting a sustainable workforce, and ensuring that no part of the country is left with a substandard service. I wholeheartedly agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Darren Jones) on some of the options that he presented about a possible future for Royal Mail. Our constituents do not expect perfection—they understand that times change and markets evolve—but they do expect that when a letter is posted, it arrives when it should. That is not an unreasonable expectation; it is the foundation of trust in a service that has connected communities for generations.

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35. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Andrew Pakes

    Rough Sleeping and Good Growth Funds

    The mission of social justice runs through all faith organisations in this country, and nowhere is that greater than in the work of churches in tackling homelessness and helping to give people a second or third chance in life. It was a privilege to attend today’s rough sleeping summit alongside my hon. Friend and so many faith organisations from across this country. In my constituency, projects such as the Salvation Army, the Light Project and Hope into Action have worked on this agenda for years. Can my hon. Friend reassure us that faith organisations, and the expertise, care and love that they provide in our communities, will be central to the new strategy going forward?

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36. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Amanda Martin

    Small Boat Crossings: Removal of Arrivals

    As a Portsmouth MP, I know how important it is that people living in ports along the south coast have confidence in our border security. Will the Minister outline the progress this Government are making in tackling dangerous small boat crossings and the criminal gangs behind them, and reassure my constituents that we will continue to take action? Will she also thank all the emergency services that have helped in this situation?

    Hansard source
37. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Amanda Martin

    Civil Service Pensions

    I thank the Minister for her robust work in this area. Capita’s handling of the civil service pension is nothing short of a disgrace. I have seen people taking out loans, falling into debt, having bailiffs sent to their houses and suffering serious mental distress because of this sham. That cannot be how we treat people who have dedicated their lives to public service. While I welcome today’s statement, the Government changes and the much-needed action that the Minister is taking, my constituents want Capita to face consequences. What consequences has Capita already faced? Will she guarantee that further failure will mean further consequences?

    Hansard source
38. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Amanda Hack

    Performance of Royal Mail

    I have also made visits to local sorting offices, and the super-frustrating thing to hear about the real issues we are having with services is that they were all foreseen. Colleagues in post offices across the country would have identified that they were going to be a problem. This issue was foreseen by the posties, so why did the management not listen? Does the hon. Member agree?

    Hansard source
39. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Alistair Strathern

    Prostate Cancer Screening

    I echo the hon. Gentleman’s praise for the former Prime Minister’s tireless campaigning on this issue. I have been deeply moved by many of my constituents whose lives were saved by early screening; all too often, though, that was the result of charity initiatives, because it was not available on the NHS. The hon. Gentleman rightly mentioned a lot of the advanced research in this area, which highlights every day how important screening is. Does he agree that the Government must continue to review the issue and see whether widening the screening criteria could save more lives?

    Hansard source
40. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Alistair Strathern

    Prostate Cancer Screening

    I intervened.

    Hansard source