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1. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Places of Worship Renewal Fund: Second Application Round

   Hon. Members will remember that the current scheme applies only in England, as heritage policy is a devolved matter. The Church of England welcomes the decision of the Scottish Government to continue providing a VAT rebate scheme, which means that places of worship in Scotland benefit from support that is not available in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Government have confirmed twice in written answers —to my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) on 9 March, and to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) on 12 March—that Barnett consequentials were not separately identified as a dedicated Budget line, but form part of the wider funding given to the Scottish Government.

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2. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Places of Worship Renewal Fund: Second Application Round

   As I have said, it is important that the scheme currently being operated is not only fit for purpose, but the best we can make it, which is why the DCMS is continuing to look at that. However, I hear what the hon. Gentleman says about VAT. That issue has been raised before, but it is a matter for the Chancellor and the hon. Gentleman will have to wait to see what is in the Budget. I am about to announce a number of days for debate on the Budget, so I am sure he will get an opportunity to raise the matter directly with the Chancellor.

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3. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Places of Worship Renewal Fund: Second Application Round

   None of us would want to see the possible outcome that the right hon. Gentleman mentions, and I will certainly take that up with the Second Church Estates Commissioner to make sure not only that the Church has heard what he has said today, as I am sure it has, but that we do all we can to ensure that the outcome is the one his constituents want.

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4. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Young People: Skills

   The Church of England educates more than 1 million children in 4,700 schools. Church schools are committed to nurturing the knowledge, skills, character and confidence of young people that are needed to flourish, helping them to discover their gifts, serve their communities and lead purposeful lives. These schools are rooted in a vision of a rounded education, which seeks to ensure that every learner, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, can aspire, achieve and access opportunities to reach their full potential.

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5. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Young People: Skills

   I first of all echo my hon. Friend’s thanks to everyone involved in the schools in her constituency. I would make that point about my own schools, but also Church schools across our country. As she mentioned, there are good examples in the Carlisle diocese of work to support young people, such as Trinity school, which supports pupils into further education and employment, helping to grow young people’s confidence and develop skills for the local labour market. It is important that our young people are supported as they look to enter the workforce. I encourage parishes and local churches to explore local opportunities to better provide that support for young people in their community. With permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask the Second Church Estates Commissioner to write to her about the northern young leaders project.

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6. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Young People: Skills

   The hon. Gentleman raises a very important point about mental health. It is very much in line with what the Government are trying to do to ensure that young people have the support they need. I thank his schools for showing leadership in that regard. There are, of course, many across the country that are doing that. I will ask the Second Church Estates Commissioner to get the hon. Gentleman an update on what is anticipated.

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7. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Child Sexual Abuse: Duty to Report

   The national Church institutions have reviewed the duty to report in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and consider that the Church’s existing policies and code of practice reporting expectations regarding safeguarding are compliant with the new duty. The Church will continue to keep its guidance under review as the new statutory duty is implemented. Since 2016, all Church officers have a mandatory requirement to promptly report safeguarding concerns, allegations and disclosures of abuse to the appropriate safeguarding authorities.

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8. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Child Sexual Abuse: Duty to Report

   I thank my hon. Friend for that question. He has spoken very powerfully, over a period of time since joining the House, on the importance of safeguarding and I thank him for that. It is the role of this Chamber to scrutinise the Church and I am sure that the Second Church Estates Commissioner welcomes his continued scrutiny of this aspect of the Church. We all need to continue to do better to address safeguarding. The protection of children and vulnerable adults remains the Church’s first priority. It is committed to preventing abuse and ensuring survivors are heard with compassion and care. He asks a question on a specific point about discussions between the Home Office and the Church. I am not across that, for fairly obvious reasons, but I will ensure that he gets an update from the Second Church Estates Commissioner, which I hope will answer the points he raises.

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9. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

   Child Sexual Abuse: Duty to Report

   In line with what I just said to my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Sam Carling), if the hon. Lady—who speaks powerfully on those matters—puts what she is saying in writing to the Second Church Estates Commissioner, I am sure that she will take it up with the Church to ensure that that view is heard and her question is answered.

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10. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Independent Safeguarding System

    In October 2026, the Archbishops’ Council approved a detailed operating model for independent safeguarding structures in the Church of England, following seven months of development by the safeguarding structures reform programme.

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11. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Independent Safeguarding System

    As usual, my hon. Friend makes a powerful point on behalf of the community that she serves. Further details about the new model of safeguarding structures will be published shortly. The new model provides for the establishment of an independent safeguarding authority governed by a majority independent board of trustees with responsibility for safeguarding policy, risk assessment, audit, inspection and national casework operations. Implementation is under way, including the national roll-out of a complaints process and recruitment to the adjudicator role. The transition of functions to the new structures is expected to be substantially complete by 2027. I will ask the Second Church Estates Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with more details.

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12. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The business for the week commencing 26 October will include: Monday 26 October—Debate on a motion on the performance of Royal Mail, followed by general debate on the emerging risks of advanced AI. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Tuesday 27 October—Second Reading of the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill. Wednesday 28 October—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will deliver his Budget statement. Thursday 29 October—Continuation of the Budget debate. Friday 30 October—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 2 November includes: Monday 2 November—Continuation of the Budget debate. Tuesday 3 November—Conclusion of the Budget debate. Wednesday 4 November—Remaining stages of the Sporting Events Bill [Lords]. The House will then rise for the November recess at the conclusion of business on Wednesday 4 November and return on Tuesday 10 November.

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13. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    First, I join the right hon. Gentleman and, as he says, the leaders of all parties in reflecting on the anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, which was 60 years ago yesterday. We remember the 116 children and the 28 adults who tragically lost their lives when Tip 7 collapsed on to Pantglas junior school and nearby homes, and we pay tribute to the incredible courage of the rescuers and the enduring resilience of the Aberfan community. I think it is fair to say, Mr Speaker—because you and I are contemporaries—that we are old enough to remember the disaster, and we have been fortunate enough to live 60 years of our lives that 116 of our contemporaries were unable to do. That is sobering, to say the least, but actually it is a tragedy. I want to put on the record that our thoughts are with the Aberfan community and families. I also want to mention Andy King, the former Member of Parliament for Rugby and Kenilworth from 1997 to 2005, who sadly passed away this week. I am sure the whole House joins me in sending our condolences to his friends and family. I am also sure that the whole House will join me in condemning the horrific attack on the Australian independent MP Dr Helen Haines, which took place outside her electoral office. My thoughts are with Dr Haines, her family and her team as she recovers from this appalling assault. On lighter matters, I want to extend my congratulations and those of the House to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Richard Tice) on his recent marriage. I further extend my congratulations to the shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, the right hon. Member for East Surrey (Claire Coutinho), who announced the birth of her son this week; we wish them well. Today marks the start of the 2026 Royal British Legion poppy appeal, as thousands of volunteers gather across our country to distribute the red poppy. They raise funds for our brave service personnel, veterans and their families, and we thank them all for everything they do. Turning to other matters, this summer was filled with record high temperatures, but as we are seeing, winter is now drawing in, and the changing climate will bring more severe and uncertain weather in the years to come. We need to ensure that we are fully prepared across the NHS and our transport system, and in relation to our energy security. I think it is fair to say—it is not a party political point; I think it is just true—that the UK has been a bit of an outlier in not looking sufficiently early at this issue right across Government, and I just want to reassure the House that we are putting that right. We have taken a crucial step forward this week in protecting motorists from unfair enforcement and car sale scams with a new private parking code of practice, providing motorists with the right to challenge unfair private parking charges. This issue has been raised with me several times at business questions. Also, potholes are an issue frequently raised with me in this forum by Members. Data published today shows that more than 7,000 miles of road resurfacing has taken place this year—up 10% on last year, but clearly there is more to do. On another theme—with your indulgence, Mr Speaker —I have also faced questions on matters of heritage and restoration. I want to mention my constituents Kevin and Alison Wilson, who have been involved in the successful restoration of Cullercoats Watch House, who join us in the Gallery today. Let me turn to the points raised by the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman). First, he mentioned the success of further and higher education in his constituency. I have said this before and am happy to repeat it: I absolutely commend him for his work, which has been recognised as an excellent model. As he says, I hope that other areas will look at it. The higher education sector is an engine of economic growth in his area and elsewhere, and providers play an essential role in training students not just for jobs now but for the future. I am sure he has spoken to them already, but if he wishes to speak to Ministers to discuss this matter further, I am happy to arrange that. I wanted to put that on the record, because he is right to raise it in the way that he does. This is not and should not be a party political matter. Those on the Government Benches can learn from the best experiences of those on the Opposition Benches, and that is very much in keeping with the practical approach that the Prime Minister wants to see across a number of policies. The shadow Leader of the House raised another very important matter: security, and tackling and preparing us against terrorism. There is the Speaker’s Conference, which is crucial. There is also the defending democracy taskforce, which continues to look at these issues. I will raise the specific point he made about Lord Walney’s report with Ministers and see whether there is something the Home Secretary needs to update the House or, indeed, the right hon. Gentleman on. Let me make it absolutely clear that we stand with all faiths, including and particularly those of the Jewish faith as they come under sustained attack. It is a sad fact that both antisemitism and Islamophobia have increased in recent months, and the Government are absolutely committed to tackling that. That means putting money into the physical protection of places of worship, but it also means making social cohesion a top priority. Finally, I will point out that Sir David Bell’s report this week on antisemitism and how schools need to do more is an excellent piece of work, and the Government intend to accept all 27 recommendations.

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14. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    As I said, the issue of parking has been raised with me many times in these sessions. NHS trusts are responsible for car parking charges and are expected to follow the NHS car parking guidance. As my hon. Friend rightly identifies, some hospitals do use private companies, and there is a new code of practice. I hope that her trust has heard her concerns today and that other trusts will look at this, to ensure that as the new code of practice comes in, they are fulfilling their obligations.

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15. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand why I am not going to comment specifically on the comments that he referred to, but everyone will have heard what he thinks about them, and I am sure many will share his concern. The Government are doing everything that we can to assist the efforts to get peace in Ukraine, but—I put it on the record again—we are absolutely committed to supporting Ukraine, not just by sending equipment but by using every avenue that we can, as was evident when President Zelensky visited recently. The hon. Gentleman is right that everyone deserves safe maternity care, and the Health Secretary has made the issue a personal priority. We need to make sure that services are there for women and families across the country when they need them. Through the national maternity and neonatal taskforce, the Government will deliver the reforms needed to maternity care. I know that the hon. Gentleman has raised the issue before, it has been raised at Health questions and, as he says, there is a debate later today, but I will make sure that the Secretary of State hears his concerns and I will give thought to whether a debate on the Floor of the House is necessary.

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16. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    This is an issue that a number of Members have raised from time to time, and I understand their concern and the concern of constituents where buildings blight local communities. That is why, in some areas, we are making sure that communities not only have the resources but are able to make decisions themselves about what to do with such buildings. I hope the owner of the building has heard what my hon. Friend has said today and gets on and does something about it. If my hon. Friend wishes to expand on the points that he wishes to raise, a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate would give him ample opportunity.

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17. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    On the matter of the extra Labour Backbench Business Committee member, it is good that the hon. Gentleman has nudged me. I recommit to doing something about it. He will understand that we have just had a major reshuffle, so we are trying to fill a number of vacancies. We are making progress on that, but it is no excuse for not having the extra person on his Committee; it is just an explanation of where we were. I give him my word that I will go away and have a look at that. I should have started by saying thank you to the hon. Gentleman and the Committee for their work. I will confirm the future business as soon as possible—I try to give as much forward notice as possible. I particularly note the possible debate on the battle of the Somme, which I understand is timely for many Members. My relative, Sergeant Matthew Brown of the Durham Light Infantry, fought and died in the battle of the Somme—oddly enough almost to the day on which the debate might well be scheduled. I am sure other Members from across the House will want to have an opportunity to reflect on that battle. The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise the situation in Nepal. We announced £5 million in humanitarian assistance to support immediate relief efforts, including helping those affected by the devastating floods. We are considering how our expertise in these matters can support Nepal’s longer-term recovery, reconstruction and resilience. I join him, and I am sure other Members, in congratulating the fantastic efforts of Benji and Nic. We thank them for their fundraising for that very good cause.

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18. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I join my hon. Friend in commending the Chester One City plan and the work of all the councillors involved. Characteristically, she hides her light under a bushel, because she was a very distinguished leader of that local authority. I am sure that a lot of the work that she is now seeing may well have started under her fantastic leadership. If she wants to highlight this issue and to reflect on the importance of local councillors working for their communities, I would encourage her to apply for a Westminster Hall debate, because I am sure other hon. Members will want to reflect on similar issues and councillors in their own areas.

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19. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The work of Select Committees is extremely important, as I have said on many occasions, and the scrutiny of Ministers is an essential part of that process. The right hon. Lady is an experienced Chair and represents her Committee extraordinarily well, but I know that the Home Secretary also takes her accountability to Parliament seriously. I am aware that she has appeared before the Home Affairs Committee before—the last date might have been on 15 September—but I have no doubt that she, her office and her diary secretary will want to look at a further date with the Committee in the not-too-distant-future.

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20. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating Hannah, not least on her Pride of Britain award. She is doing a fantastic job in what will be very difficult circumstances. For young people and their families, it is a daunting prospect to be diagnosed with something such as that—many Members across the House will know about that experience at first hand. I thank Hannah and wish her well in the future; it is absolutely right that we mention her and her fantastic work today.

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21. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I will certainly raise the matter with the Home Secretary. The hon. Lady will know that if there is a backlog, it is important that it is dealt with, but people will expect there to be robust procedures. I do not know what has happened in this case, but I will share it with the Home Secretary and get the hon. Lady an answer.

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22. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I echo my hon. Friend’s sentiment regarding the work that the Government are doing to tackle this matter. As he will know, the youth jobs grant forms a key part of our broader youth guarantee and is focused on helping young people taking their first step on the career ladder. I am very pleased to hear that businesses in his area are signing up, and I am sure that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will want to keep the House updated, not least given Alan Milburn’s work on this.

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23. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that important issue. Good ventilation is essential for healthy and productive learning environments, and the Department for Education has produced guidance on ventilation and air quality in education and childcare. I will ensure that the relevant Minister has heard his comments. If he wishes to hear from a Minister directly, he should perhaps seek an Adjournment debate so that he can discuss these matters further.

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24. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    In short, yes, I do. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who has run a very effective campaign on this issue. I note that Reform-led East Sussex county council has received £21 million from this Labour Government to fill potholes, which is a record amount. Put bluntly, we are doing our bit; it is time that the council matched that ambition. I hope my hon. Friend’s council has heard the concerns she has raised today, and that it gets on and fixes this issue without any further delay.

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25. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    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.

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26. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    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.

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27. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The right hon. Gentleman raises an important local matter, and he is right to do so. He is also right to express his opinion that something is happening locally, because as I listened to his question, I reflected on the fact that ambulance wait times are down, and admissions to A&E are up. However, that is cold comfort to people in the right hon. Gentleman’s local trust area facing the issues that he has outlined. An Adjournment debate, in which he can put questions directly to the relevant Minister and get answers, is one way forward; alternatively, if he wants to meet a Minister and make those points to them directly, I will help him to arrange a meeting.

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28. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    As we can hear, my hon. Friend is a staunch advocate for her constituency, and she is absolutely right to highlight the transformational investments that the Government are making in her communities and many others. Every penny of this funding should work hard for our constituents, and I absolutely agree with her that local leaders must use opportunities to their full potential. It is important that all parties locally, and indeed in this House, talk up the local communities where that work is being done.

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29. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I have said before that sports clubs, local communities and volunteering are the heartbeat of our local communities. At the risk of offending supporters of the other team, I wish Bridlington Town the very best in the first round of the FA trophy. You never know, Mr Speaker: this may be one of those magical years when a non-league team manages to get to the FA cup final, which I will go to with the hon. Gentleman to watch Bridlington play against Sunderland.

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30. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I certainly will. That is a fantastic way of marking what was a tragedy. The community has come together to raise resources and make sure that these matters are tackled. I pay tribute to every one of my hon. Friend’s constituents who had anything to do with this fantastic project.

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31. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The Government are very keen to make sure that house owners and people purchasing houses have the information and power that they need to hold developers to account. It is a piece of work that is central to what the Government are doing. I hope that the developer has heard the hon. Lady’s concerns and will put things right, but if she wishes to meet the Housing Minister, I can help her to arrange that.

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32. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend raises a very concerning matter. I urge the council to look into this as a matter of urgency, because everyone deserves to live in a decent home and have complaints responded to in a timely manner. This month, we have launched a consultation seeking views on extending Awaab’s law to include temporary accommodation, in order to protect tenants, and I wish that consultation well. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for an Adjournment debate, so that he can speak to the Minister directly and further send the message to the council that it needs to get on with resolving this.

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33. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    On the wider issue, the Government are very clear that we stand four-square with the Falklands. Indeed, the Prime Minister raised that matter with President Trump when he met him recently. On that, there is a very clear position. I do not know about the matter involving those businesses, but I will raise it with ministerial colleagues; if the right hon. Gentleman wants to raise it with them directly, I will, if necessary, help him to arrange a meeting.

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34. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the young girl, because what has happened is simply a tragedy. We are taking steps through our road safety strategy to make roads safer for everyone, including children around schools. I will make sure that my hon. Friend gets a response from a Minister about what we are doing and what we plan to do in the future. This is an issue that comes up for Members across the House from time to time, so I will give some thought to whether we can have such a debate.

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35. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    Playgrounds are very important for local communities and children. It is important that children have somewhere safe to play, and it is distressing to hear about the state of the playgrounds in the hon. Gentleman’s area. It is very much for the local authority, whatever disputes it may have with the water authority or anybody else, to get on and improve that. This would probably be a useful topic for a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate, because I am sure others in the House would want to air similar concerns.

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36. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. She has done so before, and she is an avid campaigner on this matter. The Government still believe that the current daylight saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the United Kingdom, so we do not have plans to introduce double summer time or make any other such changes. However, I do understand and appreciate my hon. Friend’s desire to help farmers and tourists by turning the clocks back two hours, in contrast to some on the other side of the House, who want to turn the clocks back to 1979.

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37. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I think we all claim to have the greatest constituency in the land, but I pay genuine tribute to the hon. Gentleman’s constituency because it is a beautiful place. I hope that VisitBritain has heard what he has said today. Let me give it some thought. If he could let me have details of what he intends to do to heighten interest, I will see what we can do to get it to engage more.

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38. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating Janice Hendry and everyone at yipworld on winning the charity of the year and community awards. I am sure they are well deserved and it is a considerable achievement. Charities are the golden thread that run through our communities and it is right that we celebrate their success in this place.

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39. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I will certainly raise the hon. Lady’s concerns with the relevant Minister and make sure that she gets an update on improving the service, which, of course, the Government are committed to doing.

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40. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend raises a very important matter which will echo the concerns of families in many constituencies. Delays arise in particular where applications are incomplete or require further information, but to improve waiting times His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has invested in additional staff, in system and process improvements and in an upskilling programme, but I will undertake to give the Lord Chancellor sight of my hon. Friend’s words on this issue and see what more can be done.

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