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1. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank the hon. Lady for another testimony from students who feel they have to hide their faith. Indeed, we heard many accounts in the review of teachers doing the same in their schools and colleges. That is why we are accepting all the recommendations, we want to put this issue centre stage, and we are having this important debate and showing cross-party resolve to see schools and colleges take action. But we also want society as a whole debating, discussing and understanding the difference between maybe some of their political views and what then can quickly become antisemitism.

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2. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and for all the work she is doing in her community with Joe Burchell and others. There are, obviously, big questions for all our public services. This is something that every single one of my colleagues around the Cabinet table takes incredibly seriously. I will certainly pass on to my counterpart her suggestion for faith officers in the police.

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3. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   As ever, the right hon. Gentleman makes a profound point and he is absolutely right to do so. I remember his review from 2004. It was important then and he is right that every generation needs to learn, relearn and keep on learning to ensure the next generation are taught the horrors of antisemitism. With every generation that passes, the horrors of the Holocaust get further and further away in the rear-view mirror. That is why we need to update that learning. We need to ensure that Holocaust education remains on the national curriculum, but that it is updated for the modern era. His words are really powerful. I am sure like many colleagues in this House, I went on the Auschwitz visit with the Holocaust Educational Trust a few years ago with school students from Manchester. The profound learning from visiting Auschwitz is that many, many, many good people turned a blind eye to what they knew was happening, which is how the murder of so many Jews, on an industrial scale, was allowed to take place. Many good people turned a blind eye. We are not going to be that generation of good people, I can reassure him of that.

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4. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank my hon. Friend for what sounds like incredibly important inter-faith work in Birmingham. She is absolutely right: modern, contemporary forms of antisemitism—the conspiracy theories she talked about—which are now, I am afraid, rife online, appear in gaming and on other social media. They are, therefore, in children’s bedrooms, living rooms and other rooms where their screens are. That is why we need to ensure that every school in Birmingham and across the country is well-trained and well-versed, and is adopting the recommendations we are setting out.

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5. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank the hon. Lady for sharing her family history. It is really important that we do keep sharing those stories as well, and I thank her for being a governor of what I am sure is an excellent school in Hazel Grove, as there are many excellent schools in Hazel Grove. She raises a good point about governors, and I will take that on board and ensure that training and other resources are available to governors as well. What we are talking about is new funding, as well as new resources for training, suggested classroom resources and so on. That will be available, and I hope schools will feel fully supported in taking this forward.

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6. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank my hon. Friend for that, and once again put on record my thanks to Sir David Bell and his team for the way in which they conducted themselves, not just for the outcome of their review. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: positive engagement, cultural experiences and cultural exchange are absolutely critical to our fostering an environment of acceptance, tolerance, respect and understanding. It sounds like the exhibition at the Bournemouth gallery is one such event, and we will be supporting with extra funding schools to take part in more of these cultural experiences.

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7. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   That is an excellent question and it raises a very good point. The hon. Gentleman talks about being a father. As a mother, I too have had to have these conversations at home and it is important that we do. That was in part why I wanted to be absolutely explicit and clear—as we all need to be—in my opening statement about how antisemitism is revealing itself in modern times. But the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: this is hard; it is not easy for anybody. I have great faith in our teaching workforce. We have some of the best teachers in the world in our schools, but we will be working with experts and the teaching profession to design a lot of the resources and the guidance and advice that we need. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that in addition to what I am announcing today we are on the cusp of our big curriculum review, and at the heart of that review will be media and digital literacy and equipping our young people with the ability to discern dis and misinformation and to ask the right questions and to understand where information is coming from and therefore what it might mean.

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8. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lucy Powell

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   Well, that must have been some politically impartial class, and I thank my hon. Friend for allowing us to end this statement on that note, sending a very important signal to the country, and to our teaching workforce as well, that this is something we stand together on, shoulder to shoulder, resolutely as one Parliament, as one country, as one Government. It might be helpful if I remind colleagues of one thing that was exposed in Sir David Bell’s review: in a survey of secondary school teachers who teach about the Holocaust, 40% reported encountering antisemitism coming into those classes among their students. This really is an issue that we all have to take forward, and I thank every single colleague here today for their contributions.

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9. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lola McEvoy

   E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for bringing this important debate to Westminster Hall. On 16 May 2025, just before 1 pm, 86-year-old Gloria Stephenson was walking her daughter’s dog using a zebra crossing when she was hit by an 18-year-old riding a Sur-Ron e-bike. Gloria died at the scene. My constituent Julie Francis lost her mother that day. She has a petition for more police funding and has been a vocal campaigner for more action to get these bikes off the road. In September, I brought her to Parliament to meet the Policing Minister. Julie’s ask of us all is simple: “Don’t let my mother’s death be in vain.” The rise of e-bikes and e-scooters in Darlington is a major problem. It is obvious from the cross-section of representation in the Chamber that we are not alone. The balaclava-wearing men tearing through our town and deliberately intimidating everyone else, on and off the road, are a visible degradation of our collective social contract. They are literally running amuck, Minister, and my constituents and I have had enough. “Ban them” is the most tempered call from residents, and the most appropriate for a parliamentary debate; many have suggested other measures, which I will not go into now. But the truth is that they are banned; it is already illegal to ride these dirt bikes, motocross bikes and e-scooters on our roads. Durham police are doing a great job of seizing and crushing them—I attended a scrapyard recently and crushed 70 of them with the police—but aside from that, they do not have the powers alone to tackle the problem. One reason why this issue has become so prolific is that it requires a multi-Department approach. Will the Minister review the dirt bike licensing regime, because it is clearly ineffective? In the north-east, we have 34 licensed Sur-Ron bikes; I saw more than that crushed two weeks ago. Will he consider mirroring the gun licensing regulation to enforce stricter requirements for legitimate UK purchases, increasing the penalty for driving dirt bikes without a licence, and banning the sale of e-scooters entirely in our high-street retailers? Will he bring together a cross-Department taskforce to regulate the import of these dangerous kits and, ultimately, get these illegal bikes off our streets?

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10. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lola McEvoy

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    Having had 14 years in power to do something about this issue, the Conservative party might be expected to support the next stage of our policing regulations, as set out in the King’s Speech. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it would be great if the upcoming policing Bill contained provisions on the regulation of off-road bikes?

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11. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lizzi Collinge

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    As a member of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, I have looked in detail at both Jackdaw and Rosebank. It is important that we in this House do not confuse the two. My main concern has always been the impact on carbon emissions of any gas taken from Jackdaw. Will the Minister tell me what impact Jackdaw gas will have on emissions? Will he reassure me that this decision will not have an impact on the speed or scale of the low-carbon energy transition?

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12. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lillian Jones

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    I welcome the Minister’s statement on approving Jackdaw. Particularly during the current global instability, it is going to help strengthen our energy security, and protect skills and jobs. More importantly, it will start supplying British households and businesses by the end of the month. Does he agree that if we are serious about energy security, decarbonisation and the faster roll-out of electrification, the SNP must rethink its ideological opposition to nuclear energy? It is a vital part of the energy mix to deliver reliable, low-carbon power for Scotland.

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13. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lewis Atkinson

    Engagements

    Q14.  Waits for NHS mental health care are far too long. Our constituents are 200 times more likely to wait 18 months for help with a mental health condition than for a physical health condition. A key reason is that, for a long time, there have been clear standards set for physical health access that we are all familiar with—four hours for A&E, and 18 weeks for physical health—but such standards have not been set by successive Governments for mental health. Our manifesto promised to reform the NHS to give the same focus and attention to mental health as to physical health. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the forthcoming mental health strategy delivers on that and sets clear standards, to reduce mental health waits for people of all ages?

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14. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lee Pitcher

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    Will my hon. Friend give way?

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15. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Lee Pitcher

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    I thank my hon. Friend for giving way. I had one of those dreaded calls this week from a family member to say that a resident of mine had passed away without getting justice. These people gave blood, sweat and tears for our country. Is it not time that they got justice?

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16. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    Good afternoon, Ms Lewell; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) on securing this debate about the performance of Royal Mail. She clearly outlined the issues in her constituency. She has heard directly from constituents about the inadequate service, and I thank her for bringing that to the Chamber, as I thank other colleagues for doing the same. This is not the first debate on Royal Mail in the House, but it is my first debate as the Minister responsible, and it is a pleasure to respond to it. I take this part of my brief extremely seriously, and I hear the challenges we are working through loud and clear. Royal Mail should be a cornerstone of our national infrastructure, serving every address in the UK under its universal service obligation. As we have heard, people and businesses continue to rely on its services every single day, and posties are such valued members of the communities they serve. Royal Mail is an independent business, and the Government are not involved in its day-to-day operations or resolving specific service issues, but patience with its performance is wearing thin. Colleagues will have heard that loud and clear from the Prime Minister at the Dispatch Box earlier this afternoon. Customers have every right to expect better. Royal Mail must do more to restore confidence in its service. That is why I was frank in my meeting with the chief executive of Royal Mail last month, and will continue to be so for as long as necessary. We are clear that the service has been unacceptable for too long and that the pace of improvement must increase quickly. Although letter volumes have fallen from 20 billion items per year in the mid-2000s to 6.5 billion in 2025, the number of addresses served by the universal postal service has continued to grow, and we should reflect on that.

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17. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    I thank my hon. Friend for raising those important points. I will shortly turn to the work we are doing with Ofcom and the engagement I have had with it so far. Postal services remain absolutely essential, delivering everything from medical letters to financial information and birthday and greeting cards from loved ones—as well as, soon, Christmas cards. At the same time, the rapid increase from e-commerce over recent years has transformed the postal sector. Parcel volumes for 2025-26 reached 1.44 billion—a 7% increase from ’24-25. I am conscious that, with Christmas coming up soon, Royal Mail will be entering its busiest period of the year, as we have heard from colleagues. It is vital that it delivers a reliable service for its customers. Royal Mail is an independent business, so responsibility for managing delivery operations, workforce deployment and local performance rests with its management, and it is best placed to investigate localised problems. However, I am all too aware that customers across the country continue to be let down by Royal Mail’s poor service. Many hon. Members receive correspondence from constituents highlighting their concerns and frustrations about Royal Mail’s performance, and colleagues have raised them today, as I have, too.

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18. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    I thank the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for his intervention. I will very shortly turn in more detail to my engagement with Royal Mail, and the expectations that I have put to it for how it should engage with us in this House with appropriate detail and information. The consequences of delays can be especially significant when correspondence is important and time-sensitive, such as correspondence regarding hospital appointments, bills, legal documents, benefit correspondence or letters containing driving licences. I share the frustrations and concerns of hon. Members and their constituents. That is exactly why Royal Mail must do more to deliver a reliable service. Before I reflect on my engagements with the chief executive and my correspondence with hon. Members in this Chamber and outside, I will turn to Ofcom. As the independent regulator for postal services, Ofcom is responsible for setting and enforcing Royal Mail’s service standards. I met Ofcom yesterday to share the feedback I received from hon. Members across the House ahead of this debate—I will also reflect on today’s contributions—and to discuss the wider postal sector. Ofcom has fined Royal Mail £37 million over three years for not meeting quality-of-service targets. Ofcom assured me and the Government that it continues to monitor Royal Mail service data closely and will take further regulatory action, where needed, to hold the company to account. Ofcom is also investigating Royal Mail’s performance against quality-of-service targets in the last financial year. I know that several hon. Members, some of them in the Chamber, met Ofcom on Wednesday 14 October to raise their frustrations about the continued poor service from Royal Mail. Ofcom has shared the key themes from that discussion with me and my officials. I thank colleagues for taking the time last week. I have no doubt that Ofcom will have heard and understood the strength of feeling about the service that our constituents have experienced. I will turn briefly to costs, particularly the cost of stamps, which lots of colleagues have mentioned. Last week, Ofcom launched a consultation on extending the current second-class letter price cap until 2028. Of course, every pound counts when people are still struggling with the cost of living crisis, yet they are not getting a reliable postal service. I hope that will be a key consideration, but I recognise that it is for Royal Mail, as an independent business, to set the price of stamps. Ofcom and I discussed that yesterday. The regulator sponsorship charter, which the Government published in July, reaffirms our role in setting regulators’ strategic direction and holding them to account. We will continue to work closely with Ofcom on its approach to regulation and the outcomes it delivers for customers. We would pragmatically consider any future requests for additional powers where they are needed to support improved outcomes for customers and our constituents. We will actively hold Ofcom and other regulators to account, as appropriate.

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19. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    I will provide an update on our next steps, and our engagement with the unions and Royal Mail, very shortly. All hon. Members present agree that Royal Mail needs to step up and improve its performance. Colleagues reflected on the improvement plan published by Royal Mail to address the primary cause of service issues. It has committed to invest £500 million to increase its frontline resourcing and the availability of working hours for part-time employees. I reflect on the point about suitable sorting offices, using modern technology. We have secured legally binding commitments from the new owners for sufficient investment to ensure that the USO can be delivered.

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20. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    Before I address the hon. Gentleman’s point, and reflecting on his remarks about visiting his local sorting offices and what he is hearing from posties themselves, I put on record that Royal Mail has informed me that it has invested more than £470 million since 2021 in automation and in delivery and infrastructure updates. Of course, when it comes to pay and conditions, we work closely with the trade unions represented in Royal Mail, and we will consider the wider support we can provide to create a sustainable future for Royal Mail. Supporting our posties is absolutely essential. I also take this opportunity to reflect on my recent meeting with the chief executive of Royal Mail, at which I specifically raised the issue of engagement with colleagues. I urged Royal Mail to be much more proactive with MPs, and much more detailed in its assessments of what is happening at constituency level, and to take seriously every complaint raised directly with it by colleagues, whether the complaint is about performance, service, staffing levels, sickness or absences. It is important that Members across the House have relevant information to hand. When Members, myself included, receive numerous complaints from constituents, it is important that they have the appropriate and relevant information to make that assessment. I reassure Members that I always reiterate that point when I meet Royal Mail.

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21. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Kate Dearden

    Royal Mail: Performance

    Hopefully, the hon. Member has reflected on my remarks about my engagement with Ofcom, particularly on its recent consultation on stamps, the cost of living crisis, service and targets. I have heard his remarks and will take them forward in my conversations, particularly around Royal Mail’s service, which has to improve, and improve very quickly, as the Prime Minister reiterated today. I thank the hon. Member for putting his reflections on the record. On USO reform, Royal Mail is currently implementing a new delivery model, as we all know and have discussed today. That new delivery model was approved by the CWU and its membership, and it is being implemented across the network. Colleagues have reflected on different feedback from their constituents, posties and local management. Royal Mail’s performance against its quality-of-service targets has been improving, so it is important that any final issues between the company and its workforce in rolling out the new approach are resolved urgently. Today, I reaffirm the commitment given by the Secretary of State yesterday that we are meeting the CWU and Royal Mail the week after next to press for progress. We will update colleagues on that meeting. I also want to reflect on what colleagues have said about our important, absolutely essential postal workers, who are a central part of every city, town and village we represent. Indeed, they are integral to their communities’ future success. Posties work tirelessly every single day for constituents and customers, and Royal Mail must ensure that they remain at the heart of a business that delivers in line with all our expectations. I put on record my appreciation for our postal workers and posties across the country. My grandad was a very proud postie. He loved his community and he loved his job, because it is about much more than delivering letters and parcels. Posties are part of the communities they serve. They know their rounds and their customers. Often, they are one of the familiar faces that people see every day; sometimes, they are the only familiar face that people see. I therefore take the time to express my appreciation. It is in everyone’s interest to get round the table to resolve the issues we have discussed today, including the need for an improvement in the quality of service—we must make sure that happens quickly. Indeed, that is my commitment to all colleagues in Westminster Hall today. Before I conclude, I will talk about parcels and the need to address the imbalances in the postal sector, which is an important part of the next steps, and update colleagues on the work we are doing in the Department in this space. We are improving the working conditions, standards and rights of workers across the economy, including in the delivery sector, which is really important to me. Last week, we published a consultation on proposals for targeted reforms of the employment status framework for employment rights. We recognise that self-employment arrangements can provide flexibility for some people, but we are also aware of the concern that the current employment status framework can leave vulnerable workers without core and basic employment protections and rights. Our consultation hopes to address those issues, particularly around bogus self-employment, which colleagues have reflected on today, taking into account the impact on key sectors of the economy, including the postal services industry. Yesterday, colleagues and I attended an interesting roundtable on work and employment in UK parcel delivery, held with the University of Sheffield Management School, where we talked about exactly these issues. Its research is important and will feed directly into our work in this space. Across the sector, Ofcom has reacted to growing concern about delivery performance by reminding operators of their obligations, and it has engaged with all major parcel companies to ensure their compliance with the regulatory framework. Although this debate focuses on the performance of Royal Mail, it is important to recognise that reliable delivery matters across the postal and parcel delivery market. That is particularly the case for our vulnerable constituents, as service failures can have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable consumers, including disabled people who might often struggle to leave their homes. Ofcom has introduced targeted protections that require operators to have appropriate policies in place for the fair treatment of disabled customers, alongside strengthened guidance on complaints handling. Lots of colleagues mentioned that today, and I will continue to press Ofcom and Royal Mail where I need to. The way we communicate might be changing, but post remains an essential service for people and businesses across the United Kingdom. The Government believe that the performance of Royal Mail has been unacceptable: I have made that clear, as has the Prime Minister. The Secretary of State also made it clear in his response, published yesterday, to the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee’s report. We will continue to press Royal Mail and its management to improve the quality of its service. Customers rightly expect and deserve a reliable postal service, and colleagues from all parties expect their constituents to have it, too. Royal Mail absolutely must deliver it, and deliver it soon. Again, I pay tribute to and thank our incredible posties across the country who work tirelessly to deliver for our constituents and support their communities. Royal Mail is a national institution that is a key part of our identity, and we all want it to succeed. We are passionate about the universal postal service on which we all rely. I hope colleagues hear my passion about ensuring that we get people round the table so that we can deliver a better service for our constituents, through the wider postal sector and Royal Mail. I thank colleagues for their reflections and contributions, and I thank the hon. Member for Lagan Valley for securing this debate.

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22. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Justin Madders

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for securing the debate, and the many Members who made contributions. Although this was billed as a transport debate, a number of other Departments clearly have some influence and interest in the matter, not least the Home Office. A lot of the debate has been about the impact of the reckless and illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes—ranging from nuisance and antisocial behaviour to downright criminality—in all our constituencies. We heard a number of tragic stories about the serious harm that misuse can cause, including life-changing injuries and, indeed, fatalities, so I want to start by reassuring Members that I and the Government understand the importance of the issues raised. It is correct to say, as a number of Members did, that e-bikes and e-scooters have a role to play in our communities—they provide another transport option and have the potential to improve individuals’ health and reduce emissions—but, as we have heard clearly today, an inconsistent approach to regulation and sales over years has left loopholes that at best confuse people and at worst leave this area open to criminal abuse. As my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns) said, the illegal activity is undermining the positive story we want to talk about in respect of the use of these vehicles.

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23. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Justin Madders

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    As my hon. Friend will hear in the rest of my speech, we will be going further in a number of areas. I absolutely recognise his concerns.

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24. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Justin Madders

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    This will be the last intervention; we have a lot to fit in.

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25. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Justin Madders

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    There is an awful lot we need to be looking at in terms of the retail element, which I will come to shortly. We have heard contributions from my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds); from my hon. Friends the Members for Darlington (Lola McEvoy), for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh), for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Neil Coyle), for Carlisle, for Glenrothes and Mid Fife (Richard Baker), for Ealing Southall (Deirdre Costigan), for Reading Central (Matt Rodda), for St Austell and Newquay (Noah Law), for Rushcliffe (James Naish), for Leeds South West and Morley (Mark Sewards), for Tamworth (Sarah Edwards), for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson), for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss) and for Shipley (Anna Dixon); and from the hon. Members for Broxbourne (Lewis Cocking), for Stockton West (Matt Vickers), for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde), for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor), for Yeovil (Adam Dance), for Witney (Charlie Maynard), for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell). This is clearly a nationwide issue that Members throughout the House are particularly interested in. I will not be able to address every single comment, but I will pick out a few that I can address now. We will respond in writing—either me or the relevant Minister—to issues that we are not able to pick up. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden has campaigned on this issue for a long time. She mentioned e-bike fires, which I am well aware of as I was the Minister responsible for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025. I have met Sofia Duarte’s mother and I absolutely agree that it is important that we introduce regulations. I will address that in due course. My hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark probably shared a little too much information about his body shape, but he asked an important question about the national licensing framework. I can confirm that the consultation on that will begin imminently. My hon. Friend the Member for Darlington mentioned the tragic circumstances of her constituent Gloria. I absolutely hear what her daughter Julie has said, and reassure her that we will act on that. My hon. Friend mentioned a review of the dirt bike licensing regime; I will come back to her on that in writing. She was right, as were my hon. Friend the Member for Glenrothes and Mid Fife and the hon. Member for Witney, along with several others, about the responsibility of retailers. It is not good enough to put in small print that these vehicles are for use only on private land. That is not the action of a responsible retailer. Let me be clear: we expect retailers to clean up their act, and if they are not able to do that, more levers are available for us to deal with that. It might help if I briefly set out the current legislative framework. The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 set out the parameters for what is legal and what is not. The power of the electric motor on a legal e-bike cannot exceed 250 watts, and the maximum assisted speed cannot exceed 15.5 mph. Anything faster or more powerful is an electric motorbike and should therefore be approved and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, taxed and insured. In addition, the rider must wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence. A vehicle that is too fast or too powerful and not properly registered as an electric motorbike is illegal for use on public roads. We absolutely need to restate that. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell mentioned concerns that the police do not have enough powers. I think it is fair to say, as a number of Members recognised, that the Government have made it easier for the police to act thanks to measures in the Crime and Policing Act 2026—I am afraid the shadow Minister forgot to mention that his party voted against it on Third Reading. The police can now seize vehicles without first having to issue a warrant. As my hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central said, police forces use a range of different tactics; we are keen to learn from experiences up and down the country. I am pleased to report that there is a lot of cracking down in different forces, tackling the issue from London to Liverpool. Merseyside police’s Operation Gears seized 500 illegal electric motorbikes and e-scooters in 2025. Only last week, the local constabulary in my Ellesmere Port constituency seized around 13 illegal vehicles, supported by one of my local councillors, Katie Kendrick. The issue really matters to people, because we all see it on the streets. If people are wearing balaclavas on bikes, it is criminality hiding in plain sight. It is equivalent to the dodgy vape shop. It is important that we support the police to use the powers they have, and look at whether more powers are needed to deal with the issue. Of course, that is only one side of the problem. As we have discussed, it is far too easy to get hold of these vehicles, which means we must look at doing more at the point of sale. This is about not just the bikes but the e-bike conversion kits which, as we have heard, have the potential to pose real harm to cyclists and others. E-bike batteries can be dangerous if they are not properly installed, and they must be properly regulated to keep people safe. As Members will be aware, over the summer the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade consulted on a range of updates to the product safety framework, including clear duties for online marketplaces to take due care to identify, prevent and remove from their sites unsafe products such as unsafe or non-compliant batteries and their use in e-bikes and conversion kits. That consultation has now closed. BIST officials are considering the responses as part of drafting the Government’s response. As the Minister who introduced the enabling legislation, I am keener than most to ensure that we make the best use of it. I remind the shadow Minister yet again that his party voted against that particular set of laws. Let me turn briefly to e-scooters. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell told us about the tragic death of Jacob Calland, and my sympathies are with his family; I understand that they met my predecessor, and I am keen to continue that dialogue. As Members have pointed out, private e-scooters are illegal for use on public roads. They can be legally used only through the Government’s trials, which have been extended to May 2028. The trial system was implemented back in 2020 but has never been placed on a statutory footing. We are making a firm commitment that we will legislate to define e-scooters in law, which will provide the certainty that we currently do not have. People will know what is legal and what is not, and what can be enforced against.

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26. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Justin Madders

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    The hon. Member will have an opportunity to respond at the end. It is fair to say that there is no international consensus on the right package of regulations for e-scooters, which is why our trial extension is important. We recognise that there will be trade-offs when regulating e-scooters, which is why we will consult next year on detailed proposals. I will conclude, because the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell will want an opportunity to respond. My hon. Friend the Member for Darlington and my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East asked whether I will use my convening power in the Department to get action across Government. I am pleased to confirm that I am working with colleagues across the Home Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and we are setting up a cross-departmental working group to look at this issue, because we consider it an important matter to be tackled across Government. I will shortly meet colleagues across the House who have raised these issues, and I hope to be able to provide regular updates, because this is an important matter to Members and we are determined to tackle it.

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27. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Juliet Campbell

    Community Policing: Government Support

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) for securing this debate. I begin by acknowledging the Nottinghamshire police officer who was shot and injured on Sunday while on duty in Nottingham city centre, close to my constituency. My thoughts are with the officer and his family, friends and colleagues, and I wish him a speedy recovery. It is a sobering reminder of the courage that our police officers show every day, and the risks they face while working to keep our communities safe. In Broxtowe, our local police service has an insufficient number of officers to tackle the crime and antisocial behaviour that is significantly impacting our communities. Even when officers are available, they do not always have the equipment, resources or operational capacity required to intervene safely and effectively. Across Broxtowe, in particular, in Eastwood, Stapleford and Beeston, residents are consistently raising concerns about antisocial behaviour, dangerous illegally modified e-bikes and drug-related crimes. Nottinghamshire police do a fantastic job in responding to those issues, but can only operate within the staffing and resources available to them. Teams are stretched so thin that they cannot maintain a visible presence in our communities, which is what the public reasonably expect. Police visibility is a deterrent for those who carry out criminal activity, and the lack of a police presence damages public trust. Every community deserves an effective and visible police presence so that residents can feel confident that their concerns are acted on. Will the Minister give an update on the commitment to recruit 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and how far we have progressed? In Broxtowe, we need a sustained police force to tackle the rising crime and antisocial behaviour affecting my constituency now.

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28. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    Order. Before I bring in the Minister, may I respond to the hon. Member? Mr Speaker has been very clear on numerous occasions that the rules on courtesy to Members apply equally to all, across the House. If a Secretary of State is visiting a Member’s constituency, they must inform the Member beforehand.

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29. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    I remind Members to think of each other and speed up their questions, so that we can get in as many people as possible.

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30. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

    I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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31. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

    I call the Chair of the Education Committee.

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32. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

    I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

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33. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Judith Cummins

    Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill

    I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his point of order, and he can have his answer now. The Bill removes a disqualification from two categories of persons as set out in clause 1. The number of people who currently fall into those categories for the purposes of the Bill is not relevant to the test of hybridity. I am sure that the Clerk of Legislation will be happy to discuss the matter further with the right hon. Gentleman. I call the Minister.

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34. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Newbury

    Support for Farmers

    Farmers should be able to make a decent living producing excellent food while being properly rewarded for stewarding the land on which we all depend, and those things should not be in competition with one another. Farming sits at the heart of our rural economy, our national security and Britain’s identity. Farmers put in incredibly long hours, often with no respite. They carry considerable financial risk and take decisions that can affect their families’ livelihoods for generations. This has been an exceptionally hard year given the drought, and the driving up of fertiliser and fuel costs by the war in Iran has compounded that. The Government have offered some respite through flexibilities in ELMS agreements, £15 million for on-farm reservoirs, a cut in duty on red diesel and an extra £70 million for this year’s sustainable farming incentive. The SFI supports farming in harmony with nature, from enriching soils to one of my loves: supporting our wonderful farmland birds. I want to share a hopeful, positive story from my constituency. The Oak Tree Farm smallholding, started a few years ago by Sarah and Jay Taylor just outside Slitting Mill near Rugeley, secured funding in the first SFI26 window. They are excited new entrants, and plan to plant fruit trees and establish new hedgerows. I had the chance to visit them recently, and their love of their animals and the brilliant relationships that they have with their loyal customers was so uplifting. We should remember that that first window did succeed in allowing farms like Sarah’s and Jay’s to get in for the first time. There are, however, many lessons to learn. After closing within six hours, the second £233 million SFI26 window demonstrates the sheer level of demand from farmers wanting to participate, but also—let us be frank—desperately needing Government support to tide them over after a series of torrid growing seasons. The window opened at 10 am. For many farmers, that is well into the working day. Many will have been tending livestock or out in the fields, so the timing and the IT system were, in fact, unnecessary barriers. I welcome the Government’s commitment to reopen the SFI as early as possible in 2027, and to scrap the first come, first served approach. I hope that Ministers will consider assessing applications on clear criteria, including environmental benefits, value for money and fair access. As the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for public sector efficiency, I would be keen to be involved in those discussions—alongside, of course, the sector itself, which needs to be heard first and foremost.

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35. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Newbury

    Support for Farmers

    I do agree with my hon. Friend. I wonder whether there was a hesitancy about creating too much demand on the pretty inadequate IT system in one go, but that will always be the case, as long as people know the date. I think that we should have much earlier notice and that the system should take account of the realities of farming, which I am afraid this year’s scheme did not. A farmer should not have to be the quickest with a keyboard and mouse to secure vital cash for margins or pastures. Let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to the SFI, but we also must not shy away from asking fundamental questions about its structure and communication.

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36. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Newbury

    Support for Farmers

    In the interests of time, I am afraid I will not, because I know that many Liberal Democrat colleagues want to get in. I also want to raise the wider contribution that farmers make to rural communities. During severe weather, they are often the first to spring into action. I admire the example set by the last Welsh Labour Government in financially recognising what farmers do for our communities, particularly during heavy snow, fires or other emergencies. As we set out to improve the SFI, I hope we will place greater emphasis on measures that promote resilience to extreme weather, and perhaps even flag those to farmers in badly affected parts of the country. The Government could also take measures to support farms of all shapes and sizes ahead of SFI27, such as the Treasury-backed loans that the National Farmers Union is calling for in next week’s Budget. I hope that the DEFRA team are making the case for rapid, flexible assistance, given the myriad pressures that have come this year. I am optimistic about the future of British farming because of the ingenuity, determination and passion of the people who work in it, whom I will continue to listen to and champion. We will have our differences in this place, but I believe there is a consensus in the House on much of what needs to happen to support our brilliant British farmers. I hope we can bear that in mind in the months ahead, because they are getting on with their job and it is time for us to find common ground so that we can get on with ours.

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37. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Newbury

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    Before he does, will he give way?

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38. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Newbury

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    I thank my hon. Friend. He and I both represent thousands of MPS and BCSSS members in our two constituencies alone who, alongside those who have sadly passed away before seeing that full justice, have been fighting this battle for years and years. Does my hon. Friend agree that with a coalfield Prime Minister and a coalfield Chancellor, next week’s Budget is the time to do right by them once and for all?

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39. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Fenton-Glynn

    Support for Farmers

    I have met with a lot of farmers since the deadline closed, and there is an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, but because they are practical the main thing they want to know is that we are going to learn the lessons of this. Could my hon. Friend please let me know what lessons we will learn and how we will move forward on that basis?

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40. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Josh Dean

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    I hear what the Minister says, but a generation of young people are growing up in the shadow of a growing climate crisis. Countless constituents have written to me setting out their concern—a concern that I share—about this decision and a potential decision on Rosebank. Can the Minister say more about how the energy wealth fund will support this Labour Government’s mission to tackle the climate crisis and drive net zero? What can he say to reassure my constituents, many of whom are coming to my climate and nature town hall at the end of this month?

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