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Showing every spoken contribution, including 12,832 under 12 words. Hide short remarks

1. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Lavery

   Jackdaw Gasfield

   My main concern is for working people—working families and working communities. As a former coalminer, I witnessed the promises from Government with regard to a just transition, which failed, in every measure, to materialise. The devastation to communities that had their hearts ripped out is a testament to that failed transition, and we still bear the scars. I welcome the Government’s commitment to invest revenues in a just transition, but communities and workers in the oil and gas industry need cast-iron guarantees of secure jobs in renewables, with comparable wages, terms and conditions. Will the Minister meet me and others who share experiences of failed transition so that we can help to develop a road map that delivers a genuinely fair future for workers and working communities?

   Hansard source
2. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Lavery

   Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

   I must declare an interest: I am a member of the mineworkers’ pension scheme, and a former miner—probably the only one in the Commons at this moment in time. We must recognise that the Labour party had in its manifesto in 2017, 2019 and 2024 that it would seek justice for the mineworkers in the pension scheme. It is only when a Government are elected that they are allowed to deliver on their manifesto, and we actually did that. We made a huge difference only a few months ago. There is a lot more to do, and I ask the Minister what other people have asked: can he give assurances to the members of the mineworkers’ pension scheme, and the families and widows, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that in the Budget next week, miners in our coalfields are given full justice?

   Hansard source
3. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Byrne

   Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Access to Justice

   2. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill on access to justice for victims and survivors of the troubles.

   Hansard source
4. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Byrne

   Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Access to Justice

   I know that my right hon. Friend is fully aware of the care we must all take over the language we use when we discuss troubles-related affairs. He may recall that the Law Society and the Bar Council have called recent references by some hon. Members to supposed “IRA lawyers” grossly irresponsible and said that it puts people at risk. Given the tragic history of the murder of lawyers such as Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson, will he join me in urging all hon. Members to take extreme care over their language and recognise that their words can have tragic consequences and completely undermine the confidence of bereaved families and victims, which is essential to ensuring a balanced and credible legacy process?

   Hansard source
5. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Henry Tufnell

   Jackdaw Gasfield

   I congratulate the Minister on backing British industry in the North sea, but as he knows, industrial communities such as mine in Pembrokeshire face existential threats from high energy costs and high carbon costs. What measures are the Government taking to support good, unionised, well-paid jobs and industry right across the country?

   Hansard source
6. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Helen Hayes

   Jackdaw Gasfield

   The decision on Jackdaw has been taken in the context of communities across the country meeting to watch screenings of the “National Emergency Briefing” on climate change. The briefing has been prepared by scientists, and I have not heard any credible dissent on the science in the film. It would be very difficult to watch the film and conclude, for example, that drilling in the Rosebank oilfield should be allowed to go ahead. What are the Government doing to ensure that there is a comprehensive and effective approach to public education on climate change so that everyone across our country has an accurate, science-based understanding of the peril that it brings?

   Hansard source
7. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Helen Hayes

   Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

   I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, and I thank Sir David Bell for his work on this important review. I pay tribute to him for the thoughtful approach that he has taken, and thank him for taking the time to meet me during the review, which gave us the opportunity to discuss a disgraceful antisemitic attack on a child in my constituency that occurred in recent months—an abhorrent and devastating incident, the like of which should simply never happen. The review highlights the important role of schools and colleges in tackling antisemitism, and in helping children and young people to navigate difficult, complex and challenging issues. This is ever more important in the age of social media, and in the context of extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds. How will the Secretary of State ensure that teachers have the capacity and skills to rise to the scale of this challenge, and to meet their obligations on political impartiality, while helping our children and young people to navigate the serious and complex challenges in our society? We must ensure that education plays the fullest possible role in stamping out antisemitism, fostering community cohesion and creating the engaged, thoughtful and responsible citizens we all want to see.

   Hansard source
8. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Grahame Morris

   Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

   I compliment my hon. Friend on his excellent presentation of the arguments. Indeed, all the interventions have been absolutely to the point. I am the son and grandson of miners. Sadly, my father passed away and my mother, a widow, passed away before she received the benefits of last year’s increases. I am directing my remarks to those on the Treasury Bench when I say that this country owes a debt of honour to the miners who made sacrifices. It is the anniversary of Aberfan, and we have just marked the anniversary of the terrible disaster at Easington colliery in my constituency, where 83 men were killed. There was a price to be paid by those miners and those communities, and that historical debt can be repaid in part by the Chancellor in the Budget next week. I beseech the Minister to take that message back.

   Hansard source
9. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Graham Stringer

   E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

   Order. There is obviously huge interest in this debate. I remind hon. Members to bob if they wish to speak. To start with, I will impose a time limit of two and a half minutes on speeches. I ask Members to keep interventions brief. I call Dame Siobhain McDonagh.

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10. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Graham Stringer

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    We now come to the Front-Bench speeches.

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11. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Graham Stringer

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    Order. The hon. Gentleman has been generous in taking interventions, but he is coming to the end of his time. I presume he will draw his remarks to a conclusion.

    Hansard source
12. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Graham Stringer

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    In calling the Minister, may I request that he leaves two or three minutes at the end for the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell to wind up?

    Hansard source
13. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Graham Stringer

    University Hospital of North Tees

    I will call Matt Vickers to move the motion. I will then call the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. I have had no notice that such permissions have been given. As is the convention for 30-minute debates, there will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up.

    Hansard source
14. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gill German

    Community Policing: Government Support

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. For me, community policing is about whether people feel safe in their neighbourhoods, high streets or town centres. It is about public confidence that, when concerns are raised, there will be a visible police presence that knows the community and responds effectively. That is why long-term, consistent funding matters. Trust takes years to build and minutes to lose. Officers and PCSOs need the stability to develop relationships within communities and become familiar faces. Community policing is also vital in supporting local businesses. Of course, this debate takes place just ahead of USDAW’s Respect for Shopworkers Week, and we all know that retail workers increasingly face abuse, threats and violence simply for doing their jobs. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is crucial to ensure that the police have the powers they need to tackle low-level offending, and now we must ensure that the powers are matched by the resources and policing presence to enforce them. I will conclude with the story of an incredible police constable, Jake Hart, who was chasing suspects down the road in Rhyl, when a young boy offered him his bicycle to complete the pursuit. That is not quite the high-tech crime-fighting equipment usually discussed here, but it is a wonderful example of community spirit. More importantly, it showed a young person who trusted the police enough to want to help. It is so important for that trust to be kept—it is invaluable, and it is worth investing in.

    Hansard source
15. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gareth Thomas

    Community Policing: Government Support

    I congratulate the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) in the usual way on securing this debate. I hope that she will not mind if I focus on the challenges around community policing in suburban areas of the greatest city in the world: London. I specifically ask the Minister to encourage councils in the suburbs of London to use their powers—the so-called section 92 powers—to directly fund police officers for the local community. A number of London councils are already doing so, and I struggle to understand why Harrow council, which serves my constituents some of the time well and some of the time not quite so well, is not funding police officers similarly. Barking and Dagenham funds four police officers; Greenwich two; Hammersmith and Fulham three; Havering almost three; Islington two; Southwark three; Tower Hamlets 26; Westminster nine. Why does Harrow council not also fund police officers in a very direct way? I welcome the Government’s commitment to an extra 13,000 additional neighbourhood police. In my constituency, we are fortunate to have seen extra police in Wealdstone and effective neighbourhood police teams across the borough, who have helped to drive down shoplifting—although there is still more work to do on that—and tackle one or two of the key gang crime hotspots in my constituency. I welcome, too, the Met’s successful crackdown on mobile phone theft. There is still, however, a lot more to do in helping our constituents to feel safe and secure in the key shopping districts serving my constituency. Many councils have their own enforcement officers, but those officers, such as the ones employed by Kingdom in Harrow, have no powers of arrest. They cannot issue criminal charges or on-the-spot fines. They do not have the same powers and are not seen to be as effective as police officers. I hope that the Minister will encourage local authorities such as Harrow to go the extra mile and use the significant uplift in funding from this Government to place some police officers directly in our communities. In the longer term, I would like to see some investment in Harrow’s police station—

    Hansard source
16. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gareth Snell

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    I agree with the Minister about the price spikes and the rollercoaster of oil and gas, but I am concerned by his talk about coming off oil and gas. As he knows, some sectors in this country, whether they be glass, metal, cement or, of course, ceramics, are always going to have to use gas because there are no alternatives. With the Minister talking about how this decision will not bring down industrial gas prices, and with the Government having decided to exclude gas-intensive industries from the British industrial competitiveness scheme and supercharger schemes, what are this Government going to do to make sure that those industries that are dependent on gas and are crucial to our reindustrialisation get the help and support they need?

    Hansard source
17. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Frank McNally

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    My hon. Friend knows that actions have consequences, but so does inaction. Ultimately, the consistent failure of the Conservatives over many years to address the challenges in the North sea has seen 70,000 jobs lost. I welcome the statement, which was clearly focused on energy security and jobs. As my constituency neighbour, the Minister knows the importance of supply chain jobs in Lanarkshire, not just in oil and gas but in clean energy projects such as RES, which we both visited recently. Does he agree that the new £2 billion energy wealth fund represents a serious step towards supporting our transition effort and delivering high-quality jobs in Lanarkshire?

    Hansard source
18. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Euan Stainbank

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    The previous Tory Government blundered through an unlawful consent process, which required this decision to be reconsidered, unless we adopted the licence revocation policies of the Greens, which would have accelerated significant job losses and irrecoverably deindustrialised the north-east. Although I have previously opposed this project, the energy security situation has changed radically this year due to the significant consequences of the US and Israel’s illegal war in Iran. Will the Minister explain how that direct impact on our short-term energy security in the UK influenced the decision, and will he clarify exactly how many direct and supply chain jobs the decision supports?

    Hansard source
19. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Royal Mail: Performance

    With a time limit of three and a half minutes, I call Anneliese Dodds.

    Hansard source
20. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Royal Mail: Performance

    Order. Time is up.

    Hansard source
21. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Royal Mail: Performance

    The time limit is now three minutes.

    Hansard source
22. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Housing Costs: Government Support

    I will call Andrew George to move the motion, and the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and from the Minister. As is the convention in 30-minute debates, the Member in charge will not have an opportunity to wind up.

    Hansard source
23. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Community Policing: Government Support

    I am setting a time limit of three minutes for speeches.

    Hansard source
24. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Community Policing: Government Support

    Order. Your time is up. I call Jim Shannon.

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25. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Community Policing: Government Support

    There is now a reduced time limit of two minutes.

    Hansard source
26. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Emma Lewell

    Community Policing: Government Support

    I remind Members that I need to call the Front Benchers at 5.10 pm; if Members are kind to one another, they may all get in.

    Hansard source
27. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Elaine Stewart

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    With everything going on in the world right now, having strong home-grown energy matters more than ever. Like many in this House, I have had a number of constituents across Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock reach out about energy security. Will the Minister elaborate on how today’s announcement helps the country move towards energy independence, and how that makes us stronger as a country?

    Hansard source
28. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Elaine Stewart

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    On 2 November, I will be meeting MPS members in Cumnock town hall. I encourage colleagues to attend local meetings. The progress so far on mineworkers’ pensions is thanks to this Labour Government, and any further progress will be from Labour Members on these Benches. Does my hon. Friend agree that our presence at those meetings as elected Members sends an important signal?

    Hansard source
29. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Zubir Ahmed

    Engagements

    One hundred years ago this month, my family’s proud tradition of service and contribution to Britain began when my grandfather, Imam Mohamed, travelled from Indian Punjab to serve in the Royal British Hong Kong police force. Does my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister share my concern that, in the light of ITV’s exposé of elected Reform politicians indulging in racist behaviour, families like them, of whom there are thousands in this country, will wonder who now represents them? Can he reassure me that the Government he leads will make sure that everyone’s contribution is respected and recognised?

    Hansard source
30. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Scott Arthur

    Jackdaw Gasfield

    I know this is a difficult area to work in, not least because the Scottish Government do not yet know their policy on oil and gas drilling. Yesterday, The Scotsman reported that the Scottish Energy Minister has said it will take a year for them to reach a conclusion on that. I thank the Minister and the Secretary of State for their engagement with me. They were open to listening to my constituents’ many concerns about this decision. I hope my constituents are reassured that so much of the money from Jackdaw will be invested in renewables. However, to some extent, Jackdaw is just a sideshow because it is really Rosebank that many people are concerned about. Will the Minister confirm that despite media speculation, the decision today will not set a precedent for Rosebank and that it will be judged on its own merits or otherwise?

    Hansard source
31. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Sam Rushworth

    Mineworkers’ Pension Schemes: Nottinghamshire

    I thank my hon. Friend for his excellent work. It was my privilege five years ago at Labour conference to second the National Union of Mineworkers’ motion on this matter. Five years on, many of the miners I represent are still waiting to see some of these things come to fruition and, sadly, any members of my family who worked in the pits are no longer with us. He mentioned people in their 80s, so will he join me in urging the Government to take this action as swiftly as possible? Does he also share my disappointment that there is nobody on the Opposition Benches? We on the Government Benches cannot be the only people who represent mineworkers.

    Hansard source
32. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Peter Prinsley

    Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges

    I welcome this important report. I am a Zionist, for Zionism is the belief that Jewish people have a right to self-determination in their ancient homeland—nothing more, nothing less. Let us teach that to our children. Our Government have rightly recognised the state of Palestine, and it too must have a sustainable and secure future. However, does the Secretary of State agree with me that we must refute other spurious definitions of Zionism fabricated for political purposes? Let us teach that to our children, too.

    Hansard source
33. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Marie Tidball

    Community Policing: Government Support

    The hon. Lady is making an impassioned speech. On the point about cuts to community policing under Conservative and coalition Governments, they are having a direct effect on my constituents. Jane, who lives in Ecclesfield, recently told me of a terrifying experience when multiple electric bikes sped past her on the pavement as she was crossing the road. She told me they were going as fast as cars, with speed limiters disabled. She said that if she had set foot on the pavement a second earlier, she would have been injured or potentially lost her life. Does the hon. Lady agree it is vital to roll out the 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the end of this Parliament, which the Government are working towards, to ensure that the dangerous use of e-bikes is properly tackled, including in my constituency?

    Hansard source
34. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dr Jeevun Sandher

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    Like other Members across this Chamber, I am facing huge problems in my constituency with bike gangs and those who are causing real harm to my community. I thank the Minister and the Government for all the work they have done—more police, more powers, more local work, the banning of balaclavas and careless bike riding, and getting TikTok accounts taken down. That is a win for us all, and we are building safer communities, but can the Minister assure me that it is not the end and that the Government will keep going further to stop the bike gangs and keep my community safe?

    Hansard source
35. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer, and I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for securing this debate. From commuters trying to get to Southall station in the morning to my 82-year-old constituent trying to get to Ealing hospital along Boston Road, e-bikes on the pavement are a daily annoyance in Ealing Southall. People think that the council is to blame, but the truth is that the council has almost no powers when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters. In fact, anyone in Ealing could set up an e-bike company in a morning—I could do it myself, and there is nothing the council could do to stop me. All the council can do is try to agree a voluntary memorandum of understanding with e-bike companies, but that is just a gentlemen’s agreement; it is not the law. In reality, e-bike companies can do whatever they want. This has led to a wild west situation in London, with a patchwork of companies operating in different boroughs, which is why we have bikes piled up at borough boundaries, and it is almost impossible to hold companies to account for bad parking or massive oversupply of bikes in some areas. Ealing made a voluntary agreement with two companies, Forest and Lime, but a third company, Voi, is refusing to leave the borough, and there is not a lot the council can do about it. I am delighted that this Labour Government have already taken concrete action, after years of inaction by the previous Government. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, passed before the summer, will finally give councils and mayors the powers to license e-bike and hopefully also e-scooter companies. Although some steps still need to be taken in Parliament to formally pass those powers to the Mayor of London, it will mean we can set London-wide rules for e-bikes, including on mandatory parking spaces, age limits for riders and insurance. We will also be able to fine companies that do not play by these rules. The previous Government did not have the courage to act, but Labour is doing what it promised: devolving powers to local communities, so that they can make the rules in their areas. All we need now is for the Minister to hop on his e-scooter and pick up the pace a bit, so that we can get these powers transferred to the Mayor of London as soon as possible.

    Hansard source
36. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    E-scooters and E-bikes: Regulation

    Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

    Hansard source
37. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    Community Policing: Government Support

    The hon. Member is making some good points, but does she agree that the cut to police services’ budgets started in 2010 when her party was in government with the Conservatives? We saw a 25% cut across the country, which is what decimated neighbourhood policing in all our constituencies.

    Hansard source
38. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    Community Policing: Government Support

    Many police officers I have spoken to have made exactly the point that they do not have enough powers to deal with antisocial behaviour in particular, and also shoplifting. The hon. Member was good enough earlier to take responsibility for her party’s role in cutting police numbers across the country. Will she similarly take responsibility for the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which the Lib Dems brought in with the Conservatives? It got rid of antisocial behaviour orders and the power the police had to take action against antisocial behaviour, and it brought in the £200 threshold for shoplifters, which meant that people could get away with nicking stuff left, right and centre.

    Hansard source
39. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    Community Policing: Government Support

    I thank the Minister for coming to Ealing Southall yesterday as part of the roll-out of respect orders. Does she agree that they will mean the police will be able to actually arrest people, rather than just move them on from one end of the town to the other?

    Hansard source
40. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Deirdre Costigan

    Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill

    I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. It was the great Daniel O’Connell—elected Member of Parliament for County Clare in Ireland in 1828 but unable to take up his seat because he would not swear the Oath of Supremacy—who famously achieved Catholic emancipation through that 1829 Catholic relief Act. O’Connell was known as “The Liberator”, and Gladstone called him “the greatest popular leader whom the world has ever seen”, and yet to this day, there is no statue or portrait to O’Connell in this House. Does the Minister agree that today, 197 years on, the legacy of Daniel O’Connell, the Liberator, will finally be complete with full equality in elected office for both Catholics and Jews?

    Hansard source