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

1. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jonathan Davies

   Water Management

   One thing that will benefit farmers in my constituency is the £50 million through the sustainable farming incentive to allow farms to build more water storage on their land. That is going to be of huge benefit, because their food stocks are down going into winter after the hot summer. We also have an issue with flooding. Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act has not been enacted, meaning that every development has a right to be connected to the drainage system, which increases the amount of flooding. If the Minister could take that forward with colleagues at MHCLG, I would be very grateful indeed.

   Hansard source
2. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jon Trickett

   Social Housing Bill [Lords]

   I was disappointed by the Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for Orpington (Gareth Bacon), who sounded complacent when he talked about the aspiration to buy a house. Of course, there is that aspiration, but does he not understand the aspiration of people on the waiting list? Millions of people, including 170,000 children in temporary accommodation, aspire just to have a key for a council house. Has he ever seen the gleam in a family’s eyes when they get that key and manage to get a secure home, knowing it is there for the future? It is not good enough to simply say that the aspiration to buy a house is more important than the aspiration to have a home, and one that is warm and secure. Also, there was no sense of contrition that the right to buy legislation resulted in 2 million council houses being sold, whereas only 250,000 new houses were built in that period. Of those 2 million that were sold, 800,000 now belong to private landlords. That is quite shocking because the rents that private landlords charge are a multiple of what a council or social landlord would charge. In my constituency, 6,000 homes have gone to private landlords. The council received about £140 million in capital receipts for those 6,000 houses. They are now worth £1.1 billion. This has been a racket; it has been like the gold rush in the Klondike, a race for money. In the meantime, rent levels in the remaining social housing are only 61% of the rents charged by the private landlords. It is totally anomalous that for two or three houses on the same street in the same estate a higher rent will be charged by a private landlord than that for the people next door who are still renting from a social landlord. The Government need to move fast. We cannot allow so many children and families to be left in that perilous situation—55,000 individuals are struggling in the district of Wakefield. Let me make one final point. The Treasury’s dead hand of economic orthodoxy prioritises house building by housing associations over house building by councils, which is a mistake. The Bill does not address that, but I wonder whether the Minister could respond on that in some way. A council can borrow money to build an asset worth more than what it has borrowed and receive an income from it through rent, yet that counts towards the national debt; for a housing association, it is different. I think those rules explains councils’ retreat from committing to build more housing rather than social landlords.

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3. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jon Pearce

   Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for securing this important debate. There are so many positive male role models in my constituency and across the country that I could talk about, but I want to focus on one hugely important group: dads. I was lucky with my first child that the job I had then allowed me to be present—not just to lend a hand or spend time with my baby, but to co-parent. In this job, I have noticed the difference. I am often back too late for school and nursery pick-ups; indeed, I will be today. When I get home, I find myself asking, “What do they like to eat? What is the toy that they should be playing with in the bath? What bedtime story are they into at the moment?” Little things—but parenthood is all about the little things. Miss those moments, and we risk missing the bigger picture. For most children, their first, most important male role model is not an influencer or a celebrity; it is dad. The alternative—the toxic masculinity offered by the likes of the brothers Tate—is not worth thinking about. That is not the society I want my girls to grow up in. Real strength is having the character to step up for those who need us—not standing alone, flexing our muscles in front of the mirror. Real resilience is getting up, tired, night after night, rocking a baby with no end in sight; I can tell Members that it does more for the biceps than going to the gym. We should do everything we can to support dads to be there, but we have a real socioeconomic divide in Britain. Some 90% of claimed paternity leave goes to the highest earners. A right that people cannot afford is no right at all. If people are self-employed—our farmers, plumbers and delivery drivers—they have no right to paternity leave at all. What message are we sending to the dads who keep Britain working? That matters particularly in rural constituencies such as mine in High Peak. After a caesarean section, which my wife had, mothers are advised not to drive for six weeks. In rural constituencies, not being able to drive can mean isolation. If dad goes back to work after two weeks, who picks the other children up from school? Who takes them to nursery? Who nips to the supermarket to get nappies when they run out? In those first few weeks, just being there is priceless. The economic evidence is compelling. New research from the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership shows that six weeks of paternity leave, paid at 90% of earnings, could deliver a £2.6 billion net boost to the UK economy every year. That is because, when fathers have proper paid leave, mothers are better able to remain in work and increase their hours. There is also good evidence that better paternity leave reduces relationship breakdowns, keeping more male role models in the home, which means huge savings for the state in housing and benefits. Extending paternity leave should not be seen as a cost. It is an investment in Britain. We have the worst paternity leave in Europe, and it is time we called time on it, by offering six weeks at 90% of earnings reserved for fathers and second parents, with the equivalent entitlement for self-employed and insecure workers. If we want boys to see caring, responsibility and kindness as strengths, we need to help the men in their lives to be there. I have been the father who was there for the little things, but I have also been the father who has missed them. I can tell you, Mrs Hobhouse, that a little change to paternity leave can make a big difference to the lives of men and women and their children.

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4. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jon Pearce

   Business of the House

   By the time I was 18, I had already had five years’ work experience stacking shelves in the local supermarket and making Big Macs in McDonald’s. Sadly, too many young people today do not have access to work experience. On 25 September, I will hold the fourth of my hugely successful job fairs, and I am encouraging all the exhibitors to offer work experience to local young people so that we can break down that barrier. Will the Leader of the House arrange a debate in Government time on the importance of work experience for our young people and for our economy?

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5. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John Slinger

   Business of the House

   Sixty constituents from all across my constituency of Rugby have contacted me to complain about what is often a totally unsatisfactory service from Royal Mail, with no, slow or bulk deliveries. That has a real human impact. If I may, I draw attention to Rugby Talking Newspaper, whose customers are not receiving this vital service that they rely on. I believe that Royal Mail may well be in breach of its statutory obligation to deliver articles to blind people free of charge. Will the Leader of the House consider granting a debate in Government time on how we can exert more public control over this vital public service?

   Hansard source
6. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John Slinger

   Ukraine and Russia

   Ukrainians living in my constituency of Rugby contacted me ahead of this statement to inform me of the devastating attacks in the Sumy region overnight, including on a shopping centre and on trains. I asked one of them what they thought was missing from the debate here, and, if you will allow me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to read out what they said: “The constant psychological pressure. When you live inside it, everything feels incredibly urgent. If drones are flying towards your city, every minute matters and then you look at the outside world, where decisions naturally take weeks or months, and it can feel painfully slow and very far away. Sometimes you feel almost alone in it. There is also the information war. After years of this, people are exhausted, and of course there is anger. Why was this not stopped? Why is there not more protection? Russia tries to use exactly that exhaustion, fear and frustration to deepen mistrust. At the same time, it pushes another message outside Ukraine: that Ukrainians are tired of fighting, that Ukraine cannot win, and that continued support is pointless. But that is not what I hear from the people I know. They are exhausted, yes. They are frightened and angry. But they do not want to surrender. They want the opposite—the chance to live their normal lives again without Russia deciding whether they can sleep, travel, work, keep warm or see their family.” Will my right hon. Friend just reiterate once again that this House is united with Ukraine, and will help it militarily, diplomatically, economically and in the psychological battle?

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7. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John McDonnell

   Air Traffic Control Disruption

   I thank the Minister for his statement. NATS used to be in my constituency and then moved down to Swanwick. Of course, with Heathrow in my constituency, I receive—as I mentioned yesterday—a large amount of correspondence from a whole range of other MPs’ constituents, who think I am responsible for Heathrow airport.

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8. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John McDonnell

   Air Traffic Control Disruption

   Can you control these people, Madam Deputy Speaker?

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9. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John McDonnell

   Air Traffic Control Disruption

   It is not a laughing matter—I am sorry for interrupting the flow of the discussion. It would be useful if the review looked at NATS’s long-term investment plans, particularly since its partial privatisation in 2001, which I opposed. I thank the Minister for meeting Unite this morning and thanking the workers, who have worked so hard. From my experience, when things go wrong at NATS, the Public and Commercial Services Union members—the technical members—scramble and work incredibly hard to put them right. I hope that we can thank them as well. The Opposition spokesperson never made any reference to the workers themselves. They have worked incredibly hard and, as the Minister said, some of them have experienced horrendous abuse. We should congratulate them and support them in their work.

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10. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·John McDonnell

    Business of the House

    On a number of occasions, I have raised the case of Lee Cheuk-yan, who many Labour Members will remember was the general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and founder of the Labour party in Hong Kong. He was detained during the democracy movement five years ago. In the last 48 hours, we have heard that he will be before the courts again on Friday. Having served a five-year sentence, he is now being tried for subversion, and faces the threat of a 30-year sentence. Will the Leader of the House liaise with the Foreign Secretary to see whether we can get a statement on behalf of Lee, urging clemency, and hopefully secure his release?

    Hansard source
11. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Johanna Baxter

    Business of the House

    Offences under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 have skyrocketed 81% since July 2022—a stark sign that violence against women and girls in Scotland has reached crisis point. That fact was rammed home to me last week, as I listened to a woman in my constituency advice surgery describe the abuse she has been experiencing at the hands of her partner. This Labour Government are working hard to halve violence against women and girls, but to deliver that for the whole United Kingdom, we must tackle the root causes and demand urgent action from Holyrood. Will the Leader of the House outline what he thinks the Scottish Government might learn from the work of this Labour Government?

    Hansard source
12. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Johanna Baxter

    Ukraine and Russia

    I welcome my right hon. Friend to his place. I am very pleased that he has now seen for himself, as I have, the reality of Russia’s illegal war on the ground in Ukraine. I know he will share my concerns about the deeply troubling reports in The Daily Telegraph yesterday that SAS veterans are training Russians to fight Ukraine. It states: “An assessment compiled for Five Eyes intelligence agencies found, with ‘strong confidence’, that Western military veterans had been recruited to train Russian citizens as well as ‘active duty military’ personnel.” Will he investigate, as a matter of urgency, those reports and report back to the House?

    Hansard source
13. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Powell

    Lobbying: Ethics and Integrity Commission Report

    1. What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Ethics and Integrity Commission’s report into lobbying, published on 9 July 2026.

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14. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Powell

    Lobbying: Ethics and Integrity Commission Report

    I strongly welcome the Government’s efforts to rewire the state and create more accountability for decisions made by the Government. As part of that effort, cleaning up our politics is so important, as we have seen from the summer of scandals on the funding of the Reform party. The Ethics and Integrity Commission has laid out how lobbying can be reformed to make it more open, rational and accountable. Can the Minister outline what immediate steps might be taken, and can he assure us that he will keep an open mind to the commission’s central recommendation, which is legislation for a unified digital open lobbying register?

    Hansard source
15. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Powell

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    The housing crisis in Kensington and Bayswater is one of the biggest drivers of inequality in our community, with overcrowding, damp and mould, families stuck in temporary accommodation, and a lack of options for people with accessibility issues. It is a huge drag on life chances and opportunity, including for children. The issue is not helped by Conservative-run Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea receiving a C3 rating from the Regulator of Social Housing—a staggering failure nearly 10 years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, in which the inquiry found major failings at the council. It certainly would not be helped either by an entirely arbitrary £4 billion cut in housing benefit, which would dramatically increase homelessness, require the local authority to spend more on temporary accommodation and dramatically change the socioeconomic make-up of communities such as mine. It is a truly shameful policy. I will happily take an intervention from Conservative Front Benchers if they want to defend it, but it certainly would not address any of the issues we are talking about today.

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16. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Powell

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    I completely agree with my hon. Friend. As the Prime Minister said yesterday, that policy would increase homelessness and would be entirely self-defeating, because it would just shift the bill to local authorities that would then have to deal with the problem, rather than tackling the problem, as we are doing today through this Bill. What we actually need is more social and genuinely affordable housing, and I welcome the steps this Bill takes to address the issue, because there is no doubt that unchecked right to buy has contributed to the problem. The measures in the Bill are sensible and will make a difference. They build on policy changes that the Government have already made, including making permanent the retention of 100% of right-to-buy receipts. However, the implementation of these measures in communities such as mine will obviously be vital. In many of our council estates and buildings, the current owners of right-to-buy properties are actually open to selling. That is partly because of estate regeneration costs and concerns about service charges and quality, and because unlike other private leaseholders, those leaseholders may not necessarily benefit to the full extent from the easier path to commonhold and resident-run buildings that the Government will be bringing in for leaseholders in general. I would welcome further information about how local authorities can be supported to buy back properties in blocks where the council is already the freeholder. I fully understand that this is an admission of the failure of the historical right-to-buy policy, and the situation certainly would not be helped by retaining the three-year eligibility requirement that the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Orpington (Gareth Bacon), supported in his speech. Changing the requirement to 10 years makes much more strategic sense for councils, because it incentivises both those buy-backs and investment in new council housing.

    Hansard source
17. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Powell

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    I do agree. We have to increase supply in any way we can, and my point about buy-backs is that they demonstrate the false economics of the system. Councils are buying back at a premium, and often they have to buy back only for temporary accommodation—because that is where the costs are so high—rather than for lifetime secure tenancies, which is what we need. We also have a real challenge on housing association disposals, which I know other Members will speak to. The classic examples are Victorian-era street properties in North Kensington and Notting Hill. I am hearing of accelerated sell-offs as housing associations raise revenue to deal with their recent challenging financial situation, given remediation costs and the requirements to improve standards. Given that the Government have now backed the sector with access to the building safety fund, a 10-year rent settlement, low cost loans and more, I hope that those disposal numbers will drop. I know from experience that those homes in my constituency are unlikely to be replaced in the same community. The new four-week period for housing associations to notify the council is therefore extremely welcome, but it must lead to more purchases by local authorities of these properties. I would therefore welcome further information from the Minister on what impact he expects these notification periods to have. What guidance can be provided to housing providers, given their independence, to make it clear that private sector sales should be a plan B? What support will local authorities have to purchase these properties? Moving briefly on to shared ownership, I welcome the Minister’s close attention to the operation and effectiveness of shared ownership. Ministers will know about the case of Shaftesbury Place, because I have raised that building near Earls Court before. It has approximately 30 shared ownership flats that have experienced a twenty-onefold increase in building insurance due to a disputed fire risk assessment. The shared ownership leaseholders have consistently raised issues—broken security gates, cleaning, unauthorised access requests and late accounts—with the management of the building by Notting Hill Genesis,. In many ways, these residents are experiencing the same challenges that many leaseholders have with managing agents in the private sector, for which I hope the Government will introduce a new independent regulator. Can the Minister assure me that how housing associations manage shared ownership properties will be considered not only under forthcoming leasehold reforms, but in the Department’s work to review the challenges of shared ownership? I welcome the new measures in this Bill to keep victims of domestic abuse safer, and I look forward to seeing those powers used by landlords. Clearly, there is no one solution to the housing crisis in a community like mine in Kensington and Bayswater, but today’s Bill is an important step forward, and I strongly welcome it.

    Hansard source
18. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Joe Morris

    Topical Questions

    T8. I welcomed the announcement that the First Secretary of State and the Prime Minister made over the summer on reforming procurement to benefit British businesses. On my summer tour of my constituency, I met large groups of local farmers, who have seen previous procurement reforms not quite benefit farmers as they would have liked. I visit farms in Northumberland, unlike my predecessors, so will the Minister join me on a visit to a local farm to discuss how procurement can benefit British farmers?

    Hansard source
19. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jessica Toale

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    My area is probably like my hon. Friend’s, in that local housing allowance does not nearly meet market rates. Market rates are well above the national average, and wages in my area are below it, so does he agree that the Conservative policy of capping local housing allowance and the lack of social housing building over the past decade have exacerbated the issues we are now seeing in our constituencies?

    Hansard source
20. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jess Phillips

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    It is very good to hear the Minister commit to checking whether guidance is enough. Many of us who have tried to rehouse victims of domestic abuse, even after great laws have been written into legislation in this place, will know that getting them the priority need status under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 still takes a huge amount of advocacy. I therefore really welcome the commitment that, if guidance alone does not work, the Government will look at legislation. I offer to work with the Department to ensure that we assess whether the policy is working not from Whitehall but from the frontline.

    Hansard source
21. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jess Phillips

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    As somebody who, I would wager, has rehoused more victims of domestic abuse than almost anybody in this House, I just want to say on behalf of victims of domestic abuse that building more council housing and ensuring that more council housing is in the system is literally the thing that almost every victim in the country would ask us to do. With that, I commend the ideology of the Bill and suggest on the hon. Gentleman’s point about “wedging it together” that they are the same issue.

    Hansard source
22. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jess Phillips

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    I am not right honourable, although I am right. [Laughter.]

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23. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

    Does my hon. Friend recognise that it can be particularly difficult for men in the armed forces, who are often away? Even were there a willingness to provide paternity leave at 90% of pay, sometimes they simply cannot get the time. That is another thing that we need to consider when we are talking about male role models—men who work away.

    Hansard source
24. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) on securing this debate; it has been fascinating so far. The Centre for Social Justice’s recent report, which a number of people have talked about, revealed that 76% of people surveyed believed that teenagers today lack proper role models in popular culture. The opportunity for young men to find positive male role models is limited. We have talked about there being 1,000 fewer youth clubs today than there were 15 years ago, and the number of youth workers has fallen by over a third. When young men feel disconnected and lack representations of positive masculinity, an empty space can open up, and unfortunately some of the loudest and most harmful voices are all too keen to fill it. That disconnection can carry real-world consequences. Between April and June 2026, 530,000 young men aged 16 to 24—13.7%—were not in education, employment or training, compared with 12.3% of young women. The CSJ highlights that the proportion of young men who are NEET is climbing. That can snowball into strain on health and relationships or tip over into the criminal justice system; when it gets really bad, we see very high suicide rates, as we have in Cornwall, particularly for men. However, there are examples of community-led interventions that help young men to find positive male role models. I see them across my constituency. We have a Men Walking and Talking Group, which brings men together to walk, talk openly and support each other. It is often much easier to talk walking side by side than face to face. That group has been meeting for over 75 weeks, with good turnout. We also have ABandOfBrothers, which mentors young men aged 18 to 25 who are caught up in or at risk of getting into the criminal justice system. They are paired with older men who volunteer to act as mentors. They get outside, talk to each other and offer a community-based opportunity to strengthen cohesion and support young men who have often had chaotic lives and are trying to navigate the complexities of growing up. Having a supportive foundation is really important when young men become dads themselves. That was the goal of DadPad, created in 2012 by Julian Bose from Truro. Having personal experience of the lack of guidance for expectant fathers, he developed a guide himself to support men navigating that transition. We need to reach boys far earlier to avoid the formation of the empty space in the first place. Across Cornwall, we have holiday and sports programmes, such as football camps run by Plymouth Argyle’s community trust, that give young people healthy environments and men to look up to outside of home and school. Those community-led initiatives are important, but they cannot fill the gap on their own. The men’s health strategy published by the Government last November provides a policy framework to tackle the empty space. By addressing early on the physical and mental health inequalities that boys and men face, we create the structural conditions whereby young men can succeed. For the last three years, I have tried to be both dad and mum. Obviously, I cannot, but I am very lucky that there are uncles, teachers, sportspeople, godparents, grandparents and cousins who can all provide effective examples for my son and other young men. In Cornwall, we have great examples of groups providing those opportunities. When the national policy and local initiatives align, we can ensure that young men have many positive examples so that they can build their aspirations, grow into their masculinity and benefit themselves, their future families and society as a whole.

    Hansard source
25. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Severe Weather Incidents

    Returning to the topic of Cornwall, the Minister mentioned the possibility that Cornwall could be a pilot area for storm resilience measures, so it would be good to hear more about that. Measures to raise awareness would be very welcome, and guidelines for how people in Cornwall should act—on an individual, a local emergency plan, a council and a unitary level—would be useful going forward. Could the Minister say more about that?

    Hansard source
26. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Topical Questions

    I very much welcome the procurement changes that this Government have brought in. In the summer, the docks in my constituency lost a UK Research and Innovation contract on the RRS Sir David Attenborough to a Danish dockyard. Can the Minister assure me that the new rules will refer to agencies across government, rather than just procurements within Government?

    Hansard source
27. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Business of the House

    The Home Office’s revocation of health and social care visas linked to single employers has disproportionately increased recently. That is concerning, because it leaves 40,000 social care workers displaced, and only a small number are getting alternative employment. I am worried that people are slipping into the grey market. Can the Leader of the House ascertain with Home Office colleagues what steps the Home Office takes to track outcomes for those workers?

    Hansard source
28. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jayne Kirkham

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    I welcome the measures in the Bill on right to buy, including those on exempting properties in designated rural areas and council homes for market rent from the scheme. I welcome Baroness Taylor’s commitment to look at introducing a power for those rural areas to be designated in regulations, and potentially with local authorities. Between 1979 and 2025, Cornwall council sold off nearly 11,000 council houses, which is more than the current remaining HRA council housing stock. Meanwhile, we have nearly 25,000 households on the housing register and more than 800 people in temporary and emergency accommodation. Too often, homes that were once part of the social housing stock have been converted into holiday lets or student accommodation, which places huge pressure on an already stretched housing market. The covenants and deeds of ex-council houses, which are intended to prevent them from being used for profit, could and should be properly enforced. I recently found a former council home on the Beacon in Falmouth being advertised on a website for £2,500 a week. That is not right. Our ambition for council homes must reach every corner of the country, including rural and coastal communities such as those in Cornwall, where the need is so acute. One of the barriers to delivering more council housing locally is the level of HRA debt, which is an important factor alongside repairs, the state of the construction market and council expertise in building. Will the Government please look at options to help councils build when they are faced with such barriers?

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29. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Naish

    Ukraine and Russia

    The Secretary of State knows how drone technology has transformed activities in Ukraine, and he will appreciate the importance of innovative companies like Skycutter to my regional economy in the east midlands. After winning a major contract with the US Government, Skycutter has been encouraged to move there, but I would like to see it investing here in the UK. Could the Secretary of State confirm the specific measures that he will take to ensure that UK-based drone companies stay and manufacture here in our country?

    Hansard source
30. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Naish

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    The Bill rightly prioritises the building of social rented homes. Back in 2003, however, Rushcliffe borough council transferred all its council housing stock away and has built none since, yet it has praised itself repeatedly for being debt free, despite being much poorer asset wise as a result of that decision. Does the Minister agree that, if the Bill is to succeed, we cannot treat stock transfer as virtuous and that we have to get to the point where housing revenue accounts are not treated and talked about as being traditional debt for local authorities?

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31. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Naish

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    I welcome the Bill and the Government’s commitment to a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing. I will use my time to speak on behalf of the villages in my Rushcliffe constituency, and to draw the House’s attention to the work of the Labour Rural Research Group. Affordable housing is too often discussed as if it is purely an urban and metropolitan problem—it is not, as we have just heard. In villages in my constituency and across rural Britain, families are being priced out of the places they grew up, young people are leaving because they cannot find a home, and the social housing stock that once anchored our rural communities is shrinking, not growing. The LRRG’s March 2026 report, on rural poverty in England, sets that out starkly. In 2024-25, just 17,506 affordable homes were delivered in rural local authorities, compared with 47,256 in urban ones. Rural delivery fell by 2% on the year before, while urban delivery rose. In a significant number of rural councils, only 4% of homes are affordable for someone on an average local income, compared with 10% of homes in urban authorities. That is why I welcome the fact that the Bill already exempts properties in designated rural areas from the right to buy. That principle reflects exactly what the LRRG called for in its report: recognition that rural housing is structurally different and policy needs to treat it accordingly. However, I will press the Minister to go further in three specific areas. First, on the disposal of rural social housing stock, we would particularly welcome a local replacement guarantee, so that rural communities are not subsidising urban housing waiting lists at the expense of their own when stock is disposed of. Secondly, rural exception sites deliver important housing opportunities in rural areas, but LRRG has called for them to be placed on a statutory footing, alongside the Bill’s right to buy reforms, and for the policy to be strengthened and simplified, so that planning authorities can accelerate delivery. Thirdly, on measurement and targets, as it stands we do not properly track rural affordable housing delivery as a distinct category. The LRRG has called for a dedicated rural affordable housing delivery target, with separate monitoring by tenure type. Without that data, we cannot know whether the policies are working for rural communities.

    Hansard source
32. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Naish

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    There are several areas in which we make further interventions to support our rural communities. The Bill is a good and necessary step. It protects social housing stock, gives greater security to survivors of domestic abuse and reduces unnecessary bureaucracy for providers. However, if we are serious about a decade of renewal that reaches every postcode, rural Britain cannot be an afterthought. I hope that the Minister will look closely at the LRRG’s recommendations as the Bill progresses, so that rural communities are not left behind.

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33. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Naish

    Water Management

    The Minister is obviously aware of the work of the Labour rural research group. One thing we have been talking about is whether environmental land management schemes need longer-term certainty. Farmers are trying to invest in proper water management, as she is describing, but they often need more than three years to do so. Does she agree that her Department may need to look at how we can arrange for ELM schemes to be longer term, specifically when it comes to water?

    Hansard source
34. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jake Richards

    Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

    It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for introducing this debate. I am cheered by the fact that since the general election, when I and most hon. Members at this debate—at least those on the Labour Benches—entered Parliament, the issue has been raised repeatedly in both Chambers. Members from all parties should be heartened that we are talking about such matters and making sure that they have the prominence they deserve. We have heard a number of thoughtful and important contributions, but I was particularly moved by what my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling and Strathallan (Chris Kane) said about being a father and parent, and sometimes feeling like you are failing in that. That is an incredibly important emotion for us public servants to consider when we think about public policy. Often, fathers may feel unable to provide for their children, materially or emotionally, and we have to think about how we, as a society and as a Government, can support men and parents through that difficult period. That important point is not often made, so I am grateful to my hon. Friend for doing so. To answer the questions of the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) and the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) directly, when I was reappointed to my role, the Prime Minister made it explicitly clear that the cross-Government men and boys agenda would be right at the heart of his Government. The conversations I have had with him, both prior to and post him entering Downing Street, have only cemented that. We will undertake a summit in due course and at the right moment, and the change of Prime Minister and Government gives us an opportunity to work out the best mechanism for doing that. It is one thing to hold a summit in Downing Street, but could we be more interactive across the country? We are looking at different mechanisms to make that a real moment for the country to talk about these issues and would be genuinely open to suggestions on a cross-party basis about how we can get that conversation going, out of this building and around the country, not just in Westminster. That is an ongoing discussion, and no doubt we will be able to update the House. It is a great personal honour to be speaking in this debate. I am the father of a three-year-old girl—she turned three just yesterday. I think I speak for all parents when I say that from the moment you find out you are going to become one, your life is never quite the same again—that feeling is correct, because it never is. On a professional level, every day since becoming a Member of Parliament, I have been struck by the incredible work that organisations and groups do to support men. In my constituency, that includes Better Today in Kiveton Park, Andy’s Man Club in Maltby, Bramley and Kiveton Park—it operates across the country; I know we have a lot of Andy’s Man Club supporters in the Chamber today—and Dinnington boxing club. Sport is such a big part of this conversation about reaching and supporting men, and there is brilliant work in my constituency, too. As all Members have said, fathers clearly matter, and where a father is not present, another male role model can also make an extraordinary difference—a granddad, a stepdad, an uncle, a teacher, a youth worker, a football or rugby coach, or a mentor. Indeed, the hon. Member for South West Devon raised the issue of teaching. I am always struck by the fact one in three primary schools does not have a male teacher. That is a massive problem, which I know colleagues in the Department for Education are trying to change. However, we all have a role, as parliamentarians and indeed as society, to perhaps try to change attitudes to teaching, particularly in early years, because this issue is vital. My hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton North East (Sureena Brackenridge) talked about the importance of mentors. Absolutely, and there is a lot of good work happening already, including in her constituency, which she touched upon. Gareth Southgate is working on a mentorship scheme—many of us will have seen the documentaries—and there are other great organisations, such as Football Beyond Borders. I am also looking at what is happening internationally—some brilliant work is being done in California to recruit 10,000 new mentors to mentor young men and boys. There is a big opportunity here because there is already good work happening. What can we do as a Government to turbocharge that and make sure it is happening across the country? Watch this space on that one, because I am looking forward to developing this further. We know, as has been touched on in the debate, that men are sometimes bombarded with competing ideas about what it means to be a man. The Government recently issued new guidance, which schools are following from this month, that rightly talks about young people developing positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity and learning from positive male role models. We will not counter the kind of toxic masculinity that we have spoken about in this debate by simply wagging our fingers at teenage boys, telling them just to get off their phone, or suggesting that all men are evil or that all masculine traits are wrong. We have to offer something positive—something better, something in the real world—to get them away from that narrow online space and back to participating again in society. If we cannot give boys a convincing idea of masculinity, built on confidence and kindness, responsibility and respect, and a sense of purpose, the algorithm will be only too eager to provide another one instead. There is also a wider challenge, which is fuelled by a really difficult backdrop for men and boys in our country, and public policy must be made through that lens. We know that boys fall behind girls at every stage of education, from early years through to GCSE and beyond. Boys are more than twice as likely to be excluded from school and make up a far larger proportion of the NEET population, which is of course an issue that this Government are prioritising—my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Matt Turmaine) spoke about that. Indeed, the gender pay gap, which is a huge systemic issue in our country—the Treasury is doing good work to try to narrow it more generally—is in reverse for those aged 18 to 24. That does not mean that we take our foot off the pedal in trying to get equality for women, but it does mean that we have to consider that age group and what is happening for young men in our labour market, and I know that this Government will. We know that men continue to have a lower life expectancy than women, and we know that suicide is still one of the leading causes of death for men under 50—a fact that is particularly poignant today, on World Suicide Prevention Day. Again, that was mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham). We lose so many men to suicide—75% of suicides are men. That does not mean that we ignore women by any means, but when we think about mental health provision, we need to look at the facts and the data. What we are being told is that this is a particular issue, and it should inform policy. Across a lot of areas—health, education, employment, family life—men and boys experience poorer outcomes. That is all part of a broader pattern that requires a broader cross-Government response, which is why my role as the Minister with responsibility for men and boys is a cross-Government one. Many of the industries that once provided generations of men with secure work and an identity have declined. Work and working-class communities were mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters). I see the decline in my own constituency. I am hugely proud to represent former mining towns built on the graft of working-class communities and often working- class men. We should not of course romanticise the past. Many of the gender expectations of previous generations were highly restrictive, particularly for women, and nobody would want to turn the clock back completely. But we do have to understand what disappeared when those industries went and that post-industrial period occurred. What went were the routes into skilled work and institutions with social connection and status, and for many men a sense that they had an almost automatic, useful role to play in society and our economy. Where do boys and young men find that purpose today? When I speak to men and organisations working with them, three things come up: a need for purpose, belonging and connection. The decline of our industrial base in this country has greatly challenged that. We have to look for new mechanisms. We cannot just turn back the clock. Again, that is partly economic policy, but no doubt social policy as well. And it all goes back to the theme of this debate and why fathers and role models are so important, not as a social ideal, but as people who are present in young men’s lives to set an example, provide stability and help anchor them when life becomes difficult. Supporting fathers is preventative: by strengthening relationships early on we can stop problems taking root. We can keep an eye on the longer term prize, because the boys we support today will become the fathers, partners and role models of tomorrow. The Government are doing that in several ways. I am proud to be part of a pro-family Government, something that I am very pleased to say explicitly. We are supporting families from the very beginning. We want family services to be accessible and welcoming to all parents, and for fathers to feel that support is for them, too. That includes recognising that the transition to fatherhood itself can be really challenging and making sure fathers are supported during those critical months around birth. I mentioned Best Start family hubs and our wider family support services. No doubt my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland will push us to go further and faster. He mentioned parenting courses—I am a big fan. There is good evidence in Australia on the use of online parenting courses. It is less about telling parents how to parent, and more about giving them the opportunity to take stock, have a moment and consider how they are parenting and whether their routine and their life is building a healthy family environment. I think we could all do with that every now and again. “Parenting courses” is sometimes the wrong term, but it is a moment for families to consider how they are raising their children. The Best Start family hubs agenda is reaching men in ways that hopefully work for them and includes flexible weekend provision, dedicated groups and outreach through trusted community settings. Government Members will no doubt be pleased to hear that we are reviewing parental leave and looking carefully at how the system can better support working families and allow parents to play an active role during those crucial months. We heard from my hon. Friends the Members for High Peak (Jon Pearce) and for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Kevin McKenna) about how important that is. Again, there was powerful advocacy for that change. They know that the Government are reviewing it and will return to Parliament with an update early next year. No doubt the Chancellor will hear their cries. Even if he is not here today, it will be noted. We are also actively recognising the importance of positive role models and strong support networks more generally. Just yesterday I held a roundtable in Downing Street with a number of men’s mental health charities on the issue of suicide prevention to try to look at how we as a Government can work with partners in the communities as part of our developing agenda on devolution in place. There is no point in us in Whitehall just saying things. We have to work with the organisations that actually deliver. Too often public policy does not work for them.

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35. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jake Richards

    Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

    Absolutely. This agenda has to include our devolved nations as well, and I will make sure that we do that. The disparities in suicide rates across the country are really striking. The north-east in particular has far higher suicide rates than London. More generally, the areas that are more isolated are where people become more isolated. There is also a link to economic factors, deprivation and unemployment, with unemployment being the metric that aligns most. We know that work is not just about financial support, but about purpose, routine, structure and connection, which are so important. All of this feeds into our wider agenda. That includes tackling health inequalities, and we have launched England’s first men’s health strategy. It is focused on opportunity, which means ensuring that boys and young men can succeed in education. We have heard about the Milburn report, and all the work happening now and in the coming weeks and months. It is also focused on connection and belonging, which are fundamental. That means supporting healthy relationships, positive understandings of masculinity and strong community ties. I once again thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland for securing this debate. I reassure him and all Members that, as we develop the Government’s work on men and boys, fatherhood, mentoring and positive male role models, they will absolutely remain at the heart of this conversation. I want this to be a collaborative process across Government and with parliamentarians from both sides of the House, because this issue is clearly vital to all the communities we represent.

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36. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jake Richards

    Fathers and Positive Male Role Models

    Yes. We are working very closely with the Department for Women and Equalities, and I was heartened by that announcement earlier this week, because there is a particular issue with working-class boys. The educational statistics are even more pronounced and acute for working-class boys in communities like my hon. Friend’s and mine. We know that giving a young man opportunity means giving him a stake in his future. If we give him strong relationships, we give him people to turn to if the future does not go to plan. If we give him purpose and belonging, we give him reasons to look after himself and look out for others. That is how we can assure that boys and young men thrive. It is how we can build a better society for everyone, and that is what this Government are determined to do.

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37. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Imran Hussain

    Business of the House

    Today marks three months since the lockdown in Azad Kashmir. Over 100 peaceful protesters have been killed, over 1,000 have been injured, and many more remain under arbitrary arrest. Over 1 million British Kashmiris quite rightly remain concerned at this escalation. The all-party parliamentary group on Kashmir, along with 80 parliamentarians across this Chamber, raised serious concerns about the human rights violations. Will the Leader of the House allow Government time for a full and substantial debate so that we can put it on the record that the human rights violations of Kashmiris are in breach of international law, and that peaceful table talk must be resumed immediately?

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38. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Imran Hussain

    Social Housing Bill [Lords]

    The Minister starts strongly by highlighting the real reason behind the Bill. He is absolutely right: for many families, social housing is the only option to achieve dignity, security and stability. In my community, 25,000 adults are waiting for social housing, so I welcome the Government’s ambition for £39 billion to be spent on social and affordable housing over the next 10 years. The Minister alluded to this in his earlier submissions, but will he make it clear that all resources and flexibility will be available to local councils to deliver on that pledge?

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39. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Lavery

    Topical Questions

    It has been nearly two years since the contaminated blood inquiry report was published. People think that the matter is finished, but it is not: some 18,000 infected and affected individuals still have not begun their claims. Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm to this House her commitment to the contaminated blood community, and will she meet the all-party parliamentary group on haemophilia and contaminated blood so that we can discuss the best way to press those cases home expediently?

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40. 10 Sep 2026·Parliament·Labour·Ian Lavery

    Business of the House

    Dr Anirban Bhattacharyya is a resident in my constituency. He has lived there for 60 years. He travelled to Kolkata only a couple of weeks ago, and it appears that he has been caught up in the horrendous flooding in Nepal. There have been numerous attempts to contact him, but they have been unsuccessful. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been less than helpful, basically pointing the family to the Indian consulate, which, again, has been less than helpful. He has lived in this country for 60 years. He is missing. Can we have a debate in Government time about how the FCDO can be more helpful to people who have lived in this country all their lives and are affected by such national tragedies? Because he does not have a British passport, we cannot help him.

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