partytracker.uk — a sourced record of what Britain's political parties say and do, party by party, with every entry linked to a primary source

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

1. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jo Platt

   Protecting Built Heritage

   It is also an honour to sit alongside my hon. Friend on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. She makes an important point, one that I referred to in my earlier remarks. The mill that I worked on was used for cultural and creative value, and there is a bit in the report about how we can connect those up. The report sparks the conversation about what fits in our individual towns, villages and cities. I look forward to working alongside her to continue that conversation.

   Hansard source
2. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jo Platt

   Protecting Built Heritage

   That was a major part of the report and the inquiry. I have visited two derelict churches over the last few weeks, including Sacred Heart only last week. We know that places of worship are among the most significant heritage assets in our communities. The Committee heard concerns about funding pressures and the impact of changes to the grant scheme. The Government have decided to replace the scheme with a new fund that prioritises areas in most need. However, there is a risk that that could disadvantage churches of real historical significance, as the report highlights. The Government need to make sure that funding is at least as generous under the new scheme as under the old one, and that religious buildings are continually prioritised. Backbench Business

   Hansard source
3. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Jenny Riddell-Carpenter

   Topical Questions

   T8. Roads in my constituency, including the B1125, are becoming rat runs because of the increase in traffic on the A12. Does the Secretary of State agree that we need a full multi-agency approach to ensure better road safety? Does she also agree that Suffolk county council and Suffolk Highways should convene a meeting with me to discuss how we can deliver better, safer roads?

   Hansard source
4. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Asser

   Aviation Sector

   16. What steps she is taking to support the aviation sector.

   Hansard source
5. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·James Asser

   Aviation Sector

   I recently visited the British Airline Pilots’ Association training facility and flight simulator with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. I confess, Mr Speaker, that the results were mixed: if you are flying on your holidays next week, you would not want to fly with either of us! But if I had wanted to fly, I would face training costs in excess of £100,000, with very few funding packages to provide support. That means that kids in my constituency can watch the planes take off at London City airport but stand very little chance of actually joining that industry. Does the Minister agree that we need accessible pathways to pilot training in order to drag the system into the 21st century and to remove it from a position where only a small minority with the financial means to do so can access the industry?

   Hansard source
6. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Helena Dollimore

   Maritime Sector

   Of vital importance to our maritime sector is our coastguard and our volunteer coastguard officers. I know that the MCA’s planned changes to the operating model have been causing serious concern in coastal communities such as mine in Hastings, Rye and the villages. I thank the Minister for really listening to those concerns from our coastal communities. Can I urge him to ensure that these plans are paused and do not go ahead on 1 September, and to really look at the MCA’s handling of this situation? Will he also join me in thanking the brilliant coastguard rescue officers and the many people in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in my constituency and up and down the country?

   Hansard source
7. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Helena Dollimore

   Business of the House

   Our roads in Hastings, Rye and the surrounding villages are riddled with potholes, and it is one of the biggest issues we face. One of the most frustrating things is that on the rare occasion that a pothole gets filled, all the other potholes around it are left untouched. That is why I wrote to the new leader of the Reform-led East Sussex county council on 21 May to urge him to take decisive action on this issue by reviewing the contract with Balfour Beatty and changing the intervention criteria. Two months later, and despite my writing repeatedly to him about this issue, he has not responded to any of my questions about potholes. Does the Leader of the House agree that this shows that Reform is not interested in fixing the issues that local people care about, even when it gets record money from this Labour Government to do so?

   Hansard source
8. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Helena Dollimore

   Local Government Reorganisation

   Reorganisation makes sense. The situation that we have now, with services split across a borough or district council and a county council, causes many issues. If a drain is blocked by leaves that are on top of the drain, it is one council; if the leaves are below the drain, it is another. We had a big fire last week, and the responsibilities were again split between two councils. As the Secretary of State knows from our conversations, it is vital that the voices of the coastal community that I represent are not overridden in this process. Can he assure me that we in Hastings and Rye will retain powers to summon certain people who deliver services, be that the academy trusts, the cabinet members for social care or for potholes, or the integrated care board? We need those powers, because right now we do not have them. Can he give me an assurance that Hastings and Rye will be at the front of the queue for those new powers?

   Hansard source
9. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

   Midlands Rail Hub

   We are progressing the first phase of the midlands rail hub to increase capacity in Birmingham. This will improve reliability and enable additional trains between Birmingham, south Wales and the south-west, and on Birmingham’s cross-city line. It will also enable over 25 additional trains a day on the Redditch line. Network Rail has appointed an alliance of industry partners to design the infrastructure, and the alliance is currently consulting on upgrades between Birmingham Moor Street and Bordesley.

   Hansard source
10. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Midlands Rail Hub

    Following the Government’s decision to move forward with the first phase of the midlands rail hub at the spending review last summer, detailed design work has commenced. We are now working hard to deliver benefits to passengers as soon as possible. This is a complex scheme in a dense urban environment. I cannot currently give a specific start date for the physical works, but I can tell my hon. Friend that new train services enabled by the scheme should come on line in the 2030s.

    Hansard source
11. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Midlands Rail Hub

    It is obviously the case that adequate replacement bus services should be available to rail travellers if there is disruption on the line—for example, if engineering works are taking place. I would be happy to follow up if the hon. Gentleman writes to me and provides more detail on the specific experience that he has had. East Midlands Railway is responding to the Bedford train crash that happened a number of weeks ago, and I thank the leadership of that organisation for all the work that they are doing in response.

    Hansard source
12. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Mass Transit Systems

    Mass transit systems can radically improve local transport in towns and cities across the UK, but plans can often be slowed down by fragmented funding arrangements, difficulties acquiring land, and planning delays. The Government’s new mass transit taskforce will seek to remove those blockers, and our call for evidence on how that might work is now open. We are also devolving powers to local leaders so that they can deliver schemes faster, unlock growth, support new homes and better connect communities.

    Hansard source
13. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Mass Transit Systems

    I agree with my hon. Friend, and I suspect the people of Glasgow are at their wits’ end with the approach to that project, having seen it repeatedly promised and deprioritised over the course of two decades. I assure her that my Department remains committed to working constructively with the Scottish Government on this, and I urge them to support my hon. Friend’s work to get the project delivered.

    Hansard source
14. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Mass Transit Systems

    I know that the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, work closely together. The hon. Gentleman is right that transport crosses administrative boundaries, and that this needs to work for people. That was at the heart of the “Better Connected” strategy that we published earlier this year. I am sure that all elected representatives in the great county of Yorkshire will be working together to ensure that they have the best possible service.

    Hansard source
15. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Transport Decarbonisation

    Decarbonising transport is vital for our energy security and to make the transport network fit for the future. We are driving zero emission vehicle uptake and charging infrastructure roll-out; putting record investment into active travel; overhauling public transport; supporting low-carbon fuel uptake across multiple modes, including in aviation; and funding technology innovation for maritime through the multimillion-pound UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions research programme.

    Hansard source
16. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Transport Decarbonisation

    Mr Speaker, I think the point my hon. Friend is making is that if we want a sustainable transport network, the more people we can attract from their cars on to trains, the better. I appreciate how important good connectivity is for all those using our train network. I can tell my hon. Friend that procurement for enhanced wi-fi on all GWR long-distance services will start in the second half of this year.

    Hansard source
17. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Transport Decarbonisation

    I am delighted to hear of the hon. Gentleman’s enthusiasm for decarbonisation. He is right to support the excellent Wrightbus, which manufactures electric buses in Northern Ireland. Through the bus expert manufacturing panel, which is chaired by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Wakefield and Rothwell (Simon Lightwood), who has responsibility for roads and buses, we are working with mayors to find ways of supporting the UK manufacture of electric vehicles, and I look forward to working with the hon. Gentleman and Wrightbus on that.

    Hansard source
18. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Transport Decarbonisation

    I look repeatedly at data produced by both the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Department for Transport about purchases of new vehicles. In June, nearly 30% of vehicle sales were electric—a significant increase on the year before. We are rolling out new charging infrastructure, with new charge points going in at a rate of one every 30 minutes. The future is electric, and the time to buy electric is now. We see the impact of the conflict in the middle east on petrol and diesel prices, and although we will always keep the ZEV mandate under review and stay in close contact with car manufacturers, it is important that we back the EV transition in this country.

    Hansard source
19. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Transport Decarbonisation

    What we will not do is make the same mistakes as the right hon. Gentleman’s party made in government. When the former Prime Minister cancelled the 2030 phase-out date for the sale of new pure diesel and petrol vehicles, demand plummeted. We will not change the 2030 phase-out date for pure internal combustion engine vehicles, and we will not change the 2035 phase-out date for hybrids. In this role, I have worked closely with car manufacturers. We introduced new flexibilities last year, and we are talking to them again about a review, which will be completed in the next six months. If I have the pleasure of sparring with the right hon. Gentleman over the Dispatch Box in the coming months, I will be happy to provide him with a further update on that, as soon as the work is completed.

    Hansard source
20. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I would like to remind the House of how we are improving everyday journeys across the country, starting with our railways. Last month, the new Cambridge South station opened to passengers following £250 million of Government funding to better connect Europe’s largest biomedical campus. Publicly owned services are now on average more punctual than services not yet in public ownership, with fewer cancellations. This week, I announced measures to crack down on fare dodgers thanks to new ticket gates being rolled out across the network. On our buses, we are helping families with the cost of living with free travel for all children aged five to 15 in England throughout August. Finally, the third cycling and walking investment strategy will give people healthier choices to get around. Last month, it set a 2035 target for over half of short journeys in towns and cities to be walked and cycled. Whether it is a trip to the shop or the school run, we will help more people in more places to get around their neighbourhoods safely and sustainably. Better, more reliable transport drives good growth, spreads opportunities and makes lives easier. That is our mission, and we are getting on with the job.

    Hansard source
21. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I do agree with my hon. Friend. Performance on Avanti West Coast has not been good enough, and I am acutely aware that this part of the network—still privately run—has seen reliability below the industry average, with cancellations going in the wrong direction, too. I am pleased to advise my hon. Friend that these services will come into public ownership next year, and I know that the eyes of No. 10, as well as the eyes of my hon. Friend and, indeed, the travelling press pack, will be on them in a new and welcome way.

    Hansard source
22. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    We are not imposing anything on anyone, as the right hon. Gentleman well knows. He says that the introduction of 20 mph zones is causing havoc. I would point out that, in many areas, they save lives. We know that somebody who is hit by a car travelling at 30 mph is five times more likely to die than someone who is hit by a car travelling at 20 mph. If that is the sort of policy that he wants to defend, all power to him. It is for local authorities and local councillors to take decisions that suit their local areas best.

    Hansard source
23. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I would be happy to ask the Minister for Road Safety to discuss this matter further with my hon. Friend and ensure appropriate meetings take place.

    Hansard source
24. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I agree. While I do not expect much from Reform-led administrations, I would at least expect them not to work squarely against the interests of local people in the way that my hon. Friend describes. I urge the county council to see sense and support his campaign to deliver for his constituents and the council’s own residents.

    Hansard source
25. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I am not sure that notes from sitting Secretaries of State to their successors necessarily work out all that well, as the Prime Minister said from this Dispatch Box yesterday. Let me finish where I started with the right hon. Lady’s questions to me on this matter and advise that this is a decision for the Mayor of the West Midlands. I am sure that she will continue to campaign on this issue and make the case for her constituents.

    Hansard source
26. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    HS2 will deliver significant benefits for Scotland. Subject to future timetable and operational development, HS2 will aim to maintain the frequency of services to Scotland, increase the number of available seats for Anglo-Scot journeys and deliver an end-to-end journey experience that is an estimated 20 minutes faster.

    Hansard source
27. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    My hon. Friend will know that we are spending £280 million on improving station accessibility during this spending review. I will seek to find new opportunities to fund further work on stations as part of future spending discussions, and I expect the new integrated leadership of GBR to work closely with local councils, mayors and parliamentarians to maximise future opportunities.

    Hansard source
28. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    When we are investing in the accessibility of stations in the future, we need to get maximum benefit for the travelling public. I hope to have future discussions about future rounds of the Access for All scheme—improvements are being rolled out at 31 stations under that scheme, as a result of the £280 million I mentioned earlier.

    Hansard source
29. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I am very grateful to my hon. Friend and her Committee for their interest in personal safety on the transport network, especially that of women and girls. We have an ambitious, evidence-based programme to tackle VAWG on the transport network, and we are delivering nine commitments under the “Freedom from violence and abuse” strategy, including funding to improve CCTV connectivity between stations and the British Transport police. We are also launching mandatory crime and antisocial behaviour training for bus industry staff.

    Hansard source
30. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this issue. One of the key things that we are trying to do is improve public transport nodes, so I would be interested to discuss this matter with him further.

    Hansard source
31. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    As I said earlier, publicly owned operators are performing better, on average, when it comes to reliability and cancellations. On the particular issue with the Fen line that the hon. Gentleman raises on behalf of his constituents, I will seek more information about what is causing the problems there and what plans the local operators have to improve the situation for him and his constituents.

    Hansard source
32. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (Perran Moon), we are planning to begin procurement for enhanced wi-fi across the rail network later this year. That will include LNER, because in the spending review the Chancellor allocated £57 million to deploy low earth orbit satellite technology on our mainline trains. We need to get that procurement done, and then it can be rolled out from there.

    Hansard source
33. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I am obviously sorry to hear about the disruption to businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Let me take this issue away for her and talk to the Mayor of the West Midlands and all relevant parties to ascertain whether anything can be done to mitigate the impact on her constituents.

    Hansard source
34. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    I appreciate the importance of affordability to the travelling public, and I understand the desire of the hon. Gentleman’s constituents to see lower fares. We are rolling out pay-as-you-go ticketing to make journeys frictionless in the south-east, but there are currently no plans to expand that London-wide fare payment zone.

    Hansard source
35. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Heidi Alexander

    Topical Questions

    The Rail Minister often tells me that the art of answering questions on transport is to have all the detail at your fingertips. I must disappoint the hon. Gentleman, as I do not have the specific answer he seeks, but I promise him that I will go away, find out and come back to him.

    Hansard source
36. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gordon McKee

    Gibraltar: UK-EU Treaty

    I congratulate the Minister on the agreement. Does he agree that it is only possible in part because of the work that this Government have done to repair the relationship between Britain and the European Union? That is in the interests of the people of Gibraltar and the people of Glasgow who I represent.

    Hansard source
37. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gordon McKee

    Work and Pensions Committee

    rose—

    Hansard source
38. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gordon McKee

    Work and Pensions Committee

    indicated assent.

    Hansard source
39. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gordon McKee

    Work and Pensions Committee

    I am grateful to the Select Committee Chair, my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams), for her statement. Did she look in her report at the measures the Government could take to keep older people in work? As she rightly noted, that is a problem as people get older.

    Hansard source
40. 16 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Gareth Snell

    Topical Questions

    Longton station in my constituency was allocated money from the transforming cities fund to have a lift installed. Unfortunately, that money was reallocated by the city council towards some paving slabs. Can I have a meeting with the Department to look at how we can get funding back for lifts at Longton station and then protect that money so that it cannot be reallocated to other projects?

    Hansard source