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1. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   We certainly do not want to let any opportunities from the review pass; it is a one-off groundbreaking review, and we want to make the most of it. This morning, I had a good conversation with the new Minister in Wales, and we have agreed that we will work closely together. It is important that voices from Wales are properly heard in the review. A member of our steering group is a former board member of Disability Wales, and I want to make the most of the expertise and experience from Wales in the course of the work.

   Hansard source
2. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her help in the discussions and her continuing interest in the review. Criticisms of the way that the current assessment process handles fluctuating conditions are probably the most frequently aired criticism of how the system works at the moment, and it is important that we come up with something that does that job well. We have talked to a lot to people with Parkinson’s, for example, and yesterday my two co-chairs and I were at the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The need to do the job well for people with fluctuating and degenerative conditions is at the centre of our concern, and I am hopeful that we will be able to do the good job that my hon. Friend wants us to do.

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3. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   My hon. Friend is right that we need to ensure that the NHS is delivering on all aspects of its work. There is a big problem with long delays and backlogs in the Access to Work scheme. We have recently announced the recruitment of an additional 480 people, which means that the number of people working on Access to Work applications will have more than doubled since the general election. We are confident that that will enable us to eradicate the backlog for Access to Work by September of next year. My hon. Friend is right that all those services need to work well and support people together. That is our aim.

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4. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   The right hon. Gentleman is right about the degree of stress involved in the process. I spoke to somebody at a roundtable in Northern Ireland who told me she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the course of her working life, which came as a terrible shock and was a traumatic experience. A few years later, her condition had deteriorated and she had to apply for PIP; she said that the experience of applying was as traumatising as the original diagnosis. The effects that people have suffered are very serious. The terms of reference for the review require us to stay within the currently projected OBR spending on PIP. There is not a cash limit, but one can project what the spending is going to be. The steering group is constrained to stick within currently predicted spending. I think that there may well be reductions, because if we do all the things that we have been talking about, we can do a better job for both disabled people and the taxpayers whose taxes are paying for the system.

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5. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   I am grateful to organisations like those that my hon. Friend mentioned—the Trussell Trust and Disability Rights UK—for their support for the interim report. I assure my hon. Friend that the final report will be properly co-produced. It will be led by the steering group that I have referred to, and there is going to be a lot of engagement after the summer around our initial thinking on conclusions, which we will draw up over the summer. I can give my hon. Friend the assurance that people will be able to be confident in the conclusions we eventually reach.

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6. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his support for this review. He mentions being contacted by 300 of his constituents; as I mentioned, our call for evidence received 38,000 responses, which I was very pleased about. We are doing further work, too. At the moment, Workshops in a Box are being carried out around the country to ensure that we also hear from people who may not be up for or willing to submit a formal reply to a call for evidence. The objective that the hon. Gentleman sets out is absolutely right: I do not think it is necessary for the application process for this benefit to have the hostile and adversarial characteristics of the current one, and we are determined to put that right.

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7. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   I am certainly keen to avoid stigmatising anybody. If my right hon. Friend looks at the interim report, he will see that there is quite a lot of evidence specifically on that point. It is very important that that evidence is properly sifted and assessed in the course of our work, and we will do that. We want to remove barriers, because too often young people in particular have started to claim benefits and then the system has abandoned them, which is neither in their interests nor consistent with their aspirations. It is not in the interests of the Government or society, either. We need to support young people to be able to participate in work and in other things by removing the barriers that have stopped them doing that in the past, and that is what we are determined to do.

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8. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   I can give my hon. Friend exactly the assurance that she seeks: this will be a properly and carefully considered piece of work. She is absolutely right that PIP can be claimed by people who are in work or out of work. When we were having the debates last summer, a lot of people made the point that PIP is what enables them to go to work; without it, they would not be able to get to work. The question that arises in the terms of reference is: what can we do to ensure that in future PIP does a better job of removing the barriers that have stopped people working in the past? We want to bring that about.

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9. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

   Timms Review: Interim Report

   Yes, they will. The co-production approach that we have taken so far will be the approach that we take throughout the review. Over the summer, we will be formulating our initial thoughts about conclusions and recommendations and then, in September or October, we will be discussing them with disabled people and disabled people’s organisations and we will hold events in different parts of the country to ensure that it is disabled people who are shaping the final conclusions that we bring forward.

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10. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    On his final point, as my hon. Friend knows, that proposal was consulted on in the Green Paper last year, and we are looking at that. I think he makes a very good point. I can assure him that we are going to be working across Government on exactly the concerns that he raises.

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11. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    The focus of the review is very tightly on PIP itself. However, as I touched on earlier, I do think that the Department will want to, and will, learn lessons from the success of this approach to date, which I hope will be fully borne out in the final report that we submit to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the autumn. I think that will be a mechanism for changing the culture in the Department and the way that it and, I hope, the wider Government work.

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12. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his invitation. If he would like to drop me a line, I will see how my diary is looking in the next couple of months.

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13. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    The key first step is to complete this review in co-production with disabled people and disabled people’s organisations, and we will be doing that. Then I think it is a question of people seeing what the new system will be and observing in due course how it works. I hope that in that way we can rebuild trust and confidence in the system on the part of both disabled people and taxpayers—recognising the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) that there is a big overlap between those two categories.

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14. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    I agree that rehabilitation is very important. Perhaps I should refer my hon. Friend’s point to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who I know will be very interested in it as well. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that when the health service is doing the job that we all want it to do, there will be less of a need to call on PIP, because people’s needs will be dealt with by the health service. I will certainly pass on the important point that he has raised.

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15. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Stephen Timms

    Timms Review: Interim Report

    My hon. Friend raises an important and interesting point. Yes, I hope that we will be able to come up with a proposal that will entail greater personalisation. At the moment, for example, the number of different rates of benefit paid out is not very many—it is quite a lumpy system. I think there is a question to be asked about whether something more personalised could do a better job. My hon. Friend makes an important point.

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16. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The business for the week commencing 13 July will include: Monday 13 July—Second Reading of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. Tuesday 14 July—Remaining stages of the Representation of the People Bill, followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords amendments to the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill. Wednesday 15 July—Opposition day, third allotted day. Debate on a motion in the name of the official Opposition, subject to be announced, followed by a motion to approve a statutory instrument relating to national security. Thursday 16 July—The Sir David Amess summer Adjournment debate. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee. The House will rise for the summer recess at the conclusion of business on Thursday 16 July and return on Tuesday 1 September.

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17. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank that shadow Leader of the House for his remarks, and particularly for wishing me a happy birthday for yesterday. I advise him and other hon. Members as they approach my age that, generally, the more birthdays you have, the less you have to celebrate—but there we are. I thank him for his kind remarks. I also join you, Mr Speaker, and the shadow Leader of the House in thanking David Weir for his service to the House over 32 years. I look forward to the play or book based on his experiences in this House. The shadow Leader of the House mentioned that the Labour leadership contest has started. I am afraid that he has misread the rules, because it is the opening of nominations today. It is therefore presumptive to say there will be only one candidate, because it rather depends on how the next few days play out.

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18. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    That is simply a statement of fact, not a statement of anything else. [Laughter.] I thank the shadow Leader of the House for his kind tribute to Sir George Howarth, who passed away recently. George was a dedicated politician who served his constituency of Knowsley for 38 years, and I am sure the House will join me in sending our condolences to his wife, Julie, and to his family and friends at this sad time. I also echo his words about the death of Lord Mackay. I am very sad to learn today of the death of Bonnie Tyler. This matter was raised with me at business questions recently, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Neath and Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) for giving us the opportunity to wish her well at that point. I am sure her family and friends are devastated by her loss, and we send them our very best wishes, indeed. This year marks 21 years since the London 7/7 bombings, which killed 52 people and injured many more. I know that the thoughts of the whole House will be with those whose lives were changed on that terrible day, and that they will recall the bravery and commitment of our emergency services, particularly the NHS, which continues to show such exemplary service. Since our last business questions, we have celebrated the second anniversary of the election of this Labour Government. The election saw a huge intake of new and talented MPs on both sides of this House, and we thank them for the contribution they have made thus far. Since that election, we have taken action as a Government to fix the foundations of our country and deliver the long-term change that Britain needs. That means cutting waiting lists, cutting net migration and the asylum backlog, lifting half a million children out of poverty and having the fastest growing economy in the G7. In reference to what my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday, we are changing the balance of power in Britain through the Hillsborough law, ensuring that the state can never hide from the people it is supposed to serve. As he outlined yesterday, significant progress has been made, and I hope we can bring the Bill back to the House soon. Turning to other matters, the veterinary sector has been raised with me during these sessions on a number of occasions. Pets are part of the family, but for too many households the cost of caring for them has become a real worry. Today, we are setting out the biggest reforms to the vet sector in half a century to help owners avoid unexpected bills, compare prices more easily and get the best value from pet care. I know you take a keen interest in this, Mr Speaker. On the Wye valley, I will raise this matter with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers. However, I understand that the matter was raised at DEFRA questions earlier today, although I have not seen the response of my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy). The shadow Leader of the House also raised the Clacton by-election. Let me make it clear from the Dispatch Box that this by-election should not be taking place. When we stand for election to this place, which it is an honour to do, we give an undertaking that the highest standards should be kept, including of openness and transparency about political donations. That is the issue here, and that will be the issue in this unnecessary by-election. Nigel Farage has serious questions to answer, and he cannot run away from them.

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19. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this issue to the House. She will know, from an earlier confession, that I am indeed a fan of musical theatre. Amateur and youth productions truly are a great vehicle to build confidence, harness creativity and build communities, so I congratulate all those involved in treading the boards this summer. This is a topic of interest across the House, so I recommend that she looks towards a Westminster Hall debate, perhaps when we return, or towards the pre-recess Adjournment debate next week.

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20. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I just gently say to the hon. Lady that I sat on the Government Front Bench yesterday and I do not believe that the Deputy Prime Minister did say something that was inaccurate. As I said in my opening remarks, we are doing all we can to get the Hillsborough Bill across the line. If that means we can bring it sooner rather than later, then that will be our intention. I agree absolutely with the hon. Lady, and I stand by what I said to the shadow Leader of the House, about this unnecessary by-election. There are serious questions to answer and Nigel Farage cannot run away from those questions. She is right to talk about the standards investigation, but the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards investigation is independent of the Government and the House, and it is important—I want to emphasise this—that all Members of the House respect the standards and procedures of the House. Members should not interfere with live investigations or do anything to prejudice them. She talks about what happens if a Member is no longer a Member and an investigation has begun. The procedural protocol in respect of the code of conduct sets out what happens to an ongoing commissioner inquiry if a Member ceases to be a Member of the House. That is what I would expect to happen in this instance. The hon. Lady talks about what the manifesto will be of my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) if he is successful in becoming the Prime Minister. Let me just say this: there is a Labour Government with a legislative programme that we have set out. There will be continuity of that Labour Government. Even if the Administration changes, this will remain a Labour Government. I would expect that to be the case. As for PMQs being extended next week, by any stretch of the imagination I cannot see a situation where my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield will be Prime Minister by the time of next Wednesday.

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21. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I will certainly join my hon. Friend in recognising the work of local campaigners such as Darren and Nick. We absolutely recognise the importance of such sites and are empowering local people through the new community right to buy, but also through our Pride in Place programme. I will ask the Secretary of State to write to my hon. Friend on this important matter and to give her the information she needs to take forward her campaign.

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

    Business of the House

    As ever, I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work and for the work of his Committee. He raises the question of what business will be like when we return in September. I expect to announce the business in the normal way at business questions next Thursday. The House knows my view on scheduling business on the first day back, and it has not changed: we need to be cautious about putting on a lot of business on that day, because invariably there are many important things on which to report back after such a long recess. The hon. Gentleman has a strong record of raising social housing matters. As we announced yesterday, people who illegally sublet social housing will be identified and may be removed from their property, following a new data-sharing partnership between the Cabinet Office and Airbnb. By working with Airbnb, we are sending a clear message to those cheating the social housing system that they will be prosecuted. Social rented homes exist to help people who genuinely need them, not to line the pockets of fraudsters. We are calling on short-term letting platforms and councils to follow our lead, and I will draw the hon. Gentleman’s remarks to the attention of the relevant Minister and see if we can get an update from him.

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23. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I join my hon. Friend in welcoming the support of local businesses for Holmfirth Pride. My hon. Friend has been a champion on issues of inclusion and countering hate in our communities, and I pay tribute to him for that. This Government will continue to stand with LGBTQ+ people in this country and around the world.

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24. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman’s constituents, as well as residents of Clacton, will also be concerned about the cost of this unnecessary by-election. I hope that they will bear that in mind when they decide to cast their vote. It has been suggested that individuals might come forward and pay the cost of the by-election, which is ludicrous—that simply cannot happen. It is an unnecessary by-election and a waste of money, and I hope that people will think about that when it comes to casting their votes.

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25. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Ben and his mother Liz on their hard work raising awareness for the Royal British Legion and Moorfields eye hospital. Such events demonstrate the importance of communities coming together to highlight and celebrate the work of our armed forces, and that depends on remarkable individuals like Ben.

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26. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    There will be no immediate changes to how people watch TV; terrestrial TV will stay until at least 2034. However, as the right hon. Gentleman and the House know, TV is increasingly moving online. We recognise the particular challenges in remote and rural areas, particularly for older people, people with disabilities and others who might spend more time watching TV. I want to emphasise that we want to ensure that the transition is managed responsibly and that no one is left behind, which is why we are consulting on two dates for the switchover, with either date contingent on a full and watertight transition plan. I will ensure that Ministers hear of his concerns.

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27. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank my hon. Friend for his work on this important issue—I know that he joined campaigners in taking the campaign to No. 10 last year. As he will know, the Government remain committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. I am not sure whether this matter was raised at DEFRA questions this morning, but I will certainly ensure that Ministers hear of his concerns.

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28. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I do not share the hon. Gentleman’s analysis that the Government are either slow or, worse, doing nothing about Russian soft power, because our support for Ukraine is unwavering and our opposition to Putin’s illegal war is absolute. We have introduced sanctions on individuals and entities as part of our Russia sanctions regime, and we are working with allies to pursue all lawful ways of ensuring that Russia pays for the damage it has caused. However, I will raise with the relevant Minister the hon. Gentleman’s concern about Russia being readmitted to things on a case-by-case basis. He is right to say that the general public may well think it is not the time for that.

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29. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend has considerable experience and knowledge about these matters—far greater than would allow me to respond in the detail that his question requires. I am therefore going to offer him a meeting with the relevant Minister so that he can make his case. The Government will be committed to meeting those timelines and qualifications, and it is important that he makes that case to the relevant Minister.

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30. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    There is a great deal of “if” in that matter. I find it astonishing that a party’s finances should need to be investigated by the National Crime Agency, frankly, but these are very serious matters. Individuals should have protections, and when investigations are necessary those protections should be respected. Let me take the matter away and raise it with the relevant authorities, because it is important that even the National Crime Agency and others are held to account. I have absolute faith in the National Crime Agency to get on with the important job that this House gives it.

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31. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend illustrates the power and influence of business questions. She is a true champion for small businesses in her constituency. As I have said on a number of occasions, small businesses are at the heart of our local communities, and we are absolutely committed to supporting them, including through our £10 million hospitality support fund. She has listed what I am sure are just a few of the fantastic cafés in her constituency. Should I find myself in Grimsby, I would be delighted to accompany her to one or more of them. She may want to raise the issue of hospitality more widely during the pre-recess Adjournment debate or in a Westminster Hall debate when we return. I am sure that if she were to raise the issue, others would join her, because Members have similar concerns across their constituencies.

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32. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I wish everyone involved with the hospital all the very best for the future, and I thank them for the work that they are doing. It is truly pioneering work, and it is really important. The women’s health strategy sets out our renewed strategy to address the issues that women face every day. We want to ensure that no woman is left behind and has to endure long waiting times for a diagnosis. That is why we are rolling out diagnostic centres and putting more resources into the NHS. As well as thanking the hospital, I will raise its work with the relevant Minister.

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33. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The Government are committed to doing everything that we can to support traditional and new businesses in what can be quite a difficult environment. My hon. Friend tempts me down the route of saying that were the House to decide at some point on renewal and restoration, I would hope that tile manufacturers, stone providers and steel manufacturers around our country would benefit from the investment that I hope we would make. My hon. Friend raises the question of traditional skills. Such jobs are not, by and large, ones that can be replaced by AI. We should be very proud of those skills, and I thank my hon. Friend for being a champion for his constituency and for continuing to raise those skills.

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34. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The hon. Gentleman is right when he says that churches and faith groups do an incredible amount of good work in our local communities. The national prayer breakfast in Westminster Hall was a fantastic way to celebrate their contribution in Parliament. Should the hon. Gentleman wish to raise the importance of churches and faith groups in our local communities, he has an opportunity to do so on Thursday in the pre-recess Adjournment debate, or indeed, in a Westminster Hall debate when we return.

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35. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend raises a concerning matter. We are committed to strengthening support for British nationals overseas. I will ask the Foreign Office, in the first instance, to write to him with an update on the case—I am sorry that the family feel disappointed by the response so far. Following that, I am sure that a Foreign Office Minister will be happy to meet my hon. Friend.

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36. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    That is a very tempting offer. I have been to a number of country shows. I appreciate their importance for rural communities and the rural economy, given the important work that people involved in agriculture do, as well as for the wider rural communities. The right hon. Gentleman is right to raise the importance of that, and again, because it is timely, I invite him to raise the matter on Thursday during the pre-recess Adjournment debate.

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37. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I absolutely will, and I pay tribute to everybody involved in Muslim Climate Action Week. It is important that we take this issue seriously, not least given the period through which we are living, and I wish them well. It is important that faith groups and interfaith groups come together on what is, in many ways, the defining issue of our age.

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38. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The hon. Gentleman is raising the importance of supporting hospitality now and through his Bill. The Government are committed to doing everything that we can. I gently say to him that a reduction in VAT is a costly matter, and we cannot have it both ways; he wants to reduce VAT, but that means he and others will be looking for more money for our public services.

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39. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Her constituents do deserve better from their local council, and it is simply not good enough to blame teething issues or technical problems. She is right to raise the issue and stand up for her constituents. I hope that East Suffolk council, which I understand is run by the Lib Dems and Greens—how Greens can get themselves into a situation about environmental management is beyond me—has heard what she said, and gets on and resolves the matter.

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40. 9 Jul 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    As I said in response to a previous question, I respect the importance of shows for the farming community. I encourage everyone who can go along to do so, to get a better understanding of the rural community and the importance of rural matters to our economy. The hon. Lady refers to Silverstone; I also recognise the importance of grand prix and Formula 1 for technological invention, jobs and its wider contribution to the economy. I am delighted that it has put her area on the map.

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