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 12,868 under 12 words. Hide short remarks

1. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Darren Jones

   Topical Questions

   I thank the hon. Member for his question. Of course, the House notes the conclusion of the criminal investigation and the judgment that was laid down in this case of embezzlement by SNP officials. That should never happen in public life, and it definitely should not happen when people are making donations to what they think are good causes—it is clearly wrongdoing, and should never be allowed to take place. A number of tests need to be met to establish an inquiry of the nature that the hon. Member refers to, and I would be happy for us to look at those conditions and write to him with the answer.

   Hansard source
2. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Darren Jones

   Topical Questions

   My experience of coups is that they do not come with a memo in advance, so the hon. Member should not feel sorry for not having had one. I can assure him that those investigations are under way; I cannot yet give him a time for when they will conclude, but I note that parallel investigations are happening in the European Parliament. When updates are available, my successor will come to the House with that information.

   Hansard source
3. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Darren Jones

   Topical Questions

   We have established a Cabinet Sub-Committee called the Middle East Response Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, which has met weekly. I, as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, have chaired senior ministerial groups underpinning that work to ensure we have a clear understanding of the impact of the conflict in the middle east on the UK domestic economy in relation to supply chains, the security of critical goods and the economic impact. That work is informing Government decisions to protect British citizens and the UK economy as best we can from that conflict.Official Report, 9 July 2026; Vol. 789, c. 7WC. (Correction).

   Hansard source
4. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Danny Beales

   Business of the House

   The Met police play a vital role in keeping those who work in, live in and visit London safe, including us here in this Chamber. The Labour Government and our Mayor have stepped up and increased funding, but at the same time, the unique challenges that the Met faces— policing protests, complex crimes and terrorism—have all increased, meaning that, despite the uplift, there remains a gap in funding. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on future funding for the Met, and in particular the opportunity to bridge the funding gap by enabling the force to retain a proportion of the value of the cryptocurrency it recently seized as part of Op Manor—estimated to be worth between £3 billion and £9 billion—so that we can invest in the equipment, police stations and police officers that we desperately need?

   Hansard source
5. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Danny Beales

   Draft Conversion Practices Bill

   Today has been a long time coming. I thank the Minister for her hard, relentless and committed work in delivering this comprehensive and inclusive draft Bill. We were promised it in 2018, and it has been in four King’s and Queen’s Speeches. The LGBT community will rightly welcome today’s statement, but it is unfortunate that the official Opposition have not. As an LGBT person myself, that is a reminder of how much fear there is in the community now about the change of discourse in this country in relation to LGBT rights. That has been fuelled by the far-right and by international Christian and other organisations in America funding organisations here in the UK. We have seen the official Opposition potentially abandon their support for this Bill, and we have seen the unofficial opposition in Reform champion hatred and push against equality for LGBT people. I and others in the community are afraid. That is why today is important, because the Government are making a clear and definitive statement about conversion practices. Does the Minister agree that conversion practices are abuse, plain and simple? Will she assure me that, as this is a draft Bill, there will be time to discuss the issue, mentioned previously in Committee, of the definition of medical professionals? That must be tightly defined so that we can ensure there is no back-door get-out for those who would seek to continue these abusive practices.

   Hansard source
6. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Daniel Francis

   Houses in Multiple Occupation

   I thank my hon. Friend for securing the debate. We have an article 4 direction in the London borough of Bexley—I am one of the borough’s MPs. However, under the Charities Act 2011, charities running temporary accommodation for people suffering from drug or alcohol abuse, or a mental disorder, and registered providers do not need that permission. In my caseload, I see landlords joining with charities to put people in that accommodation who are not in those categories. In that way, they circumvent the restrictions in place. Does she agree that we need to ask the Government to look at how, following an article 4 direction, some landlords use that restriction to further circumvent regulations?

   Hansard source
7. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Nia Griffith

   Steel Trade Measure

   Although I certainly welcome the protection of our steel industry, I remain concerned about some tariffs and quotas affecting some products. I am pleased to hear the Minister reiterate what the Industry Minister said on Wednesday: that, alongside measures to protect our industry, our Government are absolutely committed to increasing the range of products that we make in the UK. To that end, will the Minister meet me to discuss a proposal from a constituent of mine in Llanelli to open a manufacturing facility to produce steel bands, which currently have to be imported from the EU, so we can bring that production back to the UK?

   Hansard source
8. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Nia Griffith

   Draft Conversion Practices Bill

   I warmly congratulate the Minister on publishing this draft Bill, and I very much welcome the fully trans-inclusive ban on abhorrent conversion practices. Although the Bill will enable the punishment of those who carry out those abusive practices, its real value will be as a deterrent to stop anybody being subject to such practices in the first place. What plans does the Minister have to develop a real understanding of the Bill, particularly among communities where such practices are currently prevalent?

   Hansard source
9. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Chi Onwurah

   Civil Service Pension Scheme

   My constituent’s father, who worked all his life in public service, died tragically a year ago. Capita is withholding from his family the provision that he thought would make them secure. Another constituent was having his pension paid until Capita took over, and now he is receiving nothing. It is a tragic shambles, but the problem is not rocket science; it is the IT system. If Capita cannot make this work in the time that it has already had, it should surely not be given the chance to do it any longer, and perhaps its other Government contracts should be reconsidered.

   Hansard source
10. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Chi Onwurah

    Topical Questions

    The Trump Administration’s decision to deny access to Anthropic’s most powerful AI models to all foreigners—including the British state—has emphasised concerns over technology sovereignty. Will the Minister ensure that as part of the UK-EU summit, our leading technology sector works closely with European Union allies to ensure that we have greater competition and resilience in our technology stack?

    Hansard source
11. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Natural Disasters: Community Resilience

    Through our resilience action plan, we are driving a whole-of-society approach to resilience, which seeks to integrate the voluntary, community and faith sectors into planning and strengthening the resilience of our critical national infrastructure. The Government are also committed to raising public awareness, with practical advice through gov.uk/prepare.

    Hansard source
12. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Natural Disasters: Community Resilience

    I recognise that the hon. Gentleman’s constituents have concerns, as do the constituents of other Cornish Members of Parliament who have talked to me. Hundreds were left without telecom services for days after Storm Goretti, which is clearly unacceptable. It is important that we work with telecoms operators and power suppliers to strengthen comms resilience across Cornwall. I will take a close look at that.

    Hansard source
13. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Natural Disasters: Community Resilience

    The overnight news of the earthquake in Venezuela, which has caused a lot of damage, is very concerning. I know that my colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stand ready, as do we, to help with any recovery that the people of Venezuela may need, particularly in terms of rescue at this stage.

    Hansard source
14. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience

    We are delivering our resilience action plan to strengthen national resilience, and we are building a system in which Government, business and society work together to anticipate and mitigate the risks facing our country.

    Hansard source
15. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience

    The national risk register includes the effects of climate change. Although the Government are working internationally on mitigation, it is also important that adaptation takes centre stage when the kinds of investment decisions my hon. Friend mentions are made. I assure her that the Government are across that.

    Hansard source
16. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience

    I certainly empathise and sympathise with the right hon. Gentleman’s loss. The loss of a parent in similar circumstances has been felt in many other households because of the toll taken by the legacy of asbestos on our public buildings and our buildings generally—not least this one. I take the point that he has made. We always need to be looking at how we can improve our response to mitigate the very real threat that the remaining asbestos in our buildings leaves people dealing with.

    Hansard source
17. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience

    Dual-use infrastructure is an important part of how we do planning, and my hon. Friend is right that we have to be much smarter and more forward thinking than perhaps has been the case, knowing that we face a very volatile and rapidly changing series of threats ahead.

    Hansard source
18. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience

    When I was first in government in 1997, I discovered that I was the Minister for Canals, which was a particularly enjoyable part of the brief, so I understand what the hon. Lady is saying. My previous Department, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, does a lot on this issue, so I will contact the Water Minister. We can liaise, and I will be in touch with the hon. Lady.

    Hansard source
19. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience Planning

    We are driving a step change in national resilience through our resilience action plan. Central to that is our national security risk assessment, which embeds clear accountability for lead Government Departments across all risks. We are further enhancing this co-ordination by publishing updated guidance this year. That will ensure that every Department is fully equipped to deliver its responsibilities and works seamlessly across the resilience cycle to keep the country safe.

    Hansard source
20. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience Planning

    I will get back to the hon. Gentleman. I have to confess that I have not had my briefing on space yet.

    Hansard source
21. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    National Resilience Planning

    I know that the extreme heat has extended even to Harlow, which has surprised some people; it indicates the nature of the threat. We have had a red alert. I will repeat the advice to drink plenty of fluids, and those who are travelling should take a lot of water with them, and be sensible and careful in these conditions. Clearly, water safety is an important issue. The National Fire Chiefs Council has issued good advice about water safety. If you are too hot, jumping into a very cold body of water is not a good idea, tempting though it may seem.

    Hansard source
22. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Topical Questions

    My hon. Friend is quite right to identify the threats from hostile foreign actors that we currently face, which evolve and rapidly change. I can assure her that we will continue not only to track those threats, but to give advice and information that helps businesses, communities and individuals to deal with them.

    Hansard source
23. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Topical Questions

    I assure the House that, given the Department I was in previously, I am able to join up the “food security is national security” mantra in a stronger way than has perhaps happened. The Government’s land use framework, which was published earlier in the year, demonstrates how we can ensure through multiple land use that we can build the homes we need and grow the food we need. The farming road map published yesterday demonstrates a plan for growth for UK primary production.

    Hansard source
24. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Topical Questions

    SMEs, individuals and communities should look at the national advice that is published and check on gov.uk/prepare, so that they can take the advice. It is simple and it is up there.

    Hansard source
25. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Dame Angela Eagle

    Topical Questions

    We always assess security risks on a case-by-case basis, and we do not discuss what they are in public.

    Hansard source
26. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: SMEs

    This Government are determined to ensure that public procurement backs small and medium-sized businesses. That is why we have strengthened late payment rules, have set ambitious targets for all Departments to spend more with small and medium-sized enterprises—totalling £7 billion by 2028—and are simplifying the entire system to ensure that SMEs get a fairer crack. We are working with the Federation of Small Businesses on this, and there is much more to come.

    Hansard source
27. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: SMEs

    My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight small businesses like the one in her constituency. As I announced in March, small businesses will now receive just over £7 billion a year from government procurement, as a result of reforms that we have put in place. That will support the industrial strategy that she mentioned. It will mean more money, jobs and opportunities in local communities—a lot done, and a lot more to do in this space.

    Hansard source
28. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: SMEs

    A number of colleagues, including my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank), have raised this subject several times with me, and I am working with Department for Transport colleagues to see what more we can do to support British manufacturers, but we are already acting. We have announced a 10-year pipeline with over £70 million of funding for zero emission buses. We are also working on redefining social value to ensure that it does more to support local communities and local jobs. That should help companies like Dellner Glass Solutions stand out when it comes to public procurement.

    Hansard source
29. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: SMEs

    I thank the hon. Member for that; it is a really good question. The reforms that we have introduced apply to all Departments, and the MOJ is obviously signed up to them. I have discussed this with the POA and a couple of other related organisations. If it is okay with him, I will ask colleagues in the Ministry of Justice about this and get back to him on the specifics.

    Hansard source
30. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: SMEs

    The hon. Member is absolutely right that we need to do more to support SMEs, and that we need to use our procurement budget to do that. I have announced some of the steps that we have already taken. In fact, just last week, we announced new guidance, both to ensure that, in sectors such as steel and shipping, more contracts go to British companies, and to help small and medium-sized businesses. That is just the start. We need to go much further—I am not challenging that at all—but we are taking big steps. In the last few years, we have come a long way, but hopefully we can go further.

    Hansard source
31. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: UK Businesses

    This Labour Government believe that it matters where things are made, and who makes them. Last week, I published new guidance to ensure that the full weight of our £400 billion procurement budget protects national security and backs British business. The guidance applies to four sectors initially—steel, shipbuilding, AI and energy infrastructure—and it will help secure our critical UK industries and boost growth across the country.

    Hansard source
32. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Public Procurement: UK Businesses

    My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. She has raised it with me previously, and she is a fantastic champion for her constituents. As she knows, I am working with the National Shipbuilding Office to bring forward the new rules. Shipbuilding is one of the areas that we are prioritising. Unfortunately, this procurement took place before the guidance came in, and it shows why the guidance is so necessary. It allows us to protect British national security and support shipyards, such as the one in her constituency. I reassure her constituents that the steps that the Government have taken will mean that more contracts, business and jobs come to constituencies like hers.

    Hansard source
33. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Topical Questions

    There are four sectors where we are using national security guidance, but the support for SMEs is much broader, too. I will happily talk to my hon. Friend and come back to her on particular parts of her constituency, but this plan will be nationwide, supporting all parts of the country, with more than £7 billion of Government money going to SMEs.

    Hansard source
34. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Topical Questions

    We are taking a number of steps to improve SME access to Government procurement, and I outlined those earlier. If it is okay with the hon. Gentleman, I will write to him about the specific measures we are taking in Northern Ireland, but we are working across the United Kingdom to ensure that our procurement budget does everything possible to support SMEs.

    Hansard source
35. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Topical Questions

    I absolutely do. We announced last week that we will bring all Government Property Agency, catering and security services back in-house, or at least that it is our intention to do that. We were elected on a manifesto promise to deliver the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, and we are going to start it at our own door—70 Whitehall, No. 10 and No. 11—but I would like to go further and roll this out across local government as and when we can.

    Hansard source
36. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Ward

    Topical Questions

    As I said earlier, my hon. Friend has raised this with me a number of times, and he is absolutely right to do so. I have spoken with the Department for Transport and security teams about this, and we are looking at it. We have started with four sectors and we want to go further. We are also taking a lot of other steps to help the bus manufacturing industry, as I set out earlier.

    Hansard source
37. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Vince

    National Resilience Planning

    I would just say to the Minister: live long and prosper. This heatwave may be considered as much man-made as naturally occurring. I am really concerned about the heat, not just in Westminster but in my constituency of Harlow. What are the Government doing to ensure that the country is resilient when it comes to heat? I know that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has had conversations about water safety, and what we can do to ensure the safety of young people, or others, who take risks in water because of the hot weather.

    Hansard source
38. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Vince

    Steel Trade Measure

    I thank the Minister for his statement—he is very much the Government’s man of steel. Protecting British steelmaking capacity means we will have a reliable supply for years to come, but can the Minister confirm that this announcement is good news for downstream producers in my constituency, such as MRI Fabrications, LWC Engineering and—my favourite—the Harlow Group, all based in Harlow, for today and years to come?

    Hansard source
39. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Vince

    Draft Conversion Practices Bill

    I thank the Minister wholeheartedly for her statement, and for the way in which she always carries herself at the Dispatch Box. I am very proud to call her my hon. Friend. I hope that one day I will be able to call her my right hon. Friend, but that is just my personal view and not that of the Labour party—I should be careful what I say. I have many former teaching colleagues who still talk with fear about section 28. I am really proud that it was a Labour Government who removed the terrible and divisive section 28, and I am proud that this Labour Government will ban conversion practices. Will the Minister confirm that this is a sign that this Labour Government are on the side of all of the LGBTQ+ community, in Harlow and beyond?

    Hansard source
40. 25 Jun 2026·Parliament·Labour·Chris Vince

    Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS

    I thank the hon. Lady for bringing this important issue to the House. The Government are introducing guidelines on this in the autumn. Does she welcome the publication of those guidelines, and does she hope that they will get rid of the inconsistencies and postcode lottery that she is describing?

    Hansard source