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1. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·John Cooper

   Apprenticeships

   At an awards ceremony in Scotland last month, apprentices said time and again how they were told throughout their school careers that their grades were good enough to go to university, and that they should think again about going into an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships create not just jobs but careers, so what can the Department do to help in Scotland where the Scottish Government have wrecked so much of Scottish education? Can they be prevented from destroying apprenticeships as well?

   Hansard source
2. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Joe Robertson

   Security Vetting

   The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that he should have been shown the recommendation of UKSV. He knew he had not seen it, so why did he not ask for it?

   Hansard source
3. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Jerome Mayhew

   Security Vetting

   For the third time of asking, at the time when the Prime Minister appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador, was he aware that Mandelson had been a director of Sistema?

   Hansard source
4. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Jack Rankin

   Higher Education: Freedom of Speech

   My hon. Friend the Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) is absolutely right. Whether it is Zionist views, gender critical perspectives, climate scepticism, or challenging the perceived wisdom that diversity is our strength with the need to put terrorism barriers around Christmas markets, there is a clear two-tier approach to free speech on our campuses, and students are the nub of it, which is exactly why the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act gave students the right to go to the Office for Students. Why can academics and visiting speakers complain under this proposal, but not students? It is called the Office for Students, or is the Minister planning to rename it “the office for everybody on campus except students”?

   Hansard source
5. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Harriet Cross

   Higher Education: Freedom of Speech

   16. What recent progress her Department has made on implementing the complaints scheme provided for in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

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6. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Harriet Cross

   Higher Education: Freedom of Speech

   I thank the Minister for that update. The scheme is long overdue, but of course it does not go far enough. Let us take, for example, the case of Brodie Mitchell, who was suspended from Royal Holloway for a spat at a freshers fair. Under the new guidelines, he would not be able to complain directly to the Office for Students. Why is that?

   Hansard source
7. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Gregory Stafford

   Security Vetting

   On 4 February, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister whether the vetting process had disclosed information about Epstein. The Prime Minister answered, “Yes, it did.” In his response to my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne), he said, “I got confused between vetting and disclosure,” but in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith), he said that he knew the difference. If that is not misleading the House, what is?

   Hansard source
8. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Greg Smith

   Antisemitic Attacks

   I will share with the Minister some distressing words that I have had from a wonderful man, Rabbi Dr Neil Janes, who leads the South Buckinghamshire Jewish community of which many of my Jewish constituents are members. He said that the recent attacks had become more than just one-offs, and that the “unacceptable strain on Jewish life has been normalised”. The South Buckinghamshire Jewish community do not have a building; they meet in different places around the area. Because of that, they do not qualify for funding from the faith communities security grant. Rabbi Janes tells me, however, that after every attack, they have to become more secretive in where and when they meet. That is unacceptable for any group in our society. On top of the words that the Minister has given, which I accept—I think he is a good Minister and I have faith in him—can he set out for the South Buckinghamshire Jewish community and every Jewish community in our country the concrete steps that he will take to ensure that they are safe and can live freely in this country?

   Hansard source
9. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Graham Stuart

   Security Vetting

   This is a humiliating day for the Prime Minister, and for the House, and for the whole country, yet still the Prime Minister is not being open with us. He is relying on some later inquiry, when the Cabinet Secretary told him in writing, in the official briefing, that he must seek vetting prior to the appointment of a political appointee. That is true, is it not, Prime Minister? And can you give a straight answer, just for once?

   Hansard source
10. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Esther McVey

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister said today, “I know that many Members across this House will find these facts to be incredible.” He is right: we do—along with his staggering lack of curiosity and his inability to take on board warnings about his good friend Peter Mandelson. The Prime Minister was given a due diligence document by the Cabinet Office, which told him several reasons why Peter Mandelson should not be appointed, including that he was fired twice from Government, had business dealings in Russia and China, and had maintained a relationship with Epstein after his imprisonment for paedophilia. The Prime Minister knew this but appointed him anyway. Why, Prime Minister, why?

    Hansard source
11. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst

    Security Vetting

    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? As the Prime Minister will know, that means “Who guards the guards themselves?” With that in mind, and on the subject of holding those in power to account, can he explain why he took almost a week to come to this House, when the public will have been expecting answers much sooner?

    Hansard source
12. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Kieran Mullan

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister is suggesting that the idea that the security services had concerns about this appointment was a bolt from the blue to him two weeks ago, despite the fact it had been on the front page of a national newspaper in September. However, my question is not about the vetting file, because we all know the answer that the Prime Minister is going to give on that. This is separate from the vetting file. Was he at any stage made aware of any element of the security services raising concerns about the appointment of Mandelson?

    Hansard source
13. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Kieran Mullan

    Victims and Courts Bill

    There will be some back and forth about who wants what elements of this scheme and in what ways, but I think the Minister was wrong to say that our focus was on it being for everybody. I have been clear from the start that our focus was also on extending the provision for victims and their families, and not for everybody.

    Hansard source
14. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Kieran Mullan

    Victims and Courts Bill

    It is a pleasure to take part in this debate on the Lords message on the Victims and Courts Bill. The Bill has been debated extensively in the other place. I thank the Lords for their care and consideration in trying to improve it, as we tried to do in the Commons. Members will know that, when the Bill was last in this House, we were sadly defeated by Labour MPs on a number of provisions relating to court transcripts, the victims code and the unduly lenient sentence scheme. Since then, the Lords have done a good job in securing concessions from the Government, including an agreement that there should be a clearer and more defined set of rights for victims of homicide abroad, which the Minister mentioned. Although it is not the subject of the debate, I join the Minister in acknowledging the campaigning by the relatives and MPs of Olivia, Zara, Sabina and Jan, which we have discussed a number of times in the Chamber as we passed specific amendments. Today we are considering two remaining provisions added in the Lords. I begin with the Government amendment in lieu of the Lords amendments on the unduly lenient sentence scheme. Many Members of this House will be familiar with the ULS and will have used it themselves. Anyone, including a victim, a relative of a victim or a member of the public, can ask the Attorney General to consider whether a sentence should be referred to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient. If the Attorney General considers that it might be, they refer it to the Court of Appeal for review. However, there is a strict 28-day limit within which the Attorney General is able to refer a sentence to the Court of Appeal—and, by extension, a 28-day limit within which the victim or a member of the public can refer the case. If the Court of Appeal finds that the sentence is unduly lenient, it may alter the sentence or substitute it for another. I have used the scheme on occasions when I have considered sentences to be unduly lenient, including, most recently, in relation to the horrific murder of Alana Odysseos, who was murdered by her boyfriend, Shaine March. He stabbed her 19 times when she refused to have an abortion. Despite having been convicted of murder and released on parole for that offence, when he committed this second murder, he was given a second life sentence—a term that is increasingly unfit for purpose—with the prospect of leaving prison again. That was plainly wrong, and after I referred his case to the scheme, his sentence was overturned and replaced with a whole-life order, meaning that he will never be released. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Alana’s sister, Jasmine. She has told me of the importance of that outcome, which means that Mr March is serving a sentence that reflects the gravity of his crime. That demonstrates how effective the scheme can be in certain circumstances, but it does not always operate as we might want it to. I have had the privilege of being able to meet and work with a number of victims and their families. They explained to me clearly the pitfalls in the scheme, and drew particular comparisons between the rights and privileges of the criminals and those of victims and the bereaved, in relation both to awareness and notification of the scheme and to the time available to use it. MPs and others can refer cases to the scheme, but those most likely to have an interest in making a referral or appealing a sentence are the victims or their families, and they do not always know about the scheme. There is not much point in people having a right if they are not told about it. The Government have agreed to a statutory duty to notify victims of the existence of the unduly lenient sentence scheme, which will mean that victims and bereaved families can easily find clear information about the ULS and about their rights in the victims code. Will the Minister clarify which body she envisages will have responsibility for that? It is important that we have some kind of plan to ensure that notification is working. I am sure that the various bodies involved would say that they like to think that everybody is told about it, but that is not the case, so how do the Government plan to ensure that whoever is given that job follows through on it? My hon. Friend the Member for Bridgwater (Sir Ashley Fox), who is no longer in his place, spoke about what the Government did or did not agree to. The Government’s original plan for the ULS in the Bill was not to give victims more time, but to give themselves more time. It was not on their radar, in any way, shape or form, to extend the time available to victims and their families. When we sought to amend the Bill in that respect, we were told that it was not possible and that we would have to wait for the findings of the Law Commission’s review of criminal appeals. I think the Minister must now accept that that was not true—as we knew at the time—because here we are making amendments before those findings are published. I do welcome the amendments, however. I pay tribute to those I have worked with directly, many of whom the Minister has mentioned. I have worked closely on this issue with Katie Brett from the campaign group Justice for Victims. I pay tribute to her MP, the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers), who made a particularly powerful and effective speech on this matter last time it was before this House. She has been very effective behind the scenes in driving forward this change. Katie’s sister, Sasha, was murdered in 2013. This is difficult to talk about, but it is the reality of what people are going through. Aged just 16, Sasha was raped and stabbed more than 100 times, and her body was set on fire. Katie and her family believed that Sasha’s killer met the existing criteria for a whole-life order, but he was given only a minimum sentence of 35 years. In reality, that meant that there was every possibility that he would end up getting out of prison. Despite all Katie’s amazing work on this issue, the scheme is not retrospective, which is something the family will have to accept. Katie was so upset about being unable to successfully appeal the sentence that she collected more than 10,000 signatures on a petition to remove the 28-day limit for appeals. The way that Katie described the situation has always stuck with me, and I have used it in discussions with Ministers and others. She said that 28 days is the amount of time we have to take something back to a shop. Someone has the same amount of time to decide whether or not they like a top that they have bought. How can we have the same test for something so serious? That measure was a cross-party one—we did not amend it when we were in government. I also met Ayse Hussein, another member of Justice for Victims, who campaigns on behalf of her cousin, Jan Mustafa. Jan’s killer had raped, tortured and imprisoned various girls and young women. He murdered Henriett Szucs and Jan and hid their bodies in a freezer, one of top of the other. He did not receive a whole-life sentence and may leave prison one day. Again, Ayse and her family never knew anything about the scheme. I have also had the pleasure of meeting Lauren Redmond, who lost her ability to appeal a sentence purely because of errors made by the Crown Prosecution Service. When a request to appeal the sentence was placed, the Attorney General’s office asked for the relevant files. The CPS sent the wrong date to the Government, who then worked towards an incorrect timetable. As a result, Lauren was denied the right to appeal. I have also had the opportunity to meet Tracey Hanson. You have given us guidance on addressing visitors in the Public Gallery, Madam Deputy Speaker, but the Minister has already done it for us. Tracey has campaigned for many years on this issue, and works on victims’ behalf more generally through the Josh Hanson Trust, which is named after her son. I know that she has been supported by the Victims’ Commissioner in that work. As the Minister said, Joshua was 21 when he was murdered in an unprovoked knife attack. Tracey and I have not always seen eye to eye on exactly how the scheme should be reformed, but that in no way diminishes the incredibly vital role that she has played over many years in campaigning for improvements to the scheme. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson), who has done a great job of advocating and lobbying on Tracey’s behalf. I am glad that the Government have been persuaded to act. They will now allow up to six months for victims and their families to make use of the scheme in certain circumstances. I want to allow space for Katie and Tracey’s words on those changes. Katie said: “It’s a relief that, in Sasha’s memory, victims and their families will have 6 months to challenge an unduly lenient sentence, and the new legal duty to be notified means every family will know their rights to be able to do so. No family should ever be left in the dark like we were, every victim deserves support. We’re grateful these steps are being taken to redress the balance that so often feels weighted against victims.” Tracey said: “After…years of relentless campaigning through the Josh Hanson Trust, this is a significant and long-awaited victory for victims’ rights. Following our extensive advocacy, the Government has agreed to transformative amendments to the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. These changes represent a hard-fought victory in ensuring that families are no longer left in the dark or rushed through a traumatising process during the most painful moments of their lives. These reforms are a testament to Josh’s memory and the passion and dedication of everyone who stood with the Josh Hanson Trust. We have moved forward, but the fight for full equality in the eyes of the law continues.”

    Hansard source
15. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Caroline Johnson

    Maternity Commissioner

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I declare an interest as an NHS consultant paediatrician. I have attended more than 1,000 deliveries of babies over my career. More recently, they have been more likely to be the ones where things were going wrong and where there were more concerns about the baby, as my role is about looking after the infant. I have also had my own three children. The hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding) described having a mixed experience; I had three healthy children, but the first one was a normal delivery, the second a somewhat chaotic emergency caesarean section and the third a nice and smooth, peaceful elective caesarean section, so I had a range of experiences. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) on his opening speech. I particularly thank Theo Clarke—my friend and former colleague—and Louise Thompson for their campaign on maternity safety. They have shown incredible bravery in talking about their experiences and challenging the taboos around the troubles related to pregnancy. In particular, I commend Theo for her talk about perineal injuries, because this has been something spoken about in hushed tones and quietly among women and not something discussed in the public arena, but once it is spoken about in the public arena, that courage enables other women to find the courage to come forward and talk about it. That is how we will ensure that these injuries become less likely and the treatment becomes better, so I thank them for their work on that. Since the petition was launched, it has received more than 150,000 signatures, including 270 from my constituency. As a parent, I know that bringing a child into the world is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences in life. As has also been said, it generally goes well—reasonably smoothly, if not completely smoothly—and the outcome is generally good. But for too many women, their experience is deeply traumatic. Every year, 30,000 women suffer negative experiences during pregnancy, and one in 20 of those goes on to suffer from PTSD. The APPG on birth trauma ran an inquiry into birth trauma, soliciting 1,300 submissions. What it detailed painted a shocking picture. It spoke of mothers left unattended to in hospital beds and some left in their own blood or faeces for hours on end; vaginal examinations undertaken without consent and in some cases triggering a mother’s waters to break; mothers belittled; concerns torn from the records; a baby dying during delivery after concerns were raised 44 times in vain; and significant mental health consequences and debilitating effects of perineal injury. Every single failing we have heard about today is one too many. As I have said, maternity care is generally safe, but it is not safe enough yet. I am proud that the previous Government identified maternity care as a priority and began making some improvements. There is a way to go, but the previous Government launched a maternity and neonatal safety strategy, funded the saving babies’ lives care bundle, setting out evidence-based practices for providers and commissioners of maternity care in England, and rolled out maternal medicine networks in 2023. They established 17 centres of excellence to help women with high-risk conditions to get the care that they need when they need it. The previous Government’s reforms were backed by £127 million of investment specifically for maternity and neonatal care, and much of that was focused on the workforce. Because of these efforts, more babies are delivered safely than ever before. Between 2010 and 2022, stillbirths fell by 25% and maternal mortality fell by 17%. The improvements were in large part overseen by my right hon. Friend the Member for Godalming and Ash (Sir Jeremy Hunt). He has saved countless lives with these improvements and deserves much credit for that. I am concerned about the trajectory that we are currently on, because as has been said, there is still quite a lot left to do. In June, the Health Secretary agreed. He said that “we’re not making progress fast enough on the biggest patient safety challenge facing our country”, but he has responded with another inquiry. He did say that it would be a rapid inquiry, but it took months—in fact, till September—to decide which trusts would be involved in that inquiry, and then that was changed in and of itself. It was announced almost a year ago, has been much delayed and has still not reported. Hopefully it will be a great report when it has reported, but the delay means that action is not taking place quickly enough. As has been mentioned, Baroness Amos found in her interim report that 748 recommendations had been made over the last decade, but progress in delivering on them had been too slow. Could the Minister update the House on how many remained undelivered on at the point of the general election and how many she has delivered on since? In June, Ministers also announced a maternity and neonatal taskforce; and in November, I tabled questions asking how many times the taskforce had sat and who was on it. The answer was that they had not decided yet. In January, the question was raised again and they still had not decided. It took until last month for the Government to decide who was going to be on their urgently created taskforce from last year.

    Hansard source
16. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Caroline Johnson

    Maternity Commissioner

    I completely agree with the hon. Lady that it is important to get the taskforce right, I am just not sure that it needed to take quite so long to do so. We heard a statistic earlier about how many babies are born and how often; I think about how many babies have been born in the intervening time, while the membership of the taskforce was being finalised.

    Hansard source
17. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Caroline Johnson

    Maternity Commissioner

    I understand the hon. Lady’s point, but putting together a taskforce should not take months and months, because it is too important that we get on with it quickly. The Minister may be able to give us a reason for the delay because, if this is hitting the ground running, the Government must be wearing lead boots. I also want to talk about the workforce. The Labour party manifesto included a commitment to train thousands of additional midwives. Can the Minister confirm how many more midwives are in training than under the previous Government, how many additional study places have been funded for each year, and how many places will be available this September? Some midwives have spoken about a lack of more senior midwives on shifts and the balance of care. Can the Minister tell us what figures she has on the number of midwives who are now in more senior roles and not providing clinical care, and what proportion of midwives are still spending at least a day a week providing clinical care? We know that many midwives are not happy with the Government’s proposed 3.3% pay award—health unions have called it a betrayal and an insult. With resident doctors already striking, what is the Minister doing to avoid yet another industrial dispute, which I worry would contribute to poorer maternity care? At the same time, the Government’s plans to reorganise NHS services and ICBs have put them under financial pressure. Can the Minister confirm what effects she thinks that will have on maternal services and maternal mental health services used by women? The Government promised 1,000 speciality training places; how many of those that have now been cancelled were for obstetrics and gynaecology? Will the delayed workforce plan, when it comes, have details of the number of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees that are needed, and will the Government have a plan to deliver the right number so that we have the best number of doctors for care? Hon. Members talked about how births are becoming more complex—there are fewer births, but there are more complex births. What are the Minister’s plans for prevention, for example by ensuring that women have folic acid? We know that around four in five women take folic acid, but what can be done to improve that? I give the Government credit for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, but what is being done to reduce smoking in particular among women who are planning a pregnancy or who are pregnant? Obesity and the effects of chronic illness are also important in making pregnancies as healthy as they can be. Given the Government’s focus on prevention, can the Minister update the House on what is being done in those areas? The speech by the hon. Lady for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) explained the workforce culture extremely effectively. Where errors happen—I agree with her that errors will always happen—it is important that the response is honest, open and transparent. Those who blow the whistle should be safe to do so, and the balance between accountability and blame needs to be in the right place so that we get improvements in maternity care. I share the hon. Lady’s concerns about the “normal birth” culture. As many hon Members have said, listening to women is important. I asked the Minister about the abolition of Healthwatch the other day, but I do not think I got an answer. Organisations will always try to represent their interest group as effectively as they can, but there may be women who fall through the cracks. The benefit of Healthwatch is that it will listen to all and any women, whereas groups will just represent cohorts of women. On travel, it is not uncommon, where there is a baby with a cardiac or neurological condition or extreme prematurity requiring surgery, for the baby to have to be transported significant distances, sometimes hours away from their parents’ home, in order to receive the best care. That can be very challenging for people in the cost of travel, and accommodation local to those units. Some units have excellent accommodation onsite in the hospital for mothers and fathers who have a baby who is particularly sick, but others do not. I asked some written questions on this topic following the neonatal estate review, but I got answers back about bereavement suites, which are a different issue. I have heard examples of women being asked to stay on the postnatal ward when they have a baby in the neonatal unit. One woman described to me being in a bay with three other women who all had their babies with them; that woman was told to stop pressing the buzzer for help after a caesarean section, as there were other women with babies who needed to be looked after—I thought that was particularly cruel. In summary, I understand that the Minister is very dedicated to this cause, and I am sure that the Secretary of State is too, as we all are. However, I feel that the delay, the report and the endless inquiries are not creating the actions that we need, so I would be grateful for the Minister’s response.

    Hansard source
18. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Caroline Johnson

    Apprenticeships

    13. What steps she is taking to promote apprenticeships as an alternative to university education.

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19. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Caroline Johnson

    Apprenticeships

    On Thursday this week an excellent apprentice in my office will graduate with a first-class degree. Unfortunately, no one will be able to follow in his excellent footsteps, because the Government have withdrawn funding for the chartered management degree apprenticeship. Given the benefits of degree apprenticeships, will the Minister please reconsider?

    Hansard source
20. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dr Andrew Murrison

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister has now been on his feet for nearly two hours. May I put it to him that the most charitable explanation that could be put forward to explain this sorry saga, is that it has been a bad, probably terminal case of the three wise monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?

    Hansard source
21. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·David Simmonds

    Antisemitic Attacks

    My constituency is home to many Jewish communities, as well as a significant number of Iranian refugees. This morning I met David Summers, a volunteer who co-ordinates security at one of our synagogues, and Jeremy Havardi of B’nai B’rith, a well-known national Jewish organisation. Given the number of incidents in north-west London, there is a real concern that these incidents are getting closer and closer to home for my Jewish constituents. In the light of the amount of pressure on our police forces, I know that my Jewish constituents would like me to ask the Minister what consideration he has given to bringing in support from police forces outside of the Metropolitan police area so that all our Jewish constituents at schools, synagogues and other community locations can enjoy the level of visible and covert security that they need to be able to live their lives to the fullest.

    Hansard source
22. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·David Reed

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister has chosen to blame his officials for this debacle, so can he confirm that he knows the names of the FCDO civil servants who made the decision to override UKSV on 29 January 2025—yes or no? Has he made the decision to suspend them all from duty, pending a full independent inquiry—yes or no?

    Hansard source
23. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·David Mundell

    Security Vetting

    Is the Prime Minister really saying that in the appointment of Peter Mandelson, he did not himself consider that there might be issues with his vetting process, given his track record? Is it not even more incredible that he then did not query whether there had been any issues with that vetting process?

    Hansard source
24. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·David Davis

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister rebuffed first the Leader of the Opposition and then the leader of the Liberal Democrats for saying that the then Cabinet Secretary’s advice to the Prime Minister was to get the clearance before the announcement. I will read one sentence from a document entitled “Options for HMA Washington”, from the Cabinet Secretary of the day to the Prime Minister personally. It states: “If this is the route that you wish to take you should give us the name of the person you would like to appoint and we will develop a plan for them to acquire the necessary security clearances and do due diligence on any potential Conflicts of Interest or other issues of which you should be aware before confirming your choice.” The House does not want to hear about what Mr Wormald said a year later. That was the advice then; why did the Prime Minister not follow it?

    Hansard source
25. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Damian Hinds

    Falling School Rolls

    It is true that the effects of the falling birth rate have been felt most so far in places such as Hackney, but it is coming to many more places, and the effect will be felt in a much more magnified way, particularly in small rural schools. Does the Secretary of State accept that the funding formula will have to change away from being so heavily reliant on a per capita amount, so as to support our small rural schools?

    Hansard source
26. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dame Karen Bradley

    Security Vetting

    The Prime Minister has just told us that after he sacked Peter Mandelson, he changed the process so that now an appointment cannot be announced until after security vetting is passed. Why did he do that if he did not think there was a problem with the security vetting?

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27. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dame Karen Bradley

    Antisemitic Attacks

    I am sure that everyone in this House will have heard stories from friends and constituents who are unable to enjoy a full Jewish life in the way that they should. The Minister is right that this is not just about putting in place more police and security, but about driving out the root cause of antisemitism. In this case, it does seem that the attacks are driven by foreign state actors, so I must agree with the calls for the proscription of the IRGC. This is something that the Government must now look at urgently.

    Hansard source
28. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dame Harriett Baldwin

    Security Vetting

    It seems to me that there are two different ways in which a Minister can inadvertently mislead this House: one is by the things that they say, and the other is by the things that they do not say. That is why I am particularly interested in the letter from Lord Case that my right hon. Friend the Member for Goole and Pocklington (David Davis) raised, because it seems to have been written to the Prime Minister in November 2024, advising that a political appointment to an ambassadorial role ought to be preceded by full security vetting before being announced. It was announced by the Prime Minister in December 2024. Did he write that he wanted his decision to be subject to Peter Mandelson passing the full security vetting? What did he write on his box note?

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29. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dame Caroline Dinenage

    Sports Facilities: Secondary Schools

    I hope that schools in South Dorset and—crucially—the Minister will have read the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport’s “Game On” report, which was published today. It makes the case for increased physical activity in schools and the positive impact it has on a pupil’s ability to learn. However, recent reports suggest that the Government are proposing funding cuts for physical education, so will the Minister please give a very clear commitment today that there will be no reduction in funding for PE in our schools? In fact, I would love to hear from her that there will actually be increased investment in our children’s health, wellbeing and learning through a more active school day.

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30. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Dame Caroline Dinenage

    Security Vetting

    At the risk of stating the obvious, the Prime Minister has based his defence today and over this whole sorry saga on his claim that he was not told that Mandelson failed security vetting. In fact, he said 11 times in his statement that he was not told. How many times and on which specific dates did he himself directly ask for that information?

    Hansard source
31. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Caroline Nokes

    Crime and Policing Bill

    I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

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32. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Caroline Nokes

    Crime and Policing Bill

    I call Adam Jogee.

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33. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Bob Blackman

    Antisemitic Attacks

    I commend the police and the fire brigade for their prompt action in the early hours of Sunday morning. It was a reassurance patrol that spotted the firebombing of Kenton shul and prevented it from burning down completely, so that is welcome. Equally welcome is the extension of the section 60 notice, not just to Barnet but to Harrow and Brent—I think that has been announced while the Minister has been on his feet. We have to recognise that this is a series of terrorist attacks on the Jewish community. I have people contacting me saying, “Am I safe in my own home, let alone going to the synagogue?” That is a disgrace for this country and we have to take action immediately. Will he look not only at proscription of the IRGC but the immediate proscription of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, so that membership of that organisation is a criminal offence? Equally, will he make sure that the charities behind these people—the Dar Alhekma Trust and the Abrar Islamic Foundation, which I wrote to the Minister about a year ago—are also proscribed, as well as the 16 other Islamic charities that have been proscribed by the Arab states? The reality is that we have to take prompt and firm action to stop this terrorist activity now. What starts with the hate marches ends up with synagogues being burned and Jewish people feeling unsafe.

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34. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Blake Stephenson

    Victims and Courts Bill

    I will speak to Lords amendments 5C and 6B. Before I do so, may I thank the Minister for working in a collaborative and cross-party way on this issue? I congratulate hon. Members who spoke before me so passionately on behalf of their constituents. I pay tribute to my constituent Tracey Hanson, who is watching this debate from the Gallery. Tracey’s son, Josh Hanson, was tragically murdered in an unprovoked knife attack in October 2015 at the age of just 21. Tracey has been on an 11-year journey of immense pain, and she has channelled that pain into trying to improve the rights and experiences of victims who must deal with the criminal justice system. Tracey has campaigned tirelessly to reform the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The campaign is driven by a simple demand: victims and bereaved families should be properly informed of their rights, and those rights should have parity with offenders’ rights under the scheme—something that hon. Members have spoken about this afternoon. Tracey’s campaign was born from personal injustice. She was never informed of her right to challenge the sentence imposed on Josh’s killer. When she discovered the scheme and submitted an appeal on the final day, it was rejected, because it arrived outside of office hours. That is totally unacceptable. I therefore welcome the introduction of Lords amendment 6B, which will place a clear duty on authorities to notify victims and bereaved families of their right to appeal a sentence under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. That change is a direct result of Tracey’s work with academics, campaigners and legislators, and her determination to improve the legislation through the introduction of Josh’s law. Other families who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in such tragic situations will benefit from Tracey’s work, and the work of all campaigners. It is because of that work that I and many others in this House have been educated about the problems with the ULS scheme. I welcome Lords amendment 5C, which will extend the period within which an appeal can be considered from 28 days from the date of sentence to six months from the date of the sentence, where that is in the interests of justice. That is a significant step forward for victims’ rights, but, while I welcome it, true justice requires absolute parity between the rights of offenders and the rights of victims to appeal sentences. Hon. Members from across the House have made that point today, and I hope that the Government have heard it. Despite the positive step forward in this Bill, I know that Tracey will continue her fight for full equality for victims in the eyes of the law. On that note, may I thank Ministers for agreeing to meet Tracey later this year to discuss the Law Commission’s review of criminal appeals? In the Minister’s summing-up speech, I would appreciate it if she could confirm that Tracey would be welcome at that meeting. I also mention my constituents’ disappointment that the Government have decided not to give these legislative changes the name “Josh’s law”. I have already spoken of the undeniable role that Tracey’s campaign has played in bringing about these changes. That sentiment is reflected in the fact that many Members across this House already recognise it as Josh’s law, noting Tracey’s years of campaigning for these changes in Josh’s memory. Baroness Levitt KC, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, said in the other place last week that this Government listen and want to get things right. I truly welcome the fact that Ministers have listened to Tracey, and have introduced amendments for which she has campaigned for more than seven years, but they have not got this completely right. In the eyes of my constituents, to truly honour Tracey’s work—not only her determination to deliver meaningful legislative reform, but the tireless support that she has provided to victims through her charity—this change in legislation should be called Josh’s law. I understand the Government’s position is that “this decision reflects a wider shift away from the Government naming legislation or amendments after individuals”. However, that is inconsistent with other recently passed legislation. I will refer to just one example. Last week, a Minister referred to “Benedict’s law” at the Dispatch Box. That legislation was passed only last month. That highlights that the move away from naming legislation after individuals is not being applied consistently. I ask the Minister to reflect on that at the Dispatch Box. Together, Lords amendments 5C and 6B represent a positive shift in the way that the criminal justice system in England and Wales approaches victims. I hope that Tracey is incredibly proud of the fact that, by channelling the immense pain of her loss into concrete action, she has helped to shift more focus back to the impact on, and rights of, victims. For that reason, and in Josh Hanson’s memory, I encourage colleagues from across the House to support Lords amendments 5C and 6B.

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35. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Ben Obese-Jecty

    Security Vetting

    On 4 February, Peter Mandelson was notified by the appointments and interchange officer from the FCDO that he required STRAP-level access in addition to his DV. He started the role on 10 February. On what date did Peter Mandelson receive STRAP-level access?

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36. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Aphra Brandreth

    Topical Questions

    T3.   A local employer—himself a former apprentice—tells me that his industry is now in crisis, with his firm’s apprentice intake falling from 60 to just 20 this year due to this Government’s decisions. Meanwhile, Reaseheath College is having to turn students away and restrict courses in agricultural engineering and construction due to a lack of funding. With nearly 1 million young people not in education, employment or training, does the Minister accept that this Government are failing young people, and will she instead back the Conservatives’ plan to create 100,000 more apprenticeships by lifting funding caps and supporting employers with up to £5,000 per apprentice?

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37. 20 Apr 2026·Parliament·Aphra Brandreth

    Security Vetting

    In a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting in November last year, I asked Sir Oliver Robbins whether the Foreign Office had a different view about who should be recommended for the posting of ambassador. Sir Oliver Robbins said to me that “the Prime Minister took advice and formed a view himself, and we then acted on that view.” Is it not the case that the Prime Minister was repeatedly warned before the appointment that Peter Mandelson carried reputational and political risk, including that due diligence was not exhaustive and vetting was not yet complete, yet he chose to proceed regardless, announcing the appointment, overriding civil service advice and putting our national security at risk?

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38. 16 Apr 2026·Parliament·Sir Roger Gale

    Business of the House

    Many Members of the House, possibly including you, Mr Speaker, will have received communications from retired civil servants who are facing personal and financial distress as a result of the failure of Capita—the company handling the pensions—to deliver properly. Will the Leader of the House be good enough to write to the Cabinet Secretary and ask her to get a grip and sort out this mess, and seek to ensure that Capita receives no further Government contracts of any kind until this matter is fully, finally and satisfactorily resolved?

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39. 16 Apr 2026·Parliament·Sir Julian Smith

    NHS Federated Data Platform

    One of the issues that the hon. Gentleman has not discussed in his excellent speech is governance. The commissioner of the contract is the NHS, and it is also the main oversight body. He has put forward a black-and-white solution—end or maintain the contract—but is there not a case for a more robust governance structure? That could involve giving more powers to the National Data Guardian or setting up a bespoke oversight body for this contract.

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40. 16 Apr 2026·Parliament·Sir Desmond Swayne

    Project Spire

    3. What recent discussions the Church has had with the Charity Commission on Project Spire.

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