Laura Kyrke-Smith

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Parliament's party history for this member: Labour (4 Jul 2024 – present).

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1. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Young People and Work: Milburn Interim Report

   I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) on securing this debate. Across my constituency of Aylesbury and the villages, there is no shortage of talent or ambition among our young people. What they lack is opportunity, confidence and sustained trust and support. I will share three ideas that I think will help, and I look forward to the Minister’s response. First, we have to recognise the multiple pathways to success in work. Both national and local policy should better recognise and support self-employment and entrepreneurialism as legitimate employment pathways. We have a fantastic example in Aylesbury, where the “Making It” programme run by Youth Concern combines leadership development with guidance on self-employment and the chance to gain direct experience working in the creative industries. The programme has had strong interest from young people, particularly those for whom traditional employment feels too inaccessible or unattractive. Secondly, we have to measure success not just by how many people enter jobs but by whether they stay in them. The Buckinghamshire College Group offers the “Positive Steps” programme in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS trust. The jobcentre identifies people who are unemployed, the college provides training through its immersive healthcare suite and its work preparation support, and the NHS trust provides a placement and a guaranteed interview. The important point is that it does not stop there. The college’s programme data shows that 85% of participants are not just getting jobs but progressing into permanent, sustainable NHS employment. Thirdly, we have to recognise that employment is just one part of young people’s lives. Too many young people experience poor mental health, family difficulties, exclusion from education and other challenges. As a result, they lack the confidence to progress into education, training or employment. Beyond the job interviews and the work prep, they need access to mental health support, as well as wider support to help them recognise and articulate their strengths and skills. I look forward to the Minister’s response, and to making Alan Milburn’s recommendations a reality for young people in Aylesbury and the villages.

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2. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Advanced Manufacturing

   <Question HRSContentId="{464493A5-32C0-41A1-8991-ED85C83396FB}">T9. <QuestionText HRSContentId="{A57F709F-5F99-4BB2-B669-974D09F5B19A}" /> Whether it is pubs like the Rockwood and Craftyard, cafés like Darlington’s or restaurants like Kuzzu, small businesses are the backbone of our economy in Aylesbury and the villages and the heart of our community. For many years it has been tough for them, but we are starting to turn a corner. Will the Minister set out how last week’s Budget will help our brilliant local businesses to invest, create jobs and grow?</Question>

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3. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Budget Resolutions

   Much of the discussion on the Budget has focused on the national level, and rightly so, but for my constituents the true test is whether life in Aylesbury and the villages feels any different—whether decisions in the Budget translate into thriving local businesses, stronger communities and more confidence in our futures. I was out knocking on doors at the weekend, and one lady said to me, “This town is miserable now, isn’t it?”, which always pains me to hear. She said that when she wakes up on a Saturday, she does not head into Aylesbury; instead, she will go over to Tring or Wendover, where she can park cheaply and easily, and find all the shops and cafés she needs. In some ways, she has a point. Over the last decade or two, we have lost many of the shops, pubs and cafés that we used to have, but I know that our town has huge strengths and potential, and this Labour Government’s Budget helps us to start to turn a corner. The fact is that our towns do not thrive by accident. They rely on entrepreneurs who are prepared to take risks, family businesses that have served their communities for generations, and independent retailers that give our town centres their character and identity. These are not simply economic actors; often the same people are sponsoring local sports clubs and community events—I think, for example, of the long partnership between Xpress Labels and Aylesbury United—and they help young people get into work. If we are serious about the future of our high streets, we have to back those businesses to succeed. We have to do that nationally and locally, as Aylesbury town council does very well. I have spoken to many businesses that tell me that business rates remain one of their biggest cost pressures, and the brilliant organisation Buckinghamshire Business First has also raised that issue with me. I welcome the decision to expand small business rates relief and take thousands more local firms out of business rates altogether. Across Buckinghamshire, 2,000 businesses will now be paying no business rates at all. That makes a real difference to small businesses that are trying to invest and take on staff. I also welcome the real-terms freeze in business rates for the next two years for all our retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. I know that the additional 20% relief for pubs, social clubs and most live music venues will be welcomed by many constituents who have written to me about these matters. I welcome the focus in the Budget on support for entrepreneurs and early start-ups. We should be making it easier for people with a business idea to take that first step, which is why the decision to triple the tax-free trading allowance from £1,000 to £3,000 is important. Whether someone is testing a new business idea, turning a hobby into a source of income, or exploring self-employment for the first time, that measure helps to remove barriers and encourages enterprise. I am pleased to see the introduction of the young entrepreneurs allowance, to help young people trying to get into work. I also celebrate further support for female entrepreneurs in the Budget through the new scale-up programme for female founders, and the additional backing from the British Business Bank. We have many brilliant entrepreneurial women in Aylesbury—I think, for example, of Carys Dorritt at The Polka, a digital marketing agency—and we should absolutely be on their side. Helping our businesses to flourish is just one part of the transformation that I want to see in our town centre and on our village high streets. From creating more spaces for young people to improving our green spaces, and from improving public transport to sorting out parking, there is much more to do, but backing businesses that are the beating heart of our towns and villages is a great place to start. If anyone doubts that change is possible, they should take a walk along the High Street opposite Vale Park. For eight years, residents have been campaigning to remove the ugly and dangerous scaffolding that blocked the pavement on the main route into town, and I have been pleased to support them—and finally, last week, we won! You may ask, Madam Deputy Speaker, “What’s the deal with a pile of scaffolding at this late stage in the debate?” Well, what was supposed to be a temporary fix became, over eight years, a sign of how little Buckinghamshire council seemed to care about our town. But it has gone now; we have proved that we can start to change things, and I am hopeful about what is next.

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4. 2 Nov 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Social Media: Ban for Under-16s

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I would like to declare an interest: a family member of mine is employed by Smartphone Free Childhood. I speak today not just as a politician, but as a parent. My children are not yet old enough to be on social media, but my wake-up call came when my then seven-year-old daughter put a smartphone at the top of her Christmas list. I am fearful about what is to come for my kids, and I want the Government to be fully on my side as my family navigates the teenage years. I support the Government’s decision to ban social media for under-16s, and I urge them to move quickly to clarify the details and implement the ban, starting by bringing forward the regulations. The reality is that for years we have been allowing social media companies to access and influence our children unchecked. If we were talking about anything other than social media companies, whether that is toy manufacturers or pharmaceuticals, we would have put <span id="273WH" class="column-number" data-column-number="273WH"></span>the precautions and protections in place already. We have not, and while the causality can be hard to prove, it cannot be pure coincidence that this period of growing screen and social media use has coincided with the rapid decline in young people’s mental health and wellbeing, poor sleeping patterns, poor school attendance, increasing rates of self-harm and eating disorders, as other hon. Members have mentioned. We have been putting children into an online environment that overwhelms their still-developing brain functions—as Jonathan Haidt has set out very powerfully—and the harms are clear. I fully respect the views of those petitioners who say that there are benefits to young people being able to access social media, including the 430 people in my constituency who have signed this petition. However, I think that the view of these petitioners does not contradict a ban of the kind that the Government are taking forward. It is a ban on platforms built to encourage addiction, such as through infinite scrolling or streaks. It is also a ban on strangers being able to access our children and cause harm. It is not the end of children being able to communicate with family and friends or seek out community or help if they need it. It is the start of them being able to do that safely. Why is this the right way forward? I will briefly share three thoughts. First, I think this sets a new norm, and that is so important. Parents feel trapped in a no-win situation, where they either allow social media and risk harming their child, or refuse it and risk their child feeling socially excluded. Many young people reach early adulthood and wish that they had never had the excess or pressure of social media, but by then it is too late. Young people will say that to me, and they say, “Please do not stop us communicating with our friends, but please help me manage this addiction that I have to live with.” The age limit of 16 removes those pressures and creates a new shared norm that childhood does not need to be lived on and through social media. Secondly, a ban is inclusive and equalising, because the reality is that not all parents have the knowledge, time or capacity to manage all the parental controls. I notice a pattern whereby it is often the parents with a bit more time, income or freedom who make active decisions to keep their children off social media. But that is tough for parents, and a ban for under-16s removes that burden from individual families—from the parents and the young people. It ensures that all children have the same protections, regardless of their background or family situation. Thirdly, this ban is so important because it gives us the clarity to start thinking about alternatives. We have been stuck in this debate for a long time. If children are simply not allowed social media and that is decided, what might their childhoods look like? The science shows that executive brain function develops through practice in the real world—through play, face-to-face interaction, sustained attention and unstructured time. What policy interventions will encourage children to spend more time outside? How do we create environments where they can play without structure and without the performance that social media requires? What do the best practice online learning tools look like if some of those addictive design features are removed? There are <span id="274WH" class="column-number" data-column-number="274WH"></span>so many vital policy questions that we are freed up to address, once the rules on social media access for our children are clear. I will make a final point on one aspect of the ban that is particularly important to me. Last year, I had a serious and harrowing case in my constituency where a 12-year-old boy was groomed by an AI chatbot. It encouraged him to leave school, turn against his parents, run away from home, engage in a highly sexualised dialogue, and even suggested that the boy and the chatbot might meet in the afterlife. This should never, ever have happened, and no other 12-year-old should be exposed to harm in this way. I pushed hard on this at the time, and I was very grateful to the then Secretary of State for taking note and for including AI romantic companion bots in the ban. However, I continue to urge ambition and clarity as that aspect of the ban is taken forward. We may find that just regulating romantic companion bots is not enough, as others have said, including my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan). The social media ban is not about some sort of rose-tinted return to childhoods of the past; it is about giving children the right protections in our digital age. It is about allowing them to benefit from the very best of the online world, educating them about it for adulthood but doing so in an age-appropriate way, and setting them up to be safe, happy and successful, both online and offline.

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5. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Topical Questions

   <Question HRSContentId="{F512E45E-7F1C-4C44-8B06-01C8C33B8D35}">T6. <QuestionText HRSContentId="{7DE88FAF-BCB4-46B3-8759-58618C3C02E3}"></QuestionText>I spoke to one of my constituents, originally from Zimbabwe, about the Government’s proposed immigration reforms. She works two jobs caring for elderly residents while also raising her two kids as a single mum. She does not yet have indefinite leave to remain, and she said to me:“I am a hardworking person but day in, day out I live with anxiety due to not knowing what our future holds.”Can the Minister reassure me that we will do right by people such as my constituent who are working hard, contributing to society, and building their lives and futures here?</Question>

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6. 19 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   National Resilience

   <Question HRSContentId="{8CFF50A5-B8B3-4BC6-BD94-A6DE8D7E8E7A}">10. <QuestionText HRSContentId="{1C5A16ED-9214-421E-9EA9-3F9DBE6FD57E}">What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen national resilience. </QuestionText></Question>

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7. 19 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   National Resilience

   Whether the threat is from Russia, Iran or rogue AI agents, keeping our country safe is the precondition for growth and progress here at home. Protecting ourselves means protecting the critical national infrastructure on which our constituents’ lives depend, whether that is our banking systems, road and rail networks, or electricity grid. As the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Secretary of State have said, we face a society-wide threat, and we must prepare and respond with a society-wide effort. Will the Secretary of State say more about what he is doing with Cabinet colleagues to protect our critical national infrastructure, and will he advise my constituents on what they can do to play their part in keeping us all safe?

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8. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   Business of the House

   Earlier this week, the Prime Minister spoke in this Chamber about the threat that misinformation and disinformation pose to our democracy. Trusted local media is vital to countering the false information that is out there, yet our local media outlets are struggling to stay afloat. That includes Bucks Radio in my constituency, which recently missed out on funding from the Government’s local news outlet fund. Can the Leader of the House find time for a debate on the importance of trusted local media and the Government’s role in supporting it?

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9. 13 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

   UK Coach Industry

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Turner. I thank my colleague and neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard (Alex Mayer), for securing this important debate. In Aylesbury and across the country, transport is not just about moving people from one place to another; it is central to our economy, future growth and the wellbeing and opportunities in our communities today. Coaches have a particularly important role to play, and I pay tribute to all the operators in my area, including Masons coaches, Motts Travel, Redline and Star Travel. They connect Aylesbury with the surrounding rural communities and vice versa; support schools and colleges, as we have heard; provide transport for community groups; and help residents access leisure, cultural, sporting and tourism opportunities. Alongside our rail and bus networks, these coaches are vital in so many ways. Last week, I caught up with the brilliant Candice Mason from Masons coaches in my constituency to discuss the challenges facing the business and the sector. Sadly, the picture is not looking great. Masons is planning to reduce its fleet from 28 coaches to fewer than 20, because the costs on the business have skyrocketed. Workshop costs are up from £50,000 to £90,000 per year before covid to £330,000 now. Insurance has risen sharply, and the business is spending £8,000 per week on diesel. That is on top of rising energy costs and national insurance, minimum wage and business rates. Those pressures are felt not just by Masons but by small and medium-sized enterprises across Buckinghamshire, which are the backbone of our economy. What does better engagement and support from Government for the coach industry look like? I want to share three suggestions. The first point is about transport and planning policy, because that is where it all starts. Too often, local planning decisions overlook the practical needs of coaches. The result is poor parking, poor drop-off and pick-up facilities, a lack of suitable rest areas for drivers and so on. If we want coaches to support our local communities, planning guidance has to recognise them as a distinct mode of transport, while local authorities and visitor destinations have to be encouraged to provide appropriate facilities for coach operators and their passengers. That could help to tackle the increased congestion on our roads, but it could also have a beneficial impact on the environment, given that a single coach can remove dozens of cars from the road and significantly reduce emissions per passenger. Within transport planning, accessibility must also be front and centre. I know that the coach sector strongly supports making travel more accessible for disabled passengers and older people, but it must not just be about the coaches themselves; it must also be about the wider adaptations across the whole journey, including suitable boarding areas, kerbside spaces, level access points and so on.<span id="57WH" class="column-number" data-column-number="57WH"></span> The second issue is the skills shortage in the coach sector. Around 14% of posts remain vacant, and nearly a quarter of drivers are thought to be over the age of 60 and close to retirement. Masons has highlighted that it is hard to attract new drivers, particularly because of insurance restrictions that mean it can no longer teach and train newly qualified drivers, but also because of wider issues with the industry and struggles to attract women. I would like to know what the Minister thinks about that. The third suggestion is about costs. So many of our coach operators are local, family-run SMEs. They play a vital role in employing and training up local people, purchasing from other businesses and paying taxes and national insurance, and yet they are having to absorb increasing costs. I ask the Minister what he can do to address that, whether through targeted support when SMEs experience fast-rising costs beyond their control or through grants or transitional funding when Government regulation—for example, on accessibility—requires new investment. As we have heard, the coach industry would particularly welcome support with fuel costs, through similar mechanisms to those available elsewhere in passenger transport. Coaches are too often the forgotten part of our transport network, and yet they are vital. A thriving coach sector is not just a luxury but a necessity in Aylesbury, the villages and across the country, and I look forward to hearing the Minister’s thoughts.

   Hansard source
10. 13 Oct 2026·Parliament·Laura Kyrke-Smith

    Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Support

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Wishart. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon and Consett (Liz Twist) for securing this debate. She is right to highlight the vital work of youth suicide prevention <span id="118WH" class="column-number" data-column-number="118WH"></span>charities and the need for sustainable funding. I pay tribute to Hector’s House, a brilliant charity in my constituency that supports young people at risk of suicide in Hector’s memory. In Aylesbury, I run a programme for young people on politics, government and leadership called “Your Voice, Your Future”. The young people share their campaign ideas with me, and they often focus on mental health. One group made it their focus project—“Be You, Not Blue” was the name of their campaign. Their point was that, while awareness of mental health matters and is improving, awareness is not the same as understanding, and understanding does not yet translate into the support that young people need nationally or in their communities. Therefore, while it is so important that we get the support right for people in crisis, and the mental health strategy presents a real opportunity to do that, I reflect the point that young people make to me, which is that we should not be waiting until people are at crisis point to offer support. It is vital that support kicks in early, that mental health is woven through everything that schools do, that brilliant youth mental health charities such as Aylesbury Youth Action and Action4Youth in my constituency are known and accessible to people, and that mental health support is mainstreamed through the Government’s youth services. Today’s debate presents a real opportunity to get youth mental health support right more broadly. I know the Minister is working hard on that to make sure that we provide support early, as well as for those who get to that crisis point.

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