Paul Davies

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

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Latest on this tracker 167

1. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Young People and Work: Milburn Interim Report

   I want to acknowledge the important role of the Milburn review and its interim report within the broader context of welfare reform. Social security is important in achieving social justice, but it is also a key part of a thriving and resilient economy, providing the necessary safeguards to help people in times of need and a route back to work for those that can. The Department for Work and Pensions spends roughly £25 on benefits for every £1 spent on employment support. In practice, that means that only around one in five NEETs receive meaningful employment support. That is simply not sustainable. I welcome the emphasis in Milburn’s interim report on strengthening employment support for young people, and I expect the final recommendations of the review to build on that with a clear national strategy. Such a national strategy is crucial, but what we do locally is equally important, hence the importance of partnering with local providers and career services. In my constituency I have been leading the Aspire project, in which I work with Kirklees college, C+K Careers and local businesses to identify young people who are NEET and pair them with mentors who can offer guidance, support and work experience. The aim is to help them gain confidence in themselves and provide pragmatic advice when it comes to accessing education and employment opportunities. That is a first step, but it is a big step for many of the young people in engaging with colleges and employers. Local and national need to be in lockstep when it comes to the issue of NEETs, so will the Minister please comment on how the Government can help achieve that?

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2. 29 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Business of the House

   Last week, I visited the Horizon Group in my constituency, which has developed HERO—a solar-powered safety warning device made for remote environments. The product provides essential safety messaging about unmanned crossings and access points in some regions of the Network Rail network. Innovations like this keep people safe. Does the Leader of the House, like me, welcome the Chancellor’s statement yesterday on the importance of supporting innovation by British industry?

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3. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Prostate Cancer Screening

   It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. The National Screening Committee’s current recommendations are very restricted, limiting prostate cancer screening to every two years for men aged between 45 and 61 with pathogenic BRCA2 variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. According to its modelling report, just one in 277 people has the variant. In total, around 1,500 men in England would be eligible for such screening. The Transform trial is a key part of the Government’s strategy for improving detection and support for men with prostate cancer. It is a long-term commitment and I absolutely support that work, but I am concerned about the lack of strategy to support men with, and at high risk of, prostate cancer in the interim. Clearly, this impacts men today. I am concerned that the decision to withdraw the previous prostate cancer risk management programme and to direct GPs to refer to guidance in NICE clinical knowledge summaries when discussing PSA tests with patients has seriously reduced clarity for patients.

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4. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Prostate Cancer Screening

   I absolutely agree. We clearly have to act on that, and very quickly—that is the key point that many Members have made. We cannot wait. We see so many men affected by this illness and, unfortunately, many deaths and many men suffering for a long period.

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5. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Prostate Cancer Screening

   I absolutely agree. I recently had to work quite hard to get a PSA test. I have a very good GP, but was basically told it was a waste of time having the test. We need to make sure we have clarity so that GPs know how to deal with this and men understand that they have an entitlement to the test. I ask the Minister to make sure that we have a clear offer to higher-risk men. Will she confirm that men aged 50 or over or at higher risk are able to discuss the pros and cons of testing with their GP, and that the entitlement to a PSA test remains even though the PCRMP has been withdrawn? Going back to the screening we have at the moment, will she explain how BRCA2 carriers will be found and invited to screening going forward?

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6. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Business of the House

   Earlier this week, as chair of the APPG on tackling loneliness and connected communities, I led a roundtable discussion of youth education and skills development. It is clear that young people face many challenges in this area, but the Workers’ Educational Association has highlighted that about 9 million adults in the UK lack essential skills such as literacy and numeracy. With that in mind, will the Government make a statement on the important role of lifelong learning when it comes to closing this very concerning skills gap?

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7. 12 Oct 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Topical Questions

   <Question HRSContentId="{022BA349-10BE-4BE7-A728-A590928C6C38}">T3. <QuestionText HRSContentId="{FE924B3B-B005-40E8-82DD-6A1D2BB6CB09}"></QuestionText>Earlier this year, I met Benenden Health, a healthcare provider that offers support to women going through the menopause. Its research shows that 17% of women in Yorkshire who have experienced menopause symptoms <span id="19" class="column-number" data-column-number="19"></span>have reduced their working hours, and that 7% have left their jobs due to these symptoms and a lack of support. In the light of this, will the Minister commit to assessing whether the menopause aspects of employer action plans are improving retention and reducing workforce exits among women experiencing menopause?</Question>

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8. 14 Sep 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Water Sector: Public Ownership

   I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 762640 relating to a referendum on public ownership of the water sector. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Barker. I begin by thanking Ashley Paul Smith, who is sitting in the Public Gallery, for pulling together this petition. It has now received 208,000 signatures, and counting—I am sure that that number is already out of date. As the founder and chair of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, Ash has been investigating the sewage scandal since 2016. Members will likely be aware that his efforts were dramatised earlier this year in Channel 4’s “Dirty Business”, which exposed the long-term impact of the private model on our water sector.

   Hansard source
9. 14 Sep 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

   Water Sector: Public Ownership

   As I run through my speech, the hon. Gentleman will find a theme of strong support for public ownership of the water sector throughout. We absolutely must look at that option. Ash’s petition calls for “a binding national referendum on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership…A referendum would give the public back its voice about its water.” For too long, our water sector has been in the hands of shareholders rather than the public, who pay for and rely on its delivery.

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10. 14 Sep 2026·Parliament·Paul Davies

    Water Sector: Public Ownership

    Go on.

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2024 General Election: Colne Valley

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