Alan Campbell MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to recognise the incredible contribution of East Ayrshire’s young carers, and young carers across the country, whose vital contribution sometimes goes unseen. I wish Eloise skating success with her musical theatre challenge.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am not sure that it is a constitutional crisis, but I will help the hon. Gentleman to get to the bottom of how much is being committed. I am pretty sure that it is a lot more than the previous Government committed.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank colleagues at the Department for Business and Trade for their excellent work and thank the businesses for taking part, because they are the key to growing our economy. I also place on the record my thanks to my hon. Friend and our other trade envoys for their excellent work.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Yes, I do. I said in an earlier answer that the Government take SEN reform very seriously indeed, because the system is broken. However, it is even worse where local authorities have a responsibility to do better and they do not do it. Typically of Reform, it over-offers and underachieves. I hope it gets the powerful message that my hon. Friend has delivered today.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the work of our postal workers and I join her in paying tribute to the dedication that they show particularly at this time of the year, but also throughout the year. I understand the disappointment that workers will feel at that decision and I will ensure that Ministers hear her concerns.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will raise the issue with the Transport Secretary, to see how it can be resolved.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking Keith Richardson and everyone involved in the Royal British Legion in her proud and beautiful city. The work that they do is important for the local community, and it is replicated by so many people across this country.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a doughty advocate for her constituents. This sounds like an untenable situation for some of her constituents. She is absolutely right to say that the Renters’ Rights Act will transform the experience of private renting, and we have also brought Awaab’s law into force in the social rented sector. I will ensure that she gets a meeting with a Minister, so that she can make her case directly and find out more about what the Government intend.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman can seek either an Adjournment debate—that is probably the best route —or a Backbench Business debate to raise those matters and have a Minister set out why that decision was made, if what he says is accurate.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will draw this issue to the attention of the relevant Health Minister to make sure the hon. Lady gets the response she needs.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We absolutely condemn the appalling erosion of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. We have provided £151 million in aid programmes to provide lifesaving support for the most vulnerable people in the country, particularly for women and girls. I will ensure that the hon. Gentleman gets a reply from the Foreign Secretary to the very important points that he raises with his usual diligence and excellent tone.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the concern that parents in particular will have, but I gently point out that his Government had 14 years to put this right. Therefore, when this Government are taking the issue head-on, which we are, it does take a little bit of time to get it right. We are absolutely conscious of the need for every child to get the support they need as soon as possible, and we are working on a timetable and on what that means.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As I said earlier, we are acutely aware of this issue, which is why we are bringing forward proposals to fundamentally alter the special educational needs and disabilities system, but I will raise my hon. Friend’s concerns with Ministers to see what further action can be taken to assist his constituent.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  If the hon. Lady writes to me, I will look into what has happened in this situation and get an explanation. As she points out, her constituents have a right to know what will happen, and in a timely and organised fashion.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Local infrastructure is so important, particularly to rural communities. I will draw this case to the attention of the Department for Transport, but in the business I have announced, and in proceedings on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, there might be an opportunity for the hon. Gentleman to raise the issue of how local authorities can be held to account for the decisions they make.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in welcoming the Government’s announcement of our ambitious programme for animal welfare—the most ambitious in a generation. I assure him that we remain committed to banning trail hunting; we will consult on how to deliver the ban in the new year. I will ensure that he gets a meeting with Ministers.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating the pupils of Hitchin boys’ school, who were discussing a topic of huge importance. The Online Safety Act 2023 provides stronger protection for children, and we have launched a study into the effects of smartphone and social media use on children. My hon. Friend may wish to seek a debate in order to make those points to the whole House.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The sector that the hon. Lady talks about is important to the growth of the economy, but so too are rights at work. Successful companies are those that give decent rights and conditions to the people they employ. I will raise this matter with Ministers and see what action, if any, can be taken to resolve it.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The House will know that we have had the allocation of 13 sitting Fridays, but if certain reasons were brought forward—if, for example, amendments might have been made to Bills in the Lords—the Government may have an open mind about what sitting Fridays might look like. I also think there is a debate to be had about how we deal with private Members’ Bills, if I am honest. I cannot comment on whether the measures are appropriate to be incorporated into Government legislation, but the hon. Member may wish to draw that to the attention of the appropriate Department.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will ensure that the hon. Lady gets the update that she seeks.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  On the question of Backbench Business, the hon. Member will know that I have committed to making sure that the Committee has the time it needs. He will also know that this is a busy time of the year: there is plenty of legislation, not least the Bills coming back from the other place, and we are approaching Budget season. However, I take very seriously the points he makes because inevitably the issues that Members want to raise are serious matters. On the hon. Member’s second point, I thank him not just for raising that question, but for the tone in which he raised it. He has done a lot of work on these matters, which are incredibly serious because of their impact on our constituents. I, too, commend Samaritans, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and all other organisations that support people on these issues. I will ensure that he gets a response from the relevant Minister on what we intend to do to combat this matter, and if it is appropriate, a statement to the House.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I think we should go one stage further and have a debate, perhaps through a Backbench Business debate or an Adjournment debate, so that not only can a Minister go through what has been announced, but, because these issues affect every Member of this House, we are all able to raise relevant constituency cases as the House comes together to remember what were very, very dark days.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to our emergency services, and we send our sympathies to those affected. If he seeks a Backbench Business debate or an Adjournment debate on the subject, he will be able to raise those points himself, but I gently point out that for the past 14 years, many services, particularly fire services, have been starved of the funding that they need, so he needs to understand that this is not a recent development.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We are committed to bringing forward legislation to ban these abusive practices. It was, as my hon. Friend says, and is a key manifesto commitment. I cannot give her an exact time, but when the legislation does come forward, there will be plenty of time for debate on the matters that she raises.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will draw that to the attention of the Secretary of State, but as the hon. Gentleman knows, there is a balance, which the Government want to achieve, between protecting nature and making sure that we have the houses this country needs.