Alan Campbell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. This is not the first time that we have heard concerns regarding Royal Mail’s performance, but she is absolutely right to draw specific attention to this concern in the run-up to the very important elections taking place right across the country. It is vital that Royal Mail delivers a reliable postal service to ensure that postal voters receive their ballots and are able to return them in good time. I have just announced the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill, so there will be an opportunity to raise this matter during that debate. I know that Royal Mail takes an interest in these sessions, so I hope that it has noted her concerns, which I will raise directly with Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. I am not sure whether my hon. Friend or any other Members who have raised concerns about Royal Mail are aware, but Royal Mail has been called in by the Business and Trade Committee to account for its performance.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising the important work of the HealthBus Trust, and I join her in paying tribute to its work. I will raise the point that she has drawn to our attention with the Health Secretary and ensure that she gets a response.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises a serious matter. The Yazidi population suffered immensely, and the repercussions are still being felt today. Supporting the safe return of remains to families is vital. I will ensure that he gets a response from the relevant Foreign Office Minister, but I also remind him that it is Foreign Office questions next week.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Government were clear in their manifesto that housing need in England cannot be met without planning for growth on a larger than local scale, and that it will be necessary to introduce effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning. None the less, I will raise my hon. Friend’s point with the relevant Minister and ensure that he gets a reply and, if appropriate, a meeting.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Absolutely, the council should do that as a matter of urgency. It is a gross discourtesy to a Member of this House for any council not to take these matters seriously enough. It seems that we are not just criticising Reform councils on these matters; we are now quite rightly condemning Conservative councils. Where they are not listening to their residents, they should listen. As I said in my previous answer, a record amount is going in from Government to fix potholes. The money must be used effectively so that our constituents see those benefits. I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this matter to the House, and I encourage her local Conservative council to listen to her important contribution and the views of their community, and to get back to her with the information that she rightly seeks.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is right to raise this important matter. I cannot give her the answer that she is looking for this morning, but I will make sure that Ministers are aware of this issue and that she gets a reply directly from them.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for his constituents and he is right to raise the issue of road safety. As he has said, the Government are determined to take action on road safety. Our road safety strategy includes a plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on British roads by 65% by 2035. I join him, as he requests, in thanking the School Streets Initiative volunteers, not just in his constituency but across the country, for all their work in helping with road safety. I hope that the other people who have an obligation to make streets safer in his constituency have heard his remarks today.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly join my hon. Friend in praising the work of Transform Trade and congratulating it on its 40th anniversary. Let me take this opportunity to thank the founders of Traidcraft and everyone involved over those four decades. It has been very important to her constituency, where it was founded, and to constituencies such as mine. The UK will continue to champion free and fair trade, and Traidcraft—now Transform Trade—has an important part to play in that. If my hon. Friend applies for a Westminster Hall debate on this matter, I am sure that it would be well attended.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for championing unity, not division, and working to make our high streets safer. All forms of hatred are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities, and the Government are clear that those who commit hate crimes will face the full force of the law. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets the meeting she requests, but I also encourage her and other Members to attend the debate on community cohesion scheduled for next Tuesday.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter in the way that she has today. No one wishes to be faced with this issue, particularly at such a distressing time. The Government will set our their response to the Fuller inquiry in due course, including on the matter of statutory regulation. If my hon. Friend wants a meeting with the relevant Minister, I will seek to help her to arrange that.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As I said previously, we inherited this system from the previous Government—they designed it and delivered it—and it is not working to the benefit of students. We are making changes to improve the system and make it fairer, and will continue to do so, but I will draw my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour’s concerns to the attention of the relevant Minister, because I know these matters are of such importance in her constituency.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Lady in praising everyone involved in air ambulances, and in acknowledging the importance of the hospitals to which she refers. In fact, many newer hospitals have helipads—including Northumbria specialist emergency care hospital, which serves my constituency—but that does not apply across the board. She raises an important point, and I will draw it to the attention of the Secretary of State for Health.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly will try to do that. The hon. Lady is right to raise those concerns. Two things spring to mind: first, with the support of other colleagues who she says have similar concerns, she might seek an Adjournment debate so that they can express them directly to the Minister, or secondly, she gets the reply from the Minister that she is after. I will ensure that she does.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly join the hon. Gentleman in hoping that the day is a success. Of course, we want to encourage people to go along and cheer on and support teams, not least because many clubs face difficult financial circumstances, so getting communities behind teams is really important. The only thing that surprises me is that a Member of Parliament has 100 friends.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  May I first express my deepest sympathies for the case that my hon. Friend raises? His constituent, and indeed all our constituents, deserve better than what he has outlined. If he sends me the specifics, I will ensure that they are taken up with the relevant Minister.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend sets out further disturbing news from Tees Valley. He described me earlier as a “pussy cat” on some matters; on these matters he has been a terrier over the years. He has pursued them on behalf of his constituents and the wider region, and he is absolutely right to do so. If he wishes to have a meeting to draw them to the attention of the Secretary of State, I will help him to arrange it. If the Secretary of State wishes to bring forward a statement on these matters, that is a decision for him.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising the work and campaigning of Coloma Convent girls’ school and will certainly join her in thanking the teachers and staff at the school. The Government fully recognise the pressure that many developing countries face, and we are committed to delivering an international financial system that supports development needs and helps countries to address their debt vulnerabilities. I will ensure that the Foreign Secretary hears my hon. Friend’s words.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to champion the work of cadets and the impact that they have on young people. I join him in praising all the volunteers who allow cadet forces to operate; they are so important to our local communities and are of such value to young people’s life chances. I can confirm that Ministry of Defence officials are looking at the viability of taking forward a national cadets week.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for his remarks on Ukraine. It is important that every party in this House stands with Ukraine, and it is a pity and a disgrace that that view is not shared by everyone in the House. The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the matter of debt recovery, because it must be fair to everyone; if someone falls into debt, they must be treated fairly and supported to get back on their feet. That is why we are reforming the enforcement sector to safeguard debtors and creditors alike while building a more sustainable future. It is a question of balance, because any Secretary of State has an obligation to protect public funds and ensure that, wherever possible, overpayment and penalty debt is recovered; it should, however, be recovered as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible without causing undue financial hardship to debtors. I will draw the hon. Gentleman’s remarks to the attention of Ministers, starting with those in the DWP, to ensure that they have heard what he has said today.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for her questions and for her warm welcome, but let me gently warn her that soft soap will get her absolutely nowhere. Let me join the hon. Lady in expressing our continued support for Ukraine. This week marks four years since Putin’s full-scale invasion. The Government remain steadfast in our support for the people of Ukraine, as did the previous Government. This week we announced a landmark sanctions package against Russia. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to achieve a just and lasting peace. That underlines the importance of NATO and, frankly, the foolishness of any party in this House that wants us to leave NATO. I am sure that the whole House will wish to congratulate Team GB on their most successful winter Olympic games ever, and send our best wishes to Paralympics GB ahead of the Paralympic winter games starting on 6 March. I want to send my condolences to the family and friends of Harry Barnes, who passed away last week. He diligently served as MP for North East Derbyshire for nearly 20 years. I also wish to send my condolences to the family and friends of Martyn Butler, the co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust. Martyn supported the trust for five decades and fought for LGBT rights. It is undoubted that his legacy will live on. This week, Ofgem announced that electricity bills will come down for millions of households as a result of the action we took at the Budget. We have announced major changes to the special educational needs and disabilities system. We are putting children and young people first. Every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, with SEND support in every school and community. Finally, I want to wish all those celebrating a happy St David’s day on Sunday. Let me now turn to the hon. Lady’s remarks. I will begin with what I thought were her fairly churlish remarks about the Prime Minister. She failed to mention that, because he is doing such a good job— [ Interruption. ] I am pleased that Conservative Members acknowledge that, because inflation is falling, interest rates have fallen six times since the general election, retail sales are up, wages are up and the economy is growing. I think that is a record of which we should be proud. Let me turn to the Prime Minister’s integrity. I draw the comparison between the integrity of my right hon. and learned Friend and how the hon. Lady was one of the very last people in the redoubt with Boris Johnson. She did not join others in holding the former Prime Minister to account. I have already announced Second Reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill; there will be plenty of time for debate, and I will bring forward the next stages in the usual way. Similarly, on the guidance that the hon. Lady referred to, we will bring that forward—we have committed to that—and there will be time for debate on these important matters, but it is important that we get them right. On hospitality, there will be further opportunities to debate such issues when the Finance Bill returns to the Chamber, but let me remind the House that under the previous Government 7,000 pubs closed. The hon. Lady referred to that as “support” from her party for pubs. Goodness me—how would it have been if it had not supported those pubs? We will not take any lessons about hospitality from the Conservative party.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly join the hon. Gentleman in praising those involved in beach soccer, not least because we have some fantastic beaches in my constituency. He may wish to seek an Adjournment debate to raise those important matters, but I will certainly draw them to the attention of the appropriate Minister. If the hon. Gentleman wants a meeting to go through the advantages of supporting beach soccer, he may be able to make his case there.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Dan Blackman on his expansive dedication to his community, and in thanking all those involved in such important work in every community. Groups such as Silklife food bank support people in their time of need, and we are very grateful for that. Of course, we would like to be in a situation in which they were not necessary, but unfortunately they continue to be. The previous Government presided over the first Parliament in modern history to see a fall in living standards. This Government are determined to tackle poverty, including by lifting the two-child limit, expanding the warm home discount and extending the household support fund. In the meantime, I thank Dan Blackman and all volunteers for their work.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman and his Backbench Business Committee for all their work. I am pleased to hear that a number of very good bids came forward for estimates day, so, to that extent, the system is working. However, as he will know, it is a question of balance. We want to make full use of the time on that day. Having three debates may be challenging in terms of time, but it certainly should ensure that we use the whole of the allotted time, which was not always the case previously. I heard his request about statements, which is a matter for the Government, and I will see what we can do. Let me turn to service charges. As the hon. Gentleman said, we are determined to take action to address unfair and unjustified charges. We are committed to implementing the measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 as soon as possible, because we are committed to ensuring that those who live in the leasehold sector are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous managing agents. I will ensure that both Ofgem and Ministers hear the hon. Gentleman’s concerns and see whether anything can be done about timing, because I take his point very much.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am very sorry to hear of the case that my hon. Friend raises. The Government are absolutely committed to tackling violence against women and girls wherever it happens. There are opportunities to debate these matters, but I will certainly see whether there are further opportunities for my hon. Friend to raise her concerns. I will also draw this case to the attention of Foreign Office Ministers.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in celebrating the incredible anniversary that she describes. Local councillors are vital to the work of local government and to supporting our constituents on all manner of issues, and I thank them for their work, not just in her area but across the country. However, let me just say that I am disappointed that we do not have a representative from Reform here today, because I would like to have heard from them what their party leader refused to say yesterday: whether or not there would be condemnation and the sacking of the deputy council leader in Lancashire for disgraceful comments about my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Natalie Fleet).