Alan Campbell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Government are supporting local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure, with £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026 to 2030. Our investment will enable an additional 30 million journeys on foot and bike every year, helping to revitalise high streets, improve our air quality and support healthier lifestyles. Should my hon. Friend seek a debate on those matters, I am sure that she will find common cause with many Members from across the House.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly join my hon. Friend in championing our exceptionally hard-working midwives. Our 10-year workforce plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people, in the right place, with the right skills to care for patients. We have already recruited more than 800 extra midwives and invested over £140 million to deal with critical safety risks on maternity wards. I will ensure my hon. Friend gets a response from the Health Secretary on the specific concerns that she raises.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry to say that the hon. Gentleman appears to be confused, because we have agreed that British bases can be used by the United States for limited and specific purposes of knocking out Iranian missile launches. This is defensive action—the purpose is to protect British lives in the region. This Prime Minister is absolutely committed to the defence of our allies in the region, and I would include other British overseas territories. When we talk about our national interests, we are talking about their interests, too.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry to hear about the case my hon. Friend raises. Those delays are simply unacceptable. This is not the service that people deserve, and resolving this is a matter of urgency. If my hon. Friend shares the details of this case with me, I will raise it directly with Ministers and ensure that he gets a response.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady will know that she and I share a very keen interest in historical churches, which are important parts of our communities, and I understand the concern about the changes she mentions. Better than offering an opportunity for a statement or a debate, I will, if she wishes, arrange for a meeting with a DCMS Minister, so that she can raise those understandable questions directly with them.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a tireless campaigner for his constituents, and I commend him for that. The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient medical provision, including GPs, in each local area. We have confirmed the funding for integrated care boards through to 2030, so that ICBs can plan for the long term, but I join my hon. Friend in urging the Reform-led council to take its responsibilities seriously, and to listen to the points that he has raised so powerfully today.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Government are absolutely on this; we are ensuring that billions of pounds are available to local authorities so that potholes can be fixed. That seems a particularly current issue, not least because of the wet winter; but that does not matter—they need to be fixed. The Government are also committed, through the Pride in Place programme, to ensuring that neighbourhoods not only get investment, but that people living in those places are in charge of making decisions about their future. I will certainly put to the Secretary of State my hon. Friend’s suggestion.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will do that and make sure that the hon. Member gets a response.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Before I go on to agree with much of what the hon. Gentleman has said, let me begin by disagreeing with the position his party takes on discussions around tax, particularly business tax. It is quite simple: we cannot wish for the end without also supporting the means. That is simple and straightforward, as far as I am concerned. As the hon. Gentleman says, youth unemployment is too high, but youth employment is also at a record high. I join him, however, in what he says about every young person deserving a chance to succeed. We are introducing a range of reforms to help young people take that vital step into the workplace. The fact is that young people were forgotten by the previous Government, and we are clearing up their mess. The youth guarantee will help young people get into work, with 50,000 new training and workplace opportunities in sectors that include construction, health and social care, and hospitality provided to young people on universal credit to help them develop their job skills and employer networks, along with a CV and interview coach. Fifty-five thousand young people will gain from a Government-backed guaranteed job, which will roll out this spring, and we are also expanding Youth Hub centres, where young people can receive vital help to get them back on track. That will be in every area of the country, bringing the total to over 360.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Yes, I will.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that mental health campaigning is vital to saving lives, and she is a tireless and assiduous campaigner. I congratulate her on her work; we must thank her for it. Organisations such as Samaritans do incredible work to support the most vulnerable, and to educate the public about how to help. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for an Adjournment debate, so that she and others can raise their concerns and get a better idea of what will happen going forward.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  There will be a statement later today on energy matters, and I encourage my hon. Friend to raise this issue. The Government are committed to ensuring that consumers have the necessary information at their disposal to find the best-value petrol prices.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a strong campaigner for his constituents. Due to pressure from him and others, Ministers agreed last year to relax the “continuous facility to burn” criterion, which will allow more people to claim cash in lieu. I will ensure that Ministers hear his concerns—not just about individual cases, but about how the scheme is administered—and that he gets a response.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  There are ways in which Government already seek to work in a comprehensive way to address these issues. If the hon. Lady wishes to have a meeting with the relevant Minister on the resilience of local communities regarding these issues, which are not going to go away, I will arrange it for her.

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

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  Yes, I will.

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

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  As ever, my hon. Friend raises a very important issue. We all want children across the UK to have the best opportunities and start in life, so it is vital that important transport services are available for children to access education, particularly in rural areas. As I have said many times, the Scottish Government have a record funding settlement and they should make use of it. I hope that Falkirk council has listened to my hon. Friend’s concerns.

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

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  The business for next week includes: Monday 2 March—Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill. Tuesday 3 March—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make her spring forecast statement, followed by consideration of Lords amendments to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill. Wednesday 4 March—Estimates day (4th allotted day). There will be debates on estimates relating to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Business and Trade. At 7 pm the House will be asked to agree all outstanding estimates. Thursday 5 March—Proceedings on the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) (No. 2) Bill, followed by a general debate on the contributions of Commonwealth troops in world war one, followed by a debate on a motion on the future of palliative care. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday 6 March—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 9 March includes: Monday 9 March—Consideration of Lords amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Tuesday 10 March—Second Reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill. Wednesday 11 March—Remaining stages of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. Thursday 12 March—General debate to mark International Women’s Day. Friday 13 March—The House will not be sitting.

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

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  As the hon. Gentleman will know, we inherited the current system from the previous Government. They designed it, they delivered it and they caused the problems that are there now. We are trying to put them right. We have made changes to try to make it fairer. We continue to look at ways of doing that, and we will look at examples wherever they happen to be. We are focused not just on that, but on improving the cost of living to benefit young people. I very gently say to the hon. Gentleman that of course the situation is different in Scotland, because money is available to put into it. I would simply ask him where the money comes from. We have put a record funding settlement into Scotland, and it is up to them how they use it, but I am afraid the idea that there is a magic money tree in Scotland is from his imagination.

• 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.