Alan Campbell MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concern and frustration about the attitudes towards nuclear, because Scotland is well placed to benefit from new nuclear projects. There are millions of pounds-worth of investment, high-quality jobs and apprenticeships, and I certainly welcome what sounds like a fantastic development in his constituency. Should he wish to raise the matter through a Westminster Hall debate, he can test Ministers on what further can be done.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, I join the shadow Leader of the House in sending our condolences to the friends and family of Lance Corporal Hooley, who died while serving our country and in the cause of keeping the flame of freedom alive. As we approach Christmas, I want to recognise the contribution that charities make across our country. Homelessness charities in particular provide an invaluable service in supporting those experiencing homelessness throughout the year, but particularly as the temperatures fall. I draw the House’s attention to the launch of the Government’s homelessness strategy today, which aims to halve the number of people sleeping rough long term by 2029 and which will rewire the system to ensure that support is where it is most needed. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness will provide further details to the House in her statement later today. I also want to mention the charity Citizens UK, which does a fantastic job across the country, including in my constituency, and which has been selected by The Guardian for its charity appeal this year. As a result of Citizens UK’s successful campaign, it has helped to triple the number of living wage employees across the north-east region and launched a citizens commission on mental health, particularly for young people. It has had a direct influence on the excellent work that the Government are doing in that regard. I want to place on the record, as the Member of Parliament for Tynemouth, my thanks to the Reverend Simon Mason and Father Chris Hughes, who provide fantastic leadership on these matters. I am pleased to announce today the publication of the Modernisation Committee’s first report with recommendations to improve accessibility across the parliamentary estate. It is simply not acceptable that some MPs, staff and visitors are prevented from engaging in some aspects of parliamentary life due to this place’s inaccessible nature. As the crucible of our democracy and national debate, the House of Commons must be accessible for all, and I am happy to say that work is under way, but much more needs to be done. I thank all members of the Committee and the former Leader of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell), for their work on the inquiry. On wider matters, last week the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025 received Royal Assent, which will protect vulnerable animals by strengthening the rules on pet travel to ensure that animals imported into the country for sale are healthy, treated with care and transported humanely. I congratulate the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) on navigating the Bill successfully to Royal Assent, which underlines, as we approach a second Session at some point in the new year, how important private Members’ Bills can be. They can be highly effective and can provide an invaluable opportunity for Members to promote the causes they support, to change the law and—certainly in this case—to help deliver Government priorities. If the shadow Leader of the House wants to take credit for some changes, I am pleased to let him live in a world in which he can do that. On Russian assets, the Government continue, as he knows, to consider how Russian assets might be used, particularly in support of Ukraine. We are working very closely with allies to make progress on that. I can assure him that we are constantly aware of what might be happening in our own country and therefore take these domestic issues very seriously indeed. The shadow Leader of the House mentioned leaks and what the Chancellor said to the Treasury Committee yesterday. She made her views on leaks and briefings, including what happened with the OBR ,very clear to the Committee. Of course, any Government have a responsibility around Budget time to take market reaction into account, but I gently remind the shadow Leader of the House that the reaction of the markets to the Budget was actually quite positive—I want to ensure that that is on the record. If anything emerges from the inquiries that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor talked about yesterday, I am sure that Ministers will want to update the House about those matters—they would be absolutely right to do so—but I gently remind the House that, although all these discussions about process are important, the Budget was about cutting the cost of living, balancing the books and getting growth in our economy, and those are the matters of most interest to people in our constituencies.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that the whole House will join me in congratulating Dave Taylor and the dedicated volunteers at the Royal British Legion in Gravesham; I am sure we can all find similar examples in our areas and constituencies. Despite some of the circumstances, it has been a very good year for the poppy appeal. I pay tribute to the volunteers, who do an absolutely fantastic job, but also to the public, who step forward and support the appeal. The volunteers’ hard work is a really powerful demonstration of our nation’s commitment to those who have served. Should my hon. Friend want to raise this issue in a timely fashion, she could do so next Thursday; or perhaps she could apply for an Adjournment debate, in which she could go into the subject in more detail.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right to celebrate the dedication of the workers and volunteers who give their time to keep our communities running at this festive season, including in her fantastic constituency, which I know very well. I encourage her to apply for a debate so that we can formally recognise those efforts—or, as I have said to other colleagues, we do have time next Thursday if she wishes to raise such matters, as it is a very timely moment to do so.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to Inspector Mark Lund and his team for their hard work keeping our streets safe. Such efforts should be the norm in police work. This winter, the police will use hotspot patrols, alongside locally tailored approaches, to keep our high streets and estates safe. He may wish to use next week’s pre-recess Adjournment debate to make his point further, but we will also bring to the House our proposals for the police settlement.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that veterinary costs will be a real concern for many, and I say that as a pet owner. The Government will consider any remedies from the Competition and Markets Authority’s final report next year, but in the meantime if my hon. Friend could secure a debate, I am sure that many hon. Members from across the House would share her concerns.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that the whole House will join me in extending my deepest sympathies to Henry’s family. I know the case is sub judice, so I will be careful in how I respond, but I will raise with the relevant Minister my hon. Friend’s concerns on the wider issue of knife crime and what further we can do to support victims.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sure that the whole House will join me in wishing Andrew Horth the very best of luck in his campaign for a Christmas No. 1, and in acknowledging my hon. Friend’s role in that endeavour. I place on record our thanks to the work of Derbyshire Mind and all the other charities that do such vital work for men’s mental health.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend continues to be a champion for deaf people in this House, and I commend her for that. I absolutely agree that no disability should be a barrier to a successful career. The Government are championing disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. Our Get Britain Working plan will support many people to enter and to stay in work. An Adjournment debate, and perhaps even the pre-recess Adjournment debate, would provide a good opportunity for her to give further detail about this important matter.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an important point, and therefore amplifying it, so that it is heard by Members across this Chamber and anyone who happens to be listening. Roadworks have been raised with me many times in these sessions, and rightly so. We know how disruptive street works can be for local communities. That is why we are doubling fixed penalty notices in the new year for certain street work offences, and extending overrun charges to cover weekends and bank holidays. As roads get busier in the run-up to Christmas, I have no doubt but that many people will be frustrated, and we need to tackle this. He may wish to raise this matter next Thursday, or indeed in an Adjournment debate, because this issue applies in not just his constituency, but virtually all our constituencies.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend rightly points out, those settlements are illegal under international law and harm the prospect of a two-state solution, which is the Government’s preferred option for the future. We strongly oppose the Israeli Government’s settlements plan and we continue to press the Israeli Government to abide by international law. We have kept the House updated on these matters from time to time and we will continue to do so, but in the meantime I will ensure the Foreign Secretary hears my hon. Friend’s concerns.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know this issue is of serious concern to many women. It has been raised on numerous occasions in the House, and we want to resolve the matter as soon as we can. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has committed to updating the House on any decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking the Wolves Orange campaign for its work. Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and we aim to halve it within a decade. Our upcoming VAWG strategy looks across the whole of Government at how best we can protect victims. I am sure that my hon. Friend will want to use her experienced voice to add to future debates or statements on the subject.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Our thoughts are certainly with the people of Sri Lanka, and my hon. Friend speaks with great authority on these matters. We have already provided £675,000 to address the immediate humanitarian need in Sri Lanka. We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to provide further support if necessary.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The situation that the hon. Gentleman describes is by no means acceptable, and systematic failures have been highlighted time and again. Preventable tragedies cannot be ignored, and families show extraordinary courage in bringing forward these matters. In the new year, we are setting up the national maternity and neonatal taskforce to address these issues. It will be chaired by the Health Secretary. I am sure that the matter can be brought before the House for further discussion then.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The business for the week commencing 15 December will include: Monday 15 December—Consideration of a Lords message to the Employment Rights Bill, followed by Second Reading of the Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill. Tuesday 16 December—Second Reading of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. Wednesday 17 December—If necessary, consideration of a Lords message, followed by Second Reading of the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill, followed by if necessary, consideration of a Lords message. Thursday 18 December—General debate on matters to be raised before the Christmas Adjournment. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee. The House will rise for the Christmas recess at the conclusion of business on Thursday 18 December and return on Monday 5 January 2026, when the provisional business for that week will include: Monday 5 January—Debate on a motion on mobile connectivity in rural areas. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Tuesday 6 January—Second Reading of the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that my hon. Friend is a great campaigner for her constituency. I can assure her that these are not trivial matters, and I congratulate her on getting developers to take this matter seriously and to provide residents with the grit bins they want. That is not an easy achievement, and she should be commended for it. As she points out, unadopted roads can cause a range of issues for residents, and we are consulting on how to speed up and simplify the process for the adoption of roads. She may wish to raise the matter in an Adjournment debate, but when the Government have something to say on these matters, we will bring forward our findings.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend brings to the House great professional and personal knowledge of these matters, and we should listen to her very closely. I know a lot of universities feel under pressure at this time; the Government are absolutely aware of that. I invite her to seek a meeting with the relevant Minister to talk through some of these issues, and to see what further the Government can do to address them.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to credit unions, which do a fantastic job in many communities across our country. Were he to seek an Adjournment debate, I am sure that he could find common cause with hon. Members from across the House in raising the profile of credit unions and seeking the answer to his question. I remind the House that this time next week we will be approaching the pre-recess Adjournment debate, when Members will have the opportunity to raise whatever they want.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As the hon. Gentleman points out, the winter crisis has started early this year—not least because of the flu situation—so our hospitals are under enormous pressure. A number of hospitals need capital expenditure; we inherited crumbling public services and, in many cases, a crumbling NHS estate, so that will take some time. However, despite the fact that the hon. Gentleman shares his hospital with the Secretary of State, should he wish to discuss these matters with a Health Minister and see what can be done, I will facilitate that meeting.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  That is probably more a Treasury matter than a matter for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It will be the Second Reading of the Finance Bill next Tuesday, and I am confident that Committee stage of the Finance Bill will take place in the new year, once we return from the recess; the hon. Lady may want to raise these matters directly with the Treasury then.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This has been a divisive matter almost from the off, including in this House. On occasions, we rose to the challenge of the debate, and sometimes we slipped a little below it. However, this House made its position on the Bill very clear, and off it went to the other place. The other place has a duty and responsibility to scrutinise such legislation, but there are conventions about the way it does that. I would urge it to do everything it can to respect the view of this House—the elected Chamber—on these matters. I have made it very clear that if the Bill returns to this place, perhaps amended, we may look at making available further time on Fridays, if necessary, so that it can make more progress, and we can get it across the line.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will certainly draw the right hon. Gentleman’s case to the attention of Ministers. It is important to get good value for taxpayers’ money, wherever it is spent. I do not know the date of the original announcement, but if he is comparing this issue with announcements that might have been made and what the previous Government were going to do, I gently say that announcements were made and the money was never there. It is this Government who are trying to put that right.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I completely agree that racism has no place in our communities or in public life. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to uphold the Nolan principles. There appear to be other issues coming to light with Reform councillors in Staffordshire council. I encourage them to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves.

• 4 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to that organisation and others across our country, and to the hon. Gentleman for raising this important matter on the Floor of the House. He will know that the Health Secretary takes these matters very seriously indeed. Should he seek a meeting with a Health Minister to expand on that, I will see if we can arrange one.