Alan Campbell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to highlight the positive impact of immigration, but he also has to be cognisant of the concern about levels of immigration, which the Government are taking seriously. We have made it absolutely clear that no one should have to wait a long time to hear about a decision, and the Home Office is implementing reforms. However, there was a considerable backlog when we came into office, and that extends not only to making decisions but to making sure that people hear about them in a reasonable timeframe. Significant progress has been made in reducing the decision backlog, with the number of people awaiting an initial decision down by more than half from the June 2023 peak, but if the hon. Gentleman has specific cases that he wishes me to raise, I will certainly raise them with the relevant Minister, as I will his general concern.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend said, we are looking again at the decision regarding WASPI women. I know that this is an issue of serious concern to many of our constituents, and we want to resolve the matter as soon as we can. The Secretary of State is absolutely committed to updating the House on this decision. I cannot give a date for that, but as soon as a conclusion is reached, I expect that he will want to inform the House.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I appreciate the shadow Leader of the House’s comments, not least because we spoke earlier at the earliest opportunity. He will be aware, as will the House, of the importance and sensitivity of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. I recognise that it is not ideal for Members when we have to change business at short notice. Last Friday the Government tabled a series of amendments to further strengthen the Bill’s provisions. We continue to listen to stakeholders on all sides of the debate, to ensure that our amendments strike the careful balance that is required and, where necessary, make changes. For that reason, I decided that we would move the Bill from tomorrow to next Monday. I am not going to provide a running commentary on what the changes might be, but the Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones), is sitting next to me and has heard what the shadow Leader of the House has said. We will be tabling new amendments tomorrow. The Government will continue to keep all Members updated on this, and on Monday we will have an opportunity to debate these important matters fully.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  It may have been dropped for 19 January, but it has not been dropped—as I just said to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin), my intention is for minimal disruption—so the hon. Gentleman might want to think what might come shortly afterwards. I will confirm the business on Thursday as usual. If he is in his place on Thursday, he will hear that at first hand.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I agree, and I can absolutely confirm to my hon. Friend that the purpose of the change is to get the Bill right. There is no watering down; it is about getting it right. The only difference is that we need a slightly longer time period to do that, so that when the Bill comes out it commands support and delivers justice for those who have campaigned on these matters for such a long time.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. Lady for her ingenuity in weaving something entirely unrelated into these matters. This is a statement on a very specific change to business. We have important plans for tomorrow, when there will be a debate on Ukraine. There have been a number of opportunities for hon. Members to ask for that debate, and the Government now have the opportunity to grant it.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I confirm not only that the Government will be tabling amendments tomorrow but that there is time for hon. Members to table amendments as well. I would not discourage hon. Members from tabling any amendments that they had planned to do.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Although I am not in a position to confirm either 22 or 29 January, my aim, to put it slightly differently and to answer the hon. Gentleman’s point about other legislation due to be debated on Monday, is to create minimal disruption. Although Monday might have changed, I do not intend to make major changes to what I have already announced about next week. I am not in a position to say anything about 29 January, but I do not think his Committee should change any plans based on expectations for 22 January.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Yes, I am happy to do that. I accept that, thankfully, there has been a collegiate approach on these matters, and I hope that will continue, even if the debates will be on a different day. I confirm that there is no great change to the plan other than the date on which we consider the Bill, which instead of tomorrow will be Monday.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I cannot confirm who will be leading the Ukraine debate tomorrow, but I said a moment ago that the Prime Minister will be meeting the families tomorrow, so that probably answers that part of the hon. Gentleman’s question. In terms of the Chagos legislation that was scheduled for next week, as I have said I am expecting, hoping for and intending there to be minimal disruption, so while we will not get on to that important matter on Monday, it will not be long after that.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I confirm that the Government and Ministers do continue to speak with stakeholders, particularly the families. A great deal of effort has been put into that both by hon. Friends on the Back Benches and Ministers; I commend them for that. If there are lessons to be learned, we will learn those lessons, such is the progress of legislation; and for future Bills, if there are lessons to be learned, I am sure that we will have done so.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I can assure my hon. Friend that we have not taken these decisions lightly. Of course we try to ensure that any issues are resolved before they come before this House, which is the reason for this change to business, even at this relatively late stage. I am sorry that my hon. Friend’s constituents have already made travel arrangements; I hope that they can be altered in a suitable way. I understand that the meeting with the Prime Minister that was requested will still take place tomorrow. I am sure that my hon. Friend’s constituents will take an interest in the debate on Monday when we get to it.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, in the light of continuing discussions about tomorrow’s legislation, I am announcing the following changes to business. The business tomorrow, Wednesday 14 January, will now be a general debate on Ukraine. The remaining stages of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will now take place on Monday 19 January. The business on Thursday 15 January will remain unchanged. There will be a general debate on new towns, followed by a general debate on financial support for small businesses and individuals during the covid-19 pandemic. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. I will announce further business in the usual way on Thursday.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The short answer to the question is that we are not. My hon. Friend has been a very strong advocate on these matters and a great support for families. We understand the significance of the Bill, particularly in the region that she represents and wider still. The Government are absolutely committed to the duty of candour. I know that there have been questions about the application of the duty to, for example, the intelligence services. We have been very clear that the duty will apply to the intelligence services, but there is a careful balance that we must achieve. This is not about the principles of the duty of candour being applied but how the legislation will apply in practice and having the right national security safeguards in place. Nor is it about whether we can get there in the quickest possible time. It is about ensuring that we get to the right place and that we do it in the right way.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Government will not be tempted down that track. When the Bill comes before the House again—which will be soon—I am sure the right hon. Gentleman, if he catches your eye, Madam Deputy Speaker, will make the point that he just started.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I agree with the right hon. Gentleman when he says that this is no ordinary Bill. That is why we are taking this important step to ensure that it has proper time and continued engagement. As for the Prime Minister, he cares deeply about these matters—as the right hon. Gentleman said, he took part in earlier deliberations on these matters—and it is his firm view, too, that it is important that we get it right. That is why we are making the decision that the best time for the next stage is Monday, given the other discussions that have been had since, rather than risking rushing it tomorrow.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I appreciate that the hon. Gentleman has approached this with understanding. In thanking him for that, may I say that there has been extensive debate on these matters, and I am grateful to everyone who has taken part. This is an ongoing situation, but it is important that we get the Bill right. It will be the meaningful Bill that we set out to achieve. It is not in the interests of the Bill to try to resolve the next stage by tomorrow. That is precisely the reason I have decided to move it until the beginning of next week—to give that bit of extra time.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise these matters, and I am sorry to hear of the case she raises. Everyone should feel safe in their communities, irrespective of their race, religion or belief. This year we are investing almost £71 million to strengthen security at places of worship and other community sites, and we brought forward new legislation through the Crime and Policing Bill to address protest outside places of worship.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Gentleman in sending our condolences to the friends and family of Martin Chivers, and our best wishes to Kevin Keegan for what we hope will be a swift recovery. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work and the work of the Backbench Business Committee, and for updating the House on Backbench Business debates going forward. He is right that I did not announce the business for 22 January and I have listened to what he said. I will do everything that I can to ensure that we find time for the debate which I was disappointed was postponed on Monday, and we will see if we can accommodate that. On the serious matter that he raised about Met police recruitment, the Home Secretary has launched an investigation into the Met’s recruitment and vetting processes, which will be led by the police watchdog, His Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary and fire and rescue services. Abandoning vetting checks on police officers was a dereliction of the Met’s duty to keep London safe. The public rightly expect officers to undergo robust checks so that the brightest and best, not the criminals, are the ones policing our streets. On updating the House on what action needs to be taken and whether the issue goes beyond the Metropolitan police, I am sure that when the Home Secretary has the findings of that investigation she will, of course, want to update the House.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  If my hon. Friend raises her concerns in detail, I will ensure that they are passed on to Ministers. I am also happy to facilitate a further meeting with the relevant Minister to follow up on any visit that might have taken place. Let me re-emphasise what I said a moment ago: Reform-led councils have a responsibility to their local residents. It is their job, as locally elected representatives, to do their very best to address those concerns, not to get in the way.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend will know, we are recruiting 13,000 new police officers into neighbourhood policing roles to tackle issues and concerns such as the ones she describes. I will ensure that she gets a meeting with the relevant Minister in the Home Office, so she can make her case and give that invitation to join her herself.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, I wish the hon. Gentleman a happy new year, and I thank him for raising such an important question, as he always does. We do share his concern about the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua and elsewhere, including in relation to freedom of religion or belief. I will raise that with Ministers, as he asks, but he may also wish to raise it directly at Foreign Office oral questions on 20 January.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am aware that the hon. Lady has raised this matter. We will study carefully what her Bill says, but the Home Secretary has been clear about how strong the Government’s stance is on these matters. I will raise this matter with the Home Secretary after this session of business questions, and will ensure that the hon. Lady gets an answer.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the contribution of the Indian community in his constituency, but also across our country. The changes we are making are about tightening the rules for future claimants, not a retrospective policy that would risk harming families who have made their lives here and have made such an important contribution. He may wish to raise his concerns directly with a Minister in the Westminster Hall debate on indefinite leave to remain on 2 February.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Improvement in local areas is not dependent on the Pride in Place scheme, but will be significantly helped by it. I am not entirely surprised that not that many Conservative constituencies or authorities are in the scheme, because there are not many of them left after the general election. The hon. Gentleman is doing exactly the right thing: he is raising concerns on behalf of his constituents about how best they can improve their area. My advice to him is that if he wants to hear from Ministers about our ambitions for every area—we are ambitious for every area—he should seek an Adjournment debate, make his points there, and see what the Minister has to say.