Ashley Fox MP: speeches

Speeches

• 16 Apr 2026 · Grassroots Sport · Hansard source

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  Sydenham amateur boxing club does an incredible job, working with young people in and around Bridgwater. It helps teach not just boxing, but discipline and control. In order to help more young people, it wants to expand and build a purpose-built gym, so will the Minister outline what support is available for grassroots boxing clubs such as Sydenham to help them improve their facilities and help more young people?

• 16 Apr 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My constituency has two railway stations, one in Highbridge and one in Bridgwater. Sadly, neither station is accessible. There is no step-free access to enable wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments to move easily from one platform to another. To do so at both stations involves travelling a circuitous route, leaving the station and crossing a busy road. Will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on improving accessibility across our rail network?

• 15 Apr 2026 · Strategic Defence Review: Funding · Hansard source

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  Lord Robertson, the former Labour Defence Secretary, said that we cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget, so will the Minister explain to my constituents why this Government can set out their welfare spending plans until 2031, but cannot publish their defence investment plan for 2026?

• 15 Apr 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 15 Apr 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  The Minister has said that she wishes to take swift action. Surely the swiftest action she could take is to use this Bill to ban smartphones from schools, and to ban children under 16 from using social media. What extra information does she need to take those steps?

• 14 Apr 2026 · Draft Buckinghamshire Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026 Draft Surrey County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026 Draft Warwickshire County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. These three sets of draft regulations transfer responsibility for adult education and skills funding from the Secretary of State to three local councils. The aim is to bring decisions on education closer to the communities they serve. The decisions we make on adult education and skills are important; a skilled workforce is essential for economic success. With technologies such as AI transforming the jobs market, it is crucial that people can retrain, upskill and re-enter the workforce as industries change. We know that, when funding is well targeted, more adults take up courses, particularly in sectors with real skills shortages. The Minister will be aware, though, that councils are stretched and facing pressures on budgets and services. If we devolve responsibility without proper support, we risk letting adult education fall by the wayside. What measures will the Minister therefore take to ensure that the services are provided and that the funding he is devolving is well spent? What checks will he apply? The Minister will also be aware that Surrey county council is being reorganised. He is proposing to devolve funding for adult education and skills to Surrey county council from 1 August this year, but I believe I am right in saying that, from 1 April next year, it will be replaced by two councils: East and West Surrey. What steps will he take to ensure that those new councils can deliver quality services for local residents? The Conservatives are proud of our record on education and skills over our previous period in Government; we left rising standards in schools, improved attainment and expanded apprenticeships, but the job is not finished. Skills policy must work for adults as well as for young people, so we accept that there is more to do. We will do our job of scrutinising the Government: supporting policies that work and holding them to account on policies that do not.

• 14 Apr 2026 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is making an important speech on the right to protest, but does she accept that many members of the Jewish community feel intimidated by regular marches by the pro-Palestinian brigade, who demonstrate loudly and not always peacefully in the same area, week after week? How does she believe that that community can be protected from such intimidation?

• 13 Apr 2026 · Disclosure and Safeguarding: At-risk Children · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I thank the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson) for introducing this debate, and other Members for their contributions. In particular, I thank the hon. Member for Blaydon and Consett (Liz Twist), who described so movingly the circumstances leading to Maya’s death and the campaign led by her family. This important issue unites us across party lines, because it is about the safety of children and ensuring that we protect the most vulnerable members of our society. I pay tribute to the work of Maya’s family, who have called for new legislation to focus specifically on child abuse and neglect, which would seek to ensure that alarms are raised if caregivers pose a risk to children. This petition received more than 110,000 signatures and calls for four significant changes. First, it calls for the introduction of a child risk disclosure system—CRDS—which would seek to capture a broader risk history of caregivers. Secondly, it seeks to require statutory services, including the police, social care services and health workers, to disclose relevant history to the child’s parent or legal guardian when a risk is identified. Thirdly, it seeks to establish multi-agency protocols, particularly where child contact, custody or unsupervised access are being considered. Fourthly, it seeks to empower professionals to raise safeguarding alerts and initiate family safeguarding interventions where known risks exist, even if not currently under active investigation. Under the previous Conservative Government, several measures were introduced that provided a template for how the CRDS could work. For example, Sarah’s law was introduced in 2011, which established a child sex offender disclosure system. It allows an individual to formally ask the police whether someone who has contact with a child has a record of child sexual offences or poses a risk to the child for some other reason. In 2014, the last Government introduced Clare’s law, which established the domestic violence disclosure system, which enables the police to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending. The shadow Solicitor General, my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone and Malling (Helen Grant), has highlighted that, in some cases, such as with the perpetrators who abused Tony Hudgell, there is a risk that they will finish serving their sentence but questions about how they will be supervised and monitored will remain following that. My hon. Friend the Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston (Neil O’Brien) has raised the issue of information-sharing gaps with the Government. The Government need to consider how they can best support local authorities in delivering their child protection duties under section 47 of the Children Act 1989. I hope that the Minister will agree that the priority is to ensure that all preventable abuse is indeed prevented. Given that more than half of serious case reviews cite communication failures as a primary cause, does the Minister agree that more needs to be done before an offence is committed? It should be a priority for the Government to ensure that safeguarding is co-ordinated, and that children do not fall through the cracks of the protection system. Those who are a risk to children should be monitored and managed. Can the Minister outline how the Government will ensure that safeguarding is prioritised? The UK Government’s actions need to support safeguarding data sharing, including at a local level, because we must not risk safeguarding becoming a postcode lottery where some areas are more at risk. I very much hope that the Minister appreciates the sentiment of the tireless campaigners who brought this petition: that one death that could have been prevented is one death too many.

• 25 Mar 2026 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  I was slightly concerned when I heard the Minister say that she was “working at pace”—that is the phrase that Ministers in the Ministry of Defence have used about the defence investment plan, which has been repeatedly postponed and still is not with us—so can she give a more precise timescale? Does that mean sometime in the next 12 months?

• 25 Mar 2026 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  The Minister will forgive me if I describe what she has announced as a whole load of waffle. The problem is that the 28-day period is too short, and she should consider some mechanism to allow it to be extended. Providing for training, notices and stuff on websites will not help many victims, who just need more time to consider their legal position. At this late stage, will she consider extending the 28-day period?

• 25 Mar 2026 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  If there was no intention to delete the data, why did the Chair of the Justice Committee write to the Lord Chancellor asking him to stop the deletion of that data?

• 24 Mar 2026 · Defence · Hansard source

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  I do agree, and I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the additional time. The legacy legislation introduced by the previous Conservative Government intended to halt that injustice is now being repealed by Labour. That is disgraceful. Not only is Labour’s campaign against our veterans deeply unfair; it endangers us in future conflicts. In a more dangerous world, with a looming threat of conflict, we need to increase the size of our armed forces. What signal are the Government sending to young recruits by prosecuting our veterans and showing that serving their country may lead to decades of lawfare, with the full support of the Prime Minister and his Attorney General? The Minister knows that republicans in Northern Ireland will exploit Labour’s naiveté to undermine the morale of our armed forces. The time has come to stop relitigating these events. I call on the Government to stop this disgraceful prosecution of our veterans.

• 24 Mar 2026 · Defence · Hansard source

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  Governments of all colours reduced defence spending after the cold war to spend more on health, education and welfare, but the world of today is not the world of 1991. This Government must deal with President Putin rather than President Yeltsin. Since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, it has become increasingly clear that we need to spend more on our armed forces. The Government have admitted as much. Last year, they said they would raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP—a good start, albeit not enough—but thus far they have failed to set out a programme for how that money will be spent. Where is the defence investment plan? Twelve months have passed and no extra money has gone into advancing our military capabilities. Meanwhile, the Government have found billions of pounds to spend on welfare so as to placate their Back Benchers, to try to save the Prime Minister’s skin. It is a pity that the Prime Minister does not regard defending our country as important as defending his own job. Three weeks ago, the Government finally announced a £1 billion contract for the new medium helicopter. That contract will keep Leonardo operational in Yeovil. That is vital for Somerset’s economy as well as for the UK’s defence infrastructure, and I welcome that announcement, but the deal was announced at the last minute only to stop the factory closing. That demonstrates how unserious the Government are about setting their plans for defence. If they were serious, they would have published their defence investment plan as promised in the autumn; instead, we have had delay and excuses ever since. The Government are happy to set out their plans for welfare spending years ahead, but they cannot tell us their plans for defending the country. An additional problem is that the Government are run by human rights lawyers. They see all matters on the global stage through the prism of international law rather than what is in Britain’s national interest. I imagine that Lord Hermann lives in the hope that Russia and China will one day adopt such an approach, but I fear that he will be disappointed. The Government apply that myopic approach to how they treat our military personnel and our veterans as well. There are about 4,400 veterans living in my constituency—I have met many of them at the Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea branches of the Royal British Legion—and I pay tribute to every one of them for their service and the sacrifices they have made for our country. They have told me how worried they are by the legal persecution of veterans who served in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner. Those men faced down terrorists who threatened our country. Now, decades later, they are not being honoured for their service; rather, this Government treat them as suspects. Terrorists who murdered British soldiers have effectively been granted an amnesty—we know that no future action will be taken against them—but veterans who served the British state are to be hounded like criminals for doing what they were ordered to do.

• 23 Mar 2026 · National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill · Hansard source

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  The Lords amendments might not be perfect, but do they not set out the principled objection to the Government taxing some basic rate taxpayers more for choosing to save for their pension and at the same time using that money to increase welfare spending?

• 23 Mar 2026 · National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill · Hansard source

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  The two-child benefit cap. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]

• 23 Mar 2026 · National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill · Hansard source

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  Rather than raising taxes, could the Minister perhaps not send £36 billion to the Government of Mauritius to rent back an airbase that we already own?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Fuel Duty · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that small businesses, not only in Bridgwater but across the country, were hit last year by the Chancellor’s jobs tax and have been hit this year by the additional burden of the unemployment Act and higher business rates, and that the prospect of higher fuel duty in September is disastrous not just for families who use their car for personal transport but for every small business?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Flooding: Rural Communities · Hansard source

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  I was grateful for the Minister’s visit to Somerset, but does she accept that when the Environment Agency announces that it is withdrawing from main river maintenance and will stop dredging the River Parrett, that is exactly the sort of action that contributes to the devastating flooding that she witnessed?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Flooding: Rural Communities · Hansard source

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  Constituents of mine in Moorland and Fordgate live under the constant threat of flooding. This winter they have been very grateful to the frontline workers from the internal drainage board, the council and the Environment Agency for helping them out. Will my hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to those frontline workers?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Draft Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. These regulations introduce four key obligations for institutions delivering specified initial teacher training for further educational courses. First, providers must register with the Secretary of State, who will maintain and publish an official list of approved institutions, ensuring transparency and accountability across the sector. Secondly, institutions are required to follow delivery guidance—in other words, they must have regard to Government recommendations on how these courses are taught, helping to maintain consistent standards in teaching practice. Thirdly, there is a requirement to follow curriculum guidance. Providers must consider Government advice on course content, ensuring that what is taught aligns with national expectations and priorities. Finally, institutions must meet data reporting requirements, which include supplying information on both current and completed students, supporting oversight, evaluation and continuous improvement. These regulations come from the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, brought forward under the previous Conservative Government. Those reforms created more routes into skilled employment in sectors the economy needs, such as engineering, digital, clean energy and manufacturing, meaning that more young people can secure well-paid jobs in their local areas and support their local communities to thrive. Employers have been embedded at the heart of the skills system and colleges were given support to ensure that they could offer training places for all those 16 to 19-year-olds who wanted them. The Conservative record on education is perhaps our proudest achievement. We left the country not only with the best-educated children in the western world, but with an increasing number able to go into technical education. We will not oppose these measures, though we do wish the Government did more to uphold the significantly higher standards that we left them.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T2. Small businesses in Bridgwater were hit last year with the Chancellor’s jobs tax. This year, they face the additional burdens of the Secretary of State’s unemployment Act and higher business rates. With petrol and diesel prices rising, the last thing they want is a fuel duty increase. Will he speak to the Chancellor and ask her to cancel her fuel duty rise in September?

• 12 Mar 2026 · Carnivals · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I thank my Somerset neighbour, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke), for opening this debate and describing how important carnivals are to Somerset’s culture, life and economy. My neighbour in north Somerset, the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Dan Aldridge), made an excellent contribution, highlighting how important carnival is to our communities across Somerset. I also thank the hon. Member for Luton South and South Bedfordshire (Rachel Hopkins) for reminding us that there are thriving carnivals outside Somerset as well. I am delighted to respond to this debate, because the Guy Fawkes carnival in Bridgwater is the oldest of its kind in our country. We can trace its history back to the famous gunpowder plot of 1605; Parliament decreed the lighting of bonfires in memory of the event, and the people of Bridgwater embraced the tradition with some enthusiasm. Perhaps that was because Bridgwater was strongly Protestant, or perhaps it was because they were fans of their elected parliamentarians—I appreciate that may seem unlikely to today’s Members of Parliament. Whatever the reason, those early celebrations eventually grew into the magnificent spectacle that now takes to the streets of Bridgwater each year on the first Saturday of November and then continues across Somerset. Unfortunately, the earliest years were not well recorded, as local newspapers did not appear in the town until the mid-19th century. Luckily, once journalistic records started in 1847, we can trace the development of the carnival more clearly, making it clear that Bridgwater Guy Fawkes carnival is the oldest event of its kind in the United Kingdom. In those days, celebrations centred around a huge bonfire on the Cornhill in the centre of the town. People from all corners of Bridgwater would parade to the fire, often in costume. However, in 1880, the parade descended into disorder and rioting—it is believed that alcohol may have played a part in this. A letter written by Mr Frank Squire to the Bridgwater Mercury —which is still our town’s newspaper—provided a solution: he suggested forming a controlling committee and organising an official procession so that the magnificent costumes could be seen throughout the town. The idea garnered significant support among residents of the town and the very next year the first carnival, as we would recognise it today, took place. We now have the longest-running carnival in the country, and that is why we are proud to call Bridgwater the home of carnival. It has been my pleasure, as Bridgwater’s MP, to visit the sheds where the carts are built, attend the carnival concerts and watch the spectacular performances, to watch the magnificent carnival as it moves slowly through the town—and finally, to take part in the squibbing. If you have not witnessed it, Mrs Harris, squibbing has nothing to do with Harry Potter; it involves simultaneously lighting a great many fireworks attached to coshes and up to 150 squibbers holding them overhead. I want to pay tribute to the many volunteers who make costumes, rehearse their acts, construct their carts, judge the entries, raise funds, and undertake the many other hundreds of tasks that are necessary to put on this fantastic spectacle. I particularly thank Dave Creedy, the president of the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes carnival, and his committee for their tireless work. Thanks also to the many carnival clubs within my constituency. I pay tribute to Bridgwater Belles, British Flag, Cavaliers, Centurion, Crusaders, Gremlins, Griffens, Lime Kiln, Marina Sydenham Juvenile, Marketeers, Newmarket, Hill View, Pentathlon, Ramblers, Renegades, Toppers, Vagabonds, Westonzoyland, Wilfs and Wills. I doubt any other constituency has more carnival clubs than Bridgwater. While carnivals are an extraordinary spectacle that attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to Somerset’s towns every year, they are increasingly expensive to run. The cost of insurance increases every year. Then there are the costs of compliance with regulations, the cost of diesel and of disposing of waste, and how His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs does not allow VAT relief on all the related expenditure that is necessary for the carnival to fulfil its charitable goals. The Minister will be pleased to hear me say that these problems did not start in 2024, but they do increase little by little each year. The cumulative effect is to make life more difficult for the great teams of volunteers who put in so much work to run our carnivals across Britain. Will the Minister confirm that the Government value our carnivals? Does she acknowledge the contribution that they make to encouraging volunteering and to engaging young and old alike in community projects, to raising money for charity and boosting tourism? Will she commit to working on a cross-party basis to ensure that this great tradition is able to continue for another 180 years?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  It sounds as if the Minister is adding many, many extra pages to our tax code. What provisions will he be bringing forward to shorten and simplify the tax code?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  Would the Minister concede that if that was offset by £12 billion less welfare spending, there would not be any threat to the sustainability of the finances?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  Has my hon. Friend noticed a common thread through the Budget, which is that everyone who works hard, saves hard, invests and creates jobs is being penalised, and all that money is being used to benefit Benefits Street? It is no wonder that the growth rate is going down. [ Interruption. ]