Bayo Alaba MP: speeches

Speeches

• 13 Nov 2025 · Water Company Executives: Accountability · Hansard source

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  12. What steps she is taking to increase the accountability of water company executives.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Water Company Executives: Accountability · Hansard source

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  After 14 years of water bosses profiting while sewage has spilled into our waterways, this Government are finally setting the record straight. In Southend East and Rochford, we have several organisations dedicated to protecting and preserving our coastlines, from Southend Against Sewage to Waterwatch. Southend has not one but two Labour MPs and a Government who are taking decisive action, so I am reassured that the future of our waterways is in safe hands. Will the Secretary of State update the House on progress on the forthcoming water Bill, and will she meet me to discuss how upcoming legislation could address the regulation of wet wipes and their environmental impact?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  On the matter of remembrance, my constituent Frank Turvey’s brother was Lance Corporal Brian Turvey, nicknamed “Topsy”. He was just 20 years of age when he was killed in a terrorist attack in Famagusta on 4 May 1958 while on military police duties in Cyprus, just one day before he was due to return to the UK on leave. Lance Corporal Cameron also lost his life in the same ambush. Frank remembers his mum making a cake to celebrate his brother’s return when the officer turned up at their family home to inform them of the tragic news. Will the Leader of the House join me in remembering Lance Corporal Brian Turvey and Lance Corporal Cameron and their ultimate sacrifice for this country?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Wet Wipes: Plastic Ban · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Fleur Anderson) for securing this important debate. I appreciate her tireless work to ban plastic fibres in wet wipes. Wet wipes are an everyday household item. When flushed, they do not break down. They block sewers, pollute waterways and harm marine life. I represent a beautiful coastal community whose coastline must be protected. Unfortunately, I continue to hear from residents on Thorpe Hall Avenue who are distressed by flooding in their homes time and again—only last week they were flooded. Alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West and Leigh (David Burton-Sampson), I continue to campaign for cleaner water, improved flood defence infrastructure, and greater accountability from Anglian Water. Through Southend’s water quality summits, which I co-chair, we have heard directly from residents and local organisations. The message is clear: our communities deserve better. Under the previous Government, water companies were left unregulated, polluting our coastlines while executives paid themselves millions in bonuses. That is unacceptable and not what this Government stand for. Our Government have acted. The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 is a landmark piece of legislation that bans bonuses for water company bosses, and it introduced criminal charges for individuals who attempt to cover up sewage spills. The goal is to fundamentally transform the culture of the water industry. This summer the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced measurable targets for the first time. Those targets will hold water companies to account. Previous Governments have failed to ban wet wipes. It is the Government’s will to bring a ban into effect. We are a Government of action, not words. Every year the UK uses approximately 11 billion wet wipes, and industry reports indicate that most of those contain plastic fibres. According to research, more than 90% of fatbergs found in our sewers are made up of wet wipes, which cause blockages that result in sewage flooding in homes and pollution in our rivers. Anglian Water estimates that about 500,000 wet wipes are flushed into the east of England’s sewer system every day. That figure highlights the significant scale of the problem, which is why I fully support our Government’s commitment to banning the sale and supply of wet wipes that contain plastic fibres. Such action will reduce marine litter, decrease pollution and support progress towards a zero waste economy. However, we must continue with this progress. I urge the Minister to ensure that manufacturers cannot label wet wipes as flushable or disposable. Those misleading claims cause confusion and directly contribute to sewer blockages, flooding and environmental damage. Will the Minister commit to meeting me to address the marketing and labelling of wet wipes, so that together we can put an immediate stop to these harmful and misleading practices that damage our environment? Southend’s coastline is vital to our community and local economy. Flooding continues to cause stress and disruption to residents across my constituency. We must ensure that our rivers, seas and beaches remain clean and safe for generations to come. I am proud to support the ban and look forward to hearing the Minister’s response.

• 23 Oct 2025 · Civil Service: Opportunities outside London · Hansard source

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  11. What steps he is taking to increase opportunities to work in the civil service for people who live outside London.

• 23 Oct 2025 · Civil Service: Opportunities outside London · Hansard source

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  The Government’s plan to relocate civil service jobs outside London will bring high-quality jobs across the United Kingdom and ensure that policy is delivered closer to the communities it serves. However, none of the areas identified for that relocation is in the east of England, and notably, none is in Essex. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that these opportunities exist in every region, including my constituency of Southend East and Rochford, and will the Minister meet me to discuss the opportunities that are available?

• 15 Oct 2025 · Knife Crime · Hansard source

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  I can say that my own life has been changed through knife crime, having been attacked on some occasions in my youth. I have lost some friends to knife crime and over the last 25 years, when I have been mentoring people, I have supported families who have lost loved ones. The pain that we see in those families is something that I find difficult to explain or describe. Southend East and Rochford, the community that I represent, is vibrant and bustling, but young people in that community suffer knife crime, too. Does my hon. Friend agree that the measures in the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, alongside initiatives such as Young Futures hubs, will strengthen prevention and early intervention?

• 14 Oct 2025 · Mental Health Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I had the privilege of meeting Helena and Christina, who shared with me the challenges they faced when their mother was sectioned when they were young girls. For two weeks, the responsibility for care was left entirely in their hands while local services struggled to find a suitable bed. Can the Minister confirm that through the Mental Health Bill, in conjunction with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, young carers will be properly identified and that the additional boost in Government investment directly into mental health services will ensure that young carers receive the support they need?

• 14 Oct 2025 · Mental Health Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 15 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T2. Antisocial behaviour, including cars producing excessive noise along the Southend seafront and Westcliff roads, has long affected my constituents. Southend city council, Essex police and I are working hard to address those issues. Will the Home Secretary set out how the Government are going further, faster, in tackling antisocial behaviour, and how delivering on our commitment to have a named neighbourhood police officer in every community will directly benefit residents?

• 10 Sept 2025 · Occupied Palestinian Territories: Humanitarian Access · Hansard source

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  The sheer volume of correspondence that I have received from my constituents about the restriction of aid going into the Occupied Palestinian Territories is vast—unprecedented. Israel has weaponised the flow of aid into Gaza. The loss of life and the destruction of homes and schools is horrifying. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government need to take more steps to ensure that aid can reach the Occupied Palestinian Territories?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Support for Victims of Crime · Hansard source

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  Earlier this year, I visited Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis centre, where we discussed how extended court delays put pressure on the third sector organisations that provide this vital support. Under the previous Government, the total backlog of all court cases soared, with 73,000 victims left waiting years for their day in court. Now, we finally have a Government who are putting victims first. Our Labour Government have allocated the highest number of sitting days on record. How is the CPS playing its role in getting quicker justice for victims?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Support for Victims of Crime · Hansard source

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  4. What steps she has taken with the Crown Prosecution Service to support victims of crime.

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

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  This summer has been busy in Southend. Most importantly, this weekend we hosted City Jam, a jam-packed live street art festival. Will the Leader of the House join me in commending all the organisers who took part in producing such an incredible event, solidifying our flourishing cultural scene, from Lazydays festival and Summer in Nashville to Victory over Japan events in Rochford and Southend, and many more? Artworks from the UK’s largest street art festival, City Jam, will line our streets for a few weeks yet. I invite the whole House to join me in admiring Southend’s culture, and perhaps we can arrange a large ministerial visit to Southend.

• 2 Sept 2025 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  I will make a bit of progress. Widening devolution is a chance to finally reverse this trend. It introduces a new community right to buy, giving community groups a formal right of first refusal to purchase assets of community value, and it extends the time period to 12 months for communities to raise funds and negotiate a purchase price for said assets. It protects grassroots sporting facilities as assets of community value, which they are. It ends upward-only rent review clauses in commercial leases. This will allow rent to increase and decrease at the rent review, based on the current market rate. This will prevent vacant shops and help to regenerate high streets. Finally, it provides measures for accountability to ensure that mayors from all parties deliver the houses, transport and infrastructure that communities need. The Essex economy has been held back by powers stored in Westminster. If Greater Essex had the same levels of productivity as the south-east, our local economies would be 17% bigger. It is time to unlock this economic potential and for Greater Essex to carve out its own industrial strategy and finally become the economic powerhouse I know it can be.

• 2 Sept 2025 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Secretary of State give way?

• 2 Sept 2025 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  In Southend East and Rochford we are a proud coastal community, but we have been left behind when it comes to connectivity, educational outcomes and investment in skills. Does the Secretary of State agree that through this Bill we have a chance to deliver the long-term meaningful change that my constituents deserve?

• 2 Sept 2025 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  I also welcome the shadow Secretary of State to his new role. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill presents a great opportunity for Southend East and Rochford and for Greater Essex. The Bill is about giving local people the right to make decisions about the place they call home. At its heart, it is about empowering our communities. Community does not just happen. When I was growing up, we had youth clubs, football teams and thriving heritage buildings. We had a strong sense of community. Over the past 14 years, many of these institutions have been forced to close. Devolution has already brought so many opportunities to areas that have seen more devolved power. Families in Southend East and Rochford and in Essex deserve that same level of opportunity.

• 1 Sept 2025 · NEET: Young People · Hansard source

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  Young people across the UK who are not in education, employment or training are more than twice as likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that support reaches those who need it most?

• 1 Sept 2025 · NEET: Young People · Hansard source

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  16. What steps she is taking to support young people into employment, education or training in Southend East and Rochford constituency.