Ben Goldsborough MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 18 Dec 2025 · Animal Welfare Strategy · Hansard source

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  South Norfolk’s farmers produce some of the highest quality pork and poultry products in the world because they are so proud of the high animal welfare standards they have. May I urge the Minister to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that we protect our farms from lower standards across the seas, which we have been doing brilliantly in these first 18 months?

• 18 Dec 2025 · DEFRA Policies: Impact on Farming Communities · Hansard source

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  Merry Christmas to you and your team, Mr Speaker. Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat—or it would be if we had not had such a terrible year for avian influenza. The poultry sector is worth £1.5 billion gross value added to our UK economy. As much as I welcome the investment going into Harlow for the national biosecurity centre, will the Minister tell us what action we are taking to make sure that we have more veterinary surgeons located in the area where the problems are being found?

• 15 Dec 2025 · NATO: European Security · Hansard source

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  18. What recent discussions he has had with NATO counterparts on European security.

• 15 Dec 2025 · NATO: European Security · Hansard source

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  Norfolk has a proud and enduring history in the defence of our islands and our allies, from Nelson’s legacy to the RAF bases that welcome NATO personnel to this very day. What assessment has the Minister made of how Norfolk’s defence assets can further support our shared security with our NATO partners?

• 9 Dec 2025 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  The Railways Bill gives us the chance to deliver the biggest reset in a generation of how we run our railways. By bringing operators and infrastructure together under a single guiding mind, we will be able to make decisions faster, cut through duplication and finally deliver improvements at the pace that passengers expect. A unified system means clearer accountability, quicker upgrades and railways designed for the people who rely on them every day. Crucially, it means ticketing that people can actually understand: simple, consistent and truly passenger-focused. For communities like mine in South Norfolk, that matters enormously. I greatly appreciate clause 18, on accessibility for all. I would not be doing my job properly as the MP for South Norfolk if I did not talk about Wymondham station and its accessibility. Colleagues may know that Wymondham’s station code is WMD. In South Norfolk, that stands not for “weapons of mass destruction”, but for “we must deliver”. In this case, we must deliver step-free access to platform 2. Wymondham has waited 180 years—since the station first opened—for step-free access to the southbound platform. That means that disabled people, those pushing buggies, or elderly passengers carrying heavy luggage simply cannot catch the southbound train. Instead, you must travel all the way north to Norwich, wait, turn around and come back again. That is half an hour wasted going in completely the wrong direction. A modern railway worthy of this country cannot leave passengers behind like that, so my first ask of the Minister today is to give the green light for step-free access improvements at Wymondham train station. With a single body overseeing both operators and track, there will finally be no excuse for this to be delayed any longer. While I am speaking about rail in the East of England, I want to briefly highlight the long overdue upgrades to the Ely and Haughley junctions. Again, that is important in the context of the Bill, and I ask the Government to go further on freight. Those improvements have been talked about for decades and are essential. They would unlock nearly 3,000 additional freight paths from Felixstowe, take 98,000 HGVs off the roads, support 277,000 extra passenger journeys each year, reduce carbon emissions by 1.7 million tonnes over 60 years and generate almost £5 for every £1 invested. Quite simply, this is infrastructure that pays for itself many times over, so my second ask to the Minister is to give the go-ahead for the Ely area capacity enhancement scheme and the Haughley junction upgrade. The economic, environmental and connectivity benefits are too significant to ignore. The right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts), who is no longer in her place, made an important point about heritage railways. Wymondham Abbey station is on the Mid-Norfolk Railway line, one of the longest heritage railway lines in the whole United Kingdom. I strongly ask the Minister to consider what we can do through the Bill to ensure that safety aspects are maintained on those lines. This Bill is about creating a rail system that works—one that is accountable, accessible and built around the needs of passengers. It will deliver improvements more quickly, support regional growth and ensure that communities like mine are not left behind.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  When we stood for election, we promised change—real change that would improve life for people in every part of this country. This week’s Budget moves in the right direction, but if we are to renew Britain, we must be willing to go further. There are measures worth welcoming. Ending the two-child cap will lift around 1,270 children in South Norfolk out of arbitrary disadvantage, and clamping down on illegal activity on high streets, such as minimarts, barbershops, vape shops, nail bars and car washes, will protect honest traders and restore confidence. We must not, though, allow the good news to distract us from the deeper truth: delivering genuine renewal demands deeper reform. On the NHS, reform must be real, not just rhetorical. Too much of our healthcare system has been shaped around elderly care alone, yet under-30s with serious mental health conditions, and over-50s facing obesity or musculoskeletal disorders cannot be left behind. Without genuine innovation in prevention and rehabilitation, the NHS cannot remain both compassionate and sustainable. Partnership with the private sector must therefore play a role—not ideological outsourcing, but practical collaboration that cuts waiting lists and expands capacity. Labour is uniquely placed to deliver that in a way that strengthens the NHS rather than fragments it. Welfare reform must also return to its original purpose: helping people to rebuild their lives and get back into work. A modern system should be humane and empowering, not defined by complexity, stigma and delay. If we want to reduce the long-term welfare bill, early intervention and smarter support are essential. Growth underpins all that. If we want world-class public services, we need an economy that can pay for them. That means reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens in sectors that give Britain the global edge. Finance, for example, faces layers of regulation that stifle innovation. A party that is serious about renewal cannot shy away from bold deregulation where it is justified. Tax choices must be part of this honesty. The Chancellor has ruled out rises in income tax, VAT and national insurance for employees—a decision that protects working people at a difficult time—but that also means that the tax burden will inevitably rise later in the Parliament. We owe voters the honesty to say so. Our pubs are vital to rural life and to South Norfolk’s villages. Pub landlords rightly tell me that supermarkets have an unfair advantage on alcohol pricing. Pubs are responsible places; they create community, support young workers and act as informal safeguards against harmful drinking. I urge the Chancellor to explore creative VAT options for high-street institutions. Finally, after 13 months campaigning for fair inheritance tax treatment for farms, I welcome progress, but it does not go far enough. The forestalling clause traps farmers who may not have five or seven years to wait, including those who are terminally ill. That is unfair and unjust, and it threatens the foundations of our food security. Labour can once again be the party of rural Britain, but only if we protect the family farms we depend on. This Budget makes progress, but progress alone is not enough. To deliver the change we promised, we need deeper NHS reform, a modern welfare system, bold deregulation, honest tax decisions, support for our pubs and high streets, and fairness for rural communities. That is the spirit in which I will continue to fight for South Norfolk.

• 25 Nov 2025 · Immigration Reforms: Humanitarian Visa Routes · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing this important debate. I think there is wide agreement across the House that our current immigration system is broken. It is inconsistent, confusing and, far too often, inhumane. It is right that it falls to a Labour Government to fix it and to build a system grounded in our values of fairness, transparency and humanity. At present, the system does the very opposite. I will specifically speak about Hongkongers who settled in the UK through the British national overseas visa scheme, many of whom have become proud and valued members of my constituency. We estimate that about 400 BNO status holders now call South Norfolk home. They enrich our towns and villages through work, volunteering, culture and the arts, and they have shown extraordinary resilience after fleeing political persecution. Following Beijing’s imposition of the national security law and its severe crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, all parties in this House supported the launch of the BNO pathway in 2021. Over 200,000 Hongkongers have since arrived in the UK, rebuilding their lives under the terms we set out. In September, concern filled this Chamber during the debate I led on behalf of the Petitions Committee. The consultation launched on 20 November has exposed new risks that could inadvertently undermine the BNO scheme’s very humanitarian purpose. Let me be clear: if applied to BNO applicants for indefinite leave to remain, an income requirement would disproportionately disadvantage BNO families. The visa route is fundamentally different from a work visa. It was never designed around employment. People came here as families with stay-at-home parents, part-time workers, students and retirees. Their eligibility depended on need, not on earning power. Many of them face systemic barriers to having their professional qualifications recognised, preventing them from securing jobs that reflect their skills immediately upon arrival. They are not failing the system; the system is failing them. To require three to five years of earnings above £12,570 would not reflect their reality. Many BNO households are income-poor but savings-rich. They moved here under the explicit promise that no financial conditions would be attached to this humanitarian route. The proposed increase from B1 to B2 English has caused deep worry among BNOs, particularly those nearing retirement or who have already earned their B1 qualification and are months away from eligibility for settlement. B2 is effectively A-level proficiency. For many, achieving it with only months’ notice is unrealistic, and I hazard a guess that it would be unrealistic for many Members of this House as well. We must be cautious not to retroactively impose standards that people could never reasonably meet in that time. Above all, BNOs are not economic migrants; they made an irreversible decision to come to the UK to escape political repression. For many, returning to Hong Kong is not an option. If we were to shift the goalposts now, we would risk placing them in an impossible position —unable to settle here or return home. That would be a betrayal not only of policy, but of principle. I urge the Minister to listen to the speeches today and to make the progressive changes we need in the immigration system.

• 25 Nov 2025 · NHS Dental Services: Norfolk · Hansard source

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  9. What steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dental services in Norfolk.

• 25 Nov 2025 · NHS Dental Services: Norfolk · Hansard source

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  After 16 months of a Labour Government, the share of adults in Norfolk seen by a dentist has risen from barely scraping 30% to well over 40%—lots done, but lots more to be done. The University of East Anglia proposed a dental school as part of the solution. Will the Minister work with Department for Education colleagues to ensure that the Office for Students and other bodies give it the green light?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Asylum Policy · Hansard source

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  South Norfolk expects to have a robust and compassionate asylum process. I welcome this statement. One of the aspects that I am most interested in is the penultimate paragraph on page 28 of the document, which states: “The new model will give greater say to communities and support refugees” to settle and become self-sufficient. Will the Home Secretary expand on the mechanisms that could be put in place to ensure that that happens?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Police Reform · Hansard source

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  Norfolk, which is already progressing through local government reorganisation and devolution, has several existing partnerships working to protect and support victims of crime. Will the Minister meet me and Sarah Taylor, Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner, to discuss how we can ensure that these arrangements continue to serve the people of Norfolk? There are worrying signs that some partners are withdrawing services because of these reorganisations.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  That is another really practical implementation that could go ahead, and I thank my hon. Friend for suggesting it. If a game is likely to go offline, gamers should be told, and where possible, offline modes should be provided. When closures are unavoidable, there should be clear notice periods and, where appropriate, refunds. Where a game has no commercial future, studios should be encouraged or supported to preserve assets for cultural history. Some companies are already showing leadership in this regard. Ubisoft offered refunds when “The Crew” was shut down and Valve released the “Team Fortress 2” source code to help to ensure its long-term preservation, so responsible practice is possible. What we need now is a collaborative code of practice developed jointly by industry, consumer groups, preservation experts and Government—not heavy-handed law, but clear expectations. We must also recognise that independent developers cannot realistically archive every unsuccessful project.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 702074 relating to consumer law and videogames. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I am grateful to the petitioner and to the nearly 190,000 people who signed the petition, demonstrating not only strong public concern but the enormous cultural relevance of video games to people across the country. It is not just a domestic issue; similar campaigns are ongoing in the EU, the United States, Canada and Australia. This is a global conversation, and the United Kingdom must not be left behind. I come to this debate not only as a Member of Parliament but as a lifelong gamer. From my childhood through to university, games have been a constant: sometimes a way to switch off, sometimes a means to connect with others and sometimes a way to challenge myself. Even today, when I get the odd quiet evening, I can still be found planning new trade networks on “Victoria II”, optimising traffic flow in “Cities: Skylines” or returning to the timeless brilliance of the “Oddworld” series. For many of us, gaming is personal. It is not just simply entertainment; it is a memory, an identity and a community. That is why today’s debate matters. The video game industry contributes £7.6 billion to the UK economy and supports more than 75,000 jobs. We are home to world-leading studios, cutting-edge research and some of the most talented creative minds anywhere on earth. We should value the industry not only for its economic output but as a cultural powerhouse shaping stories, art, music and technology.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  On that note, Mr Mundell, as I was about to finish: this is about fairness, responsibility, creativity and protecting a cultural legacy of which the United Kingdom should be proud.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  This is the one time that I am quite jealous of the hon. Member’s constituency because, as he suggested, it is the constituency that has laid the golden egg. The cultural relevance of GTA is never-ending: when the next title in the series is released it will be bigger than any movie that has been released in the United Kingdom, if not the world, for many years. I ask the Minister to work with studios and consumer groups to establish clear expectations around shutdowns and access, to support cultural institutions such as the National Videogame Museum and to help develop an industry-led framework to preserve our gaming heritage for future generations.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  I thank all Members who took part in the debate and all the petitioners. Were the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) present, I could have said that every part of the United Kingdom was represented in the Chamber today—but we nearly got there. That shows the benefits of the video game industry to our economy and to our culture. I was heartened by the Minister’s closing remarks about action to put consumers back at the heart of the process. This is an evolving situation; the video game industry is changing on a daily basis. Ensuring that consumers are at the heart of how the video game industry works in future is a heartening step to hear about. As I said, this issue will not go away. I hope that the Minister and her Department will work closely with all Members who have spoken today to secure the best outcome, which we all want.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a really important point. What is it to own a video game? What is it to keep the background services running? Is it an interactive process going forward with multiple users, or is it just a single-access game? When a game shuts down, it is not just a consumer issue but a cultural one. This debate is not just about keeping games playable; it is about preserving our cultural heritage. The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield already does fantastic work to document, curate and celebrate this history, but we need to support institutions like it further. I urge the Government to explore funding, partnerships and sector support to ensure that we maintain a library full of significant games—not necessarily the full playable versions, but assets, scripts, soundtracks and design documents. We would never dream of pulping every copy of Shakespeare, and we should not think any differently about video games. We have seen what is possible when communities are empowered. When “Doom” was released decades ago, it sparked an entire ecosystem of mods, creativity and eventually genre-defining innovation. We also see it with ROM-hacking communities, especially around older titles such as “Super Mario World”. I am the first to admit that I cannot play “Kaizo Mario World” for toffee—those levels are punishing. But I do enjoy watching streamers such as BarbarousKing both creating the “Grand Poo World Trilogy”—this is the first time that Hansard has had to write that down—and playing it live. That highlights yet another modern element of gaming culture—streaming. Platforms such as Twitch have turned gameplay into performance art, commentary and community. People gather to cheer, learn, laugh and share. This, too, is culture, and it deserves to be safeguarded. I want to be absolutely clear that this debate is not anti-industry. Running online games costs real money. Servers, hardware, maintenance contracts, security and teams of engineers all cost money. Requiring developers to define end-of-life strategies up front could stifle innovation and create unintended risks. But gamers deserve clarity. If a game is likely to go offline, they should be told that.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  This is the thing about gaming: it is not just about the creative arts; it is also about science and technology. Cambridge bats above its average not just within the UK but on the global stage. I am very proud, as an East Anglian MP, to have my hon. Friend’s constituency next door providing this for the future. The nature of games has changed. Many modern titles are live services, constantly updated, server-dependent and with ongoing operational costs. That is not inherently a bad thing—live services have created vibrant global communities—but it has changed what it means to own a game. Gamers still feel the deep sense of personal possession, because they invest more than money; they invest time, effort, imagination and friendship. When a game shuts down without clear notice, that investment is lost and a shared world disappears. The Video Game History Foundation estimates that 87% of games released before 2010 are now critically endangered.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  When we look at consumer law, we have to take into account the vast progress that has been made in some sectors. It would be helpful if the Minister was able to look into that issue in the future.

• 30 Oct 2025 · Moles: Histological Testing · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. My speech today will come from a personal perspective, as well as my talking about Zoe Panayi’s life experience. I start with thanks, because this is a huge part of my own journey, as well as the journeys of everyone in this room. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate. I want to give my thanks to Zoe’s family for letting me meet them a couple of weeks ago. It was an honour, and I cannot say that strongly enough. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley); I would never have known about Zoe’s journey, tragedy and her family’s loss without him reaching out to me and asking me to support and be involved in this vital campaign. I need to thank those who are currently treating me for stage 2C malignant melanoma. A lot of people might be wondering—including those watching at home—“Is he getting his treatment at the Norfolk and Norwich?” Unfortunately not—so that I can carry on doing my job, which I am really determined to do—my treatment is currently being done at Charing Cross hospital in London. To lift the mask off, yesterday was my treatment day, and I went in for pembrolizumab immunotherapy. I thank those on the sixth floor in the oncology department —I will not name names, because sadly there are too many of them who have to shove a canula into me every three weeks, and I would be here forever listing their names. I thank everyone in clinic 8 in the phlebotomy team who look after me. I thank my oncologist, who has gone above and beyond to hold my hand and make sure that I have the mental support and wellbeing that I need as well as the physical support. Those people have made a difference to my life. It reminds me of, “There but for the grace of God go I”, when we talk about Zoe’s life. The reason why I will keep referring to Zoe is because Zoe Panayi is a name that needs to be in Hansard as much as humanly possible. We lost her in tragic circumstances. Jess’s law, which the Government are now passing, will make a difference to close the loopholes in the NHS when failures occur, but there are other issues that we need to look at. There is the private sector and the beautician sector as well. Through the great loss of Zoe’s life, at least, I hope that in the fullness of time we will be able to turn around and say Zoe Panayi’s life gave us something that actually protects others, and that it drives forward the change that we need in this country to ensure that more lives are not destroyed by melanomas and other skin cancers. The other thanks I want to give is to Skcin—which, for Hansard , because their name is a bit funnily spelled, is S-K-C-I-N—a fantastic charity that has advised me over time on what action we can take. As pointed out by my hon. Friend the Member for Neath and Swansea East (Carolyn Harris), we need to have more investigations into the use of sunbeds. We know that they make a huge difference in our more deprived communities, and I praise the work that my hon. Friend is doing in her APPG. I also thank Melanoma Focus and the dermatologists from Leeds teaching hospitals for their engagement with me and my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West last week, talking about the solutions. All too often in this place we can talk about the negatives and we say, “Oh, this is too difficult. We can’t fix this problem”, but we truly can. With a Zoe check and Zoe’s law, we can make the advancements that we need. The best way to think about this in this House is to talk back to the silos. In the NHS, Jess’s law will make a difference. With the private sector, we need to look at how we work with the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Surgeons to make sure that they have the training and skills they need to deliver the detection that is needed on different forms of dermatology, skin cancers and melanomas. There is also the beautician sector. There are lots of different solutions for that, ranging from completely banning all removal of lesions, skin tags and moles to enforced checking of everything through a biopsy, which is where I land on this, and is why I think a Zoe check is so important. We should say, “Yes, this is not something the NHS will pay for; it will be part of the private sector’s charge”. That private sector money will help us fund more pathologists and drive forward the checks that we need so that more lives are saved. As I think was said perfectly by my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West—this debate is not the end: it is very much the start. Zoe’s family have been working on this tirelessly for years, and that shows. It takes a huge amount of strength not just to deal with the loss of a loved one, but to find an inner strength to look after those they have never met—and never will meet—and know that they are doing something good and something that will last. I think that is extremely noble. I thank Charlie and his mum for doing that. It is a time of thanks and a time of optimism. By pulling together on a cross-party basis, which we know we can do on cancers, we can save more lives.

• 30 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  In rural constituencies like South Norfolk, I can think of no better place for employment than our pubs. From the Wheel of Fortune in Alpington to the Angel Inn in Loddon, these pubs are not just vital hubs of our communities but drivers of economic growth. In fact, Mr Speaker, you are more than welcome to join my Christmas pub team on 13 December. What support are the Government putting in place to help those businesses provide decent employment?

• 28 Oct 2025 · Family Farming in Northern Ireland · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the Minister on his first appearance in Westminster Hall. My question is about that 5 percentage point change. This year has been a terrible year for yields, especially in South Norfolk with the droughts. That hits the profitability of farming, which is non-existent—there is not enough profitability in farming. Will the Minister share what investigations the Treasury has done on that fluctuation in profitability and the ability of our farmers to pay the 5 percentage point increase he mentioned?

• 28 Oct 2025 · Family Farming in Northern Ireland · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is making an extremely good point about the impact on Northern Irish farms, and a similar thing will happen in South Norfolk. I would like to present solutions to this problem. I posit—and she may want to comment on this later on—that the Centre for Tax Reform’s policy would actually raise the amount of income for the Treasury by 71%. I also encourage the hon. Lady to look at separating APR and BPR, pausing the process and looking at whether we can raise revenues and protect the family farm.

• 20 Oct 2025 · Alleged Spying Case: Home Office Involvement · Hansard source

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  Malign foreign actors will always try to find the next weakest link, and my concern is local authorities, which have the spending power of £127.1 billion. What action is the Home Office taking to ensure that our councillors and other democratically elected people at the lower levels of government are also given the protection they need?

• 15 Oct 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q10. As many Members know, I am currently being treated for stage 2C skin cancer. I am responding well, but only because it was caught early and because I have had the very best of NHS care. Not everyone is so fortunate. Zoe Panayi, a 26-year-old from the Isle of Wight, was told that her mole was harmless. She had it removed privately, but it proved to be malignant. She tragically died in 2020. Her family—Charlie and Eileen are in the Gallery today—have shown extraordinary courage, working with my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) and me to campaign for Zoe’s law: compulsory testing of all removed moles. Will the Prime Minister meet us, and Zoe’s family, to discuss how we can make this a reality?