Carolyn Harris MP: speeches

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Speeches

19 Nov 2025 · Local Government Reform: Huntingdonshire · Hansard source
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I have to ensure that I ask you the question.
19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source
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Order. If the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Alison Griffiths) wishes to speak, I suggest that she ask for an intervention.
19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source
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I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source
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I thank the Minister for my elevation to Dame—it has a certain ring to it. I call Josh Fenton-Glynn to wind up the debate briefly.
19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source
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Order. I remind Members that they need to bob if they wish to speak in the debate. I will impose an informal time limit of five minutes to allow all Members to get in.
13 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
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Last week during International Trade Week, my dear and hon. Friend the Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden) and I jointly hosted a regional export trade seminar for businesses from across south Wales. As proud trade envoys, we were delighted to work with the Department for Business and Trade to offer Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises the opportunity to learn more about export opportunities and the support available. Will the Leader of the House join us in thanking DBT colleagues, Ministers and the businesses that attended for their commitment to ensuring that the UK is front and centre of global trade markets?
30 Oct 2025 · Moles: Histological Testing · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I congratulate my hon. Friends the Members for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) and for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) on securing this vital debate on the histological testing of excised moles. I am chair of the all-party parliamentary group for beauty and wellbeing, and this issue aligns closely with our current inquiry into ultraviolet safety. It sits right at the heart of the concerns that led to the launch of the inquiry earlier this year. Unprotected UV exposure poses huge risks and is creating a greater volume of potentially malignant lesions. We know that it is the main driver of the formation of new moles and the malignant transformation of existing ones. As the number of cases escalates, so does the need for accurate and timely histological testing. The success of the entire melanoma pathway hinges on that final, non-negotiable diagnostic step. We must ensure that the NHS’s resources, training and standardisation for histological analysis are robust enough to manage the growing volume. Figures from Cancer Research UK paint a worrying picture: nearly 18,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year in the UK, and that is projected to rise to nearly 27,000 by 2040. The pressure on pathology services to diagnose excised lesions correctly and rapidly is immense, and it is only going to rise. What is perhaps more tragic is that 86% of these cancers are preventable. If people were better able to protect themselves against UV radiation, we could slash the number of cases and ease the burden on our health services. Our APPG inquiry into UV safety launched in May, and aims to take evidence from clinicians, academics, industry experts, media influencers and those with lived experience. Although we will not report until spring next year, we are already seeing patterns in the evidence we have received in oral sessions and through written submissions: calls for public awareness campaigns so that people are better educated on how to check their moles and seek medical intervention when needed; questions around the labelling of the sun protection factor and affordability of sun cream; and a widespread concern over the regulation and marketing of products that have known melanoma risk factors. I am sure the Minister will listen today and that she is acutely aware of the critical importance of this issue. We must resource diagnostic services appropriately to meet the rising demand, and at the same time give adequate attention to changes that will help to prevent the predicted rise in cases. By addressing in tandem prevention and detection—from SPF affordability, which will encourage sun cream use, to rapid histology, which will produce timely diagnoses—we will deliver the most significant savings of all. We will save families money, we will save patients long and anxious waits for test results, and we will save the NHS money by reducing costs and easing its burden. Most importantly, we will save lives.
30 Oct 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
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As we approach the end of World Menopause Month, yesterday saw the launch of the report by the all-party parliamentary group on menopause into the experiences of those from historically marginalised communities. The Government are making huge progress on women’s health, but we must ensure that no woman gets left behind. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking those who contributed to the report, and will he ask Cabinet colleagues to consider its recommendations so that we can improve outcomes for all women?
29 Oct 2025 · Vehicle Headlight Glare Standards · Hansard source
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I remind hon. Members that if they wish to speak they should bob so that we can work out the timings. Hon. Members should also please bear in mind that we are expecting votes.
29 Oct 2025 · Vehicle Headlight Glare Standards · Hansard source
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I am imposing an informal time limit of four minutes.
29 Oct 2025 · Independent Lifeboats: Government Support · Hansard source
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I remind Members to bob if they wish to speak.
29 Oct 2025 · Independent Lifeboats: Government Support · Hansard source
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Order. The sitting is suspended for 15 minutes.
29 Oct 2025 · Independent Lifeboats: Government Support · Hansard source
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Order. Before I call the Minister, may I ask her to wind up by 4.11 pm, so that we can allow Mr Holmes two minutes to sum up before I conclude the debate?
29 Oct 2025 · Independent Lifeboats: Government Support · Hansard source
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Order. I am going to impose an informal six-minute time limit. I will start the winding-up speeches at 3.28 pm. Apparently, we are expecting a Division on a ten-minute rule Bill, but until we hear the bell, we will stick with 3.28 pm.
29 Oct 2025 · Civil Justice Council Review of Litigation Funding · Hansard source
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I will call Sir Julian Smith to move the motion; I will then call the Minister to respond. I remind Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.
29 Oct 2025 · Civil Justice Council Review of Litigation Funding · Hansard source
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I will bring this debate to a close at 4.42 pm. Hon. Members should bear that in mind so that there is time for the Minister. I call Oliver Ryan.
16 Oct 2025 · World Menopause Day · Hansard source
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I beg to move, That this House has considered World Menopause Day. I start by thanking the Backbench Business Committee for granting me this important and timely debate during World Menopause Month. We did not have a debate on menopause last year, so this is the first under the current Government. Back in 2023, I asked the last Government for a commitment to show 51% of the population that they matter by prioritising menopause support in healthcare, in the workplace and across society. I might now be sitting on the Government Benches, but I can assure everyone that I still want that commitment, and possibly more. It feels like I live and breathe menopause—I certainly have for the last seven years since the first World Menopause Day debate in 2018. In that time, two issues that have come up time and again when women have contacted me are the need for better understanding and treatment in primary care and better support in the workplace. Those are the two areas that have been targeted in this year’s Menopause Mandate mega-survey. As a proud patron I was delighted to join the team in Oxford Street on Monday at the launch of the results. As has now become custom, the launch was followed by our third annual walk and talk. I am not sure whether there is a collective noun for it, but for want of a better term, a flush of menopausal women, some of whom are here today, walked to the Department for Work and Pensions. I was very grateful to the Minister for accepting the survey results from us on Monday—a survey that reflects the thinking of women from right across the country. A staggering 15,000 people responded to the survey, and the results offer some truly powerful insights into the menopause experience. There is a lot to unpack, but for me the takeaway statistic, which cannot be ignored, is that 96% of the 15,000 women said that menopause had negatively impacted their quality of life. That is truly heartbreaking. That is particularly evident in the workplace. More than three quarters of those surveyed said that their symptoms had affected them in the workplace, with one in 10 changing their role and one in 20 quitting their job. These are women with years and years of experience and loyal service, who will have irreplaceable job knowledge. They are women at the prime of their careers, who should be seeking promotion, but without the support they need they are seeking an exit strategy instead. On the plus side, more than a third of the women are now working for an organisation with a menopause policy.
16 Oct 2025 · World Menopause Day · Hansard source
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Certainly. There is no age on menopause. Maggie’s centre has a fantastic programme to support women experiencing crash menopause, in which a cancer treatment causes them to go into early menopause. Unfortunately, the woman will walk away from surgery or treatment without being given information. Maggie’s is doing some wonderful work, and I am delighted to be able to promote it today. I do not want to be standing here in another seven years, still asking for the same things. Without support, women suffer, but so do businesses and the wider economy. Reduced hours, career breaks and early retirement all lead to women reaching pension age without enough resource to claim their full state pension, which they may be relying on. We should not have to make this an economic argument, but anybody who knows me knows that I will use any argument to get what I want, and I want women to have fair play. While we seek to make progress in the workplace, we must not overlook the fundamental issue that many women still face in accessing menopause care. A quarter of the women who responded to the Menopause Mandate survey said that seeking medical advice from their GP or another medical professional was not a positive experience. Reassuringly, two thirds of women were offered hormone replacement therapy—hallelujah!—or at least it was discussed with them, but too many women are still being offered antidepressants. They should be outlining their symptoms to a GP who will understand what is wrong with them. Those symptoms, as we now know, are wide-ranging and differ for every woman. The survey found that although it might be the physical symptoms, such as hot flushes and changes to periods, that trigger women to think about menopause, it is the psychological symptoms that women struggle with most: anxiety, brain fog, low mood and low self-esteem. Those are the main complaints from women. For many women—indeed, for over half of those surveyed—the lack of knowledge that their symptoms were signs of perimenopause caused a delay in their seeking support and accessing treatment. Women feel that better education and earlier advice would have benefited them, and a staggering 99% of the 15,000 women surveyed said that they believe menopause should be discussed at the NHS 40-plus health check. That is something that I have long campaigned for, as has Menopause Mandate, and I have raised it with colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care, arguing that it is a vital component of the women’s health strategy. Employers can also step up by providing menopause training, organising events and encouraging discussion within a safe environment, which will give women the information they need as well as confidence in the workplace. That would show women that their workplace cares for them. We should ensure that healthcare providers incorporate measures within the standard packages, including menopause advice. Support should be signposted on staff bulletins, on noticeboards, in bathrooms and wherever any kind of information can be put. It is the simple things that will help people to tackle the problems, because, as with any other area of healthcare, being aware of the symptoms allows people to take control, to understand their own bodies and to seek the best treatment options available to them. We know that for some women, HRT can be life-changing—I am a devout believer in HRT. Other women think that the symptoms of menopause are manageable without HRT, and some women cannot take HRT because of medical conditions, but we know that a significant number of women still avoid HRT because of its perceived risks, which is an issue that urgently needs to be addressed. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it is commissioning a review of the risks and benefits of HRT for women experiencing menopause. That follows an expert panel on menopause and hormone replacement therapy that was held earlier this year. We know that historical data has been proven inaccurate, but it is responsible for a fear of HRT among a whole generation of women and medical practitioners alike. I wonder how many women have walked away from their career because they felt unable to cope without HRT but were too frightened by the false allegations and media frenzy to take it. Campaigners and industry experts, many of whom are here in Westminster Hall today, have worked tirelessly to dispel these myths. I know that they support my calls for an independent UK review to ensure that information about the risks and benefits of HRT reflects the most up-to-date global evidence. The all-party parliamentary group on menopause, which I chair, has been championing such a review since it was first set up five years ago. Just last year, shortly before the general election, we undertook a national study that looked at access to treatment and services. The results show that both those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those from black and Asian communities experienced severe disadvantages. The results of that study prompted us to look more deeply into such disparities. Later this month, we will launch the report and recommendations from a nine-month inquiry into the menopause experiences of those from historically marginalised communities. We have taken evidence from women from ethnic minority backgrounds; those who are disabled or neurodiverse; those living in poverty; those who are survivors of domestic abuse; people from LGBTQIA+ communities; and women who have experienced menopause in prison. From hearing and reading so many personal stories, I know that we still have much to do to improve menopause services so that everyone can get the support they need in the way they need it, wherever they need it—be it in healthcare, the workplace or society in general. The last Government made some tentative steps in the right direction. The HRT annual prepayment certificate was introduced following my 2021 private Member’s Bill. That has helped thousands of women who were struggling to cover the cost of HRT prescriptions. I was absolutely delighted to see that almost 90% of those responding to the Menopause Mandate survey were aware of the prescription prepayment certificate—that is fantastic news, but it is not enough on its own. We need to build on that and show women that this Labour Government listen and care. The evidence of what women want and need has already been presented, and none of it is difficult or costly to implement. That includes a review of the risks and benefits of HRT to help dispel the dangerous inaccuracies that have caused unnecessary fear for more than two decades, and the inclusion of menopause and its symptoms in the NHS 40-plus health check—if 99% of women think it is a good idea, then it is. We need a guarantee that Ministers will work with business leaders to ensure that the menopause workplace action plans set out in the Employment Rights Bill are genuine, real, credible and operational, and that they work. We also need a promise to women working for smaller businesses who employ fewer than 200 people that they will not miss out on workplace support; and menopause training for occupational health specialists so that the simple adjustments that women need are implemented. The number of one in 20 loyal and experienced women leaving the workforce is too many, and one in 10 changing their role and reducing hours to avoid promotion is terrifying. We have an opportunity to change the narrative. We cannot stop women experiencing menopause. We cannot magic away the symptoms or ignore the changes that happen, but we can make sure that those experiences have a positive impact. We can help to provide the right treatment for the symptoms, and we can ensure that adequate support is available wherever it is needed, so that women can embrace the changes with confidence and purpose. I can honestly say that since I embraced my menopause and took control of it, I am a better person and—God help anybody who thinks I was not confident before— I am really confident now. Taking control of our own health and wellbeing is life-changing. I stand here today as proof of that, and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that all women have the same advantage: to access the treatment they need, to flourish and succeed at work, and to be the very best version of themselves in perimenopause, menopause and beyond.
16 Oct 2025 · World Menopause Day · Hansard source
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I thank all hon. Members for attending today. Your participation really gives me, my fellow menowarriors and all women faith that women’s health and welfare is a priority that cannot and will not be ignored. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered World Menopause Day.
16 Oct 2025 · World Menopause Day · Hansard source
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As with any occasion when I spend time with my hon. Friend, that occasion is etched in my memory forever. Like other organisations, Tesco is doing some wonderful work for women. It is also important to recognise the work of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and the GMB, which play a huge part in promoting workplace policies for menopausal women. When next year we implement the plans for employers with more than 250 employees to have a menopause policy or framework in the workplace, a key measure of success will be the Department ensuring that we are monitoring those plans, so that they do not just get left in a cupboard to gather dust. This will be mandatory only for employers with more than 250 staff, and I welcome the changes, but from the correspondence I have received it is clear that thousands of women working for smaller companies want to know whether they will be supported. We are not talking about big changes: flexible working hours, breathable uniforms and comfortable working environments are small adjustments, but they make a huge difference. Employers in every sector rely on occupational health specialists to support the physical, mental and social wellbeing of their staff. They need to be given specialist menopause training. Imagine the number of women in their 40s, 50s and 60s that that would have helped. They might not have left work. They may return to work, or even stay and thrive in work.
14 Oct 2025 · COP30: Food System Transformation · Hansard source
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Order. Would you not speak from a sedentary position? I call the shadow Minister.
14 Oct 2025 · COP30: Food System Transformation · Hansard source
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Order. I remind Members that interventions need to be short, not a speech.
14 Oct 2025 · COP30: Food System Transformation · Hansard source
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Order. I remind hon. Members that this is an hour-long debate. The hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire has already been very generous in allowing interventions, which has limited the time that Back Benchers have left to speak. We will start the Front-Bench speeches at 5.08 pm, so Back-Bench speeches are now limited to two and a half minutes. The Opposition party Front Benchers will have five minutes each and the Minister will have 10 minutes. Anyone who takes interventions is likely to upset colleagues.
15 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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Last year, a report by the charity Justice and Care highlighted that a lack of regulation allows unscrupulous business owners to exploit vulnerable people. Nottingham Trent University showed that 90% of hand car wash businesses operate in a way that makes them high risk for forced or compulsory labour. Will the Government consider licensing sectors such as hand car washes to improve compliance and prevent illegal workers and modern slavery?
17 Jul 2025 · Freedom of Religion or Belief: UK Foreign Policy · Hansard source
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I call David Smith to quickly wind up.

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