Cat Eccles MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 9 Dec 2024 · Fireworks: Sale and Use · Hansard source

  More

  Fireworks are used all over the world as a way of celebrating different events, and they bring enjoyment to many. However, fireworks now continue throughout the winter season; they are not set off just on bonfire night, Diwali, new year and Chinese new year. Fireworks can cause significant injury and fear to people and animals, and their increased use makes it difficult to predict and prepare. Almost 200 of my constituents have signed the two petitions we are debating, and I know that many more share their sentiment. Last week, I met up with former Stourbridge councillor Karen Shakespeare, who has campaigned tirelessly over 15 years for a change in the law on fireworks. Her dog Henry is petrified of fireworks; a single bang sends him into a panic and he cannot be soothed for many hours afterwards. Karen has previously submitted motions to Dudley council calling for a change to regulations on local displays and lobbied the office responsible for public protection along with the RSPCA. In Dudley borough, the main fireworks display takes place at Himley Hall, a site surrounded by farmland and woodland, with additional local displays happening at various sports grounds. Karen and I would like to see a move towards alternative displays, such as drone displays, which would eliminate noise and environmental impact while offering a high-quality display that could increase attendance and profit for the event. George the Stourbridge station cat told me that during fireworks season he is not allowed out on “pawtrol” in case he gets startled. His colleague Simone’s greyhound gets distressed to the point of refusing to eat and shaking and panting for hours. Ahead of this debate, I reached out to several local animal rescues, including CatsMatter, Stour Valley Cat Rescue and Stourbridge RSPCA, which all told me that their animals can become traumatised by fireworks. They all spoke of making preparations well ahead of 5 November due to random fireworks being set off weeks before and after that date. All the rescues make efforts to drown out the noise by closing curtains and leaving a radio or television on, but it is difficult to negate all the noise as fireworks can go off at all times of the day. There is constant worry about the potential for major stress and heart attacks, especially for rabbits and other small mammals. Horses, farm livestock, wildlife and birds die every year because of fireworks set off for our enjoyment. One rescue told me about Coco the cat, who developed feline idiopathic cystitis as a direct result of fireworks. FIC is an inflammation of the bladder caused by stress and is extremely painful for cats. There is no cure, only management of the condition and measures to make the animal less stressed. It can take weeks for a flare-up to settle down, and Coco struggles to go to the toilet. It is visibly painful for her and she cries out to her owner. The vet prescribes pain relief, but the unpredictable use of fireworks makes them difficult to avoid. I have also heard reports of foxes running into roads in front of cars, birds falling out of trees and even badgers falling off walls in a bid to rush for safety. The charity Guide Dogs says that around a quarter of guide dog owners report their animals showing signs of distress when they see or hear fireworks. The organisation works hard to socialise the dogs and expose them to firework noise using recordings, but even so, some dogs take longer to recover from unexpected loud sounds, which can restrict the activities of guide dog owners during the fireworks season. As well as the clear impact on animals, there is a significant effect on the NHS, which has to deal with firework-related injuries. During my NHS career I saw many life-changing injuries, often in young people, caused by irresponsible use of fireworks. Those injuries ranged from minor burns to loss of fingers, limbs and sight. In 2024, how can we think it is okay to sell explosives at the local shop? It simply does not make sense. The Scottish Government have introduced tighter regulation around the sale of fireworks. I believe that any change in the law in England and Wales should build on the Scottish example and aim to go further. The Petitions Committee carried out an extensive inquiry into fireworks in 2019, and concluded that it could not support an outright ban on the public use and buying of fireworks, but it stated: “Inconsiderate and irresponsible use of fireworks should be considered as socially unacceptable as drink driving.” The petitions call for users of fireworks in the UK to be required to obtain a licence, with the aims of reducing public noise and nuisance, preventing crime and disorder, improving public safety, and protecting people and animals from harm. A licensing system would allow sales to continue without affecting the industry, and would eliminate concerns about black market sales. The introduction of licences would increase public education about firework safety and prevent impulse buying. I fully support the recommendations put forward by the RSPCA and the Social Market Foundation, and the licensing proposals put forward by the Firework Campaign UK, which include reducing the maximum decibel level, limiting the sale of category F1 and F2 fireworks, and designating firework-free zones in areas where fireworks are likely to have a greater impact on animals, the environment and vulnerable people. Local authorities have a unique opportunity to showcase alternatives, such as drone displays, light shows and quieter fireworks, and can lead the way by setting an example for others to follow. That would help to increase the popularity of alternatives and encourage suppliers to stock them.

• 29 Nov 2024 · Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · Hansard source

  More

  On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman is using incorrect language. It is not suicide. That is offensive. I ask him please to correct his language.

• 25 Nov 2024 · Domestic Abuse · Hansard source

  More

  7. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle domestic abuse.

• 25 Nov 2024 · Domestic Abuse · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Minister for her response. My constituent Samantha Billingham is a domestic abuse survivor who now runs training sessions on coercive control. Coercive control is a thread that runs throughout all abuse, and I was shocked to hear that it does not form a core part of the training for the police, social workers or any other domestic violence training. Will the Minister meet me and Samantha to ensure that coercive control forms a key part of domestic violence training?

• 5 Nov 2024 · Income Tax (Charge) · Hansard source

  More

  Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I congratulate my hon. Friends the Members for Broxtowe (Juliet Campbell), and for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson), and the hon. Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) on their excellent maiden speeches? To be here in this place representing my home town and the community that I hold dear is an honour beyond words. Stourbridge has a history of electing female MPs and I am proud to be part of this latest cohort—we are the largest number of women in Parliament ever. I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, Suzanne Webb, who represented the constituency from 2019. She was a vehement supporter of the Justice for Ryan campaign, as was Margot James before her. I will continue to work with the Passey family to get justice for Ryan. I hope that the stricter laws around knife crime that this Government will introduce will ensure that no family has to go through the same ordeal. Before 2010, Stourbridge was represented by Lynda Waltho and formerly Debra Shipley. They are two fantastic Labour women, who were a great support to me during my campaign. I am Black Country through and through, growing up in Halesowen and later moving to Stourbridge. The town itself was first mentioned in 1255, named after the bridge that crosses over the River Stour. Legend has it that King Charles II hid there from the Roundheads after being defeated in Worcester in 1651. Since the 1600s, Stourbridge has given its name to glass production; the rich local resources of coal and fire-clay made it the perfect location for the industry. This summer, Stourbridge hosted its last international glass festival, which featured contemporary work by glass makers from all over the world. Stourbridge has long produced sporting, musical and artistic talent, from England football star Jude Bellingham, to Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Pop Will Eat Itself and Robert Plant. One of my priorities during this Parliament is to promote and protect our varied history, heritage, music and arts, and I am already working towards keeping our own glass festival at home in Stourbridge, and celebrating home-grown music with a local festival. Across the constituency, there is a rich industrial history to discover, with the sky once black by day and red by night from the many factories. Wollaston produced the Stourbridge Lion—the first locomotive to run on a commercial line in the USA. Round Oak Steelworks in Brierley Hill provided employment for thousands of local people and was a world centre for iron making during the industrial revolution. Netherton was the home of Hingley and Sons whose most famous product was the anchor of the RMS Titanic. Lye was famous for the manufacture of nails, anvils, crucibles and fire bricks— the Stourbridge name can still be found embossed in many old bricks. Linking all these places are the many miles of canal waterways. Once the highway for transporting goods, now it is a tranquil place to enjoy a walk in nature. The Black Country is no longer the heavy industrial power that it once was, but, with the right investment and opportunities provided by this Government, it can thrive once more with modern technology and green industries. In last week’s Budget, Brierley Hill got a mention, as the Chancellor confirmed funding for the stalled West Midlands Metro extension. This is welcome news as we work towards a joined-up transport system along with West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker. The constituency is also home to the Stourbridge shuttle—the shortest railway line in Europe—running between Stourbridge town and Stourbridge junction. This is where we can also find our most famous resident, George the station cat! George was the perfect mascot for the Save the Ticket Office campaign, which I ran with a local resident last year. More than 5,000 flyers were handed out at the station and Stourbridge had over 3,000 signatures for the Parliament petition—the highest constituency number in the country. I am honoured to be here to see the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill go through the House, which will not only improve reliability and efficiency, but protect our precious ticket offices. Speaking of cats, it would be remiss of me not to mention Mimi, Penny and Hugo, who, along with my husband, John, help to keep me sane. I understand the value that a pet can add to our lives. I look forward to new animal welfare laws and the Renters’ Rights Bill that will allow tenants to keep a pet. I am so proud to be making my maiden speech during this Budget debate on the NHS and public services. I welcome the £22.6 billion commitment to frontline NHS services to cut down waiting lists, invest in cancer treatments, and provide additional funding for social care. I am the very first operating department practitioner in Parliament—a milestone for our under-represented profession. We are trained specifically to work in operating theatres across the three key areas of the perioperative environment. We can be found passing instruments to the surgeon during an operation or assisting the anaesthetist with a patient’s airway. With more than 15,000 registered ODPs in the UK, it is likely that Members will have encountered one at some point. My career in the NHS spans nearly 20 years. I have seen the best of our health service, but, sadly, I have also witnessed it crumble in front of my eyes. The impact of austerity on the NHS is what first politicised me. We saw procurement taken away from clinical staff, vacancies frozen, pay frozen, senior staff forced to reapply for their roles, older staff encouraged to take voluntary redundancy, and many more layers of middle management introduced, removing a lot of day-to-day decision making from clinicians. During the pandemic, I worked on the frontline in emergency maternity theatres. The early days of lockdown were chaotic, with official advice changing by the day. We were given items that were not fit for purpose, face shields that fell off our faces and out-of-date masks. Sadly, we lost some colleagues along the way, including neonatologist Dr Vishna Rasiah and midwife Salaa Alam. I hope that the contributions of ODPs during the pandemic will be recognised. So many stepped up and fulfilled roles in intensive therapy units, wards and emergency departments—a true demonstration of the flexibility and skill of our profession. I am pleased that the Government are appointing a covid corruption commissioner to investigate fully fraud, errors and underperforming contracts during the pandemic and to ensure that the country is fully prepared in the future. It is also an honour to be in this place as the covid inquiry is published, so that I can speak up for all the NHS staff whose voices were not heard. Despite the difficulties at work, I was grateful to be able to maintain my daily routine, unlike so many who were forced to stay at home. When I was not on a shift, I was helping to run the Stourbridge covid support group, with over 100 volunteers who helped more than 200 shielding residents with shopping, prescriptions and friendly phone calls. We made over 10,000 face shields for care homes without PPE and raised over £8,000 for our local food bank. We provided Christmas food boxes for families receiving free school meals. The community really pulled together during this difficult time and many of our volunteers are still in touch with their clients. When war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022, the community rallied again to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Large shipments of clothes, toys and sanitary products were transported to the Ukrainian border. I recently had the opportunity to visit Ukraine and see for myself what people there are dealing with. There is much to be done to ensure victory in Ukraine and I hope to play some small part in that. I welcome the Government’s commitment to providing unwavering support to Ukraine and to combat Russian aggression. As we see global conflict heightening, I hope for peace everywhere and that the Government, along with world leaders, can influence change to keep everyone safe. I look forward to working with all colleagues in this House to bring about much needed change—not just for Stourbridge, but for our entire country and the wider world.

• 22 Oct 2024 · Ukraine · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome the statement, which is good news for Ukraine. Does my right hon. Friend agree that Ukraine is the frontier of war with the Kremlin, that international support is now more critical than ever and that we must be absolutely clear that defence of the UK begins in Ukraine?

• 17 Oct 2024 · Telegraph Poles: Planning Permission · Hansard source

  More

  In Stourbridge in the west midlands, we face similar problems with the same company, which is causing havoc. As my hon. Friend rightly says, the legislation was passed in 2013, yet in 2024, we are still waiting for the full roll-out of ultrafast broadband. Although I appreciate what he says about our current adequate speeds, they could be much faster. When I was recently in Ukraine, I experienced far better internet connectivity than I do in central London or Stourbridge town centre. Our European neighbours are enjoying much faster broadband while we languish behind, and Stourbridge residents have been left at the mercy of these third-party companies—

• 14 Oct 2024 · Ukraine: Military Support · Hansard source

  More

  13. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on support for Ukraine.

• 14 Oct 2024 · Ukraine: Military Support · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Secretary of State for his answer. On a recent visit to Ukraine, I visited the Chernihiv oblast, which is a former Russian red line. There, we saw a large military effort by communities and local government. Given that large segments of the military in Ukraine are made up differently from our own Ministry of Defence, what discussions is the Secretary of State having to ensure funds are going into community and local government efforts?

• 25 Jul 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  A constituent of mine is currently going through the process of adopting a little boy. She and her husband have one daughter already, conceived following several rounds of IVF, but, sadly, that has since been unsuccessful for them and they have chosen to adopt one of the many looked-after children looking for a loving home. My constituent runs a local business—a haberdashery and sewing workshop—that is extremely popular with local people, but in order to integrate the little boy into her family, she has taken time away from her business to be with him at home. She has since discovered that she is not entitled to statutory adoption pay as a self-employed person and will have to take this time off unpaid. When adopting children from care, there is a really small window of opportunity to successfully integrate the child with minimal disruption. Costs to local authorities for looked-after children are rising. Would you agree that extending adoption pay to self-employed people in line with maternity pay would provide better outcomes for looked-after children?

• 19 Jul 2024 · Covid-19 Inquiry · Hansard source

  More

  I visited the wall this week, and it was a stark reminder of my own experience during the pandemic. I am an operating department practitioner, and I worked in emergency maternity theatres during that time. From day one, there was next to no strategy. Staff were fighting over inadequate personal protective equipment. We tried to speak up, but we were not heard. We were given out-of-date masks, gowns that were ill-fitting and visors that just fell off our faces. Even when colleagues sadly lost their lives to the disease, the chaos continued. I sat with new mothers, holding their hands because their partners were not allowed to be with them. We stood by the bedside of a colleague on life support as they lost their battle with covid. Even now, staff are traumatised all over again when people who have waited so long for treatment cannot be helped. Will this Government ensure that NHS staff can have an input in future pandemic planning, as it is we who know how best to protect our patients?