Chris McDonald MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Mar 2025 · UK-China Relations · Hansard source

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  It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. I thank the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) for securing the debate. It is a pleasure to follow him, because I want to expand on some of the points he made about the dependence of our industry and economy on China. I have worked in China and have friends there. I am certainly no Sinophobe, but I do think we need to be clear-eyed about the fact that we are in economic competition with China. The hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon described it as a relationship of dependency, and I fear that that is the position. An inter-dependent relationship would be fine, but we are in more of a dependent relationship. I remember being in China in 2015, at the launch of the 13th five-year plan. I was shocked at what I saw as a big competitive threat to the UK. At that time, President Xi was in London—we had done a bit of a swap—and was meeting the Prime Minister here. The Prime Minister said he was enthused by President Xi’s plan for the belt and road initiative, and he directed the City of London to fund it. From where I was sitting, that seemed like an extremely bad idea. I was talking to British engineering companies that had been told they would get three contracts in China. In the first contract they would deliver a machine, in the second contract they would deliver the drawing, and in the third contract they would supervise the Chinese company that would do the installation on their behalf. Many of those companies no longer exist because they have been competed out of the market by China. It is the job of the UK Government to make sure that we site jobs in south Wales rather than Wuhan, and in Teesside rather than Tianjin. I fear that over the past couple of decades we have been too keen to pursue lower-cost goods rather than invest in our own industries. The industry that I know best is materials. Some of the critical raw materials we need for our future are gallium, germanium and neodymium—I apologise to Hansard reporters for sounding like a Tom Lehrer song. Those are incredibly serious minerals that are essential for our future. For most of them, China either dominates the mining or has the materials processing capability for about 90% of the global market. It is important for us to consider how we can secure materials processing in future. Just this week Richard Holtum, the chief executive of Trafigura, the world’s biggest private metals trading company, recommended that Governments nationalise their metals-processing industries in order to compete with China.

• 26 Mar 2025 · UK-China Relations · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member mentions Chinese theft of intellectual property. Does he agree that it is also concerning when we give it away, such as when UK universities set up campuses in China to train Chinese technicians to outcompete British industry?

• 26 Mar 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q13. May I commend my right hon. and learned Friend for his leadership on Ukraine, showing that the UK is once again at the forefront of protecting democratic freedoms? Does he agree that as our defence spending increases, we need to support our supply chain companies to increase their capability, creating good jobs and apprenticeships in places such as Stockton North and across the country? Will he meet me and the Teesside defence and innovation cluster that I have established, which is helping to create that new defence capability for the UK?

• 14 Mar 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  Those of us who have lost a friend or a family member to cancer will no doubt have heard them described—often, I think, somewhat unhelpfully—as courageous, but this morning we witnessed the most courageous exposition I have ever heard in my life from my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Josh Fenton-Glynn). I thank him for the privilege of allowing us to listen to his loving tribute to his brother. We also heard from a number of Members, including the hon. Members for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood), and for Witney (Charlie Maynard), and, most forcefully, my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh), about the pressure of time, and the urgent need to do something to find a cure or treatment for rare cancers. We have heard a number of moving speeches this morning, but I will allow hon. Members to relax and recharge their emotional batteries a little bit, because I will address the issue of time, and the practical considerations of how we can turn drug discovery into treatment as speedily as possible. To do that, I will lift the lid on our drug supply chain and set out the vital role that the NHS can play in it. There are lessons we can learn from the covid pandemic when it comes to the drug supply chain. We very quickly developed a vaccine in the UK, in Oxford, but we saw quite quickly that the vaccine was worth nothing until it was in the arms of the population. Getting that done required a big effort, including in industry. As we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Dr Sullivan), industry is also important. The Fujifilm factory in Billingham in my constituency manufactured one of the covid vaccines, and it will shortly turn Billingham into the largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing centre in the UK. When it was making the vaccine, it found that it had a big problem. This brings into play another town, just up the River Tees from Billingham, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth). Members may have heard of it—it became famous for a particular reason during the pandemic—but they may not be sighted on the reason why I will talk about it, which has more to do with glass than glasses. Barnard Castle is home to GlaxoSmithKline, which bottled the vaccines. There was, at the time, a global shortage of bottles for vaccines, and in the UK we have only one glass manufacturer capable of doing that job, although soon there will be another in St Helens. Hopefully, after that little overview, Members can sense that there is a big industrial supply chain issue that we need to address before we can get treatments to the people who need them most. In fact, there are a number of researchers working on this area. I am sure that when we think of research into rare cancers, we think of people in white coats and laboratories in places like Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, but I urge us to also think about the process operators in Billingham, the bottle fillers in Barnard Castle and the furnace operators in places like Glass Futures in St Helens, who are also working hard on research projects to deliver those treatments. The second issue that I would like us to consider is the role that the NHS can and must play. I want to see a transformatively different approach from the NHS in this area. A month ago in Parliament, I met representatives of Pancreatic Cancer UK, which I know supports the Bill. They talked to me about pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, which is a treatment for pancreatic cancer, and about the difficulties in sourcing sufficient quantities of treatment. We all know from our constituency surgeries that there is the same issue with common drugs; people suffering with other conditions and people who have children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and so on are struggling to get the drugs that they need. Part of the issue is that we rely so much on imports. We could be manufacturing these products in the UK. The NHS is the single biggest purchaser of drugs in the world; it has the market power to demand that production be centred in the UK. That would bring clear economic benefits to the UK, but it would also shorten cycle times for innovation, because the researchers and the manufacturers would be close to one another, and it would ensure security of supply in the UK. It would mean that we could be proud of manufacturing drugs that help to treat people around the world. It would also fit in with our industrial strategy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was talking only yesterday about the importance of life sciences to our industrial strategy, and about their creating British jobs in research and in factories. I very much thank my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) for introducing the Bill. He described his father-in-law as a dignified man; my hon. Friend gave an incredibly dignified speech, and I am sure that his father-in-law will be very proud. We look forward to the days when people who suffer from rare cancers are not offered such treatments as breathing into a brown paper bag, as my hon. Friend described, or taking a paracetamol, as my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mrs Lewell-Buck) described. Instead, we should use the power of our NHS and the efficiency of our UK supply chains to turn discoveries into drugs, and trials into lifesaving treatments.

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I am sure that James in Easterside will be pleased to learn that Cleveland police have seized 359 vehicles linked to crime and dangerous driving since January alone, which is already making a big difference. Crime across Cleveland is now at its lowest level in five years following a more than 9% reduction, which means nearly 6,000 fewer victims of crime. This is what a proactive police and crime commissioner, a Labour Member of Parliament and a Labour Government working together looks like. We are putting police back at the heart of our communities, and ensuring that they have the necessary powers and the backing of a justice system that actually works. We are introducing respect orders to tackle the worst antisocial behaviour offenders, and stamping out issues such as public drinking and drug use to ensure that our town centres are free from harm and nuisance. New offences, such as child criminal exploitation and cuckooing, will crack down on drug dealing. We will protect our high streets by ending the effective immunity for anyone caught shoplifting goods worth below £200 and introducing a new criminal offence to better protect retail workers from assault. Stockton, Billingham and Norton deserve safer streets, and we are delivering. It should be clear to my residents that this Government and I, as their MP, are on the side of law and order. Although we are seeing green shoots of progress, there is still much more to do to reclaim our streets and town centres. The job is not done yet, but we are making real progress. Together, we will take back our streets and ensure that our towns are places of pride.

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I promised my constituents more police officers in Stockton, Billingham and Norton, and we are delivering on that. I promised a crackdown on antisocial behaviour on the high streets, and we are delivering on that. I promised a named police officer in every neighbourhood, and we are delivering on that. This is a serious Government rolling up their sleeves and getting on with delivering on the issues that matter most to the people to Teesside. I have visited corner shops picking up the pieces after being attacked by balaclava-clad thugs. I have spoken to unions and retail workers about the devastating impact of shoplifting, theft and assaults on shop workers. Our high streets should be thriving, but too often they are overshadowed by antisocial behaviour that keeps families away. Crime erodes confidence in our communities, leaving people feeling unsafe in their neighbourhoods and making it harder for businesses to thrive, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the illegal use of off-road bikes. For too long, these bikes have been a menace as they maraud through estates, intimidate residents and are used by criminals to evade police. People have had enough. I promised to come down hard on crime, increase police numbers, and make our high streets and communities safe, and that is exactly what we are doing. With £2.4 million invested in neighbourhood policing, Cleveland police, under our Labour police and crime commissioner Matt Storey, are delivering on that promise with 40 new officers on our streets, increasing the visible police presence in our communities. They are using new tactics to stop crime in its tracks, deploying police drones to track off-road bikes in real time. If criminals think they can evade justice, they are wrong. Their bikes will be tracked, seized and taken off our streets.

• 6 Mar 2025 · International Women’s Day · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) for moving the motion. We have just heard some extremely powerful testimony from my hon. Friends the Members for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) and for Knowsley (Anneliese Midgley), but, if the House will forgive me, I intend to shift the tone slightly and talk about a moment of joy that I experienced yesterday. First, however, I want to acknowledge the proud achievements of our Labour party in advancing the cause of women over the last century, and to pay particular tribute to the members of the women’s sections in our labour and trade union movement for the work that they do in their local communities. Yesterday I paid a lovely visit to our marvellous education centre, where I met students from St Joseph’s Catholic primary school in Billingham, in my constituency. As always, I was asked the best and hardest questions by the students. One of those questions was, “What are MPs going to do to help women who play football receive the same pay as men who play football?” What a great question. We have heard a bit about women’s sport today, and we are seeing the rapid growth and transformation of football for women and girls. We have heard about the Lioness effect. The England women’s team have been fantastic role models, and, on the main stage at Wembley under the floodlights, they have laid their critics to rest. However, we should not forget what they have been up against. The Football Association now has ambitious targets to grow the girls’ game, but on 5 December 1921 the FA met at its headquarters in London and announced a ban on the women’s game, stating that “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.” Before that, there were about 150 women’s football clubs, attracting 45,000 fans to their games. We have to wonder whether the FA was motivated by the fact that the women’s game was taking fans away from the men’s. I think that if women had been asked about this before the ban, they would have said there was a bright future for the women’s game. There certainly is now, because since the ban was reversed in 1971 it has gone from strength to strength, and I commend the FA for the work that it has done to improve access and opportunities for women and girls. Tomorrow, to celebrate International Women’s Day, I shall be joining pupils at Bewley primary school, also in Billingham, to watch a training session and a football match run by the Hartlepool United Community Sports Foundation. The “Let Girls Play Biggest Ever Football Session” sends the strong message to girls growing up today that they can look forward to the same success and achievements in our national game as boys. Let me end by saying that it is incredibly inspiring for me to work with such brave, talented, dedicated and hard-working women in Parliament, including everyone who is speaking in today’s debate. Our women Members are wonderful role models.

• 5 Mar 2025 · Antisocial Behaviour and Illegal Bikes · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member makes a really interesting point. I was reflecting on my own constituency, where, from leafy Thorpe Thewles to the infinity bridge in the centre of town, we have this issue with off-road bikes as well. Does the hon. Member agree that no community around the country is immune from this scourge?

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Businesses · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. I thank my neighbour, the hon. Member for Stockton West (Matt Vickers) for securing the debate and particularly for devoting so much of his speech to outlining some of the achievements of our local Labour council in Stockton in developing our town centres. Stockton is known for having the widest high street in Britain, but it is the breadth of the vision of our Labour council that I would really like to share with colleagues today, because I think there are some opportunities that might be of benefit to other areas. Labour councillor Nigel Cooke said many years ago that the future of the high street is about leisure, culture and recreation as much as it is about shops, and Stockton Council have put everything behind achieving that. The single biggest, most noticeable thing anyone will see on Stockton High Street—or will not see if they go today—is the former Castlegate shopping centre, which was demolished by the council to much local opposition. That resulted in a much higher rate of occupancy, up to 90%, at the other end of the street, but opened up for the first time in hundreds of years a vista across the high street to the river, the Cleveland hills and Roseberry Topping beyond, creating an urban park that will be the centre of events in the future. Stockton has turned itself into an event town, hosting many events on the high street and in the other towns in the borough throughout the year. That has given us the opportunity to attract new businesses into the borough. Contrary to the usual doom and gloom about Stockton we hear from the hon. Member for Stockton West, I took the opportunity to talk to the Stockton business improvement district before coming here today, and it told me that three businesses this week are planning to open up on Stockton high street in the hospitality and leisure area. We have great entrepreneurs such as Nathan Hobday, who has bought the Teesside Princess pleasure cruiser and who is fizzing with ideas for things that he wants to do to bring more footfall to our high street in that area. Remember Me Tearooms were sort of blocked in beside that terrible shopping centre and will now increase capacity so that they can serve people who are visiting the park. It is not only happening in Stockton town centre, but also in Norton, another lovely town in our area, which is a basis not only for the daytime but the night-time economy. That brings me to safety. In our area, under the last Conservative Government, police officer numbers reduced by 550 compared with under the last Labour Government, but I made a commitment to have more officers on the street. With the £2.4 million we are getting from the Government, there will be 40 additional officers on the street.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Businesses · Hansard source

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  I will not give way any more. The hon. Member might want to listen to what I have to say and intervene later. There will be an increase of 40 police officers, including some dedicated to the high street, so that people feel safe. They did not feel safe under the last Government; that was what drove people out of the high street. Civic enforcement patrols and police officers will ensure that people feel safe in Stockton. This Government have also ended the effective decriminalisation of shoplifting for items under £200. Rather than standing with shoplifters, we are standing with shop workers. I think that every child who grows up in Billingham thinks that every town in the country has an ice rink, but they do not. There is one in Billingham, and the council has invested in Billingham Forum, where it is. The last Government left the residents of Billingham in the shameful condition of having been promised £20 million, but with no money there, and I thank the Government for coming forward with that funding, so that we can bring 10 derelict buildings back into use and create new commercial and retail space. What about the future? The council is creating a health and care zone alongside our new diagnostic centre. It is not a hospital—it is a centre. Teesside is hoping to have a medical school there as well, so we will have medical students there. I am supporting and championing these initiatives. Quite shortly, Billingham will be the UK’s largest centre for biomanufacturing. I encourage all colleagues to come to Stockton for the Stockton and Darlington railway 200th anniversary this year, and we will welcome them to our town.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Businesses · Hansard source

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  As the police and crime commissioner for Cleveland said, the increase in national insurance contributions will not have an impact. In fact, overall there will be an increase of 40 police officers in Stockton.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Defence and Security · Hansard source

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  The Prime Minister has delivered a powerful statement today, and I know that his unwavering commitment to the defence of the realm will be greatly appreciated by my constituents in Stockton North. He mentioned the industrial strategy. Does he agree that we need to start immediately to mobilise our steel, chemicals and shipbuilding industries, working with regional groups such as the Teesside defence and innovation cluster to ensure that we build the capability that we need for our defence supply chains at home?

• 24 Feb 2025 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  I thank the Foreign Secretary for a strong statement. He said that Ukraine’s security is our security. Does he agree that this is a fight for democracy where we need to tackle misinformation both at home and abroad, and where we need to maintain our steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty?

• 11 Feb 2025 · US Steel Import Tariffs · Hansard source

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  In his response, the Minister mentioned the previous Conservative Government’s neglect of the steel industry—it was allowed to decline to a size smaller than the industry in Belgium. Does he agree that the UK’s market presents a great commercial opportunity for investment in steel, and that through this Government’s steel strategy, we have the opportunity to attract that investment to the UK?

• 10 Feb 2025 · US Commitment to NATO · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Secretary of State’s answer, but in the face of wider Russian aggression, could he expand on what conversations he has already had with NATO counterparts about how NATO can respond appropriately to the threat from Russia?

• 6 Feb 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Stockton is rightly famed for its high street, the widest in Britain, with amazing independent stores such as Chic & Crafty, Regency Records, and the Book Dragon supported by our business improvement district. Will my right hon. Friend join me in commending Stockton borough council for its investment in a new park and health diagnostic centre in Stockton, road improvements in Norton and £20 million for Billingham town centre, all of which will benefit from this Government’s commitment to cracking down on retail crime and investing in Cleveland police? Will she also find Government time for a debate on high street renewal?

• 5 Feb 2025 · Children’s Social Care: North-east England · Hansard source

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  Further to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) about kinship care, many of my constituents have benefited from the Family Rights Group, which provides advocacy and saves the Exchequer many tens of millions of pounds. Will my hon. Friend join me in commending the work of the Family Rights Group and expressing the hope that its funding will continue into the next financial year?

• 3 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. My constituent Darren, an unpaid carer, was wrongly refused a refund for prescription charges when moving from income support to universal credit. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that there should be no gap in support in such circumstances?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  On 16 January, WHSmith in Stockton announced its closure, putting at risk our town centre post office. I am leading a campaign with local Labour councillors to find an alternative location. Does my right hon. Friend agree that post offices provide vital services for towns such as Stockton, and will she consider a debate in Government time on this important issue?

• 29 Jan 2025 · Growing the UK Economy · Hansard source

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  Yesterday evening, I had the privilege of meeting some leaders of our ceramics industry, a vital sector that was grossly neglected by the previous Conservative Government. Does my right hon. Friend agree that our heavy industries, such as metals and chemicals, are where the UK has a competitive advantage, can attract international investment, and can deliver the growth in jobs that people voted for in places from Stoke to Stockton?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Defence Procurement: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (Alan Strickland) on bringing this debate to the House. I wholeheartedly agree that the Government need to work in close partnership with businesses of all sizes, and the Government have made it clear to me that they recognise the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises entering the defence procurement programme. I commend the Government’s engagement with the sector and I thank my right hon. Friend the Minister for agreeing to visit Stockton North to meet local businesses in a region steeped in industrial heritage, resilience and innovation. Through the money spent on defence, the Government can satisfy their mission of building more in Britain and increasing skilled jobs in all corners of the country. Teesside and Stockton North are places that not only built the bridges and structures of the past, but are ready to lead the future of our nation’s defence capabilities. Teesside industries have long been the backbone of British manufacturing, and today the Teesside defence and innovation cluster stands poised to drive next-generation defence matériel. I will give the Minister a taster of some of the businesses that she will see on her visit to Stockton North. Tracerco is a business based in Billingham in my constituency. Its cutting-edge detection equipment, already being deployed in Ukraine, is saving lives and ensuring the safety of soldiers in some of the most dangerous environments on Earth. Wilton, situated on the banks of the Tees, has a proud history of precision engineering and fabrication. It is expanding its work in the defence sector, demonstrating how Teesside’s industrial expertise can be the cornerstone for delivering the complex infrastructure projects that our armed forces need. Of course, RelyOn Nutec is a facility with a name that is synonymous with world-class training. Generations of offshore workers have passed through its doors, and it is now preparing the workforce for the next wave of defence projects, ensuring that we have the skills that we need for the challenges ahead. Teesside is a region with a proud history, but more than that, a bold future, and is prepared to bolster the nation’s resilience in an era of increasing global volatility. From the steel forged in Redcar to the innovation being crafted today, we have always been a place of strength and ingenuity.

• 28 Jan 2025 · Points of Order · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. On 8 January, in response to a question on child protection, the Prime Minister told this House: “Reasonable people can agree or disagree on whether a further inquiry is necessary.” —[ Official Report , 8 January 2025; Vol. 759, c. 836.] Yet over the past week, the hon. Member for Stockton West (Matt Vickers), the shadow Policing Minister, has used social media to link councillors who voted against a new national inquiry with grooming gangs. In accordance with the customs of this House, I have informed the hon. Member for Stockton West that I intended to name him. Madam Deputy Speaker, those posts have incited vile comments online, including councillors being accused of being paedophiles. One comment chillingly read: “I hope people find out where they live and start persecuting them.” We know too well that such words online can lead to real-world consequences. One councillor was specifically targeted through paid social media advertisements. People turned up at her home and terrorised her, with yobs braying at her door. Other councillors have been verbally assaulted. Members of this House have benefited from the good offices of Mr Speaker, who has championed their safety and security. I am sure, Madam Deputy Speaker, that all are appalled by the depraved behaviour of child grooming and rape gangs, but to exploit that suffering for political gain is, frankly, sickening. I would be grateful if you could advise me on the most appropriate way to highlight the potential consequences of our words to all Members, in particular the shadow Policing Minister—if, indeed, he is considered fit to continue in that role.

• 21 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T9. Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Intasite, a technology business in Stockton that is celebrating its 10th anniversary with 40% growth? Does she agree that our industrial strategy will help businesses to invest and grow in Teesside?

• 15 Jan 2025 · Harland and Wolff · Hansard source

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  12. What progress his Department has made on securing the future of Harland and Wolff in Northern Ireland.

• 15 Jan 2025 · Harland and Wolff · Hansard source

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  Does my right hon. Friend share my optimism that now that the future of the Harland and Wolff yard has been secured, the yard will be able to secure future orders?