Clive Efford MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 19 Dec 2024 · Hospice Funding · Hansard source

  More

  This is a very welcome announcement and I am sure the hospices are breathing a sigh of relief after the level of funding they endured for 14 years under the Tories. If we are to move palliative care out of hospitals and into care situations or people’s homes, the money needs to be passported to the hospice sector for it to play its part. Integrated care boards have been charged under the Health and Care Act 2022 to provide that funding. Will the money go through ICBs or will it be passported straight to the hospice sector?

• 19 Dec 2024 · Ukraine · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement, and I urge him onwards. I rise to demonstrate my support for the stand we are taking in supporting Ukraine. My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, who are entering their third Christmas in this conflict. Europe has learned the harsh lessons from dealing with dictators in the past. Does he agree that at a time when there is potential for change in America’s policy towards Ukraine, Europe needs to stand together, and to make sure that we do not allow Putin to succeed in any way, because the consequences of that for future generations could be damaging indeed?

• 19 Dec 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  Will my right hon. Friend arrange a debate in Government time in the new year on the funding of political parties? I wonder what it means when a party talks about sovereignty and is then willing to sell itself entirely to a foreign-owned entity, while using slogans like “Take back control”. We have seen the controversy of the Conservative party’s fondness for taking a few bob from Putin’s oligarchs, and we have seen the recent scandals involving the Chinese trying to influence politics in this country. I think that we, as this Government, must make sure that we are saying that our politics is not up for sale, and I think we should have a debate about it in the House.

• 18 Dec 2024 · Post Office Redress and Funding · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement and the fact that he is putting more resources and manpower into processing people’s claims. But I wonder where the complexity of these claims is coming from. Are we asking for too much information from people in the first place? I watched the evidence of Sir Alan Bates at the Business and Trade Committee, and I have read some of the cases in the news. In one case, a person with breast cancer had their compensation reduced and I thought, hang on a minute, this may be going too far and is a bit churlish. Just how much information is being gone through in order to process these cases? I wonder if we may want to go back and look at that. I have spoken to the Minister about this, and I know that he wants to speed the process up as much as possible. Is it possible that we could streamline the process?

• 17 Dec 2024 · Old Oak Common Station · Hansard source

  More

  Order. Mr Amos, you were not here at the opening; I must remind you that you should be here for the opening speech. However, as we have made good time, I will allow you to speak, because I appreciate how important the issues are to our constituents.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Old Oak Common Station · Hansard source

  More

  We have 14 minutes left, but that is not an invitation for a long speech from Max Wilkinson. I call him to sum up.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Old Oak Common Station · Hansard source

  More

  Order. I remind hon. Members who wish to speak to stand, so that I know you wish to speak. When a speech ends, you must stand. I note that there are a number of people who want to intervene. I am happy for that to take place, but interventions must be brief. I will not put a hard time limit on speeches, but five minutes is about the right length of time to get everybody in. If you could stick to that timescale, it would be very helpful.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Old Oak Common Station · Hansard source

  More

  I call Ann Davies.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Musculoskeletal Conditions · Hansard source

  More

  I understand that Sonia Kumar has agreed that another hon. Member can make a contribution. I will then go straight to the Minister. As is the convention with half-hour debates, there will be no opportunity for the mover to sum up at the end.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Musculoskeletal Conditions · Hansard source

  More

  I was told that it had been arranged for you to speak.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Musculoskeletal Conditions · Hansard source

  More

  I call Lizzi Collinge.

• 12 Dec 2024 · Floating Offshore Wind: Celtic Sea · Hansard source

  More

  We have plenty of time for this debate. I remind Members to bob in their places if they intend to speak, so I have some idea of who will contribute.

• 12 Dec 2024 · Floating Offshore Wind: Celtic Sea · Hansard source

  More

  We have 27 minutes remaining, but this is not an invitation to make a 27-minute speech. The hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham) should take a few minutes to emphasise the key points that she wants to take away from the debate.

• 12 Dec 2024 · LGBT Veterans: Etherton Review · Hansard source

  More

  I am intervening on my right hon. Friend because I have to chair Westminster Hall in an hour, so I cannot take part in the debate. My constituent not only lost his career in the Royal Air Force but was subjected to abuse when he was arrested, including constant internal examinations. He was beaten, he was kicked and he was spat at. He was marched across the parade ground to his billet, where his personal belongings were gone through. He was humiliated. Was that sanctioned by the Ministry of Defence at the time? Was it sanctioned by senior officers, or were those individuals working on their own? They acted like sadistic animals towards my constituent. Something needs to be done to investigate that.

• 9 Dec 2024 · SEND Pupils: Support · Hansard source

  More

  A National Audit Office report published in October highlights that special educational needs places in independent schools can cost two and a half times as much as in state schools. Does the Minister agree that if we are to ensure that children get the support they need in future, we will have to assist local authorities in expanding their number of special needs places?

• 9 Dec 2024 · Planning Committees: Reform · Hansard source

  More

  We have had trouble with house building because the speed with which houses are built has been dictated by developers. What we need to see, when planning permission is granted, is that the developer must either use it or lose it. We cannot allow those companies to continue to land bank and use their land only when they are confident that house prices are continuing to rise. Does my hon. Friend intend to deal with those aspects of the housing market?

• 9 Dec 2024 · Syria · Hansard source

  More

  What discussions are taking place with Turkey, because the SDF in the north and the east of Syria is doing an important job in containing Daesh fighters, and it is essential that it is able to continue to do that? Does the Foreign Secretary fear that Turkey’s actions may have a detrimental effect on the job that the SDF is doing?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  Q7. A year ago today, this House defeated the then Government over the contaminated blood scandal compensation scheme. It is welcome that the present Government have set aside £11.8 billion for that compensation scheme, but as victims die every week, there is concern about the pace of payments, and the fact that rules are being changed behind closed doors in Whitehall without explanation, contradicting some of Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Does my right hon. Friend agree that next week’s meeting scheduled with the campaign groups representing the victims must represent the start of those infected and affected being involved in a process that they fought so hard for, and for so long, and that too many died and failed to see?

• 3 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

• 3 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  According to the Local Government Association, local government spending on public services is down 42% on what it would have been had it kept pace with demand and costs since 2010. My local authority, Greenwich, faces a £3 million to £5 million gap in commissioned social care costs, and after 14 years of Tory austerity, there is very little headroom to bridge that gap. Does my right hon. Friend agree that local authorities need more assistance to bridge such gaps in the December local government finance statement?

• 28 Nov 2024 · Fishing Industry · Hansard source

  More

  Order. I have had a number of requests from people who want to leave before the Front-Bench responses. I cannot allow that to happen—certainly not in the large numbers that have made requests. If you intend not to be here, I cannot call you to speak. If you make interventions, you might find the Chair sympathetic if you take a little longer than normal. I understand that this is a very important constituency issue. I remind anyone who wants to speak that they should be on their feet so that I can see who wants to be called.

• 27 Nov 2024 · Respect Orders and Antisocial Behaviour · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. Does she agree that the biggest boost to antisocial behaviour we have seen in recent times was the cut of 21,000 police officers by the previous Tory Government, which resulted in the decimation of our local safer neighbourhood police teams? I really welcome her commitment to bringing them back. In addition, the London-hating Conservatives cut the London police budget, so much so that we have a black hole in the budget now that is forcing the commissioner to cut officers. Can she assure me that she is aware of that and will address it, so that we can start to put safer neighbourhood teams back where my constituents in Eltham and Chislehurst want to see them?

• 26 Nov 2024 · “Get Britain Working” White Paper · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome the statement from my right hon. Friend, and particularly what she said about the coaches and assistance for young people getting into work. What she describes seems to fit neatly with what the Government propose for the green economy, and its highly skilled, well-paid jobs. How will training for those jobs play a part in getting people from unemployment into work?

• 26 Nov 2024 · COP29 · Hansard source

  More

  When I consider this sort of issue, I tend to think of my grandchildren and what the world will be like for them in years to come. I listen to my right hon. Friend talk about our achievements over the past five months, and then I listen to the response from the Conservative party, which fills me with horror. Despite what my right hon. Friend says, there were tough negotiations at this COP, and he must be congratulated on the role that he played in achieving the agreements that we got there. How essential is it that we continue with that leadership, considering what could have happened if the Conservatives had stayed in power?

• 19 Nov 2024 · Infected Blood Inquiry · Hansard source

  More

  I am fully aware of the consultation that took place, but what Sir Brian Langstaff describes is the ongoing involvement of the victims in the process, by their being part of an advisory panel and continuing to advise the compensation board. I know that David Foley was at the conference at the weekend for the organisation that represents people with hepatitis. That organisation was pleased with the discussions it had with him, but none the less and in spite of that, people who were at that conference have since made clear to me that they feel frustrated and that, ultimately, the Cabinet Office is in control of the decision-making process. My right hon. Friend may take issue with that, but he should take note of the fact that that belief is out there, and we need to deal with it.