Dan Aldridge MP: speeches

Speeches

• 8 May 2025 · St George’s Day and English Affairs · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) on securing this important debate. It is poignant that this debate is happening today, on the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day—a day to commemorate the sacrifice, bravery and resilience of so many, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right. That, to me, is the embodiment of St George’s spirit. Sometimes the magnitude of the privilege of being in this place really hits home, and today is one of those days. Looking around, I am thinking more than I usually do of the sacrifices made by so many veterans and current service personnel from Weston-super-Mare, Worle and the villages, across the country and across the Commonwealth. I have thought more deeply than probably ever before about the sacrifice of my own dear grandparents during the second world war and the sacrifices of my very loved family members currently serving our country in the Royal Air Force. It is such a privilege to stand here in this place and pay tribute to them in the spirit of St George and all the good that he can represent. In the past, St George’s day was marked by grand festivities across the land, with feasts, parades and community gatherings that brought people together in celebration of what it meant to be English. If ever we needed to revive that spirit, now is the time. We should take full advantage and celebrate our shared heritage and rebuild pride in our country and hope for the future, because patriotism is much more than rose-tinted nostalgia, and it is not the preserve of one political party or ideology. Too often, patriotism is wielded as a weapon, its true meaning lost in the noise of performative gestures and narrow nationalism, but the patriotism I value is showing up for the people, places and principles that define our country. This St George’s day, I launched a campaign in Weston-super-Mare to make St George’s day a bank holiday. I invited my constituents to add their support to the campaign and was struck by the variety of responses we received. Many embraced it with enthusiasm, while others met it with scepticism and cynicism. It got me thinking again about why patriotism should feel suspect or shameful for some. We need to own it, because this love of our country is not exclusive to any one faction or class. It is deep pride in who we are, our shared values, and the common ground upon which we all stand. True patriotism is not about clinging to an idealised past either; it is about striving for a fairer, kinder, more just future. It is about compassion, decency, the rule of law and a good dose of common sense. And it is not blind loyalty either; it is principled commitment to making this country better for everyone. For me, patriotism is about the everyday things in life that make England the best place in the world to live. It is walking along Sand Bay beach in my constituency, as the sea breeze whips through the air and the rain bats us in the face, making sure that we feel alive; it is listening to my favourite Frank Turner album, “England Keep My Bones”, bursting with pride about the country that I am from; it is fish and chips on the Grand Pier; it is Wallace and Gromit and Victoria Wood on TV; and it is a pot of tea to warm up after taking the dog for a walk around Ashcombe Park. It is also standing up to injustice and caring enough to say, “We can do better than this.” Loving your country does not mean settling for the way things are, but striving for how things could be. It is about people finding their voice among those loud and vexatious people who seek to dominate with hate and division. Those who show up, do the hard graft, and organise and campaign for a better future are the patriots. So too are the teachers who stay late to help a struggling student, the single parents juggling work and family, and the many volunteers who give up their free time to serve their communities, driven not by a need for recognition but by a deep love for their neighbours and their country. Those are the everyday patriots who are too often left out of the national story. Meanwhile, there are those who wrap themselves in the flag, while eagerly chipping away at the values it represents: equality, freedom and justice. My grandfather, a proud Dunkirk veteran, who did not like to talk about any of his time during the war, knew who those mendacious charlatans who would wear the flag but not represent any of its values were, and he instilled in each and every one of his grandchildren how to spot them. He gave us a few tips about how to take them down as well. It is time that we reclaim patriotism as a unifying force for good. We should not shy away from it; we should own it, because what is more patriotic than striving to make this country fairer, kinder and more inclusive? From the suffragettes to striking miners, from steelworkers to civil rights campaigners, our country has always been full of people who love this country enough to demand better. If we abandon patriotism to those who use it as a blunt instrument of exclusion, we allow its true spirit to be distorted. We must champion a different kind of patriotism that is not performative or exclusionary, but principled and inclusive; one that honours and supports our armed forces, but also the carers, the bus drivers and the immigrants working tirelessly in our health and care service to look after our sick and elderly. Loving England does not mean pretending everything is fine, but caring enough to fix what is not. It means believing in the uniqueness of our communities, the warmth of our people and the promise of our future, and it means making sure that every single one of us, regardless of background, is part of that story. Let us renew that commitment, not just to symbols and ceremonies, but to real, meaningful patriotism—the kind that brings people together, strives for fairness and justice, and dares to imagine a better country for all.

• 6 May 2025 · Parking Regulation · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I congratulate the hon. Member for Newton Abbot (Martin Wrigley) and my hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Baggy Shanker) on securing this important debate, and so many others on campaigning on this issue. I speak on behalf of the people of Weston-super-Mare, Worle and the villages. Our proud coastal community has stunning beaches, three glorious piers and a tourism and hospitality sector that plays an essential role in our local economy, but parking is a growing problem that is echoed across communities up and down the country. Far too often, the cost and availability of parking acts as a barrier, deterring visitors, frustrating local businesses and making it harder for residents to enjoy the very places that they call home. The issue has been hugely compounded by unscrupulous private parking companies, especially in recent years. In Weston, we want both locals and tourists to come and enjoy our seafront and our high streets. We want them to visit our small businesses, our events and our attractions, but when a family find that parking for a day at the beach can cost as much as their fish and chips, they think twice. They might not come at all. The prospect—so often reinforced by these unscrupulous companies—of unfair and unclear fines further exacerbates the issue. We need to dramatically rethink our approach to parking regulation in coastal areas. That goes further than having a code of practice for private regulators; it is a wholesale issue about how we reinvigorate our town centres generally. We must see cheaper and more flexible parking options, particularly during peak season, when towns such as Weston thrive on day visitors. Those might include capped daily rates, off-peak discounts, or partnerships with local businesses to validate parking. Too often, we have seen a “computer says no” attitude when such initiatives have been suggested, and far too often we are told, “We’ve outsourced this to private companies rather than innovating in-house.” Governments can make local decision makers shift their thinking on the subject. Accessibility is also key. We have heard a lot about people with disabilities, older people, and those with Parkinson’s, such as my mum, who has been stung by parking charges simply because she cannot access the app or she does not do things quickly enough. Often, those are the people most at risk of extortionate fines, which are so out of proportion with the perceived error. It is not just about convenience; it is about fairness.

• 6 May 2025 · Parking Regulation · Hansard source

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  Absolutely, and this goes to the heart of a lot of what we have talked about in this place in respect of the shift to a digital-first world. In many ways, that is great, but it excludes so many people. We need to continue to have other options, including cash payment, available for people who need them. Coastal towns face unique economic challenges. Hospitality and tourism are two of the few industries that we rely on in Weston. If visitors are put off before they even step out of the car, or are punished by opportunistic private parking companies, we all lose out—local people, shops, cafés and attractions alike. Let us be clear: better parking regulation is not about free-for-all parking; it is about sensible, locally driven policies that work for both residents and visitors. It is about supporting coastal regeneration by making it easier, not harder, for people to spend their time and money in our towns. Let us make it easier for people to get to our town centres, and for our communities to thrive.

• 3 Apr 2025 · Access to Sport: PE in Schools · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham) for securing this important debate, which was inspired by one of her constituents. By leading the debate, my hon. Friend has shown that she puts the people of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages at the heart of everything she does. In doing so, she is building back trust in our democracy and democratic institutions step by step. I commend her for that. It is also a privilege to speak while I have two of my favourite constituents, Aishah and Samir, up in the Public Gallery. I thank them for coming. I wish to offer some personal reflections, and I will probably echo some of the comments made by my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury). As someone who lived under the long, dark, damaging shadow of Margaret Thatcher’s hated section 28 in the 1990s, school—and particularly PE—was often a violent and miserable place for a gay kid like me who could not fit in, no matter how much I tried or how much I pretended not to be who I was. Thankfully, because of the new Labour Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity, their repeal of section 28 and the many other legislative and social changes that were delivered, education and sport in school are now far more inclusive. Sport teaches teamwork, resilience and discipline, excludes less, builds friendships, and gives children the chance to push themselves and—crucially—have fun. It is one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to improve both physical and mental health, yet while so much progress has been made to make sport inclusive, access to PE and sport in schools is far from what it should be. Over the past 10 years, we have seen a decline in the number of PE hours in secondary schools and the gap in sports provision between state and private schools has continued to widen. However, there are shining examples, especially in places like Weston-super-Mare—and the villages—that demonstrate the incredible difference that access to sport can make to children’s lives. Broadoak academy, under the leadership of its principal, Danny McGilloway, and his excellent team, has made significant strides in promoting sports for all. It celebrates its young people with an annual sports personality of the year award. One of the most exciting developments for the school and the town is the introduction of girls’ football teams in every year group for the first time this year. That is a huge milestone for the school, ensuring a level playing field across genders. It also ensures that girls can feel part of something bigger and empowering. That is the sort of structural change in schools that I really love. There is also the hard-fought-for inclusive SEND playground at Castle Batch in Worle; and I pay tribute to Councillor Catherine Gibbons for her tireless efforts to secure support for SEND kids in my patch. Those examples from my constituency show what can be achieved when there is a commitment to sport and physical activity for all. The reality is, however, that too many schools are still struggling with inadequate facilities and limited resources. I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible teachers, coaches, parents, carers and volunteers in our communities who already go above and beyond to make sport possible for young people. I know that both my sisters, their husbands and all the kids that surround my family have community sport at their heart. I love the joy and confidence that it brings to them all—I probably love it more because of the stark contrast with my experience of sport at school. Whether it is teachers staying late to run after-school clubs, grassroots football coaches giving up their weekends or parents fundraising for new kit, those are people who are making a real difference. They should not have to do it alone. We can get this right and ensure that sport and PE are available to every child, no matter where they live or their circumstances. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford again for pushing this issue not just on behalf of her constituents but on behalf of all our constituents.

• 11 Mar 2025 · English Rugby Union: Governance · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. As the MP for a constituency with not one but two rugby union clubs, the governance of English rugby union is of particular importance to me and my constituents. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (Perran Moon) for securing this debate, and for sharing his expertise, passion and love of the game as well as his beautiful community and constituency. Rugby plays such a vital role in local communities. It fosters camaraderie, discipline and opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds. There is nowhere in the country that knows this more than my constituency of Weston-super-Mare, where rugby union is part of the very fabric of our town. As I mentioned, we are lucky enough to have two incredible grassroots rugby union teams in Weston—Weston RFC and Hornets RFC, both of whom do an incredible job of representing our town and supporting our community. Both clubs serve as vital hubs of activity and work, and they both work incredibly hard to use rugby as a vehicle to drive positive change. They help to bring us together, offering spaces where people can belong irrespective of their background or ability. That is particularly true for the young people in the town who, thanks to our two clubs, have the chance to engage and excel in sport, learn teamwork and develop resilience. In fact, Weston Rugby Club was home to the first minis section in England almost 50 years ago. Both clubs do a lot of work to raise awareness of mental health issues in the town. In particular the Hornets work with the phenomenal charity Talk Club. It is an incredible initiative where people across the town come together every week to talk about their mental health in a safe, secure environment. Steve Barnard leads Talk Club in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset. I pay tribute to him and his leadership and vision to support men’s mental health and knowing where to find the men—go to where the men are if you want to talk about men’s mental health. I also pay special tribute to the work of Steve Worrall, former head coach at Weston RFC, who sadly died earlier this year, not long after coming back to the club. Ben Milsom at Hornets RFC is an unsung hero, whose contribution to the club has been invaluable. Both men are absolute legends in Weston-super-Mare. This debate is about how we ensure that clubs like Weston and Hornets can continue to be pillars of the community in the face of mounting challenges. Many English rugby union clubs are facing huge financial problems. Rising operational costs, economic pressures and unsustainable funding models mean that many clubs are struggling to survive. There is a pressing need to protect and improve the financial sustainability of our clubs to ensure they do not just survive but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth said, thrive and grow. While investment at the elite level is crucial in order to grow the game’s wider popularity, we must also prioritise financial support for grassroots clubs. We must see greater transparency and accountability from the RFU to ensure a fairer distribution of resources. It surely cannot be right that RFU executives receive huge bonuses to the tune of millions, while grassroots clubs like Weston and Hornets struggle to get the funds they need to truly thrive and deliver on their potential. Financial support should be targeted to safeguard the future of smaller clubs and the essential work they do for our communities. Initiatives such as improved revenue-sharing mechanisms, enhanced sponsorship opportunities and targeted grassroots funding must be explored. Rugby has always been a game for the many, not just the few. It thrives when we support clubs at every level. The sustainability of grassroots clubs is not just a matter of sport, but of community and national and regional identity. All stakeholders in English rugby union must work together to build a future where every club, from the grassroots to the top tier, is financially secure and able to flourish for generations to come. If we fail to address these issues, we risk losing not just clubs and the huge benefits they bring to our communities, but the heart and soul of rugby itself.

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

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  Weston Museum, in the heart of Weston-super-Mare, is a joyful community hub famous for Clara’s cottage, fantastic cake and, now, Banksy’s famous pinwheel. The museum is also hosting a beautiful exhibition curated by some of the wonderful women of Weston-super-Mare for International Women’s Day. Will the Leader of the House join me in praising the women who put this exhibition together so thoughtfully, encouraging everyone to visit the exhibition and thanking the dedicated volunteers who contribute so much to the life of Weston Museum and our town?

• 6 Mar 2025 · English Football: Financial Sustainability and Governance · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. Football in England is not just a sport; it is a way of life. It binds communities together, gives local communities pride and provides opportunities both on and off the pitch, not least to my amazing nephews and my niece. In my constituency, Weston-super-Mare AFC—the Seagulls to its fans—is more than just a football club. It is a social hub, a youth development centre and a lifeline for many. The club charity, Seagulls in the Community, led by trustees Andrew Kynaston, Bridget Bolland and Oli Bliss, leads a wide range of projects that have a direct impact on the lives of people in the town, including a youth club, a disability football team, a dementia café, and a veterans breakfast to name a few. It also opened the doors to the FUCHSIA cancer support group after its previous venue closed. Julie Crowther has been running this group for over 14 years, but without the football club’s willingness to offer up its facilities free of charge, that much-needed community resource might have been forced to close. Football is for everyone, not just the elite. If we want our communities to thrive, we must act now to safeguard the entire football pyramid, so that clubs such as Weston-super-Mare AFC and thousands of others can continue to serve their communities for generations to come.

• 6 Mar 2025 · English Football: Financial Sustainability and Governance · Hansard source

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  While the Tories and Reform might be happy to see rogue owners running roughshod over fans and players across the country, does the Minister agree that this Labour Government will not allow fans to be taken for fools any longer?

• 25 Feb 2025 · Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  The Bill constitutes a significant step towards streamlining and strengthening our technical education and apprenticeship system, and, as someone who worked in the apprenticeships sector in different roles, I am a big fan. So many of us have seen at first hand how apprenticeships transform lives—how they build dignity in young people’s work, and help them to establish fulfilling careers. Joy at all this unlocked potential has, however, been continually frustrated by the decline in apprenticeships that we have seen over the past decade. This decline must be reversed, and that, surely, is an aim that can unite the House. It is what this Bill is about: delivering the step change in skills that we so desperately need if we are to rebuild our communities and our country. My constituents must be able to earn, learn and thrive because of what we do in this place, not in spite of it. In towns such as Weston-super-Mare and Worle, technical education and apprenticeships are fundamental to enterprise, prosperity and economic independence for our young people. Sadly, however, towns like mine have never been able to take full advantage of those benefits, because of red tape and because of the hoops that providers and small and medium-sized enterprises have had to jump through. For too long we have seen a fragmented technical education system plagued by that red tape and by inefficiencies. Given the huge responsibility and expectation on this Government to deliver significantly improved life chances for communities, we must break down barriers and blocks to progress everywhere, and we must be bold in the way in which we restructure the state to make it deliver. Our employers, our training providers and, most important, our apprentices deserve a system that is responsive, transparent, and aligned with the needs of our economy and our society. The young people of Weston-super-Mare are bursting with potential and ambition, but they have often been let down by needless bureaucracy and a lack of the right opportunities and resources—and the right information, advice and guidance—to enable them to develop the skills that are needed by today’s employers. Communities like mine have been left behind by successive skills strategies that have overlooked the nuances in our local economies, especially when it comes to supporting the needs of the SMEs that provide the overwhelming majority of private sector employment in towns such as mine—whether we are talking about Weston-super-Mare association football club, the Ascot Group or our beloved grand pier. This Bill removes bureaucracy, and will make the system work better. It allows the Secretary of State to act swiftly when necessary, to respond to industry’s needs and to deliver the flexibility that is crucial in a job market where skills requirements are constantly evolving and moving on at an unprecedented pace. If we are serious about providing high-quality technical education, closing the skills gap and developing our workforce, we must structure our institutions to achieve those goals. We must also ensure that towns up and down the country that sit outside cities and, currently, outside combined authority areas—such as Weston-super-Mare—are fully considered, are not left behind in any reforms of skills and apprenticeships, and have a seat at the table when it comes to skills and growth plans. The Bill is a huge step in the right direction, and I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the House to support it.

• 10 Feb 2025 · Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill · Hansard source

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  Like many colleagues across the House, I am in no doubt that immigration and border security are a top concern for many of the people I represent in Weston-super-Mare. They tell me on the doorstep, by email and on social media that this is not a conversation that we can shy away from, although any conversation on immigration and border security is easily inflamed and sensitive for many. As the right hon. Member for Staffordshire Moorlands (Dame Karen Bradley) said, there is no silver bullet and there are no simple answers, and those who peddle them are peddling falsehoods, but we must talk about and do better at showing how we are addressing people’s concerns. Concern about immigration and the pressures it places on any society or community is understandable, but so are concerns for all human life and the need to support people in need. How we lead on improving border security is a moral duty of this Government, and as a Christian I wrestle with that and with how we best achieve a balance between compassion for those who need help, and clarity and strength when it comes to defending our security and values. In my constituency, like many others, there are strong views on the extremes of both sides of the immigration question. They are often very loud and absolutely at odds with the views of the vast majority of my constituents, who believe in British values of fairness, tolerance, human rights and the rule of law. They want our systems to work, are proud of Britain’s role as a force for good in the world and want us to sort our immigration system. We need the Government to deliver on a fairer immigration and border system precisely so that people can trust us again to keep them safe and do not turn to extremes because they feel there is no alternative. People are worried and want action, and it is this Government’s responsibility to address those issues in a way that is firm but compassionate, just and in line with our values. The growing number of crossings, particularly in small boats, is not just a statistic; it is a crisis that demands urgent action. The tragic loss of life—at least 78 people died last year alone—should horrify us all, and we cannot allow that to continue. It is clear that our action to secure our borders and smash the gangs who are profiting from this evil trade in human desperation is necessary and urgently needed. Immigration, both legal and illegal, is of huge national and local concern, which has been fed in many ways by decades of under-investment in our communities, skills and infrastructure, leaving us reliant on importing the skills that we should have been developing here for our communities in places such as Weston-super-Mare. I lay no blame at the door of immigrants who came here for a better life and who contribute so much to our country. I blame successive Governments for taking the easy route—or the impossible route in the case of the Rwanda scheme—and leaving us in a situation where public trust is through the floor. People can no longer be left behind because it is easier and cheaper to import talent and labour. I see the impact of poverty and systemic under-investment daily, and the people of my constituency and I will not stand for it. That is why I am pleased that the Government are taking concrete action through the introduction of the Bill, rather than following the example of previous Governments and continuing to use border security as a political football. We must find sustainable, meaningful and impactful solutions now. We have run out of road and public patience. The Bill alone will not fix the deep distrust in our society—that will take years of demonstrable change and investment across housing, healthcare, community safety and jobs—but it will start that process by strengthening our response to border security threats, granting stronger law enforcement powers that allow us to go after organised immigration crime directly, and disrupting the criminal networks that profit from human misery. It will properly equip the teams on the ground to deal with this issue by enabling them to act faster and go further in protecting our borders and national security. Such action is long overdue, and I hope that it will be warmly welcomed by people in my constituency and across the country.

• 16 Dec 2024 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  The protection of our beaches, rivers and bathing waters is incredibly important to my constituency, as hon. Members may expect me to say, as I represent a coastal constituency. My friends, family and I are regular swimmers in Weston-super-Mare’s fantastic Marine Lake, so my interest is personal as well as professional. Marine Lake is a 200-metre infinity lake, said to be the largest of its kind in the world. It is a phenomenal asset to our community and I am proud of the work of so many to restore it over recent years. Having Marine Lake in Weston means that despite us having the second highest tidal range in the world—finding the sea in Weston can sometimes be a bit tricky—we have access to bathing water whenever we need it. So many people from across the country have memories of spending summers on the beach, with ice cream, fish and chips and swimming in the sea, creating memories with family and friends; that is part of the very fabric of our town. In recent years the decline in water quality has damaged that fabric, and compromised access and enjoyment. As the previous Government left office, the number of bathing waters classified as poor across the UK was at a record high. Distressingly, that still includes Weston, Uphill and Sand Bay beaches—that has a profound impact on our town. There is so much anxiety among local residents and businesses about something that we should have certainty about: that it is safe to swim in our bathing waters. Many have also experienced the negative impact that it has had on tourism and hospitality—a vital source of employment to so many in Weston. The degradation of water quality in recent years must be reversed. Towns like mine need this Government to deliver where the previous Government did not. I am grateful for the investigations by the Environment Agency and the local bathing water steering group of the causes of the poor water quality, but there is still no smoking gun. I have been reassured that over the next 12 months those investigations will be ramped up to investigate sewage from Avonmouth as the possible cause, but time is critical, and the need of my constituents for answers and swift action cannot be overstated. I have written to the Minister to outline the urgency, and request the boldest action for Weston-super-Mare. I pay tribute to the amazing work of volunteers in Weston—first, the legendary Debbie Apted of Cleaner Coastlines. Debbie has been a personal inspiration for years because of her tireless advocacy, evidence-led approach and ability to motivate a community to action. I also pay tribute to the fantastic Mudlarks community, who work so hard to maintain Marine Lake, and the litter pickers such as Sophie and Jules from Sophie’s Super Litter Picking, and the many individuals who walk our streets and coastline daily to prevent rubbish from ending up in our waterways. The Bill is so welcome in Weston, and I am especially pleased to see how quickly the Government have acted on this issue. It is clear to me and many campaigners in my constituency that stronger powers to properly hold water companies to account is critical if we are to change behaviour and get them to do their job. I am hopeful that, along with cleaning up our bathing waters, the Bill will go a long way towards restoring the trust that has been so sadly lost.

• 26 Nov 2024 · Online Safety: Children and Young People · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for allowing me to intervene again. In my previous role as head of public policy at the British Computer Society, the one thing that my colleagues and I talked about a lot was the lack of focus on education in the Online Safety Act. I commend the previous Government for passing that legislation, which was very brave. The Act has tried to do some wonderful things, but what is missing is that we have failed to empower a generation of young people to act safely online, to be able to take back the power and say, “No, I am not going to do that.” We have failed in that so far. How do we build that in for the future?

• 26 Nov 2024 · Online Safety: Children and Young People · Hansard source

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  Numerous mental health charities and a number of civil society experts have raised with me that there are powers within the Online Safety Act that must be used by the regulator. Indeed, the Secretary of State for DSIT made it very clear last week that he backed the Act and those powers. Does my hon. Friend agree that the regulator could and should act with more powers than it has?