Emma Foody MP: speeches

Speeches

• 21 May 2026 · Middle East: Economic Response · Hansard source

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  Families across my constituency will be relieved to hear the measures set out by my right hon. Friend, whether that is the freezing of fuel duty, free bus travel for young people this summer or the suspension of tariffs on essential food items. All those actions will be greatly welcomed by families worried about the impact of the Iran war on household finances. Can the Chancellor set out how much she envisages these measures combined will save families in the north-east? Will she keep measures, including on energy bills, under review, ahead of the winter?

• 19 May 2026 · Energy Security · Hansard source

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  I am really pleased to speak in this debate on the Gracious Speech. This Government were elected to deliver change. For too long in my community we felt at best ignored and at worst left behind. Decisions taken in Whitehall and Westminster did not address the challenges we faced, and investment and opportunities did not reach us. Frankly, Westminster did not hear us. The measures in the last King’s Speech began to change that: the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 brings decisions closer to home; the changes to the Green Book give us a fair go at securing the investment that we deserve; breakfast clubs and free school meals do not just set children up for the day but give them the best start in life; and we are starting the process of bringing buses back into public control. Meanwhile, public services are showing signs of recovery following 14 years of austerity. This King’s Speech builds on that, but we must deliver more, and we must deliver it faster. Today’s debate is rightly about energy. I recently visited the port of Blyth in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery), where I heard about their vision and the jobs and opportunities that the renewables sector is already bringing. We have been at the mercy of repeated international crises, underlining why we must secure energy independence to protect people across the country. Previous Governments did not move quickly enough, and we are paying the price. My region is leading the way to building clean, renewable energy and energy security. New seabed sites off our coast can unlock at least 6 GW of offshore capacity. That means billions of pounds of investment coming to our region, creating jobs and opportunity. In my constituency, the West Hartford business park, with support from Arlington and the port of Blyth, will unlock 2,000 jobs and more than £400 million of local investment. The Moor Farm roundabout upgrades—never knowingly not mentioned by me—adds to the sense of possibility, acting as a gateway to growth across the north-east. We are building futures. The energy central campus at Blyth and the energy academy in Wallsend are training a new generation of skilled workers for the industries of the future. When Opposition parties talk down clean energy, they are talking down opportunity. Opposing this clean energy drive could cost up to 17,000 jobs in our regional renewables sector. Opposition Members should level with my communities about what their plans would mean for those people’s jobs and families. The energy independence Bill will take us further, and I want my region at the very heart of it. As a Labour and Co-operative MP, I am proud that we are delivering community energy and the local power plan, which will ensure that by 2030 every community can benefit from a local energy project. This will transform our energy future and give communities a stake in clean, affordable power. Let me turn to a few other measures in the Gracious Speech. Since being elected, I have championed the rights of leaseholders and freeholders, which is a huge issue in my community. In the ’60s new towns of Cramlington and Killingworth, many homes were built as leasehold, and too many are now trapped without the protections they deserve. Similarly, many new build estates—although some of them have been around for over a decade, pushing the definition of new build—still have not been adopted. I know that Ministers are passionate about ending these injustices and putting the protections that are needed in place once and for all. I would like to see us building on the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Gateshead South (Mrs Hodgson) on ticket touting. Since being elected, I have worked alongside the Co-operative party to call for action to tackle ticket touts and price gouging for culture, music and sport events. Fans are at the heart of events, whether gigs, matches or shows, and too often they are robbed of the opportunity to go or are ripped off through price surging and touts buying and reselling tickets. There are many other Bills in this programme that I support and that will make a real difference in my community. On housing, education, national security and immigration, this King’s Speech is a programme to build on the change that has already been delivered, to go further and faster and to extend opportunity to communities such as mine. At the heart of this programme are measures to improve people’s lives and provide the good jobs and opportunities of the future. It is now time to get on with delivering this change. I look forward to supporting these measures.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Recently, residents in Shiremoor and Cramlington have been contacting me about significant delays to post deliveries. Some report letters arriving once every 10 days. This is having a real impact on constituents, and in one case, a delay in receiving post resulted in an interruption of disability living allowance for a child. Given that Royal Mail has stated that there are no widespread issues, what steps can Members take to hold Royal Mail to account, so that I can ensure reliable postal services for my constituents?

• 19 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The issue of civil service pensions has been raised here repeatedly for months, yet Capita and MyCSP are still failing—now on commitments they made to put things right. My constituents continue to receive only holding responses, some since December, despite serious financial hardship and mental health concerns. Retirements remain on hold, lump-sum payments are not paid and self-set deadlines are missed. Will the Leader of the House arrange for an urgent statement on how the Government can hold Capita to account for its repeated failure and how we can ensure that civil servants are able to have dignity in their retirement?

• 12 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T4. I am a proud Labour and Co-operative MP. Co-operatives play a really important role in our economy, building a fairer and more resilient economy that gives workers and communities a stake in the businesses they rely on. This Labour Government have a world-leading commitment to double the size of the co-operative sector. Can the Minister update me on the progress towards achieving that ambition? What further measures are being brought forward to help co-operatives grow?

• 12 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I have been supporting a local leaseholder who lives in a bungalow in Cramlington because Shenstone, the management company, has recently charged her £525 for a property extension. Hon. Members might think that that was nothing unusual—except that the extension was built 30 years ago, before she even lived in the property. That has been pointed out to Shenstone, but it is still insisting that my elderly resident pay up. Can the Leader of the House assure me that this Government will continue at pace with the changes to address these outrageous practices, and does he agree that these sorts of behaviour by companies like Shenstone are exactly why we need to tackle the leasehold crisis?

• 5 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Later this month, Northumberland Park, a key interchange between rail and metro, will be the latest station opening on the Northumberland line. The completion of the line and station has been made possible thanks to a £17 million investment from this Labour Government and £10 million from the Mayor of the North East. Can we have a debate on how this Government are supporting regional transport, such as through the opening of Northumberland Park?

• 4 Feb 2026 · Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. Like many Members, I want to share the real impact that the serious concerns about the administration of the civil service pension scheme are having on my constituents. In the north-east, this issue is particularly acute because we have one of the largest HMRC and DWP offices in Benton Park View—often known locally as the Ministry—employing thousands of people. Civil service jobs have long been the backbone of our local economy, with many local people giving decades of their life to public service, but they are now being let down at the point when they should most be able to rely on the system. I am regularly contacted by constituents who are spending hours on the phone—sometimes two, three or four hours—just to try to get an update on their pension, often only to be told that no one can help them or that they will receive a callback in seven to 10 days. Except, of course, that that call never comes. People are left with no information, no timescales and no way to resolve their issues. One constituent who already had a pension in payment is now being double taxed because Capita incorrectly told HMRC that she had started a new pension, rather than continuing her existing one. Despite repeated attempts to fix the issue, there has been no joy. One civil servant with 43 years of service applied in August for partial retirement to start this year: all paperwork submitted all the paperwork, but no confirmation and no payment—nothing. After more than four decades of service, they are denied even the certainty of a planned retirement. Another constituent, with 29 years of service, claimed their pension in July and has still not received either their lump sum or any ongoing payments. As a result, they are having to rely on credit cards, incurring additional interest and struggling to meet mortgage payments—all because money to which they are entitled has not been paid. I have been contacted about a widows and orphans scheme refund of £1,940, due since July, that remains unpaid. For families dealing with bereavement, such delays only add to the strain they are already under. As we have heard, these are not isolated cases, which points to systemic problems with how this scheme is administered. Civil servants have upheld their side of the bargain, and it is only right that the system does the same. I urge Ministers not only to examine Capita’s performance closely, but to recognise that previous MyCSP failures also need to be taken into account. I and other hon. Members want to hear what action is being taken to ensure that people receive their pensions accurately, promptly and with the respect they deserve, but also what action will be taken to hold Capital and MyCSP to account for their failures.

• 29 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. The north-east has one of the largest pharmaceutical clusters, identified in the north-east growth plan as a key growth sector. My constituency has some of the leading companies, such as Organon and Sterling Pharma, who are providing good-quality jobs and exporting around the world. How are the Government backing our pharmaceutical sector, and supporting the north-east to secure and expand opportunities in this area?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Regional Funding · Hansard source

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  Ministers will be all too aware of my campaign to unlock improvement at Moor Farm roundabout, which is currently holding back growth across the north-east and causing misery to local people on a daily basis. The Government have rightly taken steps to ensure that my region gets its fair share of investment through changes to the Green Book and place-based business cases, but will the Chancellor meet me ahead of the road investment strategy to ensure that we finally get this long overdue investment in a critical piece of north-east infrastructure?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I have been working with local people living in Places for People properties at Kirkwood in Burradon, Hadrian Court in Killingworth and Beaconhill in Cramlington. We have had significant problems with repairs in those properties, and we are not talking about minor inconveniences. In one case, a property had a missing window for four months; in another, water was coming in from the ceiling for more than a year; and in another, a bathroom leak was unresolved after five years. Can we please have a debate on social housing repairs and oversight of housing providers?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  Nail bars, car washes and barbers are all business types that are known to have higher than average numbers of illegal workers, and for which right-to-work checks are variable. The 83% increase in illegal working arrests that was announced this week is welcome, but can the Minister please outline how digital ID will make right-to-work checks more robust?

• 18 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Tomorrow I will have the absolute privilege of going to Burradon primary school to meet Ava, the winner of my Cramlington and Killingworth constituency Christmas card competition. Ava won with a fantastic design amid fierce competition from other schools right across the constituency. The card has been sent to the King, to the Prime Minister, to you, Mr Speaker, and to many local community groups, organisations and businesses in the area. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Ava and wishing all the pupils and teachers at Burradon and all the schools right across Cramlington and Killingworth a very merry Christmas?

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last month, the cold snap in my patch saw local residents on new estates struggling with icy roads and pavements. I took their concerns to developers, and I am pleased to see that grit bins have now been installed. This may all sound trivial, but not to residents on these estates, and it highlights the importance of the consultation that the Government are holding on greater protections for those living on unadopted estates. Will the Leader of the House please ensure that we have time in this place to discuss these matters?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. More than 400 16 to 24-year-olds across my constituency are not in education, employment or training, and are claiming unemployment benefits. That has the potential to cause lifelong damage and deprive them of vital skills and opportunities for development. How will the Government’s youth guarantee provide support to those young people and help them to get the skills and support they need to gain access to fulfilling opportunities?

• 2 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  For too long, my communities in the towns and villages across the Cramlington and Killingworth constituency felt the full force of Conservative cuts and lived with the consequences of austerity. This Budget is the end of that chapter, because growth only means something when communities right across the country feel it. This Budget invests in communities, in jobs, and in the people who make every part of Britain thrive. One of the great ambitions of this Government is to tackle child poverty wherever it exists. That child poverty was allowed to grow under the previous Government should be a source of immense shame for the Conservatives. There was a 44% increase in child poverty among working households—a tragedy for each child, for each family and for society. That does not just mean missing the additional extras in life; it means going to school with holes in your shoes, being hungry at home, being cold at night and being excluded from everyday opportunities. Ending the two-child benefit cap will lift almost half a million children out of poverty in one action. In the north-east alone, it will impact 70,000 children, including 1,750 in my own constituency. Those children will now have healthier lives, achieve more at school, and go on to earn more throughout their lives. This Budget will protect the children who are most in need—those who most deserve our support. Other measures in this Budget will address the cost of living. It will cut energy bills, bring inflation down, freeze rail fares and prescription prices, support the lowest paid through increases to the national living wage and the minimum wage, and provide an extra £575 a year to those on the new state pension. As a Labour and Co-operative MP, I am also delighted to see measures to support communities and co-operatives across the country and to deliver on our commitment to double the size of the co-operative sector, because communities deserve to build and share in their own wealth. We are backing devolution in my region and backing emerging industries in the north-east investment zone, enabling new technologies to thrive. We are getting public services back on their feet, with an extra £15 billion for the NHS to cut waiting times. We are tackling health inequalities, including by creating 250 new neighbourhood health centres. I want to touch on one issue before I finish my speech: Moor Farm roundabout in my constituency. Locally, some Conservatives have sought to make mischief by claiming that the Budget means that there is no funding for vital upgrades. The Tories never were ones for letting the truth get in the way of a good story. As they well know, there were never going to be any announcements in the Budget about whether the upgrades were going ahead or not; that will be announced in the first quarter of next year, as part of the road investment strategy. With this Budget, the Government are continuing to fix the foundations following 14 years of mismanagement from previous Conservative Governments, helping to renew our economy and our communities. It is a Budget of Labour values, fairness and justice.

• 27 Nov 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Tomorrow, Tony Wright, my constituent and the founder and chief executive officer of Forward Assist, a local veterans charity, is retiring. Tony is a veteran and trained social worker, and he has provided support and advocacy for veterans across the region and the country for well over a decade. It is no exaggeration to say that the tireless work and research that he has led has changed and saved lives. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking Tony and wishing him all the best in his retirement?

• 18 Nov 2025 · Infrastructure: Cramlington and Killingworth · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a powerful point on the risk to opportunity and the future of our region if we cannot resolve this matter. Another developer warned that “We are very reluctant to commit to the significant expenditure to bring schemes forward until we have more certainty regarding Moor Farm and whether it will hold up delivery”. This risks a nightmare situation where no business or housing development can move forward, potentially for years to come. Those missed opportunities are jobs and homes for local people that may be invested in elsewhere, or indeed not at all. Local people across my constituency will pay the price in missed opportunities for jobs and homes. The Minister does not need to take my word for it; Northumberland county council informed me: “A number of major planning applications across South East Northumberland cannot be determined due to National Highways’ concerns on the impact at Moor Farm”. North Tyneside council stated: “Without investment in this critical infrastructure, there is a risk that no land can be brought forward for housing or employment purposes without having a significant and unacceptable detrimental impact”. The council added: “Future growth will most likely be stymied”. The elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Karen Clark, stated: “There is a very real risk that we see only limited growth and will not…be able to meet our future housing requirements or secure inward investment.” The North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “If we don’t see the upgrade, economic growth in the North East, at a time when there is great momentum in the region, could be held back”. The North East combined authority has warned: “Lack of investment at this junction is holding back growth and our ambitions for the North East, as well as making it more difficult to meet the challenging housing targets set by the government”. This is a crucial issue for local authorities when they are updating their local plans. If we see sites that are allocated in current local plans being held up or withdrawn due to the situation at Moor Farm—large sections of the region that cannot be developed in any way—how can councils meet the Government’s requirements to update their local plans? I know that the Minister will see the significance of this issue for delivering on two of the Government’s pillars of the plan for change: sustained growth and homes, both of which are at risk as a result of the situation at Moor Farm roundabout. It is not just local authorities and public bodies that have raised their concerns. The North East chamber of commerce informed me: “Moor Farm roundabout is not just an inconvenience—it is a brake on sustainable growth, investment and opportunity. For our region to fulfil its potential, we must act now to deliver the infrastructure enabling—not hindering—opportunity.” Newcastle International airport, a key regional stakeholder, added: “The upgrades are vital to ensure the free flow of freight vehicles along a key artery for the region which connects the major ports”. I am also concerned that the extent of the issue is expanding down the A19 into North Tyneside, with National Highways again issuing holding directions further down the network. Those are being applied against sites in North Tyneside council’s existing local plan: approved sites are being held up. Frankly, the situation in Moor Farm should have been addressed many years ago, long before it got to this point. We now see the result of that lack of investment, and we cannot simply allow the situation to continue. It is as much an issue for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as it is for the Department for Transport. We need a cross-Government approach to unblock this blocker to growth, development and investment. I have spoken about the challenges due to existing infrastructure, but I hope that the Minister might indulge me. Last year I held a debate, to which he kindly responded, on the adoption of new estates and the importance of infrastructure in those developments. As I have mentioned, I have a significant number of new and unadopted estates across my constituency, and the Minister will be aware that I have surveyed people who live on those estates about their experiences. I have shared with him previously their frustrations about the lack of delivery and accountability for infrastructure on unadopted estates. Residents should not be left for year after year paying estate management fees on unfinished estates, without any certainty from developers and councils about the adoption of those estates. I know that the Minister continues to work on that. If he is unable to speak about it today, perhaps he could write to me with an update on action on the issue. I will return to the main thrust of my speech. The Government have ambitious missions to deliver growth and build the houses that our country needs. Right now, the situation at Moor Farm is a blocker, causing misery and holding back investment. I recognise, of course, that the decision on the upgrade to the roundabout will be taken by the Department for Transport. I assure the Minister—as will the DFT—that I am very much on the case with that. The issue not only impacts the road network; while the congestion causes misery for people across my constituency, the infrastructure is critical to a number of councils in the north-east, and to the ability to meet the Government’s ambitions for growth and housing. How can the Minister’s Department work with National Highways, in its role as a statutory consultee, to facilitate and support investment, rather than using holding directions, especially when they put at risk the Department’s priorities? If National Highways continues to apply holding objections, and two local plans are potentially unsustainable, how can local authorities deliver on housing targets? Where critical pieces of infrastructure are on the strategic road network and therefore not under local authority control, how is the Ministry engaging to resolve issues? The Government are rightly focused on devolution. The north-east growth plan and devolution deal both reference Moor Farm and upgrades, and the local transport plan sets out how crucial it is to the region. In supporting devolution, how can the Minister’s Department empower this agenda in my region? Will the Minister meet me, the Department for Transport and National Highways to see how we can work together on this vital issue? I know that the Minister is committed to delivering the housing that our country needs. My hon. Friend the Member for Blyth and Ashington and I are here today to help secure growth, jobs and investment, not only in my constituency but across the north-east. As we have heard, Moor Farm roundabout is a key blocker to growth and development. Addressing it requires a joined-up approach across Government to remove the barrier and unleash the potential in my community and across the region. If we are to deliver the change that we were elected to deliver, turbocharge growth in the north-east and empower the region, delivering the upgrade and removing that barrier is essential. I hope that the Minister can join me in the mission to deliver this crucial change.

• 18 Nov 2025 · Infrastructure: Cramlington and Killingworth · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of infrastructure on development in Cramlington and Killingworth constituency. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. My constituency was newly formed at the last general election and is made up of parts of south-east Northumberland, north and north-west North Tyneside and villages to the north of Newcastle. The area has seen significant housing growth in the last 10 to 15 years, providing much-needed homes and opportunities for the area, with further development in current local plans. While that housing growth brings opportunities for growth and jobs, it also brings challenges. One such challenge is the sustainability of existing infrastructure and the urgent need for investment in it. I will set out how one piece of infrastructure at the heart of my constituency is holding back my area and the entire region. It is stifling growth and development and directly impacting the ability of a number of local councils to deliver on two key Government priorities: delivering growth and delivering the homes that we need.

• 18 Nov 2025 · Infrastructure: Cramlington and Killingworth · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. The infrastructure in my constituency that I am talking about—as my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery) highlighted—is the Moor Farm roundabout; hon. Members will be aware that barely a day goes by when I do not talk about it. I have also met Transport Ministers and I continue to lobby for the much-needed upgrades to be progressed through the road investment strategy. As has been mentioned already, however, this issue goes far beyond the road network and beyond my area; it affects the entire north-east region. That is why I have called for this debate with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as the answering Department, because it is about housing, local plans and devolution. It is also critical to several councils in the north-east. I will set out the context of the existing infrastructure at Moor Farm. This roundabout is a major strategic six-armed roundabout. It links the A19, A1 and A189. Sitting at the south of Northumberland on the border with North Tyneside, it is heavily congested and well used. It is a key gateway for the region and the link between Newcastle International airport and the ports of Blyth and Tyne. It is the key growth corridor for south-east Northumberland. There is significant congestion at Moor Farm roundabout, which causes misery to local residents. We frequently see substantial delays, especially as a result of accidents on or near it. In recent weeks, we have seen delays of hours due to incidents that are far too frequent. The Department for Transport’s own statistics show that between 2021 and 2024, there was an 85% increase in delays through the northbound A19 section of Moor Farm and 36% increase in delays southwards. The north-east local transport plan states that Moor Farm generates congestion, worsens air quality and results in unreliable journey times. However, this is not a debate on the transport elements of Moor Farm—hon. Members can go back to my previous Westminster Hall debate for that. In this debate, I want to talk about how the situation at Moor Farm is impacting growth and development across the region in the short and long term. Moor Farm is a blocker to growth and a blocker to opportunity. It is preventing business expansion, causing investment to be delayed or withdrawn, costing jobs and hampering growth. It is putting at risk not only existing development sites for employment and housing in Northumberland and North Tyneside, but the ability for those councils to update their local plans and meet the housing need. Since being elected, I have met National Highways on several occasions. In the last few weeks, I have written again to the chief executive. Last week, I met regional representatives in Parliament, and I have met the North East Mayor and the roads Minister. The aim of this debate is to discuss the impact that National Highways and the situation at Moor Farm are now having on the ability to determine planning applications—whether for businesses to grow or for housing—across my constituency and beyond. The Minister will know that as a statutory consultee, National Highways can issue holding recommendations on planning applications, in effect preventing them from moving forward. In response to my written question, it has been confirmed that there are at least four holding objections on applications for housing and business development as a direct result of the Moor Farm roundabout. Not only that, but applicants are delaying or redirecting their investment because they have been told that National Highways would apply a holding objection, so there is a far greater lost opportunity cost. I know from speaking to developers, businesses and the community that investment has not been brought forward because of concerns that planning will be refused or held back as a result of holding objections or unrealistic mitigations. I will give some examples. The Port of Blyth sits in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth and Ashington. He and I recently met representatives of the port who informed us that their key near-port site for inward investment is at West Hartford in my constituency, the largest remaining strategic employment site in the whole of Northumberland. It is 10 minutes from the Port of Blyth’s main terminals and there is a firm interest in developing the site. This is a key regional stakeholder seeking to invest nearly 2,000 jobs and £400 million in my community, but National Highways has indicated that it would object because of Moor Farm, despite traffic impact assessment modelling indicating that the proposal would add one queuing vehicle during the morning peak rush hour and three in the afternoon. National Highways’ objection is simply not reasonable or proportionate, but should it apply a holding objection, there is little that could be done locally due to its role. The Port of Blyth has rightly called for a more pragmatic cost-benefit approach. That is just one example. The North East combined authority estimates that within a 5-mile radius of Moor Farm there is commercial development with the potential to support more than 11,000 jobs at risk of being held back due the constraints of the roundabout. Another local developer has spoken of sites—one of £500 million in gross development value and one of £1 billion in gross development value—that are in current adopted local plans but are being held up because of the roundabout. I have been told that this has meant 18 months to two and a half years of additional modelling and surveys, but still they have not been able to proceed. One developer described this as a “near endless loop of present information, National Highways’ consultants review, then respond, rinse and repeat”. That has real-world impacts. A separate developer on an existing site warned that they may have to remove apprentice roles and other jobs if the issue is not resolved, depriving the community of local opportunities and impacting the local supply chain. That development is already baked into the housing delivery numbers but cannot move forward. Another developer explained that they might not suggest future viable sites as a direct result of expected objections from National Highways, reducing their work and footprint in the area.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T3. For too long, too many people in the north-east have been left behind due to stubbornly high unemployment, but the economic inactivity trailblazer offers an opportunity to tackle the often complex reasons that sit behind that. Can the Secretary of State set out how this will work alongside existing programmes such as the new deal for north-east workers to support people into fulfilling productive employment?

• 23 Oct 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Every year thousands gather for safe organised firework displays. However, this time of year also brings dread for many due to antisocial and inconsiderate firework use, as we have heard. It causes misery and distress for animals, and many vulnerable and elderly people. I welcome the earlier comments from the Leader of the House on this issue, but can we have a debate on the regulation of fireworks outside of formal displays to minimise their impact on people and animals, and to ensure that they are sold and used responsibly?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Over the course of the summer, like many in the House, I have had a chance to meet so many of the volunteers across my constituency, from organisations such as North Tyneside Disability Forum, Seghill Food Hub, Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland, Age UK and Forward Assist, every one of them improving and changing lives every single day. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking them, and may we have a debate in Government time to recognise the importance of volunteers and the difference that they make?

• 2 Sept 2025 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  The UK is one of the most centrally run countries in the world. For decades, Whitehall has made every major decision on growth and investment, while the communities impacted were too often an afterthought. This has left communities poorer and trapped, playing a game that they can never win. For regions such as mine, physically the furthest away in England, it has meant that we have felt removed from decisions and decision making. This Bill is a chance to change that failure. In the north-east, during her first year, our Mayor Kim McGuinness has launched important local projects including tackling child poverty and bringing buses back into public control, but she is unable to tackle some of the big economic challenges that we face because she does not have the powers to change them. This Bill makes it easier for the Mayor to decide how local money is spent by putting the pen in local hands, so that our own priorities come first, rather than an agreed list made years ago with Whitehall. This will allow the Mayor to create a growth plan showing where investment is needed most, so that Westminster can follow that lead. The north-east growth plan sets our priorities so that we can then work with this Government to deliver the projects identified. By creating these local growth plans, the Government can see the shared priorities in areas such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital innovation. Regions are able to create a list of projects ready for investment; we know where the blockages are in our area because we live with them every single day. Of course, one such priority that politicians, businesses and communities have identified for our region is the case of Moor Farm roundabout in my constituency—something I have spoken about many times in this place. It has already been identified as a priority, because upgrading it would not only address the misery that it causes for local people every day, but unlock investment in manufacturing, clean energy and housing and support business growth. Alongside changes in the Green Book to a local place-based business case, we can ensure that we approach these priorities with a cross-departmental, mission-led approach. For too long, departmental silos have prevented a cross-Government approach, but now we can ensure that the likes of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, the Department for Business and Trade and the Treasury work together with regional leaders to deliver local priorities. It is not just new mayoral powers that we benefit from. I am absolutely thrilled to see in the Bill steps to protect communities and community sport for the future. The Bill takes heavily from one that I introduced in May, creating a change to safeguard sporting assets of community value. It would automatically protect football clubs, leisure centres and other sports facilities by giving local communities the first chance to buy them if they go up for sale.

• 17 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I recently had a meeting with one of my constituents, Sian from Palmersville, who is one of the founders of the Safe Clicks foundation. The foundation calls for greater accountability of social media companies to tackle bullying online and to ensure that digital spaces are safe, respectful and rooted in responsibility. It has also recently launched a parliamentary petition. Can we have a debate about the action that the Government are taking to protect online spaces and ensure that social media companies take action to stamp out bullying and harassment online?