Gagan Mohindra MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Jun 2026 · Household Energy Bills · Hansard source

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  11. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Household Energy Bills · Hansard source

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  In my constituency, 3,199 households currently experience fuel poverty due to high energy costs, and costs linked to the Government’s clean energy agenda could mean that household bills are set to rise by at least £100 in the next four years. How long will hard-working families in South West Hertfordshire have to pay the price for Labour’s ideological dash away from domestic energy production until it has a credible plan to fill the gaps in its energy policy?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member on securing the debate. When I met the Minister in April, we were going through the consultation on the pharmacy contract, but we are yet to hear any announcement. Does the hon. Member agree that the pharmacies we all rely on need certainty about when their contract negotiations and the associated funding will be completed?

• 20 May 2026 · Banking Hubs · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman has been very generous with his time in allowing all these interventions. Does he agree that part of this is about fairness? Without the access to the professional advice that they would get from face-to-face banking, some businesses might not succeed as much as they should have done. In my own constituency, we have seen high streets being closed, but we have not yet been successful in getting a bank hub in Abbots Langley, despite there being a community demand and, I would argue, a need for it.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Houses in Multiple Occupation · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Gentleman agree that local authorities like the Liberal Democrat-controlled Three Rivers district council in my constituency should be issuing, for instance, article 4 directions to protect our areas from a proliferation of HMOs?

• 28 Apr 2026 · Houses in Multiple Occupation · Hansard source

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  I am well-versed with the Minister through our work on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. Will he consider looking at reducing the threshold from six individuals to four? I am finding in Three Rivers that several of the homes are probably inappropriate for six distinct individuals but may be appropriate for four. Unless the evidence threshold is there for an article 4 direction, I have communities that will be impacted significantly, unless we are able to change something here.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Park Home Owners · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I, too, have been contacted by many of my constituents, throughout my six and a half years as the MP for South West Hertfordshire, with a wide range of complaints and concerns about park homes, particularly from residents of Long Pightle Park, Highview and Newlands Park. This debate is the result of excellent work by the Park Home Owners Justice Campaign, which is of course supported by several hon. Members in attendance at this debate. This issue is cross-party and cross-country, so I applaud all those hon. Members for their excellent efforts. I also make reference to Councillor Vicky Edwards and Councillor Ian Campbell in my constituency, who helped me with this speech. Park homes offer an affordable option for many people across the UK to relocate, often in retirement, and enjoy the beauty of our natural landscapes. That is something that I can definitely attest to in South West Hertfordshire. But park homes also leave residents vulnerable to many issues, including exploitative site operators, and the majority of park home owners are retirees or older people. As has been noted, the longest-running campaign, the PHOJC, is against the 10% commission that residents are still expected to pay to site owners during the purchase of their park home. That is especially damaging to elderly residents, who do not have excess capital and for whom the commission is a significant part of their retirement fund. It is important that the Government continue the existing inquiry—a continuation of the work of the previous Government—into the impact that a change in the maximum commission legislation would have on residents and on the industry as a whole. I know that my constituents will continue to support the work being done on that campaign. I still receive many complaints from park home owners in my constituency, mostly regarding poorly maintained landscapes, drainage facilities and fire hydrants, and regarding rubbish and debris being inappropriately stored and disposed of. Some of the figures bandied around for the works being done are three times the market value; they are excessive. I encourage the Government to continue the excellent work, to listen to the results of the consultation, and to implement the proposed measures as quickly as possible.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Fuel Costs: Support for Motorists · Hansard source

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  7. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of fuel duty on the cost of living.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Fuel Costs: Support for Motorists · Hansard source

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  If the increase in fuel prices rather than the Chancellor’s two disastrous Budgets is to blame for the stagnating economy, why does the Chancellor believe that raising fuel duty further in September will help to reduce the cost of living when in fact it will harm the economy more, and will deliver another direct hit to the pockets of my constituents?

• 27 Apr 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Earlier this year, I visited the High Speed 2 site in my constituency, where I had the privilege of speaking with several apprentices about the value of educational opportunities that offer a clear path into work. Given that there are nearly 1 million people not in education, employment or training, will the Minister outline what steps the Department is taking to promote such apprenticeship schemes?

• 23 Apr 2026 · Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address · Hansard source

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  19. What recent progress he has made on implementing the Humble Address agreed on 4 February 2026.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister reassure me that the Intelligence and Security Committee will be prioritised when new information comes to light, as per the terms of the Humble Address, as opposed to information first being given to Downing Street or to journalists to then publish at their own convenience, as was the case when it was discovered that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Government Reorganisation · Hansard source

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  I am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Hamble Valley (Paul Holmes) will appreciate this question. Labour-run Southampton city council has huge debts, and Liberal Democrat-run Eastleigh has £800 million-worth of debt. Given the proposal for them to be merged, will the Government do anything about that debt, or will they allow the new council to fall immediately?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Transport Accessibility for Disabled People · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) on securing this important debate. Many of my constituents have raised the challenges faced by disabled people in accessing tube services. Last May, I conducted a survey on the Metropolitan line, and only 6% of respondents thought that Transport for London was doing enough to improve reliability and accessibility. It is evident that people who rely on that essential service feel let down, which is simply not good enough. I have written to TfL and the Mayor of London regarding this issue. While I have been informed of the mayor’s target of making 50% of tube stations step-free by 2030, none of the stations for which works are proposed are in my constituency, so understandably residents of South West Hertfordshire feel left behind. TfL has stated that, through the step-free access programme, it aims to promote a more accessible and inclusive transport network, but that will not happen if the benefits are not extended to all service users. Take the case of one of my constituents in Rickmansworth, who uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury that he sustained just over a year ago. Despite having used Rickmansworth station for the last 17 years as a local resident, he is now unable to do so, as stairs offer the only route out of the station. Consequently, he can no longer travel into London as frequently as he did. That places significant limitations on his independence—an issue that could be fixed with the simple installation of an exit ramp. The 2021 census shows that 30% of Rickmansworth residents are retired, compared to the national average of 21.7%. Areas with an ageing population, like Rickmansworth, would particularly benefit from step-free access. Many other constituencies are also impacted by this especially problematic issue. Over two thirds of the London underground network is still without step-free access, which prevents thousands of disabled people from accessing a vital transport network. Another hurdle restricting accessibility to transport services in my constituency, which I have repeatedly highlighted in the Chamber, is the lack of concessions available to residents of South West Hertfordshire. TfL also stated that through concessions, it aims to promote a more accessible and inclusive transport network. Again, that is not possible if concessions are not extended to people who frequently use those services. Those concessions include Oyster cards for students under 18, the 60-plus Oyster card, and discounts available for veterans and disabled users of TfL services. Disabled people who live inside the Greater London boundary are eligible for a freedom pass, which enables use of TfL services free of charge, but that is not extended to my constituents. An overwhelming 96% of respondents to my Met line survey agreed that residents in my constituency should have the same concession fares as Londoners. That highlights a failure to create an inclusive and accessible transport system for everyone. How is it fair that, despite relying on these essential services to commute every day, my constituents are not eligible for the same concessionary fares as some who live only hundreds of metres away? Inaccessibility of transport services is not simply about not being able to get to the tube; hon. Members have spoken about the bus system, the state of pavements, pavement parking and street furniture. Inaccessibility of transport services means that disabled people are restricted in their independence and ability to participate in life. That is important. The Department for Transport must equip transport authorities to increase accessibility for everyone.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source

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  9. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source

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  South Oxhey was previously served by three buses per hour operating across two routes, but since last July that has been reduced to an hourly 328 service, which is sometimes cancelled leaving a two-hour gap between buses. The Minister has previously stated that the Bus Services Act 2025 will provide local authorities with the tools to manage bus services, but what steps will the Department take to hold bus operators to account on this issue?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  The Minister is being generous with her time, and I thank her on behalf of Opposition Members. Does she believe that there is an oversupply of courses in higher education? She has spoken about trying to evolve and reform the model, and the concern among Opposition Members is that there seems to be pressure on a lot of children to go to university, even though they will not get a graduate bonus associated with that. A lot of us question the financial viability of HE. What are her views on that?

• 18 Mar 2026 · UK Research and Innovation · Hansard source

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  My constituent George works for the Science and Technology Facilities Council. He has highlighted to me that UK Research and Innovation is developing a model that significantly reduces spending for all areas of science under the STFC’s remit, including quantum science, particle astrophysics and theoretical physics. Given that the STFC has already warned staff of potential job losses and that it ran a voluntary exit scheme last year, can the Secretary of State reassure the research community, including my constituent in Chorleywood, by confirming that the STFC science facilities and national labs have the necessary funding and will continue commissioning excellent research for years to come?

• 12 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Anchor Sound and Security, based in Kings Langley, explained to me how it is disincentivised to hire more employees due to rising compliance costs and regulatory uncertainty. What is the Minister doing to stop regulations stifling small business growth and destroying the strong relationships between employer and employees?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q4. The Prime Minister will be happy that I am not going to ask about fuel duty. Businesses across South West Hertfordshire are telling me that they are now reluctant to take on young workers due to this Government’s rise in employer national insurance contributions and the crippling Employment Rights Act 2025. With almost 1 million young people now not in employment, education or training, how exactly does the Prime Minister plan to get Great Britain working again?

• 9 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Emma from Abbots Langley in my constituency has to comply with strict timeframes for her job as a frontline worker within a local government adult care service. Despite that, the video relay service allowance that she receives as a deaf person has been reduced by over 75%, meaning that it is significantly below her working hours. Given that the waiting period for Access to Work reconsideration cases can span up to several months, how can the Minister assure my constituent that the delay will not undermine her ability to work?

• 4 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q3. In my constituency, the Liberal Democrat-run Three Rivers district council has failed for years to submit an adequate local plan. It now has a ministerial direction, and prime green-belt land faces a serious threat from this Government’s harmful planning policies. How does the Prime Minister expect me to explain to my constituents that, while I consistently defend our green belt, the Liberal Democrats’ incompetence has made it vulnerable to destruction by this Labour Government?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Supporting Children with SEND · Hansard source

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  I spend a lot of time visiting schools in my constituency and speaking to the hard-working headteachers about the pressures they are under due to spiralling costs and teacher shortages. With the Government’s proposed reforms placing an additional responsibility on schools to create individual support plans, alongside an ambition for more children’s needs to be met within mainstream schools, how will the Minister ensure that schools do not have to make sacrifices that harm the education of every child?

• 24 Feb 2026 · Preventing Ill Health · Hansard source

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  As the House will know, pharmacies are an important part of the system to prevent ill health. Last week, I raised the challenges that pharmacies in my constituency of South West Hertfordshire and across the country are facing due to rising costs and a lack of funding support. I wrote to the Minister for Care last April and have followed up several times since. How can I arrange a meeting with him to discuss these concerns further?

• 23 Feb 2026 · New Social and Affordable Housing · Hansard source

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  As the House will know, local plans are the method by which we can identify affordable homes and make sure that they are built in the right place at the right time. Since I was elected back in December 2019, I have consistently asked the Liberal Democrat Three Rivers district council to get on with the local plan. However, as the Housing Minister will know, the latest version of that plan did not have sufficient evidence. He has therefore rightly called it in. Does he agree that the Lib Dems need to get on with delivering the local plan and that they should not continue to fail my residents in South West Hertfordshire?