Gavin Williamson MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is both confused and hard of hearing. I also pointed out that straight after the next general election, the Electoral Commission will redo the boundaries for the whole country, and that will be based on the electoral roll for every single constituency and area across the country. Certain areas will have auto-enrolment and other areas will not. That will have a significant impact on the redistribution. I hope that has helped the hon. Member’s confusion. [ Interruption. ] I will move on. There is a fantastic opportunity here, which the Secretary of State could seize, to end the automatic right of Commonwealth citizens to vote in this country. That right is not available to UK citizens in Commonwealth countries. The only country where there is an automatic right for UK citizens to vote is the Republic of Ireland, and that arrangement is reciprocated in the UK. There are up to 2.7 billion people on this globe who, on moving to the United Kingdom, could have the automatic right to vote here. That should be looked at very seriously. As the Bill moves through the House, I ask the Secretary of State to look at the option of addressing this open access to our democracy for anyone in this country.

• 9 Feb 2026 · Martha Giles · Hansard source

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  I know that the Minister is a deeply compassionate lady. On 12 February 1959, Martha Giles was brutally murdered leaving her work at New Cross hospital in Wolverhampton. She left behind five children. Only one of those children, Mrs Edwards, is still alive today, and she desperately seeks answers. I know that it is not within the Minister’s gift, but if there is any way to convene officials and officers in the Metropolitan police, just to be able to bring some closure to this awful chapter, it would be deeply appreciated.

• 9 Feb 2026 · Martha Giles · Hansard source

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  10. If she will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of the opening of papers relating to the murder of Martha Giles in 1959.

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

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  I congratulate the Government on one of their policies: the launch of a UK town of culture. Often, the Government find themselves having to pull their business. I hope that when they are next in that position, they can organise a debate on the UK town of culture. Stone town council is putting in a bid for Stone, which is a great town. It has the Crown Wharf theatre and one of the best food festivals anywhere in the country, and it would be a great recipient of this title. I hope we can have a debate on this issue in Government time.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Business Rates · Hansard source

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  After all the briefing in the newspapers, we were all hopeful of something more significant, but we have a somewhat flaccid statement from the Minister. The statement not only totally ignores the fact that some pubs are having to deal with a threefold increase in business rates, but it does nothing to help high street retailers. Will the Minister be coming back to the House to make another U-turn to help our high street retailers?

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

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  Like so many Members of this House, I am blessed with the amazing canals criss-crossing my constituency that are maintained by the Canal & River Trust. Sadly, two bridges in the villages of Brewood and Penkridge have collapsed, and local residents cannot use them or access them, which is causing a great deal of inconvenience. Could we have a debate in this House about the funding that the Canal & River Trust receives, because it quite simply does not go far enough to maintain these amazing heritage assets that are used every day?

• 22 Jan 2026 · Local Government Reorganisation · Hansard source

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  I was very interested to hear what the Secretary of State said. I represent a two-tier local authority area, and I live in a two-tier local authority area, yet I seem to pay considerably less council tax than people living in neighbouring local authority areas that are Labour-controlled and single-tier. Can the right hon. Gentleman explain how?

• 21 Jan 2026 · Animal Welfare Strategy for England · Hansard source

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  It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. I congratulate the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Samantha Niblett) on securing the debate. There is much in the animal welfare strategy on which I think we can agree. I welcome the moves to ban puppy farming and introduce a close season for hares. However, there are also areas of great concern. We are in danger of effectively exporting many jobs and much of our farming industry abroad. We are increasingly going to see low-welfare standard meat and eggs coming into this country. I urge the Government to address that. I think all Members in the debate welcome any improvement in animal welfare standards in our farming industry. However, we do not wish to see low-welfare meat coming into this country with the consequence that our industry is replaced, British jobs and British producers are taken away, and more animals are killed at welfare standards that are substantially below the welfare standards we have in this country today. I certainly do not think that that is the Government’s intention, but there is a danger that it is what we will deliver. I urge the Minister to ensure that any products imported into this country match the welfare standards we expect of our farmers in the United Kingdom.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Animal Welfare Strategy for England · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for highlighting that. I think it shows that, across parties, we want to see something done about this matter. I would certainly support the Labour Government making moves to address it. Another area of great concern to me is non-stun slaughter. I am not going to go through how barbaric that is and how much pain we put animals through as a result, but we are seeing an ever-increasing number of animals being killed by non-stun slaughter. In just two years, the number of sheep slaughtered by non-stun slaughter has increased from 22% to 29%. Under the Slaughter of Animals Act 1933, animals must be stunned before slaughter so that they are unconscious and do not experience unnecessary pain.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Animal Welfare Strategy for England · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. We need to do everything we can to produce more food in this country rather than abroad. I am concerned about the increasing trend of non-stun slaughter. As I said, 29% of all sheep slaughtered in this country are killed through non-stun slaughter. The 1933 Act made it clear that non-stun slaughter is permitted only for religious reasons, but that is clearly not what is happening today. Many retailers, right around the country, sell animals that were non-stun slaughtered; the National Secular Society found that Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all did so without any form of labelling. It is critical that consumers understand what they are buying. In this country, 30 million animals are killed by non-stun slaughter—a most awful way of slaughtering animals—every year. We can make a significant difference. There is no reason for them to be killed in that way. In making sure that they are stunned, we can still ensure that they comply with halal and kosher standards. If we want to make sure that animals are put first and that we are looking after them, the Government need to be more robust in squeezing out these practices, and I hope the Minister will say a few words about how she is looking to do that. We want to make sure that our farmers can compete on a fair playing field on the world stage, but we also need to end the barbaric act of non-stun slaughter in this country and deliver higher welfare standards to so many animals.

• 19 Jan 2026 · Business Rates: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure · Hansard source

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  Some of my publicans are facing a threefold increase in rates. They have seen the speculation that the Treasury has briefed out to the newspapers, but they are still waiting. They do not have long to wait before they have to pay these increased bills, though, so can the Minister give some indication of when there will be clarity—not just for publicans, but for retailers?

• 19 Jan 2026 · Iran: Protests · Hansard source

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  Many of us will have read the reports in The Sunday Times yesterday detailing how IRGC forces burnt alive and machine-gunned down so many, and that this is not happening in just one town or one city, but right across Iran. We have very few levers in this country to make a difference, but one of them is to proscribe the IRGC. Please, Minister, just do it and make some small difference to send a clear message and make the Iranian people understand that we stand with them.

• 14 Jan 2026 · West Midlands Police · Hansard source

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  The Home Secretary is right to talk about the need for the information to be out there and for openness. In the light of that, can she clarify whether any Government officials talked to Maccabi Tel Aviv as a club or through either of the embassies to discuss the decision by the club to say that away fans would not travel even if the ban were lifted?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  In Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Central specifically, 5,500 people are employed by bet365. It is not just a significant employer; it is the most significant employer. What actions or interventions is the Treasury looking at taking to try to offset some of the potential job losses that these policies will cause?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) raised the important point that the OBR says that these measures will drive money towards the black market, potentially not benefiting the taxpayer and the Treasury as much as the Minister says. Will she explain what she will do to avoid the black market benefiting from these tax changes?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief · Hansard source

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  I cannot adequately put into words the fear, concern and stress that farmers in my constituency and right across the country have felt as a result of the policy announced at the Government’s first Budget. That same fear is now being felt in rural pubs up and down the country due to the changes to business rates. Will the Minister apologise to those farmers for the fear, stress and cost that he has put them all through? Will he indicate to many publicans across Staffordshire that the Government are going to U-turn on business rates so that they do not close rural pubs?

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

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  I have no doubt that you will be very organised and ready for Christmas, Mr Speaker, with all your presents purchased and wrapped. Some of us are not quite like that and will be making panicked purchases around our constituencies this weekend. If people are parking in Penkridge at Boscomoor retail centre or the Quinton Court shopping centre in Great Wyrley, there is a high chance that the parking operator, ParkMaven, will issue tickets on their cars, totally without justification. What more can be done to stop these rogue operators? May we have a statement from the Government?

• 16 Dec 2025 · Victim Support: Funding · Hansard source

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  Building on the question from the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Tim Roca), police and crime commissioners were able to act as a strong independent voice for commissioners. In what has been outlined so far, there is not really a voice for victims in local areas. What will the Secretary of State do to make sure that is remedied?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Restriction of Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Members on both sides of the House know how important these changes are, and getting them right is absolutely vital. My right hon. Friend the Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Steve Barclay) asked a specific question as to whether the Department has done an impact assessment. Could the Minister clarify whether that impact assessment has been done? If so, will it be immediately published?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban · Hansard source

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  Right across the political spectrum, I think everyone feels that this was a poor decision and a bad decision, which is why it has unravelled so quickly. Can the Minister reassure the House that there was absolutely no local political interference in making this decision?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts · Hansard source

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  We know that the Chief Secretary is a very thoughtful, intelligent man, and he will know that the press were being briefed extensively about what the Budget was going to say. They were not making it up. Where does the Chief Secretary believe that that briefing was coming from? Does he believe that it was coming from special advisers, does he believe that it was coming from Treasury officials, does he believe that it was coming from No. 10—or does he think that a Christmas elf had a hand in all this?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Universities: Chinese Influence · Hansard source

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  5. What steps her Department is taking to help prevent Chinese influence in universities.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Universities: Chinese Influence · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for her answer; I know that she takes the issue of Chinese influence incredibly seriously. The free speech legislation brought forward by the previous Government required the monitoring of bodies that are supported by the Chinese or funded and supported by the Government of China. That was dropped. Will the Secretary of State look at bringing it back?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and may I say what a delight it is to see you in the Chair this evening? I was not going to start by saying this, but I agree with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when—and I may misquote him slightly—he spoke about “decent jobs at decent wages.” I absolutely agree, and that is what we all want to see in every one of our constituencies right across the country. However, I do not believe that this Budget goes any way towards delivering those decent jobs at decent wages, and certainly not in Staffordshire. As we look at what is happening, we are seeing inflation rising. G7 comparisons are trotted out, but we will have the highest inflation in the G7 this year and also next year. The OBR has forecast that inflation will stay higher for longer, and why is that? It is because of the Chancellor’s last Budget. I am not sure whether this Budget will have helped reduce those pressures, but the initial indications certainly seem to be that it will not. This is a real problem because it is impacting people’s real lives. We are seeing food price inflation rising in 2025: it was 4.9% in October, up from 4.5% in September. This is having an impact on everyone’s lives—on their household incomes and how they get by. This is a very bad Budget for jobs in Staffordshire, because nothing is being done at all for the ceramics industry. It is not as large an employer as it used to be 30 years ago, but it is still an important employer, whether at Dunoon in my constituency, Steelite, Churchill or so many other great businesses producing pottery in Staffordshire. This Budget will make it more difficult for them to produce pottery in Staffordshire, because it will mean they have higher costs. Having spoken to some of those working in the ceramics industry only last week, I know that a third of everything they spend is on energy costs. To compare this with the United States or continental Europe, producers are looking at half the price of what Staffordshire businesses are paying for their energy costs. How are we able to compete on the global stage if we do not help those producing in this country to have energy costs that mean they are competitive? I appreciate that the Minister summing up is the Secretary of State for Transport, but I hope that she will be able to respond to that point. One of the most successful technology companies in this country is based not in London or Cambridgeshire, but in Stoke-on-Trent, and it is called bet365. It is the world’s leading technology company for betting. It employs 5,500 people in Stoke-on-Trent, and it is the single biggest private sector employer there. Those who work there live not just in Stoke-on-Trent, but right across Staffordshire, the north-west and the country. However, this Budget could destroy one of our most successful technology sectors, and for what? On the gambling tax increases, the OBR noted in its analysis: “The behavioural responses to these changes are uncertain but are estimated to reduce the yield by around one-third. We estimate that operators will seek to pass through around 90 per cent of the duty increases by increasing prices or reducing payouts, leading to a reduction in consumer demand which reduces the yield from the measure by £0.5 billion by 2029-30. The elasticities used to estimate the demand effect also capture potential substitution to the illicit market, and substitution between different forms of gambling due to the tax differentials introduced through this policy.” This will be a hammer blow to jobs in the city of Stoke-on-Trent and in Staffordshire.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  This company operates internationally: bet365 is one of the most successful technology companies in this country, and it operates right across the globe. It is quite understandable why it does so, but the hon. Gentleman probably does not care about jobs in Staffordshire. He has probably not ever thought about jobs in Staffordshire, and he does not mind if they all move to Malta or some other jurisdiction. That is not for him to worry about, but it is for me to worry about, as it is for other Members who represent seats in Staffordshire. This Budget is an absolute hammer blow to an industry that is providing high-quality, well-paid jobs in Staffordshire and in a city that has seen the decline of coalmining, the decline of ceramics and so many job losses over so many decades, and bet365 has been one of the most responsible employers by investing in the local community, investing in charity and paying its taxes here in the United Kingdom. In fact, its owners are the highest payers of tax in the whole United Kingdom. This will see jobs being lost right across my county. It is destroying the old industries of Staffordshire while at the same time destroying the new industries in Staffordshire, making sure that the people of Staffordshire will be worse off and suffer as a result of this Budget.