Harpreet Uppal MP: speeches

Speeches

• 25 Jun 2026 · Public Procurement: SMEs · Hansard source

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  This week I welcomed Antich & Sons to Parliament. It is a family-owned textiles company that, for the past decade, has been innovating by using traditional local skills and methods to develop 3D weaving techniques and provide cutting-edge advanced material solutions. Given how that aligns with the industrial strategy and the northern growth strategy, what are this Government doing to help companies like Antich & Sons access procurement processes?

• 17 Jun 2026 · Steel Tariffs · Hansard source

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  Local manufacturers in Huddersfield have raised real concerns with me, particularly about the unintended consequences of this policy, the lack of a level playing field for raw materials and finished imports, and uncertainty around supply. Some are already seeing cost inflation in key steel outputs. Can the Minister please look at these matters again? Categories 14 and 27 have also been raised with me, and we must communicate better with our local companies.

• 17 Jun 2026 · High Street Shops: Illicit Activity · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) on securing this important debate. As other Members have noted, town centres are incredibly important to residents, and Huddersfield is no different. The town centre is a part of our identity; it is a reminder of our childhoods, and, for many, it represents whether a place is doing well and whether agencies, councils and Governments care about them. In too many places in the north and the midlands, people have seen the slow decline of their town centre—the place they call home. That has led to resentment and a lack of trust in politicians and agencies to get the basics right. On top of that, the number of vape shops in England has grown by nearly 1,200% in little over a decade. While cash-intensive businesses are not new, for too many residents the rate at which they are rising is alarming. The National Crime Agency estimates that at least £1 billion of criminal cash is laundered through UK high street stores each year. Not only do those stores often provide hotspots for illicit activity, they also destroy the character that makes towns so special. From my conversations with constituents at coffee mornings, at business round tables and on doorsteps, I have heard loud and clear that closing those stores is vital to injecting the life back into our town centre. I welcome the creation of the Government’s high street organised crime unit, particularly its focus on strengthening partnership working and the intensified enforcement action on businesses that are committing these offences, which includes additional raids, closure orders and cash seizures. In November 2025, the West Yorkshire trading standards team conducted undercover raids to crack down on high street businesses suspected of laundering criminal cash. The operation seized £2.7 million of criminal assets. The feedback from those operations has been positive and they will be continuing. Will the Minister set out when further enforcement activities like those will be increased in local areas? In addition, what further steps are being taken to connect information across agencies and to flag suspicious entities so that such operations can be closed down quickly and, as other Members have said, stopped from popping up again? A recent report by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, titled “Hidden in Plain Sight”, highlighted a corridor of crime across the north of England, from Liverpool to Hull and Grimsby. Unfortunately, Huddersfield has been ranked in the top 10 UK towns and cities with the most dodgy shops on the high street. The report calls on the Government to urgently invest in enforcement capabilities and particularly mentions trading standards. Over the past decade, trading standards has seen its resources cut by up to 50%. In 2002, more than 4,000 staff were employed by trading standards, but in 2025, there are now 2,300. Since then, crime has become more visible, so will the Minister confirm the steps being taken to support trading standards on the ground? We must ensure that our town centres can once again become vibrant spaces worth fighting for.

• 17 Jun 2026 · Rail Network · Hansard source

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  It is brilliant to see you wearing your Yorkshire rose, Mr Speaker. The UK Labour Government are investing in our railways to boost economic growth right across the country. In my constituency, we are seeing continued investment through the trans-Pennine route upgrades in Huddersfield. Will the Minister set out what rail upgrades are coming to Wales, and how they will deliver economic growth and boost employment across the nation?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  I welcome the sanctions and guidance that the Secretary of State has set out. Given the scale and pace of settlements, can we ensure that the sanctions are regularly reviewed? I agree with colleagues that a ban on settlement trade should be looked at again. The London property conference sounds really concerning. What sanctions will be put in place if property is being sold on occupied land?

• 21 Apr 2026 · Middle East: Economic Update · Hansard source

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  It is important that we look at long-term measures such as decoupling gas and electricity prices, because we know that previous temporary measures have not stopped our exposure to these shocks, leading to further insecurity for residents and businesses. Can the Chancellor say how quickly households and businesses such as textile manufacturers in Huddersfield will benefit from this new pricing model? Can she say a little more about accelerating vital grid infrastructure?

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

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  Tommy’s Lounge in Huddersfield is a dedicated drop-in support hub for veterans and their families. It provides peer support, mental health signposting and community connection. However, the service is facing a funding shortfall. The Government have announced Operation Valour to build a national network of recognised veteran support centres. Will the Leader of the House ask Ministers what emergency funding is available for established community veteran support organisations such as Tommy’s Lounge, and how the Government will ensure that existing services are not lost while the Valour framework is rolled out?

• 24 Mar 2026 · Middle East: Economic Update · Hansard source

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  The Chancellor will be aware that we have a strong manufacturing sector in Huddersfield and in Yorkshire, including the defence businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises that are feeling the pressure of rising costs. The middle east war has seen import prices go up and disrupted supply chains, so how is she supporting manufacturers in particular?

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

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  Last weekend, I joined a thanksgiving service at Huddersfield parish church that paid tribute to local volunteers and residents who organised donations to Jamaica and the Caribbean islands following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Will the Leader of the House join me in paying tribute to those residents in Huddersfield? Will he set out how the UK Government are supporting relief efforts in the region?

• 3 Feb 2026 · Town and City Centre Safety · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Baggy Shanker) on securing this important debate. Huddersfield is my home town, and I am so proud of it. Regeneration is on its way, including investments in Our Cultural Heart, the George hotel, the TransPennine route upgrade and the national health innovation campus at Huddersfield University. Those investments are important because, like many towns across the north of England, Huddersfield has faced decades-long challenges from under-investment in our communities and town centres. That can be seen in the visible decline of our high streets, the increase in vape shops and stores dealing in counterfeit items—many of which are propped up by organised criminal networks—and in the drop in visible policing and growing concerns about public safety. It is also apparent in the feeling that institutions, agencies and Governments have let our areas down, and in the lack of trust in us to deliver. On a recent visit to Kirklees college, one of the key concerns raised by students was safety and the perception of safety in the town centre. Those concerns have been echoed in my meetings with town centre business owners and in contacts with residents at coffee mornings. I am proud to have stood on a manifesto that committed to supporting town centres, and we have seen that in the commitment to neighbourhood policing, which includes 12 additional officers in Huddersfield town centre. The Home Secretary announced plans to reform policing last week, which included the creation of a new police force to tackle serious crime and further restore neighbourhood policing. Those measures are all important, but will the Minister set out how we will tackle organised crime and county lines networks, and give us an update on the role of violence reduction units in providing youth-focused prevention networks in Huddersfield? More importantly, we must ensure that we continue to invest in young people. Investing in young people, alongside increasing policing and levels of infrastructure, is really important for our town centres.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Northern Powerhouse Rail · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, like you, I am a proud northerner. For too long, we have had to face challenges of under-investment in the north, so this is good news, particularly for Yorkshire. The plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, alongside the upgrades to the trans-Pennine route, which are on time and on budget, will be a game changer for our communities and our economy. Will the Secretary of State outline how they will support regeneration and communities in northern towns such as Huddersfield, and how NPR will build on and connect to the trans-Pennine route upgrade?

• 2 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Since the beginning of 2025, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented more than 1,600 attacks in the west bank perpetrated by Israeli settlers. What more can the UK do in terms of sanctions for illegal settler outposts and settlement trade and to hold the Israeli Government to account?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  Poverty wastes potential and harms our country’s success and prosperity. The two-child limit has been the single biggest driver of increasing child poverty in this country, and by finally making the decision to remove that one policy, Labour will lift 4,560 children in Huddersfield out of poverty, which is something I am proud of. I know that that matters to many of us in the Chamber and to many outside it. When I visited the Welcome Centre, which is the largest food bank in my constituency, Ellie the manager told me how she has seen more families coming through its doors, and this one policy has been one of the biggest drivers of that. When I visit schools, teachers tell me how child poverty impacts school readiness. When I attended a “Poverty Matters” event in my constituency, many of those working on the frontline spoke about why removing the two-child limit would be one of the most significant steps the Government could take. That step, alongside other policies announced by the Government, means that this Parliament is set to see the largest fall in child poverty on record. This Labour Government will therefore ensure that every child—no matter where they are born, their background or their circumstances—is given the best possible start in life. There would be a cost in not doing so from the impact of children not meeting their potential, as well as in ill health, unequal economic growth across our regions and a reduction in productivity. We saw a significant slowdown in average annual productivity between 2010 and 2022 compared with the time of the last Labour Government. Let us not forget that the Tory and coalition Governments saw the closure of over 1,000 Sure Start centres and 300 children’s centres in England. Between 2010 and 2018, overall Sure Start funding fell by two thirds in real terms; it was left to local people and local communities to pick up the mess. The social contract in this country is important. Through our contribution, we all play a part in ensuring that this country—our country—thrives. It should not be about pitting one citizen against another or setting up a false dichotomy; it is about ensuring that we all do better through good, secure jobs. I know from my conversations with constituents that many continue to face financial struggles and that those who have not seen enough improvement in their living standards and pay since the financial crisis of 2008 continue to face an affordability crisis. I therefore welcome the steps that the Government have taken on energy bills as well as freezing rail fares, boosting the national living wage and the minimum wage, delivering a rise in the state pension and freezing prescription charges. I also strongly welcome the fact that apprenticeships for the under-25s will now be free and that 18 to 21-year-olds will receive a guaranteed six-month work placement when they have been out of work or learning for 18 months. Those are significant steps in the right direction. It is important that we support our local businesses, many of which are family-run in Huddersfield. Our manufacturing sector and textiles play a special part in our town, and it is good to see that UK manufacturing output across the sector rose last month and that business optimism has hit a nine-month high. We must continue to back those firms through our industrial strategy, investment in local infrastructure and Government procurement and by tackling high energy costs. While the Transport Secretary is in the Chamber, I must mention that the Government are backing major transport projects, including Northern Powerhouse Rail and the trans-Pennine route upgrade. That is important for my constituency and provides much needed stability for supply chains and the sector. There has been a bit of a hysterical response to the Budget from the Tories, but it has been well received by the markets, and we have seen UK borrowing costs come down—

• 20 Nov 2025 · Transport System: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  As part of the trans-Pennine route upgrades, 25% of the route has already been electrified, with 40% due to be completed by summer 2027. Huddersfield’s famous railway station is also undergoing a £70 million reconstruction. Although there has been a 30-day closure that has led to some disruption for residents in my town, can the Secretary of State set out how the Government are ensuring the economic and social benefits of that investment will be utilised to help regenerate communities in Huddersfield?

• 20 Nov 2025 · Transport System: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  10. What steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour the Member for Calder Valley (Josh Fenton-Glynn) for securing the debate. We have some Yorkshire people here today. Our manufacturing towns and communities have long been the engine rooms of this country. They built our economy, drove innovation and gave generations of working-class families good, secure jobs and pride in their local identity. From textiles and engineering to precision manufacturing, these industries shaped the story of our country. In my constituency of Huddersfield, that story runs deep. The town’s industrial heritage is woven into its very fabric—literally, as Huddersfield’s rich textile history dates back to the early 1700s. Since establishing a worldwide reputation for the manufacturing of fine woollen and worsted cloth, the words “Made in Huddersfield” have been a highly revered global brand. Merchants travelled from across the world to buy Huddersfield cloth, and generations of local workers powered an industry known for exceptional craftsmanship, precision and skill. I have seen at first hand the skill and dedication needed to work in these industries, as my dad worked as a weaver for over 30 years at a local textile firm, C & J Antich & Sons. It makes the cloth for the best fashion houses in the world, as well as putting together materials for Formula 1 cars, which is very exciting. The truth is that manufacturing matters to Huddersfield, and it matters that we make things in our country. Since becoming the MP for Huddersfield, I have had the opportunity to meet and visit many incredible family-owned and locally born manufacturers working in Huddersfield. That includes W. T. Johnson & Sons, a fourth-generation family-run textile finishing firm that has operated in Huddersfield since 1910; David Brown, a defence manufacturer providing highly complex equipment to the defence industry; the Textile Centre of Excellence, which provides training and research; Thomas Broadbent & Sons, which has run its company in Huddersfield since 1864; Olympus Technologies, which has been designing robotic solutions since the 1980s; Camira Yarns, a woollen spun yarn specialist that was founded in Huddersfield in the 1860s; and Reliance Precision, which has been around for 60 years and does some highly technical stuff that I do not fully understand, but it is very exciting. I also recently attended a roundtable hosted by the Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturing Alliance. On those visits, manufacturers and industry leaders often told me the same story. They want to grow, innovate and recruit locally, but there is an issue with finding a younger workforce, so continued investment in vocational training and partnerships between industry and education is really important. Energy costs continue to be a concern, and they want to make sure manufacturing —not just advanced manufacturing—is a strategic priority for this Government. We must invest in the businesses that make things here in Britain. The ongoing impact of Brexit on trade and the supply chain is a concern for some businesses. SMEs particularly need support with cyber-security. Could the Minister explain what support is available to them? There was also some positive feedback on the export growth programme, which provides tailored advice to industry, and businesses asked what we can do to make sure that model goes further. These businesses are not nostalgic for the past; they are building for the future. The challenge and the opportunity is to make sure that the benefits of that innovation reach the people and places who need them most. Skills and workforce development will be particularly important for that. Without long-term funding for skills, the system will continue to fall short of what both learners and employers need. If we invest in people, prioritise skills and provide stability for the specialist industries that underpin our economy, we can restore pride and prosperity to the regions that built this country. That means creating secure, high-quality jobs. It means keeping our young people in the towns where we grew up, and it means ensuring that the next generation can take pride in the industries that define their communities.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Humanitarian Situation in Sudan · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for his important point, which I am sure the Minister has heard. Behind every number, there is a human being: a parent trying to find water for a child; a grandmother who has not eaten for days; a teenager who dreams of going to school but instead hears shellfire. As the rainy season approaches and worsening weather conditions make it increasingly difficult for aid to reach those most in need, the parties to the conflict continue to fight fiercely, heightening insecurity and disrupting critical trade and aid routes. Hoy da, a member of the Sudanese diaspora community in my constituency of Huddersfield, has spoken of the “colossal devastation and destruction of all aspects of normality of life in Sudan throughout the last two years”. Hoy da also says that efforts by authorities to establish normality, and a return for those who have been internally or externally displaced, face severe challenges.