Harpreet Uppal MP: speeches

Speeches

• 16 Jun 2025 · Windrush Day 2025 · Hansard source

  More

  I do welcome that. I was about to turn to the subject funding outreach in places like Huddersfield; that funding will be important. We must ensure that local organisations can play their part, because they know best who to reach out to, but they must have institutional support. We must also embed cultural change in the Home Office, so that these injustices never happen again. The Windrush generation did not just arrive in Britain; they helped to shape it. They made our NHS possible. They raised their families in our towns and cities, and they contributed to the growth of our economy. They have contributed so much to Huddersfield, the town I live in. They have endured discrimination and hardship, yet they have stood proud, contributing with dignity and determination. As we mark Windrush Day this year, let us move beyond words. Let us match our tributes with action, and ensure that justice is delivered, not delayed.

• 12 Jun 2025 · SEND Funding · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) for securing this important debate. This issue affects families in Huddersfield and across the country. I recently met SEND parents from Huddersfield to hear their experiences of the system. They are trying to do the right thing, and to get the right support for their children, but too often the system works against them. They told me that the system is difficult to navigate, especially the process of gaining an EHCP and any subsequent appeals processes. I also heard from parents who were struggling to access home-to-education transport, or who were not able to get their children into school due to poor mental health or it being the incorrect educational settings. These stories are not one-offs. This is happening to too many families across the country, and it is clear that something has to change. I welcome the work of local support services, such as Kirklees Information, Advice and Support Service, which offers free and impartial advice, but it is dealing with a growing number of inquiries. In Huddersfield, we see growing demand for specialist support, but the funding is not keeping pace with that demand. Local services are stretched, schools are under pressure, and families are left to navigate a complex and often frustrating system. Last week, I visited the fantastic Southgate school, a specialist school for children with complex special educational needs. I spent time with its amazing pupils and teaching staff. The teaching and support staff are passionate about their work, but they spoke to me about the increasing complexities that they are dealing with, and their struggle to access all the emotional and mental health support that they need for their pupils. The transition to post-16 support is a particular issue. They also asked me to raise the need to look again at the pay scale for support staff, who are valued members of the team. The issue of pay is impacting retention. As the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness has said, there is a postcode lottery. Whether a child gets the help that they need often depends on local resources, not their actual needs. We need to take into account wider need, deprivation and the complexity of children’s circumstances. I welcome the Government’s recent moves to improve SEND provision. They include: injecting an additional £1 billion into services; investing £740 million in adapting classrooms and building specialist facilities; and restructuring the Department for Education to put SEND at its heart. Local authorities like Kirklees council need the tools and resources to respond properly to the challenges. Without a sustainable funding formula, local authorities will struggle to provide timely solutions. Schools want to do the right thing, as do councils, but they are often forced to make impossible choices, and that leaves families to pick up the pieces. We need a long-term plan that gives certainty to local areas and puts the voices of parents, carers and children at the heart of decision making.

• 11 Feb 2025 · Hospices · Hansard source

  More

  I have had the privilege of witnessing at first hand the exceptional work of my local hospices, Forget Me Not children’s hospice and the Kirkwood. However, as my hon. Friends the Members for Rushcliffe (James Naish) and for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill (Kate Osamor) have stated, they are also struggling with long-term funding pressures and have had to make the difficult decision to reduce services and staff. What further work are the Government doing to ensure that hospices thrive, and to ensure that end-of-life care is included in the 10-year NHS plan?

• 11 Feb 2025 · Youth Provision: Universal and Targeted Support · Hansard source

  More

  I support my hon. Friend’s call, and it is disappointing that we do not have any Members from the official Opposition present. Research shows that, for every £1 invested in youth work, the return to the taxpayer is between £3.20 and £6.40. Additionally, for every £1 invested in child and adolescent mental health services, the return on investment is an estimated £2.85 in benefits to the individual and an additional £1.40 in savings to the Government.

• 11 Feb 2025 · Youth Provision: Universal and Targeted Support · Hansard source

  More

  My hon. Friend is absolutely correct, and I will come on to mental health. Fourteen years of Conservative Governments have resulted in a £1.2 billion real-terms reduction in local authority spending on youth services in England since 2010.

• 11 Feb 2025 · Youth Provision: Universal and Targeted Support · Hansard source

  More

  I do agree that we need more protections, and I am sure the Minister has heard my hon. Friend’s point about statutory protection. I, too, urge hon. Members to sign up to my hon. Friend’s application for a Backbench Business debate. As hon. Members have said, providing youth services reduces the need later in life for more costly interventions, from social care to the criminal justice system. It also means that we give young people an opportunity to thrive. A thriving youth sector depends on a strongly skilled workforce, so we need to ensure that the youth sector can attract, train and retain skilled professionals. The National Youth Agency’s 2024 workforce survey found that more than 4,500 youth workers have left the profession in the past decade, and only six undergraduate youth work programmes remain, down from 37 in 2013. At the same time, the demand for youth services is constantly increasing, with 82% of youth sector organisations reporting growing demand for mental health support.

• 11 Feb 2025 · Youth Provision: Universal and Targeted Support · Hansard source

  More

  I agree with my hon. Friend. I will make a bit of progress before taking more interventions. More than one in five children now have a diagnosable mental health condition, and many wait over a year to access a mental health specialist, with nearly 40,000 children waiting more than two years in 2023-24. Research shows that it is 100 times cheaper to treat a young person in the community than as an in-patient. The Government have taken steps to improve mental health support in schools, but youth services play a critical role in addressing these challenges early on. While I recognise all the work that this Government have already done to address these issues, the challenges facing the sector require more than short-term funding. The youth investment fund, for example, is helping to develop youth facilities, but it largely covers capital investment, leaving critical gaps in operational funding for staffing and programme delivery.

• 22 Jan 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  Q9. Huddersfield royal infirmary has recently reduced its elective waiting list from a high of 4,000 to just 20. Will the Prime Minister join me in paying tribute to NHS staff at my local hospital? Will he ensure that the NHS learns from the HRI’s innovative approaches, such as the use of AI for scans and its partnership with the University of Huddersfield’s national health and innovation campus? When the Prime Minister does his hospital tour, may I also invite him to Huddersfield to see the transformative work being done?

• 13 Jan 2025 · Hospice and Palliative Care · Hansard source

  More

  I absolutely do. I pass on my condolences to my hon. Friend and his family, and pay tribute to the local hospice and the work that it has done to support his family. I want to raise NHS England’s £26 million funding for children’s hospices—formerly the children’s hospice grant. Traditionally, that funding was distributed centrally by NHS England but last year, as has been mentioned, it was disseminated by integrated care boards. That has caused delays to many children’s hospices’ access to their funding, including Forget Me Not. It is critical that the funding is ringfenced for children’s hospices, and I hope that the Minister will review whether it can again be centrally distributed, to avoid further delays. The new funding for hospices is an important milestone. I welcome the Government’s approach and thank the Minister for his work. I know that the hospice sector very much welcomes the additional funding, but can it also mark the beginning of further Government support for these essential services? Hospices are an integral part of our healthcare system, and we must ensure they have the resources and support that they need to continue their vital work, including the specialist doctors and nurses that are needed in many hospices. Through Government action, community support and the tireless effort of hospice staff and volunteers, we can ensure that hospices not only survive but thrive, continuing to provide the compassion and dignity that every individual deserves.

• 13 Jan 2025 · Hospice and Palliative Care · Hansard source

  More

  It is an absolute honour to follow the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Mr Kohler), who made a wonderfully poignant speech. I thank him for securing this debate. As the Member of Parliament for Huddersfield, I have had the privilege of witnessing at first hand the exceptional work of hospices such as Forget Me Not children’s hospice and Kirkwood. These organisations are lifelines for individuals and families facing life-limiting conditions. I welcome the recent announcement of the expansion of hospice funding, which is a crucial step in addressing the financial challenges that these vital organisations face. Hospices such as Forget Me Not and Kirkwood do not just offer medical care but provide emotional, psychological and practical support to patients and their families. They ensure dignity and compassion at every step of their journey, addressing the full spectrum of needs for those they care for. Steve, a local dad whose son, 10-year-old Ethan, receives support from the Forget Me Not hospice, spoke of its life-changing work for Ethan and the whole family. Steve said: “When he’s here he’s comfortable, it’s a lovely environment. It’s not clinical and he’s treated like a normal person.” They are not just care providers but community builders, offering spaces of comfort and support during life’s most difficult times. Huddersfield University is leading on joint work with local hospices about research and clinical practice in end-of life-care. It includes working with Kirkwood hospice to create a postgraduate certificate in end of life care, the first of its kind in the UK to link with a hospice. While I am sitting next to my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater), I must pay tribute to how she conducted the debate on her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. There is no doubt that she has moved the debate on funding for hospice care, and I thank her very much. The expansion of hospice funding is a significant and welcome development, but we must acknowledge that many hospices, including those in my constituency, still face immense financial pressures. Forget Me Not children’s hospice recently launched an urgent appeal to address a £1 million funding gap. The expansion of funding must be part of a larger, ongoing strategy to ensure that long-term commissioned funding for hospices is part of the 10-year NHS plan.

• 26 Nov 2024 · Official Development Assistance · Hansard source

  More

  The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is horrific, and it is clear that rape is being used as a weapon of war. Recent data from Médecins Sans Frontières highlights that 90% of sexual violence survivors in a hospital in Chad were abused by armed perpetrators, and 50% were attacked in their homes. This is happening in 2024. Can the Foreign Secretary provide details on how the UK’s recent pledges on humanitarian aid for Sudan and the region are being used to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence?

• 19 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  Last week, the chief executive of Forget Me Not children’s hospice visited Parliament with local dad Steve, whose son is supported by the hospice. The hospice provides vital services to families such as Steve’s, but its services are at risk in the longer term without sustainable funding, including the NHS England children’s hospice grant. Can the Health Secretary take urgent steps to improve funding for hospices?