Helen Hayes MP: speeches

Speeches

• 22 Apr 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  I hesitate to intervene, but I think the right hon. Member perhaps has not understood that children with a modern hearing aid, for example, use an application on a smartphone, which cannot be put on to a brick phone. That necessitates having a smartphone in the classroom.

• 15 Apr 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

• 14 Apr 2026 · Point of Order · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was told by a journalist today that the members of the shadow Cabinet had visited my constituency this morning. I understand that they may have gone there to clean some graffiti off a privately owned wall, but while I am grateful for their efforts, I believe they are mistaken if they think that this altruistic act will in any way make up for the swingeing cuts in the budgets of my local authorities that took place on their watch. I received notifications from only two Conservative Members that they were visiting my constituency, and one of them was given after the event. May I seek your advice, Madam Deputy Speaker, on how I can find out exactly which members of the Shadow Cabinet visited my constituency this morning without following the required protocol of notifying me in advance of their visit?

• 25 Mar 2026 · Public Baths and Lidos · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making a heartfelt and moving speech in support of somebody who was clearly very dear to her, for which I commend her. I hope I have given her a little breathing space.

• 5 Mar 2026 · World Book Day · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. World Book Day is a collaboration between lots of different organisations across our communities, and libraries are central to that. This year, we mark the 30th anniversary of World Book Day, which was first celebrated in 1996. Although it was founded by UNESCO, it was based on an idea from Pere Vicens, a prominent Spanish publisher from Barcelona and a former president of the International Publishers Association. He and his colleagues were reacting to the notion, common in the early 1990s, that books would be obsolete within 25 years. Their idea was to promote the Spanish tradition of giving books and roses on St George’s day, 23 April. That date did not work so well in the UK, as it regularly clashes with the Easter break, so we mark World Book Day on the first Thursday in March—today, in fact. This year, World Book Day takes place during the Government’s National Year of Reading, which is supported by the National Literacy Trust and other partners. I pay tribute to the parents, carers, teachers, support staff, early years practitioners, librarians, bookshops, authors, illustrators, publishers and others across the country who support and facilitate the celebration of World Book Day in numerous and ingenious ways.

• 10 Feb 2026 · Inner-London Local Authorities: Funding · Hansard source

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  I am not going to give way during this very short summing-up. [Interruption.] I would say to him that listening to his impassioned pleas on behalf of inner-London boroughs does sound a little bit like the arsonist complaining that the fire brigade is not putting out the fire quickly enough. [Interruption.]

• 10 Feb 2026 · Inner-London Local Authorities: Funding · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The maths on temporary accommodation costs simply does not add up at the moment. I have more to say on that a bit later in my speech.

• 10 Feb 2026 · Inner-London Local Authorities: Funding · Hansard source

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  There are different ways of looking at the analysis and I am sure that the Minister will speak in detail on the way that the Government have apportioned funding based on the formula. The reality of the settlement as finalised yesterday is undoubtedly that our councils are in a very stretching situation indeed, and that could lead to difficult situations ahead. One of the areas where the Government could really help our councils is by looking at the costs that they have to bear as well as the resources that they have to meet those costs. I will come on to make some of those points in a moment.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Care Leavers · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate. Care leavers need support; they need the state to deliver for them when family is sometimes not there in the way that it is for many young people. Does she agree with me and my Select Committee that we need to iron out the differences in support for care leavers across the country and that we should have a national offer for care leavers so that they can rely on support wherever they are in the country?

• 15 Sept 2025 · Children with SEND: Assessments and Support · Hansard source

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  My speech will turn to some of the points that the hon. Member raised. I will not give way to further interventions, because many Members want to speak and it would eat into their time. The Committee spent eight months examining evidence and hearing in person from a wide range of witnesses, including children and young people with SEND. I put on record my thanks to every person who took the time to submit evidence or who gave evidence to us in person. We also travelled to Ontario in Canada and within the UK to look at examples of good practice. We will publish our report later this week, so I cannot speak about its content today, but I am very much looking forward to sharing it with everybody. I began the inquiry with only a sense of the overwhelming difficulty of the challenge, but at the end of it I am convinced that meaningful reform of the SEND system is possible and deliverable.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  Children are being starved and shot in front of our constituents’ eyes. They are watching illegal settlers systematically and strategically undermine the Palestinian state. It is not that there is a risk of international humanitarian law being broken. International humanitarian law is being broken in front of our eyes, on an hourly and daily basis. Our constituents are asking what this Government are doing to stop it, and they are asking that because it is unbearable and they can see that the current approach is not working. We were promised more action weeks ago, but today we are still not seeing more action, so what are the Government are doing to secure accountability under international law, and when will they recognise the state of Palestine?

• 16 Jul 2025 · Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life · Hansard source

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  I agree with the hon. Gentleman. Over my 10 years in this place, I have seen how it has become harder and harder for families to get resources and accountability out of the Child Maintenance Service. I agree that there is further work to do in that space, and I am sure the Government are similarly aware of the challenges.