Irene Campbell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 16 Dec 2025 · Online Misogyny: Victims · Hansard source

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  4. What steps his Department is taking to help protect victims of online misogyny through the criminal justice system.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Online Misogyny: Victims · Hansard source

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  My constituent Dr Sam Rice has set up a grassroots charity called Kids For Now, which supports parents who want to delay smartphones for their children. There is much evidence to support that approach. For example, Ofsted has found that 80% of teenage girls are put under pressure to provide sexual images of themselves, which often end up online. Does the Minister agree that the effect that online misogyny has on children must be tackled?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. Until the 1980s, my constituency of North Ayrshire and Arran was home to one of the world’s largest explosives factories, in Ardeer, Stevenston, which in its heyday provided employment for around 15,000 people. I welcome that Ayrshire has been identified as one of the 13 potential sites across the UK for new munitions and energetics factories. We would very much welcome another opportunity to support defence, either by expanding the munitions site at Beith or by welcoming a new facility. Can the Secretary of State confirm when the outcome of the successful sites will be announced?

• 9 Dec 2025 · Network Rail Timetable Changes: Rural Communities · Hansard source

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  The Largs to Glasgow line is a well-used service, especially in the more rural parts of my constituency. I have recently received many complaints from constituents on a range of issues: serious disruption with trains running late, being severely delayed, signalling issues and loss of power to the track. Does the hon. Member agree that that is just not good enough from the SNP Government, and that ScotRail and Network Rail must work together to ensure a timely and accessible service for all passengers, with a reliable timetable?

• 4 Dec 2025 · Devolved Administrations · Hansard source

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  17. What recent progress he has made on improving the relationship between the Government and the devolved Administrations.

• 4 Dec 2025 · Devolved Administrations · Hansard source

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  Does the Minister agree that with a Labour Government at Holyrood working with a UK Labour Government, constituencies like North Ayrshire and Arran could be much better off, because nuclear policy in Scotland could change and sites like Hunterston, which is currently blocked from investment by SNP policy, could be developed to support small modular reactors, bringing good jobs to the community and playing a key part in our energy supply?

• 3 Dec 2025 · Terminal Illness: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Mr Rand) for securing this important debate and for his excellent speech sharing Sarah and Mike’s experience. As a former manager in the NHS, I was shocked to read the recent report by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, which described how thousands of people with terminal illnesses spend their final months in poverty, and how the situation is particularly severe in North Ayrshire. In my constituency, high rates of socioeconomic deprivation worsen the quality of life for many people, let alone for those with a terminal illness. Sadly, people in their final months of life are experiencing not only health inequalities, but economic inequalities, exacerbating the need for good, timely and appropriate specialist mental health support. I recognise the excellent work undertaken by Ayrshire hospice, such as its community-based “living well” hubs and clinics. However, more must be done to support those in need of specialist mental health support, especially at such a traumatic time for not only the person, but their family, friends and wider circle. New figures from National Records of Scotland show that people in North Ayrshire have the lowest healthy life expectancy in Scotland, at 52.6 years for men and 52.5 years for women. That is about 14 years shorter than for people in areas with the highest healthy life expectancies, and it cannot be allowed to continue. The Mental Health Foundation stated in its manifesto recommendations for next year: “Scotland is in the grip of a public mental health emergency, characterised by lengthening waiting lists for diagnoses and treatment, extended absences from work and a mental health workforce stretched towards breaking point.” That situation makes it particularly challenging to focus on those with a terminal illness. Finally, it is important, when we speak about mental health support for those with terminal illnesses, that we recognise that it must be delivered in a timely and effective way, to ensure that people have the best support available at the most difficult time, when they absolutely require it.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I fully agree with that point. The director general of the World Health Organisation stated: “There are no fully-functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioning at all.” He also said: “If you take the famine and combine it with a mental health problem, which we see is rampant, then the situation is a crisis for generations to come.” The public health report of 13 November attributed the weakened healthcare system to ongoing attacks and resource shortages. The World Health Organisation also found that there is a chronic shortage of essential medical equipment and medicines. Additionally, ongoing fuel shortages in Gaza have restricted the mobility of humanitarian aid and healthcare workers. As we approach winter and the weather gets colder, the need for humanitarian aid is intensifying. The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that heavy rain has already affected over 13,000 households across the Gaza strip, including hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters. As time passes, the need for items such as tents, blankets and tarps will only increase. On 6 November, the United Nations stated that the Israeli authorities have rejected more than 100 requests to bring relief materials into Gaza since the ceasefire began. The UN further stated that: “Since 10 October, more than 6,490 MT”— metric tonnes— “of UN-coordinated relief materials have been denied entry into Gaza. Of these, over 3,700 MT were rejected on the grounds that the organisations were not authorized to bring relief items into Gaza.”

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  Some of what my hon. Friend has raised will be said later in this debate. As I said previously, it will be important to hear the Minister’s response to today’s debate. Humanitarian aid reaching Gaza has been intermittent, starting and stopping repeatedly. Since the ceasefire, only a fraction of promised aid has actually reached Gaza. I agree with the conclusion of the UN independent international commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which stated: “Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” On 22 August 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed that a famine is taking place in the Gaza governorate, and that more than half a million people face “catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.” It also found that restricted access to humanitarian and commercial supplies of food and other essentials was a key driver of famine, saying: “Since mid-March, access to both humanitarian and commercial supplies of food and other essential goods—including water, medicine, shelter and fuel—has remained critically restricted. A ‘tactical pause’ announced on 27 July failed to improve conditions as violence continued throughout the Strip—including airstrikes, shelling, and shooting.”

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for that intervention; I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response in relation to these points. As the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs notes, “UNRWA continues to be banned by Israeli authorities from bringing in food and other supplies into Gaza.” That further complicates matters, because it is important that aid is delivered by those trained to do so. Humanitarian aid is a specialist area, and organisations with experience cannot simply be replaced by others. We need co-ordination on access to aid to ensure that no single party has a monopoly or veto on what can enter Gaza. The UK is a leader on the world stage, and British citizens are simply asking that we use our position to influence what needs to be done. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response and I ask him to use the significant diplomatic and economic leverage that the UK possesses to do as much as possible to allow aid to those desperately in need and to alleviate suffering.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I thank Members who have contributed to this very important and significant debate today, and I thank the Minister for his response. As we have heard, the situation in Gaza is devastating. While the ceasefire offers some hope, and it must hold, it is important that we recognise that this cannot be the final step. Much more must be done. A significant increase in humanitarian aid must enter Gaza, and we must remember that the UK has a legal obligation to respect international humanitarian law. I thank the petitioner for creating this petition, and the almost 200,000 people who signed it and ensured that this debate took place today. Finally, I thank the Petitions Committee staff, who work tirelessly to brief and assist us in preparation for these petitions debates every week. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 700682 relating to humanitarian obligations and Gaza.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I agree with everything my hon. Friend says.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I agree with my hon. Friend. Importantly, the United Nations update noted: “Many international NGO partners continue to face difficulties in being registered in Israel, preventing them from bringing supplies into Gaza and operating at scale, and UNRWA continues to be banned by Israeli authorities from bringing in food and other supplies into Gaza.” That refers to the October 2024 vote by the Israeli Parliament that banned UNRWA from conducting any activity or providing any service in Israel, including the areas of annexed East Jerusalem, Gaza and the west bank. Another UN impact report found that, as of 5 November, 38% of households in the Gaza and north Gaza governorates relied on humanitarian aid as their primary source of food, and that figure was 54% of households in the Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates. Shockingly, it also found that more than 90% of children under two years old consumed fewer than two food groups a day, with high-protein foods and micronutrient-rich items extremely scarce. In his 20-point Gaza peace plan, President Trump specified: “Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip… Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party.” It is worth noting that the Prime Minister welcomed that news, adding: “This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.” Sadly, that has not happened. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement since 10 October, but I will highlight a case that constituents have written to me about. Just eight days into the ceasefire, the Israeli military fired on a civilian vehicle, killing members of the Abu Shaaban family—seven children and three women who were simply trying to check on their home. The areas still under Israeli occupation beyond the yellow line are not demarcated and, with limited internet access, civilians in Gaza may not know which areas are in or out of Israeli military control. Such cases show how crucial it is that aid reaches Gaza and that peace is allowed to come to the region. The July 2024 ruling of the International Court of Justice is key. The advisory opinion sets out various obligations in respect of third states, including the obligation to ensure that Israel complies with international humanitarian law. It is very important to consider the International Development Committee’s June 2025 report on its inquiry into UK humanitarian obligations, which states: “The UK has a legal obligation to both respect IHL and to ensure that it is respected in all circumstances”, and: “Once impartial humanitarian relief schemes have been agreed to, the parties (whether or not parties to the armed conflict) must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of these relief schemes, subject to their right of control.”

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for raising that important issue, and I fully agree with him. It is important to remember that this situation is fast moving and can change from day to day. The humanitarian aid reaching Gaza has been intermittent and has started and stopped repeatedly. It is vital to note that, since the ceasefire, only a fraction of the promised aid has actually reached Gaza.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 700682 relating to humanitarian obligations and Gaza. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. The petition was started in January 2025 and is titled “Urgently fulfil humanitarian obligations to Gaza”. It reads: “Act to ensure delivery of fuel, food, aid, life saving services etc. We think this shouldn’t be dependent/on condition of Israeli facilitation as the Knesset voted against UNRWA access to Gaza. We think if military delivery of aid, airdrops, peacekeepers etc, are needed, then all be considered. Israel does not agree to ceasefire and does not permit UNRWA access. We think the UK must find alternative means to deliver aid. We believe this must done urgently with urgent deadlines, with or without Israeli support.” The Government responded to the petition in August, noting that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification had issued an alert warning that the worst-case scenario—famine—was unfolding. They also noted that “All routes to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza are controlled by and must be approved by the Government of Israel.” And, therefore, the UK “has collaborated with regional partners on alternative routes for aid to get into Gaza, including air drops and a maritime corridor.” I believe that this conflict has touched many people across the world. I am sure that every Member in this room will have received high numbers of correspondence from constituents about the ongoing situation. I know this is a topic my constituents care about deeply, and I am proud to be representing their views, as well as those of the nearly 200,000 people who signed the petition.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting those important facts, and I agree with the points she raises. I was contacted by a constituent on Friday who said: “We are still not seeing enough food, medicine, tents or machinery required to clear roads, excavate bombed buildings to recover the dead, restore water and electricity and sewage treatment facilities being allowed through the Israeli blockade. I implore you to use all the influence you have to pressure the Prime Minister to at the very least publicly call out the atrocities that continue in Gaza.” I receive many emails with that sentiment. Since 7 October 2023, approximately 2,000 Israelis have been killed, including civilians and Israel Defence Forces soldiers, and more than 20,000 IDF soldiers have been injured. The Palestinian figures are as follows: almost 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza strip, and more than 170,000 have been injured. A UN impact report found that nearly 53% of those fatalities have been women, children and elderly people.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  I agree with the points made by my hon. Friend. I will be interested to hear the Minister’s response to this debate.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  As a former chair of North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, I was concerned to read reports that sexual assault and harassment of women and girls on trains has risen by more than a third over the past 10 years. That adds up to 2,661 incidents reported across England, Scotland and Wales last year, with one in 10 of them affecting children. Does the Minister agree that that cannot be allowed to continue, and that we must do more to tackle this shocking rise in violence against women and girls?

• 5 Nov 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  1. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

• 28 Oct 2025 · World Stroke Day · Hansard source

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  Currently, no Scottish hospital offers 24/7 emergency thrombectomy. For example, there is no night-time provision of mechanical thrombectomy, and in Glasgow emergency thrombectomy is available only Monday to Friday. There are severe gaps in the system. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is just not good enough?

• 13 Oct 2025 · Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling · Hansard source

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  I thank all Members and the Minister for their contributions to what has been an interesting debate on a very important issue. We have heard about the importance of biosecurity, testing regimes and finding an effective vaccine, about the effect on farmers financially and emotionally, and about differing scientific views. For me, the main message is that we need to move as quickly as we can, because over the years so many innocent animals have needlessly lost their lives because of bovine tuberculosis. I am obviously looking forward to an end to the badger cull, and I hope it comes sooner rather than later. The UK is often referred to as a world leader in animal welfare, and the new Labour Government have an opportunity to strengthen our standing. I look forward to the release of the animal welfare strategy and the implementation of the bovine tuberculosis strategy that will end the cull. I thank Robert Pownall, the creator of the petition, and his colleague Tom Langton at Protect the Wild, for meeting with me. I congratulate them on gathering more than 102,000 signatures. I also thank Sir Charles Godfray, the director of the Oxford Martin School; Ellie Ward at Wildlife and Countryside Link; and Neeve McGinty, Tori Morgan and Marianne Combe at the National Farmers Union for meeting me in preparation for this debate. Finally, I thank the Petitions Committee staff for their invaluable hard work and the support they gave me in preparing for this debate. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 700317 relating to Bovine Tuberculosis control and badger culling.

• 13 Oct 2025 · Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling · Hansard source

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  I note the hon. Gentleman’s comments. I still disagree with what the hon. Lady said. Bovine TB in cattle can be controlled by cattle measures alone, as predicted by the independent scientific group in 2007. Many are of the view that badgers are not the primary cause of the spread of bovine TB and that culling them is a cruel and ineffective way to tackle the disease. With all the aforementioned evidence, it is only fair to ask the Government to stop issuing new licences for culls and instead focus on non-lethal intervention.

• 13 Oct 2025 · Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling · Hansard source

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  I fully agree with my hon. Friend. It is time to catch up with countries with lower rates of bovine TB and to focus on similar biosecurity measures rather than cruel culls that kill hundreds of thousands of badgers as well as hundreds of thousands of cows. We know from the bovine TB rates in England that our current strategy is not working, and that targeting animals that make up the least number of transmissions cannot be the way forward. It is important for everyone that bovine tuberculosis is effectively tackled. Farmers and the Government are losing money, and cows and badgers are dying unnecessarily. New TB herd incidents have fallen by only 1% since the badger cull restarted in 2013, and innocent animals are continuing to die while nothing is improving. There should undoubtedly be more bovine testing, and we must consider options such as the development of the bovine vaccine and the increased roll-out of badger vaccination. In addition, there could be incentives for farmers to take part in such schemes, as well as to adopt enhanced biosecurity. The previous Government encouraged fearmongering around the role of badgers in spreading the disease, and I encourage this Government not to make the same mistake. Farmers must be supported throughout the strategy and the transition to new methods. If the next strategy is poorly implemented, we risk calls for badger culling to return. The Government said in response to the petition: “Existing cull processes will be honoured to ensure clarity for farmers involved in these culls whilst new measures can be rolled out. However, the government has decided that it will not be proceeding with the proposals drawn up under the previous government relating to targeted badger culling.” In the light of the evidence, I ask the Government to review and cancel all existing cull licences, such as those that Natural England set earlier this year. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response as to how a Labour Government will tackle bovine TB and, as a Labour MP, I urge us to follow our manifesto commitment to end the badger cull.

• 13 Oct 2025 · Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 700317 relating to Bovine Tuberculosis control and badger culling. It is a privilege to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. The petition is titled “End the Badger cull and adopt other approaches to bovine TB control” and was created by Robert Pownall, founder of the group Protect the Wild. The number of signatures has reached more than 102,000, which is a great achievement. The petition states: “The Government’s TB Eradication Strategy allows the continued killing of badgers, a protected species, until the end of this Parliament, despite the Labour manifesto calling the cull ‘ineffective.’” It goes on: “We believe the badger cull is unjustified and must end…We call for an immediate end to the cull and the implementation of cattle focused measures to control bTB, rather than what we see as scapegoating wildlife.” It is important to note that badgers have been part of the British Isles for at least 250,000 years, and their presence is integral to maintaining our ecosystem balance. Bovine tuberculosis has had a terrible impact on the English countryside, wildlife and farmers. In the past 10 years, 278,000 infected cattle have been ordered to be slaughtered and more than 230,000 badgers have been culled. I was surprised to learn that culled cows that are found to have one visible lesion can enter the food chain if the lesioned area is removed. Those with two or more lesions are deemed unsafe and cannot enter the food chain. Farmers receive compensation for the slaughtered cattle, and almost £23 million was paid out in 2024. As a side note, that may be something to consider in any future food-labelling schemes or policies, as I am sure many consumers would like to know whether they are eating a cow that had tuberculosis. On 30 August 2024, the Government announced the start of work on their new strategy to tackle bovine tuberculosis, and the goal of achieving the status of England being officially free of bovine tuberculosis by 2038. I look forward to hearing more about that from the Minister. One way to achieve that status is through an increase in vaccination. The Government said in their response to the petition that the “development of a cattle vaccine…is at the forefront” of their solutions. Field trials of the cattle Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine and the companion test to detect infections among vaccinated animals—which is often called the DIVA test—have been ongoing since June 2021. To increase the roll-out and coverage of badger vaccination the Government also plan to establish a new badger-vaccinator field force, which will go hand in hand with a study to analyse the effect of badger vaccination on the incidence of TB in cattle. It is important to note that the petitioner’s view is that vaccinating badgers is not the way forward as he believes it continues to push the belief that badgers are responsible for the spread of bovine TB, which he advises is not the case. As we will hear, scientific evidence such as that from Professor Mark Brewer backs up that position. However, groups such as Wildlife and Countryside Link believe that badger vaccination is a useful tool for replacing badger culling. Their opinion is that as studies show that the majority of infection is from cattle to cattle, some is cattle to badger and a very small minority is badger to cattle, the focus should be cattle based, whether in relation to testing or vaccination, with badger vaccination being a supplementary tool. The Badger Trust found that 94% of cases are spread from cow to cow and that more cattle were slaughtered in 2021 than in 2013, when the most recent cull started. Vaccinated badgers are also likely to be culled at times. Biosecurity is a fundamental approach to tackling bovine TB, but a survey of farmers carried out by the trust indicated that farm biosecurity was not widely employed by respondents. The next steps could, then, focus heavily on enhancing biosecurity. In fact, the updated Godfray bovine TB strategy review concluded: “As a decision has been made to phase out culling it is of great importance to develop effective non-lethal interventions to enable eradication, such as vaccination of badgers or reducing contact between badgers and cattle.” It went on: “An unfortunate consequence of the controversy around badger culling and the politicisation of the debate has been a deflection of focus from what can be done by the individual farmer and by the livestock industry to help control the disease. In particular, the poor take up of on-farm biosecurity measures and the extent of trading in often high-risk cattle is severely hampering disease control measures.” Relevant biosecurity measures include the timely testing of cattle to reduce the risk from cattle movement and the use of multiple forms of testing that combine sensitivity and specificity. Good husbandry—for example, maintaining robust perimeter boundaries, using double fencing and avoiding common grazing and shared watercourses—should also be encouraged. As a Scottish MP, I note that Scotland has had official tuberculosis-free status since 2009 and stopped badger culling in 2012. The Scottish Wildlife Trust states: “The decision to begin mass badger culling was made despite the results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial” between 1998 and 2005, “which concluded that ‘badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain’. The study found that reactive badger culling (culling badgers on and around farms with outbreaks of bTB) could actually increase incidences of bTB due to badgers that survive culling roaming beyond their usual range and therefore spreading bTB further”. Similarly, Wales stopped culling in 2021 and instead focused on cattle and transmission routes. A Veterinary Record study of the impact of badger culling on bovine tuberculosis in cattle in the high-risk area of England claims: “During the same period as this study, Wales achieved similar reductions in herd bovine TB incidence as England, through the introduction of improved bovine TB testing and other cattle measures, and without widespread badger culling. This suggests that bovine TB in cattle can indeed be controlled through cattle measures alone, as was predicted by the Independent Scientific Group in 2007.” In 2022, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency found that 17 countries in Europe were designated as free from bovine TB, yet only three countries used the licensed culling of wildlife: England, Ireland and some parts of France. Many are of the view that badgers are not the primary cause of the spread of bovine TB and that culling them is a cruel and ineffective way to tackle the disease. Given all the aforementioned evidence, it is only fair to ask the Government to stop issuing new licences for culls and instead to focus on non-lethal intervention.

• 13 Oct 2025 · Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention but I have to say that I disagree. The evidence is there for the badger cull to end immediately.