Jessica Morden MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 10 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. Like other hon. Members from south Wales, I regularly hear from constituents with relatives in Parc Prison of their concerns about safety, the state of the facilities and the difficulty of getting medication and mental health support. I know the Victims Minister—the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones)—and the Prisons Minister visited on Thursday, and I thank them for being proactive, because this has been going on a long time. Can the Minister report back on what the management are doing to improve things?

• 9 Dec 2024 · Fireworks: Sale and Use · Hansard source

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  I appreciate the opportunity to take part in what is obviously a wildly popular debate, and will therefore make a short contribution on behalf of the 181 constituents in Newport East who have signed the petitions as well as the 130-plus who have been in touch on social media. I apologise profusely that I cannot stay till the end of the debate as I will be chairing the parliamentary Labour party meeting, and I thank you, Sir Edward, for allowing me to do that. Like others, I have been a regular contributor to fireworks debates over the years. This year I am very proud to be a supporter of the Fireworks Bill, a private Member’s Bill promoted by my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen). She does absolutely great work on the subject, and I wish her much success with her Bill. I take part in these debates with a bit of a heavy heart, because from my youth, which was a while ago, I have very happy memories of bonfire night, as my late and very lovely dad would insist on fireworks in our back garden. It is fair to say he very much liked risk and hated organised fun of any kind, so we never went to displays. I therefore understand why people enjoy fireworks, and I acknowledge that many people use them responsibly and that there are enforcement measures for those who do not. However, the days of a small tin of fireworks in the back garden are long gone, which is why constituents have a keen and passionate interest in this issue and regularly raise it with me. Fireworks are bigger, louder and more powerful than ever before and are easily available from unlicensed vendors. As the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) said, fireworks season now seems to last through autumn and winter. I agree with all the points that he made. This is distressing for animals. For constituents who are veterans with PTSD, it is difficult. The antisocial use of fireworks impacts on children and teenagers, and staff in A&E have to deal with fireworks-inflicted burns. This is a seasonal debate, and we return to it every year. Constituents report having fireworks thrown at them at bus stops, animals being too traumatised to go out, the terrorising of livestock, fireworks being put through letterboxes, and more. As one constituent put it, “a generation that can’t smoke but can buy mini bombs seems bizarre”. I pay tribute to the partnership work of the council, the police and the fire service in Newport East on big nights such as firework night and new year’s eve. It is much appreciated in our communities. The vast majority of the constituents who have been in touch with me in recent weeks want fireworks to be allowed only for organised displays. I recognise their concerns, and I fully support the efforts of my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North to restrict the sale of fireworks to licensed shops, lower the noise limit to 90 dB and remove the loudest fireworks—F2 and F3—from sale. Finally, I want to give a big thanks to the police for their enforcement work. Let us make their lives and those of overstretched local authority officers easier by looking again at the legislation.

• 9 Dec 2024 · Fireworks: Sale and Use · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that contribution. He proposes some sensible measures, which I am sure my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North will talk about. It is time that we look again at the legislation so we do not keep returning to these debates year after year. People should not live in misery, so it is time we tackled this issue.

• 27 Nov 2024 · World AIDS Day · Hansard source

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  I apologise for intervening so early. Quite rightly, there will be many important policy asks in this debate, but on the point that my hon. Friend raises, can we take a moment to pay tribute to the grassroots campaigners who have been part of the history of the fight against HIV and AIDS? I am hugely privileged to have Martyn Butler, the co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust, as a constituent. He used his own home phone line as the first helpline for AIDS. As my hon. Friend rightly points out, we should pay tribute to those people.

• 27 Nov 2024 · E-scooters (Review and Awareness ) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move that leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Secretary of State to commission and publish a review of the legislation and guidance relating to e-scooters; to place a duty on the Secretary of State to promote public awareness of legislation relating to the use of e-scooters; and for connected purposes. Almost two years to the day since I brought the first debate to this House on the antisocial use of e-bikes and e-scooters—it is quite pertinent to be following the statement on respect orders, and I too would be interested in having a trial area; just getting that in there—I am introducing this Bill today to highlight an issue of much concern to the many constituents in Newport East who frequently raise with me the antisocial and sometimes dangerous use of e-scooters and e-bikes. I would like to thank those residents and Newport councillors, particularly in hotspot areas in my constituency, for talking to me about this. As we have all seen, the landscape on our roads has changed dramatically over recent years. The use of e-scooters has exploded—it was estimated last year that e-scooter ownership is now close to 1 million in England alone—but legislation has just not kept up with this trend. Our legislation is years behind that of other countries. The Bill is about asking the Government to address that quickly—I know that there have been positive moves in that direction—and, particularly as we approach Christmas, when many people may be tempted to buy them as presents, to remind potential buyers of the law. It is fair to say at the outset that there is clearly a place for e-scooters in the transport mix. They can play a positive role in increasing transport choice while reducing pollution and congestion. They are particularly important for young people with lower spending power and car ownership. As one of my constituents put it: “I use one as a disabled person as I find it easier than a mobility scooter. I am reluctant to go out and about more for fear of losing it. It’s a cheap form of transport for the low paid and safety will only improve with legislation”. However, for many, e-scooters are a source of great anxiety. As I said earlier, many people have raised this with me, including local scout groups and others. Recently, I asked constituents more widely for their thoughts, and here are some of their quotes. One said: “Some of the people riding these scooters and e-bikes have no regard for other people or the elderly”. Another said: “The majority ruin it for the few that use them correctly. They are frequently used for blatant drug running and by people who have zero concern for pedestrian or driver safety.” An older resident of nearly 75 told me of her experience of nearly getting knocked over while walking her dog. She said that it really frightened her, while another said: “My boy is a full-time wheelchair user. I have lost count of the amount of times we have nearly collided with e-bikes and scooters travelling at speed” on pavements. Another resident said that “unfortunately...they are often used for drugs runs. Riders have masks over their faces and cut over the roundabout at the bottom of Somerton Bridge with no due care and attention to other drivers and pedestrians.” Of course, we should also consider the impact on the visually impaired, which is often highlighted by the Royal National Institute of Blind People. I have mentioned this in a previous debate that I held on the matter. Those complaints are from constituents who live in Newport, where e-scooter use is illegal, because e-scooter usage is only legal on our roads and cycleways as part of a public hire scheme where a trial is taking place. Trials have been running in locations across England since 2020, but there are none that I know of in Wales and Scotland, where I believe there was a lack of consultation by the last Government with the devolved Governments. There are currently 19 locations where trials are active. If someone hires a scooter as part of a trial, there are restrictions on weight and on speed, with a maximum of 15.5 mph, and the scooter has to have lights. The person has to have a valid driving licence and the hire scheme operator must have a motor vehicle insurance policy. They must meet those legal requirements. Beyond these hire schemes, however, while the sale of e-scooters is legal, the use of a privately owned e-scooter on public land, including roads, pavements and cycle routes, is illegal and can lead to prosecution. Despite this legal position, sales have rapidly increased. The problem is that because they are unregulated there are no limits on speed, with some for sale online capable of being tampered with and reaching up to 60 mph; there is no requirement for them to have lights, sound or any audible alert system; there is no requirement for people to wear helmets; there is no available insurance or requirements around their maintenance; and there are no restrictions on their weight, with some e-scooters reported to weigh up to 70 kg. These are clearly not toys, and when collisions occur, victims can face serious injuries. It is the Motor Insurers Bureau that picks up the bill for any compensation, thereby pushing up motor insurance premiums for all. In 2023, the year for which the most recent figures are available, there were almost 1,300 collisions involving e-scooters, and six deaths. I know that this issue has been raised with many hon. Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (Tahir Ali), who had a particular issue involving an accident recently. There is also the issue of toxic lithium battery fires, with an e-bike or e-scooter fire occurring once every two days in London in 2023. As the Minister said in a Westminster Hall debate before the election, they are often the result of unregulated e-scooters, bought from retailers abroad, that fail to meet UK safety standards. On that point, I strongly welcome the Government’s commitment to introduce the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to address this fire risk. I also welcome confirmation this week from the Home Secretary and Ministers regarding the implementation of Labour’s manifesto pledge to strengthen the law around vehicles used for antisocial behaviour so that they can be seized when such behaviour occurs without the police having to go through a lengthy process of issuing multiple warnings that delay action. I very much want to thank Gwent police, which is doing what it can in tough circumstances to crack down on this. It has had success in seizing a number of e-scooters and e-bikes engaged in antisocial behaviour and criminality, particularly drug dealing. The penalties can include confiscation, £300 fines, six points on a driving licence and a criminal record. Gwent police has also taken the lead with social media campaigns around Christmas, but I would welcome more back-up from the Department for Transport and the Home Office on enforcement and public awareness campaigns, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. This very much forms part of today’s Bill. Buying e-scooters online is easy. Just a cursory search brings up well-known high street retailers that display reasonably prominent disclaimers but then go on to describe the e-scooter as “the perfect fit for daily commuting”, and state that you can “get wherever you need without hassle”. Lesser-known retailers often hide the disclaimers, or do not have one at all, and sell e-scooters capable of reaching 40, 50 and even 60 mph. As well as raising awareness about the current law, I am asking the Government to review where we are now, after nearly five years of trials, with a view to legislating. Trials are just that: they are tests. In 2022, the last Government promised to introduce a transport Bill, but it never came, and e-scooter trials were extended earlier this year, before the election, for a fourth time to May 2026. This leaves us as one of the last few European countries not to have legislated on this. I therefore welcome the Secretary of State committing just a fortnight ago to look ahead for opportunities to introduce this much-needed and long-overdue legislation. In considering their options, I know that Ministers will hear and consider the experiences and recommendations of key stakeholders, including the police, who are currently looking at stricter penalties and restrictions on sales and imports, and Sustrans, which is asking for tighter regulation of e-scooter construction and specifications such as speed, weight and safety requirements, as well as co-operation to solve pavement parking issues. It is on the basis of those experiences, suggestions and of course the trial data that my Bill asks that the existing legislation and guidance be reviewed, and public awareness be raised to provide a clear, settled and long-term legislative solution to the challenges as well as the opportunities that e-scooters present, so that we can make our roads safer for riders, pedestrians and other road users. I urge colleagues to support it. Question put and agreed to . Ordered, That Jessica Morden, Gill German, Mr Alex Barros-Curtis, Catherine Fookes, Tonia Antoniazzi, Ruth Jones and Steve Witherden present the Bill. Jessica Morden accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 14 March 2025, and to be printed (Bill 140).

• 25 Nov 2024 · Speaker’s Statement · Hansard source

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  Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. As chair of the parliamentary Labour party, I echo the tribute made by the Prime Minister and send our thoughts and love to John’s family. At the PLP meeting tonight, we will have a chance to reflect on his enormous contribution to the country and the party. As a former Labour organiser, I can tell the House that he was beloved by our members. They would move mountains in Wales to go and see him, although he himself said: “When I do die, after 50 years in politics, all they will show on the news is 60 seconds of me thumping a fellow in Wales”, The many, many tributes over the weekend rightly reflected his immense contribution to the country, which should never be underestimated: his drive to improve council housing; his championing of the minimum wage; his leadership on climate change—climate action before it was a thing. A true socialist and thoroughly authentic, he cared only about making people’s lives better. To go back to that punch, there are many others here today who were close friends with John, or who worked with him and knew him far better than me; we were, however, connected by one event, for I, as a youngish general secretary of the Welsh Labour party, organised his visit to Rhyl—clearly not very well, although he never seemed to hold it against me, and he did not get me sacked, which was an enormous relief at the time. There is so much that I could say about that day. He was a trooper. He went back inside immediately after the punch and did this rather strange comedy show at the Little Theatre, but I will not test your patience, Mr Speaker. The definitive guide is in Matt Forde’s podcast with Martin Angus, which I would recommend to all Members. For those of us in the background of the footage, it never goes away. Although John was right that the clip has been shown again a million times over the weekend, his legacy was always far bigger than a GIF. He will be much missed by our big Labour family.

• 18 Nov 2024 · RFA Sir Galahad Bombing · Hansard source

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  2. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of publishing all board of inquiry documents on the bombing of RFA Sir Galahad.

• 18 Nov 2024 · RFA Sir Galahad Bombing · Hansard source

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  Falklands veterans from the Welsh Guards, including my constituent Mike Hermanis, continue to campaign to uncover the truth behind the attack on the Sir Galahad in June 1982. I know that the Minister is already working on this, but with time marching on, will he agree to meet not only me, but colleagues and, crucially, veterans from the campaign to discuss releasing the remaining documents from the board of inquiry so that those veterans and the families of those who died can finally get to the truth?

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I will not be drawn on that particular question, but I reflect on the fact that we have a partly proportional system in Wales. Chartism was a movement based not on ideologies or theories, but on the sense of disconnect between the lives and unaddressed struggles of working people, and the lives of those purporting to represent them. The Chartists’ demands were simple: that all men—men—over 21 had the vote; that voting should take place by secret ballot; that constituencies should be of equal size; that Members of Parliament should be paid; that the property qualification for becoming a Member of Parliament should be abolished; and that parliamentary elections be held every year—gulp! The Chartists put together a petition to Parliament with those demands in June 1839. The petition travelled to organised branches and meetings across the country, gathering 1,280,000 signatures. It ended up measuring almost 3 miles.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I am so glad that my hon. Friend managed to mention the Birmingham Political Union; it was in my original draft, but I knew that with interventions I would not have time to mention it. I agree wholeheartedly with his points. Despite all the Chartists’ efforts, the first petition was rejected by 235 votes to 46, leading to fury and unrest across the country, including in Newport. In November of that year, John Frost, a draper, town councillor, magistrate and briefly the mayor of Newport, led thousands of Chartist sympathisers from across the south Wales valleys on a march down to Newport. The Chartists marched in three columns from three directions—one from Blackwood, one from Nantyglo and another from Pontypool—with a plan to take the town at dawn. Scuppered by heavy rain, a planned meeting in Rogerstone was delayed, and Jones and his men from Pontypool never arrived. As a result, the final march into Newport happened in daylight hours, with the men arriving at around 9.30 am. As actor Julian Lewis Jones told Newport marchers on Saturday night: “Uncertain of what awaited them. They faced muskets and bayonets, the cold sting of the night, and the looming threat of death. Even in the face of all this, they marched. They marched because they believed in something greater than themselves: the right of every person to be heard, the right to shape their own destiny...the right to vote. Stories of their journey are few and far between, but we know it was wet and cold. Their boots squelched on the waterlogged ground, their rain-soaked coats clinging to weary shoulders. Each of these men were ordinary people: miners, farmers, artisans, labourers—driven by their cause.”

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend in commending Les James; I spent much of Saturday afternoon with Chartist historians, and it is great that she mentions Les. On the way down through the Gwent valleys and to the town centre, some of the Chartists were arrested and detained at the Westgate hotel in the centre of Newport. This spurred on Chartists from the nearby industrial towns, many of whom were armed, with the intent of freeing their fellow Chartists.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I ought to make some progress so that the Minister has time to speak. We are proud of our Chartist heritage in Newport. It is always moving to join political colleagues from across Newport, and constituents of all ages and backgrounds, for the annual commemoration. This year was no different. After a day of events in Newport’s city centre last Saturday, and the annual Chartist convention at the cathedral, which I had the pleasure of chairing in the afternoon, more than 1,500 people joined the Newport rising march, flaming torches held high—they are quite scary—following in the footsteps of the Chartists, from Belle Vue Park down Stow Hill to the Westgate, before heading to a night of Chartist-themed performances from Reality Theatre at The Cab and a night of live music at the Corn Exchange with Adwaith. The Newport rising festival is a real highlight of Newport’s calendar. Huge thanks to the Newport rising group, particularly David Daniel, Melinda Drowley and the Our Chartist Heritage charity for their work in putting the programme together. It seems to grow every year, and the group has a permanent hub now in our city centre, but the Chartist heritage belongs not just to Newport. There is a mini-exhibition of Chartist history in the corridor on the way to the Public Gallery, which includes a photograph of John Frost taken shortly after his return to the UK from Australia after having been pardoned. I echo the call by the late, great Paul Flynn, the former Member for Newport West, who regularly bemoaned the lack of representation of working-class and progressive movements and their history in this Palace. In a business question in 2011, he said: “Certain elements in our constitution are well represented in the Palace of Westminster with statues, portraits and stained-glass windows, but there is almost a total absence of memorials to progressive groups, such as the Chartists…that did so much to shape all that is best in our modern democracy.” —[ Official Report , 14 July 2011; Vol. 531, c. 496.] Perhaps we might take the opportunity of the 185th anniversary of the Newport rising to ensure that lesser-celebrated parts of our heritage are reflected among the many wonders across the parliamentary estate.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I agree, and I thank the hon. Member for making that point. This Government will respond to the struggles of working people, and will not duck the necessary but difficult decisions for fear of being unpopular. We will follow the example set by our Welsh Labour Government by extending the right to vote in all elections to 16 and 17-year-olds. If someone can leave school, work full time and join the Army, they can be trusted to have their say in the country’s future. This Government have already introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill to remove hereditary peers, because power should not be the inherent right of a select and aristocratic few. This Government will establish an independent ethics and integrity commission, strengthen the role of the independent adviser on ministerial standards, update the ministerial code, modernise and reform House of Commons procedures, ban MPs’ second jobs, address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules that prevent people from voting, and introduce an elections Bill. I am proud that the previous Labour Government brought in devolution to Wales and Scotland. It is significant that, for the first time in 14 years, we have a UK Prime Minister committed not to the failed Tory experiment of muscular Unionism, but to returning powers to those with skin in the game, so that we are more directly answerable and intimately connected to local people and their needs, and to a Labour Government in Westminster working with, rather than against, our Welsh Labour Government to deliver for the people of Wales. That is a big change. If the Chartists taught us anything, it is that Westminster does not always know best. I warmly welcome the private Member’s Bill of my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh North and Leith (Tracy Gilbert), which would bring consistency in voter registration by enabling the Welsh and Scottish Governments to allow online applications for proxy and postal votes in local elections. It would be good if the Minister gave more detail on the Government’s plan to strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wider participation. Our constituents would expect no less from the United Kingdom than for national and regional leaders to work together to change our country and build a better future. The establishment of the Council of the Nations and Regions is a welcome step to ensure that, while we are delivering on our commitments to push power out of Westminster, we do not repeat the mistakes of “devolve and forget”. Can the Minister reassure me that that new engagement framework will be regular and reliable and will not fade with time? On this 185th anniversary of the Newport rising, let us remember the legacy that those involved in it left us: a vote, a voice and, more than that, a vision—a vision for the future that challenges us to protect those freedoms and use them powerfully to confront injustice, build unity and keep hope alive for all. Let us ensure that the new Labour Government carry forward the 19th century Gwent Chartists’ legacy in delivering those important reforms to make our democracy fit for the 21st century. As the Member for Newport East, I will be proud to support them.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I am sure that it does not. I will not be drawn into talking about the Welsh elections in tonight’s debate, but it is a system that has been devised by the Welsh Senedd and voted on, and I am sure that it is one in which people will be able to participate fully when the elections come in 2026. The message of the Chartists is more important than ever, especially today, on the eve of the US elections and amid global turmoil. We have witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, electoral uncertainty in Moldova, increasing threats to Taiwan from China, and more. Threats to democracy globally are manifesting in different ways but all combining to make people feel that politics and democracy cannot fix anything, yet having our say, from voting to engaging with our politicians, taking part in public consultations or demonstrating, matters and makes a difference. We live in a world where more people than at any time in history are able to have a say in who makes the rules. As all of us who sit in this place say, every vote counts and can make a difference. I know that the Foreign Secretary and his fellow Ministers will hold to account, and take action against, those who seek to cynically undermine and degrade the integrity of democracies around the world, including our own, and support those fighting to protect them. Closer to home, 185 years after the Newport rising, working people used those same hard-won rights this summer to return a majority of Labour MPs in each nation and region of Great Britain, delivering a Government determined to change our country. For the first time in 14 years, I am proud to be part of a Labour Government in Westminster who will, over the course of the next five years, deliver on our manifesto promises to double down on the Chartist legacy, to strengthen our democracy in the interests of working people, and to restore public trust in politics as a force for good.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention—I could not have put it better myself. I thank all the hon. Members who have turned up for the debate this evening. It seems to be quite popular for an Adjournment debate at 10 pm on a Monday night, and for that I am most grateful. The Chartist movement of the 1830s and 1840s was the first mass working-class movement and was born, in part, out of unhappiness with the Great Reform Act 1832. Passed on the third time of asking by the pro-reform Whig Government, the Act was limited in its ambition to extend the franchise, and ultimately left most working-class people still without the right to vote. The grassroots campaign behind the push for reform in the early 1830s included organised working and middle-class groups, who advocated for widening the right to vote to all tax-paying men and more. However, the campaign disbanded following the passage of the disappointing Great Reform Act. Those undelivered demands for reform would go on to form part of the “People’s Charter”, from which Chartism derives its name.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I thank my lovely hon. Friend and constituency next-door neighbour; I am coming to that point, and I absolutely agree with her. When the Chartists arrived at the Westgate, a firefight ensued between the marchers and soldiers deployed to protect the hotel. No one knows who fired the first shot. More than 20 Chartists were shot and killed with dozens more injured, and 10 of the bodies lie to this day in unmarked graves around the site of Newport cathedral. The three leaders of the Newport rising—John Frost, William Jones and Zephaniah Williams—were arrested, tried for treason, and sentenced to death. They had intended to inspire a domino effect of uprisings across the country, and they were regarded as working-class heroes and martyrs. Following outcry from the public, and even from the Lord Chief Justice, the three Chartist leaders’ death sentences were later commuted to transportation for life to Australia. Frost would eventually be unconditionally pardoned, receiving a triumphant welcome back to Newport on his return. He continued to campaign for democratic reform until his death in 1877. Eventually, five of the six demands set out in the “People’s Charter” were delivered. I am sure that parliamentary colleagues and our constituents alike will be pleased, following our experience of facing four general elections in nine years, that the sixth demand—the prospect of annual elections—was not carried forward.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Newport Chartist Commemorations: Strengthening Democracy · Hansard source

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  I am back, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am grateful to Mr Speaker and to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for having granted this debate on exactly the night when the Newport rising took place 185 years ago. It was a night on which thousands of working people from across the south Wales valleys marched on the Westgate hotel, in my constituency, in the fight for the vote and the right of ordinary people to have their voices heard. Earlier this evening, at Newport cathedral, the annual commemoration took place at the unmarked graves of ten of more than 20 chartists who lost their lives that night. I am grateful to my friend and parliamentary neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), for covering the other end of the M4 by being there tonight and having said some lovely things, I hear. The Newport rising was the last armed rebellion against authority in Britain. We are proud of our Chartists and proud of the role they played in shaping our modern democracy. I have called the debate tonight to honour the sacrifice of our local heroes, the Gwent Chartists, who remind us that the freedoms and democratic rights we enjoy today were secured by ordinary men and women. It comes on the eve of the United States’ election, when democracy feels fragile around the world and faith in politics in this country is low. It is incumbent on our new Labour Government to work to restore faith in politics through the way we act and in the reforms we propose.

• 23 Oct 2024 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme · Hansard source

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  I am really pleased to see these regulations return to the House. Although there is still much to do, it marks a significant milestone in ensuring that the Government deliver on their promise to work at pace to establish the IBCA and give it the necessary powers to start making compensation payments. As hon. Members have said, we need to do this to ensure that payments are made as quickly as possible to people who have waited far too long for justice already. I thank the Paymaster General for the sense of urgency that has characterised his work to progress this issue to date since returning to Government. I know that in that work he will have been mindful of the many stories of injustice from this long-running scandal. My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General, as my constituency neighbour, will know that my constituents, the Smiths, lost their son Colin to AIDS at just seven years old. Colin contracted it from infected blood from Arkansas prison, aged just 10 months. It emerged during the inquiry that Colin’s doctor knew about the infection risks associated with using imported blood treatments on children, but broke his own NHS department’s guidelines to do so anyway. Not only did the Smiths lose their very beloved son, but because of the stigma surrounding HIV at the time, the family were ostracised by the local community, harassed and abused, lost employment, and even had “AIDS dead” written in black paint alongside their house. That is why we are here today. There are so many stories. They illustrate why this is so important. When the final report of the infected blood inquiry was published, I said to the now former Minister that the Smiths wanted Colin to be remembered, and for “sorry” to turn into concrete action on compensation, without adding further to the decades of painful delay that so many victims have had to endure. Progress is clearly being made. My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General also knows that there are many questions that come up along the way. A lot of people are getting their information online. I agree that we need more information for affected families such as the Smiths. On their behalf, I reiterate that there is still much confusion among the affected community about what the regulations will mean for individual people making compensation claims. There is a bit of a feeling that compensation for bereaved parents is low. It would be really helpful if more could be done to explain how compensation will be calculated. It is also important that the Government engage on an ongoing basis with all the many charities who have been involved, as the IBCA has done. We should recognise —a point made by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan)—the massively important work that those charities have done to help the infected and affected. The charities do a fantastic job, but it is important to know from today exactly how families will be individually supported, and whether they might be offered caseworkers to get them through the process. Perhaps my right hon. Friend will say something about that. My right hon. Friend also knows that many of those affected, like the Smiths, have waited years for compensation. It is not just about the compensation; it is also about justice, but both matter. My right hon. Friend has announced previously that applications for interim payments to the estates of deceased infected people will open this month. Can he confirm when that will be? Could he also set out whether affected parents who are not the beneficiaries of an estate will be eligible for those interim payments? The Smiths also understand that those applications should be processed, and payments made, within 30 days. If my right hon. Friend would address that in his closing remarks, it would be great. The scheme, the system and the framework are clearly very complicated, as hon. Members have said. We should acknowledge that today and do as much as possible to help people through that process. My right hon. Friend talked about the second set of regulations to enable compensation payments to begin for those affected. Could he say more about the progress of the work being undertaken to that end, when he expects those regulations to be laid, and when he estimates applications will open? I think the date of 31 March was mentioned. It is vital that once the IBCA begins its work, applications are swiftly processed without unnecessary delay. Will my right hon. Friend talk about the resources available to support that? My right hon. Friend is obviously aware of the vital work of small charities and support groups to support those affected, like the Smiths. I echo the point raised by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East that those groups’ resources have been hugely stretched. It would be really helpful to know what funding might be available to enable such groups to continue their important work. I thank the Minister for his important work so far. I hope that we have future opportunities to keep raising these issues as the process continues, on behalf of those who have waited so very long for this. We need to get it right, but we also need to get it done.

• 16 Oct 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  The shadow Minister talked about taking responsibility, but will he take responsibility for the fact that for 14 years we had no industrial strategy, no steel strategy and endless steel Ministers? Labour Members begged to have any kind of strategy for steel. Therefore, the situation that this Government inherited just a few months ago is the responsibility of the previous Government.

• 16 Oct 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  It is, as always, a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I declare an interest as a member of the Community and GMB unions and as chair of the Community parliamentary group. I congratulate the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Richard Tice) on securing what I think is the first debate on steel in this Parliament. We have had many debates on steel during the Parliaments in which I have been here. I of course agree that the steel industry is of the utmost strategic importance to this country, our economy and our security, and we must cherish it. It is vital that we protect it. I draw the hon. Gentleman’s attention to the very active all-party parliamentary group for steel and metals-related industries, which has fought for our steel industry for many years. I hope he will take an interest in that group and play a constructive part in it in the months ahead. I chose to ask the Prime Minister my first question of this Parliament about steel and the need for the new Government, who I know are very serious about steel— we have inherited a very difficult situation—to work in partnership with businesses and trade unions to secure a transition that is right for the workforce and delivers economic growth. Because of our past, we in Wales know well that deindustrialisation can be devastating for our communities. In his reply to me the Prime Minister confirmed that he understands that we need our steel in this country and need it made in this country, and we are going to need more, not less. We need steel to deliver our green infrastructure. It is the duty of the Government to ensure that jobs, communities and people are not ignored in the transition.

• 16 Oct 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  The steel industry is important for many of our communities and, as we know, on average jobs in the industry pay more in the communities that really need them, such as mine in south Wales and my hon. Friend’s. I agree that our communities and the downstream industries that depend on steel should have a fair and just transition. I look forward to working on this issue with the new steel Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon West (Sarah Jones), and with the steel unions—Community, GMB and Unite—which stand up strongly for their workforce, have worked incredibly hard for their members, and understand the value of those jobs, as well as with the trade body UK Steel. For us in Wales, and clearly in Scunthorpe too, it has been an extremely challenging time for the steel industry. The deal for Port Talbot inherited from the last Government means support for the new electric arc furnace to secure the long-term future, but the closure of the blast furnaces means heavy job losses. The new Government’s deal is better than the plan announced by the last Government in September 2023—it sees improved redundancy packages and training, as well as more commitments on investment —but if this Government had been able to start negotiations even a year earlier, I have no doubt that they would have got an even better deal. Over the last 14 years, Members who represent steel communities, including my hon. Friend the Member for Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock), fought hard for investment and an industrial strategy for a fair transition—or simply for any kind of plan—from the Conservative Government, but we were fighting a Government who had no industrial strategy, just occasional sticking-plaster solutions. There was a revolving door in the Department that saw 12 steel Ministers come and go. That was a dereliction of duty that left the steel industry in an extremely perilous position. It was woeful neglect. I am pleased that the new Government acknowledge the scale of the challenge. Labour Members have never believed that decline is inevitable; we want to see the industry not just adapt but thrive. I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement that there is to be a steel strategy in the spring. I look forward to Members being part of it and to the Government giving us a long-term plan, which we have desperately needed. I am proud to have represented Llanwern steelworks as the constituency MP for almost 20 years. I pay tribute to the workforce and the trade union reps, who have been through phenomenally difficult times but are passionate and committed to what they do. We produce world-class products in Llanwern. Our automative steel is fantastic. I hope that the commitments on investment in Llanwern that the new Government secured in their deal with Tata will keep the site and its world-class workforce at the cutting edge of steelmaking. Llanwern is a living example of the potential that investment and innovation can bring to our industrial heartlands. In recent months it has reached a new output record of 14 kilotonnes in a week, following the introduction of new technology on the ZODIAC—zinc and other developments in alloy coatings—galvanising line. I come to my asks. UK steelmakers need competitive electricity prices. As I have said many times in debates on steel over the years, they pay 50% more than competitors in France and Germany, and that adds £37 million to UK steel electricity costs. Will the Minister address that when she responds to the debate, and at least commit to tracking the disparity between countries? We must address the issue of the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism. UK Steel asks that we move forward the implementation in line with the EU, which is implementing it in 2026, lest displaced steel from the EU flood into the UK. With steel safeguards expiring in 2026, we must work with the industry to address the issue of global overcapacity. This year alone, China is expected to export 100 million tonnes of steel—equivalent to the entire UK steel supply for 13 years. That is a significant threat with the potential to impact any Government support for the industry elsewhere. I also hope that procurement will be at the heart of the steel strategy. With this Government’s ambitions for house building, new energy projects, wind turbines, and offshore and onshore wind, we will need lots of steel. Let us make sure that it is UK steel. Steel is vital to any climate solution, and steelworkers themselves accept the need to decarbonise, but they need to partner with a Government who are committed to a just transition. I know that with this steel Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon West, we can all work together to ensure that.

• 16 Oct 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 11 Sept 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the steel industry in Wales.

• 11 Sept 2024 · Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  I know that my right hon. Friend will serve Wales admirably in her new role. Llanwern steelworks in Newport is a key strategic site that manufactures world-class automotive steel and more, and it has so much potential. We all await the statement later, but can she outline what she has been doing, alongside the Department for Business and Trade, to secure future investment in Llanwern as part of ongoing discussions with Tata?

• 11 Sept 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  The UK steel industry needs a serious Government who work in partnership with both businesses and trade unions to secure a transition that is right for the workforce and delivers economic growth in Wales. We know that deindustrialisation can be devastating for communities, so can the Prime Minister tell me how the Government are safeguarding jobs and securing the future of steelmaking communities like ours for generations to come?