Jessica Toale MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 1 Sept 2025 · Borders and Asylum · Hansard source

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  This summer, my community has been deeply divided by misinformation about asylum hotels and local crime rates. This has been exploited by parts of the national media and, frankly, Conservative and Reform politicians and local activist groups seeking simply to stoke fear. Like everyone on the Labour Benches, I stood on a manifesto to end hotel use, so can I thank the Home Secretary for getting on with the job of restoring order to our asylum system to address the chaos left by the previous Government? Can she reassure my constituents that we remain committed to tackling the vile organised crime gangs that drive the boats, to clearing the asylum backlog to give those who are seeking asylum the chance to restore their lives here and give them certainty, and to ending hotel use in communities like mine and across the country?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Infected Blood Inquiry: Additional Report · Hansard source

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  The Minister knows that I have raised the case of my affected constituent Ronan, whose mother Jane died from hepatitis C after a blood transfusion she was recommended following an ectopic pregnancy. I welcome the announcement on the affected estates, but when will the affected, particularly parents and partners, be invited to start their claims? Many have been waiting decades for justice and are concerned that they will not see it in their lifetime.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Victory over Japan: 80th Anniversary · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to the father of my constituent Sally Hedges Greenwood, Lance Sergeant Frank Jeremy Hedges, who served in the 135th Field Regiment. He was captured at the fall of Singapore and served on the infamous Burma railway. While the nation celebrated VE Day and continues to do so every year, Sally’s family and many others like them feel forgotten. Does the Minister agree that these VJ Day celebrations will give those men and women and their families the honour they deserve?

• 15 Jul 2025 · Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. There are now more than 2,000 people with learning disabilities and/or autism detained across the UK in in-patient units similar to the one that Lauren was held in. They are often far from home, cut off from their families and placed in highly restrictive environments that frequently do more harm than good. Lauren’s case is heartbreaking, but it must also be a turning point, which is why Lindsey is campaigning for Lolly’s law and why I am bringing this campaign to the House today. Lolly’s law proposes four urgent reforms that could prevent future tragedies. The first is mandatory retraining for psychiatric professionals and support staff so that they have a proper understanding of how autism presents in girls and women. Too often those young women are misdiagnosed with personality disorders or wrongly pathologised.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered mental health support for women and girls with autism. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I am grateful to have secured this debate today to discuss a matter of deep importance for one of my Bournemouth West constituents, Lindsey Bridges, as well as the thousands of families across the country affected by the failings in our mental health and autism care system. I rise today not only as a Member of Parliament, but as a voice for Lindsey and her daughter Lauren, known as Lolly to her friends and family, who is no longer here to speak for herself. Lauren was just 16 when she died. She was a bright, compassionate young woman, and a straight A student who dreamed of being a doctor or a paediatric nurse. She was also autistic, and like many girls and young women with autism, she faced serious challenges getting the support she needed. In 2021, Lauren was detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. She was placed in an in-patient unit in Manchester six hours from her home in Bournemouth. As a result, her mental health deteriorated severely. In February 2022, Lauren went into cardiac arrest and died in that unit. Her mother Lindsey had begged for her to be moved closer to home, but her pleas went unheeded. This is not an isolated incident. Like too many others, she was let down by a system that promised care but failed in that promise.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  Clearly, we need better training across many of our institutional settings. This is in part where Lindsey has put together the training course, which I hope she will be able to discuss with the Minister at some point. Lindsey is also backed by the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Emotional Dysregulation Autism, the Abbey clinic and many other respected voices in this space. Let me be frank. The current system is failing young people with autism. The number of people in long-term institutional care remains stubbornly high. It fails to distinguish between autism and other mental health illnesses. It overuses restraint and seclusion and separates children from their families, often for extended periods. It is a system that punishes difference rather than supports it. It is indefensible. Families are exhausted. Parents like Lindsey are forced into campaigning roles they never asked for, because they have been let down so completely by the very institutions meant to protect their children.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. There are far too many families across the country left fighting for their children and, like Lindsey, having to take up campaigning roles, which are clearly exhausting. Will the Minister and the Government back Lolly’s law and commit to a formal review of autism diagnosis pathways for girls and women, with particular attention paid to those currently diagnosed with personality disorders? Will the Department of Health and Social Care mandate anti-ligature safety standards across all NHS and private health in-patient units, and develop specialist suicide and self-harm prevention teams in children’s in-patient care? If not, will the Minister consider piloting some of those schemes? Will she agree to meet Lindsey Bridges, hear her proposals directly and consider supporting the formal introduction of Lolly’s law as part of a broader strategy to transform in-patient care? Finally, will the Government review the current use of out-of-area placements and set targets for their reduction? Lolly’s law is not radical; it is responsible. It is about safeguarding and justice for those families. It is about listening, learning and delivering reform, so that nobody is failed again like this and no more lives are lost. It is within our power to build a system where care means connection, not containment, and one that understands autism rather than punishes or isolates those living with it. It would be a system where families are partners in care, not visitors trying to navigate a maze of red tape, and where features such as anti-ligature doors are not considered nice to have but essential. Lindsey’s courage in the face of unimaginable loss is truly moving. I am here to stand beside her in calls for change. Lauren should still be here and we owe it to her and every young person like her to build a system that sees, supports and safeguards every child, not just in words but in actions.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  It is obvious that women tend to mask symptoms of autism more and that they present very differently from men. Our medical system is not set up to properly diagnose it in women. The second proposal of Lolly’s law is a reassessment of personality disorder diagnoses where autism might be missed. There needs to be a national reassessment programme to identify cases of misdiagnosis and provide appropriate support for those affected. The evidence already shows that where female in-patients are diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and/or eating disorders and are reassessed for autism, 100% of them receive a diagnosis for autism. Thirdly, specialist suicide prevention and self-harm teams must be available in all mental health units for vulnerable young people. These should be multidisciplinary teams trained specifically in females with autism. Finally, anti-ligature doors and safety infrastructure must be mandated across all in-patient mental health facilities. These are basic safeguards that can and do save lives. Lindsey has set up a petition for Lolly’s law, which has already gathered 225,000 signatures—clear proof of the public demand for action. She has also developed a training course for child and adolescent mental health services professionals, solicitors and others involved in mental health decision making, which has been positively received by those who have seen it.

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

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  I thank the Secretary of State and her Department for rightly putting a spotlight on the early years. Before coming to this place, I led a global campaign to ensure that early childhood development was included in the UN’s sustainable development goals, and I worked with the late, great Tessa Jowell to highlight the UK’s global leadership on this subject. It is great to see a Labour Government stepping back into that leadership role, because we know that early interventions are critical, especially for children with additional needs. On that point, will the Secretary of State confirm how SEND provision will be embedded in Best Start family hubs to support parents and children in my Bournemouth West constituency?

• 3 Jul 2025 · Access to Sport for Young People: Dormant Assets Funding · Hansard source

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  10. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of dormant assets funding on access to sport for young people in Bournemouth.

• 3 Jul 2025 · Access to Sport for Young People: Dormant Assets Funding · Hansard source

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  The Henry Brown centre in West Howe, in my Bournemouth West constituency, runs a range of activities for the community, including the Changes Are Made boxing club, which provides positive sport activities for local young people and aims to raise awareness about the dangers of knife crime. Like many community centres and clubs, it would like to expand but struggles to find the funds to do so. Will the Minister tell me how CAM and the Henry Brown centre can access the dormant asset funds to expand the amazing work that they are doing in the local area?

• 3 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  On Monday, around 300,000 people visited Bournemouth beach, many from out of area. The vast majority were there to enjoy the good weather and our fabulous beach, but others came with the explicit aim to start fights and cause general disorder which resulted in three of our police officers being assaulted. It is completely unacceptable that people treat our town with such flagrant disrespect. It has caused great worry in the local community and I know that ours is not the only coastal community that feels dismayed at the additional pressure put on our police forces during the summer months, having to police vastly increased numbers of visitors without the people or the money to do so. Will the Leader of the House pass on my concern to the Home Secretary and consider time to debate how we can adequately address the issue of additional pressures, including looking again at the policing funding formula?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Ten-year Infrastructure Strategy · Hansard source

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  I was pleased to see that the creative and digital industries, financial services, and clean energy were all included as priority sectors in the Government’s industrial strategy. Those sectors have huge potential in my constituency of Bournemouth West. Focusing on the latter, as a fellow south-west MP, what assessment has the Minister made of the Dorset clean energy super cluster’s potential for growth, jobs and bringing people’s bills down, not just in Bournemouth West but across the region?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Ten-year Infrastructure Strategy · Hansard source

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  13. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 10-year infrastructure strategy on economic growth.

• 30 Jun 2025 · Welfare Reform · Hansard source

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  I welcome the clarity that my right hon. Friend has set out, particularly for existing PIP claimants and those with severe conditions, but my constituents who I met this weekend want to have an active part in designing the changes that affect them. Can she confirm that my constituents will be able to feed their direct lived experience into the PIP review?

• 26 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last Saturday, I launched the first Bournemouth town centre citizens panel, which brings together 50 local residents and the council to co-create an action plan for our town. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking the more than 250 people who applied, and the participants for their energy and ideas to restore pride in our town? Will she also consider making time to debate how we can support more meaningful engagement on the future of our town centres and high streets?

• 24 Jun 2025 · National Security Strategy · Hansard source

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  Unlike the right hon. Member for Tonbridge (Tom Tugendhat), I welcome the focus on science and technology in the national security strategy. A new innovation quarter is being developed in Talbot village and the local council aspires to be an AI growth zone, so will the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster tell me how this strategy will support growth and security in my constituency and across the south-west of England?

• 18 Jun 2025 · Banning Conversion Practices · Hansard source

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  14. What steps she is taking to ban conversion practices.

• 18 Jun 2025 · Banning Conversion Practices · Hansard source

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  I recently met representatives of Trans Liberation Bournemouth, who shared with me their anxiety about the Supreme Court ruling—a ruling that has caused not only confusion in their otherwise supportive workplaces, but distressing incidents for biological women who do not conform to traditional gender norms. What assurances can the Minister give my constituents that this Government are committed to ensuring that Bournemouth remains an open and welcoming place for our LGBT+ community?

• 12 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T6. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. A local manufacturer and a number of residents in my constituency have raised concerns that products, such as cosmetics or first aid kits, sold on e-commerce sites like Temu not only undercut local producers but may fail to meet high UK quality and safety standards. What is the Department doing to ensure that products sold by online retailers continue to meet high-quality UK trading standards?

• 9 Jun 2025 · Planning and Infrastructure Bill · Hansard source

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  I welcome the enhanced environmental protections in the nature restoration fund. My constituency of Bournemouth West has some unique heathland habitats, many of which are protected as sites of special scientific interest. They hold deep value for the local community, so can the Minister reassure me that these unique habitats will be protected as well under this Bill?

• 9 Jun 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  I have worked hard with Citizens Advice Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in my constituency to get pensioners on to pension credit. However, on the doorstep, I have met far too many people, especially single women, who are £10—or even £1—over the threshold for pension credit. I welcome the statement, and thank the Minister for listening to my constituents’ concerns about the threshold. Does he agree that this policy shows the difference between this Government and the previous one? This Government are doing what is necessary to get stability in our economy, what is fair to get money back into our public services, and what is right to protect the vulnerable in our society.

• 5 Jun 2025 · Free School Meals · Hansard source

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  Almost one in three children in my constituency live in poverty, and I know that going to school hungry is one of the biggest barriers to thriving not only in childhood but into adulthood, so I welcome the statement. Will the Minister confirm that this measure, along with free breakfast clubs and cutting the cost of school uniforms, will not only benefit family finances but improve school attainment, behaviour and learning outcomes?

• 5 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This week, my office has had to respond to several concerning incidents of misinformation regarding police investigations in my constituency. In one case, a national newspaper sought to sensationalise a very serious incident in which an officer was investigated for gross misconduct. In another, a false claim that a mugging was carried out by an asylum seeker, when in fact it was a British national known to police, was spread on social media. Does the Leader of the House agree that it is irresponsible to cast judgment on such serious issues without full knowledge of the facts, and will she consider granting parliamentary time for a debate on how we can tackle misinformation in our communities and ensure police can carry out their duties without such interference?

• 5 Jun 2025 · Police Presence on High Streets · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) on securing this important debate. We know that visible local policing is key to building trust between communities and the police service. It acts as a deterrent to crime, reassures the public, and enables officers to gather intelligence and respond quickly to incidents before they escalate. Just this weekend, I knocked on the door of Rob in Kinson, who said he was delighted to see two police officers walking down his high street and could not remember the last time he had seen that. I must admit to feeling the same sort of flutter of delight when I saw two officers walking down my high street in Winton, which is a big change. Significant cuts to police numbers over the past decade have hampered the forces’ ability to maintain that visible presence. Residents in Bournemouth West have told me repeatedly that they want to see more officers walking the beat and engaging with local businesses, young people and vulnerable groups, rather than arriving only after emergencies occur. Improving Bournemouth town centre has been a key campaign pledge of mine, and tackling crime and antisocial behaviour is absolutely a part of that. At recent residents’ meetings that we hosted, it was the No. 1 issue that residents told me they wanted us to tackle. It is important to recognise the positives—the successes and the progress. Violent crime is down 21% on last year in Bournemouth. That is because of hotspot policing, for which Dorset police has just received more funding, and innovative collaboration between businesses, the police and our council. My office is in the town centre, so I see this every day. However, perception remains a major challenge, and the successes in the town centre often come at the expense of some of our other district centres. Police presence is essential to changing that, but so is a joined-up strategy that includes investment in social services, youth provision and community support. Can the Minister therefore assure me that any new recruits will be properly trained and deployed in ways that maximise visibility in our high streets and community hubs, and that the Government will support forces in building stronger community relationships, especially in areas that have historically had mistrust as a result of under-policing? The Minister knows that I have raised this issue before, but I want to highlight the challenge of seasonality. Many of my colleagues in coastal constituencies will recognise that Bournemouth, like other places, experiences a huge surge in population over the summer months, with millions of people visiting our beaches and town centres, yet Dorset police receives no extra funding to cope with the seasonal increase in demand. What work is being done to adjust the police funding formula to reflect those seasonal pressures, which place significant strain on policing in my constituency? Only by working together—Government, police and communities—will we restore confidence in our high streets as safe and welcoming places for all.