Jessica Toale MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Rental Auctions · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour from Poole for the intervention. I certainly hope that our local authority will take an ambitious approach and I am working very closely with it to help it to identify areas within Bournemouth town centre. BCP council has expressed concern about the cost of having to implement such measures, and the potential for expensive legal challenges it may face as a result. I would be grateful if the Minister would outline how we can mitigate some of those issues, and how the £1.5 million that has been set aside is intended to be used. I underline that this is a moment for action. The powers granted to local councils are a great step forward, but we need to ensure that the changes are not simply superficial. We must think about how we can make our high streets and the commercial offering work for everyone —for businesses, our communities and the economy as a whole. I will continue to champion the revitalisation of our high streets in Parliament; by working together, we can ensure that our high streets become the thriving, vibrant centres that they were always meant to be. It is fantastic to see my hon. Friends the Members for Bassetlaw (Jo White) and for Mansfield (Steve Yemm), and my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Lola McEvoy) was meant to be here as well. Their local authorities are also early adopters of the scheme. I look forward to hearing their contributions and to continuing this important conversation. I also encourage other Members to speak to their own local authorities and push them to join this initiative. We have a real opportunity to break the vicious cycles that I mentioned at the beginning of this speech, and to turn them into virtuous circles, where we fill our shops, increase footfall, reduce antisocial behaviour, and again build pride in our town centres and high streets across the country.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Rental Auctions · Hansard source

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  Yes, these auctions are a promising step forward and could be transformational for many towns across the country. I will come on to the local authority points in a moment. The auctions require landlords to lease properties within a certain timeframe, preventing them from leaving spaces empty for years on end. The time restriction of 365 days in a 24-month period will help to tackle the persistent problem of vacant properties, which is a huge opportunity for communities such as mine in Bournemouth West. By enabling councils to take action, we can reintegrate those spaces into our high streets and bring them back to life. However, it is crucial that we think about the long-term sustainability of this approach. I have been assured by landlords and agents in my constituency that there is a genuine desire to fill empty commercial properties, but business rates, antisocial behaviour and even parking charges constitute barriers, so to landlords it is important to say that the approach should be a tool of last resort. It is clear that such measures should be used only once a genuinely collaborative and good-faith approach between landlords and councils has been exhausted. The auctions should be seen in the context of other measures to which this Government have committed, ranging from supporting small businesses and tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in our town centres to the long-term reform of business rates. I am pleased that we are making progress on all these issues. High street rental auctions are not just about filling vacancies. They are about creating vibrant, sustainable environments for businesses, residents and visitors alike, so can my hon. Friend the Minister provide assurances that high street rental auctions will not see our high streets filled with more vape shops and American candy shops? [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] They can often be fronts for money laundering and other criminal activity. Additionally, we need to ensure that our local authorities have the resources and capacity to manage these changes.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Rental Auctions · Hansard source

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  The story my hon. Friend tells about the shop in her constituency is one that I am sure many of us recognise from our own. High street rental auctions can have a transformative effect in many towns around the country, and I will come on to that. Despite the challenges we face, Bournemouth has much potential and so much to offer. Its beach was recently rated the 12th best in the world by Tripadvisor users. It has amazing examples of heritage architecture just waiting to be repurposed. If we were to design the town of the future, it would have the beautiful gardens that run like a central artery through our town, connecting the beach to the town hall. I am pleased to say that there are lots of green shoots to celebrate. Bobby’s, in the Square, has been repurposed into a multi-use space, including Patch, a collaborative workplace for small businesses and start-ups. That has huge potential to serve as a community hub, hosting local events—including one that I am hosting next week on women’s safety in the town centre—and providing support to new entrepreneurs. The former House of Fraser building is also being converted, into student accommodation, and its large commercial space is being converted into smaller units, making them more accessible to a wide range of businesses. The Ivy has arrived. Home-grown businesses such as Bad Hand Coffee and Naked Coffee have transformed unused spaces and are supporting an ecosystem of retail and hospitality. We have a burgeoning tech and creative industries sector, supporting the town and making use of the talent coming out of our world-leading universities and colleges. I will also namecheck Trove, Calabrese, Revival café and Brazilian Snacks. They are all local businesses making an outsize contribution to our high street. I encourage as many of my local residents as possible to rediscover and to champion all the good things that are happening in Bournemouth. However, the scale of the challenge is still enormous. For too long, Governments have left it to the market, which has seen the managed decline of our high streets. To tackle that challenge, we require urgent action, collaboration between central and local government as well as the private sector, and creativity in how we imagine our high streets and town centres of the future—with a mix of culture, retail, hospitality and community spaces. That is why I welcome the Government action to introduce high street rental auctions. They are taking the action that the last Government failed to take and giving local authorities the power to bring vacant commercial properties back into use. I am proud that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has been selected as an early adopter for the scheme.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Rental Auctions · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered Government policy on high street rental auctions. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. As many Members know, our high streets are the beating heart of our communities. They are not simply places where people shop. They are gathering points and cultural centres and they serve as symbols of local identity. They fuel local economies, support countless small businesses and provide many thousands of jobs. They inspire confidence in our communities and encourage residents to stay connected to the areas they live in. For too long, our high streets have been neglected. They have become defined by the number of empty shop fronts and “to let” signs they sport, rather than by the vibrancy and the footfall that once sustained them. When people stop visiting town centres, antisocial behaviour and crime are allowed to flourish, creating vicious cycles that benefit only those looking to create disorder and discord in our communities. Town centres were once a great source of pride for our communities, but their decline has had real consequences. We cannot deny that the retail landscape has changed, and it is a challenge to adapt to this new reality. The rise of online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and over a decade of austerity have left town centres struggling to adapt. This is a national story that I am sure Members across the House will recognise, and it is one that characterises our experience in Bournemouth West. My constituents are rightly frustrated by the state of our town centre. It is the No. 1 issue that people bring up on the doorstep and in conversation. Time and again, I hear that people feel unsafe—they are worried about reports of drug use and homelessness—or that there is nothing for them to do in the town centre. Empty shops, a lack of variety and overall decline have led many people to change the way that they interact with Bournemouth, and sadly, many of my constituents have not visited the town centre in many years due to its falling reputation. Bournemouth was once known for its vibrant shopping streets, its summer tourism and its cultural heritage. Long-time residents yearn for the days when we could walk down the old Christchurch Road and pop into Beales or Dingles, or head over to the Westover Road, which was often referred to as the Bond Street of Bournemouth, with its luxury brands and high-end goods. That is the Bournemouth I remember from my childhood—a town that was thriving and safe. My parents never thought twice about letting me get on the bus or the train to spend the day in Bournemouth with my friends. Over the past decade, we have seen an increasing number of shop closures and long-term vacant premises, with no apparent plan for repurposing or reuse. Changes in consumer behaviour, the arrival of Castlepoint—an out-of-town shopping centre—and the cost of living crisis have all had their part to play, and we currently face a staggering 15% vacancy rate of shop fronts, which is far above the national average. The failure to revitalise these spaces has more than just economic consequences; it has major implications for the way people feel about our town.

• 26 Feb 2025 · High Street Rental Auctions · Hansard source

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  This is an important moment for our high streets and our local communities. The debate has been a real tour de force of our great towns, and I have been blown away by the passionate stories I have heard. We have heard nostalgia about towns as they once were, but also passion for the future and for what our towns can be. I share a lot of the pain that Members have expressed about our towns, but I know that there is potential in this policy, and the other measures that the Government are bringing in, to think about how we can make town centres work again, and how we can support and promote our local businesses and community spaces. I thank everybody for taking part. I thank the Minister for addressing Members’ questions, as well as outlining the wider context of the situation that we are in and the Government’s wider range of reforms to support our small businesses: community right to buy, policing reforms, direct support to businesses —it all adds up and makes a difference. I thank her for her offer to continue to work with local authorities to make this scheme work. Many of us are eager to see it implemented, and I know that many of us are eager for our residents to see the real transformation that a Labour Government can bring about for our town centres. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered Government policy on high street rental auctions.

• 13 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T6. At least nine major roads in my constituency will be affected by roadworks in the next week. Seemingly endless utility works and roadworks are a crucial issue for my constituents, who have told me it makes them late for work, school pick-up and even hospital appointments. Can the Minister tell me what steps her Department is taking to improve the situation for my constituents?

• 5 Feb 2025 · Police Grant Report · Hansard source

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  When?

• 5 Feb 2025 · Police Grant Report · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her explanation of the funding formula, which is something I have raised with the Policing Minister, too. Seasonality is an issue in my constituency of Bournemouth West. I put on record my thanks to Dorset police for doing so much with the little that they do have, including on things like antisocial behaviour, which blights our town. I invite the Minister to come and see some of the remarkable work that the police are doing with businesses and the council to tackle some of these challenges.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Warm Homes Plan · Hansard source

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  I have been shocked by the number of mouldy and damp homes that I have visited in my constituency. No one should be forced to live in such conditions. We have some of the leakiest homes in Europe as a result of the last Government’s failure to deal with the problem. Will the Minister tell me how our warm homes plan will improve housing conditions and bring down bills for my constituents in Bournemouth West?

• 4 Feb 2025 · Warm Homes Plan · Hansard source

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  16. What steps he is taking to introduce the warm homes plan.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Local Post Offices · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) for securing this debate. Members across the House have spoken eloquently about the importance of their local post office, particularly at a time when high streets across the country are suffering. Shops have closed, and banks have left or are leaving the high street. The post office is usually the remaining thriving hub of activity on the high street. Last year, residents found out from media reports that the future of Westbourne post office was uncertain. There was no prior consultation, and no input from those who use it daily. Many of them wrote to me with their concerns about the loss of such an essential community asset, and I share their worries about the possible loss of such a popular and well-used service. At the end of November, we launched a petition to save this much-loved post office. To date, more than 2,200 people in the area have signed it. As part of the petition, I asked people to share what they love so much about the post office and what it means to them, and I have been inundated with messages from local residents. It is essential to businesses that use its services, and to the disabled and elderly, who need it for banking, paying bills and accessing government services. It always has a queue coming out of the door. It has been described as a lifeline and the heart of the community. I will read out a few of the responses I received, to give the House a sense of the importance of our post office. One reads: “It is an essential service for so many in the area. I am disabled and I can’t travel further to deal with the things the Post Office helps with. It’s nearly always busy, with queues out of the door. To remove it is sheer madness”. Another response reads: “The Post Office has been open since 1910 and is an essential part of Westbourne village. It serves as a vital resource for elderly residents like me, who may not know how to use the internet and no longer have any banks in the area”. Another person said: “As a manager of a local charity shop, the post office is integral to our day to day running as provides banking opportunities and enables us to send stock. We use it for stationery and supplies. It’s a vital part of the community”. That is just a snapshot of the responses I have received from different sections of the community. They show that the post office is not simply a business; it is an essential for many people who use it. I have heard from the Post Office that no decisions have been made yet about the future of the branch. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea and Fulham (Ben Coleman), I have heard that the branch is losing money, but I have not seen any evidence of that. I know a franchise model is being explored, which may have benefits. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Luke Akehurst) for raising the issue of WHSmith. We are concerned locally about the franchise model because our branch of WHSmith has just closed in the town centre, not far from the post office branch. Understandably, there is scepticism locally about relying on that model, when we have just seen the loss of a post office, with no plan to replace it, despite the high demand for its services. I welcome the Government’s commitment to the Post Office, the financial support that has been outlined, and the forthcoming Green Paper. That shows that the Government understand the importance of post offices to communities. In his closing remarks, I hope the Minister can reassure us that there will be no impact on the quality of services that communities get, and that he is exploring all options—for example, the possibility of providing services, including banking services, through hubs, or offering Government services in post offices to make them viable and keep them in communities. I reassure my constituents in Bournemouth West that I will continue to fight for the post office in Westbourne, and the ones in the town centre.

• 28 Jan 2025 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Water quality and sewage pollution is one of the most pressing issues in my constituency. In the past year alone, we have had 57 sewage dumps—the equivalent of 594 hours of sewage spilled—at Bournemouth pier. As many Members will know, Bournemouth pier is a place where people surf, paddleboard, swim and walk their dogs. It is a magnet for tourism. This is more than just an environmental issue; it is a public health issue, with people frequently getting sick from swimming in the sea. It also has massive economic consequences for my constituency, which thousands of people visit over the summer. It is impacting our reputation, our businesses and our tourism industry. However, it is also a matter of deep pride for my constituents. We are proud to be one of the most beautiful bits of coastline in the UK—we are often ranked in the top 20 in Europe. My constituents want to enjoy those coastal waters, not be afraid to go in them. It is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. I am truly glad the Conservatives have found some vim on this issue, but I gently remind them that we did not come to power in a vacuum. We are facing a Victorian situation with the amount of sewage, and that comes from a failure to deal with systemic issues. [ Interruption. ] Despite their protestations, the Conservatives’ actions have spoken louder than their words. Under the previous Government, we heard talk of scrapping nutrient neutrality, and they slashed the Environment Agency’s budget, with the then water Minister instructing the Environment Agency not to publish data. We have heard all about the increase in monitoring, but if they knew so much about the problem, why did they not do anything about it? It is a little too late for that. It is Labour that is bringing forward the legislation to deal with this issue. I am proud to support this Bill, with its provisions for criminal liability and banning bonuses. The amendments the Minister has outlined today, in particular to improve transparency, give industry certainty and speed up the implementation of these measures, are so important. I end by saying that my constituents will welcome the actions taken by the Labour Government. We owe it to them and to the next generation to leave this country with seas, rivers and an environment that are protected and thriving.

• 27 Jan 2025 · Creative Industries · Hansard source

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  I welcome the measures the Government are bringing in to support our important creative industries. Those businesses also need a talent pipeline, and my constituency has a world-leading arts university and a higher education and further education system supporting film, television and games development. What are the Government doing to support that talent pipeline and our educational institutions?

• 24 Jan 2025 · Climate and Nature Bill · Hansard source

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  The vast majority of our biodiversity is in our seas, 90% of which are in our overseas territories. Does the Minister agree that it is critical that the UK has shown leadership in ratifying the global oceans treaty and signing the Apia ocean declaration?

• 23 Jan 2025 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme: Payments · Hansard source

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  10. What recent progress he has made on establishing the infected blood compensation scheme.

• 23 Jan 2025 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme: Payments · Hansard source

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  I welcome the £11.8 billion allocated in the Budget for the infected blood scandal, which is a clear commitment from this Government that they are acting on this injustice. However, parents and partners of the infected, including in my constituency of Bournemouth West, are rightly apprehensive about when they will receive compensation; many are elderly or in poor health. Given the urgency of the situation, can the Minister outline when they might receive compensation and whether he will consider including them in the initial waves?

• 22 Jan 2025 · Education, Health and Care Plans · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I thank the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman) for bringing this important debate. Like many, I have spent considerable time with leaders of local schools and parents who have told frankly harrowing stories about children’s needs not met and resources at breaking point. In my constituency, 23% of children have special educational needs. Although the council has made great strides to get children on to the EHCPs they need, at one stage 88% were waiting more than 20 weeks. I want to bring up two things that parents have brought to me. Even once they get the EHCPs in place, they are poorly constructed. One parent said that they are not worth the paper they are written on. Parents are told that there are no resources to deliver the support that their children need. One parent was told she needed £25,000 a year of one-to-one support for her child but was offered only £6,000 a year by the council. They lack planning and the follow-up that parents need to deliver the support in their local schools. A second significant feature is the impact on the educational outcomes and mental health of the children who are not receiving the support that they need. As we have heard from other hon. Members, several have attempted suicide. In almost every case we have had, the children have ended up referred to child and adolescent mental health services, with serious mental health issues. School absenteeism is increasing, with long-term knock-on effects. As a result, parents feel punished for a system, when they really just want the best for their children and feel they have to fight all the time. I welcome the Government’s focus—

• 14 Jan 2025 · Renters’ Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill, and all hon. Members on the Bill Committee who gave their time to consider with gravity this long-overdue reform, which will provide greater security and stability for millions of renters across the country. The Bill is particularly important to my constituency, where more than 31% of households are in the private rental sector. That figure is as high as 55% in some wards such as Bournemouth Central, and up to 45% in the wards of Winton, Westbourne and West Cliff. The private rental sector should provide people with flexibility and be a stepping stone to home ownership, and it should support our local economies, but for too many, as we have heard from many hon. Members, it exacerbates instability and adds financial stress, locking people out of building the savings that they need to get on the housing ladder, as well as adding to mental health issues. That is particularly salient in my constituency, where the cost of housing is disproportionately expensive, given the wages that people can command. The average rent and property price is above the national average in Bournemouth, but average wages are 5% lower than the national average. The Bill is timely, because in recent months I have been deeply concerned about the growing number of residents who have been in touch to raise issues about housing, to the point that we are hosting three additional housing super-surgeries, aimed at providing constituents with the opportunity to share specific issues, and at giving them advice and guidance from many local organisations that specialise in these issues. I want to raise a few issues relating to the amendments that many hon. Members will find apply in their constituencies. The first is poor-quality accommodation. In my constituency, one young woman and her daughter have been bounced from mouldy bedsit to mouldy bedsit while they wait for an appropriate social home. In the process, the woman’s daughter has developed asthma. I welcome the reforms relating to the decent homes standard and Awaab’s law. Lots of people have been in touch who are being forced into homelessness by eye-watering rental increases or section 21 notices. The average increase last year for a one-bed flat in my constituency was 10%. Another young woman and her daughter were made homeless by a section 21 notice following an unaffordable rent increase. She has been unable to find anything that meets her physical and mental health needs—but in any case, she cannot meet the up-front cost of much private rental sector accommodation in our constituency. I welcome the amendment to address up-front costs. Her situation is compounded by long social housing waiting lists. I welcome the wider housing reforms that the Government are bringing forward, including the increased targets for social housing and the wider house building programme. There are almost 20,000 students living in my constituency. I recently met student union representatives from Bournemouth University and the Arts University Bournemouth, who told me about the struggles their students face, from the stress of finding an appropriate place to live to the timetables for finding accommodation and the struggle to rent. Many students are forced to couch surf because they cannot afford the deposit money or do not have a guarantor who meets the requirements. Bournemouth is one of the top 10 most expensive places to be a student in the UK; some 95% of the maintenance loan is eaten up by housing costs, leaving many students with about £4 a week afterwards. That is not a sustainable situation. I therefore welcome the measures to protect student tenancies and address the up-front costs for students. It is my hope that in the longer run, many students will benefit from these reforms, will fall in love with Bournemouth and want to stay, and will be able to find appropriate and affordable places to live. As we have heard, good and responsible landlords have nothing to fear from these reforms. I welcome the measures to give landlords more clarity and a better understanding of their legal obligations, and to address repossession rights. The abolition of section 21, Awaab’s law and the up-front cost provisions will allow my constituents and many across the country to breathe a sigh of relief. I therefore welcome the Bill and new clause 13.

• 13 Jan 2025 · Children’s Social Media Accounts · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I pay tribute to Ellen and all the families for their tireless campaigning and for this petition, which 119 people in my Bournemouth West constituency signed. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Tom Collins), I want to talk about some of the broader harms of social media and smartphone use that students and parents have raised with me. This is particularly salient in the context of announcements this week about the removal of independent fact-checking from Meta and other platforms. Last week, I visited Bourne academy, a secondary school in my constituency that is taking part in the Dorset boys’ impact hub project. The project aims to champion the experiences of young boys who face inequalities, and provide a platform for their voices. The boys I met raised a range of issues, from knife crime to the desire for safe and legal spaces to practise graffiti art, but the thing I found most interesting was that we got into a long conversation about the impact of social media in their lives and its uses in their socialising. Frankly, I was shocked by some of the things they told me about the content they are pushed on these platforms. The boys mentioned Reddit and Instagram as particularly vile examples of distressing content: as soon as they log on to those platforms things like videos of people being decapitated and other forms of serious violence are pushed. They said that Snapchat is a platform where group chats are regularly used to conduct cyber-bullying and to spread rumours, with very little accountability because all the messages disappear within 24 hours. Clearly, as it stands what we have is not working to protect young people. The boys also reported that age restrictions are incredibly easy to get around, whatever the age restriction. [Sir Desmond Swayne in the Chair ] It is worth noting that Bourne academy has a no-phones policy. Kids are not even allowed to use them during breaks, which caused consternation among the young people. It is clear that smartphones and social media are changing how young people interact and socialise. This can expose them, with very little oversight, to high volumes of violent, inappropriate and harmful content, which many of us will not be used to in our lives. Social media is linked to wellbeing and self-esteem issues, which can have a direct impact on behaviours and the views young people hold, and in some cases is linked to significant increases in young people reporting anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Will the Minister outline what further steps the Government are taking to protect young people from harmful content and to prevent young people from circumventing age restrictions? We have discussed potentially raising those restrictions, but that is also key. I have been contacted by parents about this issue, and there is growing support for the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in Bournemouth and throughout the country. One parent of a five-year-old daughter got in touch with me. He shared some very misogynistic content that he came across and expressed worry about it being so easy for her to access that content. Other schools in my constituency have spoken specifically about the impact of misogynistic content on school behaviour, and the extra effort they have to make to try to address it without the toolkits that they need. It is not just about content. As my hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asato) mentioned, platforms produce compulsive and addictive behaviours. Another parent, a father of two who is an active member of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement, raised with me the addictive design features, from the pull to refresh to the gamification, photo scrolling and push notifications. He has a lot to say on that because he was somebody who designed such features for smartphones and social media. He has a real concern about how they affect both children and adults. Does the Minister’s assessment of online safety include an assessment of the impacts of addictive and compulsive features? What steps is the Department taking to address them? Among the parents I have spoken to there is a variety of views about what the answer is. Some want a ban on smartphones for under-16s; some want an Australia-style under-16 ban on social media; and some would prefer a school-led approach. Many are simply worried about how to push back on the social pressure that they get from very young children to have smartphones and access to social media. Will the Minister outline what steps her Department is taking to engage young people, parents and schools about the best way to find an appropriate solution? As we have heard from many Members, technological change often goes faster than we can deal with. We cannot keep up with it. We have the ability to regulate it, but it is a bit too slow. I commend the Ministers and the Government for their work on this issue, but encourage them to take heed of the things we have heard about today, support the efforts by parents and teachers to help young people to grapple with the challenges, and ensure that the measures we introduce reflect the need to protect and safeguard young people sufficiently.

• 12 Dec 2024 · Building Homes · Hansard source

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  Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council submitted its draft local plan for examination in July but, under the new targets, it has planned for only 53% of its housing need. Can my hon. Friend elaborate on the steps the Government will take to work with local authority areas at this stage to make sure they fill that significant gap?

• 11 Dec 2024 · Border Security: Collaboration · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Home Secretary’s statement and all the action her Department is taking to tackle migrant smuggling gangs and to reduce the asylum backlog. Frankly, I am quite surprised by the reaction I have heard from Conservative Members because, either through inaction or through incompetence, the last Government left us with an inheritance of 400 asylum hotels, at a cost to the taxpayer of £9 million a day. They did not seem very bothered about targets then. Constituents in Bournemouth West and across the country are rightly furious about this. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, if Conservative Members were really serious about tackling illegal migration, they would take responsibility for their legacy and welcome our measures, rather than complaining about them?

• 2 Dec 2024 · Social Housing Supply · Hansard source

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  2. What steps her Department is taking to increase the supply of social housing.

• 2 Dec 2024 · Social Housing Supply · Hansard source

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  There are 2,151 families across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on social housing waiting lists, many in unsuitable temporary accommodation. What steps is the Department taking to unlock development sites in densely packed constituencies like mine, so that the council can meet its housing targets, and families can get the safe and secure housing that they deserve?

• 25 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. My constituent Tracy set up the organisation Changes Are Made in memory of her grandson Cameron Hamilton, who was fatally stabbed in Bournemouth town centre last year. Tracy believes deeply in the power of education and positive activities to tackle knife crime, and is campaigning for a youth hub in the constituency. Can the Home Secretary update us on the progress being made towards the roll-out of a network of youth hubs, and will she support Tracy’s campaign?

• 6 Nov 2024 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  As the Business Secretary and many hon. Friends have said, the central mission of this Government is to get the economy growing after years of stagnation. Fourteen years of poor economic management and short-term decision making are writ large in my town centre in Bournemouth West and in high streets up and down the country, as my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) set out so powerfully. We see this in our creaking infrastructure and the crumbling schools that my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) mentioned and the pothole-ridden streets we drive our cars on. While the public made their views on the state of the country very clear on 4 July, the Conservative party seems still to be in denial. This Budget gives us the opportunity to turn a page, fix the foundations and rebuild our country. I welcome the Business Secretary and Chancellor’s focus on investment. My constituency of Bournemouth West is a microcosm of the UK’s diverse economy. Just last week I visited a new manufacturing plant whose products have “Made in Britain” proudly branded all over them. We have a vibrant retail, hospitality and leisure sector and while there are some concerns about rising costs it is given confidence by the Government’s focus on growth and getting money back into people’s pockets. We have strong education and finance sectors and a burgeoning tech and creative industry sector, and I was pleased to see support for these industries reflected in our industrial strategy, giving them certainty over the long term. Underpinning all of this are our people. This Government’s Budget will benefit the 8,300 people in my constituency on the minimum wage and the 1,880 people in receipt of, or eligible for, carer’s allowance, and the 30% of children who live in poverty and their families will benefit from the investment in our schools, hospitals and affordable homes to live in. Healthier, happier and more secure workers and constituents are good for business; it is good for growth and good for our economy. I wish to make one point on infrastructure. My hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) mentioned that when we knock on doors people always bring up our public services and the NHS, and they do, but every good constituency MP knows that potholes are the bane of everybody’s life, so I welcome the £500 million for potholes announced in the Budget. We cannot achieve sustainable growth without a solid foundation with stable public finances and public services that benefit everybody. This is what we are doing with this Budget and I look forward to supporting it today.