Jim Shannon MP: speeches

Speeches

• 14 Apr 2026 · Ground-mounted Solar Panels: Alternatives · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member on bringing forward a debate on this massive issue. Is he aware that there are roughly 600,000 acres of unused, south-facing industrial rooftops in the United Kingdom that could be utilised before we industrialise the countryside? The Government must look at those in order to utilise already built heritage and leave our countryside as it is to produce the food that we need.

• 14 Apr 2026 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme · Hansard source

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  The Minister is indeed a bearer of good news, and I thank him for his diligence, energy and commitment to delivery. His and his team’s hard work is much valued by my constituents and by all Members present. He has made a full statement on the changes that will be implemented. I note the greater support for children under 18 years of age and for bereaved families in particular. Can he confirm that those people will be able to make claims under the mental health support section, as the loss of a parent can be devastating in the long term?

• 14 Apr 2026 · Muslims: NHS · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitments about hostility to those of the Muslim faith, but I want to make a point about those of the Jewish faith. The Secretary of State referred in his reply to people of all faiths, and that includes those of the Jewish faith. However, we are well aware of recent newspaper headlines, including about a person who supports Palestine Action and one person who has made slurs against those of Jewish faith and Israeli nationality. Is it not time to ensure that everyone in the NHS, irrespective of their religious beliefs, is respected? I respect everybody’s beliefs. I am sure that the Secretary of State will tell me that that is the case in the NHS—I hope that it is.

• 14 Apr 2026 · Hidden Credit Liabilities: Role of the FCA · Hansard source

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  As always, it is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I give special thanks to the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell), who is a doughty champion for his constituents, and they are fortunate to have him as their MP—well done to him for all that he does in this House. It gives me great pleasure to be a voice for the households and businesses in Northern Ireland that have, for too long, been navigating a financial landscape filled with hidden pitfalls and undisclosed liabilities. It is also a pleasure to see the Minister in her place. I have three asks of her, and I hope she will be able to accommodate me, and indeed others in the asks they have. Although this is a UK-wide issue, the weight of hidden credit falls heavier across the Irish sea, in Northern Ireland. We are a region where 20% of all adults are struggling with over-indebtedness—the highest proportion in this kingdom. When we talk about hidden liabilities, we are talking not just about accounting entries or numbers, but about families in Belfast, Londonderry and Fermanagh who are discovering that the car finance they took out years ago was padded with secret commissions they never agreed to and had no knowledge of. For our SMEs—the small and medium-sized businesses that are the absolute backbone of the Northern Ireland economy—the scars of the past run deep. Hon. Members may remember the Ulster Bank scandal. I remember it well, as will my hon. Friend the Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell). Derivative swaps were sold as protection, but instead acted as a noose around the necks of those who had taken them out. Those people found themselves constrained by what took place, and indeed they still are. Today, many of our small firms still find themselves trapped by complex credit lines and by break costs that were never clearly explained. With that mist, darkness or cloud hanging over those agreements, people find themselves—even today—trying to sort them out and find a way forward. The Financial Conduct Authority has a clear mandate to protect consumers and ensure market integrity, but protection that comes a decade too late is not protection; it is a post mortem. Those people found themselves in agreements where they had no idea about the small print or what it would do to them. Even today, the payments are mind-boggling. In Northern Ireland, more than 50 bank branches have closed in just three years—11 of them were in my constituency—so the impact has been very real. As physical, face-to-face banks disappear, the digital shadow of credit grows. We see a banking void, where vulnerable people are pushed towards unregulated, hidden lending because the high street banks have abandoned them. That cannot be right. I therefore look forward to the Minister’s response. I am sure she grasps the issues, because there will be little or no difference between her constituency and mine. We welcome the FCA’s current redress schemes, but on behalf of our constituents, we demand more than just retrospective apologies. Apologies are words; actions are what really matter. I therefore have three asks of the Minister. First, we want transparency by default and no more discretionary commissions hidden in the small print of motor finance. Secondly, we want SME equality. Our businesses deserve the same protections as retail consumers when dealing with complex credit products. In my constituency, and indeed across Northern Ireland, small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy; they are incredibly important. Thirdly—this is the big ask—we want regional sensitivity. The FCA must recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work when Northern Ireland has the highest vulnerability rates in the United Kingdom. To add to that third point, I would ask the Minister to please engage with the relevant Minister and the banks in Northern Ireland—we need special consideration. In conclusion, I say this to the Minister and the regulator: the people of Northern Ireland are not asking for handouts; they are asking for a fair game plan. It is time to pull back the curtain on these hidden liabilities and to ensure that the consumer duty is a reality in every town across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. It cannot be just a slogan in London; it has to be for everyone.

• 14 Apr 2026 · “For Women Scotland” Court Ruling: First Anniversary · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for her clear message. She reiterates the position that I and many others in the Chamber hold. Back home in Northern Ireland, Democratic Unionist party Ministers have appropriately taken decisive action, because the safety of our daughters—in my case, my granddaughters—in school changing rooms and the integrity of women’s sports cannot be put on hold. In the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, Minister Paul Givan—my colleague—has moved to scrap flawed, ideologically-driven guidance that ignores the legal opinion and pushes something completely out of order and wrong. The majority of people are convinced of that. We are ensuring that schools remain places of common sense, where toilets and sports are defined by biological sex. We will not allow a culture where teachers or pupils are forced to speak untruths or where biological males are permitted into female-only spaces. It is deeply disappointing to see some, including the Equality Commission, trying to use the Windsor framework or complex legal roadblocks to delay the inevitable. Let us be clear: there is no Northern Ireland exception to biological reality. To suggest that a woman in Belfast is defined differently from a woman in Glasgow or London is not only absurd; it is legally incoherent. I remind everyone of the Glasgow legal opinion, which was very clear. If we are all adhering to the law of the land—I do not think that anybody in the Chamber would not want to support the law of the land—then we can all agree on that. We are not interested in expensive court cases that seek to overcomplicate the obvious, as some would perhaps try to do. We are interested in protecting the hard-won rights of women and girls. We are interested in ensuring that, when a service is advertised as single sex, it means exactly that and nothing else, as the legal decision in Scotland indicated. We have the legislation in place. We need adherence now, and we look to the Minister to demand this of every publicly funded body. This is about dignity, privacy and, above all, the truth. The DUP, my party, will continue to lead from the front, ensuring that our laws and services reflect the common-sense values of the people we represent. The Government must follow suit as a matter of urgency.

• 14 Apr 2026 · “For Women Scotland” Court Ruling: First Anniversary · Hansard source

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  It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank and praise my party colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart), for pressing this issue and for making safe spaces for women in society a matter of fact. She has worked hard to secure a strong and immovable defence for women, and her work is to be appreciated by constituents throughout this United Kingdom; I know that my constituents in Strangford thank her, and many elsewhere would do likewise. This debate is so important. Today, on the first anniversary of the ruling, I very much welcome the opportunity to speak clearly and categorically to support my hon. Friend. I welcome the ruling and where it leaves us. For too long, a cloud of confusion has hung over our public life—a confusion that has undermined the safety of women, the fairness of our sports and the protection of our children. The Supreme Court judgment restored common sense, yes—but, more importantly, it restored safety for women. That is critical. Sex is a matter of biological fact. Protections must be in place, and we must ensure that they are recognised and utilised. The Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in the For Women Scotland case was not just a legal victory, but a victory for reality. It was a victory for common sense. However, too many of our Government Departments are refusing to accept that reality and, worryingly, refusing to accept the legal ruling. That must end.

• 14 Apr 2026 · “For Women Scotland” Court Ruling: First Anniversary · Hansard source

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  Whenever the hon. Lady refers to me as being “interesting”, I think that says that she and I have a different opinion on an issue. The Scottish courts have taken that legal decision. I am sure that the hon. Lady would always want to support the legal decisions in the land, whatever they may be and whether she likes them or not.

• 13 Apr 2026 · North Atlantic Submarine Activity · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. and gallant Member for his statement—no one inside or outside this House doubts his commitment. The Chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy made a statement to the House about six weeks ago. I asked him then about the very issue that my right hon. Friend the Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) just mentioned. As the Minister is aware, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force protect not only the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but the Republic of Ireland. Pipelines and undersea cables go from the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland and then into the Atlantic ocean. Can the Minister confirm that Russian submarines have not been active in the soft underbelly of the Republic of Ireland, which is a back door to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

• 13 Apr 2026 · Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement and for outlining the reality of where we are today. I think it is important that we understand what this means. The Minister has also made clear the failings. There were Chagossians who asked us to retain control of the islands due to human rights considerations and other issues. While the future of the treaty is uncertain, what will the Government and the Minister do to engage with those who are disenfranchised and uncertain due to the treaty failure?

• 13 Apr 2026 · SEND Provision and Reform · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is right to underline these issues—that is why the Chamber is quite full. I am 71 years old. I remember that, when I was a child, there were not many children with autism or learning difficulties, but today the numbers are exceptional. Does he agree that it is time to find out why so many more children have special needs requirements now than when I was a boy in the ’60s and ’70s?

• 13 Apr 2026 · Young Cancer Patients: Experiences and Outcomes · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this issue, which is clearly very important to him—he has illustrated that through his commitment to these debates, which he always gets involved in. I congratulate him on that. In Northern Ireland, approximately 60 children under the age of 16, and 80 teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24, are diagnosed with cancer each year. Although these cases are rare and account for only 1% of all diagnoses, they require a highly specialised, family-centred approach. Around 87% of young people survive for at least one year, and 78% survive for five years or more. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that improvements can be made to ensure that our children have the best possible treatment, regardless of where they live? There should be no box for them; they should get treatment wherever they are in the United Kingdom.

• 13 Apr 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  First, it is important to recognise the Prime Minister’s efforts to try to find a way forward in the middle east. That is incredibly difficult and it should be recognised. There have been fuel protests in the Republic of Ireland just in the last week, and similar protests are planned for Northern Ireland this coming week. Last Friday, I spoke to the Ulster Farmers Union and some of the farmers expressing concern about the rise in the prices of red diesel and fertiliser. On Saturday, in Portavogie, members of the fishing sector told me they were concerned about the rising price of diesel for their boats, and HGV users spoke to me last Friday and Saturday to say the same thing. The Republic of Ireland is giving some €5 million—£4 million in sterling—every day for the next 13 weeks to help those sectors. If the Republic of Ireland can do it, Prime Minister, please do the same for us in Northern Ireland and across this whole United Kingdom.

• 13 Apr 2026 · Southport Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I thank the Home Secretary for her very positive statement. Let me also associate myself with the events of a year ago, when the nation mourned for those three children. I think that every one of us recognised the horror of what took place, and our prayers and our thoughts are very much with the families even today, and especially with the parents. I think that is how we all feel. This is a very full report, and I commend the author for his determination to ensure that political correctness did not influence it. It is clear that a sea change is required in departments so that they are less concerned about offending people and more concerned about protecting our innocents. What lessons can be learned to inform new procedures to ensure that there is accountability in the intelligence and security services in particular?

• 13 Apr 2026 · Leasehold Reform · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his answer and the hon. Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for raising these issues. We have similar problems in my constituency, and I know that the Minister is keen to ensure that all parts of the United Kingdom can take advantage of the legislative change that the Government have proposed here. Will the Minister talk with the relevant Minister in Northern Ireland to ensure that the proposals put forward by the UK Government to address these issues can help my constituents in Northern Ireland too?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Government Reorganisation · Hansard source

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  We slogged through 10 years of reorganisation and restructuring in Northern Ireland, and not a penny was saved. Indeed, if anything, prices and rates have gone up—this year, the rise in rates has been exceptional. I say gently to the Minister that perhaps it is time to consider and learn from what Northern Ireland has done and where it has gone wrong, so that we can do better here.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Government Reorganisation · Hansard source

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• 26 Mar 2026 · Prison Officers: Mandatory Body Armour · Hansard source

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  I commend the right hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. The figures in Northern Ireland have also increased in recent years, with 96 attacks recorded in 2024, up from 59 in 2023 and 66 in 2022, reflecting rising safety concerns in Northern Ireland’s prison system, as he has referred to. It is attributed to factors such as overcrowding and higher prison populations. Does he agree that if we are to address the issue of prison officer safety, we need to address the issue of overcrowding and higher prison populations? Every prison officer should have access to body armour to ensure their safety.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Railway Stations: Accessibility · Hansard source

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  You have elevated me to heights I did not even know I could reach, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer to the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Dame Meg Hillier). Not a week passes without some of us getting complaints about accessibility, yet equality law is clear. What are the Government doing to ensure that there is accessibility at all train stations for all disabled people that meets equality legislation? Quite clearly, at this moment in time it does not.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Mr Naimi, a young Baha’i in Iran, was tortured into giving a false confession that was later broadcast on state media. He has been subjected to severe beatings, interrogation, and mock executions, in which he had a noose placed around his neck. All this happened in an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detention facility. This has serious implications for the wider Baha’i community in Iran. Will the Leader of the House ask the Foreign Secretary to set out what representations the Government have made to the Iranian authorities regarding Mr Naimi’s case, and to raise concerns about the treatment of Baha’is and the use of false confessions in Iran?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Gurkha Veterans · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. and gallant Member on bringing forward this debate. In the time he has been in this House, he has made a significant contribution on Army, Navy and RAF matters, and we thank him for that. When I was a wee boy—that was not yesterday—I used to read about the exploits of the Gurkhas in magazines or newspapers. I was always moved by their bravery. I never met a Gurkha until I was on an exercise with the armed forces parliamentary scheme. They were not that big, but my goodness, they were strong and courageous. The Gurkhas have given their all for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, often at great personal cost, as the hon. and gallant Member has outlined. Does he agree that it is only right that we ensure that every veteran, regardless of when they served, receives the dignity, the pension equality and the welfare support that they earned on the battlefield? Does he not agree that words of thanks are just not enough? What they need is practical support, and the Government must demonstrate that in this debate. Today is the first stage in the battle to make that happen.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Lucy Letby Case: Conduct of Cheshire Police · Hansard source

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  I spoke to the right hon. Gentleman beforehand. He has a forensic, investigative mind for these subjects, on behalf of the House, and—with your agreement, Madam Deputy Speaker—we should put on record our thanks to him for that. We in the House and this nation owe him a debt when it comes to justice.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Craniocervical Instability · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for leading the debate. In the short time that he has been in Parliament, he has made a name for himself as an assiduous MP who works hard on behalf of his constituents. They should all be very proud of what he does for them. We welcome his speech today, and I wish him well in what he does. I am also keen to speak in this debate due to my role as the Democratic Unionist party’s health spokesperson. Through that role, I always fight for more funding for the study and research of rare diseases. I have always had an interest in rare diseases, going back to my time in the Assembly—I was an Assembly Member for 12 years—and during all my years here as a Member of Parliament since 2010. There are some ladies in my constituency who have a deep interest in rare diseases. I had discussions with one family in particular just last week. In Northern Ireland, conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and related issues, such as craniocervical instability, sit within a wider set of challenges around rare diseases, diagnosis and access to specialist care. The figures for Northern Ireland are limited and, unfortunately, Northern Ireland does not publish detailed prevalence data for EDS or CCI. Those conditions are often underdiagnosed and not consistently coded in health data systems. We have a lot to do in relation to data. Data is one of the things that always comes up when we talk about diseases, especially rare ones, because we need the data to know what the problems are and how to deal with them. The Minister is certainly earning her money this week—I think this is her third or fourth debate in Westminster Hall. We are privileged to see her in her place, and I look forward to her contribution. She has a good heart, which she expresses through her responses to our questions. It is estimated that one in 5,000 people have EDS. That suggests that 10,000 to 15,000 people are officially diagnosed, but that is an underestimate. My first question to the Minister is: do we have a better idea of the numbers in relation to EDS, and, if we do not, how can we get them? Furthermore, some 80% to 90% of diagnosed patients are female, as women are more likely to be diagnosed and more likely to present with chronic pain and joint issues. The hon. Members for Cannock Chase and for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham) illustrated that with examples from their own constituencies. One of the most prevalent issues is diagnostic times, because it takes five to 10 years to be diagnosed. Many people will see multiple specialists and they can also initially be misdiagnosed. For example, they might be told that they have fibromyalgia, anxiety or joint hypermobility. Specialist care is important for conditions such as EDS, especially regarding rheumatology, neurology and pain management, for which waiting lists are already extensive. Delayed recognition and treatment of physical symptoms can significantly affect mental wellbeing—the impact on people’s mental wellbeing as their bodies deteriorate cannot be ignored. Prolonged uncertainty, unmanaged pain and reduced quality of life often contribute to anxiety, depression and wider psychological distress. More must be done to ensure that we do not allow it to get to that stage, and investigations should be carried out in a timely fashion. I ask the Minister, in relation to doctors and their diagnoses, does something need to be done with our GPs, our A&Es, our surgeons and those people who patients interact with first? This debate highlights the urgent need to do more for those living with complex and often overlooked conditions. Too many patients face long delays, inconsistent pathways and a lack of specialist support. We owe it to patients to ensure that their symptoms are taken seriously, their diagnoses are not delayed and their care is not determined by their postcode. By investing in better data, stronger specialist services and greater awareness, we can move towards a system that delivers timely, fair and effective healthcare for all. I have one more question for the Minister: she knows that research is incredibly important—it seems to have popped up in every debate that there has been this week. What is being done, through universities and partnerships with medical companies, to ensure that we chase up that cure for EDS and ensure that any patient, wherever they are in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, have the care and treatment they want, and have it now?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Craniocervical Instability · Hansard source

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  I apologise if I missed the answer, but I asked about research and how we can create partnerships with universities, which are very keen to do that—Queen’s University Belfast is one example, but there are many others across the United Kingdom—and with medical companies that want to pursue cures, as we all want to see them do. The Minister may not have an answer today, but I would be very happy if she would come back to me, and to all of us, to show that we are pursuing that research opportunity to find the cure and help people if we can.

• 25 Mar 2026 · Foreign Financial Influence and Interference: UK Politics · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister very much for his positive statement and for the clear direction from the Government. Some four or five weeks ago, I asked him a question about Sinn Féin moneys. At that time, he said that he would come back to me, but he did not—this is not a criticism, by the way—and I now understand that the reason he did not was that this statement was coming today. In the light of the statement, can I ask for some clarification? Accountability and transparency are tenets that have to go hand in hand with elections, and those ideals must become realities. Given that Sinn Féin has historically received millions in US-placed donations and maintains a unique cross-border structure, will the Minister ensure that the Rycroft review specifically examines the adequacy of safeguards against political funding originating from the Republic of Ireland and the United States of America, to ensure a level playing field for all parties within this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

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

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  First of all, I apologise to the hon. Member because I had hoped to speak in this debate and give some thoughts from my constituency back home. However, I cannot because I have to chair an event at six o’clock, so I apologise for having to intervene and then leave after his speech. In many communities, lidos are far more than just outdoor swimming pools; they are valued public assets that promote health, wellbeing and social cohesion. Yet without sustained support, the facilities remain vulnerable to closure due to financial pressures. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that their importance for public health, community wellbeing and access to affordable leisure is vital?