Jim Shannon MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Mar 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  I thank the Prime Minister for his statement. Ayatollah Khamenei and his regime have denied religious minorities their freedom of religious belief for years—Christians, Sunnis, Shia’s and Baha’is. They killed 30,000 protesters in January 2026. Girls are abused and victimised regularly. Today the ayatollah is deservedly dead and burns in hell, and I for one put a shovel of coals on his head and hope his damnation will be a long one. The IRGC and the Basij paramilitary groups have the guns while the protesters have none, so what discussions has the Prime Minister had with the USA and Israel to destroy the murderous IRGC? And what discussions has he had with Madam Rajavi and the national Iranian Government in exile on their 10-point plan for a solution and a transparent way forward?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Small Religious Organisations: Safeguarding · Hansard source

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  First, I commend the hon. Gentleman on bringing forward this debate. He spoke on this issue some time ago, and made a very good case. I support him in the case that he is putting forward, and I want to give him an illustration. A 2013 report by the Northern Ireland Assembly revealed that small, unaffiliated groups, including those that use church or faith premises, had gaps in child protection and safeguarding, and might not be subject to credential checks. Does he agree with me—I believe he does—that legislation and guidance must be brought up to date and strengthened to ensure that smaller organisations do not fall through the gaps when it comes to ensuring proper safeguarding, so that we can increase protections for all children across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? He deserves to be congratulated on what he is doing tonight.

• 2 Mar 2026 · Power to Cancel Local Elections · Hansard source

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  Honourable would be enough for me. Does the right hon. Member agree that the elections are not just bureaucratic processes? They are how communities hold leaders to account, set local priorities and influence decisions that affect their everyday lives. If anybody tries to stop an election, it will backfire on them. Does the right hon. Member agree that people’s opinions are the priority? Let people decide. Do not deny them their right to the ballot box.

• 2 Mar 2026 · Power to Cancel Local Elections · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Member give way?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  We in Northern Ireland have a particular, perhaps peculiar circumstance in that we have a border with the Republic of Ireland. We have political parties in Northern Ireland and political parties in southern Ireland that are the same parties, but in different jurisdictions with different responsibilities. Can the Secretary of State indicate what controls there will be to ensure that money does not traverse the border in such a way that disadvantages those of us in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who wish to have the democratic system and policies that we have here?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  The UN’s definition of an adult is somebody who is 18 years of age. Restrictions on social media are being introduced to ensure that those aged 16 and above will be protected. I genuinely and sincerely ask the Minister, when it comes to reducing the voting age to 16, have the Government considered the UN’s definition and the way that people use social media, which might mean that they are taken advantage of or abused on social media?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Secretary of State give way?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Independent Faith Schools: VAT · Hansard source

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  Respectfully, it is not about how the schools can do things; it is about the parents who make that sacrifice so that their children can get to those schools. I suggest—the Minister has it in front of her—a simple solution, which is to introduce a VAT registration threshold that is below the state funding benchmark. I understand that the Minister does not have the final say, but my No. 1 request would be for her to ask the relevant Minister whether they would consider reviewing that idea as a possible solution. I think I gave the figures for the savings and costs. If everybody went to state schools, it would cost even more. [ Interruption. ] I am sorry, Sir Alec, but that is the point I am trying to make.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Independent Faith Schools: VAT · Hansard source

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  First of all, I thank the Backbench Business Committee for giving me the opportunity to speak on this issue, and I thank all Members for their contributions. I thank the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (Ian Sollom) for his contribution; the Liberal Democrat policy on this issue is quite clear, as I knew before the debate—the Conservative policy is also quite clear. The debate focused on faith-based schools, and it is very important that we consider them in this sector, as I believe they are feeling the pain more than most. The solution that has been put forward should be looked at and taken up, if at all possible. The hon. Gentleman said that 100 independent schools closed in the last year and as many as 26 could close in the year to come, and his last remark asked the Government to look seriously at the financial burdens on schools. The hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir Ashley Fox), in an intervention, was very clear that he perceived this—I believe it to be the case—to be an attack on education, and I think he referred to choice of education. Again, whenever we have voted specifically on independent schools, I have been very clear where my vote would lie. I ally myself with the hon. Gentleman and what the Conservative party has put forward. I thank the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey), for her passionate contribution; she reaffirmed today what she has said in the Chamber before. She has heard from many parents who, on behalf of their children, want the ability to choose what school they should attend. In my earlier comments, I referred to FORB issues, and I believe what we see today in the United Kingdom is unfortunately an attack on those with faith, whether they are Christians, Muslims or Jews—that is an issue. The hon. Lady also reminded us not to forget the sacrifice that parents make for their children, and she urged us to reverse this policy. I also thank the Minister for clearly outlining the Government’s commitment to education; she outlined the financial budget and the Government’s focus, as well as the massive SEND issues in both England and Northern Ireland. I know the Minister told me that the Government have considered VAT registration. However, if the funding benchmark is set at £7,690 per pupil, and if all the independent schools were to close, all their pupils would have to go into mainstream schools, which just could not cope. The figures we have presented today indicate that some 270 schools would qualify, and 54,000 pupils would benefit. The revenue loss would be reduced from £1.5 billion to £32 million. I think that those figures indicate an opportunity to review this. I say that respectfully to the Minister, as it is never my form to attack anyone or run them down—that is just not how I do things. I always try to put forward a solution, and I think we have introduced one today for independent faith schools. I thank all Members and the Minister for their contributions. I also thank Hansard for all the writing they do—I know we all keep them busy. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Independent Faith Schools: VAT · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I hope that this debate will go well. I welcome the Minister to her place and look forward to engaging with her. I have given her a copy of my speaking notes; the last two pages are my asks. I also thank the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (Ian Sollom), who is here as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, and the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey), who I think has been elevated to the role of Opposition spokesperson for this debate. It is a real pleasure to raise the issue. It is certainly not the first time that we have discussed this move by the Government, which was announced when they came into power. I note that in the Public Gallery we have Dr Garrie-John Barnes, the new chief executive officer of the Christian Schools Trust; Steve Beegoo, the head of education at Christian Concern; and three people who are staff and parents at a small Christian school in Reading that is having to close because of the VAT and business rates relief policies. They are among the instigators for this debate, which I have secured on their behalf and on behalf of many others—I will outline who they are as I make progress through my speech. For the record, my private secretary is also here: the lady in the corner of the Public Gallery. She writes all my speeches. I think people say, “My goodness, she’s overworked,” and she probably is, but there you are. She is not often here, but she is here for this debate and I thank her. Although my sons and grandchildren all went through the publicly funded school system and have excelled in their own right, I have met many people who have made the difficult decision to pay towards their children’s education, not because they can afford to do so, but because their personal faith is at odds with the many moves away from the moral values and ethics that they cherish. That is their motivation, and that is why we are having this debate. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for giving me and other hon. Members the chance to contribute to it. The idea that independent schools are for the ultra-wealthy is simply not true. I secured this debate for my Strangford constituents who attend the Bangor independent Christian school in the neighbouring constituency of North Down; for international students who attend Rockport, outside Belfast; for those who attend Holywood Steiner school; and for those who attend Jewish schools or Muslim schools. I do not need to agree with the theology to agree that pupils’ parents should have a school choice that reflects treasured, essential values. I have been in touch with the Independent Schools Council, which represents about 1,400 schools across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Those 1,400 schools represent roughly 80% of all UK pupils who attend fee-paying schools. According to the ISC’s most recent annual census, 663 of the schools among its membership have a religious affiliation or ethos, meaning that 47% of the schools that the ISC represents are faith schools. That reinforces my belief that we need to ensure that the Government look past the view that this is about rich parents, and that they understand the bigger faith picture. I hope to focus on that faith picture, as I hope other hon. Members will. Overall, about 370,000 pupils attend an independent school in England with an identified religious ethos. That equates to some 60% of pupils at independent schools. It is not a small figure, and I say respectfully that it cannot be ignored. We need to address the issue. Although the majority of those schools are of Christian denomination, the independent sector also provides essential provision to minority faiths. I talked to the hon. Member for Birmingham Perry Barr (Ayoub Khan) today. He wanted to be here, but he has an event at 5 o’clock and it would have been too tight to attend this debate and then get to Birmingham. I think he is somewhere in Birmingham today. About 20,000 pupils attend Islamic faith schools. The importance of faith schools is clear. All schools must follow the Equality Act 2010 and welcome every pupil, but issues around curriculum, diet and religious holidays can make it difficult for more religiously observant pupils to be accommodated in mainstream schools. Many independent faith schools therefore provide access to education in a religious context that is not always possible in the state sector. That can be Muslim, Jewish or Christian. Fees in many independent faith schools are less than the state pays per pupil—circa £8,000—and in some cases community fundraising efforts support those who are less able to pay for education. For example, the average annual fee for Islamic schools in the ISC is about £3,000 per year. Chinuch UK is an organisation that represents some 20,000 Haredi Orthodox Jewish pupils attending 65 schools across the United Kingdom. On average, those schools typically ask for a voluntary contribution of less than £100 per week. The Christian Schools Trust represents 25 schools charging between £3,000 and £8,000 per year in fees, often with high levels of bursary provision. That gives us a bit of background, factually and financially. The ISC has been tracking the impact of VAT on the sector as a whole. Although it may take a few years for us to see the full impact, it is clear that there has been an initial impact. Opposition to the VAT on independent schools, particularly independent faith schools, has been an aggravating factor for the parents back home in my constituency whose children attend the independent faith school in Bangor. They are not rich people. They are working people who scrimp and save to put money aside so that they can ensure that they will be in a position to provide the faith education that they wish for their children. Although the data cannot be broken down to measure the impact of VAT on faith schools specifically, case studies make it clear that the impact has been felt strongly. On pupil movement from the independent sector to the state sector, the Treasury impact assessment of VAT states that “a greater degree of impact may be felt by faith school pupils if they cannot be placed in an alternative school with the same religious denomination.” I say respectfully to the Government that their policy has, in a way, discriminated against those from independent schools who might have, and probably do have, a religious denomination that they wish to adhere to and stay with. The result has been that since the general election in July 2024, 110 independent schools have closed, of which 10 have been involved in mergers. There has been an impact on about 9,500 students, including almost 2,500 with special educational needs and disabilities. New independent schools that have opened are predominantly SEND schools, while those closing are mostly mainstream schools. Overall, we are seeing a net loss of mainstream provision. Whereas some of the new independent schools setting up are specifically looking after children with special educational needs, a great many others have been disaffected and have nowhere for their faith and educational and religious viewpoint to be retained. In the schools that remain open, there has been a drop of 25,000, or 5.2%, in the number of students since 2023, according to the ISC’s September pupil numbers survey. The September 2025 pupil numbers survey showed a fall in pupil numbers of 17,000, or 3.6%, in the past academic year alone. Those stats show the unfortunate impact of what is happening, which is that having to pay VAT is putting many independent faith schools at a disadvantage. It is also notable that the September pupil numbers survey continued to show a larger fall in intake years, with reception and year 7 numbers down closer to 5% in the last academic year. Although there might be some debate about the extent of the impact of VAT on pupil numbers, the fall is out of step with the normal trend of our pupil surveys and confirms the decline shown by the Department for Education’s figures and by the ISC census published in spring 2025. It is a trend that has happened directly because of VAT on independent schools. It puts them at a disadvantage, leaves them disaffected and confirms the decline. That cannot be ignored. What was portrayed as a tax on the rich has instead turned out to be a tax on those with a strong faith. No one would expect me, as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, to highlight the shortfall in religious freedom in other countries without highlighting a decision in this country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, that is having an educational impact on those of a strong faith, whether that faith is Christian, Muslim or Jewish. My job as chair of the APPG is to highlight that in a way that I hope will come over strongly and show what the effect has been. The decision to apply VAT to independent school fees was projected to raise some £1.5 billion annually. Although raising revenue is important—nobody denies that it is critical for the Government to raise revenue to pay the bills and pay for public services—we must ensure that the policy is proportionate and does not unintentionally harm those it was never meant to target. I do not doubt that the Government did not set out with the intention to effect the changes that are clearly happening in independent faith-based schools. This debate is not and has never been about elite institutions charging some £30,000 a year for fees. I am talking about parents and young people such as those in my constituency who travel to the Bangor independent Christian school. They are not rich. They scrimp and save. They do not take holidays; they put their money aside so that the child can have an education at a faith-based school that can hopefully be of benefit to them. This debate is about low-fee independent faith schools, many of which charge under £4,000 annually and which serve modest income families in Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities. For those families, faith-based education is not a luxury but a deep necessity. In many areas, there is no equivalent provision in the state sector that reflects their religious ethos. Alongside other hon. Members—including you, Sir Alec, based on comments that you have made in the Chamber—I want to protect that religious ethos on my constituents’ behalf. The Independent Schools Council has proposed a simple and fair solution, which is my ask for the Minister. She will find it on pages 6 and 7 of my speaking notes. I am very conscious that we are asking for something that the Minister may not be able to confirm that she can do. My request is that she ask the responsible Treasury Minister to look at the comments and the solutions that have been put forward, which I believe may be helpful. I always try to be constructive, as you know, Sir Alec—I set out what I am trying to do in any debate to which I contribute in this House—and I ask for that in return. The Independent Schools Council has proposed a simple and fair solution: introduce a VAT registration threshold for independent schools charging below the state-funding benchmark of £7,690 per pupil. If that could be considered, it would be a step in the right direction, as it would enable small independent faith schools to move forward in a positive fashion. The proposal is not a novel concept: the VAT system already includes thresholds to protect smaller entities from disproportionate burdens, and over half of UK businesses operate below the VAT registration threshold. Those are examples of this working, and of how it can be done. Again, I ask the Minister to refer this solution to the correct person in the correct Department to ensure that it can be done. Only around 270 independent schools—roughly 10% of them—would qualify under the ISC’s proposal, but it would make a difference, as it would enable smaller schools to survive and come out on the other side. About 54,000 pupils would benefit, and the VAT revenue loss is estimated to be £32 million, which is just 2% of the projected £1.5 billion that the Department will get from putting VAT on independent school fees. However, if even a small percentage of those pupils transfer to the state sector, the cost to the Treasury rises sharply. That is a negative side to the policy. If there are no independent faith schools, pupils will have to go into the mainstream, and if they do that, the cost factor rises. If all those pupils were absorbed into the state sector, it would cost more than £415 million annually, even before accounting for infrastructure expansion. In fiscal terms, the exemption is modest; in social terms, it is significant. This threshold would protect low-income families, preserve community-based education, maintain educational diversity and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the state system. Those are some benefits that could be derived from moving towards the VAT registration threshold of £7,690 per pupil, under which a percentage of independent faith schools would qualify and 54,000 pupils would benefit. It would also not put the same pressure on the educational system as doing nothing would. In my opinion, and that of some of the experts and some of those in the Gallery, implementation would be straightforward. School fee information is publicly available, Ofsted already inspects fee policies and anti-avoidance safeguards are in place. This is not about special treatment or asking for something that nobody else should get; it would enable people to have their faith, whether they be Christian, Muslim or Jewish, and to have their children educated in the school they wish, without it costing them the earth. It is about proportionality and fairness.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Independent Faith Schools: VAT · Hansard source

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  This debate is quite clearly on VAT on independent faith-based schools, but I do support that principle and have voted accordingly in the Chamber, as has been recorded. I am today putting forward the case for independent faith-based schools and asking for them to be considered differently, but I accept what the hon. Gentleman says. This issue is about proportionality, fairness and protecting vulnerable communities from unintended harm. The Government may not have accepted or understood the harm that this would cause, but there is a way of preventing it. I put that suggestion to the Minister. I believe that we can meet our fiscal objectives without undermining access to faith-based education for families of modest means. Those are the people I know, the people from my constituency who send their children to independent, faith-based schools. They are the ones who have asked me to bring forward this debate. People here in the Public Gallery represent some 1,400 schools across the United Kingdom. We speak for people with a Christian faith, a Muslim faith and a Jewish faith—I make that quite clear. I urge the Minister and the Government to consider a targeted VAT threshold, to reflect economic realism—that is what we want to try to do—and social responsibility. I am pleased that the Minister is in her place; this is the second time this week that she has come to Westminster Hall. I look to her respectfully and graciously to enable those conversations within the Cabinet, and to right the wrong that has been done.

• 26 Feb 2026 · St David’s Day and Welsh Affairs · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. Lady on securing this debate; she is right to praise St David’s day, and everyone is here for that purpose. While we can be Welsh, Northern Irish, Scottish or English, what brings us together is this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and our Gaelic cousins in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all part of that. I commend her on her speech today, and I am sure others will also make good contributions. We are always better together. Does she agree with that?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Maccabi Tel Aviv Fan Ban · Hansard source

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  I first of all thank the Chair of the Committee for the report. Sport is always a method of bringing people together, but on this occasion it failed miserably as a result of the conduct of certain police elements that distorted the occasion of a Maccabi Tel Aviv football match. What did the Committee say should happen to those in senior roles who did wrong or who deliberately thwarted the law?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Short-term Lets · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister very much for her answer. Indeed, I am always impressed with her answers. Those that she has given us this morning are equal to what she always gives to me and others in this House.—[Hon. Members: “Ah!”] Back home in Northern Ireland, we have the same problem with short-term lets. This is about protection both of the landlords and of those who take on the short- term let. I know the Minister is a regular traveller to Northern Ireland, which we appreciate, so can she share what is happening here with those back home to ensure that the protection for everyone is equal across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Gibraltar Treaty · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement and for his strong words. I am reminded of a wee saying that my mother used to use when I was young: once bitten, twice shy. With that in mind, I must ask the Minister a question. As a nation, Northern Ireland finds itself a slave to European diktats, with our state aid hampered, our trade disrupted and our democratic rights to representation withheld. I am therefore concerned for the Gibraltarian people, who are good friends of Northern Ireland—we have had a relationship over many years. I understand the difficulties they could face while the agreement does not make certain things clear. Will the cold hand of EU back-door unification come first before the Gibraltarian people? Their sovereignty must be able to stand against any EU aggression. I seek an assurance from the Minister—an honourable man who is much liked by everyone in the House, and by me in particular—that British citizens in Gibraltar can stand against EU back-door control of Gibraltarians, as indeed the EU has already done against us in Northern Ireland.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Church Attendance: Christmas 2025 · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for her response. Trends seem to indicate that among the young people of Generation Z, attendance at churches is growing, which is good news. We all know that the greatest story ever told is the birth of the Lord Jesus on 25 December, and the fact that he was crucified and died to forgive us our sins and get us to heaven. That is a wonderful story—the hon. Lady knows that, I know that, and indeed I think everybody in the House knows that. We should be telling many people about that. Trends seem to indicate that attendance is growing. Is that not good news for the greatest story ever told?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Eating Disorders Awareness Week · Hansard source

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  Of course. I do not think I need to do the introduction again; I will leave it at that. I want to tell a story—the hon. Member for Bath already knows it—about one of my constituents. I was elected in 2010, and in 2012 two of my constituents, a mum and a dad, came to see me about their daughter. They were both police officers and I knew them extremely well; I knew them through a friendship we had outside the police, but also because they were officers I would contact as an elected representative. Their daughter— I am not going to mention her name, nor theirs—had severe bulimia. She was a lovely looking young girl, by the way, and very bright, but she had a real problem. This is the true story of that family’s journey. They came to me worried sick about what was going to happen with their daughter, what they could do and what could be done. Along with them, I approached the Health Minister in Northern Ireland at that time—Edwin Poots, my party colleague—and told him the story. We did not have anything in Northern Ireland to address issues relating to eating disorders, so we had to come here to do that. I remember meeting the parents in Central Lobby in 2012, and them telling me that the Minister in Northern Ireland, Edwin Poots, had been able to transfer that young lady to St Thomas’ hospital—just across the river—to get the help that that young lady needed. It is a transformational story, because by doing that, they saved that young girl’s life—and they did not just save her life. I know her well. One day, I was canvassing down in Millisle at the edge of my constituency. I knocked on the door and there she was, with two young children. That intervention by the Health Minister in Northern Ireland helped to save her life and to give her a life for the future. It is an example of what can be done if everyone works together to ensure that things go the right way. I will also say unashamedly that, while it was down to the NHS intervention, the prayers of God’s people undoubtedly saved that young girl’s life as well. I want to discuss the situation in Northern Ireland. I gave that example because it shows how we worked in Northern Ireland and with the health service here to give that young lady the support to start her life, which ultimately led to her husband and then her children. Official figures show that people referred for eating disorder support in some areas face significant waiting times, with people experiencing delays as part of broader pressures on mental health services. The hon. Member for Bath referred in her speech to mental health issues; those are some of the things we have to try to overcome collectively. In addition, mental health waiting times have been deemed unacceptable, and there has been a failure to publish comprehensive waiting-time data. I do not think there are many debates where the issue of data is as important as it is in health. The data tells us the direction we need to go in and gives us the evidence to put together a programme of response, and to find a better way of doing things. There has been a failure to publish waiting time data for child and adolescent mental health services, which is critical in supporting young people—more often than not, it is young people who suffer. I also want to raise the impact of social media on people who suffer with eating disorders. In the last year we have seen a drastic rise in advertising related to weight-loss jabs. It is fair to say that they are easy to get and use, they are somewhat affordable, and they offer a quick fix or change. Although the premise of weight-loss injections is good, and the intention is to get people to a healthy weight, for those with eating disorders they have the potential to undermine awareness of healthy nutrition, exercise and mental health support. It is important that they are not seen as another way to try to get that perfect body, if I can use that terminology. Social media can be toxic enough, and I worry very much about the young girl who is struggling with the likes of anorexia or bulimia, who idolises the “perfect body” achieved through weight jabs and so on, and who almost dies trying to get there. Is there any control over who can access weight-loss jobs? Can we get a better idea of their intentions, or of some of their problems? Many advertisements do not adequately convey the medical risks, the contradictions or the need for supervision, leaving vulnerable users to try treatments unsafely. Those with eating disorders may misinterpret ads as offering a safe method to lose weight quite quickly, thereby increasing the risk of physical and mental health complications. Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which the hon. Member for Bath has kindly given us the chance to participate in with this debate, reminds us that behind every statistic is a person. I gave the example of the young person I knew, and their success story; there are many other successes, but sometimes, with sadness, we recall those people who do not make it. In Northern Ireland, long waiting times, limited specialist services and rising demand mean that too many people are not getting help when they need it most. At the same time, toxic social media content and the relentless pressure to conform to unrealistic body ideals are fuelling anxiety, low self-esteem and harmful behaviours, particularly among young people. Throughout the time I have got to know him, the Minister has always been very responsive to our requests in these debates. There is a lot of pressure across all of the United Kingdom in respect of anorexia and bulimia. Has the Minister had a chance, in the short time he has been in post, to have a discussion with the Health Minister back in Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt, about how we can better work together to try to address these issues? I am conscious that most of the treatment probably happens here; some of it can be done in Northern Ireland, but services there cannot catch and keep up with the level of problems. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s commitment to ensuring that those who are struggling can access the support they need, both here and further afield in my own Northern Ireland.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Eating Disorders Awareness Week · Hansard source

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  It is, as always, a special pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. You always seem to do the Thursday afternoon debates and, by and large, I seem to be here too—but that is by the way. Some might say, “Well, where else would you find him?” But there we are. It is a real pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse). In the time the hon. Lady has been here, she has been very much a hard advocate on this issue. Every one of us recognises her commitment and leadership on this matter. I put on the record my thanks to her for what she has done, what she continues to do and, indeed, if God spares her, what she will do in the future as well. It is really important.

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

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  During the recess last week, I had the opportunity to visit Iraq as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, and I wish to take this opportunity to again raise the continuing plight of Yazidi families. More than a decade after the atrocities committed against the Yazidi community in Iraq, when 6,500 people were murdered and 2,500 people remain missing, some 96 mass graves remain unexhumed. Many victims have yet to be recovered, identified or returned to their families for proper burial. The lack of progress in addressing those graves continues to cause profound distress to survivors and relatives seeking closure. We in Northern Ireland understand that, perhaps in a smaller way, because of the disappeared. Will the Leader of the House ask the Foreign Secretary to set out what discussions the Government have had with the Iraqi authorities regarding the identification and the dignified return of remains, and what support the United Kingdom is providing to assist in these efforts?

• 25 Feb 2026 · Minister for Men and Boys · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I want to say a big thank you to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for setting the scene incredibly well. He and I are often in debates together. This time, he leads and I follow; it is usually the other way round. I thank him for the information that he shared. We always try to be careful in our focus, but this is really important. He mentioned a couple of things I will refer to in Northern Ireland that I believe are critical. I am pleased to see the Minister in her place. I know that she has been to Northern Ireland on a couple of occasions and has had a chance to interact with the relevant Minister. That will be one of my asks of her, in relation to how we move forward. I stand in support of this proposal. I want to take this opportunity to represent the men and young boys back home—I represent everybody back home, but this debate is focused on a Minister for men and boys. I wish to see everyone treated equally: I want to make it clear that my support for this proposal does not in any way diminish or overlook the challenges faced by women and girls, as the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth also made clear. It is almost like we are always trying to excuse ourselves, but we just want to make sure that everybody understands where we are coming from. However, it is important to acknowledge the different circumstances, and I am pleased that we can use this debate to do just that. I have often highlighted the statistics back home in relation to the reported underachievement of working-class Protestant men in Northern Ireland. In my constituency of Strangford and the neighbouring constituency of Belfast East, their underachievement is quite significant. Data for 2018-19 showed that just shy of 38% of Protestant working-class boys eligible for free school meals achieved the benchmark of five GCSEs, compared with 46.7% of Catholic boys. It is an issue. I highlighted it in my previous jobs at the Assembly and at Ards and North Down borough council—Ards borough council, as it was then. Dundonald high school, Movilla high school and Glastry college, where I used to be on the board of governors, are examples of schools that have taken direct action to try to address the issues. Some people will not have the ability—I say this very carefully—to achieve educational standards. Let us be honest: some people are quite happy to go and work on the farm or work in their dad’s business. That is what some of the young boys round my way have done. They will achieve; they will not fall shy of achieving. It will just be a different type of achievement. But in this day and age, educational standards are so important, and we have to encourage those who do not do that to get involved. The King’s Trust does fantastic work back home and is involved with the regional colleges. We see advantages from that, but we still have a stubbornly high number of young Protestant males who underachieve, and it indicates a clear gap associated with community background and disadvantage. These patterns have been noted over many years. Bodies such as the Community Relations Council and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland have highlighted the underachievement of Protestant working-class boys as a persistent issue that has not significantly improved. In the meetings that the Minister has had with the Education Minister back home, was there a discussion of how, collectively and together, we can share ideas and do things better? I am thankful for the Minister taking an interest and visiting Northern Ireland: it shows that she is a lady who wants to bring about change, and I appreciate that. The former Education Minister Robert Halfon was very effective at addressing this issue here in this Chamber, on the mainland; I remember some of his engagement ideas. Has the Minister had the opportunity to see some of his good work? The issue is directly connected to the case for a Minister for men and boys. Decisive action is needed to address the stats, understand the underlying causes and implement measures to improve outcomes. I also want to discuss a very important topic in relation to men’s health in Northern Ireland. It is the very same issue that the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth mentioned. In 2023, 221 deaths by suicide were registered in Northern Ireland, of which 77% were males: men make up most of the deaths by suicide. I remember that when I became an MP in 2010, we had had a spate of suicides in Ballynahinch. It shows how society is not coping with things: there were half a dozen young boys from Ballynahinch. Mairisine Stanfield, a minister of the Presbyterian Church, started a hub in Ballynahinch and the whole community came together collectively and tried to address that. Similar things are happening elsewhere. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for males under 50 in Northern Ireland, so it is not always young people, but Northern Ireland spends less per person on mental health than any other UK nation, despite the high need. I will keep to my time, Mr Twigg, as you asked. Appointing a dedicated Minister for men and boys would be a vital step towards tackling the mental health crisis affecting men across Northern Ireland. I ask the Minister again how we can work better to address that. Young men, particularly those from Protestant communities, face high rates of underachievement, social isolation and pressures that often go unnoticed. A Minister focused on their needs could co-ordinate targeted support, break down the stigma and ensure that their voices are heard in policy decisions. This is about improving and saving lives. I ask that we do all we can to achieve that in the near future. I will make one final comment. Sometimes, in a crowd of people, there is one person who laughs the loudest and is the most outgoing of all. You might say to yourself, “You know something? That guy’s got no problems.” But when he goes home, that is when the problems start: as my mother used to say, he would hang his fiddle on the door. On the outside he is bright and breezy, but when he goes home he just disappears into his shell. That is why young men need to be helped. I thank the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth again for enabling us to speak about the issue. I look forward to hearing from the Minister and from other hon. Members.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Minister for Men and Boys · Hansard source

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  Everybody has referred to role models. Young boys look towards a man for a better role model, but we should recognise that a mother can also be a role model in the way she shapes us. When I was a wee boy, I was privileged to have a number of ladies from Ballywalter to guide me. Sometimes the ladies in the house—the mothers, the aunties, the friends—can very much be a role model as well.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Energy Developers Levy · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this debate forward. I spoke to her beforehand; she is certainly making a name for herself in this place for being assiduous and hard working. Does she agree that the consumer cannot afford greater cost-of-living increases through energy prices and that any levy cannot simply be handed on to the consumer, bearing in mind that energy costs are still a third higher than they were five years ago?

• 25 Feb 2026 · Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition · Hansard source

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  It wasn’t far away!

• 25 Feb 2026 · Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Lady. The only subject that I excelled in at school was history, but I am sure that the hon. Lady exceeded me by far. She has a love of history, as do I after all these years. Does she agree that seeing the Bayeux tapestry, that incredible piece of history, will be an inspiration for children, helping them to understand the rich history of this wonderful nation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Just thinking about it, I am having flashbacks to third year history. Does she further agree that we must ensure that schools from all the nations are able to bring children, and that perhaps funding pots to help schools with the costs should be considered? I congratulate the hon. Lady, who has done well.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  I commend everyone who has spoken. Four years ago, the Russians entered Bucha. They murdered and raped. They packed 200 civilians—men, women and children—into a basement, and then they killed them all. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that those murderers—those Russian scoundrels and thugs who killed, raped and destroyed people’s lives—must see retribution and be held accountable, and that we in Westminster should play our role to ensure that those people are brought to justice and put in jail for the rest of their lives?