Josh Dean MP: speeches

Speeches

• 30 Jun 2026 · Financial Inclusion: Young People · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered financial inclusion for young people. It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir John. Today, young people are one of the groups most at risk of financial exclusion. Analysis by Fair4All Finance has identified 2 million unsteady starters in financially vulnerable circumstances across the UK. That includes 11% of financially vulnerable adults in Hertford and Stortford. Predominantly under 35, those young people are facing a combination of pressures: low financial resilience, higher housing costs, insecure work, rising insurance costs and a growing exposure to online financial risks. They experience poorer financial wellbeing as a result, closely linked to poor mental health, creating a vicious cycle that can undermine their educational attainment, employment prospects and economic participation. Financial inclusion is about more than access to banking; it is about access to affordable credit, insurance, savings, trusted financial guidance and opportunities to build a financial track record. I am pleased that the Government have recognised the importance of tackling financial exclusion in the financial inclusion strategy. If we can break down the barriers to financial inclusion, we can improve the lives of millions of people and unlock growth across the country. In this afternoon’s debate, I want to examine the barriers to financial inclusion that young adults face, and consider where Ministers could build on the financial inclusion strategy to prioritise practical interventions to support young people. Although a young person may pay rent regularly, meet mobile phone payments or have built responsible financial habits, they often lack sufficient credit history to access mainstream financial products on fair terms. We know that young adults are over-represented in the gig economy, temporary employment roles, part-time work and on zero-hours contracts. The insecure and variable income they receive is compounded by the high cost of living. It is harder for them to budget effectively or qualify for mainstream financial products, and they are more reliant on costly forms of borrowing as a result. As the cost of living crisis continues to eat into disposable incomes, young people struggle to build emergency or long-term savings. They typically have fewer savings than older adults, which leaves them acutely vulnerable to financial shocks: losing a job, an unexpected bill, increased rent or transport costs. In those circumstances, without emergency savings to draw on, many face a poverty premium, paying more in the long term through instalments because they cannot afford the cost of an up-front payment.

• 30 Jun 2026 · Financial Inclusion: Young People · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more about the importance of financial education for young people, which I will come to in my speech. We can already see how those overlapping pressures exacerbate a young person’s financial insecurity. Insurance is another area where they are left facing vulnerability to financial shocks that they are already ill-equipped to absorb. I was shocked to learn that 18 to 24-year-olds are significantly less likely to hold contents insurance, even though they are more likely to experience flood damage, escape of water, fire damage, burglary and theft. That is especially true when they live in rented accommodation, which many young adults do. I want to draw particular attention to the cost of motor insurance. Young people often make significant personal investments in driving lessons, to make it easier to get to work or education, only to find they cannot access affordable insurance when they pass their test. That directly impacts their ability to access work, training and other opportunities, especially in semi-rural communities such as the one that I represent, and it highlights how young people can face financial exclusion even when they are doing everything right. Too often, young people are entering adulthood without the tools, confidence or support networks that they need to navigate increasingly complex financial decisions.

• 30 Jun 2026 · Financial Inclusion: Young People · Hansard source

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  I will keep it brief, Sir John. To add to the trend, I will just share the fact that my first job was in a local coffee shop. It has been great to hear about rurality, the importance of car insurance, social media, fraud and student loans; I will not share just how high my student loan bill is, having checked recently. The importance of financial inclusion has really been brought to life, as have the challenges that young people face. I thank all Members who have contributed to this important debate, and I thank the Minister for her response. Every young person deserves to build a secure and sustainable financial future. I hope that the Treasury will continue to think ambitiously about how we can support them in doing so. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered financial inclusion for young people.

• 30 Jun 2026 · Financial Inclusion: Young People · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more about the importance of regulating access to financial information across social media and AI, which is an emerging challenge. Embedding financial education in school is so important, particularly ahead of the social media ban, which my hon. Friend mentions. Research has shown that young people have the lowest confidence in managing their money. The latest MoneyView survey from the Money and Pensions Service found that although 41% of adults lack confidence managing money, the figure rises to 63% for 18 to 24-year-olds. That is the highest for any age group. I welcome measures in the financial inclusion strategy to embed financial education in the primary school curriculum, helping children to develop healthy attitudes towards money at the earliest stage, but there is a need to go further. A report in 2025 by the London Foundation for Banking & Finance highlighted a significant gap in financial education provision. Financial capability programmes are concentrated in primary schools, the early years of secondary school and workplaces. There is comparatively little structured support for young people aged 16 to 24 as they transition to financial independence. That is one of the most financially vulnerable periods in a young person’s life. They have to navigate leaving school, entering work or going to university, and living independently for the first time. Particularly as students, young people are vulnerable to developing bad financial habits, experiencing a financial crisis or falling into debt. They are often having to balance their education with work. If a financial crisis hits, they face the prospect of sacrificing more of their education to pay down debt, with a potential impact on their future life chances. These significant moments in a young person’s life are when small mistakes and unexpected costs can quickly escalate. Early support in this transition period is critical to prevent longer-term financial problems. All this takes place in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Young adults are adopting AI tools faster than older generations, which is providing them with opportunities for more accessible guidance, but leaving them at risk of exposure to inaccurate information, scams and poor or misleading financial recommendations. MoneySuperMarket’s latest Money Talks research with the Campaign Against Living Miserably found that 44% of 18 to 34-year-olds are turning to generative AI as a private space to express their money worries. That is almost half of young people who are being exposed to unregulated financial advice. Financial exclusion does not only increase economic inequality between those who have savings, access to financial education and good support networks, and those who do not; it also has a significant impact on young people’s mental health. Financial anxiety is no longer associated just with moments of crisis. For many, it has become a daily occurrence. Research from MoneySuperMarket, CALM and UM showed that one in two young adults is in debt, one in four young people has used a food bank in the past year and, more than social media, body image or relationships, money is the topic causing young people the most worry right now. Young adults are 77% more likely to have experienced suicidal thoughts because of issues with money or money worries than the wider adult population. One in 10 young adults with debt will have had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months because of worries about making repayments. There is a profound link between financial difficulties and poor mental health. It is often cyclical, with financial stress leading to more mental health challenges, and poorer mental health making financial management harder. We must recognise that relationship and how financial insecurity and exclusion are leaving young people lacking agency in our society and without hope. Beyond arguments about economic growth and inactivity, this alone should spur us on to do better. What might solutions to the barriers I have set out look like, and where might we be able to go further? First, on credit visibility, small sum lending can support young people with thin or non-existent credit files to establish their financial identity, and therefore access affordable financial products. For example, Fair4All Finance is piloting small sum lending in partnership with Monzo, and I would be keen to hear the Minister’s reflections on the role of small sum lending in that area. What further action can the Government can take alongside regulators to support young people to establish a financial track record? Secondly, on insurance affordability the interim findings of the recent Milburn review highlighted the stark challenge of 1 million young people who are not in education, employment or training. I know the Government are committed to tackling the high number of NEETs, but I would be grateful if the Minister would set out what work is being undertaken with regulators and industry to improve access to affordable motor insurance for young drivers, and to tackle the prohibitive costs restricting their access to work and education, leaving them financially excluded. Modelling from WPI Economics has found that improvement in that area could increase the UK’s GDP by £369 million annually through increased employment and participation in the labour market—there is an economic opportunity here. Thirdly, will the Minister reflect on how the Government can expand financial education and support in that critical period of transition for 16 to 24-year-olds, and share what consideration she has given to the growing influence of AI on financial decision making? Finally, on financial wellbeing and mental health, will the Minister commit to working across Departments to ensure that financial resilience forms part of the Government’s wider approach to supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing? If we want to grow the economy, tackle the NEET challenge and improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing, we must ensure that they are not excluded from the financial system that underpins modern life. Real financial inclusion must mean that every young person can build a secure and sustainable financial future. A young adult who can save, build a credit history, access affordable insurance and make informed decisions about their finances is more likely to succeed in work, education and life. They will feel that they have agency in our society, and they will have hope for the future.

• 29 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. The Child Maintenance Service has told one of my constituents that because the father of her children is claiming benefits, he can pay her only £6.73 a week, even though the CMS is aware that he has an additional hidden income of £97,000. Sadly, that is not an isolated case. Will the Minister set out, for my constituent, what the Government are doing to strengthen enforcement so that such cases can be treated as criminal matters?

• 29 Jun 2026 · Youth Hubs · Hansard source

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  16. What recent progress he has made on the expansion of youth hubs.

• 29 Jun 2026 · Youth Hubs · Hansard source

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  There is already much excitement in my community that East Herts will be home to one of the new youth hubs being rolled out by this Labour Government. I represent a semi-rural area where young people often have to make significant journeys across or even outside the constituency to access the services and support they need. Rurality can be a barrier to finding support and work, so will the Minister say a little more about how the Department’s model for youth hubs will account for it? Does a youth hub have to be in one location or can it be split across multiple venues if the interest is there?

• 16 Jun 2026 · Thames Water · Hansard source

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  My residents are rightly angry that Thames Water has discharged sewage into the River Stort, one of our rare and precious chalk streams, for hundreds of hours. I have raised the issue in this House before, and Thames Water told me that its improvement plan will not be in place until 2028. That is clearly not good enough. Does the Secretary of State agree that this is the latest in a litany of failures by Thames Water? What assurances will she give my constituents that she will ensure that the need to protect our precious chalk streams will be a priority future consideration in the future of Thames Water?

• 15 Jun 2026 · Social Media Ban for Under-16s · Hansard source

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  A decade ago, I marched with other young people to Parliament Square calling for votes at 16 to be introduced after the Brexit referendum, and I am proud that this Labour Government are doing that. However, how will we ensure that young people are well informed when they cast their first ballot, given that they are digital natives and get a lot of their information online?

• 11 Jun 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I was delighted when the Labour Government supported Church Street GP surgery in Bishop’s Stortford with the funding for much-needed improvements last year. I recently had the opportunity to visit the surgery and see at first hand how its modern improvements are delivering for patients and supporting staff to expand capacity. We know that bricks and mortar are not the sum total of our health service; it is the people on the ground who make it happen. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking Dr Sian Stanley, Leigh Evans, Sarah Carter and everyone at Church Street not only for delivering this project, but for keeping the surgery open for more than 16,000 patients while work was ongoing?

• 11 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Residents in Hertford and Stortford tell me that their bus services are too often irregular or delayed, causing unnecessary disruption and stress. I welcome the £19.5 million allocated to Hertfordshire county council through the local authority bus grant last year, but will the Minister say a bit more about how we will work with the Lib Dem administration to ensure that the money is used effectively, and about what this Labour Government are doing to improve bus services in semi-rural communities such as mine?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Water Companies · Hansard source

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  The River Stort is one of our rare and precious local chalk streams, and my residents were rightly furious when they discovered that Thames Water has been pumping sewage into it for hundreds of hours. When I asked Thames Water what it intended to do to remedy the situation, it told me that it had an improvement plan in place and it would not be ready until 2028 at the earliest. That is not good enough. My residents will not stand for that, and neither will I. Can the Minister say a little more about what we can do to hold these water companies to account, to speed up the progress that they are making, and to ensure that we protect our rare chalk streams specifically?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Digital Safety: Children · Hansard source

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  The vast majority of Members in this place had the benefit of growing up in a world without social media, and with social media, but today’s young people have not had that benefit. They have grown up with their lives intimately intertwined with the digital world, and in lockdown they were pushed even deeper online without being given a say. Whatever we do next, we must bring young people with us. Beyond the consultation, what will the Department do to meaningfully engage with young people in this area of policy, so that we can build a digital world that is safe for young people with young people?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Milburn Review: Interim Report · Hansard source

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  We must not forget that hundreds of thousands of NEET young people are disconnected from traditional employment support, and hidden from the system entirely as a result. With youth workers and trusted adult relationships offering the missing link to help identify and bridge those young people into support, how will we put those relationships at the heart of the systems change that is needed to meet that challenge?

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

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  I share my residents’ anger that a Thames Water site has reportedly released over 900 hours of sewage into the River Stort, one of our precious local chalk streams, since the start of the year. I have written to Thames Water and the Environment Agency to raise my community’s concerns about the lack of urgency in tackling sewage discharge. Will the Leader of the House join me in calling on Thames Water to take urgent action to protect our precious local chalk streams, and will he help to facilitate a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss this case in more detail?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Youth Unemployment · Hansard source

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  I really welcome this Government’s investment in our young people’s futures, but almost half of NEET young people are disconnected from the benefit system and traditional support. I know from my experience of leaving school at 16 just how much of a difference youth workers and trusted adults can make in giving those hidden young people a bridge into support. Can the Secretary of State say a little more about the role that he sees trusted adults playing in supporting young people into work, and reflect on the work of the pilots and the youth trailblazer areas in looking at the co-location of youth services and employment support?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q5. Too often, I hear from families of children with special educational needs and disabilities in Hertford and Stortford whose children have been left out of education for months or even years because they cannot get a school place that meets their needs within a reasonable distance. I am campaigning for more investment in the bricks and mortar SEND provision that semi-rural communities like ours need, so that families can access support early and easily and their children can thrive in education. Will the Prime Minister back my campaign to expand SEND provision in Hertford and Stortford, and will he arrange a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss that in more detail?

• 9 Mar 2026 · Support for NEET Young People · Hansard source

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  A young person with undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is more likely not to be in education, employment or training. That is driven by a lack of recognition, treatment and tailored support. The expert-led NHS ADHD taskforce estimates that the cost to the UK economy of unsupported ADHD is £17 billion each year, but, with the right support, young people with ADHD can thrive. Will the Secretary of State set out how the Department is working across Government, including through the Milburn review, to ensure that young people with ADHD can access the support they need to thrive in work and reach their potential?

• 9 Mar 2026 · Support for NEET Young People · Hansard source

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  13. What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.

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

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  Morrisons has resigned from managing the Thorley Park post office, putting the future of an important local centre at risk. I have joined with a cross-party group of local councillors to write to the local Sainsbury’s and encourage it to host the branch, as the Post Office can only keep the branch open if local retailers come forward to take it on. Will the Leader of the House join me in encouraging Sainsbury’s, local retailers and entrepreneurs to take on this important local service?

• 2 Feb 2026 · China and Japan · Hansard source

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  Last Thursday, I held a public meeting with the Hong Kong community in Bishop’s Stortford. We met to discuss the proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain, but there was real strength of feeling about the case of Jimmy Lai and democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, so I was very pleased to hear the Prime Minister raise the issue. Will he take this opportunity, for the benefit of my constituents, to set out the details of those discussions again? Will he also assure my constituents of this country’s commitment to those from Hong Kong who have made their home here, and reassure them that this Government will listen carefully to their views in the Home Office’s consultation on earned settlement?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Commonhold and Leasehold Reform · Hansard source

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  Today, I think of one of the very first constituents I saw at one of my surgeries, who was trying to sell one of her leasehold properties just to help fund the care of her mother. Will the Minister take this opportunity to reassure my constituent that this Labour Government are on her side and are doing all they can to free her and others from what has become a nightmare?

• 20 Jan 2026 · ADHD Diagnosis · Hansard source

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  A number of colleagues have spoken movingly about the individual circumstances of their constituents. I want to speak about individual circumstances, as I was diagnosed with ADHD last year. I recently bumped into a friend at an event who had also been diagnosed. I am one of those people with ADHD who takes medication, and she asked me, “When you first took your medication, did you get emotional as well?” The answer was yes, I did. I got emotional for the same reason so many people with ADHD become emotional the first time they take their medication. They realise what so many other people have been able to live like for so many years. They realise that they are not lazy or stupid but just a bit different, needing a little extra support. My hon. Friend the Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson) is correct that diagnosis is a gateway to support, not an end in itself. When I speak to people with ADHD, I hear that the difference that diagnosis and support make is almost a universal experience. Many describe it as life-changing, and I certainly do. I am keen to make this point. It is so good to hear from colleagues who are willing to share their experiences. In these discussions it is important to recognise that an ADHD diagnosis is not a problem to be managed or a game of numbers; it is about supporting people, identifying a challenge and finding resolve and support for something that otherwise might have been treated as disruptive behaviour. Instead, we can support them to be their best and most productive selves. Briefly, in the time I have left, I want to turn to the number of young people with ADHD not in employment, education or training. Will the Minister touch on whether the independent review of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism prevalence will interact with the review from the Department for Work and Pensions on NEET rates?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Restoration and Renewal: Member Consultation · Hansard source

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  8. What recent progress the client board has made on consulting hon. Members on the restoration and renewal programme.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Restoration and Renewal: Member Consultation · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for his answer and for the board’s engagement with parliamentary colleagues. A full decant from Parliament is among the options for colleagues to consider as we restore this place—it is an option that I support—but will he set out what engagement the board has had on any plans to ensure that, if we do decant, Parliament remains in London to ensure that the jobs of the hundreds of people who keep this place running, including our catering and cleaning staff, are protected?