Josh Fenton-Glynn MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jul 2026 · Flood Insurance: Reform of Flood Re · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her statement and for her ongoing commitment to flood defences—both the natural flood management in which organisations such as Slow the Flow in my constituency specialise, and the more traditional types that have just been signed off for the town of Hebden Bridge. More than half the homes in Calder Valley are in council tax bands A and B, and many of their residents live with the risk of flooding. In my community, the memory of the devastating Boxing Day floods in 2015, followed by those in February 2020, still loom large in people’s minds, and cause a great deal of anxiety. The lowering of the flooding element of their household insurance to just £25 will make a real difference to families with modest incomes. What practical steps will the Government take to encourage people to take up that offer, and to ensure that they understand what changes have been made?

• 30 Jun 2026 · National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation · Hansard source

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  I echo what was said by my colleague from the Health and Social Care Committee, the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran). Baroness Amos pointed to workforce challenges and their impact on care and safety, and she noted that 67% of midwives reported burnout. Meanwhile, a General Medical Council survey found that 63% of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees had a high or very high workload. That is higher than the 42% average. The workforce plan has to address those problems—but will it?

• 1 Jun 2026 · Health Bill · Hansard source

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  This Bill has to be set in the proper context of the mess that we are clearing up from the previous Government. The Darzi report laid bare the crisis in the NHS. We must learn from that Government’s disastrous reorganisation, because we cannot afford to make those mistakes. I approach the Bill as a critical supporter of the changes that we have made and that we seek to make. I have not always given my right hon. Friend the Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting) the easiest time, but I pay tribute to his leadership, both on this Bill and in the NHS more generally. Waiting lists are down, treatment is up and we are seeing a real shift to the priorities that we need—from sickness to prevention, from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community. We have seen an overall reduction in NHS waiting lists of more than half a million since July 2024. I welcome the new Secretary of State to his place. He has a famed eye for detail, which this job demands, and I hope that his background in local government means that he will take seriously the need to get to grips with social care. Clearly, there is a real problem that needs fixing. Over the past decade, the centre of health policy has increased: staffing across DHSC, NHS England and local commissioning bodies has doubled since 2013, from 20,000 to 40,000. The Lansley reforms were one of the most high-handed acts of sabotage that a Government have ever committed on the health service. They were meant to reduce bureaucracy, improve efficiency and save money, and they achieved none of those things. Some concerns about the Bill came up in a recent sitting of the Health and Social Care Committee. I am curious as to how, in practice, the merger will be able to concurrently reduce headcount from NHSE, DHSC and ICBs by 50% without causing unintended consequences. I am concerned about that and want to see more detail on it, particularly given the scale of the changes that we are trying to make in the NHS. A report published in 2012 by the Institute for Government entitled “Never Again?”, which looked at the Lansley reforms, warned against making redundancies that are quickly undone as organisations recognise that essential roles have been lost and end up rehiring the same staff. The cost of redundancies under the Bill is estimated at about £1 billion. The cost of the Lansley redundancies was about half that, but one in five of those staff ended up being re-employed by the same organisation. The Select Committee heard before the recess that some areas of the NHS are under-managed, and I do not want clinicians to take on those roles. Overall, I support the Bill, but we should be clear that a reorganisation of the centre at this scale is not simple. It has to be properly planned, co-ordinated and communicated. I welcome the new Secretary of State, but I hope that the Bill can make the changes we need.

• 21 Apr 2026 · Wind Farms: Protected Peatland · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I wish hon. Members a happy World Curlew Day--tan, small, slender, often up to its knees in muck and at the risk of extinction in West Yorkshire--I also congratulate the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) on securing the debate. This debate, much like my constituency, comes under the shadow of plans to build England’s largest wind farm on protected peatland on Walshaw moor. I believe it is a uniquely beautiful landscape, resplendent with curlews, lapwings and other moorland birds. As a fell runner, I love that environment, which is one of the most special places on earth. From Top Withens to the open moorland, I am proud to have one of the most beautiful constituencies. Its beauty and the curlews, however, are not in and of themselves a reason to block the development of any renewable energy project. I subscribe to the view that we face a climate and nature emergency. Climate change is real and man-made. Our energy use makes it vital to ramp up the building of green energy infrastructure for the future as quickly as possible. For that reason, there would have to be clear and compelling evidence for me to question the development of a wind farm or any other renewable energy project. We must follow the science, however. The more we learn about peat and its role in absorbing carbon, the clearer it is that building on peat will do more harm than good. Peatland covers just 3% of the world’s land surface but stores around 30% of its soil carbon. Disturbing peat by building wind farms risks releasing that stored carbon, likely cancelling the carbon saved through wind farms, particularly bearing in mind that these wind turbines have just a 25-year lifespan. Research by the University of Aberdeen, referred to earlier by the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley, suggests that developers should avoid building wind farms on peatland altogether. In response, the Scottish Government have tightened their policy in that area. In England, those considerations are not applied consistently, but that needs to be reformed and brought into line. As I have said in multiple representations to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the fundamental problem that we face is, unsurprisingly, one of joined-up Government. Too frequently under the last Government, the environment and climate change were treated as an afterthought and not as central to the business of Government. Just last month, the Environmental Audit Committee highlighted the lack of joined-up thinking between DEFRA and DESNZ, and the proposal that we are discussing is a clear example. On the one hand, DEFRA has committed £85 million to restoring and managing peatlands, preserving our environment and offsetting our carbon emissions. On the other hand, if DESNZ signs off projects like this, it will damage those peatlands without the same scrutiny as other developments, so we have to take a step back and assess whether it is truly the right course of action. Our Government’s revised national planning policy framework argues against developments that involve peat extraction, but that is contradicted if we continue to develop these projects. Although it is not okay for someone to dig up a bit of peat to put on their garden, it is okay to displace 8,000 cubic metres of peat to build a wind turbine. Calderdale energy park represents a risk to a moor where in places the peat is more than 2 metres deep, according to Natural England’s peat map. As a fell runner, I can attest to that, because I have fallen into some of those peat bogs. My hon. Friend the Minister for Nature, put it starkly: “Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest and in desperate need of restoration and protection”. She is absolutely right—more so, in fact, because peatland stores 30 times more carbon per hectare than the rainforest. Let us be clear: we would join in the international opprobrium if the Brazilian Government were to fell trees in the Amazon to install solar panels in the hope of securing carbon credits. We should apply the same seriousness to the protection of one of our most carbon-rich landscapes.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Domestic Abuse Survivors: Government Support · Hansard source

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  As a recovering councillor, I remember that my council used to commission a lot of these services through the WomenCentre in Calderdale, which was very good at preventing homelessness and other shocks. I often find—this might come back to the Home Office question—that a lot of post-separation problems happen because of post-separation economic abuse. Perhaps, in the longer term, we need to look at that from a legislative angle, so that post-separation abuse is better recognised in law, and then set up services to better prevent it.

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

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  Last October I sent a number of freedom of information requests to the Nursing and Midwifery Council on sexual harassment and misconduct cases. However, I have still not received a reply. For these bodies to be trusted, they must be accountable. Will the Leader of the House please advise me on what more I can do to get proper accountability under the Freedom of Information Act?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Women’s Safety: Walking, Wheeling, Cycling and Running · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on running. It is a pleasure to speak in the debate, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asato) for securing it and for her constant work on this issue. Running should be available to everyone as a form of exercise, stress relief and mental regulation, but it simply is not; it is available only to people who feel safe to do it, and the reality is that too many women do not. Put plainly, 70% of women say they have experienced an intimidating incident while running. Two out of three women have faced harassment. Those are not isolated experiences; they show a pattern that forces women to adapt their behaviour. Women change their routes, avoid running in the dark or stop altogether. That is not freedom; it is women adjusting their lives because of the behaviour of men. I am a member of a running club, and there are many running clubs in my constituency, which make women feel safer because there is safety in numbers. I pay tribute to those clubs—particularly the all-female ones, such as the St Pol Striders—for creating these spaces, but they should not be relied on, and women should not have to do things differently. Men who make women feel unsafe have to face consequences, because serious offenders begin with acts of harassment. If we want to prevent worse crimes, we cannot ignore the early ones. We need to make reporting easier and the follow-up stronger. We need systems that take women seriously when they come forward. I represent a constituency with large rural areas, so simple solutions such as better lighting or planning just cannot be relied on. Fundamentally, it comes down to how seriously these complaints are taken. I am reminded of two very similar incidents about five years apart of men exposing themselves to female walkers, which happened while I was a councillor. In one, the police did not take the act very seriously at all—I suspect that the policeman spent more time complaining to me about people posting about the crime on social media than he did following it up—and in the other they did. Things have changed in West Yorkshire, not out of the ether, but because of leadership. Alison Lowe, our deputy mayor for policing, has really changed how things are looked at, and that has made a huge difference. Fundamental to good outcomes is an institutional recognition of the problem. We need our police to lead from the front, take victims seriously and be proactive in their information and support. Running should be for everyone; it should not depend on gender, postcode or the time of day. If we want more people to enjoy the benefits of running, we must make sure women feel safe enough to take part. That means consequences for harassment, proper lighting, easier reporting and support for the communities that bring people together.

• 17 Dec 2025 · Local Government Finance · Hansard source

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  I declare my interest as an officer of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities team, and as a recovering local government alumnus. We inherited a system in which 40% of local authorities were at risk of going bust and issuing section 114 notices by March 2026, driven by a rising demand for adult and children’s services and SEND services. Communities such as mine in Calder Valley have faced those pressures every day. This settlement really matters; the new fair funding settlement gives more help to the places that need it most, and gives them long-term stability. However, more needs to be done, so can the Minister confirm that we will prioritise and value local government services and their importance to our economy?

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  I thank all Members for the tour we had of the UK, with a particular focus on Stoke-on-Trent. My hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner) talked about specialist ceramics, my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) talked about Bakewell tarts and the saucers on which they are placed, and my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (David Williams) talked about the clusters that really make a difference. We heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Harpreet Uppal) about textiles, and from the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) about the huge role Northern Ireland plays. We heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) about things produced there that go to the bottom of the sea, and from the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead (Rachel Gilmour) about products that go into space. All of that leads us to understand the pride that people have when they produce things—when they make something in a factory in a town in the UK and it can go anywhere. That is why our manufacturing services are so important and why we need to make sure that we get the absolute most out of them. I will resist talking more about brass bands, although the Minister tempted me to do so, but I will take him up on what he said about wanting to understand more about the valve industry. He is welcome to visit me in Calder Valley so that I can show him some of the things we do better than anywhere else in the world. Question put and agreed to. Resolved , That this House has considered the contribution of the specialist manufacturing sector to regional economies.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the contribution of the specialist manufacturing sector to regional economies. It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris, and a privilege to open this debate on the contribution of the specialist manufacturing sector to regional economies. The number of colleagues who have joined us this early on a Wednesday morning is a mark of just how important this issue is to so many constituencies. Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy. This country is unique. We do not mass-produce rubbish; we make specialist things that only our foundries and factories can produce. Decent manufacturing brings good jobs but also economic power to our country. Manufacturing contributed £217 billion in output to the economy last year—nearly 10% of GDP—and supported 2.6 million jobs. Calder Valley has manufacturing in its history. The story started with wool, but has developed into chemicals and specialist manufacturing. As new businesses opened in old mills, we also focused on particular industries. Calder Valley has long been known for its engineering. We are home to what many call valve valley, a cluster of more than 20 firms that design, build and service valves that are used across the world. In the valve community, which I mainly discovered after becoming an MP, Brighouse and Elland are central hubs. These companies are not household names, but they are businesses that keep industry moving, from energy to water to pharmaceuticals. They employ local people, train apprentices and anchor our economy in towns that too often feel overlooked. When I visit manufacturing and engineering firms in Calder Valley, I see the same thing again and again: highly skilled workers who are proud of the worldwide reach of their products, from 60% of water in New York city travelling through valves made in Brighouse to oil rigs in the North sea being made safer because of the expertise of workers in a West Yorkshire factory. I see innovation, with companies investing in new technology and tapping into various sectors such as defence, renewables and nuclear. I see resilience, because these businesses have survived downturns and global shocks, yet they continue to provide good jobs in Calder Valley. But we cannot ignore the fact that the numbers working in manufacturing are falling. As of 2024, 15% of jobs in Calder Valley are in the manufacturing sector, compared with a national average of 7%, but that share has been declining. In 2007, just under a quarter of jobs in Calder Valley were in manufacturing. From the financial crisis to Brexit and the Tories’ disastrous deal, the past couple of decades have ripped the heart out of our manufacturing industry. We will hear a lot in the next few weeks about growth and so forth. It will come as a relief to many Members that I am not in the Treasury, so rather than talking about statistics, I will share what local manufacturers tell me. They tell me that their order book has never been so bad, because of the impact of tariffs. The lack of stability means companies are not making long-term decisions that would see them step up. That is why we need a strong domestic manufacturing sector, but it is also why we need to be strategic in our support for the industry and how we spend our money on the infrastructure that we need to rebuild. If we are serious about Labour’s promise that two thirds of young people will go to university or achieve a high-level qualification, this is exactly the kind of work we need to encourage. We need to make sure that those qualifications are linked to opportunities in advanced manufacturing, engineering and design. That means working with local authorities and businesses to understand the needs of industry in each region.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  Yes, 1,200 apprenticeships is 1,200 decent jobs and 1,200 families who have pride that their son or daughter will make a real difference and make products that make it around the world. That is why this matters. Only 14% of apprenticeships that started in the past academic year were in engineering and manufacturing, however. The Institution of Engineering and Technology has reported that engineering faces one of the largest skills shortfalls in the economy, with more than 46,000 vacancies in the sector. Similarly, the welding industry needs 35,000 more people. That is the key to growth. It represents a real opportunity to support young people into secure, well-paid work. Without it, our manufacturing sector will be in trouble.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is absolutely correct. The point about smaller towns is so important, because as well as creating brilliant jobs in the smaller economy where they will make a difference, they give a sense of place and value to what we produce. People are proud of what their town produces, whether it is valves or textiles, and they think of those things as defining their town. That commitment is something that only a small town can offer, and it really makes a difference. Businesses in this country are ready to grow, but they need support with skills, infrastructure and investment. They need to know that their order book is guaranteed for the long term. The Government have made really positive noises about encouraging skilled apprenticeships; that is welcome, but apprenticeships work only if the companies can afford to hire and train young people. We need to ensure that small and medium-sized manufacturers, which are the lifeblood of Calder Valley and other small towns, have the support that they need to take on apprenticeships without being too financially stretched. In September, I visited the Brighouse-based training charity West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services, as part of National Manufacturing Day. It showcased a range of firms in Calder Valley to school students. I also met Stuart Billingham, who is set to become the managing director of KOSO Kent Introl next year. The company, founded in Brighouse, employs about 150 people and exports specialist valves across the world. Stuart started at 16 on a youth training scheme and has worked his way up the company to become its managing director. His journey is a brilliant example of how skills and apprenticeships can lead to as rewarding, lucrative and challenging a career, with as massive a global impact, as we are often told that universities can. It shows that those careers have progression and responsibility. I want this Government to produce 1,000 Stuarts, albeit that some of his close friends might not want that many Stuarts. At that event, there was so much interest from young people and so much curiosity about the opportunities that a career in manufacturing could bring. That spark of curiosity must be nurtured into a flame of ambition, especially at a time when too many young people feel pressured into pursuing degrees that may not suit them or lead to secure employment.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree. The Defence Office for Small Business Growth—I believe it will open in January, but the Minister will know better than me—will be a great opportunity to grow businesses such as Needles and Pins Aerospace in the hon. Lady’s constituency and the many businesses in my constituency that want to get into the defence industry. She is right that the south-east does very well out of defence. In fact, the defence industry supports 85,000 direct jobs in the south of England, but just 3,750 in Yorkshire and the Humber. As part of the Government’s mission to make defence an engine for growth, there should be a concerted effort to spread its benefits across the regions and our small towns, as the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) said. We will grow this economy only if the Government interact with industry, including in Calder Valley and West Yorkshire, in a way that encourages competition rather than dominance. Smaller manufacturers are equally vital and are a sign of a balanced and resilient economy. They must be supported if we are serious about building the balanced and resilient industrial base that we really need. Valve manufacturing is a reminder that regional economies thrive when we back specialist sectors. It is not about chasing the latest fad; it is about recognising and building on our strengths. In Calder Valley, that means supporting our manufacturers with a skills pipeline, and with the apprenticeships and investment that they need to grow. We can use the power of the public purse to do that, but—I will be honest—we have failed to do that over multiple years and multiple Governments. The new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has more than 100,000 valves, but they are all made in China. The only company in Calder Valley that has benefited is the company that fixes faulty valves, because the quality is not as good as that of British-made valves. If we expect other countries to use our high-quality valves in manufacturing, our Government must lead by example. This is about the pride that people feel when they know that something they made in their town is used in projects around the world. It is about the contribution that specialist manufacturing makes to identity as well as GDP. It is about ensuring that places such as Calder Valley are not left behind, but are recognised as central to Britain’s industrial future. I will finish by making a few points directly to the Minister. In Calder Valley, we know how vital apprenticeships are, yet only 14% of apprenticeships last year were in engineering and manufacturing; what will the Government do to ensure that new training opportunities match the skills shortages that we face, such as those in welding and advanced engineering? Our small and medium-sized manufacturers are the lifeblood of towns such as Brighouse; how will Government support for apprenticeships and investment reach those firms rather than being skewed towards the largest players? Defence strategic procurement could be a real engine for growth in places such as Calder Valley; will the Minister set out how contracts will be used to back British industry, particularly in specialist sectors such as valve manufacturing and precision engineering?

• 19 Nov 2025 · Specialist Manufacturing Sector: Regional Economies · Hansard source

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  We have to be really bold. We need to look at our future-focused industries and at what we specialise in. The right hon. Gentleman talks about tidal energy, but we will not be able to produce that without a load of specialist valves. I want to ensure that they are built in Calder Valley and go throughout the country. That is what this debate is about: we need to plan and think, but we also need to look at what we do well. The imbalance between small and large manufacturing companies is accentuated by the fact that larger companies often secure Government contracts, particularly in defence. Not only does that provide them with guaranteed revenue, but it often allows them to poach skilled staff from smaller firms that cannot compete with the salaries and the security that those contracts bring. Yorkshire and the Humber received the least defence spending per person, despite the fact that across our region we have a manufacturing sector that is eager to grow and develop.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. There is a complete lack of contrition about the Conservative legacy of neglect. The Tories let our valued pubs and shops close. I once explained to an American friend—they have a different culture—the difference between pubs and bars: a bar is just somewhere you go to drink, but a pub is your community living room. That is why this Labour Government are giving communities the right to buy a much-loved pub, post office or community hall that is under threat. Local people can step in and save businesses. That was pioneered by the then unique community ownership scheme that took over the Fox & Goose in Hebden Bridge. This Labour Government are cutting red tape and tackling late payments so that businesses can focus on serving customers, rather than fighting to survive. It is not just that the vast majority of our high street businesses in my survey said that they want to grow, and they can do with the right support; they told me that they chose to be in Calder Valley because of the brilliant community spirit that makes our places special. It is the same spirit that Sally Wainwright has put on our screens with “Happy Valley” and “Riot Women”. I know that every community represented across this House has its own story, its own community spirit and its own pride. Labour is backing that pride. The Labour Government know that local communities matter, and they require real capital, not failed platitudes from across the House. This is about pride: pride in towns, pride in communities and pride in place. The Conservatives left our high streets to die. Labour will bring them back to life town by town, community by community, in Calder Valley and across the country.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  Calder Valley is a string of communities. From Brighouse to Elland and from Hebden Bridge to Todmorden, each town has its own character and pride, shaped by its high street. But after 14 years of Conservative government, too many of our local high streets were left in decline. In Calderdale, we lost nearly a quarter of our pubs between 2010 and 2018, and more than 10,000 hospitality venues closed across the country. That was before the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. The Conservatives had chance after chance to deal with that, which is why their debating how we will best clean up their mess came as a bit of a shock today. The voices of local businesses tell the same story. In my business survey, 85% of high street businesses said that there was not enough support under the last Government. The Conservatives fell asleep at the wheel, too busy fighting among themselves and swapping leaders every year, with a new business Minister or community Minister every five minutes. The world has changed, and the high street is changing with it. Although internet retailers are hoovering up customers, successful businesses are those that can innovate, offer value, curation and experiences—the entrepreneurial spirit. But in order to deliver that we need a Government who talk to small businesses and not just the big actors. Calder Valley is one of the most entrepreneurial places in the country. We have the highest business density in West Yorkshire, and over the past five years people have created 6.5% more businesses, which is well above the national average and a testament to the character of my community. But, instead of backing that energy, the Tories left productivity to stagnate, costs to spiral and small businesses to struggle on their own. Nowhere is that clearer than on high streets up and down the country. For too many people, the story of their town centre is boarded up shops, which, if they are lucky, are replaced by vape shops and bookies.

• 15 Sept 2025 · Children with SEND: Assessments and Support · Hansard source

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  The current SEND system is simply not working, and nowhere is that more obvious than in my constituency, where 450 people signed the petition. Of students in Calder Valley, 12.2% receive SEND support, but behind that figure is a world of parents who are not having the family time they need with their children because they are focused on the fight for support. Getting an education, health and care plan should be straightforward and the end of the process, but far too often, an EHCP is just the start of the fight. As a statemented dyslexic in the ’90s, I would simply not be here were it not for my mother’s indefatigability. In Calder Valley, we have seen children with EHCPs who still do not get access to schools. Some are out of education altogether because there is not the right support. A constituent I have been supporting has two children currently out of school because their needs cannot be met, with no placement or interim support from the local authority. Several others are in mainstream school but their needs are not being met, and no alternative provision has been found. That is not just a failure of provision; it is a failure of duty. Other children are waiting months and years for assessments. We have three special schools in Calder Valley, including two primaries and one secondary, but they are all at capacity. This is a system that embeds inequality. The families who understand it best—who know how to push, appeal and fight, and who have the time and resources to do so—are the ones who get the help. It is like a second job for them, but it is just not right. We need more investment, professionalism and ambition. We need a system that works with parents, not against them. I urge the Minister to look seriously at how we can restructure SEND provision in the upcoming reforms. We need schools, parents, the NHS and local authorities to work together, not against each other. Too frequently, children are falling through the gaps created by disputes over who is responsible for paying.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Non-surgical Aesthetic and Cosmetic Treatments · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) for securing an important debate. Cosmetic surgery can be affirming and often makes people’s lives better. Although I have some concerns about some of the beauty standards that it reinforces, as has already been mentioned, I recognise that it can transform the lives of many people, but we need to do more to make sure that it is properly regulated. In my previous life at the General Medical Council, I remember there being concerns about how this issue was looked at. Increasingly, however, lower-level procedures are being carried out by entirely unqualified practitioners, as has been mentioned, and that is simply not safe. We clearly need to regulate clinics in the UK, but we have also seen the rise of cosmetic surgery abroad. While that may seem cheaper, there is a real cost to “Turkey teeth”; too often, people are coming home with serious complications that the NHS then has to put right. In the four years to 2022, 324 people needed corrective operations after work carried out abroad, most often after trips to Turkey, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons— I will not use the acronym—reports that UK hospital admissions for those cases have almost doubled since 2020, with Turkey linked to eight in 10 of them. In one year, complications from cosmetic surgery carried out abroad cost the NHS about £1.7 million. That is equivalent to about £15,000 for each of those procedures; we heard earlier that it costs about £9,500 for UK-based surgery. Behind those numbers are real tragedies. In 2019 alone, 25 British citizens lost their life after cosmetic surgery abroad. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with TikTok and clinicians to warn people of the dangers by urging them to speak to a UK doctor first, avoid package deals and check credentials. It is also licensing high-risk non-surgical treatments so that only qualified people can perform them. Those are crucial steps towards raising awareness, but consumers need to make wise decisions. We also need to have an honest conversation about fairness. If someone chooses to have an elective procedure abroad and it goes wrong, is it right for the taxpayer to automatically pick up the bill? What responsibility do patients have? More importantly, what responsibility do the unscrupulous companies that offer such package deals have? It is a real risk. What matters is that no one is sold a dream that ends up with painful complications in a hospital bed abroad. We must do more to ensure that people understand the risks that come with the procedures, and to ensure that people are fully informed to safely make the right decisions.

• 10 Sept 2025 · Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in support of the Bill and new clauses 46 and 66 tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard (Alex Mayer). The Bill represents a step towards giving communities greater control over their local transport networks. Colleagues across the House recognise how vital bus services are for connecting people to opportunities, to each other and to the services they rely on. Sadly, buses are too frequently undervalued because they do not have the visible impact of a train. It is perhaps fitting that the Bill comes at a time when we are experiencing a tube strike in London, and our colleagues based in London can understand what those of us outside London feel having an entirely dysfunctional public transport network. I want to raise two points that I hope the Minister and colleagues will take on board as we move towards implementation. In my Calder Valley constituency, which the Minister knows well, we have seen a number of services withdrawn or reduced in frequency, particularly in the upper Calder Valley. Those changes have left many residents feeling cut off, especially in areas where alternative transport is simply not available. I welcome the extension of franchising powers to all local authorities. That is long overdue, and it is a step that gives communities such as mine the chance to shape bus networks to make those networks work for them. I urge the Government to consider how these powers can be supported with the necessary funding and guidance, so that councils can act decisively to protect routes that are essential to community life. The second point I want to raise is about franchising. I support West Yorkshire combined authority’s plans to bring services under public control and to build a network that puts passengers at its heart. Cross-boundary routes—those that run into Lancashire or Greater Manchester—will not automatically be part of the franchise. While the Bill allows for some alternative arrangements, there is a real risk that those routes could be overlooked. We are a border county and a border country, and I am keen to ensure that the needs of my residents in Todmorden who go to work or school in Burnley are not overlooked. I know WYCA is committed to working with neighbouring authorities, and I hope the Government will support that collaboration. Passengers in Calder Valley and across the country do not plan their journeys around administrative boundaries or transport operations, and we need to be mindful of that. I am confident that the Bill will provide a better, fairer bus network, and I am proud that it is another example of this Government making people’s day-to-day lives better. But we must ensure that isolated communities across boundary routes such as those in Calder Valley are not left behind. I look forward to working with Front-Bench colleagues to ensure that those voices are heard.

• 4 Sept 2025 · Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund · Hansard source

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  I was just about to come to that point. Stability and long-term decisions are key. Families need certainty, not just this year, but for the years ahead. Right now, there is no confirmation of funding for 2026-27. I note that there was a written ministerial statement today, although I do not think we know the exact numbers. As a recovering member of local government, I know far too well the long-term costs when money is saved in the wrong place. I urge the Minister to hear that point and to make sure that we are making the right decisions on this issue, that we are not saving money in the wrong place and that we are giving that long-term stability and support. I know none of these decisions are easy and they are being taken against a backdrop that is worse than any Government have inherited. Let us make sure that we get this right and that we support the people who need it most.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  I am immensely proud of the hospitality sector in my constituency of Calder Valley. Our community has always been amazing, but it was recently made famous by the TV show “Happy Valley”. I always say to the public, “Come to our towns. They have the same amazing scenery, but far fewer murders.” Hospitality is where neighbours meet, where milestones are celebrated and where people get to find out what is great about towns and communities. My constituency is a string of communities, from Brighouse to Todmorden, with a string of high streets. Between 2010 and 2018, our authority of Calderdale lost 50—nearly a quarter—of its pubs. They were among the more than 10,000 closures nationwide under the coalition and Tory Governments—and that was before the pandemic. Although I welcome the sudden interest in the hospitality sector from the Conservatives, theirs is a new concern. Hospitality is vital to the future of our high street. As we see high streets moving away from retail because of the internet, we see people selling experiences and connection. An American friend recently asked about the difference between a pub and a bar. Drawing on my experience of both, I said that a bar was just somewhere someone goes to drink, but a pub is a community living room. Change has to include challenging some of the tied pub rules that meant that a pub in my constituency saw the amount it has to pay more than doubled by the pub company Stonegate, from £800 to £1,700 a week. That was because just one week after the six-month probationary period ended, the company invoked a clause to break the tie. That is the kind of irresponsible, rapacious practice that was allowed to thrive under the last Government, and I urge Ministers to look at that. Conservative Members want to focus on one specific tax, not on the whole strategy for the high street, and it is that lack of holistic thinking that has landed us in this mess: too many tactics, not enough strategy. That is why I welcome this Labour Government’s plan, which has been welcomed by the hospitality sector, to reduce business rates, tackle late payments, cut red tape and deliver a £1.6 billion package that will save the average pub £3,300 next year. That support will give the venues some space to breathe. It will help to keep Calder Valley’s towns buzzing and help our hospitality to thrive, and when our hospitality thrives, our community thrives.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Neighbourhood Health Centre: Long Crendon · Hansard source

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  Before I start, I pay tribute to the shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Melton and Syston (Edward Argar), who faces his last set of Health questions. He is an incredibly kind man—we spoke after the loss of my brother—and a fantastic shadow Secretary of State. I am not sure how they will replace him. One of the key shifts we need to see in the 10-year plan is from hospital to the community. Key to keeping people out of hospital is tackling the dental deserts, with dental problems being the biggest cause of children aged five to nine going to A&E. Will the Minister assure me that the new neighbourhood health centres will include dentistry—