Kevin Bonavia MP: speeches

Speeches

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  I am afraid that I will not give way, because I want to explore this a bit further. The Opposition really have not thought this motion through at all. Are they going to have a commission saying, “We have worked out that this degree is going to produce this value”? How is that going to affect the economy at a time when we perhaps need more creative degrees? How is this all going to work? There will be more bureaucracy and more costs, and the price is going to be paid by our young people who cannot choose their own futures. That is what would happen if this really misguided motion were implemented. This plan is not even half-baked—it is as oven-ready as Boris Johnson’s pathetic Brexit deal, which this Government are trying to fix. We cannot change the moment when the tree was planted by Opposition parties, but we can tend that tree now. I have full faith that this Labour Government will do just that. Royal Assent

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  I respectfully disagree with the right hon. Gentleman. He took me to task on transport; I come from a constituency where we desperately need more bus services. That is why we now have the Bus Services Act 2025, which I believe he would probably have voted against. We are making a difference for young people, and indeed all people who need to use those services. The greatest responsibility we owe to the generations that will come after us is providing them with opportunities and lifting them up, not holding them back. We need to look at the tough issues and find answers to them. What the Opposition have tabled today is a motion that suggests that they can fix their own broken plan 2 loan system by “controlling the number of places on university courses where the benefits are significantly outweighed by the cost to graduates and taxpayers.” How on earth are they going to find out what those courses are? The shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Laura Trott), plucked some of them from the air—“Oh, we’re not sure about some of these creative arts courses.” How is she going to evaluate that? Are we going to have a commission? Is the party of the free market going to control the market? How is it going to do that?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. [Hon. Members: “Right honourable.”] Yes, right honourable —I remember her time as Chief Whip. Like her, I did not have the burdens that people who went to university after me had to face, so I am very conscious of my responsibility to those generations and the generations to come. I am glad that the right hon. Lady has raised the issue of young people, because this Government recognise the extra pressures that young people face. That is why we are taking measures to help those who are feeling the pressures of the cost of living, whether on transport, childcare, or so many other things. We are helping our younger people and looking at how we support our students into the future—we are bringing back the maintenance grants that I benefited from all those years ago.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  One more time.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Student Loans · Hansard source

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  This Opposition debate brings to mind the old proverb that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today. During this debate, we have heard from Opposition Members who were part of the Government who planted that tree and proceeded to do absolutely nothing while it grew wildly out of control, until today apparently. I will come on to their motion. Whether those Opposition Members are Conservatives, Liberal Democrats—whose leader was a Minister in the coalition Government—or Reform, which is starting to look the part of a 2019 Tory tribute act, it is down to them, because they planted that tree. That irony is not lost on me, and graduates in Stevenage and across this country understand that context all too well. Graduates face interest rates that begin accumulating from their first day of study. They see their loan balances rising even as they make repayments year after year, and they tell us time and again that the situation feels hopeless. They shape real decisions about work, housing and family life. They affect the very people powering our economy, raising the next generation and driving the growth that this Government are creating. Some Opposition Members have the audacity to look at this misshapen, neglected tree and ask why it offers so little shade to the graduates standing beneath it. This Labour Government have taken on the task of fixing 14 years of mistakes and failures with the commitment and energy that is required. As Full Fact’s manifesto tracker has confirmed, two thirds of our pledges are either already delivered or on track—far more than can be said for the previous Government. One of the key missions in the manifesto on which I stood was to remove barriers to opportunity for our young people. Millions of our young people did everything we asked of them—they studied, they trained and they invested in their futures. They kept their part of the bargain, and they deserve a Labour Government who support them, rather than a Government who quietly undermine their ambitions, as happened for so many years.

• 12 Mar 2026 · International Women’s Day · Hansard source

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  All of us in this House—women and men—will have been inspired by individual women, both in and outside our own lives. I have certainly been inspired by many of the contributions made by women Members today, and I have been proud to be part of the minority who are listening and also contributing. I am proud to say that I have become who I am today because of many women in my own life. There are three I want to single out and pay tribute to: my mum, who brought me up, despite many personal challenges in our family; Sister Bernadette of the St Joseph convent school in Malta, who gave me the self-discipline that I hope I still have today; and Patricia Hennessy, who was an inspiring primary school teacher who helped me and so many others to believe in ourselves. I am sure that is why I am here today. I am proud to represent a constituency that has produced so many great women who have not just inspired those around them but made the weather that has brought greater equality for women across the country. Every year, I visit the grave of Lady Constance Lytton in Knebworth Park. She was a suffragette who came from a privileged background but took another name so that her privilege would not give her advantages. She was imprisoned and force-fed. She carved “V” with a hairpin on her chest: V for “Votes for women”. Women got those votes, but she soon lost her life, and every year we pay tribute to her and all the women who gave up so much to get to where we are today. We have so much further to go. We have other great women in Stevenage who are still with us today, including Barbara Follett, one of my predecessors. We are very proud of our Barbara, who helped to found the Labour Women’s Network. I stand next to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Thamesmead (Ms Oppong-Asare), who has been a stalwart there herself, because Barbara helped to lead the way. Much of the composition of the House is down to her hard work. Not only that, but she has improved the appearance of many of us in this House; I myself have been Folletted by Barbara, so I give her special thanks for that. Baroness Sharon Taylor in the other place was the leader of Stevenage council for 16 years, and is now doing great things as a Minister in this Government, improving housing for so many people. Housing is what gives women a much better quality of life. Those women are trailblazers, but in my town we have other great women. Our deputy council leader, Jeannette Thomas, is leading the housing revolution in Stevenage. We have a mayor of Asian background, Councillor Nazmin Chowdhury, who with grace and understanding exemplifies the best of women in Stevenage. Finally, our youth mayor, Charlotte Gregory, has been shadowing me in this place this week. She also helped to put together my notes for this speech, not all of which I can use, unfortunately. I thank Charlotte for being an exemplar of the future of women in our town and our country. May there be many more like her to come. I will not talk about the great things the Government are doing—I will let the Minister set some of that out—but I fully support our mission to halve violence against women and girls in the coming years. It is a lot of hard work. We have to keep pushing at it, and I will support that all the way. Trying to get equality for women is not a zero-sum game; it is good for us all. It is good for men too. We all benefit from equality for women. I am proud to have taken part in this debate, and will fight for equality with every breath, inside and outside this place.

• 26 Feb 2026 · Bereaved Children: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I would like to add my personal thanks to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) not just for securing today’s debate but for being such a powerful champion of this cause. I came to it myself through leading a petitions debate. The hon. Member took part in it, which I really appreciated at the time. I introduced that debate as a member of the Petitions Committee, but it opened up my own experience. As Members may know, part of preparing to open a petitions debate is meeting the petitioners. For this debate, in December 2024, the petitioners were Mark Lemon, who is leading a petition to collect data, which has been touched on, and John Adams, who is leading a petition to make bereavement part of the national curriculum. I spoke to them and they both had their own stories, just like the hon. Member for Edinburgh West and my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North East (Maureen Burke), who touched on some of the experiences she has heard about too. It reminded me that this can touch us in many other ways. In my case, my dad got throat cancer when I was in my teens. He passed away when I was 20 years old. I was mostly away at university at the time, but I had a younger brother who was 15 when my father passed, and I did not really appreciate at the time just how hard it was on him. My mum was overcome with it all and he did not have the life that I subsequently was lucky enough to have. He had it hard: he was out of school and had some tough years, and he is no longer with us. Looking back, it would have made a real difference if the support that some people have, some of which has improved over the years, had been there. There has been progress, and around the country there are many fantastic organisations. We have heard about Winston’s Wish, which took part in and supported the petition debate that I led. In my constituency, there is a charity called Stand-by-me, which has been fantastic. I met representatives at a summer fair in Knebworth, where I also met a mum and her young daughter Evie. They showed me what could be done. Evie had support from the charity and also became a young ambassador, which is about kids getting support from other kids who have been through it. That is great; however, we have already heard that that support is patchy around our country. I am really glad that there has been progress. Of the two petitions I mentioned, the Government have listened to the first, which was about having bereavement on the national curriculum. The Minister’s predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby), was at the debate, took that on board and it has now happened—we now have that in the relationships, health and sex education strategy. However, it has to be implemented, so I will ask the Minister: how is that going? How are we monitoring it, are schools taking it up and are we giving the schools what they need? On that second petition about collecting data, how can we know the problem we face if we do not know the extent of that problem? How many children are out there and, for whatever reason, they or their families are not reported through the system? How can we make it easier for that to happen? Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man or woman to change that approach. We can do it—where there is a will, we can do it. The hon. Member for Edinburgh West made the point that there has been progress, but I ask this Government to go even further. There are kids out there who need that support and we must do all that we can, in this place and elsewhere, to provide it.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Defence Manufacturing Jobs · Hansard source

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  Labour’s defence industrial strategy will strengthen our security across the whole United Kingdom and deliver an unprecedented growth deal for Scotland that includes £250 million of UK-wide investment and £182 million for skills. For me, this is personal. My grandfather worked in the Glasgow shipyards, part of a proud tradition that has served the whole UK. Does my right hon. Friend agree that a strong Scottish defence sector delivered by a UK Labour Government strengthens all of us?

• 25 Feb 2026 · UK-German Relations · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Twigg. I also congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Sir Mark Hendrick) on securing this important and timely debate. It is really good to have the Minister here covering another part of the world for a change, which I am sure he will appreciate. Britain and Germany share one of Europe’s most significant bilateral relationships. It is grounded in common democratic values, strong economic ties and a shared commitment to European—and indeed global—security. That bilateral relationship continues to deepen, not only through NATO—I know, Mr Twigg, that you are very much at the forefront of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on behalf of our country, and that you will be working with your German counterparts in that regard—but also through other means: trade, research collaboration, climate policy and people to people connections. Millions travel, study or work between our two countries every year. My personal relationship with Germany began 30-something years ago with a school exchange, and I still see that exchange partner, now my friend, every year in London or Hamburg. Hamburg is a city that has a strong history of Anglo-German relationships, whether through trade, the Navy or, more latterly, the Beatles. We are now in a much more uncertain time, as other hon. Members have already suggested. In dangerous times, we need to come together more than ever. Germany and Britain have been doing that, but we need to commit that to words, so we can carry out the deeds we have talked about today. The Kensington treaty is the most comprehensive of its kind between our two countries since the second world war, and I am proud that the Prime Minister and Chancellor Merz came to my Stevenage constituency later in the day on which they signed the treaty to visit Airbus Defence and Space UK headquarters. They did so for a good reason. At the heart of the treaty—one of its many priorities—is defence co-operation, and they could see that in Stevenage, where they saw the SATCOM military satellite communications system that is being built for the German armed forces. That highlights how Germany is choosing this country to deliver world-leading geo-satellite capability, demonstrating trust in our specialist strengths in space technology.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Student Loan Repayment Plans · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford South (Jas Athwal) for securing the debate. Young people who work hard, gain qualifications and enter the workforce deserve a system that supports their ability to build secure and fulfilling lives. One constituent recently told me about the impact of the system on his family’s future. He is a young, working professional raising a daughter with his wife, and they are doing everything they can to provide security and opportunity for her. This year alone he has paid £852 towards his loan, but during the same period more than £2,300 of interest was added—nearly three times what he managed to pay down. He began university nearly a decade ago and the balance at the start of his repayment was £54,683. Today, despite working and making regular loan repayments, that balance has grown to £76,040—an almost 40% rise over the last 10 years. For a young parent trying to build a stable foundation for their child, the situation feels like running up a down escalator: always working hard, but never getting closer to the top. Will the Minister think not just about incremental changes to the system, but fundamental, broad reform? That could include a graduate tax and, as the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Tim Roca) said, thinking about a balance between the taxpayer and the graduate repayments. I know the Minister will think about those carefully and I look forward to hearing his response.

• 25 Feb 2026 · Student Loan Repayment Plans · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member made the point about working-class people thinking about whether to go to university and be loaded with debt. Why should they have that worry when people who have far more family income do not have to make that choice?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  Absolutely, and we must not underestimate Putin. He is clearly a student of history, but he draws the wrong lessons from it. That man was a KGB agent in East Germany; when the Berlin wall fell, his world fell apart. He is now trying to rebuild that world. So this does not stop in Ukraine; it goes right across all those members of the then Warsaw pact. When I went to eastern Poland last year as a member of the armed forces parliamentary scheme, I saw our Typhoon jets being scrambled to check out a Russian plane right on the edge of that. This is happening day in, day out; that man’s ambitions have no borders. So I urge this Government, this House and this country to be resolute in defending the future of Ukraine, because its future is also our future.

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to mark Armistice Day by speaking in this debate about our armed forces—those who serve today and those who served before them. Their courage and service is woven into the tapestry of every village, town and city in this country. In my constituency, that tapestry has been preserved thanks to the vital work of local historian Paul Johnson, who created the Herts at War project. Thousands from Stevenage and surrounding villages fought abroad in both world wars, each one with a unique character, life, home, family and with a story to be told. Take Herbert Charles Cooper from the village of Aston, who at just 18 years old enlisted in 1914 and joined the 9th East Surrey Regiment. He was the son of a local chimney sweep. On the western front, Herbert was tragically shot by a sniper while replacing sandbags on a parapet. He gave his life valiantly in service to his country and now lies in Spoilbank cemetery in Belgium. Take Edward John Croft, born in 1886 on Stevenage High Street. He joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman in 1904. His career was extraordinary: he served in the suppression of the Armenian massacres, supported the Messina earthquake rescues, and even acted as personal signalman to the Prince and Princess of Wales aboard HMS Renown. During the great war, he fought at Jutland aboard HMS Caroline, where he suffered shell shock. Later, while serving ashore, an air raid caused a relapse that ultimately led to his death in 1919. He is buried in the Royal Navy cemetery at Southsea. Their stories are powerful, moving and inspiring, but also devastating. The stories do not end there. That brings me to the reality of modern service. Our armed forces are not only defending us abroad but protecting us at home—from cyber-threats, terrorism, even natural disasters. Their remit is expanding, and so must our support. I was honoured to meet service personnel from the Royal Air Force last year while taking part in the armed forces parliamentary scheme. That gave me a real insight into the lives that they lead on our behalf and what they need in terms of support, equipment, accommodation, childcare and so much more. Now I turn to those who have served. I want to draw the House’s attention to an important piece of work produced in my constituency: the Hertfordshire veteran report, created by Stu Mendelson, co-founder of the Muster Point in Stevenage. This report is the first evidence-based overview of veteran need in Hertfordshire, using data from the 2021 census, the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre armed forces champions. It moves the conversation from assumption to evidence, and the findings are stark. Hertfordshire has fewer veterans that the national average but more at-risk veterans than expected, and their hardship is concentrated in specific districts. Over 5.8% of Stevenage’s veterans are on universal credit, which is well above the national average, and many rely on housing support. I know that Stevenage borough council is doing all it can for veterans in our town. I want to pay particular tribute to Claire Parris, the council’s armed forces champion, for her tireless work in making this happen. I also want to thank Stu, Steve and their team at the Muster Point for everything they do for veterans in Stevenage and beyond. It is more than a hub; it is a lifeline offering practical support. I joined them last week at a 72-hour, non-stop vigil at our war memorial to mark remembrance and raise awareness. We need to give veterans support. I take this opportunity to ask my hon. and gallant Friend the Minister to visit the Muster Point in Stevenage to see at first hand how the armed forces covenant is being implemented and how we can go further and faster—as we must do—to deliver the full extent of its benefits to those who have served our country.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Holidays During School Term Time · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. I congratulate the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) on introducing the petition, and I thank the petitioners themselves. I am also grateful to the 865 people in Stevenage who signed this petition, showing how strongly families feel about the issue. I will shortly turn to some of the reasons why the petition really matters, but before I do, I must be clear that every day in school counts—and parents agree. In addition to the evidence that we have heard from the Chair of the Education Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes), 78% of parents say that every school day matters, according to the charity Parentkind. The evidence backs them up: missing even a few days can have a big impact. Year 6 pupils with near perfect attendance are 30% more likely to meet expected standards. Secondary pupils with near perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve a grade 5 in English and Maths. Persistently absent pupils could earn £10,000 less by the age of 28. Normalising the taking of time off in term time would send the wrong message. It would undermine teachers’ hard work and risks widening the attainment gap. Every missed day is not just a lost lesson, but a lost opportunity. I am sure that many of the parents who signed this petition would wholeheartedly agree with that, but, as the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley explained at the outset, it is simply the only way they can afford quality family time together. Just last week, a constituent told me that the only way they can afford a holiday is to take their children out of school one or two days before the end of term, knowing they would not risk a fine but can still take advantage of cheaper prices. If parents have to play the system like that, we know that the system itself is broken. The real problem, which many Members have touched on, is that families are not breaking rules because they do not care; they are simply being priced out. My hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr Brash) started with Center Parcs, so let me turn to Center Parcs. Four days at Center Parcs Woburn Forest, near me, in term time is £429. In February half-term, that goes up to £1,449—an increase of 238%. At Center Parcs in Longleat, four days in term time is £579, but in half-term it is £1,599—an increase of 176%. A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Geneva costs £184 in term time, but in half-term that goes up to £3,072, which is a 1,570% increase—and it is outbound only. In May half-term, a TUI Tenerife package for seven days in term time costs £1,204, and in half-term it costs £2,384—an increase of 98%. A Jet2 flight to Bodrum in term time is £500, but in half-term it is £1,065, which is an increase of 113%. Then there are the summer holidays, which are much longer, but people still get hit. A Ryanair flight from Newcastle to Faro in term time is £140, but in the summer holidays, it is £340—an increase of 143%. With packages in Spain on Go.Compare, seven days in term time is £290 per person, but that goes up to £384 in the school holidays, meaning that a family would pay £760 more. What can the Government do to stop the travel industry from exploiting families with outrageous price hikes during school holidays? Fines are simply not working. According to Parentkind, 61% of parents say that the risk of a fine makes no difference to them. Families feel trapped between unaffordable prices and rigid rules. Even when they want to play by the rules, they are still penalised. A single mum in Stevenage told me that she had been fined even though it had been her ex-husband who took their child out of school. Let us not pit education against family time; let us ensure that both are respected and that no parent is forced to choose between their child’s education and quality family time together.

• 15 Oct 2025 · Defence Industrial Strategy · Hansard source

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  Airbus, which manufactures satellites in my Stevenage constituency, will soon integrate the civil aircraft wing business at the historical Shorts site in Belfast, close to where Thales tests its satellites and produces vital missiles for Ukraine. Will the Minister work with colleagues across Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that the defence industrial strategy is complemented by the industrial strategy’s advanced manufacturing sector plan so as to maximise skills, innovation and growth?