Laura Kyrke-Smith MP: speeches

Speeches

• 30 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T2. This month I was delighted to award my community champion award to Afzaal Hussain. After his best friend was stabbed and died in 2021, he set up In This Together Bucks, which has now removed more than 1,500 knives from the streets while also addressing underlying causes of knife crime through mentoring, mediation and support for families. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Afzaal on his work, and does he agree that organisations such as his in our communities are vital to the tackling of knife crime?

• 25 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The threats we face from hostile states are unprecedented in my lifetime, and geography is deceptive; we do not share a border with Russia or Iran, but our critical infrastructure is well within their reach, from hospital networks to transport networks and our banking systems. What are Ministers doing to prepare for these threats and build our national resilience, including making sure that the public know what is at stake?

• 25 Jun 2026 · Sudan · Hansard source

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  We have seen three years of unimaginable suffering in Sudan, with 19 million people extremely hungry, millions of children out of school, and thousands of women and girls who have been raped. The world should have been focused on stopping that, but major powers, like the US, have been largely absent and others, from the UAE to Iran and Turkey, have actively supported the conflict by supplying guns and drones. We in the UK must be on the side of peace. Will the Minister say what more he will do to stop that supply of arms and throw our weight behind a ceasefire before we see a repeat of the El Fasher massacre in El Obeid?

• 22 Jun 2026 · Further Education Pathways · Hansard source

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  Every time I have been to Buckinghamshire College Group in Aylesbury I have met fantastic staff who bring decades of professional experience to their roles and have a deep commitment to the young people. However, many further education colleges, including ours, are struggling with staff recruitment and retention, in part because staff pay is higher in schools. As we do this brilliant work to expand technical education opportunities through FE colleges, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that FE staff salaries are competitive and that FE colleges can continue to attract the best talent out there?

• 22 Jun 2026 · Further Education Pathways · Hansard source

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  10. What steps she is taking to improve further education pathways.

• 18 Jun 2026 · Support for Christians in Palestine · Hansard source

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  7. What steps the Church of England is taking to support Christians in Palestine.

• 18 Jun 2026 · Support for Christians in Palestine · Hansard source

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  One of my constituents has written to me about Natalie Abu Dayyeh, a young Christian girl from Birzeit in the west bank who was seized at gunpoint by Israeli forces earlier this month. Her family do not know where she is being held—they do not even know whether she is alive and being treated well. This is a repeated pattern of behaviour: Layan Nasir, another Palestinian Christian, was treated in the same way last year. I have written to the relevant Minister at the Foreign Office, but can I also ask what representations the Church has made to advocate for Natalie’s release and for the protection of other Palestinian Christians facing detention?

• 16 Jun 2026 · Health Bill (Second sitting) · Hansard source

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  Q I come from a county with really significant health inequalities—people in the wealthy parts of the county live 10 or 12 years longer than people in some of the more deprived parts of Aylesbury, which I represent. I would love to hear your thoughts on how we ensure that local authorities, ICBs and the voluntary sector continue working well together through this, and specifically how we do that in a way that drives the reduction we need in health inequalities. Maria Higson: I think we are all agreed that working at the neighbourhood level is absolutely the right way to go about that. That is where health inequalities can best be addressed, because that can be most nuanced and tailored. Working on that smaller footprint is really important. You mentioned voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, and I think that is a hugely important part that has broadly been missed out from the conversation around these changes. We work closely with VCSE partners and we know they deliver huge amounts for the communities and understand the communities in which they are embedded very well, so making sure that the VCSE voice is part of those neighbourhood teams will be important for that nuance and tailoring in the local element. Councillor Wright: I agree entirely. Local authorities are in a good position to engage the voluntary and community sector. But again, we are fighting for a voice with the NHS and they are fighting for a voice with us, so we need some honest conversations with ICBs, and a real strategy looking at those health inequalities and what is driving them. It will not purely be access to hospitals; it will also be access to meaningful employment, housing, transport, mental health or social isolation—there will be so much driving those wider determinants of health that are affecting healthy life expectancy. Local authorities are in a prime position to do that, and they need to be listened to. I think the challenge will be how we collectively say, “What needs to be done, other than implementing the Bill? How do we look at the whole health inequality picture and address it?” Sally Burlington: I would agree with the others: tackling health inequalities is really difficult. Doing it the same way in every area would not work, particularly in a world where there is not enough resource to do everything we would all like to do. You have to tailor how you approach local service delivery and what is needed locally according to local needs, the local community capability, how people work and what their preferences are locally, and the neighbourhood health agenda is our best shot at tailoring in that way. I think you will come on to Healthwatch, but we would have concerns that, in separating the Healthwatch duties to look at NHS and social care, we risk missing some of those who are most likely to need both, and that that could exacerbate health inequalities rather than make them better.

• 16 Jun 2026 · Health Bill (Second sitting) · Hansard source

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  Q To go back to the single patient record, I see huge potential—at least in my constituency, where we have real challenges with GPs and hospitals not talking to each other or sharing information. Nor do trusts and local authorities across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire share that information. Sarah has touched on this a bit already, but I am interested to hear from our other witnesses on how they think the single patient record would improve patient experience, and on how we would go about building public understanding and trust in a new system. James Cooper: There are some big opportunities in the single patient record, with the caveats that Sarah mentioned on data governance and consent. For families of children who are seriously ill, it presents huge opportunities, as I said earlier, because of the complexity of their needs. Often, huge amounts of information need to be conveyed to any professional who the children come into contact with, wherever that is across health, education or social care. Many professionals have a long-standing relationship with such families, whether they are NHS community children’s nurses, consultants with a speciality in the child’s condition or children’s hospice teams, but families often need to access emergency unplanned care, perhaps in the middle of the night or at weekends. In those instances, when they speak to paramedics and emergency doctors, it is imperative that they can convey the information as quickly as possible. In those instances, I can see huge benefits. With issues such as advanced care planning, to reflect the needs and wishes of those families, in particular as the child is coming towards the end of their life, I think it is critical that the whole range of professionals involved in the care of children has access to that information. I will welcome much more clarity from the Government about when the families will benefit from that particular initiative. Professor Croisdale-Appleby: May I add a short comment?

• 16 Jun 2026 · Thames Water · Hansard source

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  We all have examples of Thames Water letting our residents down. Just last week I heard from one of my farmers, who has had Thames Water discharging raw sewage into the ditch next to his fields. It has flooded his fields and contaminated the land, which is no longer in use. I welcome the progress made by the Secretary of State, but as she acknowledges, more may well be needed. Will she reassure my constituents that she will always put the interests of consumers, the environment and public health ahead of the interests of investors?

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

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  From Hawkslade to Buckingham Park, there are parked vehicles that sit abandoned for months on our roads, causing obstruction and danger to local residents, and even attracting fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour. They are usually untaxed and without an MOT, so when we try to have them removed we are passed between Buckinghamshire council, the police and other local authorities, with no one taking responsibility for having these vehicles removed. Will the Leader of the House allocate parliamentary time to see what more we can do in government to expand enforcement and get these vehicles off our roads?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain: Skilled Legal Migrants · Hansard source

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  Last month I joined a very generous community event at Herali, a much-loved Sri Lankan restaurant in Aylesbury, which is dependent on staff who are here on skilled worker visas. The proposed changes to ILR put many of my local residents, including Sri Lankans and Indians, in a very uncertain and difficult position. When they arrived, the clear path to settlement was five years, but now they do not know what to plan or hope for. That is equally difficult for their employers, whether in the care sector, nurseries or hospitality businesses such as Herali. Will the Minister tell me what reassurance I can offer to these skilled legal migrants, who are such an important part of our communities?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain: Skilled Legal Migrants · Hansard source

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  4. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain on skilled legal migrants resident in the UK.

• 8 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T3. My local Jewish community does not have a dedicated building to meet and worship in. That means that they are not eligible for the Government’s expanded support for Jewish communities, which is primarily aimed at fixed places of worship. I welcome the Government’s expanded commitment, and I am grateful for their engagement with me on this issue, but will the Minister give an update, including on whether support can be extended to security guards?

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

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  I have spoken to many young people in Aylesbury and the villages about this issue. One boy told me about the content he had seen, from terrorist beheadings to sexual abuse. He said to me, “Please don’t stop us communicating with our friends—we want to do that—but please stop us seeing this illegal and traumatising material, and please help us manage our addiction to these social media platforms.” Does the Minister agree that the tech companies cannot be trusted with our children’s safety or their futures, and that the Government have to step in now?

• 21 May 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  In Lebanon, the Government’s contribution to the humanitarian response is welcome, but the response does not work when aid workers are being killed; 116 healthcare and rescue personnel have already died. The House is united in condemning these violations of international law, but does the Minister accept that the killing will not stop until there is accountability?

• 20 May 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q10. On a more serious note, sometimes we all have those meetings with constituents that really stick with us. For me, it was the lady who came to my surgery and told me about the character.ai chatbot that had groomed her 12-year-old son. The chatbot turned him against his school and his parents, made sexual advances, and even suggested that the bot and the boy might meet in the afterlife. Since this happened last year, I have been on the case with the Government, and I am pleased that we have taken new powers to regulate AI services, but more young people are still being harmed in this way every day, and they will not be safe until the tech companies can no longer access them. Can the Prime Minister tell me how and when he will act to finally make the online world a safe place for our children?

• 19 May 2026 · Knife Crime Strategy · Hansard source

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  8. What progress he has made with Cabinet colleagues on the Government's knife crime strategy.

• 19 May 2026 · Knife Crime Strategy · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Government’s knife crime strategy, with its ambitious goal of halving knife crime in a decade, and its recognition that serious violence is both a criminal justice issue and a social failure. I commend Thames Valley police on their hard work to tackle knife crime in Aylesbury and the villages. We have seen some really good measures, such as the knife crime amnesty bins, which have had a positive effect. As the Secretary of State knows, the challenge of knife crime starts with its root causes, which include poverty and a lack of opportunity for young people. We still struggle with that in Aylesbury and the villages. What more is the Secretary of State doing across Government to address these two root causes?

• 28 Apr 2026 · Conflict in the Middle East: Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the Chancellor for the work she is doing to protect us from the economic impacts of this war. One of my local farmers has been in touch about the impact on red diesel prices, which are up by around 70%, and fertiliser prices, and shared his nervousness about the affordability of going ahead and planting next year’s crops. Can the Chancellor outline what more she can do to protect our farmers, our food security and our food prices in light of these global challenges?

• 22 Apr 2026 · Aylesbury United Football Club · Hansard source

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  I present a petition about Aylesbury United football club on behalf of residents in Aylesbury and the villages. Aylesbury United, affectionately known as the Ducks, have played a vital role in our community for well over a century, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing for tens of thousands of local people. The club’s future is bright—the club is now training up more than 600 kids aged five to 15, including a number of girls’ teams—but there is one major challenge. This year marks 20 years since the Ducks were evicted from their stadium on Buckingham Road and they remain without a home ground in Aylesbury. They are turning away kids because there are no facilities to accommodate them. The petitioners ask “that the House of Commons urge the Government to consider the merits of Aylesbury United Football Club returning to a home ground within the Aylesbury constituency, and to encourage the relevant bodies to take the necessary steps to achieve this.” Following is the full text of the petition: [ The petition of residents of the constituency of Aylesbury, Declares that Aylesbury United Football Club, founded in 1897, has made an invaluable contribution to our area in fostering community spirit and promoting physical and mental wellbeing over more than 125 years; further declares that over 60,000 people have been positively impacted by the Club over the last 30 years; further notes that the Club’s players and supporters, nicknamed the Ducks, have been without a home ground in the Aylesbury constituency since their eviction from Buckingham Road in 2006 — a displacement that has now lasted 20 years; and further notes that the Ducks have long sought to relocate to a local ground. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to consider the merits of Aylesbury United Football Club returning to a home ground within the Aylesbury constituency, and to encourage the relevant bodies to take the necessary steps to achieve this, thereby “bringing the Ducks home”. And the petitioners remain, etc. ] [P003182]

• 20 Apr 2026 · Best Start Family Hubs · Hansard source

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  11. What progress her Department has made on the roll-out of Best Start family hubs.

• 20 Apr 2026 · Best Start Family Hubs · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Government’s ambitious roll-out of Best Start family hubs, and I am thrilled that Elmhurst family centre in Aylesbury has been selected as Buckinghamshire’s first family hub—something for which I have been proudly campaigning. Will the Minister set out how that programme will make a difference to families in Aylesbury, including on a matter close to my heart, namely the mental health and wellbeing, and the social connection of parents of young kids and their families?

• 16 Apr 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Government’s decision to introduce a cap on student loan interest rates for plan 2 borrowers. That is an important step towards easing the financial burden on graduates, but my constituents continue to raise with me how unfair the system is, with significant financial pressure from the repayment terms and thresholds that have continued to increase despite the rising costs. Will the Leader of the House ensure that time is made for further debate on student loan reform so that we can consider further action to ensure that the system is fair?

• 23 Mar 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  The humanitarian implications of this war are already severe. In Lebanon, 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including Palestinian and Syrian refugees who had found safety in the south of Lebanon, but who are now being forced to flee for their lives again. Meanwhile, the airspace closures in the Gulf and the closure of the strait of Hormuz are affecting global humanitarian supply chains. For example, the International Rescue Committee has warned that $130,000 of pharmaceutical supplies for Sudan are now stuck in Dubai. What is the Secretary of State doing to support access to humanitarian relief during this crisis?