Lee Pitcher MP: speeches

Speeches

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  Most certainly. Our young people have aspirations, but we need to provide jobs and opportunities for all. A reopened airport will provide those great opportunities for lots of different jobs, flights, potential future pilots, and superb jobs on the runway and the ground. Will the Government make their commitment to a reopened Doncaster Sheffield airport clear? Will the Minister explain what concrete steps the Government will take to support the economic benefits of a reopened DSA, and will he commit tonight to supporting the full reopening of our airspace and to avoiding any further delays? We have seen the results across our great nation time and again, when vital regional infrastructure is not nurtured with the political will needed to sustain it. The desire for something different is a big part of the reason that the last election returned so many Labour MPs. Voters had had enough of regional decline, and enough of being told that this was the way it had to be. They wanted hope. This new Government promised to give them that hope, and they must now keep that promise. My constituency office sits just across the road from the terminal building of Doncaster Sheffield airport. When I head into work, I look across the road and see a building that is beginning to wake back up after a fretful sleep. As Mark Chadwick told me, this transformative initiative is not just about securing a prosperous future for ourselves; it also paves the way for our children, and our children’s children. The reopening of our airport stands as a beacon of hope, offering unparalleled prospects for the community now and for generations to come. I am ready, all of us in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme are ready. South Yorkshire is ready, the region is ready, and we want to see those planes above Doncaster once again.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for that intervention. I wholeheartedly agree about the importance of looking at sustainable aviation fuel and the opportunities it brings in terms of new jobs, aspiration and a future for our children and young adults in the area. People love to fly, and they will always fly. We need that to bring creativity back to our shores and learn from others, so it is massively important that we continue to promote technologies such as sustainable aviation fuel. If we are looking for growth and reindustrialisation, and if we are looking to decentralise our economy away from London, where better to look than an airport that sits ready and waiting to serve? The promise of apprenticeships and high-paid, good jobs for our young people is another reason that our airport must reopen and one of my major priorities as an MP. Doncaster, like so many towns and cities in the north, has seen many of its brightest young people leave for prospects elsewhere. The promise of regional economic growth is a promise to our young people. It is a promise that says, “Yes, you can chase that brilliant, bright future, and you can chase it right here at home on your doorstep.” Recently, I was lucky enough to meet the UK’s youngest pilot trainer, and the world’s youngest flight examiner, Kathan Dudhela. We spoke about Doncaster Sheffield airport, and he told me how excited he was that one day he might get to land on that historic runway. I left that conversation inspired by him, and determined to see Doncaster’s young people follow in his great footsteps. I will continue to fight for the apprenticeships and training opportunities that must come alongside a reopened Doncaster Sheffield airport. So much has been achieved in the last few months. A £20 million investment has been approved, combining funds from Doncaster city council and the South Yorkshire mayoral combined authority, which will go towards supporting the crucial early stage works that are required to mobilise and reopen the airport. An operator, Munich Airport International, has been announced, and before Christmas I was proud, along with many of my hon. Friends, to witness the first flight back since the closure, courtesy of 2Excel, which remained on the site all that time and never lost faith. Do not get me wrong: things are looking great, but challenges remain. Important practical steps to make Doncaster Sheffield airport operational still need to be taken, and there are still hurdles to jump. However, none of the remaining challenges are impossible. All that is required now is the political will to seize this opportunity and get us over the line. Right now the stars are aligned. The finances are committed, the operator is secured, the Mayor, combined authority and regional MPs are all on the same page. We cannot allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers. This is a moment to show the world that Doncaster and South Yorkshire are once again open for business.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  I most certainly agree that the economic benefits of a regional airport opening are huge, not just for local jobs and the local economy but for the tourism trade, which is massively important right now. When communities suffer the loss of major employers, as ours did, it is easy to slip into doom and gloom. Mark Chadwick—who I am pleased to say is here this evening—and the rest of the Save DSA campaign team refused to sink into negativity. They knew that there was no good business case to close that airport. They knew that there was no good reason to abandon our community, rip out a part of our heritage and end those jobs. The Save DSA campaign and others have fought tirelessly since the airport’s closure to keep it from becoming yet another example of regional decline. I thank them for their efforts and massively commend their work, as well as that of other groups, such as the Friends of DSA, a group of ex-employees and supporters whom I had the fortune of meeting recently. Their dedication shows that it was never just a job for them. I know they will be following progress closely. Members who are unfamiliar with our airport may ask, “Why is this so important?” When Peel decided to close the airport in November 2022, it was not just a blow to passengers; it was the end of hundreds of good, well-paid jobs in Doncaster and the surrounding area.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  No. Since being elected, I have asked many questions on the subject. I am sure that hon. Members across the House will be delighted to hear that this will not be the last time either. The fact is that it is important to so many constituents, and nothing demonstrates that better than the Save DSA campaign. I am proud to champion the campaign to save our airport in Parliament, and I hope my efforts in this place serve to highlight the wider efforts of local campaigners at home.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention and for the work he does on the APPG to promote everything that is great and needed in Yorkshire. I could not agree more about the economic importance of this airport for us all. This is not just an airport. This is not just Doncaster. A reopened DSA is also a reopened South Yorkshire, opening the door to inward investment from across the globe. Where once there were fighter planes, now there will be freight planes. Doncaster sits at the heart of our great country. It is already one of our major transport hubs. With DSA open again, South Yorkshire will become home to new industry, cutting-edge renewable energy and technological innovation.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

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  I am grateful for the opportunity to make the case for the economic contribution of Doncaster Sheffield airport in the House. Its reopening is the No. 1 priority for the people of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, as well as residents right across our region. Reopening our airport is not simply a matter of bringing jobs, though it will bring jobs. It is not just about the wider economy, though it will massively contribute to the economy. It is about our local pride, because our airport is our local pride. When DSA closed two years ago, our community was robbed of a key part of its history and identity. Seeing planes flying once again in the skies above Doncaster is my goal and the reason I address the House tonight. I will use my time today to speak about the business case for reopening Doncaster Sheffield airport, the clear economic benefits and the importance of the Government’s commitment to finally get this over the line. I will talk first about the inspiring local campaign that has kept DSA high on the agenda since the airport closed its doors 818 long days ago, and that has provided the momentum to get us to where we are today: on the brink of making the dream of reopening a reality. This is not the first time I have raised Doncaster Sheffield airport in this place.

• 13 Feb 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last week was a big one for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme. On Tuesday, Mayor Ros Jones announced that Munich Airport International will provide operational and management services for Doncaster Sheffield airport upon its reopening. Then on Thursday, the Chancellor visited Yorkshire wildlife park—it is amazing; come and see it—with Dan Fell and businesses from the chamber of commerce to discuss, among other things, her support for the reopening of the airport. With National Apprenticeship Week currently taking place, it is vital that investment in projects such as this creates skilled jobs in the area. Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising the importance of creating skilled jobs across the UK, and will she support me and other local MPs as we work with businesses to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are in place when our airport reopens?

• 11 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T9. Women across the country, including my constituent Lisa from Haxey, are struggling to access vital hormone replacement therapy medications, such as Estradot patches. Owing to a 30-year-long medical condition, Lisa had her ovaries removed and now faces severe health consequences because of these ongoing medication shortages, and there is no resolution expected soon. Given the repeated supply issues with HRT in recent years, what actions is the Minister taking to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of those essential medicines?

• 5 Feb 2025 · Water Safety · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the installation and maintenance of, and access to, safety equipment at reservoirs; to create an offence of damaging or destroying safety equipment near bodies of water; to make provision about the teaching of water safety in schools; and for connected purposes. My son phoned me last week to share the news that he had passed his driving test at the first time of asking. Personally, I think the best drivers are those who pass it on the second attempt, but there we are. This week, he dropped my talented and beautiful daughter—his sister—at school, and then took me to the station for the first time so that I could return to this place. He carried on to his sixth-form college, and the offers have started to come in from universities. He has the whole world ahead of him. My children are my world. Seeing their remarkable achievements, and watching them grow into the most amazing, special human beings, is the most wondrous thing that any parent could ever hope and pray for. I am sure that, when the time comes, every parent awaits that call when their child passes their driving test, gets their exam results or goes off to work or study for the first time on their own. No parent should await a call to say that they will never see their beautiful baby again. No parent should outlive their child and have to say goodbye to them, so, in what I bring before the House today, I hope to start the process of preventing that from happening in the awful circumstances I will talk about. Today, I shall talk about Sam. Sam was a similar age to my son, and he should also have had his whole life ahead of him. Sam, a 16-year-old, went out with his friends one day and never returned after tragically drowning in a South Yorkshire reservoir. I met Sam’s father, Simon, for the first time at Thorne fire station last summer. He handed me the sweetest picture of his gorgeous boy and bravely retold the story of what had happened. I knew there and then that, should I be so honoured as to reach this place, I would do something for Sam, for his parents and for every family who has lost a loved one in a similar way. I begin by acknowledging the work that has already been done on this matter, both here and outside Parliament, to campaign for what has become known as Sam’s law. In particular, I want to highlight the work done by my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), who is a sponsor of this Bill, and by Sam’s father, Simon Haycock, who I know is watching today. In May 2021, Sam had just finished his GCSEs. It was summer, it was hot, and he and his friends did what countless teenagers have done before them: they found a body of water and decided to go swimming. When Sam got into difficulty, his friends tried to help. They found that the safety equipment was locked. They had to ring 999 and, once the operator had verified that it was a genuine emergency, they were given a code to unlock the equipment before they could use it. In an emergency such as that, every second counts. In the wake of Sam’s death, his father Simon has become a champion of water safety, going into schools and communities to talk about the dangers of entering open water and to campaign for Sam’s law. There were 141 deaths in inland open water bodies in 2023, and 1,455 over the last 10 years. That is about 146 people dying every year, most of them children or young adults. Search, rescue and emergency services respond to over 100,000 calls related to water rescues annually. As we continue to have longer, hotter summers, with more people looking for ways to cool off, there is a risk that those numbers will only increase further. Those are worrying figures, but the one that struck home the most for me was the estimate from the Royal Life Saving Society that for every person who dies by drowning, there are more than 10 near misses. That is shocking. It is too many near misses, and too many people just one step away from leaving this world unnecessarily early. That is why I am proposing these measures today. The first is to create a legal responsibility to provide, maintain and ensure easy and rapid access to safety equipment around reservoirs. Too many reservoirs do not have safety equipment, and where there is equipment, it cannot always be accessed in a timely manner. It is frequently vandalised—an issue I will come to in a moment—and not replaced or repaired. The equipment is often locked away, with a laborious protocol for access. Simon Haycock, Sam’s father, has a simple and creative but game-changing plan for this, using state-of-the-art technology. I hope to help him to progress this concept into reality, to save precious seconds and precious lives. I absolutely understand why these protocols are in place. They were introduced to safeguard lifesaving equipment, which is why we need to turn to the second point of the Bill. I propose to create a specific criminal offence of the vandalism of safety equipment around bodies of water. It has been recognised that some specific instances of crimes, while covered by a broader category, are so abhorrent that they should exist as a crime in themselves. We have recognised, for example, that assaults on emergency workers who are risking their lives to save others are particularly heinous. We have recognised that domestic abuse cannot just be prosecuted as if it were a simple assault, and we have recognised that slavery is more than just kidnapping and forced labour. It is time to recognise that to destroy, damage or remove lifesaving equipment, and therefore endanger lives, is not simple vandalism. Finally, the Bill seeks to expand the national curriculum’s water safety learning outcomes to include a requirement to understand the dangers of swimming in open water. Water safety outcomes are already mandated in the national curriculum, and I acknowledge the work of Lord Storey in pushing for the teaching of those outcomes to be mandatory in all schools. When it becomes law, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will ensure that all children receive that education, which is a major step forward. However, the current learning objectives do not go far enough, as they are about being able to swim and self-rescue. I do not suggest for a moment that having those skills is not important, but there is nothing in the curriculum that requires children to be taught about the dangers and risks of swimming in open water, from cold water shock to invisible currents and hidden objects. If we want to stop children, especially teenagers, putting their lives at risk, saying, “Don’t do it,” or, “It’s dangerous,” is not the way forward. The best thing we can do is to empower them by giving them the skills and knowledge to recognise the risks and understand the dangers for themselves. Many schools already do this. They go above and beyond the baseline teaching required, working with groups such as the RLSS, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Canal & River Trust. I take my hat off to every school that has led the way, but now it is our job to lead the way by making sure that this life skill and safety education is not left to chance. There will be a cost to landowners in adding and maintaining safety measures, but reservoirs are fundamentally different from most other bodies of water. They are not naturally occurring; they are created. They are managed and operated as part of an intentional and usually profit-making enterprise. I therefore do not think it is unreasonable that those who own or operate the asset should play their part in installing and maintaining lifesaving equipment. Ultimately, we are talking about people’s lives—not just the lives that are lost, but the lives of those who lose sons like Sam or who lose daughters, brothers, sisters, friends or partners. There are 146 deaths a year, but how many lives are devastated by those deaths? How many lives are changed forever? And how many more will there be before we do something different? Simon Haycock, Sam’s father, has channelled his grief into doing something positive, but his words still ring in my ears: “It’s the absence that gets you. One minute your son is there, looking forward to the summer holidays and the next chapter of his life at college, and the next he is gone.” From the moment the first tear fell down my face as he started to retell that story, I knew I had committed to helping him achieve his goal. I ask all Members to support this Bill today and, more than that, I ask them to take up its proposals and principles by being alive to the need for change and by being aware that there is more that we can and must do. Question put and agreed to . Ordered , That Lee Pitcher, Calum Miller, Sorcha Eastwood, Sally Jameson, Sarah Champion, Dr Roz Savage, Jim Shannon, Ben Coleman and Andy Slaughter present the Bill. Lee Pitcher accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 20 June, and to be printed (Bill 178).

• 3 Feb 2025 · Jobcentres: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I recently visited two jobcentres in my area, Thorne and Scunthorpe, and saw the great work being done by the staff there. Our jobcentres should be places where everyone can go for help to get them back into work. However, many blind and visually impaired people need technology such as screen readers to use computers, while others might need specialist screen magnification software. Research by Sense has found that no jobcentres have this specialist assistive technology, meaning that some disabled jobseekers cannot use the computers on site to look for work. How will the Government ensure that jobcentres are equipped with essential pieces of assistive technology in the future, enabling more disabled people to look for work?

• 3 Feb 2025 · Jobcentres: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  12. What assessment she has made of the impact of jobcentres on economic growth.

• 3 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T9. What assessment has the Minister made of recent trends in the level of fraud in the welfare system, because every £1 lost to fraud is £1 that should have gone to our schools, to our hospitals or on the future of our residents?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Doncaster Royal Infirmary · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend will know, in April 2021 a leak occurred at the women’s hospital at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. The water then flooded the area and went into the electrical systems, and a fire broke out. Some 60 patients were impacted and had to be evacuated, including premature babies. Thanks to the efforts of the amazing hospital staff, as my hon. Friend has mentioned, no one was hurt, but the damage was substantial, and it impacted larger parts of the hospital. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to learn from such incidents, and that it makes absolute sense, both financially and for people’s safety, to proactively manage repairs and do the maintenance that is required?

• 24 Jan 2025 · Climate and Nature Bill · Hansard source

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  I commend the hon. Member for what she is doing with the Bill. When talking about the future of housing and properties, we often focus on energy and water. Does she agree that it is important to focus on rainwater harvesting and what can be done in that sense, too?

• 23 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting the Friends of Doncaster Sheffield Airport at Little Bawtry’s restaurant. That incredible group of volunteers has supported the airport since its original opening back in 2005, and they cannot wait to be volunteering again once those doors reopen. Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising the vital role that volunteers like Friends of Doncaster Sheffield Airport play in ensuring the success of local projects right across the country? Will she join me in wishing them and the campaigners success in their continued efforts to get that airport reopened?

• 23 Jan 2025 · Rare Retinal Disease · Hansard source

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  My wife lives with retinitis pigmentosa. We have been together for 30 years, and over that time, I have seen how that degenerative eye disease can change the way that we live, adapt and care for each other as a family. Although there is a massive place, as we have talked about, for innovation and research and for access to investigation for treatment, once she got the white cane that she has now, that became a symbol for everybody else. People notice that she has a condition and they are much more attentive to her for that reason. It is in the period before that where we could make an intervention around inclusion and education. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that we could do something at that point to identify to others that somebody has a condition, which they might not be able to see, in order to help them?

• 16 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last Friday, I had the privilege of meeting those at the Foyer and Doncaster Housing for Young People to discuss how we can best support 16 to 25-year-olds who are homeless or vulnerably housed. Having experienced homelessness as a child, I know how challenging that can be, so I really welcome the measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating organisations such as Doncaster Housing for Young People on their vital work and in praising the measures in the Bill?

• 9 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  A few years ago, my cousin John took his own life. It is something that, as a family, I can say here and now, we will never ever get over. There are Johns out there today—many Johns—contemplating their future; January is a particularly tough month for many people. Will the Leader of the House join me in raising awareness about mental health so that people know it is actually a strength of character to speak up and speak out and talk about their feelings? Will she also recognise the amazing organisations out there that welcome people through their doors every day to a safe space and environment, such as the Jackson Hope Foundation in my constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme?

• 18 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T6. Merry Christmas. I recently attended a Royal National Institute of Blind People event highlighting the challenges faced by blind and visually impaired people navigating past parked cars, forcing them to walk into the road. My inspirational wife is one of those people, who takes her life into her own hands every time she walks into the road. What will the Government do to help make our streets safer and more navigable in future?

• 16 Dec 2024 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I definitely agree that we require a whole range of different types of solution, including blue-green and the more traditional. Blue-green infrastructure comes from working with the landscape and environment to create a new type of asset that can not only reduce flood risk or store water to be used later in times of drought, but attenuate pollutants before they go into watercourses and improve water quality at source. Such infrastructure includes the creation of ponds and rain gardens, rewilding, woodlands, mini-forests and wetlands, building in buffer strips, hedgerows and green roofs as part of new development, and engaging in smart soil management. Importantly, those have wider-reaching opportunities, too. They bring opportunities for new skills and new jobs, they facilitate nature recovery, and they provide a means of education for young adults. The Government needed to respond fast with immediate action. They have done just that with the Bill. They needed to ensure that, in parallel, a sustainable view of the whole water sector regulatory regime was taken. They have done that with the announcement of the commission. That is the difference that a Labour Government make. On behalf of my constituents, I fully support the Bill.

• 16 Dec 2024 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I refer to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am co-chair of the all-party parliamentary water group and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for sustainable flood and drought management. If our forests are the lungs of the environment, then our rivers, streams and other watercourses are its veins and arteries. They carry vital nutrients and elements around their catchments, ensuring that our flora and fauna flourish and thrive. Globally, we know that all species are currently dying out at rates more than 100 times the normal evolutionary rates of extinction. Locally, the picture is just as bleak. According to the most recent Rivers Trust report, “The State of Our Rivers”, no single stretch of river in England or Northern Ireland is in good overall health, and toxic chemicals persist in every single stretch of English river. Pollution in rivers comes from a variety of sources, including trade, agriculture, highways, riparian assets and sewage assets, among others. Whether we are tackling floods, drought or pollution, there is a need to bring all agencies with a responsibility for managing our water together to plan for and deliver a sustainable water future. There has never been so much public focus on the water industry. Recent years have seen: the renewed emergence of open-water swimming in a time where people explored their local environment much more during covid; the growth of citizen science increasing the available data on offer; campaign groups making a huge breakthrough in highlighting the challenges we face; and, increased data transparency showing there to be real problems. The public have lost faith in the industry and in the Government’s ability to regulate it, with widespread concerns about under-investment in infrastructure and unacceptable levels of pollution. The measures in the Water (Special Measures) Bill are the start of fulfilling the Government’s ambition for the water sector as a whole. I am proud that within days of taking up Government, the Labour party started to work on this Bill. I am equally pleased that an independent commission led by Sir Jon Cunliffe has been announced to commence a full end-to-end review of the water sector regulation system. This Bill delivers on the Government’s promise to ensure that water companies are held to account in delivering service and environmental obligations, and in doing so begin to rebuild much-needed trust. While there has been much discussion today on combined sewer overflows and other sewage discharges, I am keen to highlight the types of intervention that will be needed to clean up our rivers and seas, and the focus on nature-based solutions in the Bill as part of the drainage water management plans. Grey infrastructure, new pipes, pumps, sewers and additional treatment capacity will always be part of the equation, but as we look to become more sustainable, I am encouraged to see reference to nature-based solutions and their future role in the Bill.

• 12 Dec 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last week, I had the honour of witnessing the first flight to Doncaster Sheffield airport since its closure in 2022. This was made possible not just by the hard work of Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones and the whole team, but by 2Excel, an aviation company that has maintained its base at the airport. Will my right hon. Friend join me in celebrating this incredible achievement for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme?

• 5 Dec 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  In Doncaster, Thorne and the Isle of Axholme, we are proud to be the home of a few branches of the Lions charity. Each year, in the run-up to Christmas, I feed myself up and swap my usual suit and red tie for a very different festive outfit. The Lions sleigh and volunteers bring Father Christmas to the doorsteps of thousands of smiling children. Will the Leader of the House join me in praising the hard work of the volunteers and their dedication, and wish the Thorne, Doncaster and Isle of Axholme Lions every success in smashing their fundraising goals this Christmas?

• 3 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. I understand that the Chancellor will attend the Great Northern conference today in Yorkshire and the Humber. In the light of that, will she tell us how she will make the most of growth opportunities for our region?

• 28 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The campaign for justice for the WASPI—Women Against State Pension Inequality—women has been truly commendable. I want to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of campaigners, including Angela Madden, as well as around 6,000 women in my constituency who have been affected. Following the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s findings of maladministration earlier this year, those women are still waiting for clarity on the Government’s response, particularly regarding timely and fair compensation. Will the Leader of the House join me in praising the WASPI campaigners for their dedicated work, which has been amazing, and support my request to the Department for Work and Pension for an update on the progress being made to address the ombudsman’s findings?