Lorraine Beavers MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jul 2026 · Coastguard Volunteers: Remuneration and HMRC Guidance · Hansard source

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  I do. To make things even worse, according to the GMB, members were informed of the removal of the payment by a WhatsApp message. We all know that coastguards are not motivated by financial reward; they come into this role to serve their community, protect our residents and save lives. Coastguards in my constituency have told me that they already lose income from their main work, as call-outs are often late at night and during working hours. They also miss out on time with their loved ones because they are keeping our community safe. Removing their remuneration is unsustainable for our coastguards, and we cannot afford to lose them.

• 1 Jul 2026 · Coastguard Volunteers: Remuneration and HMRC Guidance · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend and I am sure that the Minister will look at that suggestion—well, I hope so, anyway. One coastguard wrote to me stressing that removing this support risked affecting availability, recruitment and retention. They warned that we might lose capacity in people and in skills that would take years to rebuild. I have written to the CEO of the Maritime Coastguard Agency to express my concern and I call on the Government to ensure that a sustainable remuneration model is found. We owe it to our coastguards to get this right. I will be grateful for answers to the following questions. First, have the Government considered options that would allow for remuneration while complying with employment law? Secondly, how will the Government ensure operational resilience if large numbers of coastguards leave, and has an impact assessment of that happening been made? Finally, do the Government believe that it is sustainable to rely on volunteers who receive expenses only?

• 1 Jul 2026 · Coastguard Volunteers: Remuneration and HMRC Guidance · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec, and I thank the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for bringing forward this important debate. In 2024, Fleetwood and Lytham’s coastguard stations were officially recognised as the busiest in the UK. Only four days ago, Fleetwood coastguard rescue officers spotted around 20 teenagers out in the sea in Bispham. While some were able to get themselves out of the water safely, others were struggling. Coastguards then rescued three of the children, who were taken to hospital. Without our heroic coastguard, it could have been a lot worse. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency plans to maintain the legal volunteer status of coastguards by removing their remuneration. That will have a terrible impact on my community, and it cannot be allowed to happen.

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

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  Across the country, children’s football teams often do not have access to a toilet. This issue disproportionately affects girls, and I have been told that girls in my constituency have stopped playing football because they cannot use the loo. Will the Leader of the House make time in the Chamber to discuss my constituent Natalie’s campaign calling for the provision of these essential facilities?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  In Gaza, the west bank and Lebanon, Israel continues to violate international law with total impunity. I welcome the Secretary of State’s actions against individuals and networks that enable settler violence, but it just does not go far enough. Why will she not at least commit to banning all trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and introduce a comprehensive sanctions regime against the Israeli state?

• 1 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Government’s announcement to select Blackpool and The Fylde College as a defence technical excellence college, which will build a skilled workforce and offer stable employment and opportunities in my constituency. But without a Typhoon jet order of our own, we risk losing the ability to build our own fast jets. This is about our national security. Germany, Italy and Spain—

• 23 Apr 2026 · Public Contracts: Value for Money · Hansard source

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  17. What recent assessment he has made of the value for money of public contracts with private sector providers.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Public Contracts: Value for Money · Hansard source

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  Despite Capita’s horrendous administration of the civil service pension scheme, it was still awarded the Synergy shared services contract. We still do not have a reason why—and I am not the first person in this House to ask. Will the Minister finally confirm who was responsible for the decision and whether the Cabinet Office signed it off?

• 20 Apr 2026 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  I stand here today proud of my constituent Katie Brett, who joins us in the Gallery. These changes to the unduly lenient sentence scheme are being brought forward because of her campaigning, following the most traumatic ordeal for her and her family, and I am proud to welcome the fact that this Labour Government have listened and acted. For too long, victims and bereaved families felt that the justice system was not on their side. Measures to force offenders to attend sentencing hearings are right. Families should not be denied the chance to see justice simply because an offender refuses to face up to what they have done. The stronger protections for children, especially in cases of sexual violence, are also badly needed, but I want specifically to welcome the changes that the Government are proposing to the unduly lenient sentence scheme. Katie’s little sister, Sasha Marsden, was just 16 years old when she was brutally murdered, raped and set on fire. It was a crime as horrific and evil as it is possible to imagine, and the pain her family have lived with ever since is something most of us cannot even imagine. After everything they had already been through, Katie and her family then faced another injustice: they had only 28 days to challenge the sentence, and they were not even told that they had the right to do so. That was so very wrong. A trial like that would be deeply traumatic for any family. In Sasha’s case, her family heard all the awful details of what she had endured in the final moments of her young and precious life, and no one in that position is ready, within a matter of days, to get to grips with a complex legal process and start to fight again. Twenty-eight days is not long enough. It is not a real right for any family; it is a barrier. That is why Katie has shown extraordinary courage. Through her campaign for Sasha’s law, she has spoken not only for her own family, but for many others who felt shut out by the system. Katie’s campaign was clear: more time for bereaved families and victims to challenge sentences that they believe are unduly lenient, and clear information so they know that that right exists in the first place. I am pleased that this Labour Government have heard the arguments and are acting to put things right. They have listened to campaigners and to families. I thank the Minister for her constructive engagement to ensure that the Government get the change right, and for ensuring that victims have been listened to at every stage of the process. This change will make a real difference to people at the worst moment of their lives. Crucially, the injustice that Katie suffered would not have happened had these changes been in place. It shows what the Government can do when we put victims first, and when we believe that justice must be matched by decency and compassion. The justice system should reflect the reality of trauma, grief and loss. Finally, I want to place on the record how proud I am that I played a small part in helping Katie make today happen, and to thank the Government for listening. Twenty-eight days was not enough. Victims and bereaved families must be properly informed, and a better system is being brought forward as a result. For Katie Brett, for Sasha Marsden, and for so many other families, the changes will not remove the grief, but they will make the system fairer, more humane and more just. There is of course always work to do on the criminal justice system, but victims should not have fewer rights than perpetrators. These changes go some way to correct that injustice, and I will be proud to vote for them today.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Local Government Reorganisation · Hansard source

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  The children with SEND in my constituency are being let down and ignored by the too-large Lancashire county council. Those of my constituents who are also served by Blackpool, a much smaller unitary, are getting the SEND services that they deserve and need. Does the Minister agree that making things smaller and getting away from the two-tier system helps our constituents by making services better, and looking after our children and our elderly?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T6. I recently met the Rail Minister, who agreed with me that the reintroduction of the Fleetwood to Poulton rail line would be transformative for the many people in my constituency, but it cannot happen without the support of Lancashire county council. Will the Secretary of State join me in calling for the Reform-led council to put the reopening of the rail line at the top of its transport plans, so that we can finally see this happen?

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

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  At Jameson Road landfill site, the stink is only getting worse. It is making the lives of my constituents unbearable, yet the crooks responsible at Transwaste still have not gone back to Yorkshire, and have set up a new company called Transwaste NW, presumably to hide their dodgy activities. Will the Leader of the House assure me that this Government will not allow firms like Transwaste to evade accountability for their crimes?

• 25 Mar 2026 · Waste Crime: Knowsley · Hansard source

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  Fleetwood stinks again today, but the Jameson Road landfill site still has not been closed. After 14 years of Conservative cuts to all our public services, bodies such as the Environment Agency are on their knees. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Environment Agency desperately needs more boots on the ground to take on the criminals who care nothing for our communities or our planet?

• 25 Mar 2026 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  I welcome the progress that has been made on this Bill. It is right that we are taking steps to rebuild trust in a system that for too long has left victims feeling invisible and unheard. The measures to compel offenders to attend their sentencing hearings are welcome. No family should be denied the chance to see justice simply because an offender refuses to face what they have done. The protections for children, especially in cases of sexual violence, are long overdue. I will speak specifically about Lords amendments 5 and 6, and about my constituent Katie Brett. Katie’s little sister, Sasha Marsden, was just 16 years old when she was brutally murdered, raped and set on fire. The sheer horror of that crime is beyond words. The pain her family lives with every single day is unimaginable to most of us, yet after enduring the traumatic trial and the devastation of their loss, Katie and her family were faced with another injustice: they had 28 days to challenge the sentence that they believed did not reflect the severity of the crime. What is worse, they were not even told that they had this right. For the family of a victim, the trial of the perpetrator is always traumatising, but in such a case—Sasha’s family heard the brutal details of her murder for the first time at the trial—most of us would not be emotionally ready to fight another fight and to understand the complex legal processes within 28 days of hearing the sentence. That is 28 days to grieve, 28 days to understand the complex legal system and 28 days to find the strength to fight once more. This is not a meaningful right; this is a barrier. Katie has shown extraordinary courage in turning her grief into action. Through her campaign for Sasha’s law, she is asking for something perfectly reasonable: more time for victims’ families to seek a review of sentences that they believe are unduly lenient. The Government are absolutely right to be looking at ways to improve communications with victims’ families to ensure that they know their right to appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, but I must make this point to the Minister: 28 days is not enough, even if people are informed of their right to appeal. The period of 28 days is how long someone has to return a T-shirt. The families deserve longer to consider whether they wish to appeal. I understand the Government’s concern that an end date must still be placed on this longer deadline, which is why Lords amendments 5 and 6 cannot be supported, but I urge them to listen to Katie and the many other families who have suffered at the hands of the status quo, and to ensure that the issue is revisited as the Bill continues its progress. Offenders are afforded multiple opportunities to appeal, and they are given time, process and support. However, victims’ families are given just one chance, with very limited time for it. This cannot be right. It does not reflect the values that we say our justice system is built on and the values that the Labour Government were elected to put into action. If we are serious about putting victims at the heart of the justice system, we must ensure that their rights are real. The Bill takes important steps forward, but it must not be the end of the conversation. It must be the beginning of doing better for Katie and Sasha, and for every family forced to navigate grief and injustice at the same time. Let us make sure that our justice system delivers not just outcomes, but humanity, fairness and the time that victims need to truly seek justice.

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

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  My constituents in Thornton-Cleveleys have been shocked to learn that their homes are at high risk of contamination due to the presence of the forever chemical PFOA. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the need to ensure that polluters pay for the clean-ups needed in cases like this?

• 19 Mar 2026 · Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme · Hansard source

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  3. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the Solicitor General for her meeting with me on Monday about the failures of the unduly lenient sentence scheme. It is not enough simply to ensure that families are informed of their rights; they should have longer than the current 28 days to use those rights. For families who have been put through traumatic trials, that is just not long enough. Will the Solicitor General update the House on what plans she has to ensure that families and victims have every chance to see justice done?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation · Hansard source

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  I am a proud member of the CWU. Posties in my constituency are clear that the problems at Royal Mail are the previous board’s financial mismanagement, along with lower wages, longer hours and poorer conditions. The Conservatives and the Lib Dems were warned that that would happen, but they privatised Royal Mail anyway. Will the Government commit to ensuring that the new owners stick to the agreement with the CWU and the Government, meet the universal service obligation and ensure that my constituents get the service that they deserve?

• 5 Mar 2026 · Government Shared Services · Hansard source

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  Last week, I heard that the Government have made Capita the preferred bidder for a £700 million contract for shared services across Departments. Are they having a laugh? Given Capita’s appalling performance in administrating the civil service pension scheme, which has affected hundreds of my constituents, will the Minister urgently review the procurement process for this contract? Will he commit to bringing this work back in-house to ensure that Capita does not mess this contract up as well?

• 5 Mar 2026 · Government Shared Services · Hansard source

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  9. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the procurement of the business process services element of the Synergy programme in the context of shared services across Government.

• 4 Mar 2026 · Child Poverty · Hansard source

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  5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle child poverty in Wales.

• 4 Mar 2026 · Child Poverty · Hansard source

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  Our UK Labour Government’s decision to scrap the wicked Conservative two-child cap will benefit 1,700 children in my constituency, and 69,000 children in Wales. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that the Conservative and Reform desire to reintroduce the cap is unjustifiably cruel and will drag children back into poverty?

• 3 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. My eight-year-old grandson Ronnie, along with his mum and dad, spent Sunday night on the bathroom floor at RAF Akrotiri until they got the all-clear at 3 o’clock in the morning. Will the Foreign Secretary assure me that this country will not be dragged into another illegal war by the Americans, putting the lives of British servicemen and women, and millions of innocent civilians, in danger?

• 24 Feb 2026 · Gaza Healthcare System · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Sir Jeremy. It is an honour to serve under your chairship. Today’s debate concerns healthcare in Gaza, but the truth is this: there is almost no healthcare left. Hospitals have been bombed. Doctors and nurses have been killed. Children are having limbs amputated without proper pain relief. Babies are being born in tents, into hunger and into fear. There is not a functioning healthcare system; it has collapsed, and it is children who are paying the highest price. Thousands of children have been killed. Many more have been injured. Gaza now has an entire generation of children living with life-changing disabilities. Imagine being a child who survives a bomb, loses a leg and then cannot get a wheelchair or even basic medicine. Imagine being a parent who knows that their child needs treatment, but cannot get them out. A Palestinian child died on Sunday. Nidal had been granted medical referral documents 14 months ago, but he died waiting for Israel to grant him permission to leave Gaza. More children will die waiting if we do not fight. Children are sleeping on the bare ground in the cold. They are drinking dirty water. They are dying from illnesses that we know how to treat. Almost every child is now carrying deep psychological trauma from what they have seen and lost. The view of many experts is that we are witnessing a genocide. We have a moral duty to do everything in our power to put an end to this horror, because it is not inevitable, but aid is being blocked. Israel has revoked the licences of 37 international NGOs. That is outrageous. Without doubt, it will add to the suffering, the trauma and the deaths of more Palestinian children. Medical supplies are still not getting in at the scale needed. Humanitarian organisations are still being prevented from doing their work. This country cannot fix everything, but we are not powerless. We are not doing enough. We must push for crossings to be fully opened, so that medicine, fuel and food can get in. We must fund medical equipment, rehabilitation and mental healthcare for children whose lives have been shattered. We must stand up for humanitarian agencies so that they can operate freely and safely. We must make it clear that hospitals and healthcare workers must never be the targets. This debate is not about politics. It is about whether a child who survives a bomb is then allowed to live. Right now, too many children are not. We owe them more than our sympathy. We owe them action.

• 5 Feb 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T3. My constituents have had to put up with over two years of toxic stench because of Transwaste’s disgraceful activity at the Jameson Road landfill site. Residents are weary of the endless enforcement orders issued by the Environment Agency. It is not complicated: the toxic stink has to stop. Will the Minister work with me to ensure that the Environment Agency has the powers to shut down these cowboys once and for all?