Louise Sandher-Jones MP: speeches

Speeches

• 24 Jun 2025 · Flood Defences: Chesterfield · Hansard source

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  In my constituency, which borders my hon. Friend’s constituency of Chesterfield, we are affected by exactly the same issues that he has been outlining with exactly the same rivers. I note how interlinked all this is—my hon. Friend has spoken previously about getting people round the table. One of the things I found frustrating was coming up time and time again against the issue of riparian owners and the vital role they play in maintaining water courses. Many riparian owners do so very diligently, but others are not even aware of their responsibilities. What should be the Government’s way forward on that?

• 24 Jun 2025 · National Security Strategy · Hansard source

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  The Minister will know from my background that I will welcome the defence measures in the national security strategy, but I particularly wish to highlight the passages on energy security. We know that the impacts of the war in Ukraine, combined with our historical over-reliance on a single source of fuel—fossil fuels—meant that many people in my constituency and across the country faced crippling energy bills. Will the Minister outline how this security strategy will improve our energy security and make sure that we never face such a situation again?

• 27 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill (Second sitting) · Hansard source

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  Q Farmers in my constituency of North East Derbyshire tell me that they have a frustrating issue with off-road bikes often being used across their land. Do you think the Bill goes far enough with the new powers to seize those vehicles? Sam Durham: I think it does. That power to seize vehicles that are being used in an antisocial manner is key. We think of farming in rural areas, but the urban fringe area is key to where vehicles—bikes, quad bikes or even off-road vehicles—are used in an antisocial manner. Many farmers flag it to me that those people are out there, and the measures in the Bill look positive on that side.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  GB Energy will turbocharge renewables across the country. Once we have that, we will have more control over our energy systems and, as the hon. Lady knows, we will have control over what happens with bills.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  One reason why I decided to get into politics—I was quite happy doing something else—was because I was looking around this country and seeing the huge systemic issues that were facing us. None of those issues would go away if the Government just said, “We’re going to keep giving out pots of money to people,” and the hon. Lady knows that. As a proud member of the Labour party, I support people receiving fair pay for their fair work, and I support the rises that we gave to our nurses, our soldiers and our teachers. I am very proud of that. We face so many systemic issues that we know we need to make some big changes. Things such as GB Energy, which was in our manifesto that millions of people voted for, is a huge change that will make a difference.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  I very much thank the hon. Lady for those comments. I know she vociferously criticised pay rises for public sector workers in her speech, so I am glad to have clarified that. The winter fuel payment was a policy that the Labour Government introduced in 1997, and it stands as one of the great achievements of that Labour Administration. When it was brought in, pensioner poverty was significantly higher than what we face today, and it made a real difference to many pensioners who were struggling with heating, eating, and many other living costs. Along with many things that that Government achieved, we had the shortest NHS waiting times in history, we brought crime down, and we created Sure Start, which made a difference to many young people’s lives. We had record results in schools, we introduced the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, and we brought in the first ever Climate Change Act in 2008. All those things made a huge difference to the lives of people in this country, in particular pensioners.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  What is fair is a 4.1% rise in the state pension and a 5.5% to 6% rise for our soldiers, teachers and nurses, and I will say that as many times as I need to say it. Many people in this country have been grappling with skyrocketing energy bills, which have caused real poverty. Those bills have skyrocketed largely because we are at the mercy of international markets, so it is vital that we take back sovereign control of our energy and energy prices, and GB Energy is a vital part of that.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  I was going to go back to GB Energy, but why not?

• 26 Feb 2025 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman need not worry. The night is young, and I will come to that. Perhaps we could have heard what the Conservatives’ solution to those issues would be, now that they have had time in opposition to reflect on the many ways they caused the issues in the first place. Instead, we are talking about the Chagos islands. Perhaps we could have discussed what other measures are desperately needed in constituencies like mine, such as better buses, investment in transport infrastructure such as light and heavy rail, a step change in educational opportunities for our young people, energy security and how we can provide affordable houses.

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

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  Last week, I had the honour of visiting Unstone junior school in my constituency, and I pay tribute to the fantastic work of the staff. There was also the opportunity for some of the children to ask me questions, and a range of issues were raised, including the environment. Crucially, I was asked this question: what more can we do to support the school in providing healthy eating and, in particular, allowing the children to have watermelon and strawberries for their lunch?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  The Bill looks at the result—the impact. I do not understand why we need to look at the volume if we are looking at the impact. A huge amount has been spent on bosses’ bonuses: over £9 million in 2023-24. To put that into perspective, the average salary in my constituency is just over £30,000. If bonuses are received, we expect it to be for work well done and not just as a matter of course for the failings those bosses are responsible for. Time and time again, we heard from the former Government that the water industry would change. Unfortunately, it did not under the previous measures, and that is why I welcome the action to ensure results as soon as possible. The Bill will mean cleaner rivers, which is my hope for the River Amber and what my constituents deserve; better infrastructure; better protection for those who use our waters for leisure activities; and better protection for the nature in our beautiful constituency. That is why it has my full support.

• 28 Jan 2025 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for all the hard work she and her team have been doing on the Bill. It is very important to my constituents. To go back to the very basics, we are talking about something that everybody in North East Derbyshire uses every day—water. I believe that everybody in my constituency, and in the whole country, has a right to know that the water in our rivers and streams is clean, clear and free from pollution. The reason I have to state that now in this House is that we have not had the action we should have had over the past 14 years. That is a huge failure of the previous Government to get action taken and completed on this important issue. Instead, in 2023 water was polluted over 2,000 times in North East Derbyshire—and that is in just one constituency. Last week, I met local residents in Ashover, which is situated on the River Amber, in my constituency. They impressed on me their concerns about pollution in that very picturesque part of the river. We have had good news, in that Severn Trent Water has improved treatment tank capacity in the area, but my residents are worried that that will not be enough, and indeed that we will not know whether it is enough. They are already concerned that the water they see does not live up to the standards they wish to see. That is why I particularly welcome the fact that the Bill is bringing in independent monitoring of water quality. I am afraid I disagree with the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron). What I think is important is not that we get carried away with volume, but the impact on water quality. That is what matters most.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Farming and Inheritance Tax · Hansard source

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  This talk of data reminds me that over 12,000 farmers and agribusinesses have gone out of business since 2010. Will the Minister reassure me about what we are doing to improve profitability in British farming?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Farming and Inheritance Tax · Hansard source

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  Can the Minister confirm that in the case of farms worth several million pounds, any mortgageable value is not included for the purpose of inheritance tax? Might that explain the discrepancies in some of the figures that are being bandied around, in which I believe mortgages have not been taken into account?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Farming and Inheritance Tax · Hansard source

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  Is the hon. Lady aware that the capital gains tax starts from the moment of a person deceasing, not from when they bought that land?

• 4 Nov 2024 · Budget: Implications for Farming Communities · Hansard source

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  Many of the farmers in my constituency have regularly raised concerns with me over protecting farms and our food system from animal diseases. Will the Minister please outline what steps he is taking to protect our food and farming systems?

• 23 Oct 2024 · Independent Water Commission · Hansard source

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  My constituents in North East Derbyshire are rightly disgusted that water bosses received over £41 million in bonuses and other incentives under the previous Conservative Government. Can the Secretary of State assure me that every penny of my constituents’ hard-earned money will be spent where it is needed?

• 8 Oct 2024 · Farming and Food Security · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that the fact that so many Labour MPs have a farming background, as I do, and that so many rural seats are represented by Labour, makes it clear that we are now the true champions of our farming community?