Lucy Powell MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

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

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  I thank the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee for announcing some of his forthcoming debates. He will be aware that, as I just read out, an extra Backbench Business half-day has been allocated on Thursday 16 January to make up for last week. I hope that satisfies him. When it comes to what is happening in Israel and Gaza, I am sure the whole House will join me and him in wanting to get to that much-needed ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas—hopefully even over the Christmas period—and to get the hostages returned so that we can start to see a move towards the long-standing, peaceful settlement for the region that we all desperately want.

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

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  The case of my hon. Friend’s constituent sounds awful. We have all been moved, appalled and shocked in many ways by the case of Sara Sharif and its findings, along with the sentencing this week. She will know that the Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that all vulnerable children are safe. We are bringing in reforms, especially to areas such as home schooling and kinship care, and support for children’s services and children’s social workers. We presented the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill this week, but that is just a start. I look forward to working with her and colleagues so that we can ensure that this never happens again.

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

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  The hon. Lady raises a really important issue for her constituents. I know her constituency well, as we are near neighbours. In fact, my brother is a constituent of hers and was very pleased that last week she raised the problems with the trains in her constituency. Today she raises the very important matter of speeding, which comes up in the House regularly. The Government are committed to tackling road traffic accidents and speeding on our roads. I will ensure that the relevant Minister has heard her question today and that she gets a proper reply.

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

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  The business for the week commencing 6 January 2025 includes: Monday 6 January—Debate on a motion on seizing frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, followed by a general debate on backlogs in the NHS. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Tuesday 7 January—Second Reading of the Crown Estate Bill [ Lords ]. Wednesday 8 January—Second Reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Thursday 9 January—General debate on tackling violence against women and girls. Friday 10 January—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 13 January will include: Monday 13 January—Business to be determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Tuesday 14 January—Remaining stages of the Renters’ Rights Bill. Wednesday 15 January—Remaining stages of the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill. Thursday 16 January—Motion to approve the draft Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024, followed by business to be determined by the Backbench Business Committee (unallotted time). Friday 17 January—Private Members’ Bills. As it is Christmas, Members may also wish to know that, subject to the progress of business, following the House rising for the summer recess at the close of business on Tuesday 22 July, the House will return on Monday 1 September. The House will rise for the conference recess on Tuesday 16 September, and return on Monday 13 October.

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

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  The hon. Lady is absolutely right. To rural communities—indeed, to any community—broadband really is the fourth utility. It is vital to her constituents and many others in their daily lives, for doing what they need to do. We have inherited a pretty poor record when it comes to roll-out, but we are trying to speed it up through Project Gigabit and the shared rural network. Nevertheless, I have heard the hon. Lady’s request for a debate.

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

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  I would be delighted to join my hon. Friend in congratulating his constituents on working as a community to get the fibre broadband connection that rural communities such as his so desperately rely on—it really is the fourth utility. He is right to point out that the previous Government’s roll-out of broadband in rural communities was far too slow. We have science questions when we return, but I will certainly consider his request for a debate.

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

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  For now, yes. I think the hon. Member has made his point. My hon. Friend will be aware that foreign donations are not permitted in our electoral system, and that is absolutely as it should be. Our democracy does face daily threats from rogue states, rogue actors and others who try to disrupt it and to spread myth and disinformation, and these are issues that we should be very alive to.

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

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  We fully support family businesses and other businesses, which are vital to our economy. We had to take some very difficult decisions in the Budget to deal with the really severe legacy we were left, which was, I am afraid, a chronic big black hole in economic spending. We had to find ways to ensure that our public services had the investment they needed going forward. He will be aware that when we take into account all the other factors, including personal allowances and so on, fewer family businesses will be affected than the hon. Gentleman might think.

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

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  I am delighted to join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those in her constituency, and in everybody else’s constituency—especially at this time of year—who do fantastic volunteering and public service work and contribute greatly to public life in their communities.

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

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  My hon. Friend will be aware that the British Government and Ministers are in constant dialogue with counterparts in Pakistan and around the world. We do expect democratic norms to be upheld in Pakistan, as we do in other countries. I will ensure that he gets a proper ministerial response on the issues he has raised.

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

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  I am sure that my hon. Friend will appreciate that I cannot comment on a live planning case, but I understand that the Attorney General’s Office has appointed a representative to act on behalf of AQUIND Ltd in relation to this matter, and I hope that she will get the answer that she needs soon.

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

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  I will be joining my hon. Friend in the mad dash for last-minute Christmas presents this weekend—I am hoping to get some that cost £10 or less, which is quite difficult in the current climate. I absolutely join her in supporting local businesses in her constituency. Maybe I could try a few Christmas puns, Mr Speaker. There is “noel” time like the present to shop in Bangor.

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

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  My hon. Friend will appreciate that I cannot comment on specific plans, but I understand that Rotherham council’s consultation on this application has been extended into the new year following concerns that he has raised, and I am sure that he will welcome that. He will be aware that we are bringing forward the planning and infrastructure Bill next year, which is a significant piece of legislation, when he may want to raise these issues further.

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

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  This Government support farmers and our rural communities. We have put in an extra £5 billion for the farming budget over two years, which is one of the biggest increases that farming has seen. I will, however, ensure that the hon. Lady’s question is heard by the relevant Minister, and that she gets a response.

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

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  I am really sorry to hear of the tragic case of his constituent, Sam Morgan. The mental wellbeing and support for veterans is a priority for this Government. The Minister for Veterans and People is in his place and has heard my hon. Friend’s call today. We have laid on a number of debates around the issues facing veterans, but I will ensure that we give further consideration to future debates as well.

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

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  The issue of SEND often comes up in these sessions. I gently remind the hon. Lady that the SEND system that this Government inherited was in crisis, with spiralling costs getting higher and higher, and outcomes getting worse and worse. There is no question but that special educational needs provision in this country is in need of serious investment and serious reform, which is what this Government intend to deliver.

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

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  Mr Speaker, I too would like to start by wishing you and everybody in the parliamentary community a very merry and restful Christmas. From the Doorkeepers to the cleaners, the police, the Clerks, Hansard and the Lobby, to the hairdressers and the gardeners, there are so many to thank. May I also take this opportunity to thank Katie from my private office who has led all the preparations for business questions for successive Leaders of the House over the last two years? She is leaving for pastures new and we will miss her greatly. I will not join the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) in mentioning the derby match at the weekend if he does not mind, but as this is the last business questions of the year, let us reflect. It is out with the old and in with the new. I ended the last Parliament paying tribute to outgoing Members from that Parliament and we did lose some very big figures from this place, but come July we gained the biggest intake of new Members in modern history and it has been really energising to see so many enthusiastic, committed and talented new colleagues. They have all got to work so quickly, and many feel like old hands already. It has been a whirlwind for them and all of us arriving in Government and I think we all deserve a proper break over Christmas. It has been not just a huge change for Parliament but a big change in Government too. It has been difficult, of course, as we face unprecedented challenges and a very difficult legacy. Trying to return Government to the service of ordinary working people, not vested interests, is a big task for us to undertake, but the oil tanker, as they say, has started to move. We are taking on the water bosses to end the scandal of bonuses over investment. We are for the first time ensuring our home-grown energy supplies meet our ambitious targets for clean energy by 2030. We are addressing the housing need and the housing crisis with bold action, bringing in new rights for workers and renters, and creating a transport system in service of passengers not profit. And we are restoring our health and education into world-class services with record levels of investment. Many hon. Members will no doubt be in Santa’s—or perhaps I should say Mr Speaker’s—Christmas good books: colleagues who ask short topical questions; those who speak through the Chair and make sure they are in the Chamber for wind-ups; those who wear appropriate shoes; the judges of Purr Minister for crowning Mr Speaker’s cat, Attlee, the champion; and, of course, anyone mentioning Chorley or rugby league in a positive sense. But there will perhaps be some who will not be getting a visit from Mr Speaker’s Santa this year: Ministers who do not make statements to Parliament first and instead go on the BBC; hecklers in Prime Minister’s questions; Members with pointless points of order; anyone who announces to the media their intention to secure an urgent question; those who cross in front of a Member as they are speaking; and, lest we forget, any Member drinking milk in the Chamber. As I was, until July, the shadow Leader of the House, I might give the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire a little advice for these sessions, based on some of his previous appearances: if he does want me to answer questions, perhaps he could make them a little less long-winded; perhaps for next year, he might not want to contradict his own previous positions quite so often; and going into 2025, he might want to reflect a little more on why his party lost the election. If you will forgive me, Mr Speaker, given that it is Christmas time, perhaps we can take one final opportunity to look at the Conservatives’ legacy: 12 hour A&E wait times; 11% inflation; 10 Lords defeats on Rwanda; 9 million inactive workers; 8,000 bus routes cancelled; 7 million people on waiting lists; six councils bankrupt; five Prime Ministers toppled; 4 million children in poverty; three broken pledges; two nurses’ strikes; and a Prime Minister at a lockdown party.

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

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  I thank the hon. Member for those points. First, I welcome her as one of the new Members of this House. We work alongside each other on the House of Commons Commission and many other boards of this place—too many to mention. She certainly has taken to this place incredibly well, and she is making a mark with what she is doing. The hon. Lady is right. She is describing the absolutely woeful and scandalous legacy that we inherited in local government funding, children’s services, education and other vital local services that people rely on. We are beginning the work to turn that around. She was right to point out the record settlement for local government announced in the Budget and set out by the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution this week, with an increase of 3.5% on average for local authorities. She will also be aware that we announced an extra £1 billion for special educational needs. The hon. Lady is right that we also need to change how we are doing things. That is why the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will make much-needed change to our children’s services, was presented this week. It is only when we work at a place-based level that we can really get the early intervention and support we need to drive down demand and increase outcomes for some of our most vulnerable children. I hope that she will welcome our plans going forward.

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

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  May I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Revolver Records? As a Mancunian child of the ’80s and ’90s, I bought the original Stone Roses record that Revolver Records produced, so I am particularly pleased to do as he asks. He raises a really important matter about copyright and how the music industry is changing with music streaming and so on. I know that these issues are regularly raised in this House, and I will support him in doing so.

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

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating St Mary’s Episcopal cathedral on appearing on the Christmas stamps this year. She raises an important issue that many hon. Members across the House raise: the future of churches and our places of worship. The Chair of the Backbench Business Committee is in his place and I am sure that he would welcome an application for such a debate.

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

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  I do love a swim in the sea, though I am not sure anybody is ready to see me in my swimsuit any day soon. I will certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating Colin for swimming a mile a day and completing his 1,000 miles—what a great achievement—and for raising all that money for RNLI, which is such an important cause.

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

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for announcing some of the forthcoming debates. After Christmas, I will probably very much need to attend the obesity debate—I do a mean Christmas gravy, which I am already looking forward to. The hon. Gentleman mentions the important matter of a commencement provision for the repeal of the Vagrancy Act. He has done so much to bring about the changes that are needed, and I commend him for all his work. I will ensure that the Department has heard his question, and that an update is given to him and the House at the earliest opportunity.

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

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  I think this is the fourth question I have had today on the vital role that local culture and theatres play in our communities and in keeping our high street as the vibrant centres that we want them to be. I am sure the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee has heard those questions, and I would advise everybody to club together and get a good debate on this issue.

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

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  I join my hon. Friend in noting the importance of this matter. Local print newspapers, as well as online media, are vital to sharing factual, correct information about what is happening in our communities in an age of social media, misinformation and disinformation, which we have seen time and again recently. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is very committed to these issues, and I will ensure that my hon. Friend and the House are updated.

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

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  The hon. Lady raises yet another important issue. The Government are trying to ensure that we have early intervention, and that the power to take action on that is in the hands of local authorities and others. We will introduce the children’s wellbeing Bill imminently, to tackle some of those issues at their core.