Lucy Powell MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 20 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend has taken the opportunity to draw attention to a really important issue. I join her in congratulating Macie White on making the GB deaf women’s football team and wish her well. I hope that in raising it today, the team maybe gets the extra sponsorship and support it so deserves.

• 20 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, let me thank the hon. Member for his tribute to Torquil Norman. I am sure that if the shadow Leader of the House were able to respond to his question, he would want to do so by thanking him dearly for painting another lovely picture of his father.

• 20 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that our strength and security in this country, in Europe and across the world come from our very strong alliances with Europe and with America through NATO. Our commitment to that is unwavering, and that has been a critical component of peace and security around the world over recent years. I am sure he will appreciate that I will not provide a running commentary on the Trump Administration, but he will recognise that the Defence Secretary, the Foreign Secretary and indeed the Prime Minister have been incredibly forthcoming with updates and providing details to this House, and I will ensure that they continue to do so.

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

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  That is exactly what this Government are trying to do, through a range of measures. We have the Renters’ Rights Bill going through Parliament at the moment. We have the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to support developers and those who want to build more housing, especially social and affordable housing. This Government are committed to supporting tenants and getting the new homes built that we need.

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

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  I join my hon. Friend in thanking all those who run the Pebble Brook Community Cafe and all the vital work that they do. Perinatal mental health is a really important issue that people have come to know about more in recent years. I am a long-standing supporter of the first 1,001 days campaign and the importance that that brings. That is why we are so focused on the early years and some of the issues that my hon. Friend raises and I think that would make an excellent topic for a Westminster Hall debate.

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

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  I am sure my hon. Friend appreciates that I take the scrutiny of Government trade deals and other Government action incredibly seriously. I hope he is aware that the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 made provision for statutory consultation and scrutiny by Parliament of these sorts of measures. However, as part of the work I am leading in the Modernisation Committee and elsewhere, I am always happy to consider other proposals to ensure that we have robust scrutiny by Parliament of any such deals.

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

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  I thank the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, as ever. He has announced a number of important debates that will be popular among hon. Members, on issues such as Thames Water and, as has been raised with me a number of times including recently, pelvic mesh and valproate. May I join him in the advice he gives to hon. Members and also in wishing those celebrating Purim and Holi the best of times this week? On his question about 8 April, which is just before recess, I am not in a position to announce future business, but I will look very kindly on his request.

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

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  I think we were all touched by this tragic case last November. Following it, we updated our travel advice, and we continue to press the local authorities for a full investigation so that we can prevent contaminated alcohol from being sold in this way in the future. Since November, the Foreign Office has been communicating the risks of methanol poisoning to people travelling abroad. I am sure the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Simone’s family.

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

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  Absolutely. We all support the amazing work of our emergency services—fire, police, ambulance and many others—and I will absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking them.

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

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  I am sorry to tell the hon. Gentleman that we stand proudly behind our lifting of the moratorium on onshore wind developments, because they are absolutely vital if we are to get the energy security, jobs of the future and lower bills for his, mine and everybody else’s constituents that we so desperately need. I am sorry that he has not had a reply to his correspondence, but we have brought in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which we will debate next week and which ensures that those affected by energy infrastructure near their homes will have other incentives and rights that they might want to consider. I am afraid we will have to keep going further and faster on these issues; that is vital to our future energy security and to lowering people’s bills.

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

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  Absolutely, I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Jess and Georgina on their opening. She is right that local businesses on our high streets, especially creative businesses, are vital to the future of our town centres.

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

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  Supporting young people with their mental health needs is urgent and vital to tackling many of the issues we face, not just for the individuals themselves but for many other societal issues. We are bringing additional support for mental health advisers into schools as well as many other issues. My hon. Friend might want to raise that in the debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill next week.

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

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  I thank the hon. Lady for raising such an important issue, which is of great concern to her and many others in the House. I am sure that in the coming days, not just with tomorrow’s private Member’s Bill but with the two days of debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we will have plenty of time to debate these sorts of issues in the House. Free school meal eligibility should be looked at in the round. That is why this Government are developing a child poverty strategy, which includes free school meals. In the meantime, the hon. Lady will be aware that we are rolling out free breakfast clubs in schools, because she is right that having a meal inside a child can stop them feeling hungry, but it can also help them to learn, concentrate and do better at school. That is why we are committed to those free breakfast clubs, and to our child poverty taskforce, which will also look at free school meals.

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

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  The hon. Gentleman’s constituents and others will have been affected by the events in the North sea this week. As a great island nation, shipping is vital to the economy of this country, to our trade and to our standing. I am sure that Ministers would be happy to update the House regularly on these matters.

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

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  I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman has not yet been successful in applying for an Adjournment debate, but the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), who chairs the Backbench Business Committee, and Mr Speaker are both in their places and have, I am sure, heard his plea. The future of the UK Health Security Agency, which does great work, is of national importance. I will ensure that he gets an update at the earliest opportunity.

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

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  I join my hon. Friend in thanking Diane for all her tireless work in raising awareness of ovarian cancer, and I thank everyone involved in the work of Target Ovarian Cancer. I will certainly try to pop by his event next week. We are committed to improving diagnosis and treatment for all cancer patients, and we will be publishing a new national cancer plan shortly. I will ensure he and the whole House are kept updated.

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

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  I am sorry to hear what is happening to the Consett Empire in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I agree with her that music venues and cultural hubs like that are vital to our high streets, communities and the cultural offer that we all want to see. The Government are committed to ensuring that we maintain such assets, but I will ensure that she gets an update on this particular issue.

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

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  I join my hon. Friend in thanking Parkinson’s UK for its work. He is absolutely right. I am sure that every single one of us will, as constituency MPs, recognise the challenges for PIP assessors in properly assessing those with fluctuating and chronic illnesses. It is vital that those assessing access to benefits have the necessary training and understanding of chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s. I will ensure that Ministers keep him and the House updated on that.

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

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  I will absolutely join my hon. Friend in wishing all Muslims in Britain Ramadan Mubarak. I think every single one of us remembers the incredible work that the Almanaar Muslim cultural centre did in the wake of the Grenfell fire. When many others stepped aside, it filled the space, and we pay tribute to it for its continued work.

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

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  I shall. Monday 17 March—Remaining stages of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (day one). Tuesday 18 March—Remaining stages of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (day two). Wednesday 19 March—Consideration of Lords amendments to the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill, followed by Opposition day (first allotted day, second part). Debate on a motion in the name of the official Opposition. Subject to be announced. Thursday 20 March—General debate on knife crime among children and young people, followed by a general debate on coastal communities. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday 21 March—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 24 March will include: Monday 24 March—Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Tuesday 25 March—If necessary, consideration of Lords amendments, followed by consideration of Lords amendments to the Great British Energy Bill, followed by consideration of Lords amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, followed by a motion to approve the draft National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025. Wednesday 26 March—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make her spring statement, followed by remaining stages of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Thursday 27 March—General debate on St Patrick’s Day and Northern Irish affairs, followed by general debate on the 10th anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday 28 March—Private Members’ Bills.

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

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  I start by congratulating young carers across the country on their day of action yesterday. I know the whole House will be as hopeful as everybody else in the country about Ukraine, as talks continue this week and over the weekend. I am sure we all welcome the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine. This really is an important moment for peace in the region and the ball is now firmly in Russia’s court. The shadow Leader of the House spent most of his speech last week and this week giving a long lecture about why I do not answer his questions while actually failing to ask me very many at all. We had a couple of small questions today at the end of another diatribe that, as ever, took us through various myths and misinformation. He will know that this Government had to take some very difficult decisions to deal with an economy that no Government would want to deal with: high and rising debt; stagnant growth; low productivity; low wages; and public services on their knees. That is why we have had to take some difficult decisions to fix those foundations, but, most importantly, to get that investment back into our public services, as we desire to do. The shadow Leader of the House again raised the point about national insurance, but I must point out to the House that he was a Treasury Minister when his Government raised national insurance not only on businesses, but on working people as well. I am sorry to tell him that this Government absolutely back British farmers. We are doing what we can to support them: we have increased the farming budget to £5 billion over two years, which is far more than the Conservative Government ever did; we have set out a new deal for farmers; and we are investing in our flood defences. We also have a plan for sustainable food, and he knows better than anybody that the sustainable farming incentive had a capped budget, which his Government did not announce. They failed to spend any of it, and, given the action that we have taken, it has been oversubscribed in the meantime. That is why we have closed that fund, but we are setting out a new fund after the spring statement next week. I might give the shadow Leader of the House an alternative point of view on recent history. Order Paper aficionados will have noticed that Tuesday marked our 100th sitting day of this parliamentary Session —[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] That is 100 days of boosting our public services, investing in jobs and growth, and reforming the state in favour of people and against vested interest. That is also 100 days of change and 100 days of putting the Government back in the service of working people. We have had the most ambitious King’s Speech programme of any incoming Government. Ten Bills have now received Royal Assent, including: the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, ending the scandal of free cash going to failed rail companies; and the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, ending bonuses for water bosses polluting our waterways. Very soon, we will have Martyn’s law, keeping the promise that we made to Figen Murray. And there is more on the way: strengthening renters’ rights; switching on Great British Energy; introducing new powers to tackle phone thefts; seizing off-road bikes; creating respect orders; banning knife sales; and introducing stronger protections against stalking and spiking. We are unblocking house building and energy infrastructure, which, for too long, has stalled. Yesterday, we completed our Commons stages of the Employment Rights Bill, giving people dignity and security in work. And that is just a few of the things that we have done. Beyond that, we are fixing the big problems that the country faces: with waiting lists finally coming down; more GP appointments; breakfast clubs in school; a 25% increase in returns of people with no right to be here; more affordable housing and restricting the right to buy; finally getting rid of hereditary peers and cracking down on MPs’ second jobs; and the biggest devolution of powers in a generation. And that is just a snapshot of those 100 days. Mr Speaker, you will be pleased to know that, in that time, we have made 115 statements to this place, because, like you, I respect the House of Commons and I respect that we make announcements here first. But what a contrast to the previous Conservative Government. They had to be dragged here to make statements. Their last King’s Speech was threadbare. The pinnacle of their ambition was to ban pedicabs in London, and they are not doing much better now, are they Mr Speaker? Hardly any of them turn up to debates. They are barely here for PMQs, although I do not blame them for that. They were a zombie Government, and is not the truth that they are a zombie Opposition now?

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

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  DBS checks are an important part of many public service jobs, and it is disappointing to hear of the delays that my hon. Friend’s constituents have faced. In fact, those delays have been raised with me previously. Ministers are keen to hold the DBS to account where standards are not being met, so I will raise the matter with Ministers. My hon. Friend should be aware that, in some circumstances, his constituents can request a hardship escalation where the delay is affecting job applications.

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

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  I absolutely recognise what my hon. Friend describes. I recently met the Canal & River Trust. I am not sure whether there is a canal that connects her constituency to mine, but I could definitely get on a barge and go from my constituency to hers—

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

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. I am hugely sympathetic to families who have suffered from hormone pregnancy tests. She will be aware that Baroness Cumberlege’s independent review highlighted the healthcare system’s failure to listen to patients’ concerns around those tests. She will also be aware that the causal links have been reviewed many times, but I will ensure that Ministers get back to her with a full update.

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

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  I strongly hear what the right hon. Member says about the impending deadline, and I am sorry if this House has not been kept as up to date as it should have been. I will make inquiries and ensure that he and the rest of the House are kept updated.