Lucy Powell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First of all, the Government remain absolutely committed to fulfilling our commitment to the Hillsborough families on bringing forward and enacting a Hillsborough law, which, as my hon. Friend says, includes a duty of candour. That is because the Hillsborough families have spent decades fighting for justice and we do not want to see that continue. It is important that the Bill reflects the range of views, concerns and experiences, and meets the expectations of families. That is why we are working at pace with the families on the Bill, and we will introduce it when it is ready.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This is a shocking case, and the Government are committed to tackling these issues. In November, we took the first steps to ban rogue employers from sponsoring overseas workers. The immigration White Paper sets out the next steps, including ending overseas recruitment for adult social care. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets a ministerial response on this case.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. I have seen at first hand what a big difference it can make in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour when these powers are used to seize and crush vehicles that are being used for antisocial behaviour in our communities. I thank my hon. Friend for voting for that important Bill last night. We look forward to getting it on the statute book.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Antisocial behaviour is a blight on all of our communities. We are taking big steps to strengthen police powers in that area and introduce respect orders, and the Crime and Policing Bill, which had its Third Reading last night, contains many measures that I hope will support my hon. Friend’s police.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am really sorry to hear about Daniel’s situation, and my heart goes out to him and his family at this difficult time. I know from my experience of brain tumours in my own family that it is a very difficult disease from which many people do not recover. We need to go much further in the research and treatment of brain tumours, because too many people die too quickly of them. I am really sorry to hear that he is falling through the cracks between different policies, and I will raise that with Ministers. The hon. Member may want to know that we have the national cancer plan coming later this year, and we have relaunched the children and young people cancer taskforce to ensure that services are joined up in the way he describes.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry to hear about the antisocial behaviour in my hon. Friend’s constituency. He is absolutely right to say that, as a result of decisions this Government have taken, the Scottish Government have one of the most generous budget settlements they have ever had. They now have the power to tackle these issues, and they really have no excuse not to do so.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  It is really no mystery why the UK leads in the crime writing genre. Leaders like Sir Ian Rankin build on the legacy of many others, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I will certainly join my hon. Friend in celebrating all our crime writers.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those involved in that important event: EFL in the Community, the local authority, the Wolves Foundation and Spectra. We are proud as a Government to have brought forward the Football Governance Bill, which completed its passage in Committee just this week. It will ensure that football is on a sustainable footing and can therefore undertake more activities like the one he mentions.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, may I say namaste to the hon. Gentleman? I am a regular attender at Iyengar yoga in Manchester. Were I not wearing high heels, I might show him my tree pose, but I will save that for another day, or perhaps at the session later on. I thank the hon. Gentleman for announcing the forthcoming business—it sounds like there will be a number of debates on topics that regularly get raised with me during these sessions. I am really sorry, Mr Speaker, about the unavailability of Ministers for the debate that was due to take place in Westminster Hall today. As I understand it, given that the Backbench Business debate in this Chamber is a health debate, that is occupying one Minister, and another Minister is involved in a Public Bill Committee, which has limited the availability of Ministers. However, we will ensure that that debate is rearranged. I offer my full apology to the House for the Ministers’ unavailability.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know this issue is of great concern to many Members across the House and people have strongly held views on it. The hon. Gentleman is right that we set out a number of proposals in the White Paper. Those issues are being considered, and measures will be brought forward in an English devolution Bill shortly. Members will have ample time to consider them, but the proposals should be coming from local leaders—that is what devolution is about—not imposed by Government.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to highlight that the irresponsible use of disposable barbecues can have devastating consequences like those he describes. Local authorities have existing powers to apply controls to restrict or ban the use of such barbecues in certain areas, but I will ensure that he gets an update on how we can take this further.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. Our rural and wildlife crime strategy will be published in due course, and I will make sure that he and other colleagues have a chance to discuss it with Ministers.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry to hear about the antisocial behaviour in Spennymoor, which sounds really disruptive and unacceptable. My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Crime and Policing Bill will do more to tackle this issue than anything that we as a country have done in a very long time, such as: introducing respect orders, getting more neighbourhood police on the streets, and giving the police the powers to seize and crush some of the off-road vehicles that are often involved in such antisocial behaviour.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know there are very strong feelings about the Bill on both sides of the House. I am sure we can all agree that Parliament has shown itself at its best when discussing these issues in a thoughtful and considered way. As my hon. Friend will be aware, it is not a Government Bill. It is a matter of conscience. As a private Member’s Bill, it is not given Government time because it is not a Government Bill. It will follow the usual process for a private Member’s Bill. It is for the House to decide how long the Bill is debated. The House, through such things as closure motions, can decide to give the Bill longer to debate it, if it so wishes.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  May I take this opportunity to thank my hon. Friend for all her leadership on this issue, and for bringing representatives of both Houses together last week to watch the very moving documentary with David Attenborough? That has had a profound impact on many Members across this House. She is absolutely right that we have to take action to ratify the treaty, and we are committed to bringing forward legislation before the end of the year—I hope it will be sooner. I am really pleased that the British Government have taken steps to ban bottom trawling in our protected marine waters.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is absolutely right that the early years—from conception to the age of two; what is known as the first 1,001 days—are absolutely vital to child development, and development later in life. A disproportionate number of those experiencing the consequences of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy end up in the care system, and are affected in many other ways as well. That is why the Government are committed to preventive and community healthcare, especially in the early years, and to joining all these things up through our mission-led Government.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Arts and culture play a huge part in all our communities and can play a really important part in economic regeneration, as they are doing in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I join her in celebrating the reopening of those facilities and look forward to visiting soon.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Chris from Harlow—not him, but the teacher he mentions. As we have heard, teachers do amazing work for all our young people, and we send our gratitude to them daily.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am always open to an invitation to have a pint, although I am perhaps less open to invitations to do a run. British beer, and our brewing industry, is one of the great prides of this country, and the Government have been taking steps to support our great brewing industry and cask ales and the like. I look forward to perhaps sampling the beer from the hon. Member’s constituency soon. I do not know whether he has already done so, but the bar here in Parliament offers the opportunity for local brewers like his to share their wares with Members.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am really sorry that the hon. Member has not had adequate responses from parliamentary questions, and I will ensure that they are forthcoming. I do not have the figures to hand, but I see that Northern Ireland questions are coming up soon, as are other opportunities. In the meantime, I will ensure that he gets a ministerial response.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that this is an issue of great concern to Members with constituencies close to the Dartford crossing. My hon. Friend will be aware that, unfortunately, the last time the charges were increased was in 2014. Since then, demand has grown massively, which is why we had to introduce these small increases in the charges. I know that it is a concern for such Members, and I am sure that, were they to apply for a debate, they would get a popular response.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Joe Jackson and all those involved in NPV football. We are committed to grassroots football and grassroots sport, and I am sure that the House will be updated soon on some of those issues.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the valuable work that churches do as the centre of our communities, and particularly his in Wirral West. I know that there is sometimes a challenge in applying for debates about church matters and the Church of England. This has been raised with me, we are looking into it.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am shocked that six months after my hon. Friend first raised this issue with me, the road to nowhere is still going nowhere fast. She is absolutely right to call out the inaction of the Conservative-run East Sussex county council and Southern Water, both of which I know she challenges day in, day out. I hope she gets some answers.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for allowing us to put on record our thanks for all the work that our transport police do, day in, day out. He is right that it is completely unacceptable for them to face abuse and be unable to do their job properly, and I think that would make a very good topic for a debate.