Lucy Powell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The infant formula crisis is heartbreaking. We do not want to see mums having to shoplift to feed their babies, but all too often that is happening. The CMA recently published a report about price inflation and the lack of competition in this space, and there will be a final report in February. I hear what my hon. Friend says about support in the early years and I will ensure that he gets a reply.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising those issues, which will be very familiar to many hon. Members from their casework and those they meet. Women’s health still does not have parity of esteem in our health service. That is why the Government are taking forward the women’s health strategy for England. I will ensure that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care comes to the House to update us on that.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sure the whole House will want to join me in sending our thoughts to the victims of the late John Smyth and the awful crimes he perpetrated for so many years. My hon. Friend will be aware that these are matters for the Church of England, which is being held accountable for them publicly and in other ways. Safeguarding is absolutely paramount. My colleagues from the Cabinet Office are on the Front Bench with me and will have heard my hon. Friend’s very important question.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  What an important topic to raise! My hon. Friend is right that many issues remain, but I was delighted that this Government announced the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for carer’s allowance. It was the first time it has been increased for many decades. That sits alongside the extra support we are providing for social care, children’s social care and a new pilot scheme on kinship allowance. I will ensure that the Minister has heard my hon. Friend’s calls today.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This Government have made a clear choice to support working people in this country—not just by increasing the national living wage to £12.21, but through a range of other measures in the Budget—and support our public services. I am not quite sure any more what the Conservatives’ view of the Budget is. They seem to want all the benefits, all the investment and all the money that the Budget will raise, but they do not want to say where they think that money should come from; they are against all the tax-raising measures to get us there. There will be debate on the Finance Bill in due course, when I am sure we can discuss these matters further still.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member is absolutely right to raise this issue. As I said earlier, Crown post offices provide a vital lifeline for many communities and local economies. They process big parcel orders and provide a range of other services, and they are also a key part of our ambition to have financial hubs in every community. It is right for constituency Members to come together to raise such issues, and the hon. Gentleman has just demonstrated that kind of cross-party support. It was exactly the sort of demonstration that should be brought to the Backbench Business Committee, and I am sure its Chairman has heard that call today.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  What a lovely tribute to Margaret, a councillor in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I am sure that an Adjournment debate on the topics that she has raised would also be a fitting tribute.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question, which gives me an opportunity to further clarify some of the points that he and others have raised. The Government figures are based on actual claims, not other people’s analysis. They show that three quarters of farmers would be unaffected by the changes and that only around 500 claims from the wealthiest estates would be affected each year. There are a number of mitigations available, in relation to how long that could be paid back and so on. The Government support our rural communities. We support our farmers. We are really proud to have returned a record number of Labour MPs representing rural communities. [ Interruption. ] Opposition Members chunter from the Back Benches, but that is why we had a debate earlier this week on these issues. There have been other opportunities in this House to raise them. I am sure he will have further such opportunities.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  These do sound like important issues. I know that the right hon. Gentleman has raised them in the past, and I am sure he will continue to. It is nice to receive some good feedback about a written parliamentary question, which is not exactly the norm during business questions. I do not think that, in the short term, we have any legislative vehicles for what he described, but I am sure that the issues would be a very good topic for a Westminster Hall debate, or possibly even a Backbench Business debate.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry to hear of the hon. Gentleman’s frustrating experiences. If he wants to send me details of the questions that he was asking—I do not know the figures, because he did not mention them—I will certainly ensure that he receives that reply, but I am sure that the Home Secretary will continue to update the House regularly on the action we are taking to tackle illegal migration and the huge backlog that was left by his party.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in recognising the forthcoming Youth Parliament and UK Parliament Week; I am sure we will discuss that on many more occasions. She is absolutely right to raise the issue of antisocial behaviour, which is a blight on our community. That is why, through our forthcoming crime and policing Bill, we will introduce new powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and off-road bikes, and put our neighbourhood police back in our communities, where they need to be.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I answered some of it earlier, but she is absolutely right: should the House support a private Member’s Bill at Second Reading—let us say, the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which will be debated at the end of November—it would be for the sponsoring Member to choose the members of the Committee. The guidance is absolutely clear that the nomination of members must reflect the party balance in the House and a balance of the views expressed on Second Reading. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) is very keen indeed to follow the guidance and ensure that there is a balanced Committee. By the way, that Committee is likely to consider the issues for several weeks. Following Second Reading, it will be many months until this House further considers the matter on Report and Third Reading.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that important question, which gets raised many times in these sessions. He is right that it is for local councils to decide whether individuals are eligible for a badge, but I will certainly make sure that the Department for Transport has heard his question today. I think it would make a very good topic for an Adjournment debate.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Michelle Bramble on all the work that she has done in her constituency. We often get questions about the importance of diversity and the important role that community champions play, and I am sure that would be a good topic for a Westminster Hall debate.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I send my condolences to the families of Ivy Spriggs and Daphne Holloway. I am very sorry to hear about what happened. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that there will soon be another debate on issues raised by the Grenfell report. Although care homes fall outside the current requirements, he would be right to raise these important matters in that debate.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am really sorry to hear of the case that my hon. Friend raises. In doing so, she reminds us once again that we have to reduce violence against women and girls as a priority. It is one of the lead missions for this Government, and new measures will come forward on these matters early next year. There is a sentencing review under way, and I encourage her to contribute.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I agree that local and hyper-local journalism is vital to combating misinformation and disinformation, which are spreading quickly in many of our communities. That is why the Culture Secretary recently announced the Government’s intention to develop a local media strategy. My hon. Friend may want to raise this directly with her at questions next week.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to raise these issues. As she points out, permitted development rights, which exploded under the previous Government, have given rise to quite a lot of poor-quality housing that is not fit for purpose. We are keeping the issue of permitted development rights under review, but we are strengthening the rights of renters with our Renters’ Rights Bill, and the rights of leaseholders with our leasehold reform Bill, which will both be concluding soon.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am glad that my hon. Friend supports the action the Government are taking on a national youth service and a youth strategy. As my hon. Friend knows, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport came to the House to make a statement on that earlier this week and she is keen to keep the House informed, because we have seen youth services totally hollowed out over the past 14 years and it is vital that we get those services back into our communities.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right that drowning is among the leading causes of accidental death in this country, which might surprise many. This would be an excellent topic for an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate, should he want to apply for one.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sorry, but I will take no lectures from the right hon. Gentleman on dealing with the housing crisis that we inherited from the Government in which he was Deputy Prime Minister. This Government are unashamedly pro-house building to deal with the crisis, but this is not a developer free-for-all; we will be protecting the green belt and prioritising brownfield and grey belt development. Moreover, all our ambitious plans, on which we are working at pace, will be locally led.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises an issue of grave importance to her constituency, and I am pleased to join her in thanking Paul Cable, Gwent police and South Wales fire and rescue service for the tremendous job that they did in preventing the fire from being a bigger tragedy than it was. Our firefighters operate in challenging and high-risk environments, and the Government absolutely value the work that they do.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right that these are issues for the Department for Education, working with the Home Secretary. He will be aware that the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill, which will establish Skills England, is going through the Lords at the moment. We have put extra money into further education, we are clamping down on illegal migration, and we are ensuring that the Migration Advisory Committee identifies current and future skills gaps and guides our approach to these matters.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for doing that important work. It is vital that we raise awareness of pension credit and all the support it can bring to those who are eligible not only through the winter fuel allowance but in several other areas. It can make many eligible pensioners thousands of pounds a year better off. I fully support her endeavours. That is something that the Government have been doing nationally as well.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend on raising this issue for a second time in business questions; it is testament to his doughty campaigning to reopen Doncaster Sheffield airport and get planes flying again. I congratulate him and all involved on the agreement that has been reached. I will certainly make sure that Ministers do all they can to make sure that this comes to fruition as soon as possible.