Lucy Powell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Lady in welcoming all the students from BHASVIC, which sounds like an outstanding sixth-form college that produces wonderful students such as those with us today. Their question is a really pertinent one. It is unacceptable that there are those differences in travel costs, which are a real barrier to young people getting the education, training and job opportunities that they need. That is why we are taking steps to address them, whether through our transport strategy plans, bus fare caps and opportunities for young people. We will also introduce the devolution Bill to ensure that areas can work collectively to break down such false boundaries.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a great campaigner on these issues. I thank her for raising the Lost Mothers campaign and its report, and I will ensure that Ministers respond to it. The Government are committed to addressing the specific needs of women in our criminal justice system, including pregnant women; that is the work of the Women’s Justice Board. I will ensure that there is a decent reply on the Lost Mothers report.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to hear that my hon. Friend has secured a visit from the Minister to his local football club—and if he had not already secured it, he has now. He is absolutely right to mention the important role that disability sports play in keeping those with disabilities active and independent and giving them purpose and self-worth, so I applaud the work of his local club.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I think every one of us is proud of the way in which this country has welcomed so many Ukrainians in recent years, giving them a home and refuge and supporting them in their time of need. He is right that we have to take into account the wishes of the Ukrainian Government, who want to see many of their citizens return to Ukraine. Our approach needs to respect those wishes, but my hon. Friend has raised the important issues of long-term security and access to higher education, housing and other things, and I will ensure that he gets a full response.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join my hon. Friend in commending the actions of British organisations up and down the country, and all their support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, whether they are here or still in Ukraine. The UK will stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine today, tomorrow and for 100 years from now. That is why we recently signed our historic 100-year partnership agreement with President Zelensky, and I hope the whole House will support that.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the right hon. Gentleman in thanking Paul Johnson, who I think we all acknowledge has done a commendable job as the director of the IFS over many years, and I look forward to hearing more from Helen Miller, the incoming director. The right hon. Gentleman is right to recognise the challenging economic times that we are in. He will not like me saying this, but we inherited a big black hole in the public finances. Reserves had been spent in the first half of the year, with public sector pay recommendations sitting on Ministers’ desks but without a penny allocated to them. That has meant a very challenging time for us. It is why we have put a premium on financial stability— not because we want to align with Office for Budget Responsibility spreadsheets, but because we know that those on the lowest incomes pay the heaviest price when the economy runs into problems, which we want to address. The House debates those issues regularly, and I am sure that we will continue to do so. Of course, Budgets are delivered to the House first.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As ever, I thank the hon. Gentleman for announcing some important forthcoming debates. I shall do my best to give as much advance notice as possible on the opportunities coming up in September. The hon. Gentleman raised the really important issue of freedom of religious expression or belief—it normally comes up later in this session, but I am really glad he is also raising it today. The hon. Gentleman will know that we are in constant dialogue with the interim Bangladesh Government, and we have made very clear the importance of upholding freedom of religious beliefs and of protecting all communities. We will continue that engagement, and I will ensure that the House is kept updated on those conversations.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for raising somewhere that I visit regularly. It is a beautiful part of the world, and I know many people enjoy going there. She is absolutely right to point out that, in addition to that, it is an important geological site where much study takes place. I support all her efforts in raising those issues and will ensure that she gets a response.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to Lord Tebbit, who was a leading politician when I was growing up. Although I disagreed with him on most things politically, I rated him as a politician who had a clear agenda and was able to take things forward in a way that many others were not. I recognise the challenge that he and many others faced. As the MP for Manchester Central, I also represent those who have been the victims of terrorist attacks and I greatly understand the calls for answers, the calls for truth and justice, and, of course, the calls for compensation. I will ensure that the hon. Member gets a full response from the Home Secretary about the issues that he raises.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We strongly condemn some of the recent Israeli military operations in Gaza, and we are strongly opposed to further settler expansion into the west bank. We have been calling for Israel to end its blockade of aid into Gaza. There is an urgent need for more goods and aid to get in, because there are extensive humanitarian needs in the area, as my hon. Friend well knows. We have already paused trade discussions with Israel, and we have sanctioned individuals and organisations supporting or inciting violence against Palestinian communities. As I am sure he will appreciate, we do not comment on possible future sanctions.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know what a great football club Altrincham FC is and how much my hon. Friend, as the local MP, supports them. He is absolutely right that the Football Governance Bill is an important step in ensuring that fans and communities, like those who support Altrincham FC, are right back at the heart of our football system. I am sure that a debate on the 3UP campaign would get a lot of support.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sure many Members across the House share my hon. Friend’s frustrations about water companies operating in their constituencies. Frankly, some of the bad behaviour of those water companies has gone on for too long, and there has not been enough accountability or action on the issues that matter to us all. That is why we brought in the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and established the commission on the future of water governance. Further legislation on this matter will come forward in due course.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important constituency case. He is absolutely right that we need more accountability, and we need communities to have more powers over these vital local assets. That is exactly what we will be doing when we introduce the English devolution and community empowerment Bill later.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Member in paying tribute to all those involved in the work of the Jessie May charity. As constituency MPs, we all know of the immense work that those who work in hospices do for us all and for society as a whole, as well as caring for those individuals at the end of life. She raises an important issue in that hospices have for too long relied on a great deal of their funding coming from fundraising and the charity sector. This Government are here to support hospices. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will be in the Chamber shortly to make a different statement, and I will ensure that he has heard the hon. Member’s question and is forthcoming with an answer.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in thanking Sir Ian and Lady Dudson for all their service to his community and wish them the very best for their retirement.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the right hon. Gentleman for being such a regular attendee of business questions. I can confirm that it was because of his representations in these sessions that I got the idea of having a VJ Day debate before we break up for the recess. As he says, the VE Day debate was very oversubscribed, so I hope that in the upcoming debate we can look at the very specific lessons of VJ Day too. The right hon. Gentleman raises a really important matter. I join him in congratulating Cam Norrie and all the British players on their progression at Wimbledon. The online abuse that they and many others in public life have suffered is unacceptable, it is disgraceful and it needs to stop. The Online Safety Act 2023 is an important first step, but we need to go further. The big tech platforms need to step up and put an end to this kind of abuse on social media, where it flourishes, because it is not acceptable and it needs to end.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising another very serious and difficult issue in the House. The Foreign Secretary, in his conversations with the Syrian Government and others, continues to press them to take concrete action following the horrific violence that continues to be committed against the Alawite community, as the hon. Gentleman says. I will ensure that he and the House are kept updated.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to raise those issues. We all enjoy a cup of tea—Yorkshire Tea is my preferred option. He is right to remind us that as we drink our many cups of tea a day, we really need to think about where that tea comes from, and ensure that we have fair trade and that those who pick the tea and work in the tea sector are treated fairly, with fair pay. This Government are taking steps to ensure that.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am really pleased to hear about the development of the Tees maritime cluster and all the opportunities it is going to bring for young people, including job opportunities. It will show the strength of my hon. Friend’s constituents in contributing to the maritime industry, and I think it would make a very good topic for a debate.

• 10 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issues of the “Act Now, Change Forever” campaign. She will know that tackling the climate crisis and our mission to be a clean energy superpower by 2030 are at the heart of what this Government are about. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero will come to the House soon to make a statement about these issues, and I am sure my hon. Friend can raise those then.