Luke Myer MP: speeches 2025

148 published records · newest first.

Speeches

3 Mar 2025 · Church of England: Safeguarding · Hansard source
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I agree with my hon. Friend. Various issues were raised at Synod, and one of them was around the Charity Commission. I have discussed this precise issue with Professor Jay, and it is her view that there is nothing in this that cannot be resolved. I understand that the Charity Commission is taking a direct interest in safeguarding at the moment, and I hope that an arrangement can be made on that, but the point that my hon. Friend makes is right. There are too many blockers, culturally and in terms of technical details, but what the Church needs to do is move forward with pace and make sure that victims and survivors see justice. It is our responsibility in this House to do all we can to urge the Church to act so that these failures are addressed, survivors’ voices are heard and meaningful, sensible and effective reforms are implemented. We touched on one of the main reforms earlier, and I will come to that in a moment, but before I do, let me be clear that I have the utmost respect for local clergy up and down the country who are doing so much work within our communities. I also respect the laity and all the volunteers who are doing good work to keep people safe, including the church wardens and the local parish safeguarding officers. They too are let down by systemic failure and many of them are crying out for change. In fact, it is my understanding that the sample carried out by the Church’s response group to the Jay report finds that not only survivors, but the majority of local clergy support the recommendations. I also wish to recognise the work of many members of the General Synod, and in particular Clive Billenness, a lay member of the Synod who represented the Diocese in Europe and was a powerful ally of victims and survivors. He sadly passed away just last month, and I know that survivors truly valued his efforts and contribution to their cause. I also recognise the work of my own constituent, Father Adam Gaunt of Loftus, who has helped me to understand the structures of Synod and is working on the abuse redress scheme as well.
3 Mar 2025 · Church of England: Safeguarding · Hansard source
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I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman. His point reminds me of a line from the second report by Alexis Jay; I spoke to her at the weekend and she reiterated this to me. It says that that the “Church safeguarding service falls below the standards for consistency expected and set in secular organisations”, whether those be local authorities or anything else.
24 Feb 2025 · Ukraine · Hansard source
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I welcome the important statement from the Foreign Secretary and the comments from the shadow Foreign Secretary. This entire House should be united in our support for Ukraine. As others have said, it is rather a shame that one party has not shown up. Ukrainians who have come to the UK since the war have made such an important contribution to our country. I met Olha, a Ukrainian Teessider, over the weekend. She shared with me that many Ukrainians face great uncertainty, partly because they are unable to access work and study because of the lack of a Ukrainian GCSE. Will the Foreign Secretary discuss this issue with the Department for Education to ensure that Ukrainians are able to access study and work? Will he recognise at the Dispatch Box the importance of the contribution that Ukrainians have made to our country?
24 Feb 2025 · Bank Closures: Rural Areas · Hansard source
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North Dorset is quite far away from the north-east, but many of the issues the hon. Gentleman is talking about are issues that I am encountering in my constituency as well. The rural side of my constituency in East Cleveland contains many villages and towns with high deprivation and high rurality, and I am endeavouring to get a banking hub in one of those towns that has lost access to banks over many years. Does he agree that deprivation needs to be included as a metric alongside rurality?
24 Feb 2025 · Bank Closures: Rural Areas · Hansard source
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rose —
24 Feb 2025 · Breakfast Clubs: Early Adopters · Hansard source
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I strongly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, and I cannot tell her how delighted I am that four schools in my constituency, with over 1,300 children, will be early adopters under this scheme. I pay tribute to the leaders of Skelton primary, Lockwood primary, Pennyman primary and St Bernadette’s primary for their leadership. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that, as far as children of working families are concerned, this Government are on their side and focused on making sure they have the best start in life and the best start to the school day?
12 Feb 2025 · Prevent: Learning Review · Hansard source
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I associate myself with the comments from both sides of the House about Sir David Amess. One challenge in addressing Islamist extremism is the proliferation of hate preachers around the world, both online and in person. I am very concerned about the prospect of the preacher Mohamed Hoblos visiting Middlesbrough later this month. Will the Minister set out the steps he will be taking with regard to that specific case and the broader actions he will take to address hate preachers around the world?
11 Feb 2025 · US Steel Import Tariffs · Hansard source
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Let us not forget that steel is a strategically important industry, both for our economy and our national security, and if other countries are going to be protecting their steel industry, our Government must not be afraid to make the big fiscal choices required to protect our own. Will the Minister assure the House that responding to these tariffs will be a priority for this Government, as will putting the industry on a sure footing in the years ahead?
10 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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On Thursday, my hon. and gallant Friend the Minister for Veterans and People came to my constituency for an important discussion on veterans’ mental health. May I ask him for his reflections on that discussion and on what actions he will be taking moving forward?
5 Feb 2025 · Local Government Finance · Hansard source
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I welcome the focus on deprivation. The Minister says he does not want to criticise the leadership of particular councils, but will he praise the leadership of Middlesbrough council? Mayor Chris Cooke has led the council out of a best value notice and produced the first growth budget in years, with increases in area care and much else. Will the Minister commend that work?
29 Jan 2025 · Growing the UK Economy · Hansard source
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We have today heard a full-throated commitment from the Treasury to the Teesside’s sustainable aviation fuel industry. I thank the Treasury for listening to Teesside MPs on the revenue certainty mechanism, which will unlock millions of pounds of investment in the industry from companies such as Alfanar and Iogen. Will the Chief Secretary deliver a message from the Dispatch Box to SAF investors the world over that Teesside is open for business?
28 Jan 2025 · Prison Capacity · Hansard source
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I welcome the Government’s action to increase prison capacity, but I am worried about youth custody. My local police force is particularly concerned that there is simply not enough space in the secure custodial estate. Many vulnerable young people are at risk of being exploited by organised criminal gangs. That is less to do with young offenders institutions and more to do with the lack of capacity in secure children’s homes; that capacity has fallen since 2010. The number of Ministry of Justice contracted spaces is now around only 100 for the entire country, which is appalling. How will the Minister work with Department for Education to increase capacity, and protect vulnerable young people and our residents?
28 Jan 2025 · Prison Capacity · Hansard source
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8. What steps her Department is taking to increase prison capacity.
28 Jan 2025 · Defence Procurement: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (Alan Strickland) on securing this important debate. He spoke about the importance of defence procurement for our region in particular, and our potential for strengthening our national economy and national security. As my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton North (Chris McDonald) says, for decades, Teesside has helped to build and power our economy, and the steel forged in our furnaces became the bones of bridges, railways, and skyscrapers around the world. We once built the world, and today we stand ready to defend it. In addition to the examples that we have heard of Teesside innovators working at the cutting edge, I will give an example from my constituency—that of Tees Components. Tees Components provides the precision machining required to service the state-of-the-art equipment that our Navy relies on, such as the bow thrusters used on Astute-class submarines. Such manufacturers play an integral role in developing local skills through high-level skills training and apprenticeships, and in delivering good-quality jobs in an area that really needs them, but where talent and tenacity are never in short supply. Too often, however, such companies—with world-leading innovation and a proven track record—are left to struggle for a seat at the table. It is clear to me, and to other Members, that there is much more to do to open up procurement for SMEs. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor on the need to improve engagement with SMEs. The Federation of Small Businesses has long called for a centrally managed body to oversee MOD contracts; I wonder whether the new strategic leadership of the national armaments director, as promised by the Government, can help to disaggregate some of those contracts and deliver the changes that are required. Currently, only 4% of direct MOD expenditure goes to SMEs, and indirect involvement in the supply chain often proves unsustainable. Although large multinationals typically receive payments within five days, SMEs often face late payments, as we have heard. One solution could be specifically earmarking a portion of the prime contractor bid funding to support SME participation. That could include measures to mitigate financial risk, such as up-front payments. I believe that the new Labour Government understand the challenges that we face. We have already heard some of the measures being taken to reform defence procurement and make it work for Britain. I am proud that the Government have identified defence as a growth-driving sector in our industrial strategy and I welcome the work under way in the SDR and in the defence industrial strategy to ensure that British business is prioritised in procurement. This debate is about ensuring that we invest in defence, but it is also about ensuring that we invest in our communities—our workers, engineers and innovators who want a chance to contribute to Britain’s success. It is about remembering that national security does not begin and end on the battlefront, but in the workshops and design labs of Skelton or Sedgefield.
22 Jan 2025 · Public Services: Rural Areas · Hansard source
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The hamlet of Aysdalegate in my constituency has no access to safe running water. This risk was identified in 2013, but now, 12 years later, it still remains. The Drinking Water Inspectorate carried out an inspection in 2023 and described the situation: “The water from this stream is captured in a makeshift pool lined with tarpaulin and then piped to two rudimentary settlement tanks with ill-fitting handmade lids.” Does the Minister agree that this is not a situation in which anyone should be living in the 21st century? It is typical of the inertia we saw under the previous Government that nothing was done for over a decade. I note that there is not a single Conservative MP in this place to listen to this debate today. Will the Minister commit to doing something about the water and to working with me and the parish council who represent that hamlet?
22 Jan 2025 · Public Services: Rural Areas · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend is giving an excellent speech. He and I sit at opposite ends of our region, but rural communities across the region share similar challenges. He has spoken about mental health, and I wonder if he would comment on the problem of addiction and substance abuse in our rural communities. That is a real issue in communities in my constituency, but there are some positive community-led initiatives that local councillors have been involved in, in particular Brotton, which has a peer-led scheme called Recovery Connections in the local village hall. Will my hon. Friend join me in commending that work, and does he agree that it is important to tackle the issue of substance abuse in rural communities?
16 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
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My constituent Angie has raised with me the serious issue of shortages of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication. Her son is struggling in school, and he is not the only one, as the shortages have been affecting the country since 2023. Can the Leader of the House set out the Government’s position on this issue and how we can ensure that this medication is made available?
16 Jan 2025 · National Youth Strategy · Hansard source
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My constituent Kylie is a teacher who works with excluded young people who have some excellent ideas about what we can do to address antisocial behaviour and improve youth provision. Can the Secretary of State provide an update on how the national youth strategy consultation will involve young people, so that we make sure that they are engaged in future policy decisions?
16 Jan 2025 · National Youth Strategy · Hansard source
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4. What progress her Department has made on creating a national youth strategy.
16 Jan 2025 · Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse · Hansard source
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I welcome the Home Secretary’s statement on the action she will take to implement Professor Alexis Jay’s recommendations. Professor Jay made another set of recommendations on which my constituent has been campaigning—those on safeguarding in the Church of England. Professor Jay called for an independent process for the oversight and operation of safeguarding in the Church. The Synod is discussing this next month, but does the Home Secretary agree that measures must be brought forward to be approved by the House without delay?
15 Jan 2025 · Higher Education Regulatory Approach · Hansard source
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I declare an interest, not only as someone who has worked in the sector, but as a member of the freedom of expression organisation English PEN, which condemned the approach of the previous Government because it felt it would restrict academic freedom. Further, my constituent, who is a well-regarded economist, lost his job after publishing research into the impact of migration on coalfield communities. Will the Secretary of State assure my constituent that this Government are committed to academic freedom and to ensuring the stability of academic institutions?
8 Jan 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source
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I previously oversaw children’s social care in local government. Does my hon. Friend agree that the introduction of those co-operatives will make a huge difference not only to local government finances, but to our ability to ensure that children grow up safe and happy?
8 Jan 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source
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Will my hon. Friend give way on that point?

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