Melanie Ward MP: speeches

Speeches

• 16 Jul 2026 · Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to speak in this debate and to hear Members’ warm recollections of Sir David Amess, including from you, Madam Deputy Speaker. He was obviously widely respected across this Chamber. Last month, we also remembered my dear friend Jo Cox, whom we continue to miss. My thoughts this week are with the friends and relatives of Ann Widdecombe following her shocking murder. An attack on one parliamentarian is an attack on all of us. I always say that community solidarity is our biggest strength in my part of the world, and I would like to use my time to highlight some of the people and organisations that are shining examples of that. I pay tribute to the Linton Lane centre, which celebrates its centenary this year. I was glad to join its celebrations. Formerly Kirkcaldy boys’ club, it is a thriving cornerstone of life in Kirkcaldy, providing a wide range of services to the community. The Linton Lane centre is led heroically by Mandy Hunter, who celebrates 30 years of working at the centre today. I would like to say thank you to Mandy for her tireless years of service, and to thank all the staff and volunteers at the Linton Lane centre. Turning to Dalgety Bay, after the success of our new banking hubs in Cowdenbeath and Burntisland, we need a new banking hub in Dalgety Bay to ensure that vital banking services are still accessible there, especially to a population that is perhaps not always au fait with online banking. I raised this with a Treasury Minister only yesterday and will continue to push for that to happen. I turn now to two pieces of good news. I was inspired by the work of students at Dunnikier primary school, who produced an impressive display of artwork to celebrate diversity at their school. The school had become the target of vile racist attacks online as a result of holding diversity day celebrations, and I visited to offer my support. What I saw there were children from different backgrounds all with a love for Scotland and pride in their family’s heritage. It reminded me that the real world is different and often better than the online world. These children had a greater understanding of each other than any of the abusive and racist trolls online. Let me say clearly that I am proud of the teachers and pupils of Dunnikier primary, and I hope that they are proud of themselves. I warmly welcome the £515,000 new investment that this UK Government are making in Denfield park in Kirkcaldy through the Scottish Football Association. The current football pitch has been prone to flooding, and the new 3G pitch, which this funding will help pay for, will provide year-round football facilities for men’s and women’s teams across age groups and from across Kirkcaldy. I say a massive well done to all at the Kirkcaldy Community Football Partnership for all their hard work in making that happen. As many Members have said, MPs would not be able to do our jobs without our incredible staff teams, and I am very lucky in that regard. I would like to say a huge thank you to Angela Bailey, who is soon moving on from being my office manager. I will always be grateful to her for her work with me in 2024 and ever since then, and I wish her and her family all the very best in the future. That brings me lastly to a huge thank you and to wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and all the parliamentary staff a relaxing and rejuvenating recess—I think we need it after recent events. We are extremely grateful for all they do in making our democracy function.

• 15 Jul 2026 · Defence Skills: Fife · Hansard source

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  Given the threats that our country faces, in March the Secretary of State announced welcome funding for two defence technical excellence colleges, one to be in the east of Scotland. Fife college at Kirkcaldy, in particular, stands ready to absorb new funding and rapidly scale up provision to plug the gap in entry-level skills for the defence industry in Scotland. Can the Secretary of State update us on progress towards getting a Fife-based DTEC off the ground?

• 15 Jul 2026 · Defence Skills: Fife · Hansard source

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  2. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote skills development in the defence industry in Fife.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban · Hansard source

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  Will the shadow Minister give way?

• 9 Jul 2026 · Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban · Hansard source

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  I rise to speak in support of a UK ban on trade in goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for securing the debate and for all her work on the issue. Last month I organised a letter to the Foreign Secretary, which was co-signed by more than 140 Labour colleagues, to call for such a ban. The strength of feeling among Labour Members, and across the House, is clear. I hope that the Minister has heard that. The existence and expansion of Israeli settlements is an impediment to peace and to a two-state solution. Some Israeli Government Ministers are now helpfully clear that that is their purpose. In response, British Jewish organisation Yachad has a letter from British Jews in support of a settlement trade ban, with almost 1,000 signatures so far. As they know, Israeli settlements are not normal places, and we should not deal with them as if they were. Instead, we must follow through both on our historic recognition of the state of Palestine and on the ICJ advisory opinion. A trade ban would be one way of properly delineating between the state of Israel and the state of Palestine. Settlements are an affront not only to international law, but to human decency. In 2013, I had the life-changing experience of serving as a human rights observer in Hebron, in the west bank. In this Palestinian city, day after day, I witnessed the routine violence against and humiliation of Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers and soldiers alike. I do not have time to share with hon. Members all the events that I witnessed, day after day, but they included a man being harassed and held at a checkpoint for hours because he took some biscuits to a kindergarten; a family with a young child and a disabled son being attacked by settlers, who called on others to “come and attack the Arabs”; and Palestinians being barred from entering their home by neighbouring Israeli settlers while Israeli soldiers stood and watched, as we asked them to help, before attacking us—internationals who were observing the situation—and arresting one of the internationals, with settlers cheering as they took him away in a van. We also witnessed daily, on the school run, Palestinian children being tear-gassed and having stun grenades thrown at them by Israeli soldiers. The Palestinian children were terrified. And so it went on. Which other population would we expect to put up with that day after day? Every time I have returned since, the situation has worsened. Year after year, Governments issue statements about the situation. It is time we got on with a ban on settlement trade. It is no use the Government’s dragging their feet. We have had that on too many issues. Can we please just get on with it?

• 9 Jul 2026 · Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban · Hansard source

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  The shadow Minister has been talking about the views of our allies in the region. I wonder when he last met or spoke to our allies across the Arab world, because they have been crying out for many of the actions that our Government have taken. They have been calling on us to act in support of a two-state solution, and to avoid dithering and doing nothing, which is what he is suggesting his party supports.

• 7 Jul 2026 · UK Aid Policy: Global Funding Trends · Hansard source

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  The Minister is talking about the importance of long-term partnership. Last week, I was proud to lead the first British parliamentary delegation to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. I had a number of conversations with Ministers, who asked for technical support from our Government, particularly on special educational needs and disabilities. Some 27% of Syrian children are disabled, following the war. They also asked for us to reopen the embassy in Syria, for business support and a lot of other things. Does the Minister agree that now is the right time for a new development partnership with the Syrian Government, as that nation hopefully builds from the ashes?