Nick Smith MP: speeches

I, too, hope that digital ID will help improve the delivery of public services outcomes. Can the Minister please say what steps the Government are taking to work with the Welsh Government on this important policy development?

There is awful news from Venezuela this morning after an earthquake there. Has the Minister had the opportunity to speak to her Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ministerial counterpart about support for that country at this difficult time?

I welcome the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting our veterans and delivering fairness for them. Can we please have a statement from the Veterans Minister on reducing processing times for war pension scheme claims? My constituent Denzil Hancock, an 88-year-old nuclear test veteran, continues to await a decision.

I thank the Minister for his statement on this terrible conflict. Will he tell us more about the impact of this tragedy on countries that neighbour Sudan? How can we help them?

My constituency has many steel fabrication businesses, some of which I visited recently. Will the Minister please outline how he listened to such businesses and their concerns before this announcement?

The cleaning contractor will continue to work on identifying suitable alternatives from its suppliers, and I would be pleased to put it in touch with the body that my hon. Friend suggests can provide good advice.

I am pleased to report that good progress has been made on reducing the number of cleaning products we use that are not certified as cruelty-free. My hon. Friend has rightly pushed us on this matter. In total, we use around 40 cleaning products. Since early 2025, we have reduced the number of products used that are not certified as cruelty-free from nine to three. For the remaining three products, the cleaning contractor is in the process of identifying suitable replacements that meet the required standard.

It is good to give my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova) a break. The Commission has considered the proposed changes to the education outreach model. The changes are designed to save money—over half a million pounds every year— and to ensure that we reach more students across the UK and increase the opportunities that Members have to meet children and young people. Although more than 30 Members have signed an early-day motion on the topic, in 2025-26 no events were held in nearly a third of our constituencies. Under the proposals, the current model will be replaced by a digital model of outreach to increase opportunities for Members to speak to students. The proposed new service will help to reach schools in every constituency. A final decision on the proposals will be made following the consultation proposal.

The scoping work focused on large-scale and ambitious digital education outreach work across the UK. Case studies included in the research were the Royal Ballet and the North East Museums’ “Hadrian’s Wall Live” focus day, which both attracted very high levels of interest.

We understand my hon. Friend’s concerns about these proposals, but the new model is designed to increase engagement with schools across the UK. Given the high number of constituencies that receive no outreach visits at all, the key benefit here is that the proposals would remove geography as a barrier so that schools everywhere can access these sessions. Furthermore, the proposed model will sit alongside other UK-wide programmes that continue to provide in-person opportunities, including our UK Parliament Week; teacher training activity delivered around the country; the travel subsidy scheme, which supports visits to Parliament; and the “Learn with the Lords” programme. With those programmes taken together, Parliament will continue to have a strong and visible presence beyond Westminster.

Wales is not going to the world cup, but I will definitely be supporting both Scotland and England in the weeks ahead—good wishes to everybody. I welcome the Government’s programme to help young people into education, employment or training. In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney we have two new hubs to boost their opportunities. May we please have an update on what progress has been made with the new jobs guarantee scheme to foster the talent of even more young people?

I welcome this week’s trade agreement with the gulf countries, and I give particular thanks to the Ministers and diplomats who worked hard to deliver it. Given Iran’s belligerence towards its neighbours, however, can the Minister outline what measures we are taking to support gulf states under threat from Iran, and to help de-escalate the situation there?

My constituents continue to face delays in accessing driving tests post covid. The Government’s important consultation covers tackling bot activity, bulk and speculative bookings, and improving access to genuine test slots. A driving instructor in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney has expressed his concerns about potential booking restrictions for driving instructors and issues around examiner recruitment. Will a Transport Minister please update the House and confirm that those issues will be considered in the round?

I thank the Chancellor for her statement. I agree that the best economic policy today is diplomatic policy. Given the situation in Iran, will she tell us more about her plans for putting economic pressure on the leadership there to de-escalate this dreadful situation?

Constituents involved in my local Rotary club have contacted me about the global polio eradication programme. I am reliably advised that Ministers want to concentrate resources for the best impact. Can the Minister reassure my constituents that the UK remains determined to protect the important gains made in polio eradication for the future?

11. What funding her Department is providing to help improve participation in grassroots sport.

I declare an interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on parkrun. As the Minister knows, parkrun is a global phenomenon, and it has just celebrated its 21st birthday this year. Currently, over 1,300 parkrun events take place across the UK every Saturday morning, including two in my constituency of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney. Given its benefits in terms of health and wellbeing—many of my constituents are NHS couch to 5K graduates—will the Minister please outline what discussions she has had with parkrun to support that excellent initiative?

The Church Commissioner gets another rest. In February, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board reported costed proposals for the programme and a recommended way forward. The key recommendations are a phase 1 works package and the preparation of temporary accommodation, including a long-term resilience Commons Chamber, and reducing the number of delivery options from four to two, with a decision on a preferred option required by 2030. Also, the R and R team has engaged with Members of both Houses in party group meetings, Committees and briefings, and has had stands in Portcullis House and the Royal Gallery; the team has had almost 400 interactions with fellow parliamentarians. The next step is for parliamentary debates on the subject, in which Members of both Houses can consider the Client Board’s recommendations and decide how to make progress.

I, too, read the waterside options. The issue is that there is a preferred option, which is that the Commons moves to the northern estate and the House of Lords moves to the QEII centre. That has been proposed for safety and value-for-money reasons.

My hon. Friend is right to emphasise the QEII centre’s value to the UK events sector. However, I am advised that the evidence indicates that any displaced events could be accommodated by other conference centres in London, given the available spare capacity. Events, visitor spending and associated economic activity would be expected to transfer to alternative venues and their supply chains, rather than being lost to international competitors. Given his expertise, may I suggest a meeting with R and R officials who have looked deeper into this, so that they can hear his concerns in more detail and share their analysis of the matter?

I am delighted to give the Second Church Estates Commissioner, my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova), a short rest this morning. The possibility of the House of Lords being temporarily based in the neighbouring QEII centre during restoration and renewal is being considered. The R and R programme has worked closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government—the freehold owner of the centre—and with wider Government to understand the implications of using the QEII centre during in the programme. Direct engagement with the events sector has, to date, been restricted because of commercial sensitivities, but available information suggests that conference centres across Westminster and the wider London area have sufficient spare capacity to accommodate displaced events.

Last week, I visited our youth hub in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, and heard at first hand some fantastic success stories of young people being supported into work through this Labour Government’s prioritisation. Can we have a ministerial statement on the work of these hubs and how they will integrate with the new youth jobs grant to help even more young people into jobs?

I thank the Minister for his statement. I am glad to see that he is stepping in, and I am pleased to hear that National Savings & Investments will focus on reuniting bereaved families with their money, which it holds after things went badly wrong. How will he and the Government raise awareness with savers of the fact that they do not need to use claims management companies and that they can rely on NS&I putting things right?

I welcome this development reset. I support the Government’s decision to invest in our country’s security now and our ambition to support development more in future. On Yemen, given the conflict and the overall fragility in the region, how do the Government ensure that UK aid spent there does not fall into the wrong hands?

The Government have delivered for mineworkers and their families on improving their pension schemes. Although members of both the mineworkers’ pension scheme and the British Coal staff superannuation scheme tell me that they are pleased after the release of reserved funds, there are many former miners in their 80s and 90s who could benefit further from future support. Can we please have a statement from the Minister for Industry on the next steps for both those schemes?

May I say how proud I am that my birth certificate says, “Father’s occupation: labourer in the steelworks”? This strategy is a shot in the arm for steelmakers across the UK; it is in stark contrast to the failures of the last Tory Governments. But can the Secretary of State say more about the infrastructure projects and plans to refine the public procurement notice for steel? What will that mean in practice for jobs in our communities?

Bank closures have affected many communities. In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, we have a banking hub in Abertillery and will shortly have one in Ebbw Vale, so that residents have access to bank services on their high street. These are very popular, and it is great that the Government are committed to delivering 350 banking hubs. May we have a statement to find out how that is going, and to hear about lessons learned and whether access to hubs could be widened in the future?

8. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the state pension increase in April 2026 on pensioners.

That is great news. Our pensioners deserve the best support, and will be glad of the extra income. I will shortly be organising events in my constituency promoting pension credit take-up. Some of my pensioner constituents, however, have lost money to the Safe Hands funeral scheme when trying to prepare for the worst of times. Will the Minister please meet me to discuss their case?

The hon. Member is right to keep on raising this issue. The foundation of the guidance to Members on the use of AI is that there needs to be a human in the loop. The Parliamentary Digital Service is in ongoing discussions with Microsoft to shape the use of Copilot to meet Members’ needs. Our digital service must continue looking at the potential applications of AI to support all our work, so that either Copilot or another solution from elsewhere can be tested for all our benefit. If the hon. Member wishes, she can join our committee the next time we meet the PDS management team to look at how we can better support Members.

Members and their teams should be supported to manage and address the increasing volume and complexity of work being placed on us all. Managing email inboxes is a huge task, as we all know. The Parliamentary Digital Service has been working with Members to understand how we can harness technology to help us filter, prioritise and manage our correspondence and casework. I know that the Parliamentary Digital Service is happy to further support the hon. Lady in that work.

The new booking process, which will be launched in September, will ensure that regions are allocated visit opportunities to ensure that no region accesses more than its fair share. Consideration has been given to the circumstances of band C schools—those furthest from Westminster—which have a clear preference for summer-term access due to the long distances they must travel. The education team will weight band C visit opportunities to favour the summer term, so that the booking opportunities best meet those schools’ needs.

Given my hon. Friend’s journey time from Cornwall, I can understand why she asks that question. The Commission recently endorsed recommendations from our participation team to improve the school visit booking process and the use of our travel subsidy. Schools from her area will have extra time to apply. We want to encourage greater participation from schools furthest away from Westminster by increasing capacity through our education service.

The Client Board’s recent report recommends a way forward for restoration and renewal. It contains phase 1 works, including seven years’ foundational works for the full programme. These preparatory works can begin once we have approval from both Houses. A final decision on the preferred delivery option is required from both Houses no later than 2030. The main R&R works could begin in 2032.

I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend. She is right to say that we must make progress, and we now have the costed proposals in front of us. The work is necessary. The home of our Parliament is not only an iconic building, but a UNESCO world heritage site. We currently spend £1.5 million a week on maintaining and repairing the Palace, and every year of delaying delivery has a considerable cost. We must move forward. I hope that the Leader of the House will let us know when we can discuss and debate this important matter.

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that we should make much faster progress on this project. However, he talks about Notre Dame, which has a much smaller footprint than our Palace of Westminster. The bulk of the construction costs relate to the replacement and upgrade of mechanical power, water and heating infrastructure, improvements to fire safety, and the controlled management of asbestos and repaired stonework. Not enough has been invested in our palace over the years, and much more needs to be done. This needs to be done at a good speed, but I accept his point. Let us try to take Members of both Houses with us.

The Restoration and Renewal Client Board has recently published a report providing costed proposals for the R&R programme and a recommended way forward. The key recommendation is to commence a phase 1 works package, including enabling works and the preparation of temporary accommodation, which includes a long-term resilience Chamber. It has reduced the number of delivery options from four to two, with a final decision on a preferred option required by 2030. The next step is for parliamentary debates to be held so that Members of both Houses can consider the client board’s recommendations and decide how to progress. The R&R team holds regular briefings, tours and detailed Q&A sessions, which the hon. Gentleman may find of interest.

Before Christmas, I raised the poor standard of service by the Royal Mail in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney. Despite our excellent posties, constituents still report delayed deliveries leading to missed appointments and worse. Ofcom should hold Royal Mail to account on the universal service obligation, yet I have received no response from Ofcom for almost two months. Can we please have a ministerial statement on the performance of Ofcom? All our constituents should receive the level of service that they have been promised.

May I say how great it was to see that the Foreign Secretary was in Chad this week in support of Sudanese refugees? I particularly support the remarks at the start of her statement, when she said: “I am determined that we do not look away.” Can she tell us more about UK efforts to get our humanitarian aid to the millions who need it?

1. What steps he is taking to help reduce industrial energy costs.

Under the last Conservative Government we had soaring energy costs and the highest industrial energy bills in Europe. Now, under Labour, manufacturers, including those in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, have seen costly levies taken out. Will the Minister please outline what else the Government can do to bring energy bills down further for UK industry?

13. What steps he is taking to help support employers to keep people healthy at work.

I am delighted that we have a trailblazer pilot in my constituency. In The Times at the weekend, Alan Milburn emphasised the importance of boosting young people’s life chances. Will the Secretary of State outline how data from the pilot will strengthen delivery to keep people healthy at work?

There has been a tendency to offshore much cyber-support, but we are producing excellent cyber-security talent at Ebbw Vale college to protect our digital infrastructure. Will the Minister please outline what is being done to develop our home-grown workforce and security resilience to help reduce the risks from cyber-attacks in future?

8. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle cyber-crime.

My hon. Friend is a doughty campaigner for ceramics and Stoke. The limited edition House of Commons Christmas mugs are a popular product in our gift shop. Those products are sourced as unfinished products from overseas and then hand-finished in the UK. This approach ensures that the product is commercially viable to purchase and that the retail team can sell it while maintaining high standards, but I would be happy to meet him again to discuss this further.

My hon. Friend always takes an interest in ceramics and parliamentary procurement. He will remember that approximately 85% of ceramic items purchased in our gift shops are either fully or partially made in the UK. More widely, Parliament endeavours to purchase British goods, in compliance with the procurement legislation. If he would like further information, I would be very happy to help him.

The New Palace Yard project will be completed this month, at an expected cost of £62 million, within the latest approved business case. The project included important security works and significant ground and heritage works.

There have been different estimates for the stages of the project, as the hon. Gentleman rightly points out. The costs have evolved since 2017. I will send him the recent Finance Committee report, which was published just before Christmas and goes into detail on this matter. Delays have occurred, particularly at peak times, and it has taken too long for vehicles to leave, but steps are being taken to speed up exit times.

The restoration and renewal programme has engaged extensively with Members of both Houses. In this Parliament, there have been 380 interactions with MPs and peers through briefings, tours and events. The number of interactions over the past three years, since January 2023, is about 980. The client board will shortly publish a report to help us all decide on the preferred way forward.

After ramping up engagement on the cost information, and once the House has provided direction on the R and R programme, if we do go to full decant, the Lords will likely go to the Queen Elizabeth II centre and MPs to the northern estate. There will be ongoing work on temporary accommodation, and the related impact on jobs is for us all to consider in future.

Constituents in the upper Rhymney valley face unacceptably high petrol prices. When I wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority about that, it referred to a forthcoming fuel finder scheme; however, that scheme has no confirmed launch date. I get that this is complicated, but will the Leader of the House please encourage Ministers to provide a statement on when that scheme will be delivered, in order to improve consumer information across the UK?

Maduro was an illegitimate president. In The New York Times today, Colette Capriles, writing from Caracas, describes a “struggle for survival”, a “primitive capitalism”, a “web of bosses, private loyalties, corrupt practices and institutional ruins that have replaced public life” in Venezuela. I ask the Foreign Secretary: what can the UK do to support the development of strong civic institutions there that can help to build a new Venezuela?

Merry Christmas to all. I bet Members will join me in paying tribute to our hard-working posties and sorting office staff. The team in Ebbw Vale do a brilliant job. However, despite their best efforts, constituents report delays receiving letters and even missed hospital appointments. Royal Mail management cite resourcing challenges. Does the Leader of the House agree that Ofcom should ensure that Royal Mail meets its universal service obligation, and can we have a Government statement on this?

Today’s newspapers carry further coverage of attempts by Russia to influence political systems in the west. To avoid being held to account for the war in Ukraine, Russian agents are reportedly undermining financial institutions and public servants in Belgium. Following the jailing of a former Reform leader in Wales for taking bribes from Russia, does the Minister agree that the inquiry into foreign financial interference in our domestic politics has not come soon enough?

I warmly welcome the statement on ending violence against women and girls. Will the Minister tell us more about how she will support and empower third sector organisations such as Phoenix Domestic Abuse Services in Blaenau Gwent, which always deserve a helping hand?

9. What steps he is taking to protect consumers in the secondary ticketing market.

The Government’s action on ticket reselling is the first substantive effort to tackle those who leech off the music sector. Previously, as one loophole closed, another would often open. There have been warnings, however, that ticket reselling could continue through social media and messaging apps. How will the Government monitor that to protect fans so that they can see the artists who bring joy into all our lives?

The Minister for pensions was brilliant at the Budget in helping our mining communities across the UK. Will he provide an update on plans for changing the surplus sharing arrangements for both the mineworkers’ pension scheme and the British Coal staff superannuation scheme?

Can the Minister say more about how the Government are reflecting the experiences of victims when tackling grooming gangs in Wales?

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I am happy to help with her key point about messaging. Members, as employers, could implement a domestic abuse policy. To help with this, the Members’ human resources advice service has specific guidance and templates available for Members, and can support them with implementation.

I am pleased to report that the House of Commons Commission agreed in October to seek accreditation from the White Ribbon campaign. The campaign does important work to prevent violence against women and girls by promoting equality, building networks and challenging harmful attitudes and behaviour. The accreditation process involves creating an action plan and policies to provide support relating to domestic abuse. Guidance and resources are available on the parliamentary intranet.

The Commission has taken steps to widen access to schools in terms of both volume and geographic spread, and these changes have led to an increase in the number of schoolchildren able to visit. More than 71,000 are expected to visit this year—an increase of over 20% since 2022—and we expect the numbers to be even higher next year. In 2023, the Commission approved a change to the travel subsidy programme to increase direct funding for schools that are furthest from Westminster, and improvements to the bookings process for schools were also implemented. The Administration Committee recently agreed further proposed improvements to the travel subsidy scheme, and these will shortly be considered by the Commission.

My constituency of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney is 1,200 feet above sea level and we get snow a lot, so “Just be careful what you ask for” might have been good advice to that lovely eight-year-old. Of course, we need to improve access to this place. Fairer access to Parliament is a good cause, and our education department does good work in this sphere, but if the hon. Gentleman wants to make further inquiries, I am very happy to help him.

The new education booking system is being devised to help with regional equity. The hon. Member has hit on a really important question about transport access to this place, as well as about places to stay overnight. I will look into that further and get back to him.

May I thank the Leader of the House for his kind words about those of us who campaigned for miners’ pensions justice? There is real momentum for new economic opportunities now that Labour-led councils, the Welsh Labour Government and the UK Labour Government can work in tandem. In Blaenau Gwent, the council has applied for funding to upgrade the A4046 at Cwm. In Caerphilly, the new council leader, Jamie Pritchard, is driving urgent action to repair the land slip on the A469 between New Tredegar and Pontlottyn in the upper Rhymney valley. May I please ask the Leader of the House for a statement on transport interconnectivity and its economic benefits across the UK?

In terms of paying more for Microsoft Copilot, there is a version that does come at a monthly cost.

A new approach to proactively understand Members’ needs has been introduced by the Parliamentary Digital Service to shape improvements to digital services. Recently, its research informed a trial of a paid version of Copilot artificial intelligence with Members, including me, and with staff. To ensure that any new solutions meet Members’ needs, PDS runs pilots, works with suppliers and applies Member feedback to try to drive improvements.

My hon. Friend has a fair beef. The volume of unwanted emails received by MPs is a known problem, but no one yet has an easy solution. Testing of whether Copilot or other digital solutions can help with inbox management has taken place, but Copilot is unlikely to be the answer for it. I understand that the technology may now exist, though, and I will ask the Parliamentary Digital Service to brief her on what might be possible.

Coalminers powered our great country in the 20th century. They need justice in this century in relation to their pensions. Labour put right the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, but parity is needed for the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. Will the Leader of the House ask the Treasury for a statement on pension justice for our mining communities, to right that historic wrong?

Given both the Baltic sea incident in 2024, where underground cables were said to be sabotaged, and the latest provocation where the Yantar is said to be mapping undersea cables, will the Minister please outline how allied co-ordination, particularly with our Nordic and Baltic partners, could be strengthened?

I thank the Minister for her response to the urgent question. The Frankland attack was awful. Given that body armour is crucial to the safety of prison staff, can she please tell us more about its procurement, so that prison staff are protected as best as possible, as soon as possible?

The stealing of 20,000 children like this is an outrage. I thank the Minister for his statement. Does he agree that the Bring Kids Back campaign is right to emphasise that the return of these children is non-negotiable in any future peace deal?

Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney neighbours Monmouthshire. Last winter, we experienced coal tip slipping because of heavy rain. People experiencing flooding deserve all our support. Can the Minister please tell us more about the support available to residents who are claiming insurance or emergency financial help in order to get through this really difficult time?

I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about supporting Jamaica. Across our country, and in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, off-road bikers are a menace. They tear up our environment, and turn our streets into racetracks. After years of Tory cuts, Gwent police are now tackling that. Does the Prime Minister agree that police forces, and communities such as mine, are seeing the difference that Labour can make in power?

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29 October.

I am often asked on the doorsteps what we are doing to tackle this issue. Will the Minister please set out more information on what the Government are doing to stop small boat arrivals in the first place, so that we can close more hotels more quickly?

I thank the Minister for his answer to the urgent question. He has done a great job over time updating this Chamber—he has been terrific through this difficult period. Will he say more about the type of aid that he thinks our country needs to send into Gaza to support the people there?

It pleases me when I see my hon. Friend turning his plate or mug upside down in the Tea Room, to double-check whether the crockery was made in Stoke. It is good when Westminster shows off the best of our UK ceramics manufacturing. Where possible and appropriate, and in accordance with procurement law, Parliament will endeavour to purchase British goods and support our domestic supply chains.

The House Administration sources a wide range of crockery from firms in the UK, as well as those based elsewhere. Where possible, Parliament endeavours to purchase British goods to support domestic supply chains. All purchasing is in line with the relevant legislation for public bodies, which prioritises value for money. Some 85% of crockery purchased in the past two years has been from British manufacturers.

Will the Leader of the House please grant a debate on tenants paying their landlord a reasonable rent? In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, Vodafone is in dispute with one of my community organisations, Aberbargoed rifle and pistol club, over the hosting of a telecoms mast. Vodafone’s rent helps to fund the club’s Christmas dinner, and visits to places of interest such as the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, and Bisley. Does the Leader of the House agree that it is important for large telecoms corporations to work wherever possible hand in hand with our local community organisations?

My hon. Friend’s point about these issues affecting older women is, of course, fair and understood, but is it not also true that younger women can be affected and need support?

I thank my hon. Friend for making such a fantastic contribution on this important topic. I am sure that she will recall the shared visit we had to Tesco in Abertillery, in my constituency, where staff talked about the extensive package of support that their employer gave them. Will she join me in commending employers such as Tesco for leading the way in terms of workplace support for their staff?