Sally Jameson MP: speeches

Speeches

• 25 Jun 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Doncaster Rovers are a league one football club, but the Club Doncaster Foundation is truly premier league in its outreach work. Last year, it delivered nearly £23 million of social value in Doncaster, and for every £1 invested, there was an £11.50 return through education and community impact. Does the Leader of the House agree that football clubs and their charity foundations should be celebrated for their work, and that other clubs should look to Doncaster Rovers and the Club Doncaster Foundation for best practice, on and off the pitch?

• 18 May 2026 · Audiology Services: Doncaster · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is completely right. In a world in which we focus a lot on how we can treat and slow the progress of dementia and Alzheimer’s, this is something we really need to look at. That is key, and it is worrying and disappointing to us all that our constituents will be more susceptible to this issue because they do not have the service that might be available in other areas.

• 18 May 2026 · Audiology Services: Doncaster · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with my hon. Friend. As he knows, some appointments were outsourced during this period, but if we are honest, it was not enough. The waiting list is still far too long, and too many people have been waiting four or five years, so part of our collective ask as MPs for these areas is that the Minister continues to press the ICB to look at what resource is available for outsourcing more to the high street—at least in the short term—so that we can clear the backlog and get the waiting list back under control in a more effective way. Without proper audiology care, lives can be fundamentally changed. People become isolated from their families, their communities, and society as a whole. I have had people get in touch with me who have stopped going to family events because they cannot hear the conversation properly—they end up sitting in a room, not enjoying themselves and unable to participate in conversations. That is incredibly isolating, and in a world where we talk a lot more about loneliness, particularly following the covid pandemic, that needs extra scrutiny. Just by clearing the waiting list and getting people appointments, we can really change lives. Hearing loss also affects confidence and wellbeing. I have heard from constituents who have been worried about keeping their job because they cannot hear properly on the telephone. This impacts all age groups, and those at all stages of life. This experience has shown me personally just how important audiology is.

• 18 May 2026 · Audiology Services: Doncaster · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with my hon. Friend. I reassure him that I will not attend the Alzheimer’s Society’s “singing for the brain” event in Cantley, as that would be devastating for everyone who had to hear it. It is important that we start to raise awareness of the knock-on effects that poor audiology services can have on wider society, and on people’s health generally. I ask the Minister to consider the following important points. First, will she ensure that the NHS 10-year plan includes greater investment in training audiologists across the country, so that areas like Doncaster never again face such severe staff shortages? But this is not just about investment; it is also about raising awareness. Many young people would not even consider audiology as a career, and would not even be aware that it exists. Part of this is making sure that the workforce plan reaches out to young people, and informs them about the different jobs available in the NHS, as opposed to just the traditional ones that everyone thinks about. We need to do more of that locally, and I know my hon. Friends here will that that point into schools and colleges. We have a new university technical college, specialising in medical science, opening in Doncaster in the not-too-distant future. I will definitely be banging the drum on this, along with my hon. Friends, to make sure that audiology is included, so that people understand from an early age that it is a good career, available to them. Secondly, will the Minister carefully consider the recommendations of the Kingdon review, including the recommendation on the introduction of a single professional register for audiologists, improved governance for audiology services and reform of how children’s audiology services are delivered? It is so important that we get audiology right at the earliest possible stage, because when these problems are missed, it can be truly damaging later in life. It is so important that we capture young people who require support, and also that lessons are learned from audiology failures, so that we do not find this happening again. Whether in Doncaster or in other parts of the country, it is important to look at that. Potentially under-resourced or at-risk NHS diagnostic and children’s services should also be highlighted, so that immediate action is taken to make sure that services do not fall below standard. If the situation in Doncaster and Bassetlaw shows us anything, it is that audiology can no longer be treated as a Cinderella service in our NHS. If we are really going to move to prevention as opposed to cure, it is really important that this becomes a recognised priority, so that deaf and hard-of-hearing people receive not only the support they need, but the quality of life that they deserve. I hope that this debate is just the start of an important conversation that needs to take place here in Westminster and across the country.

• 18 May 2026 · Audiology Services: Doncaster · Hansard source

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  That goes to show that this is a widespread issue. This is happening not just in Doncaster, but further afield, and thousands upon thousands of people have been impacted. At one stage, the audiology service at Doncaster royal infirmary temporarily shut down. While some of the emergency cases and children’s cases were reallocated to neighbouring services, a lot of people were left with pretty much nothing. They were totally uncertain about when, or even if, they would receive an appointment. The impact on the hard-of-hearing community in my area has been truly devastating. Waiting lists have grown well into the thousands, and many people have felt isolated and forgotten. During this difficult period, the integrated care board and the Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospital trust have worked to improve the service, but as my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Jo White) has pointed out, that took a lot of time. Alongside campaigners Maggie and Paul, who formed the Doncaster Audiology Action Group, and my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher), we held regular meetings with the NHS to press for action. With the support of the fantastic Healthwatch team, an audiology action event was held last month, giving residents the opportunity to access information about the service and receive basic hearing aid repairs, as well as to speak directly to stakeholders and support services. There is still a long way to go; the waiting list is still too long. Constituents contact me, and there are times when I can contact the hospital and we manage to speed up treatment, but not in all cases. Eighteen months on, improvements are beginning to show. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the dedicated audiology team at Doncaster royal infirmary, who have worked tirelessly to try to turn the service around. However, this experience has shown me just how important audiology services are, yet how often they are overlooked.

• 18 May 2026 · Audiology Services: Doncaster · Hansard source

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  Let me start this debate by welcoming the Minister to her seat and to her new role, as I believe that this is her first time responding from the Front Bench. I am sure that she will be excellent, and I look forward to her response. Doncaster has a long and proud history of supporting the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It is home to the historic Doncaster school for deaf children, which was founded on 2 November 1829 by Rev. William Carr Fenton. That legacy continues today through the Carr Fenton Foundation site, which provides a nationally recognised resource, including a nursery, Yorkshire Rose college, employability services, and so much more. However, not long after I was elected, it became clear to me that audiology services in Doncaster were a huge cause of concern to many of my constituents. People were waiting years for basic appointments, hearing aids and even essential hearing aid repairs—sometimes three, four or five years.

• 22 Apr 2026 · Criminal Proceedings (Juror Absence) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide that any criminal proceedings set down for trial may not be adjourned by reason of absence of or discharge of a juror where the number of members of the jury is not reduced below nine; and for connected purposes. I am introducing a Bill today that seeks to address a gap in our justice system—one that has caused profound and lasting harm to victims. The Bill proposes that any criminal proceedings set down for trial should not be adjourned solely due to the absence or discharge of a juror, provided that the number of jurors does not fall below nine. It is a practical and measured reform, but one rooted in a deeply human story. The reason for the Bill comes from the truly harrowing experience of one of my constituents. I will not name her today, but she has consented to me sharing her story so that others might be spared the same injustice. At a young age, she was the victim of an appalling crime—one that no person, let alone a child, should ever have to endure. In time, she came to realise that she was not alone. There were many other victims: children who had suffered at the hands of a man in a position of power and trust—a man who abused that trust in the most abhorrent way. Years later, my constituent and others showed immense courage. They made the brave decision to speak out and to relive their trauma in pursuit of justice. Eventually, a trial date was set. That date represented more than a legal proceeding. It was their chance to be heard, their chance for accountability and their chance for justice. When the day of the trial finally arrived, all the victims attended. It was, as Members can imagine, an emotional and deeply traumatic step. They had waited years for that moment. The defendant by then was elderly and in poor health, but he was also present. On the first day of the trial, one juror fell ill. However, there were still enough jurors for the trial to proceed because the legal minimum was met. My constituent recounts that the judge consulted the defendant, who unsurprisingly stated that he did not wish for the trial to go ahead. What is more troubling, though, is the fact that the views of the victims were not sought or considered; they were not asked whether they wanted it to proceed, despite everything they had endured to reach that point. Instead, the judge ruled that the trial would be postponed. A new date was set, but that was over a year later. Five weeks before that date arrived, the defendant died. In this case, justice delayed was justice denied. My constituent will now never have her day in court. She will never stand to testify to the horrors she endured and will never see the man who caused her such unimaginable pain face justice. She is not alone; many other victims in this case were also let down. The Bill seeks to ensure that such an injustice does not happen again. The Government are rightly working to reduce court delays and progress is being made, and I congratulate the Minister for Courts and Legal Services for all the work she is doing to see change in this area. However, as things stand, there remain victims and, indeed, defendants on remand whose cases risk being delayed unnecessarily for reasons like this, and that must change. Of course, there will always be exceptional circumstances in which a judge may need to exercise discretion and delay proceedings. The Bill would not remove that judicial judgment, but it would establish a clear presumption that where the minimum number of jurors remains, the trial should proceed. At the heart of this issue are not procedures, but people—people who have already waited too long, suffered too much and deserve better from our justice system. This is a modest reform, but it carries significant consequences. It is about efficiency, fairness and, above all, justice. Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That Sally Jameson, Joe Morris, Emma Foody, Anneliese Midgley, Laurence Turner, Shaun Davies, Katrina Murray, Alex McIntyre, Adam Thompson, Jonathan Hinder, Andrew Cooper and Sarah Russell present the Bill. Sally Jameson accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 26 June , and to be printed (Bill 4 30 ).

• 20 Apr 2026 · Fostering · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he outline how he will implement the expansion of foster carers so that more children can stay close to home and in their schools, reducing their vulnerability to sexual exploitation and county lines—something that disproportionately impacts children in residential care? Will he also set out what more he is doing to support foster carers to make sure that they have an independent voice heard in local authorities, but also practical help such as house extensions and modifications, so that they can continue to increase the number of children they support and provide a home to?

• 20 Apr 2026 · Fostering · Hansard source

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  10. What steps she is taking to help increase levels of fostering.

• 16 Apr 2026 · Housing Needs: Young People · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) for bringing forward this debate. I will focus on the housing needs of care leavers and those with care experience. Every year around 12,000 young people leave foster care or residential homes and begin their transition into independent living. For most young people, that stage of life can be supported by family, friends and a social network—they have a safety net—but so often for care leavers that safety net does not exist. As a result, they face a sharply heightened risk of homelessness: in 2024-25 alone, 4,610 care leavers aged between 18 and 20 experienced homelessness. That represents a 54% increase over five years, with rates rising 2.5 times faster than among the general population. Those numbers represent young people who are being pushed into crisis at the very point that they should be building their future. The Government have recognised that challenge, and they are introducing important changes through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That includes additional support for care leavers at risk of homelessness, a raft of changes in the Department of Health and Social Care around prescriptions, and wholesale reform of children’s social care. The Bill is a hugely positive and welcome step, but I hope that we can go further. There remain significant barriers that prevent care leavers from accessing accessible and suitable accommodation. The private sector, which many young people rely on, is particularly difficult for them to navigate. Research from Centrepoint has found that care leavers are significantly more likely to be rejected by landlords, who are unwilling to rent to that particular group. At the same time, 40% reported they could not afford deposits and up-front costs. Practical solutions do already exist, but they are not mandatory and they are not used widely enough. Local authority rent deposit and guarantor schemes make a real difference, yet fewer than half of councils currently offer them. Expanding such schemes could be a straightforward and effective way to open doors for care leavers who would otherwise be locked out of the housing market. In Doncaster, we have fantastic organisations such as Doncaster Housing for Young People, which provides real support, particularly for those without a safety net. In Doncaster, like in so many areas, there is a critical shortage of affordable, move-on housing. Many young people are ready to live independently but are unable to do so because of a lack of appropriate accommodation. There are not enough one-bedroom properties and, as a result, young people are often penalised by things like the bedroom tax, which they simply cannot afford on basic universal credit. Young people, particularly care leavers, who are supported by Doncaster Housing for Young People are ready to move on, but they are stuck. They are stuck not because they are unprepared or have not been supported, but because the system does not provide housing that they can realistically access. If we are serious about improving outcomes for care leavers, we need to go further. We must increase the amount of genuinely affordable housing and ensure that they have access to it. We must expand access to practical support, such as deposit and guarantor schemes, where it is not already available. Finally, we must ensure that the welfare system as a whole works with, not against, young people who are trying to build independent lives in terms of both housing and employment. Leaving care should be the start of a future, not the beginning of a housing crisis.

• 16 Apr 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My constituent Lisa Theobald suffered the unimaginable loss of her son Ryan, who was killed at just 20 years old when he was stabbed in Doncaster city centre one evening in January 2022. Lisa has shown extraordinary courage in the face of this grief and has channelled her energies into being a campaigner for stronger action on knife crime. Does the Leader of the House agree that more needs to be done to make sure our communities have the ability to deal with these kinds of emergencies, and will he meet me to talk about making time for a debate on the idea of introducing bleed kits to night-time venues, so that those places and their staff are better equipped to deal with those initial moments when somebody is stabbed, and potentially save lives?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Gurkha Veterans · Hansard source

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  I, too, thank the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Cameron Thomas) for bringing this important debate to the Chamber. For over two centuries, Gurkha soldiers have stood shoulder to shoulder with British troops in conflicts across the globe. Their bravery, loyalty and sacrifice has been unwavering. They have fought in wars, upheld our values and in many cases laid down their lives in service to this country. I am proud, as the Member for Doncaster Central, to represent a large Gurkha population. I am proud not only because of the service they have given this country, but because of the contribution they make to our city today. They are valued members of the Doncaster community and we are richer for their contribution. That is why I am here today to ensure their voice is heard. As the Minister will already be aware from speeches by other hon. Members, there are many in the Gurkha community who feel that their pension provision has not been fairly applied. Some are living in real hardship as a result. This relates particularly to those who enlisted before ’93 and the loss of the pre-1997 service value. Let me illustrate a personal example of this: a Gurkha veteran in my constituency served 28 and a half years, yet for pension purposes only 16 years of that service is recognised. That represents a loss of around £10,000 a year simply due to excluded service. While I understand the position of this Government—and previous Governments—on this, I ask on behalf of my constituent, and many more like him, that there is continued dialogue with Government to try to remedy what feels like an injustice to them. I therefore ask the Minister to continue working with Gurkhas on the areas they feel are outstanding, not least because my constituents have told me that they feel that the Gurkha offer to transfer failed to clearly explain the loss of the pre-1997 service value and the option to split pre and post-1997 service for pension purposes. Furthermore, will the Minister consider working with the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that Gurkhas who served this country—particularly for a long time, like 28 and a half years—are entitled to the full state pension? That only matches the level of service they have given this country. I thank the hon. Member for Tewkesbury once again and look forward to hearing the Minister’s answer. This is an important debate to have in the House today, not just to highlight the issues that Gurkhas are facing across this country, but as a chance to celebrate their contribution, both to my city and to the nation.

• 24 Mar 2026 · Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) for securing this important debate. I pay tribute to my constituents Nathan and Fiona Robinson, whose son Alfie tragically passed away. I first met them before I was elected, and I have since met them again and heard their story. I am standing here today to speak on their behalf, and on behalf of other families who have suffered the same. I want to endorse everything that has been said in today’s debate—I will not repeat a lot of it, due to the time limit. I have some specific asks over and above those from SUDC UK, which are incredibly important and which I endorse; but based on Nathan and Fiona’s experience, I want to make sure that their voices and asks are also heard. First, I ask the Minister to consider working with the Department for Business and Trade on expanding bereavement pay. Fiona had to return to work only two weeks after her son passed away. I know that the Department is looking at bereavement pay very closely as part of its review, but if the Health Minister could also contribute it would add extra weight, emphasising how important that is. Fiona had to return to work prior to Alfie’s funeral and then had to take just a single day of annual leave to attend it. I think we can all agree that, in such horrific circumstances, that is not an acceptable position. I hope that the Government will consider intervening on this as part of the review. It is so important, because families often have to wait six to eight weeks for a post-mortem. That they should have to return to work before they have had that outcome is something we can no longer accept. Secondly, as we have heard today, police training can often be quite patchy. We all accept that the police have a job to do, but it is so important that there is a dedicated family liaison officer, so that in the initial moments, hours, days and weeks, families are properly supported by the police. It is important to have someone there who can deliver difficult news and factual information in a sensitive way for the people who are suffering—whether that is graphic coroner’s phone calls or anything else. I hope the Minister will consider working with the Home Office and the Policing Minister to deliver a more holistic approach to how families are treated in the early days and weeks of this unimaginable loss. Thirdly, Nathan and Fiona relayed to me that they would like to see better training in schools, and even a dedicated teacher or teaching assistant in every school who is trained to support a child if they have a sibling who passes away in these circumstances. Again, that support can be quite patchy, based on whether the school has a teacher, teaching assistant or member of staff who has similar experience or training in dealing with this issue. It is such a small change, which would not cost a lot of money but would make such a big difference to families who suffer with child loss. Inquest dates have already been covered by other Members, but Nathan and Fiona had to wait more than six months for an inquest, which is completely agonising. That gets added on to the other things I have raised, about the need for better police liaison and having to return to work after two weeks, which means having to continue with life while waiting that long for an inquest. I really think we can do better than that. I pay tribute to Nathan and Fiona for sharing their story with me, and all the families in the Public Gallery today. It is incredibly brave and it takes a huge amount of strength to share stories like theirs. I hope that the Minister will see today as a new dawn and the start of change in this area, to help families today and in the future.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Capita’s handling of the civil service pension scheme has been absolutely abysmal. I have constituents in the Prison Service and across the whole civil service who have had their life devastated because of the financial consequences. Will the Leader of the House escalate this matter to the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister? A cross-departmental approach is now required to ensure that Capita cannot continue to degrade our public services and the people who work in them.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  What assessment has the Secretary of State made of agricultural co-operatives and how they might contribute to Government objectives on sustainable farming and food security?

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Immigration Reforms · Hansard source

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  That’s not true!

• 12 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  From Kingswood accountants to Automated Analytics and our young traders market, Doncaster is home to many businesses run by ambitious entrepreneurs. Will the Minister update the House on how Government support, such as the start-up loan scheme and the growth guarantee scheme, are helping young entrepreneurs and start-ups, and on what more we can do in this policy area?

• 10 Mar 2026 · Courts and Tribunals Bill · Hansard source

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  I completely agree. Whether they will be found innocent or guilty, people are entitled to their day in court, and within a reasonable amount of time, as are the victims who need to have their cases heard. Frankly, that also allows prisons to get on with the important work of punishing those who are guilty and focusing on rehabilitation. I want to take the opportunity of this Bill to push for a further reform of courts policy—I know the Minister is aware of this issue. I understand the reasons it is not in the Bill, but there was a particular case in my constituency. Somebody arrived for their day in court and ready for their trial, but because one of the jurors went sick, the judge decided it would not go ahead, even though the minimum number of jurors was available. They had to wait for a new trial date, which was many months later and, sadly, in the time they were waiting, the defendant—the perpetrator—died. In that case, justice delayed really was justice denied. Will the Minister meet me at another time to discuss whether there can be, if not a legislative change, a policy change on the expectation on judges to carry out trials when the minimum number of jurors is in attendance, unless there are exceptional circumstances?

• 10 Mar 2026 · Courts and Tribunals Bill · Hansard source

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  I, too, pay tribute to those Members of the House who made exceptional contributions, particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington North (Charlotte Nichols). Her bravery today will be the debate’s real stand-out moment. As we all know, the backdrop to this Bill is a court system that is facing crisis; that has been the case throughout the criminal justice system for many years. People up and down the country are waiting years for their day in court. When the justice system breaks down, it is our constituents and victims in our areas who pay the price. Although I will not address the presumption of contact in my speech, I pay tribute to the campaigners in this House, in the Gallery and around the country who have made sure that a measure on the presumption of contact is included in the Bill. It is a really special moment. In the last six months, a number of my surgeries have been attended by constituents who are bearing the brunt of court delays—victims of serious crime who have been waiting years without justice and without closure. That is why, in the House today, I will be supporting this Bill on behalf of my constituents, who deserve timely justice. We also have to remember the remand population, which has not been talked about much today. It is well publicised that our prison estate is in absolute crisis, having reached capacity and been totally stretched. While the Government are making the necessary reforms to address that and are building up capacity, they can ill afford to have the remand population at its current level. Frankly, those people are entitled to their day in court, to get their verdict and to be able to get on with their lives one way or the other.

• 10 Mar 2026 · Courts and Tribunals Bill · Hansard source

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  Yes, as someone who was regularly held back from going on my dinner break because we were waiting for prisoner transportation, I would always welcome further improvement of prisoner transportation. I am all for that. To close, we are not the first Government to change the threshold for jury trials, and because of the scale of the crisis we face, the circumstances demand that we must do so again. I am backing this whole package of reforms, because I know from my constituents that they want a courts system that delivers timely justice, supports victims and, frankly, allows them to move on with their lives. The alternative—and I think it is important that we explore the alternative—is that we manage the slow decline of our courts and watch victims walk away and public confidence drain away. We can modernise the system so that justice is delivered swiftly, fairly and for everyone, and that is what I choose today.

• 3 Mar 2026 · Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that the reopening of Doncaster airport is not only critical so that we are part of the sustainable aviation future, but to create the high-skill, high-wage jobs in the green economy that young people in Doncaster deserve?

• 4 Feb 2026 · Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which declares my various union memberships. Many Members have made very valid points, and I will try not to echo them. To follow on from what my hon. Friend the Member for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody) said about MyCSP, I know from personal experience and the experience of my colleagues in the Prison Service that it was absolutely appalling—and, just when we thought its incompetence could not get any worse, it managed to surpass itself. I do not think any of us shed a tear when it had the contract taken away. I am sure that Capita is full of excuses, saying “We had a terrible inheritance, because MyCSP did x, y and z”, and that is true, but Capita has huge resources of people and money, and it should have known what it was letting itself in for. It should have known how bad MyCSP was and how bad the backlog was, and if it could not do the job, it should not have taken on the contract. I have constituents like Billy, who was considering taking partial retirement but now does not want to because he does not know if he is going to get his money. He is scared, and he is denying himself time away from work and partial retirement because of how appalling Capita is. Will the Minister tell us what review will be done of the mismanagement of the contract, but also of how the was decision taken? I appreciate that it was taken by the previous Government, and that the Minister cannot answer for that, but what official advice was given to Ministers in the previous Government about the contract? In particular, what advice was given about break clauses? This is abject failure and we should be able to get out of the contract. What were officials in the Department advising Ministers about that? I am afraid to say that this level of failure requires accountability, and people who were involved in the procurement should never be involved in procurement for a Government contract again. We need to know who they are and what price they are going to pay, because, yet again, taxpayers are footing the bill for failure, and it is totally unacceptable. This was not Capita’s first rodeo; it has been on the failure train many times before. The fact that it was given another contract is deeply worrying. Will the Minister confirm that Capita will not be allowed to bid for any future Government contracts, at the very least until this issue is resolved and the taxpayer has been compensated for what it has had to pay for to date? As far as I am concerned, this kind of thing should be brought back in house, so I am also interested to know what work is being done to see whether that is possible.

• 29 Jan 2026 · Prison Capacity: Annual Statement · Hansard source

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  I remind Members of my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I am a member of the POA. I want to back up what the Minister said in retaliation to the shadow Justice Minister. Prison can indeed work, but words alone are not enough, and when a party is in office, it has to back them up with action and actually run the prison estate properly. I cannot convey in words just how dangerous the overcrowding got leading up to July 2024. I, for one, will never forget it, as I have said in this House many times. I think it is pretty brazen to come to this Chamber now and claim that all these places were a result of decisions taken in the Conservatives’ last year in office. [ Interruption. ] Those decisions should have been taken a decade before. Having rushed them in the last year and literally left prisons at the point of collapse, the Conservatives have no jurisdiction to talk on this matter in the House today. [ Interruption. ] I thank the Minister for his statement and ask whether he will meet me to discuss what more can be done to increase safety for staff in our prisons. I welcome the decision to introduce PAVA into the youth estate—another decision that was delayed by the Conservative party. I also ask him to look at the national care leavers strategy, because they are grossly overrepresented in our prison system. If we are to reduce the population, we need to look at that in the next 12 months.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Energy Bills · Hansard source

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  I am pleased that the Government are sticking to their pledge on reducing energy bills, as the Minister rightly points out, with an average of £150 coming off annual bills this April. Does he agree that that is a good start, but that we must continue to work across Departments to ensure that we make further progress on the cost of living in this Parliament?