Samantha Niblett MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 11 Sept 2025 · Suicide Prevention · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher) for securing today’s vital debate. This issue is particularly personal for me, and I have been open about it in the House before. I was 11 when my mum first tried to take her own life, and I am so grateful to the Samaritans, whose badge I wear with pride, because it was they who saved her that first time. She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder and finally got the support and medication she needed, and I am so thankful that she is around today to be the brilliant mum that she is—I know she is watching this right now. In my 30s, I went through a tough time. Had it not been for my wonderful daughter, I would have liked to switch my “on” button off. I am not alone, because one in four people will have suicidal thoughts, and one in 13 will attempt to take their own life over the course of their life. Forty-five is the age at which a woman is most likely to take her own life, often influenced by hormonal changes ahead of menopause. I am a 45-year-old menopausal woman, so that sobering fact hits hard, and I am grateful for hormone replacement therapy. We need to ensure that more women are able to access the right support when they are going through these changes. But as Members have said today, suicide does not just affect women. Veterans of all genders living with PTSD have a heightened risk of suicide after serving their country. There was a disturbing increase in suicides by farmers between 2022 and 2023, with more feared because of changes to inheritance tax rules. Suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35 and the biggest killer of men under 50, and we know that there is a significant crisis in men’s mental health. Nationally, there are a lot of organisations that aim to support men with their mental health, such as Andy’s Man Club and men’s sheds. Luckily, in my constituency of South Derbyshire, ManClub was set up last year after a local chef, Craig Riley, tragically died by suicide. Joe Ward, one of the founders and a friend of Craig’s, lives in Melbourne and now helps to run weekly meetings on Monday evenings at Melbourne Assembly Rooms, where men can talk openly without fear of judgment. This Saturday, the Baton of Hope, a suicide prevention charity, will be touring through Derbyshire. It was started by two fathers whose sons tragically died by suicide. One of those fathers, Mike McCarthy, along with others affected or bereaved by suicide, will be stopping by Elvaston Castle in South Derbyshire on their tour, and I wish them all the best. I cannot wait to meet them in Parliament in December with my fellow Derbyshire MPs. I want to live in a society in which no one ever feels like suicide is their only option. People deserve holistic and accessible mental health support through access to medication and/or affordable therapies. That is why I am so glad that the Government are fixing our precious NHS. But this is about so much more than healthcare and treating people with mental health issues; it is about preventing them from feeling suicidal in the first place—and so much of that comes from a greater sense of security, and hopefulness instead of hopelessness. Hope is so much easier to have when people have a secure home, good, well-paid jobs, a sense of purpose and a united feeling of community. I know that this Government desperately want to ensure that everyone has that, and that they are striving really hard to deliver it.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Regional Transport Inequality · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that there is nothing more isolating than not being able to get somewhere? My constituent Elishia Ingham tried to get her mobility scooter on to a bus service but was rejected entry on to the bus because there was not enough space. Does my hon. Friend agree that even though bus companies do not have to allow that by law, they might increasingly consider the needs of disabled travellers?

• 11 Sept 2025 · Regional Transport Inequality · Hansard source

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  I am very familiar with my hon. Friend’s constituency, and I know that he was campaigning for good transport links way before he became an MP. On access to bus services, smaller villages such as Egginton in my South Derbyshire constituency are not served by a bus service at all. Does he agree that that truly ensures regional inequality across our country?

• 9 Sept 2025 · Neurodivergent People: Employment · Hansard source

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  As a proud auntie to Benjamin, who is autistic, I am delighted when I hear of employers who are doing great things for neurodivergent people. A constituent of mine, Ian Carlier, is the chief executive officer of Momentic, which supports people to get off benefits and into self-employed work. Does she agree that when we consider employment for neurodivergent people, giving them a pathway and support into self-employed work might suit them better?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Residents of Overseal in my constituency woke up over the August bank holiday weekend to find a Traveller site being constructed behind their homes without planning permission and with complete disregard for due process, ignoring a stop order that had been secured by local councillor Amy Wheelton and officers of the council. That presents Derbyshire district council with a potentially costly and lengthy legal process, and denies local people any opportunity for consultation and comment. A member of my team has met residents, and I will meet them this weekend at my earliest opportunity. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on the measures that we can take in this place to help constituents such as mine?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Pavement Parking · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I represent a semi-rural constituency, and one of its gorgeous little market towns, Melbourne, famously—or so it seems to me—has a high street where cars have to park a bit on the pavement, which is super-skinny because the road is super-skinny. If they did not do so, cars would speed down the road. It is a never-ending circle of challenge. I would welcome councils and local authorities having the power to fine. We all know that pavement parking gets on everybody’s nerves. We see it on online community groups, where people share photos of people parking selfishly. This is not just about parking on skinny little pavements, but about selfishly parking where there is plenty of space to park on the road. Will the Government consider an awareness campaign to ask people to be a bit more considerate?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I am sure that the Minister will have seen research last week, which parents in my constituency will be really disappointed in, saying that mums earn £302 less per week than dads. For too long, the Tories were happy for those costs to fall on women. What steps is she taking to ensure that this Labour Government tackle the motherhood penalty?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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

• 22 Jul 2025 · Changing Places Toilets · Hansard source

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  We have just two Changing Places toilets in my constituency, which is semi-rural and quite large. One is at Elvaston castle country park, so I ask my hon. Friend to put that on his list of places to come and visit. I opened my constituency office only once I had a disabled access toilet, but it just feels like such a halfway house. Does my hon. Friend agree that two Changing Places toilets for a constituency as large as South Derbyshire is far from adequate?

• 22 Jul 2025 · Music Streaming: Label-led Principles · Hansard source

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  I welcome this statement; it is brilliant. Three weeks ago, I had the most fantastic visit to Universal Music—thanks to Charlotte Allan for sorting that out. I also spoke to the chief executive, Dickon. Their support, love and continued passion for bringing in new artists was really transparent and obvious to me, so to hear this arrangement for legacy artists is just wonderful. It was not done in a timely enough manner, but it is wonderful that, just over a year after getting into power, we have effected this change; I thank the Minister for that. I am also very pleased to see in the statement a commitment to having more conversations with session musicians on ensuring that they get the recognition they should be getting. Will he give me some idea of the timeframes for those next steps?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Independent Water Commission · Hansard source

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  I welcome today’s statement. I am incredibly excited, not least because we have the beautiful River Trent, which separates my constituency from Staffordshire. It is home to the Staffordshire Swooshers, who have members from Derbyshire. They frequently have to avoid a “Trent tan”, but they extol the virtues of open water swimming. Does the Secretary of State agree that by having cleaner waters, we can encourage more great exercise to make the country healthier and improve wellbeing?

• 17 Jul 2025 · Global Plastics Treaty · Hansard source

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  A number of my constituents in South Derbyshire have written to me, deeply distressed over the crisis of plastic pollution in South Derbyshire’s waterways, including in the River Trent and the Foremark and Staunton Harold reservoirs, and in our farmland, where farmers—already dealing with increasing floods due to the climate crisis—are left to deal with waste. To give credit where it is due, my constituents are also pleased to see responsible actions to reduce plastic use. At Bearded Theory, a music festival held at Catton Hall in Walton-on-Trent, the organisers use only reusable polypropylene cups that are taken off site to be washed and reused year after year. Pollution is a global problem. There is not one corner of the world that has not been affected by the over-production of plastics—microplastics are ubiquitous; they have even been found in Antarctica—yet plastic production is projected to triple by 2060. Only 9% of plastic globally is recycled. Most of the UK’s plastic is incinerated, with the number of incinerators surging from 38 to 52 in the past five years. Incineration is the dirtiest form of energy production in the UK, contributing to greenhouse gases that heat our planet and release toxic fumes that have serious and harmful health impacts. In South Derbyshire, we are expecting the result of an appeal into the proposed Swadlincote incinerator at Stanton by the end of July. I stand with my constituents in opposing the building of a new incinerator, but we also need to reduce our waste. The east midlands is the second worst region in the country for waste, with Derbyshire the worst offender. If we had less plastic, we would have less waste, and there would be no justification at all for any new incinerators. Ahead of the next round of talks on the UN plastics treaty in Geneva in August, I urge the Government to continue to be ambitious in cutting plastic production. We will fail future generations if we accept a watered-down agreement. I call on the Government to introduce immediately a UK-wide moratorium on new incineration capacity and to secure a strong global target to cut plastic production at the UN plastics treaty negotiations. Public support for action could not be stronger. More than 220,000 people across the UK took part in the big plastic count last year—a remarkable display of citizen science, which laid bare just how pervasive and persistent plastic is in our daily lives. More than 600,000 people have signed Greenpeace UK’s petition calling for a strong, meaningful treaty. That is a public mandate that this House cannot ignore. As Members of Parliament, we have a duty to act both for the constituents whom we represent today and for future generations to come. Plastic pollution chokes our oceans, poisons wildlife and breaks down into microplastics that we find in our soil, our food, and our bodies. I urge the Government to reject half measures. Let us seize this moment to put people and planet before plastic. Let us use this opportunity for green job investment and move further towards a circular economy that necessitates less packaging and secures a legacy that future generations will thank us for, instead of the one that leaves so many young people fearful for their futures. We cannot let them down.

• 17 Jul 2025 · Social Media: Misinformation and Algorithms · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for her Committee’s report, and the team behind it who have drafted it. The report contains concerns and recommendations about digital marketing. WhatsApp is a direct communication tool, for good and for bad, which very few people engage with as though it is a classic social media platform such as Facebook, Instagram or X; it is a place for private conversation, and Meta prides itself on its data being encrypted and secure. Having said that it would not do so, Meta will now start serving up ads under the guise of advertisers wanting to go where their audiences are, which translates as organisations wanting to make more money through targeted marketing, including Meta, which has 3 billion users of WhatsApp worldwide. If we have our WhatsApp connected to Facebook and Instagram, we may get more personalised ads. Never have I wanted to disconnect my WhatsApp from my Instagram and Facebook more. Already, when we click on Instagram, it follows us to our Facebook feeds. There is no escaping it, so views are being shaped and influenced relentlessly by the organisations that drive the most revenue to the platform owners. With reference to the recommendations in this report about controlling digital advertising, does my hon. Friend agree that we should be able to communicate with our loved ones without being constantly sold to and influenced, and that we should always have options to opt out for the sake of our own mental health?

• 16 Jul 2025 · Financial Services Reform · Hansard source

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  As the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on financial technology and a mother to a 17-year-old daughter who turns 18 this year and is considering how she can best save for and secure her future, I welcome this news with real joy as we try to bring more wealth to more people. I suspect this joy is shared by Ayesha Ofori, the founder of Propelle, a platform that encourages women into retail investing, which can start with some very small sums indeed; Nina Mohanty, who founded Bloom Money, which supports people from ethnic minority communities to build generational wealth through group savings and budgets; and Georgia Stewart, founder of Tumelo, which has a mission to bring shareholder democracy to the digital age, giving everybody a seat at the table, whether that is an institution managing billions or everyday savers. Does the Minister agree that this Government’s approach of encouraging investing should in turn give confidence to those who are considering investing in these female-founded fintech companies, so they can scale and reach more people to help them become wealthier and more secure?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  Will my hon. Friend give way?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Infant Feeding · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for securing this important Adjournment debate this evening. In South Derbyshire, I hear stories of services to support breastfeeding women being cut. I speak as a mum who breastfed to eight months, although I had that moment where I almost did not, and it was my community midwife who saved the day for me. Does the hon. Member agree that as well as having services to support breastfeeding women, whether they are successful in doing so, they decide not to or they cannot, we should create safe spaces for them? I have done exactly that in my constituency surgery, but I would like to see it in other venues.

• 30 Jun 2025 · Road Safety Powers: Parish and Town Councils · Hansard source

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  In South Derbyshire, we have created a network between my office and that of parish councils across the constituency. Several parish councils have raised the issue of road safety, from Repton all the way down to Overseal. They have carried out community speed watches, and made recommendations in a report about how we can make our roads safer, including by having a crossing right across the road from a school, improving safety on roads where haulage vehicles go up and down despite the fact that those roads are unsuitable, and using variable speed limits. Does my hon. Friend agree that those parish councillors are the best people to make recommendations about what should be carried out in their local communities?

• 26 Jun 2025 · G7 and NATO Summits · Hansard source

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  I recently visited a NATO air force base in Poland as part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme I am taking part in with the RAF. There, I saw at first hand the importance of working closely with our NATO allies to defend our nation and keep us secure, as we witnessed the scramble to the skies to ward off Russian fighter jets. Will the Prime Minister confirm that he is prioritising the wellbeing of our armed forces personnel, both at home and abroad, so that they can continue to keep us and our allies safe?

• 24 Jun 2025 · War Memorials · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship today, Mr Stuart. It is reported that in Derbyshire we have well over 3,000 memorials, and some estimate that there are as many as 4,000. They range from crosses, obelisks, cenotaphs, columns, statues, boards, plaques and tablets to documents such as rolls of honour or books of remembrance, paintings, prints, tapestries, flags, banners and photographs. The variety is vast. Those memorials can be found in a variety of places among our towns and villages—in village halls, churches and chapels, clock towers, gates and gardens, and a whole host of other settings. I have already spoken in support of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the work that it does in my constituency of South Derbyshire. However, I want to mention some of the other memorials, and their variety, in the villages dotted across South Derbyshire. There is a magnificent plaque with raised gold lettering in All Saints’ parish church in Aston on Trent, commemorating those lost in the great war. There is a grey stone tablet attached to the front of the village hall in Burnaston as a tribute to those who fell in the first world war. In Ticknall, in the grounds of the village hall, there is a magnificent plaque encased in wrought iron as a tribute to those who fell in world war one. It is decorated with 19 wrought-iron poppies extending around the case, with the flowers forming a border. The poppies represent the 19 people from Ticknall who fell in world war one. Overseal has a delightful memorial garden that is surrounded by a fence, with wrought-iron gates at the front and an arch above. Two rectangular metal plaques are attached to a granite block, with the names of the 31 people from Overseal who died in the two world wars. It was wonderful to attend the Remembrance Sunday celebrations in Overseal in November. In St Mary’s church in Coton in the Elms, the fallen are commemorated in a framed and glazed print roll of honour, with a red and black border containing oak sprays, shields and mottos, and names handwritten in ink in three columns. In Swarkestone parish council, the roll of honour is mounted on the wall and framed, with the names of the fallen written in red, black and blue. Let us recognise the supreme sacrifice that was made for us so long ago in the two world wars and, at a time of renewed conflict in the world, the sacrifice of so many members of our armed forces in the conflicts since, which continue across the globe. This Armed Forces Week, it seems particularly pertinent to do so, so I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy for securing this really important debate.

• 24 Jun 2025 · Unadopted Estates and Roads · Hansard source

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  In my constituency, we have arguably the largest number of new builds in the country; we are vying with Warwickshire for the crown of new build county. I have been inundated with requests for help with freehold management companies. My constituents are telling me the same stories they are telling my hon. Friend—and I assume other Members present—about the lack of transparency, poor communication, soaring bills and contracts they cannot get out of. To date, we have contacted Centrick, Greenbelt, Ground Solutions, Meadfleet, Premier Estates, FirstPort, Trustgreen, Virtu Property, Ward Surveyors and Hardwick Construction. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is fine time we saw an end to the fleecehold stealth tax, which effectively forces homeowners to write a blank cheque to management companies for years to come?

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Modern Industrial Strategy · Hansard source

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  As the founder of Labour: Women in Tech, I wholeheartedly welcome the industrial strategy’s ambitious goals to scale our tech sector and workforce. On 15 July in Parliament, I am hosting WeAreTechWomen and Oliver Wyman for the launch of the Lovelace report. The report has identified that between 40,000 and 60,000 female professionals are leaving the tech sector annually or seeking advancement opportunities elsewhere, which represents well over £1 billion of economic opportunity that could be unlocked by better supporting our existing skilled workforce. Does the Secretary of State agree that both inspiring new talent and supporting great existing talent and diverse teams, across all demographics, is fundamental to maximising returns on our industrial strategy investments and securing the UK’s position as a world-leading technology nation?

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Military Base Protection · Hansard source

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  As I am taking part in the armed forces parliamentary scheme with the RAF, I have had the greatest pleasure and incredible privilege of visiting many RAF bases over the last year, and I am in absolute awe of those who put their lives on the line to defend us. The events of last week were not only a breach of our defences; they were a massive demonstration of disrespect for service personnel who will have been delivering aid to people in Gaza. Does the Minister agree that we should thank them for their service and that it was right to proscribe Palestine Action?

• 23 Jun 2025 · Pride Month · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with my hon. Friend that allyship is important. I am the proud mum to a very disappointingly straight daughter, and she is a brilliant ally. I hope that the next generation will continue to be exactly like that and will create the atmosphere that is needed to support those who we stand side-by-side with. In South Derbyshire, I believe the message is clear: we want inclusion, not exclusion. We want a society where someone being themselves is not a political act but simply a human one. Pride is not just about celebration; it is about commitment—commitment to equality, justice and standing up for those whose voices have too often been marginalised. Let us remember that Pride began as a protest. It is a reminder that the freedoms we now celebrate were hard-won and must be protected, not rolled back. In the face of rising hostility and misinformation, we in this House have a duty to lead with compassion and courage. To the LGBTQ+ community in South Derbyshire, we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

• 23 Jun 2025 · Pride Month · Hansard source

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  I absolutely join the hon. Member in thanking the people in his constituency who do the same. Mikey’s work does not go unnoticed. He and all those who supported the event created a safe, welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people in South Derbyshire to be visible, celebrated and, perhaps most importantly, to be themselves. Amid the colour and celebration, we must recognise a deeper undercurrent of concern, particularly among our transgender constituents. I have heard directly from individuals who are frightened about the tone of national conversations surrounding their rights, safety and dignity. These are not abstract issues; these are people in our towns and villages—our neighbours, friends and family members. They deserve the same rights, respect and freedoms as anyone else.

• 23 Jun 2025 · Pride Month · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for her intervention—and for giving me an extra minute, in which I would like to talk about my community. I have one main hope about saying what I have just said and being openly bisexual. My daughter is so straight—it is so disappointing— [ Laughter. ] But if there are girls and women in South Derbyshire and across the country who think, “Oh God, it is okay to love a woman, to kiss a woman, to be intimate with a woman—and she’s said it, so it’s okay that I do,” then good. I say to them: take that comfort, and if you want to talk to me about it, please feel free to reach out. Now I am going to talk about my constituency. It is an honour to speak in this important debate on Pride, not just as the Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire but as someone who has seen at first hand the power of community when it chooses inclusion over exclusion and love over fear. This past Saturday, I had the privilege of attending a truly fantastic Pride event at the Collective Hub in Swadlincote. The Collective Hub is a brilliant community space that fosters creativity, belonging and support for people of all ages. The Pride celebration it hosted was testament to everything that makes our community proud: diversity, resilience and joy. I want to pay particular tribute to Mikey, who leads the hub with passion, care and unwavering dedication. His work does not go unnoticed. He and all those who supported the event created a safe and welcoming space.