Shockat Adam MP: speeches

Speeches

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

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  I have been sitting here for over four or five hours, and there have been so many changes and concessions that I really do not know what we will be voting on. This is no way to bring in a Bill, when it is so important to people’s lives. The independent alliance stands firmly against the Bill, because it is unfair and unworkable. No Member should, in good conscience, vote for it. Of course, abuse of the welfare system is unacceptable—we all agree on that—but the Bill does not target fraud. It targets the most vulnerable and most needy in our communities. There have been some excellent and very powerful contributions, and, like everybody else, I have constituents who have shared their story. Jo, a constituent of mine, is actively suicidal. All sharp objects and medications have been removed from her home. The only reason Jo is not in hospital is that there are no beds available, yet Jo has been told she is not ill enough to qualify for PIP under this system. Is this the kind of society we want to build? The Bill is not just unfair; it is unworkable. The Government are asking Members to vote for cuts now based on the promise that they will help people back into work in future, yet the supporting evidence from the OBR will not even be available until October. The process has been rushed, the consultation inadequate and the system proposed cruelly simplistic. Scoring four points on a single activity will become the deciding factor in whether somebody receive life-changing support. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, cutting disabled people’s benefit will not magically create suitable jobs, especially in those areas of the country that have long had a weaker jobs market. A disability that is close to my heart is visual impairment. There are 2 million people in this country living with visual impairment, which is set to double by 2050, yet 25% of employers would not be willing to make workplace changes for employees with a visual impairment, and 48% did not even have an accessible recruitment process. There is nothing addressing this issue. Government figures estimate that these changes will push approximately 150,000 people, including thousands of children, into poverty. There is no credible employment support plan for them. There is no guarantee that those whose conditions fluctuate will be treated fairly. These changes will disproportionately punish people with mental health conditions, like Jo. Politics is not a game. We cannot balance the national budget on the backs of disabled people, and the public know this. I will be supporting the reasoned amendment tabled by the hon. Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell), because this Bill is simply unfair, even though I am not quite sure what it stands for at the moment. It is unworkable and unworthy of this House’s support. I urge all Members to do the same.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Outdoor Education · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Member agree that, as one in eight children living in urban areas does not have a garden, we should encourage some sort of exchange programme between rural and urban schools so that they can also enjoy the outdoors and benefit from it?

• 4 Feb 2025 · Social Security Benefits · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more; that would be vital for pensioners. Ever since I was elected, emails from pensioners on that issue have been in the top three issues—it is a real issue. If alongside increasing pensions we could reverse the cuts to the winter fuel payment, that would save lives.

• 23 Jan 2025 · Rare Retinal Disease · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) said, “Do what I do and expand it.” This subject is extremely important, and I am so grateful for the hon. Gentleman for bringing it to this Chamber. Imagine a mother-to-be sitting on a consulting room chair. Her excitement at becoming a mother has been overshadowed by the news that she has been diagnosed with Stargardt disease. It is literally a race against time: will the child be born or will the sight be lost? Imagine a young boy who has expressed his ambition to become a rugby player for England, only for a cursory investigation at the back of the eye to detect retinitis pigmentosa. Unfortunately for me, that was my reality as an optometrist. I faced such heartbreaking cases regularly in my profession. Rare retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease and Leber congenital amaurosis, among many others, are individually rare but collectively very significant. They devastate and destroy lives. The hon. Member for Strangford mentioned Chris, the victor of “Strictly Come Dancing”; he shows the potential of the majority of people with sight loss, but unfortunately that is not the reality for most—their lives are destroyed, their independence is taken and opportunities at work are limited. The UK Government have committed to tackling rare diseases through initiatives such as the UK rare diseases framework, which aims to improve diagnosis, raise awareness and enhance the access to specialist care. Additionally, a new action plan is set to be released in 2025, showing promise for further progress. But commitments need to translate into tangible action. Furthermore, we need regulatory bodies such as NICE to play a pivotal role. I fully appreciate NICE’s work to ensure that the quality and safety of treatments can never be compromised—those principles are non-negotiable —but to encourage innovation, NICE must proactively engage with pharmaceutical and medical companies to work collaboratively to establish best practices. Such dialogue will signal to companies that their commitment to researching rare diseases, which costs millions, will be met with the potential for reward. This will ensure that patients can benefit from cutting-edge advancements without delay. As the hon. Member for Strangford said, short-term investment in research and treatment for rare retinal diseases will deliver long-term financial benefits, to the tune of £600 million. It will also reduce lifelong healthcare costs and empower patients to live independent, productive lives. The eyes are indeed the window of the soul, but they are also the window to our health. So many health conditions are detected in the eyes, and rare retinal conditions can lead to the early detection of other health conditions, such as Behçet’s disease and so many others. We are thankfully on the brink of transformative breakthroughs. Gene therapies such as Luxturna, which is a virus vector-based medication, along with AI-driven early detection and advancements in stem cell research, offer real hope. By supporting those innovations with funding and adaptable regulations, we can bring life-changing treatments to those who need them most. This is about not just heath but equity and humanity. Without action, we will condemn families to live in the shadow of irreversible loss, because if a person has sight loss, it affects the whole family. With action, we can rewrite their stories and give them hope and vision. Let us act now for that mother, that young boy and the thousands like them. Sight is not a privilege: it is a right.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Women’s State Pension Age Communication: PHSO Report · Hansard source

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  In July, this country overwhelmingly voted for a change, but it is getting more of the same—more failure and more austerity. Nothing has changed apart from the excuses. It is no wonder that the Prime Minister’s approval rating has plummeted to minus 66%. Given that Labour has recently removed even more money from our pensioners’ pockets by taking away the winter fuel payment, will the Secretary of State please reconsider this betrayal and compensate the WASPI women, such as my constituents Ruth Smith and Rev. Elizabeth Maitland?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q8. Every day, pensioners in my Leicester South constituency are emailing me with one word: “frightened.” Susan, who has pulmonary fibrosis, wrote:“During winter I rarely go out as it’s too cold for my lungs. I need to keep warm and the heating on. The winter fuel payment was really helpful. I want MPs to know not all pensioners are millionaires (or receive gifts from millionaires), nor do we all get the higher rate of pension”.Susan is frightened that she will not be able to keep her house warm this winter, and she is not alone. Does the Prime Minister realise how frightening it is for the 8,100 pensioners in my constituency who have lost their winter fuel payment? As the winter months start to bite, will he come to Leicester to explain to Susan why he thinks this policy is not frightening?

• 19 Nov 2024 · Food Banks · Hansard source

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  May I say what an honour it is to speak under your stewardship, Ms Vaz? I congratulate the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan) on securing this vital debate. Echoing my fellow Members’ sentiments, the need for food banks is unacceptable, but those who donate to them and run them provide testimony of our country’s unity, compassion and kindness. I will mention a few in my constituency: Goldhill adventure playground, Wesley Hall pantry, which is very close to the house I grew up in—the queue goes past my house now, unfortunately—the Eyre Monsell club for young people, and a Sikh community charity called Midland Langar Seva Society, which does incredible work in a church serving all members of the community regardless of faith. Their work, however, should not be needed. We are the sixth-richest nation in the world, and we have millions using our food banks. The situation will only get worse, according to the Trussell Trust, with a record 9.3 million people, including one in five children, facing hunger and hardship. That is 4 million more than five years ago. I will briefly touch on a few points that we need to address. First, as mentioned by the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson), we must remove the myth that those using food banks are somehow deserving of it. Having employment is not a reliable route out of hardship, as 58% of people facing hunger and hardship live in families in which at least one person is working. Secondly, food banks are used disproportionately by people with disabilities. Twenty-six per cent of the UK’s population suffers from some form of disability, whether mental health or physical disability, but 69% of those referred to the Trussell Trust’s food banks are disabled. Among the main reasons cited for that is a lack of information about entitlements; difficulties in claiming and sustaining benefits such as the personal independence payment; insufficient income from the benefits once people receive them; and further reductions due to sanctions cap deductions and debt. Thirdly, there is the impact on children. One of the quickest ways we can bring children out of poverty is to scrap the two-child benefit cap instantly. Finally, I have some anecdotal evidence about the increased use of food banks from those where I have volunteered. They are being used by individuals and students who are being brought in by agencies from abroad. We need to address rogue people who are bringing people in.

• 16 Oct 2024 · Carer’s Allowance · Hansard source

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  On that point, does the Minister agree that there should be a failsafe system? If an overpayment is made and the receiver is not notified, they should be allowed not to pay back any of the money.