Sureena Brackenridge MP: speeches

Speeches

• 20 Oct 2025 · Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy · Hansard source

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  The previous Government tried hard to take a hatchet to many vocational courses, reflecting how little they valued those hugely important subjects and skills. Can the Minister confirm that the new V-level qualifications show that this Government have listened to the education sector, employers and students, and will allow more young people greater choice in achieving their pathway to a successful future?

• 16 Oct 2025 · Ada Lovelace Day · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) for giving us all the opportunity on Ada Lovelace Day to celebrate not just a brilliant mathematician but a trailblazer who, remarkably early, smashed a glass ceiling and proved that women could and should shape the future of science and technology. Ada wrote the first algorithm for a computing machine in the 19th century. Imagine that: while many were telling women to stick to sewing, she was coding the future. That message is so important for every young girl to hear, so that they dream big. I speak as someone who spent 25 years teaching chemistry, encouraging girls to explore their natural intellectual curiosity and excel in STEM with confidence. Unfortunately, over the years I have also seen talent stunted not by ability but by stereotypes and lack of role models. Too often, brilliant girls quietly sideline themselves from physics or computing because culture says that it is not for them—well, I have always said nonsense to that. Research by the Royal Society shows that the scale of the challenge continues. Interest in science among girls in years 7 to 9 has dropped from 75% to 65%, while boys’ interest remains steady. We must continue to challenge and tackle gender inequality and the enormous barriers faced by girls, especially those from working-class backgrounds.

• 16 Oct 2025 · World Menopause Day · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Neath and Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) for securing the debate. It is fantastic to see her continuing to call for better support for and awareness of menopause, which too often is treated as a private inconvenience. It is the reality for many, and we should make it the reality of the workplace. Millions of women balance emotional, physical and professional demands with symptoms that can be debilitating. As we have heard today, menopause affects not just women in their mid-life, but younger women, who may experience early onset for a number of reasons, including medical ones. I am sincerely grateful to the women in Wolverhampton North East who shared their stories with me. They include a lady whose story will not be unfamiliar to many here today, including those in the Public Gallery, who I thank for coming to support this important debate. She is a senior leader who has always been regarded as unflappable. Others turn to her in a crisis; she is always confident and capable. But when her hot flushes started to persist, they disrupted meetings, and brain fog made her doubt her judgment. When her sleep became patchy and exhaustion crept in, she did not feel that she could say a word, because in her workplace there was no policy and therefore, she felt, no flexibility. Her punctuality was hit after sleepless nights. She used annual leave to cope, but that was not enough. She avoided opportunities that she once would have gladly embraced. Eventually, she decided to step back from a promotion that she knew she had earned. It does not have to be this way, and it should not be, but we note the scale of the issue. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reports that more than half of women experiencing menopause have missed work because of their symptoms, and one in 10 leave the workforce entirely. That has an estimated economic cost of £1.5 billion each year. I welcome the measures in the Employment Rights Bill that will require larger employers to publish menopause action plans, but I must echo my hon. Friend and ask for monitoring of their impact and efficiency. The commitment to provide guidance for smaller employers on uniforms, temperature, flexible working and managing menopause-related leave is equally important, and the appointment of a menopause employment ambassador, supported by an expert advisory group, gives the agenda real momentum to forge progress and the provision of better support. However, legislation and leadership must be matched by cultural change. Employers need to understand that by supporting women through menopause, they will retain dedicated and experienced staff, so it makes good economic sense. If we want experienced women to stay in the workplace and thrive at work, we must foster environments in which speaking up is seen not as a weakness, but as part of a modern, responsible and inclusive workplace, and as the norm.

• 15 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place · Hansard source

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  In June, I led a Westminster Hall debate calling for better investment in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, so I am delighted that my call was heard. I welcome the £20 million for Low Hill and an additional £1.5 million of pride in place impact funding. Does the Minister agree that the people who live in my communities, who know their strengths, their struggles and their solutions, must be at the heart of deciding what this money is spent on—not investment done to them, but investment by them and with them?

• 13 Oct 2025 · Leasehold System · Hansard source

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  15. What steps he plans to take to reform the leasehold system.

• 13 Oct 2025 · Leasehold System · Hansard source

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  Leaseholders in my constituency face unfair practices such as management fees tripling in as many years, stretching families beyond their means. Yet there are also a great number of responsible agents, including L&A Lettings, based in Ashmore Park. Can the Minister set out how the Government’s leasehold reform will strike the right balance, protecting leaseholders from poor practice without overburdening responsible agents, who already provide a transparent and fair service?

• 13 Oct 2025 · Baby Loss · Hansard source

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  I thank every Member from across the House who has shared their personal experience and those of their constituents. I also thank the families who have been listening to the debate in the Gallery. From what has been shared so passionately, it is clear that not every family faces the same risks or receives the same care. The latest data from MBRRACE-UK—Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK—has already been shared, but I feel that I must repeat it, as it is so deeply concerning. It shows that babies of black ethnicity are more than twice as likely to be stillborn as babies of white ethnicity. Neonatal mortality rates among black and Asian babies are over 50% higher than those among white babies, and babies born to mothers in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to die in the first month of life than those in the least deprived areas. Access to bereavement care is also unequal. The national bereavement care pathway sets out what good care should look like, but voluntary adoption, stretched staff and a lack of time for training mean that too many families miss out. When mental health support is needed, it is even harder to access. Over 80% of bereaved parents report needing psychological support, yet only half are able to access it through the NHS. In particular, fathers and partners are forgotten far too often. I thank the Secretary of State for being in the House to listen to the debate. Will the Government commit to eliminating inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes based on ethnicity and deprivation? Will they ensure that every bereaved family—wherever they live and whatever their background—can access high-quality bereavement and mental health care? Will every NHS professional who supports those families be given the training and time they need to do so with confidence and compassion? I welcome the steps that the Government have taken, including extended baby loss certificates and the improvements to parental bereavement leave set out in the Employment Rights Bill. However, Members from across the House, like families across the country, are calling for the compassionate, consistent and equitable care that every bereaved family deserves.

• 15 Sept 2025 · Neighbourhood Policing · Hansard source

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  17. What recent progress her Department has made on improving neighbourhood policing.

• 15 Sept 2025 · Neighbourhood Policing · Hansard source

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  I welcome the action the Government are taking to strengthen neighbourhood policing in Wolverhampton, with 27 additional roles and officers newly allocated or moved back into neighbourhood roles. Fourteen years of cuts have left west midlands police with around 700 fewer officers than in 2010 and a funding formula that short-changes our region by £40 million every year. Will my right hon. Friend commit to reviewing the Tories’ funding formula so my constituency can have the same level of neighbourhood policing and security as other parts of the country?

• 15 Sept 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  As a former schoolteacher and leader, I know the value of support staff and how critical they are, but does the Secretary of State agree that Lords amendment 121 is unnecessary? The Bill already ensures that no negotiating body can prevent employers from offering better terms and conditions where they wish to do so. The school support staff negotiating body was regrettably abolished in 2010, but this Government will reinstate it. The amendment would add needless bureaucracy and would risk impeding the flexibility that schools and staff rightly expect.

• 15 Sept 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  On that point, will the Secretary of State give way?

• 9 Sept 2025 · Jaguar Land Rover Cyber-attack · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Widnes and Halewood (Derek Twigg) for securing this urgent question, and the Minister for coming to the Dispatch Box. Jaguar Land Rover is a valued employer in Wolverhampton North East and an iconic British brand, so the disruption to production and the impact on the wider supply chains have caused much concern. What action is being taken to protect businesses and supply chains from ransomware and cyber-attacks?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Diabetes in Sport · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for giving way and for encouraging awareness of the often unnecessary barriers faced by people with diabetes. We know the huge physical and social benefits of sport, yet stigma, lack of awareness and poor policies, as described, often hold people back. Only a small fraction of coaches have diabetes training and nearly half of people with diabetes say they have been told they cannot be active. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need sporting bodies to prioritise awareness and education and to tackle stigma, so that everyone can enjoy sport?

• 2 Sept 2025 · Defibrillators · Hansard source

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  I am experiencing exactly the same problem in Wolverhampton North East: I am sad to announce that almost 70% of postcodes are not within easy reach of a defibrillator. Local community groups are stepping up, but they can be hit with a VAT charge of anything between £200 and £500 per device. Does my hon. Friend agree that an important step forward would be to review VAT on defibrillators, to widen access?

• 1 Sept 2025 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  Russia’s aggression directly threatens our security here at home. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the push for peace matters not just for the Ukrainian people, but for the security of us all, and that we must invest in the defence industry in constituencies such as Wolverhampton North East to deter Russian aggression and stand in solidarity with Ukraine?

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

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  I welcome the Minister’s statement and his work along with the Government. We will now be among world leaders in supporting our creative industries, especially on streaming remuneration. Will he outline how he will ensure the changes fairly benefit all artists, including legacy performers, session musicians and those outside major labels? What steps will be taken to enforce industry-wide implementation, especially if voluntary measures fall short?

• 16 Jul 2025 · Credit Unions · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) for securing this important debate about credit unions, as they play a crucial role in providing affordable financial services and promoting economic inclusion, particularly among those underserved by the traditional banks. As co-operative, member-owned institutions, credit unions focus on servicing their members’ needs rather than maximising profits. In my constituency, we are fortunate to benefit from the Wolverhampton City credit union, which serves over 10,000 members, manages more than £4.1 million in savings and has issued over £3.7 million in loans. It provides vital support for working people, pensioners, young savers and those on all incomes, by offering accessible credit and encouraging responsible saving. This helps families to avoid the traps of high-cost lenders and builds financial security across Wolverhampton North East. What truly sets Wolverhampton City credit union apart is its commitment to practical, member-focused initiatives. For example, its school uniform savings scheme is a simple but powerful way to help families to prepare for the financial pressure of each school year by encouraging parents to save small amounts regularly. The scheme ensures that they are not forced into debt when faced with the up-front cost of uniforms. That is just one of many community-driven initiatives that the credit union runs; others include budgeting advice, payroll savings partnerships with local employers, and junior saving clubs, all aimed at fostering long-term financial wellbeing. Despite the great work of credit unions, including Wolverhampton City credit union and others across the country, the sector in the United Kingdom has not reached the scale seen in other countries such as the United States, Canada and Ireland, where credit unions are more mainstream and serve a much larger proportion of the population. For example, the US Navy Federal credit union alone serves over 14 million members, showing what is possible when credit unions are given the room to grow. One structural barrier to growth is the common bond requirement, which restricts the potential membership base of credit unions. While the principle of shared connection, whether geographical or associational, is sensible, the current rules limit geographical common bonds to areas with up to 3 million potential members, making it impossible to operate a credit union that covers all of London or the midlands, for example. I therefore welcome the Government’s current consultation on reforming the common bond rules, which could allow credit unions in Great Britain to serve wider geographies and expand sustainably. That reform, alongside investment in digital infrastructure and proportionate regulation, will certainly benefit credit unions so that they can fulfil their potential. Credit unions tackle financial exclusion, supporting working people and strengthening communities, so I call for practical reforms and tangible support.

• 7 Jul 2025 · Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life · Hansard source

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  I welcome the revival of a ’90s favourite, not just Oasis at the weekend, but Sure Start-style family services to support half a million more children. Can the Secretary of State confirm that some might say we no longer need to look back in anger and that these hubs will be staffed with SEND professionals to identify needs early, work with families and give vital access to speech, language, emotional and neurodiversity services?