Sureena Brackenridge MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Jul 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the 2nd Wednesfield scout group on its upcoming 100th anniversary? I give particular thanks to Steve Rogers, better known as Codge, for 50 years of service. He has shown incredible dedication to so many young people, over many generations, in and around Wednesfield. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking Codge and all involved in our scout groups in Wolverhampton and Willenhall, and across the country?

• 25 Jun 2026 · Steel Trade Measure · Hansard source

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  Tata Steel’s Steelpark in Wednesfield and manufacturers across Wolverhampton North East and the Black Country rely on resilient supply chains for steel. Will the Minister set out how today’s statement on increased quotas and steel under contract before 14 March will continue to back British-made steel production while giving downstream manufacturers the competitive certainty and confidence that they need?

• 23 Jun 2026 · Health Bill (Fourth sitting) · Hansard source

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  On amendment 13, the shadow Minister asked why my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South felt the need to table amendment 13. One can only assume it is because health inequalities have continued to widen for far too long. In a 20 or 30-minute drive across my Wolverhampton North East constituency, life expectancy drops by seven years. I accept that tackling health inequalities is not just about health; it is about a wider web of societal issues, including educational, employment and housing inequalities. That very long list is beyond the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Amendment 13 will put the tackling of preventable ill health and health inequalities at the centre of national decision making by ensuring that the Secretary of State must consider not just NHS treatment but wider social and economic factors. Will the Minister assure the Committee that future Secretaries of State will not overlook the wider social and economic factors that drive ill health and unequal life expectancy, and that there will be a responsibility to work across Departments to tackle that wider and growing inequality?

• 17 Jun 2026 · Steel Tariffs · Hansard source

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  UK steel sector voices and Cabinet officials met to back procurement of British-made steel at Tata Steelpark in Wednesfield, rather than in offices in Whitehall, which I welcome. I also met Walsall Wheelbarrow, a family-owned business started by Fred Thacker in 1939. It is the only UK manufacturer of wheelbarrows left in the UK. Will the Minister look at ensuring that imported steel that cannot be made in the UK remains tariff-free?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. Following investment in police operations targeting predatory behaviour in Wolverhampton’s night-time economy, including the deployment of specially trained undercover officers, alongside the welcome support given by the Late Night Safe Haven and Night Guardians, what further action will the Government take to strengthen prevention so that women and girls feel safe in night-time and other high-risk settings?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  I agree. The absence of a community pharmacy leaves a vacuum on the high street that is felt by residents. I am sure that Members across this Chamber will appreciate that factor as well. Some 1.6 million people walk through a pharmacy door in England every day; they are embedded in our communities. That is why I welcome the Government’s recent £340 million funding agreement for the sector and the expansion of Pharmacy First. It builds on a service that has already delivered more than 3.3 million consultations in the past year alone. Crucially, from autumn 2026, pharmacists with independent prescribing qualifications will be able to assess patients and prescribe medicines directly on the NHS. It is a significant step forward to deliver faster care right on our high street. However, if we are serious about shifting care into the community, improving prevention and delivering on the ambitions of the NHS 10-year health plan, we must be honest about the challenges that the sector has faced. From 2010 to 2015, community pharmacy funding broadly kept pace with demand, but from 2016 onwards it was cut and then largely held flat in cash terms through 2023 as costs and workload increased. That resulted in a sustained real-terms decline of around 20% to 25%. Since 2024, funding has begun to rise again, but primarily to stabilise the sector after years of underinvestment, with a significant gap still existing between funding and actual costs. Across England we have lost nearly 1,500 pharmacies since 2017—that is 15% of the entire network. Those national pressures are felt acutely in my constituency of Wolverhampton North East, where, since 2020, we have seen a net loss of six pharmacies. Yet, despite those challenges, my local pharmacies continue to step up. Through Pharmacy First alone, they have delivered more than 23,500 consultations. That points to the scale of the opportunities ahead. Community pharmacies are central to the future of primary care. It is thought that they could release up to 51 million primary care appointments by doing more on prevention and helping patients to manage long-term conditions. Independent prescribing is a vital part of that vision. At present, many pharmacies derive over 90% of their income from NHS funding while facing rising staff costs and increasing business pressures. The sector has also lost more than 3,000 full-time equivalent pharmacists in recent years. I therefore ask the Minister: what steps will the Government take to provide long-term sustainable funding and a road map for community pharmacies, and how will they address the workforce shortages and challenges? In Wolverhampton North East, pharmacies have stepped up time and again for local people. Now I stand with my pharmacies to ensure that they can continue to serve my constituents for many years to come.

• 21 May 2026 · Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill · Hansard source

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  I represent a constituency built around steel and manufacturing that is now home to Tata Steel’s processing and distribution centre, the largest in the UK. In Wolverhampton and Willenhall, steel is our history and our identity. With the actions taken by this Government, I sincerely believe it will continue to be our future, too. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill marks a serious and necessary step towards safeguarding the long-term future of the UK steel industry. It gives the Government the power to bring steel companies, including British Steel, into public ownership where it is in the public interest to do so. This is safeguarding Britain’s steel capability and capacity, which is firmly in the national interest, protecting jobs and our communities. That matters profoundly to places like mine. I am calling for British procurement as well, so that British-made steel is used to build our railways, infrastructure and wind turbines, so that national renewal runs through communities such as Wolverhampton North East, through the skills of our workers, the strength of our industries and a future based on good, secure jobs and apprenticeships. I also sincerely believe that this decisive action would not have been taken under the previous Conservative Government. Since 2010, we have seen a litany of missed chances and, in my opinion, moral failures. That is why it is welcome that the Bill reflects the seriousness with which we should treat domestic steel production and the communities that depend on it. That certainty is being recognised by the industry. As UK Steel has said, it provides a vital reassurance for workers, customers and supply chains at a critical moment, recognising steel as a strategic national asset that is essential to economic growth, national security and resilience. I also support the Government’s ambition to boost domestic production from 30% to 50%. However, I would ask the Minister to look at tariffs on imported steel, using evidence based on specific codes, and to engage with downstream firms that are concerned about the measures. In Wolverhampton and Willenhall, and across the Black Country, we understand what steel represents. We understand the value of secure, well-paid, skilled work. For our workers, our apprentices and our supply chains, and for the long-term strength of the United Kingdom, I support the Bill and commend it to the House.

• 21 May 2026 · Middle East: Economic Response · Hansard source

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  Parents, grandparents and carers will know that keeping children busy during the summer can feel like an expensive endurance event. Will the Chancellor assess the economic and social value of the great British summer package of savings, particularly its impact on opening up access to museums, cinemas, libraries, sports facilities, theatres, theme parks and attractions? It will build children’s cultural capital and life experiences, while also supporting local economies in Wolverhampton and Willenhall, and across the country.

• 21 May 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising the remarkable work of the Susan Vickers Foundation? Its care-experienced team is changing the lives of care-experienced families, including by providing free rail travel and cinema access, thanks to partnership with London Northwestern Railway, West Midlands Railway and Cineworld. Will he also commend Rethink Mental Illness and all the community groups involved at the Hub at Wolverhampton station, as they mark their first year helping thousands across our city?

• 19 May 2026 · Energy Security · Hansard source

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  I welcome His Majesty’s Gracious Speech, as it puts energy security, economic security and industrial renewal back on track for the people I represent. Wolverhampton and Willenhall have a proud history of industry, innovation and hard work. From our foundries and factories to our engineering and manufacturing expertise, our communities helped to power British and global growth for generations. However, the policies of the past are taking their toll today: policies of turning the UK away from manufacturing, away from council housing and away from public ownership, all of which are being felt today by those in my communities. One of the most pressing issues facing our country today is energy security. Recent energy crises exposed how vulnerable Britain has become. In fact, half the UK’s recessions since the 1970s have been caused by our exposure to fossil fuels. The only way in which to secure true sovereignty for our country is to be in control of our own energy. That is why I strongly welcome the Government’s energy independence Bill, which recognises that Britain must get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster with clean, home-grown power that we control ourselves.

• 19 May 2026 · Energy Security · Hansard source

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  I will not. Sorry. The Bill takes important steps to tackle rising household bills, strengthen protections for vulnerable households, and pave the way for the warm homes plan. It also rightly accelerates Britain’s drive for energy security by speeding up investment in clean power, grid infrastructure and modern energy networks. Wolverhampton is already positioning itself at the forefront of green innovation, with investment in advanced manufacturing, clean technologies and the green innovation corridor. By linking the University of Wolverhampton with the science park and the i54 manufacturing hub, the corridor brings together research, industry and skills. Tata’s Steelpark in Wednesfield is home to the UK’s largest steel processing plants, and generations of local families have dedicated their working lives to steel and manufacturing. I am calling for British-made steel to build the infrastructure of the future, whether it consists of wind turbines, railways or energy networks. Backing steel means creating apprenticeships, expanding technical education and giving young people in Wolverhampton North East the opportunity to build rewarding careers at home.

• 14 May 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I was born and raised in Wednesfield by parents and grandparents who came 10,000 miles from Fiji to make Wolverhampton their home. Today, British Fijians serve in our British armed forces, in the NHS, across public services and business, and, of course, on rugby pitches across the UK. Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising Girmit Day, which commemorates the arrival of the first indentured Indian labourers in Fiji in 1879, in honour of communities like the British Fijians, who quietly and proudly help to drive this nation every day?

• 23 Mar 2026 · Rail Connections to London: Rural Towns · Hansard source

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  I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Julia Buckley) for her work in championing the Wrexham, Shropshire and midlands railway proposal, a new service that will link north Wales, Shropshire and the midlands, and on to London. For many families in Wolverhampton and Willenhall, north Wales plays a very special part in our stories. We have all enjoyed day trips and summer holidays with the warmth of our Welsh neighbours. Stronger rail links will bring not just better transport connections, but social and economic connections and more choices for families. Just as importantly, the service will strengthen local journeys, linking Walsall and Wolverhampton through the long-awaited new stations that opened last week at Willenhall and Darlaston. WSMR will support economic investment, regeneration and growth. It will improve access to jobs, apprenticeships and education, and better connect local businesses to wider markets, from north Wales all the way through to our capital.

• 11 Mar 2026 · Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation · Hansard source

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  I agree with residents across Wolverhampton and Willenhall that Royal Mail’s delivery service is just not good enough, but we stand with our frontline postal workers, who are working incredibly hard and bearing the brunt. I call on the Minister to challenge Royal Mail’s leadership, and to have a look at the two-tier employment model and wider issues that are affecting the recruitment and retention of our hard-working staff.

• 11 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Strengthening Britain’s defence capability and rebuilding our industrial base have never been more important. Will the Government’s £1 billion helicopter investment with Leonardo UK support skilled jobs across the UK, including at Tata Steel in Wednesfield and throughout the supply chains in Wolverhampton North East, where we are immensely proud of our Black Country steel and manufacturing heritage? Will the Prime Minister ask relevant Ministers to meet me to discuss securing more of those good jobs in Wolverhampton and Willenhall?

• 3 Mar 2026 · Spring Forecast · Hansard source

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  Does the Chancellor agree that restoring confidence and hope for families in Wolverhampton and Willenhall is achieved through a stable economy, with borrowing, debt interest and inflation falling faster than expected, moving away from the chaos of spiralling mortgage rates and towards the stability of falling rates?

• 10 Feb 2026 · Place-based Employment Support Programmes · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Patrick Hurley) for securing this important debate on place-based employment schemes. Local jobs, local skills and local employment support, rooted in communities, will change individuals’ lives as well as boosting local economies. My residents in Wolverhampton North East will understand that deeply. In previous debates on young people not in education, employment or training, I have said that the challenge cannot be solved by a single national programme or by one-size-fits-all policies from Whitehall. Instead, we need local solutions, rooted in local labour markets and built around developing and building people, skills and aspirations. That is the approach that I am calling for and I welcome the Labour Government to continue to work closely with our Mayor, Richard Parker, and also with local councils. In Wolverhampton, through the Wolves at Work employment hub at the i10, residents are not handed generic advice; instead, time is invested in individuals to support them as needed. More than 1,800 residents have had employment advice and successful job matching, with more than 40% of those supported aged under 25. That is place-based employment support that is rooted in local partnerships and focused on real outcomes. The open door programme does literally that. It opens up opportunities by giving paid work experience to those who might otherwise never get that first chance. Labour’s support for sector-based work academy programmes, a practical route into work, and for the youth guarantee trailblazer, part of the Get Britain Working plan, shows how this Government are focused on tailored, targeted support that will meet local needs. The major funding package for youth employment, benefiting about a million young people, is a sign of Labour’s commitment to tackling the long-term issue of young people not in education, employment or training. Behind every statistic on NEETs is a young person who needs a guided pathway, with support for their specific needs. In Wolverhampton, we know that 2.6% of young people aged 16 to 17 were NEET in 2025. Although I appreciate that is lower than the national average, it is still hundreds of young people who deserve the opportunity to see themselves in a good quality job and a career suited to them. For too long under previous Governments, employment support, skills funding and local growth strategies have operated in silos and we have seen inconsistencies, but this Labour Government are doing things differently. We are aligning skills with jobs, investing in local employment hubs for the long term, and backing councils and mayoral combined authorities to shape programmes that work for their places. How will the Minister address the challenge of scaling up that success, so that where someone grows up no longer determines whether they can get on in life? I call on the Minister to fully back place-based employment schemes to connect people to jobs for hope, ambition and action.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  My constituents know all too well that there are some gambling companies that thrive on making vast profits from addiction, distress and despair, often delivered straight into people’s homes through online platforms and their mobile phones—quietly but devastatingly tearing families apart. That is why I speak today on clauses 83 to 85 and schedule 13. Remote gaming, including online slots and casino games, is the most addictive and fastest growing part of the gambling industry. Those products are deliberately engineered to keep people playing, spending and losing long after the fun has gone and the harm has begun. In Wolverhampton North East, through my constituency casework, I see the real-world consequences of parents trapped in spiralling debt, children going without the basics and relationships breaking under unbearable strain. The Bill addresses that harm head-on.

• 17 Dec 2025 · Neurodiversity in the Workplace · Hansard source

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  The number of education, health and care plans for children with autism has more than tripled over the past decade. When we combine that with rigid recruitment procedures and inflexible working practices, as my hon. Friend outlined, it creates a significant challenge. Does she agree that the Minister should address how the Government are working with employers, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business and Trade to make workplaces genuinely neuro-inclusive, supporting individuals and helping more young people into work?

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking everyone involved in the Wolves Orange campaign? It has raised awareness about unacceptable violence against women and girls, and also supports men affected by domestic abuse. The campaign, which culminated yesterday, showcased how our hard-working local services and organisations, incredible volunteers and Wolverhampton city council reach out and support all those affected. Will he make time for a debate on tackling stigma and strengthening support for victims?

• 9 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. As a former deputy headteacher, I and other school leaders knew of the pressures faced when having to turn libraries into classrooms due to underfunding by the Tories, which disproportionately affected children in our deprived areas. Does the Chancellor agree that her £5 million commitment for libraries and books for secondary schools is an example of how increasing opportunity for all children is good for our future economy?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts · Hansard source

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  Like other Members on both sides of the House—I hope—I am deeply concerned and shocked by the fact that the OBR has leaked not just the autumn Budget but previous fiscal events: it is hugely concerning. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Chancellor’s decision to more than double fiscal headroom has been welcomed by markets and will strengthen UK resilience?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Carbon Budget Delivery Plan · 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 Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for securing this important debate. I will take this opportunity to link the national Government ambition of the carbon budget delivery plan with the local government ambition of Wolverhampton’s green innovation corridor. The benefits of the clean energy economy are well reported and evidenced: creating energy security, lowering household bills, protecting our environment and building good local jobs. For too long, global price shocks driven by conflict and market volatility have hit my residents’ pockets. By investing in home-grown clean energy—from offshore wind to solar and local generation —we are keeping more of our energy and money right here in the UK. That means greater control over prices, and a fairer, more stable energy system for households across the country. In the west midlands, Wolverhampton’s green innovation corridor has every potential to build our industrial past into a green industrial future. By connecting the University of Wolverhampton with a local manufacturing base and skills training for the industries of tomorrow, it can create local opportunities for great jobs of the future. What does that mean for my constituents? First, it means jobs. The green innovation corridor is set to deliver over 1,000 skilled roles including apprenticeships for young people, retraining for experienced workers, and graduate opportunities. Secondly, it means investment and regeneration. The corridor will breathe new life into old brownfield sites, creating new workspaces and better connectivity, so that investment flows into local businesses, communities and shops. By linking our local ambition with the national carbon budget delivery plan and by backing the green innovation corridor, we are supporting jobs and households in Wolverhampton and Willenhall.

• 23 Oct 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Wednesfield in Bloom for once again achieving gold in the Britain in Bloom awards? From Ashmore Park to the village, our high street, St Thomas’s church, Guru Nanak gurdwara, the Hub at Ashmore Park, nurseries, schools, shops and businesses, will he thank the phenomenal volunteers and everyone involved for their blooming marvellous effort and success?

• 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.