Sureena Brackenridge MP: speeches

Speeches

• 16 Jun 2026 · Health Bill (First sitting) · Hansard source

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  Q On that point, Dr Dash, what would you say to concerns that have been raised with me by Healthwatch Wolverhampton that patients and service users will be reluctant to raise concerns from within the system? How will your recommendations help with that? Dr Dash: I think that we do need to recognise that. I hear that as well and experience it myself; lots of people are often reluctant to come forward, and they think, “If this is my GP, how is this information going to be treated?” That is why we need to really raise the calibre of our directors of patient experience. There are ways in which you can manage that and treat that data confidentially—in fact, you have to treat all data confidentially. There are ways in which you can support people and give them the confidence that their information will be taken seriously and treated confidentially. You can do that often through focus groups, one-to-one conversations and anonymous surveys. We are hoping to be able to do a lot more of that through the app, to link it directly to people’s care, and to give people prompts as soon as they have had an interaction: “Please feed back.” I think there are ways in which we can overcome that. Bringing this much closer to people’s care, linking it in much more to day-to-day practice and making sure that feedback goes straight back to our frontline clinicians in an anonymised way to encourage and support them to improve brings a significant benefit, and we can find a way around the concerns about confidentiality.

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

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  Yes, I have had the pleasure of visiting my hon. Friend’s beautiful constituency, and I am sure that cross-connections will be incredibly important to his constituents. He is a champion for that. The proposal will make the current capacity work better and maximise the investment that has already been made. I urge the Minister to back this proposal. It has cross-party support to deliver the connections that my constituents are ready to use and from which they will certainly benefit.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  For my constituents, the Finance Bill is more than just a legislative process; it is a statement of who we are as a country and what we believe our future to be. I can say with confidence that this is a Finance Bill for places such as Wolverhampton and Willenhall. I came into politics after years in the classroom. I know the harm that poverty does to our children. I have seen too many young people believe that a successful career is for someone else and not for them, and not addressing poverty ends up costing society far more in the long run. We inherited a country where we have a rise in food banks—more food banks than branches of McDonald’s. There is no single silver bullet to end poverty, and some of the Bill’s measures might not ever make the headlines, but they show the different choices that a Labour Government will make for our communities. I support the Finance Bill to enable us to lift the two-child benefit cap. Independent analysis estimates that it will lift around 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament. The inaccurate attacks from some quarters, painting families in poverty with a broad brush, are disappointing but not surprising. In Wolverhampton North East, I inherited more than a third of children in poverty after housing costs—higher than the UK average. Lifting the two-child cap will benefit more than 4,200 children in Wolverhampton North East. That is the equivalent of 20 primary schools packed full of children. How could I not support that measure? And for those who are still clinging to lazy stereotypes, did you know that 60% of families in poverty are working families? The rest may be families who have lost a parent or where a parent has lost a job, fallen ill or become disabled. So this, along with the expansion of free breakfast clubs for all families and free school meals for children from families on universal credit, ensures that no child is too hungry to learn. Labour values and choices are clear: children need to come first. I welcome the Chancellor’s response to calls from MPs like me and others to reintroduce libraries in our secondary schools, with an additional £5 million in funding on top of the £10 million for primary schools. I want all children to benefit from social mobility-boosting libraries and reducing inequalities that saw libraries removed disproportionately from poorer areas. This is a Finance Bill that shows that our children matter. The Bill goes further. It strengthens the dignity of work. The national living wage will rise to £12.71 per hour from April 2026, putting more money directly into people’s pockets. That money is more likely to be spent in our local shops, precincts and high streets. Targeted cost of living measures continue to make a difference: prescription charges frozen, energy bills likely to fall by around £150, train fares frozen for the first time in 30 years, and continued support to ease everyday financial pressures. Alongside no cuts in capital projects, sustained investment in public services, infrastructure and skills, the Bill is set for stronger long-term growth: a long-term plan with undeniable benefits for Wolverhampton and Willenhall and across the UK.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Critical Minerals Strategy · Hansard source

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  Critical minerals underpin everyday life and are essential from national security to the electronic gadgets we all rely on. Will the Minister say how the critical minerals strategy will ensure that UK businesses benefit while securing resilient supply chains?

• 21 Oct 2025 · Ending Homelessness · Hansard source

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  I thank the co-sponsors of today’s ever-important debate, the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) and my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker). As hon. Members have mentioned, homelessness is so much more than an individual not having a roof over their head; it is about the loss of safety, dignity and the often complex support that they need. In Wolverhampton North East, for far too many years, we have seen the scale of the challenge, with the loss of social homes and increasing rents and mortgage costs. We have also seen the strength of our community’s response. In Wolverhampton, homelessness rates are exacerbated by those stuck in temporary housing and the “unofficial homeless”, who manage by sofa surfing. More than 600 children are growing up in temporary accommodation, and hundreds of families are living with uncertain housing situations. The number of people sleeping rough in Wolverhampton is relatively low, with around eight recorded last autumn, but I want to share one such story from my constituency. Due to a local shopkeeper called Max, who could not turn a blind eye, the community of Wednesfield and I became aware of John, who had found himself sleeping rough on Wednesfield High Street. He had lost almost everything: his home, his ID, access to social security benefits and hope that anyone cared. But then something remarkable happened: members of the community, led by Max and including Sharon, John Paul, Sherrie and Jade, came to help him. I was deeply moved by that, and with my team and the support of P3, a fantastic national charity with roots in Wolverhampton, helped him rebuild his life.

• 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?