Wendy Chamberlain MP: speeches

Speeches

• 15 Sept 2026 · Civil Service Pension Scheme · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) on securing the debate. Like everyone here, I have constituents who, after years of dedicated public service in our armed forces, prisons and vital public services, are now struggling to make ends meet because of failures by Capita. I raised those issues back in April, when the then Minister made a statement on this matter, but sadly it is now like a conveyor belt: just as we get one case resolved, another one appears from a constituent who cannot access the pension they have worked for and earned. The most important point I want to make today is that behind every delayed pension is a person whose life has been put on hold. One of my constituents is grieving the loss of her husband, who passed away in July. As if that were not already enough, she cannot access his civil service pension. She spoke with Capita last week and was told that her case was “progressing”—exactly the same update as she had a month earlier. I attended Cabinet Office questions last week, at which the Minister outlined the Government’s insourcing plans and the penalties that Capita is experiencing, but I want her to address two questions today. First, what are the timescales for insourcing? “Plans” do not help our constituents right now. Secondly, what criteria are being applied in relation to penalties for Capita? Constituents need answers and reassurance.

• 15 Sept 2026 · English Whisky: Single Malt Definition · Hansard source

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  (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the English whisky geographical indication definition of single malt.

• 15 Sept 2026 · English Whisky: Single Malt Definition · Hansard source

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  I declare an interest as chair of the Scotch whisky all-party parliamentary group, and I also hold a Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers general certificate in distilling. On Friday evening at 5 pm, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it had approved the English Whisky Guild’s application for English whisky to receive geographical indication status, despite objections from the Scotch, Welsh and Irish whisky associations. Let me be clear that my objection is not to English whisky obtaining geographical indication status. English whisky has a long and legitimate history in its own right. My concern is specifically about the definition of English single malt whisky that DEFRA has now approved. Under that definition, English single malt whisky requires only distillation at a single distillery, rather than for all the stages of production to take place at a single site. The term “single malt whisky” carries a long-established reputation and meaning for consumers. It risks disadvantaging Scotch producers, who have invested heavily to comply with the traditional single-site production model, including distilleries in my own constituency such as Kingsbarns, Eden Mill, Daftmill and Lindores. Scotch whisky is one of the UK’s most important export industries, supporting jobs, investment, tourism and economic growth across rural communities. Weakening an internationally recognised definition risks damaging consumer confidence and diluting brand value at a time when the Scotch whisky industry is not in the rude health that the Government mistakenly think it is. The new definition could also be misleading for consumers who reasonably understand a single malt whisky to be a product produced entirely at one distillery. I ask the Minister: why was this announcement made after the House had risen on a Friday evening, and why does the appeal period finish before the House returns from recess? I ask the Minister also to explain why a decision that undermines the integrity of the single malt definition—a decision that creates an uneven playing field across the UK and risks disadvantaging distilleries that have invested to uphold long-standing industry standards—was approved. Why did the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury tell the House in March last year that DEFRA would not be watering down the definition of single malt whisky? Because I can assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker, that that is exactly what the Government are doing now. Will the Minister also set out what discussions he has had with the Scotland and Wales Offices and what assessment has been made of the implications of this decision for the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 and how those implications were considered?

• 10 Sept 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I echo the comments made in relation to the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Nearly 25 years ago, in the April after the attacks, my husband and I visited the site of the twin towers. We were both police officers at the time, and realising that we and our colleagues would have faced the same dangers that others had faced really brought home for us the scale of the sacrifice made. Having attended a debate on confidence in policing yesterday, I know how important trust in policing is. Reform UK’s disdain for British electoral law was broadcast to the nation last week in undercover footage involving the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage)—I have emailed him—and some of his closest advisers. The Metropolitan police were already investigating Reform UK, and they have now confirmed that they are broadening their inquiry to include foreign donations involving polling. I find it ironic that a party that stakes so much of its reputation on claims of patriotism spends far more time trying to get around British law than strengthening it. Will Reform MPs share with the country whether they and their campaigns have ever benefited from any foreign money? I also reiterate the calls I made over recess for Reform’s home affairs spokesperson to provide evidence for the damaging claims he made online against a business in my constituency. Several weeks on, that business and I are still waiting. We are living in an unstable world, where dodgy donations are routine and corruption is common. Bad actors such as Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin and Reform pin-up boy Donald Trump are dedicated to destroying our democracy. The Government and all parliamentarians should be standing up against those threats. Again, for a party so keen to ensure relationships with our nearest neighbours, Reform UK seems happy to jeopardise our sovereignty by encouraging foreign interference. However, the Representation of the People Bill that passed through the Commons last week did not include a donation cap and therefore failed to protect our political system from the corrupting influence of foreign money. Given that the Bill was debated before MPs were aware of these concerning allegations, will the Government find time to legislate to protect British democracy?

• 9 Sept 2026 · Public Confidence in the Police · Hansard source

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  I recognise the hon. Member’s police service; I myself served for 12 years in Lothian and Borders police. One of the challenges we now have is that there is a continual churn in police roles, which means that communities do not know their police officers and their police officers do not know them. Does the hon. Member agree that, culturally, that is something the police service needs to tackle?

• 9 Sept 2026 · Public Confidence in the Police · Hansard source

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  I am one of the co-chairs of the all-party parliamentary group for the survivors of Fayed and Harrods. In recent weeks, the APPG has met the Metropolitan police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. There is absolutely no doubt that historical failures in investigations have damaged the survivor cohort’s trust in the police and the criminal justice sector more widely. My hon. Friend is talking about violence against women and girls now, but does he agree that historical legacies also play a part?

• 9 Sept 2026 · Public Confidence in the Police · Hansard source

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  When we talk about confidence in policing, it is important that we acknowledge that we have a role to play in that as elected representatives. Youth antisocial behaviour has been a problem in my North East Fife constituency over the summer, in places such as Crail and Elie, but when I engaged with local officers, I found they had good intelligence and had dealt with the events pretty robustly afterwards. The fact of the matter is that the community were not aware of that. Does my hon. Friend agree that we have a responsibility to tell the public about the work our local officers are doing?

• 1 Sept 2026 · Face-to-Face Banking: Rural Areas · Hansard source

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  One of the problems we have experienced with the Link criteria is that the town is classed as urban by the Office for National Statistics, but is actually servicing a rural community. That mismatch means that some hubs are being missed out.

• 1 Sept 2026 · Face-to-Face Banking: Rural Areas · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Wishart. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden) on securing this debate. I am sure that many Members have had the same frustrating experiences I have had when I meet a bank that is planning to close a branch. It has all this data and statistics telling us about the number of people who use that branch, but never asks how many people would use it if they knew that they could get access to it. Link also cannot tell me why, despite the measures that are in place, the percentage of people with access to cash in my constituency continues to reduce. It is also important to remember that in many of our communities, the bank branches that do exist often have very reduced hours. Business customers in particular express real frustration to me about that. I do not want to repeat the things that have been said today, but I want to pick up on scams and vulnerable constituents. Rural poverty is real. We all deal with it. Citizens Advice locally and food banks are seeing an increase in people’s need for support. Banks have a responsibility to improve financial literacy. In addition, rural transport is non-existent, as many people have touched on. Over the summer, I went out with a constituent who used a wheelchair. We had to take two buses to make the journey and, to add to her distress, one of the bus’s lifts was not working and the whole bus had to decant while she was left on the pavement. We need to remember that it is not always easy for people to get to banks. I am very conscious that the party that talks about broken high streets and broken Britain is not represented in this debate, but if we think back to the past, the bank manager was someone we knew. I have a constituent who subject to a very distressing scam involving a significant amount of money. I am confident that if they had been going into their bank branch, the staff would have known them and asked the right questions to prevent the scam in the first place—it is not about the person asking for advice. The Government know what they need to do; I hope they get on and do it.

• 16 Jul 2026 · Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, as we prepare for the longer summer recess and reflect on the past year, I want to extend my thanks to you and your team, and to Mr Speaker and his wider team for your and their work in making this place function as it does. I also put on record my thanks to all the amazing staff who work here in Parliament. I know that every single one of us is a doughty champion— I hear that phrase often at the Dispatch Box—but it is true of those who work in Parliament too, as well as of our staff who work out in the constituencies. On a global scale, I know that many of my constituents in North East Fife care deeply and, indeed, despair about the horrific events in the middle east. I was unable to be here for last week’s debate on trade with illegal settlements in the west bank due to the late running of prior business, and I want to reiterate the comments of my hon. Friends and other hon. Members who called for a ban on all trade in goods and services to those occupied territories. Guidance to UK business is simply not good enough, particularly when significant building contracts are going out to tender, and UK Government requests might not outweigh the demands of shareholders and private equity contracts. I also want to raise the worsening situation in the village of Umm al-Khair, which has been subject to multiple demolition orders from the Israeli civil administration. Just yesterday, I was at a meeting with Na’amod, a movement of Jews in the UK against occupation in the west bank, and those attending asked for urgent diplomatic intervention. I ask the Leader of the House to take note of that and feed it back to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This Palestinian village is currently having its future decided by a military court, and we must use all our diplomatic levers to prevent it from being demolished entirely. Energy costs are high, and there has never been a more important time for us to retrofit households to make them as energy-efficient and green in their use as possible. However, when people’s homes are at stake, these retrofits must be done right, and several of my constituents have had their homes in effect trashed by workmen installing heat pumps funded through the Government’s energy company obligation 4 scheme. Ministers and officials in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are well aware of this, as I have raised it both in this place and more generally. I had a meeting with some of my constituents and the Minister for Energy Consumers last year. That meeting was in December, and since then my team have written multiple times to follow up on the pledges made. I note a letter from the Minister to interested MPs today. Sadly, though, it is primarily focused on faulty solid wall insulation, and did not refer to the heat pump issues being experienced by my constituents and others. My constituents were promised audits of their properties for the purpose of remedial works, and although I am grateful to the Minister for his time, I do want to get something beyond my email update from last December. Some of the building problems that my constituents have experienced stem from a lack of training and oversight for refitting older rural properties. Life in a rural community has its benefits, but it also comes with its own unique set of policy challenges, which are too often ignored. I have been trying consistently to get a banking hub for Cupar in the centre of my constituency, and I was pleased to meet the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at her surgery on Monday to discuss the review of the rules governing banking access. It is vital that everyone who needs access to financial advice can get it. As part of my battle for banking, I have spent a few Fridays travelling the bus routes of North East Fife to understand how hard it is to access services that are further away. I would love to invite you, Madam Deputy Speaker, to visit North East Fife at any time—in fact, anybody is welcome. We look forward to the Largo and Pittenweem arts festivals this summer, and the Leven putting green is open every day, but I would never suggest that any hon. Members travelled across it by bus. I want to finish by briefly highlighting a challenge that the University of St Andrews is experiencing in relation to cuts to the Science and Technology Facilities Council budget, which will badly affect the astronomy department. Cutting research and development is never the right answer, particularly with the scale of the challenges before us. I do hope that this decision can be revisited.

• 13 Jul 2026 · Ukrainian Refugees · Hansard source

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  I echo my hon. Friend’s comments. If I may, I will approach this question from the other side. The lack of certainty is challenging for Ukrainians who are looking to return to Ukraine. My team are currently dealing with a situation where a family, who are looking to go back to Ukraine, are not being allowed to access their savings from their bank. Can we get support and guidance to help people who are thinking about going back?

• 13 Jul 2026 · Ukrainian Refugees · Hansard source

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  16. If she will take steps to provide Ukrainian refugees with a route to permanent settlement.

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

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  I associate myself with your remarks, Mr Speaker, and the remarks by the Leader of the House and the shadow Leader of the House of both congratulations and condolences. On the business the Leader of the House has announced, I have to say that I am very disappointed that it means the Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for St Albans (Daisy Cooper) about the Hillsborough Bill were not accurate. I hope we will see it return after the summer recess. On the world cup, all I will say is that, like fellow Scots, I am probably looking for my Viking helmet at the moment. We all know that the former Member for Clacton’s resignation is nothing but a stunt designed to distract the country from the raft of allegations facing him and, it increasingly appears, his colleagues. Such allegations must be fully investigated, so that voters have all the facts about the candidates they are voting for, whether they be a bin or a politician who sees being a Member of Parliament as a part-time job. Now that the writ has been moved, does the Leader of the House share my regret that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards investigation into the former Member for Clacton must pause? Does he agree that, in circumstances where the nature of an allegation is sufficiently serious, there is merit to it continuing, even if the Member is no longer an MP? Does he agree that it could and should continue regardless? Obviously, those of us on the Liberal Democrat Benches wish Count Binface well. It was interesting to read overnight that the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) has plans for changing the culture and narrative of the Labour party. I am sure those on the Government Benches are looking forward to that new-found freedom. But for all the talk of collaboration and modernisation, we still do not know anything about the legislation that the new Labour Government are planning to bring to the House. We know more about the right hon. Member’s love of guitar and rugby league than we do about his plans for fixing the problems facing the country. The Liberal Democrats would welcome detail on his plans to fix social care, tackle the special educational needs and disabilities crisis and support the small businesses bearing the brunt of the Government’s jobs taxes. Will the Leader of the House commit to doubling the length of Prime Minister’s questions next week, and give the Prime Minister-in-waiting the opportunity to answer questions and outline his views on the issues that really matter?

• 6 Jul 2026 · Payment Scheme · Hansard source

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  The Minister is right to point out that although we—I think across the House—welcome his work and diligence, and that of the previous Government, on the scheme and recognise the work that needs to be done, there is absolutely no doubt there are still too few who have received compensation. As of 2 June, my understanding is that just over 3,000 out of a potential 30,000 victims had received compensation. Can he update us on what he is doing to ensure that more people get the money they need as soon as possible?

• 25 Jun 2026 · Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for your very kind remarks about Albie and others in today’s debate. A number of themes have been discussed by the hon. and right hon. Members, and I have always found that the number of MPs who join the PANS PANDAS all-party parliamentary groups increases over the term of the Parliament, because they get involved through casework. Hearing from the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns), and from my hon. Friends the Members for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) and for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray), about their constituents’ experiences brought that to light. I commend the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst), for his debut at the Dispatch Box. Both he and the Minister talked about the intersection that PANS/PANDAS, their diagnosis and symptoms represent. What families are finding challenging is that that intersection has not been properly recognised, and children often end up going down a mental health pathway, where they are left in limbo for far too long. We often talk about the pressure on mental health services and young people, but if we could diagnose PANS/PANDAS sooner, we would potentially not set off children down that pathway. I want to mention young people and their families. The challenge that is presented has been well illustrated, and I hope that those in the Gallery, and those watching online, feel seen and heard following both today’s debate and the recent youth board. In the last Parliament, I passed a private Member’s Bill that gives people the right to carer’s leave. When I was doing that work, we spoke to carers who talked about feeling guilty that the administration involved in being carers prevented them from actually being able to care. In relation to PANS/PANDAS, that comes through very strongly. We clearly need to do a whole lot more to build awareness. My husband and I were watching the film “I Swear” a few weeks ago—if any Members have not seen it, I highly recommend it. My husband turned to me at the point when John Davidson, who is depicted in the film, attempted to kill himself as a young person who was starting to deal with his Tourette’s. My husband said, “Do you think PANS might have caused his condition, given the way that it came on and was described in the film?” That might just be the case. How many conditions or symptoms that we see could be down to PANS/PANDAS? As the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis) said consistently during the debate, early treatment and testing via the use of antibiotics might just be the way to prevent some of the more serious symptoms. I have been encouraged by what I have heard from the Minister today, and I look forward to engaging with her and supporting her engagement with the Scottish Government. I thank everybody for being here on such a warm day and for taking the time to contribute. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the diagnosis and treatment of Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS).

• 25 Jun 2026 · Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS · Hansard source

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  As always, the hon. Gentleman is ahead of the game; I was going to mention this. I am very much looking forward to the guidance, but we need to ensure that it is understood and shared.

• 25 Jun 2026 · Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS · Hansard source

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  I am sure the Minister can address that in her closing remarks. We absolutely need to ensure that. As the right hon. Member has said, amoxicillin might be one of the antibiotics that could be used. It is straightforward to use, and in the vast majority of cases it works, but if it does not, potentially PANS and PANDAS could be ruled out. Too many families face rejected referrals, long waits and, in some cases, misdiagnosis. Only a small proportion of cases are diagnosed within the NHS, and many people are forced to travel long distances or turn to private care. That is not possible for all families; getting the private care needed for their child can bring families to their knees. To give an example from my constituency, in the same GP practice, one GP will provide support and the other does not recognise the condition. That makes things very difficult. A number of families whom I have engaged with have had to seek private support, and that makes me ask—I hope the Minister is sympathetic to this—what about the children from families who are reliant on NHS support, and do not get the diagnosis? They may be absent from school for long periods. Their family may be written off as problematic, and the children as having problematic behaviours, when ultimately the condition could be at the root of the problem. From the point of view of our ongoing economic wellbeing, we need to support children’s being in education as much as we can. That is why the research is so important—because we need to ensure that families can get the support that they need, no matter their financial situation. A National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded evidence synthesis is under way; that has changed since the last time this topic was debated. It is already highlighting significant gaps in our understanding, particularly around effective treatments. Also, with other members of the all-party parliamentary group on PANS PANDAS, which I chair, we met doctors some time ago who are researching how the brain functions. Their work suggests that there may be biomarkers that indicate a higher likelihood of developing the conditions, and they have produced fascinating research that I encourage colleagues to read. We need to understand how severe the impact of PANS and PANDAS can be on a child. It is clear that further research is urgently needed to aid both diagnosis and treatment, which often needs to be ongoing. Awareness and training are fundamental. Without them, as has been mentioned, healthcare professionals miss the signs, and teachers misinterpret symptoms. Children who experience sudden neurological decline are too often viewed through the lens of behaviour, anxiety or neurodivergence, rather than as having a medical emergency. From the children that I have engaged with through the youth board, I have learned that it is a terrifying experience for a young person to deal with those symptoms. I am pleased to say, however, that we are at an important turning point. The UK clinical guidance, which the hon. Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) mentioned, is expected later this year, and there has been significant work since the last debate, which I held in September 2023, to bring PANS and PANDAS further into the policy landscape. I pay tribute to PANS PANDAS UK for that, because the charity has been the key driver in making that happen. Guidance alone will not be enough, however; it must be consistently embedded across the NHS, so that we end the postcode lottery in diagnosis and care. I suspect that we will hear about some of that from other Members. The consequences are profound; the human cost of delay and misdiagnosis is devastating. Children lose the ability to attend school, lose previously secure skills, and experience severe psychiatric and physical symptoms. Just a few months ago, I hosted a roundtable in Parliament, at which the PANS PANDAS UK youth board members were able to speak directly to MPs about their experiences. As MPs, we engage with parents in the first instance, but it was very powerful to hear directly from children who are experiencing the condition. They might not be in the Gallery, but many of them will be voting; as we were informed, they are the voters of the future and are paying attention to what we do right now. It was an eye-opening session, particularly for those who had not heard of the condition. The children spoke about wanting to be believed and understood, and wanting to get help more quickly. Their message was clear: earlier recognition could change everything. They explained how PANS and PANDAS have impacted their lives; they described watching their peers progress, while they feel stuck behind, and being too unwell to attend school and so having to repeat years. That adds to a feeling of isolation. We can all remember when we were younger and times when childhood was quite cruel. Families have described watching their child disappear in front of them. Parents leave work to provide care: 36% report having to stop working entirely, and many families face financial losses as a result, as well as from seeking private care. At the youth board roundtable, we also heard from the siblings of children diagnosed with PANS and PANDAS—I believe that my hon. Friend the Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) has a constituent in Parliament this afternoon who is part of the sibling community. It was a stark reminder of how these conditions impact entire family units; there is the financial impact of having to seek healthcare, and of a parent leaving their job, and the impact of home becoming an unstable and unpredictable environment. The conditions also have a devastating effect on learning. Nearly half of affected children miss more than six months of school, and over a third miss more than a year. They often experience the sudden loss of core learning skills. Under the current system in England, which is designed to support gradual, stable learning needs, rather than acute onset, as well as under aspects of the proposed special educational needs and disabilities reforms, there is a real risk that those children are misunderstood. Without clear guidance, education professionals default to familiar frameworks. A sudden loss of skills can be misinterpreted as a behavioural issue or neurodivergence, leading to inappropriate support and a delay in the medical intervention required. That is why the alignment between health, education and local authorities is so critical. I obviously speak as a Scottish MP. We must ensure alignment across the UK, so that there is no postcode lottery in the level of support available. My Scottish Liberal Democrat colleague Adam Harley, the new MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, recently raised a constituent’s case in the Scottish Parliament; I was particularly disappointed in the response of First Minister John Swinney, who referred to PANS/PANDAS as a “rare disease”. It was clear that he knew nothing about it. Despite my own correspondence with his Government, we have seen limited progress in Scotland. I must emphasise that it is not a potentially rare disease; it is an undiagnosed one. I genuinely believe many children with PANS/ PANDAS have not been diagnosed and are therefore not getting the support they need. That underlines the need for close engagement with devolved Governments to ensure a truly joined-up approach to improving support. Today’s debate will largely focus on children and young people with PANS/PANDAS, but it is equally important to recognise the challenges faced by adults. One adult with PANS/PANDAS shared with me that she has experienced mostly neuropsychiatric symptoms, rather than physical ones. Research shows that PANS and PANDAS can be associated with systemic inflammation and autoimmune responses affecting the whole body, including conditions such as arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. In that person’s case, tests revealed ongoing systemic inflammation that has damaged tissues and organs over time, as the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, rather than protecting them. Too often, the symptoms that PANS/PANDAS can manifest are put in the “too difficult to deal with” basket. These are the practical steps that we are asking the Government to consider. First, when the UK clinical guidance is published later this year, there must be a clear commitment that steps will be taken to ensure that it is embedded consistently across the NHS, not left to chance, and that appropriate stakeholders are engaged to support its dissemination. Secondly, we need training for healthcare professionals and those working in education, so that symptoms are recognised early and acted on appropriately. Thirdly, we must have a renewed commitment to research funding, building on the work of the National Institute for Health and Care Research, to address the significant gaps in evidence and improve treatment pathways. I ran the London marathon—my first ever—at the end of April, and one of the charities I was fundraising for was PANS PANDAS UK. It should not take fundraising to deliver the funds that are needed for the research that will provide the right support for these children. Finally, there must be clear signposting and alignment with the forthcoming local authority guidance to ensure that schools and services are equipped to meet their legal duties. As one clinical psychologist working with a young person with PANS has stated, “Without training…pupils risk unnecessary and avoidable long-term loss of skills.” I will be pushing on exactly this matter in Scotland. This debate is an opportunity to put these issues firmly on the record, to raise awareness across Parliament and to ensure that families living with PANS and PANDAS feel heard. I am grateful to colleagues here today and look forward to hearing their contributions and the Minister’s response.

• 25 Jun 2026 · Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the diagnosis and treatment of Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). It is a pleasure to open this debate, and I am grateful to colleagues who have attended, despite the immense heat. I welcome the members of the PANS PANDAS UK youth board, and the families impacted by these conditions who are here to watch the debate from the Gallery, and I am grateful to the Doorkeepers for their accommodation in that regard. The heat has meant that many families who were planning to attend, as well as the PANS PANDA UK team, have not been able to travel down, and I know how understandably disappointed they are, but I am pleased to still have the opportunity to speak about this condition on behalf of the thousands of children, young people and families who want to know that their voices are being heard. PANS, which stands for paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, and PANDAS, which stands for paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections—you can understand why we say PANS and PANDAS—are post-infectious conditions that affect the brain. They are recognised by NHS England as clinical syndromes. PANS is a condition in children and young people that can result from an initial mild infection, such as chickenpox or even covid. PANDAS is a specific sort of PANS that stems from a strep infection. While the initial infections might be mild, in some cases they trigger a misdirected immune response and/or a brain inflammation that causes the rapid onset of severe symptoms. I want to emphasise that rapidness; children can go from being healthy and thriving to experiencing obsessive compulsive behaviours, tics, extreme anxiety, eating restrictions and profound neurological symptoms almost overnight. PANS PANDAS UK currently supports around 8,000 families, but we know that that number is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, there are likely to be children and families affected in every one of our constituencies. Looking at Members in the Chamber today, I am sure that many have been contacted by a constituent who is struggling to get support for their children. Constituents get in touch with their Member of Parliament, and that is often why we become engaged in these issues. That was the case for me. I first became aware of PANS and PANDAS when constituents reached out to me for support for their daughter, who was struggling to get a diagnosis and the medication that she needed. I want to emphasise the key point that early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. When the conditions are identified early, outcomes are significantly better, and in some cases a simple course of antibiotics can alleviate symptoms. However, people are very much experiencing the opposite to that. They are experiencing delay, confusion and inconsistency. Research from PANS PANDAS UK suggests that over 53% of affected families wait more than a year for diagnosis, and 37% wait for more than two years.

• 25 Jun 2026 · Neuropsychiatric Conditions: PANS and PANDAS · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Member may recall the debate we had in a previous Parliament on this subject. The Minister at the time gave the commitment that she would ensure that GPs and other medical practitioners were aware of the guidance that PANS PANDAS UK was producing. I hope we will hear today that the Minister is looking at that. There is clearly a challenge, and although the condition is recognised by the World Health Organisation and by NHS England, there is more to do to minimise the postcode lottery and ensure that we can get support for young people.

• 17 Jun 2026 · Steel Tariffs · Hansard source

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  Like other Members, I have met businesses in my constituency that will be severely impacted by what is being proposed in agriculture, and they do not want to put additional costs on farmers, who are already struggling. In one of his earlier answers, the Minister said that the overall strategy of trying to increase steel production is progressing more slowly than he would like—I think he said it has taken seven months. How long does he think these changes are going to be in place?

• 16 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. I understand that the FCDO sent representatives to Afghanistan to meet women’s organisations a few weeks ago, so may I seek assurances about the safety of those women’s organisations going forward, and ask for a written statement on the outcomes and context of that meeting?

• 11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. Some people, both in this place and outside of it, say that politicians are out of touch, that they do not care and that they do not bring their lived experience to the Chamber. I want to thank the hon. Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton) for everything that she did in her role as Health Minister and for her powerful speech. It should be essential watching for those who say otherwise about politicians’ intentions in this place. I congratulate the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mary Kelly Foy) and my hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) on securing this debate, and I thank them for telling their own cancer experiences. Like most Members, I have been impacted by breast cancer in that my mother is a survivor. She was diagnosed when I was away from home for the first time at university. It was difficult for the family to receive that diagnosis and difficult for me, knowing that my mum was going through treatment while I was far away from home. I am pleased to say that she is still with us. My colleague and friend in the Liberal Democrats in North East Fife, Councillor Fiona Corps, is currently stable after undergoing treatment for lobular breast cancer. She messaged me today to say she started her new meds yesterday. It is only two years since her daughter’s leukaemia fight. Fiona and her family have been through a lot. Her diagnosis brought me to speak to the lobular breast cancer campaign and I, like others, want to focus my remarks on that cancer in particular. Part of that is because, in relation to secondary breast cancer, the unmet clinical need of lobular breast cancer means the chances of it spreading are incredibly high. Indeed, for many who are diagnosed it has already spread by the time of their diagnosis. It is important to note that this year marks 50 years since doctors first knew that lobular breast cancer was a distinct condition. I had not been born—just—we did not yet have Sony Walkmans, personal computers or mobile phones, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” was No. 1 for six weeks, and “Rocky” won best picture. I know it has been a long time since Scotland were in the World Cup, but this really was a long time ago. Here we are 50 years later in a world with advances that were unimaginable back then, but we have made painfully little progress on the diagnosis and treatment of lobular breast cancer. As others have referenced, it is not like we think breast cancer is. As a woman, I have been taught to check for lumps—my mother’s experience made that more acute—but lobular cells grow in single lines that spread out over tissue. If a somebody did a lump check today, the chances are they would not spot it. Even more worryingly, if somebody goes for a mammogram, it will probably not show up there either. As others have referenced, 22 people are diagnosed with lobular breast cancer every day, but the reality is that we do not know how many people might be living with the disease and getting progressively more ill without treatment. As of today, we still understand very little about it and there are no dedicated treatments for it. I am conscious that health is a devolved issue. I am standing here as a Scottish MP, but given the Minister’s responsibilities, I will note that the Government’s recent cancer action plan for England did not mention lobular breast cancer. We can say that other treatments are available, and Fiona and others are taking other treatments, but they are hit and miss. I have engaged with the Lobular Moon Shot Project and with Tristan—a constituent of my hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (John Milne)—and the story of his wife, Susan. She had eight different generic breast cancer treatments, none of which worked. Frankly, that lack of treatment kills people. That is why lobular breast cancer is so relevant to the debate on secondary breast cancer. Not enough people know what to look for because it does not show up on tests, it is diagnosed late, and when it is diagnosed, there is not a dedicated treatment pathway for it. It is a recipe for a cancer spreading and we heard very powerfully from the hon. Member for West Lancashire what a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer means. Unsurprisingly, there is still a lot that we do not know about what happens when the cancer spreads. We know it can spread to areas where other cancers do not like to, such as the outside membrane of the spine. We also know that the cells can lie dormant for years before starting to spread again. What we do not know is why any of that happens, how it can be identified, or how it can be stopped. There could be hope. As others have referenced, researchers across this country are ready to take on this challenge. Importantly, there is cross-party support for getting this done; it is probably one of the most bipartisan campaigns in the history of this place. The Liberal Democrats are behind it; our leader, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey), asked the Prime Minister about funding last summer. Indeed, I recently asked the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the right hon. Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting), about the project. He suggested that the money was there to fund the project, but work was needed on the programme of research. I say to the Minister: that is not how those involved with the project see it. This is a campaign that almost every Opposition MP supports, as well as huge numbers of those in the governing Labour party. Outwith this place, 84% of Labour voters surveyed in 2024 wanted lobular breast cancer research to be funded. As others have said, £20 million over a five-year settlement equates to £238 per person for every person diagnosed over the next 10 years. Although I do not believe that life-changing research should be about a cost-benefit analysis, £238 is nothing compared with the costs of patients being out of the labour market and being treated over several years with the wrong thing—successfully or not. I know that the Lobular Moon Shot Project is calling on devolved Governments to step up as well and provide £1 million per year for research to be carried out in their countries; the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) referred to that, too. I call on the new Scottish Government and the new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care to take this ask incredibly seriously. I am sure that the Minister will refer to the current National Institute for Health and Care Research funding round. I do not want to pre-empt that—it is, of course, important— but it is not the same funding as is needed for the Lobular Moon Shot Project, which is research into the underlying biology of lobular breast cancer. Such research will remain weak until we know what it is we are trying to treat. We need funding for research into the underlying biology, so that lobular breast cancer can be identified, diagnosed and treated. That will improve outcomes drastically, including reducing the number of people with secondary breast cancer, which is the topic of this debate. I will conclude by saying that my hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham has demonstrated very visibly that breast cancer is not simply a female issue, so I will end today by reflecting on the fact that anyone can get cancer. Many of those who do get cancer will make a full recovery. For some, cancer is something they will live with for the remainder of their life, but it will not be the condition from which they die. However, we have heard today that secondary breast cancer is decisive in terms of people’s life expectancy. We must let those women and men know that they are not alone.

• 11 Jun 2026 · Legacy of Jo Cox · Hansard source

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  I did not serve in this Parliament at the same time as Jo Cox, but I have served here at the same time as my friend, the hon. Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater). I recognise on my behalf, and that of a number of MPs who she and I engage with cross-party, that she really embodies the legacy of her sister—that, cross-party, there is more that unites than divides us—and it is an honour to be here today.

• 11 Jun 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I associate myself with the remarks of the Leader of the House and the shadow deputy Leader of the House on the knife attack in Belfast this week. I also thank the Leader of the House for the business. I need to put on the record that this is a momentous weekend, with Scotland’s first world cup match since 1998. I had just completed my final exam at university on the day of our match against Brazil in Paris, so it really was a long time ago. As Scotland take to the field against Haiti in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I trust that all Members will be cheering us on. I know my English colleagues and those from elsewhere are very good at doing that for Scotland. I wish Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Andy Robertson and the rest of the team the very best of luck. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] Thank you. I want to highlight the fact that FIFA has done its level best to overshadow what should be a brilliant celebration and experience for fans, who are being squeezed until the pips squeak. Scotland fans are paying $80 just for the privilege of catching a train to the match this weekend, and some cannot even get there due to late updates to ESTAs. In one report, someone found out an hour before their flight was due to take off that they were no longer able to travel, meaning they are being prevented from travelling at all to the matches, having spent thousands of pounds. Liberal Democrats are calling for an international fans charter to protect against FIFA ever trying this racket again. I hope the Leader of the House will consider scheduling a debate on FIFA’s treatment of fans at the world cup. This week, Liberal Democrats set out fully funded plans to overhaul energy pricing and to permanently lower bills for millions of households across the UK. Families were already struggling with their bills before Trump started his war with Iran, and now, with the announcement that the energy price cap will rise by 13% from July, it is time for the Government to act. By clawing back the unexpected windfall made by energy network operator companies—a windfall made possible only by weak regulation by Ofgem—we can give every household in Britain a basic energy allowance at a discounted rate, cutting the average bill by £100. I ask the Leader of the House to raise these proposals with the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and to schedule a debate on them in Government time.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg, and to speak on behalf of the Liberal Democrats today. As the Chief Whip of my party, I seldom get the opportunity to do so, but when the opportunity arose to talk about the Commonwealth games coming to Glasgow, I was keen to participate. I assure Members—just in case there is a pile-on—that I may be an adopted east coaster, but my roots are in the west. I have cared about sport all my life. I was the first female director of the Camanachd Association, the governing body for shinty, for two years between 2017 and 2019. The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) talked about shooting; I think it is unlikely that we will see shinty in any international context any time soon, but it is important for bringing communities together. Sport does that in a very powerful way across ages and generations. I read the evidence given to the Scottish Affairs Committee—I congratulate the Committee’s Chair, the hon. Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson), on securing this debate. It was interesting to read Billy Garrett from Glasgow Life reporting that, when Victoria stepped back from supporting the games, Glasgow was quickly thought of as somewhere that could be asked to step up, and indeed it was already thinking of doing so. That demonstrates the high regard in which Glasgow 2014 and its delivery was held, but I think it says something about Glasgow as well. “People Make Glasgow” is the best strapline for a city I have ever heard—closely followed by “Glasgow’s miles better”, but maybe not quite as iconic as “What’s it called? Cumbernauld!” We are going to be seeing 10 days of games, with 215 medals and 3,000 athletes from 74 countries. As the Member for North East Fife, it would be remiss of me not to mention Finlay Allan of Cupar, who is participating for Scotland in the judo. I wish him very well. I associate myself with the remarks of the hon. Members for Glasgow East (John Grady) and for Glasgow South West (Dr Ahmed) in relation to the fact that we are going to be bringing together in Glasgow young people from 74 countries. At a time when it feels that we are becoming more insular, both globally and community-wise, such events bring young people—specifically, those younger than me—together. The power of that must not be underestimated. I certainly remember the emotion of watching 2012, 2022 in Birmingham and 2014 in Glasgow. To quote the late, great Stanley Baxter in “Parliamo Glasgow”, I am sure they’re going to have a helluva time. Thinking about funding, there is no doubt that what we are seeing, and the fact that Glasgow has been able to step in, is a result of the down payment in 2014 and the investment that was made then. The hon. Member for Glasgow East mentioned Tollcross, where I have spent a lot of time; I had a sister who swam competitively at junior level for Scotland, so I spent a lot of time in swimming pools. Those community assets, and the power of a venue such as Tollcross to bring international swimming to Scotland, must not be underestimated. We welcome the funding from Commonwealth Sport and from commercial funders and partnerships, the contingency funding that the UK Government have offered in relation to security, and the £150,000 that the Scottish Government are putting forward for Scotland House. The hon. Member for Glasgow North (Martin Rhodes) talked about connectivity and economic value. I understand that the £150 million of economic value that it is estimated will be delivered by these Commonwealth Games is the same amount as the money that is being put into them. If that is not a return on investment, I do not know what is. That connectivity, and bringing people together, is really important. It is important for sporting events to demonstrate that economic impact. I should declare an interest in that I sit on the Links Trust, which runs the Old Course and all the golf courses in St Andrews. Recent research by the trust demonstrated £300 million-worth of economic impact that those courses in St Andrews bring to Scotland, but as we look to hosting the Open next year, we know that connectivity and getting people to our beautiful part of Scotland comes at a cost. The reimagining of the Commonwealth games is to be welcomed, not just because it will enable them to be delivered within the time available, but because—I was very encouraged to read this in the evidence given to the Scottish Affairs Committee—it looks like it is encouraging other countries to re-engage with hosting the games in the future, which is very important. However, I share the concerns of the hon. Member for Strangford about the sports that will be included. I am going to say something very controversial for somebody who represents St Andrews, but I have my doubts about golf being in the Olympics, in the same way as I do about tennis. If winning a gold medal at the Olympics is not the pinnacle of the sport— I would argue that for both of those sports, it is not; that is winning a grand slam or the Open—I question whether it should be in the Olympic repertoire. We have to think from the athletes’ perspective about what is seen as the pinnacle of their sport. There is no doubt that for some athletes whose sports potentially will not be represented at these games, participation in the Commonwealth games would be the pinnacle of their sport. I look forward to the emails I am going to receive from constituents about that controversial view. I will conclude by talking about volunteering and looking forward to some legislation that is passing through Parliament. My mum is a proud Glaswegian and, like the hon. Member for Glasgow West, volunteered during the Commonwealth games in 2014. We should not underestimate the value of volunteering, not just in what it brings to the event, but in the relationships, friendships and community that it builds afterwards. My mum certainly still meets some of the people she worked with during that time. My husband also worked in spectator safety, so as a family we felt a real sense of pride about 2014 from our place on the east coast. The Sporting Events Bill was recently introduced in the other place. My party wants to see in the Bill a bidding framework to allow the Government to bring even more world-class competitions to the UK. I think we are all in agreement about their value—not only in bringing people in to see high-class sport, but their economic benefit, which has been well utilised and articulated by these Commonwealth games. We also want to see in the Bill an accommodation and infrastructure strategy. I would hate to think that concerns about George Square and other parts of the city might detract from what will be an incredible event, but it is important that when we bring these events to our cities and communities, we ensure that people can go about their day-to-day lives as well. I hope that the Government will give that consideration, either in the other place or in the Commons.