Wera Hobhouse MP: speeches

Speeches

• 13 May 2025 · Flooding: Planning and Developer Responsibilities · Hansard source

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  We have 60 minutes.

• 13 May 2025 · Flooding: Planning and Developer Responsibilities · Hansard source

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  I remind Members that they should be bob if they wish to be called in the debate. I wish to call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson at 5.8 pm, so I am imposing an immediate time limit of two and a half minutes.

• 13 May 2025 · Flooding: Planning and Developer Responsibilities · Hansard source

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  Order. May I remind the hon. Gentleman that his time is limited?

• 13 May 2025 · Local Housing Need Assessment Reform · Hansard source

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  I intend to give the lead Member two minutes at the end of the debate at 3.58 pm. I will call the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats at 3.28 pm. I will not impose a formal speech limit for the time being. I hope there is time for everybody to come in.

• 13 May 2025 · Local Housing Need Assessment Reform · Hansard source

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  I know that the Minister has quite a lot of time, but I ask him to leave two minutes for the Member in charge to wind up.

• 13 May 2025 · Defence Industries: North-East · Hansard source

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  Luke Myer will move the motion and the Minister will respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. As is the convention for 30-minute debates, there will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up.

• 8 May 2025 · Cold and Damp Homes · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Lady agree with my social housing provider, Curo, that it is impossible for social housing providers to both build the new social and affordable homes that are required and maintain homes to a decent standard?

• 8 May 2025 · Cold and Damp Homes · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Western. I congratulate the hon. Member for Leeds Central and Headingley (Alex Sobel) on bringing this important subject to Westminster Hall. The state of our private rental properties is an appalling open secret. One in four private renters live in fuel poverty; 1.6 million children are living in privately rented homes that are damp or mouldy. That is a shocking situation. As we know, the UK has some of the oldest and coldest houses in Europe. More than half of tenants had issues with damp or mould last year. In my constituency of Bath, 31% had problems with hot water or heating, and 21% of privately rented homes do not meet the decent homes standard. These numbers are simply not acceptable. We need tougher inspections and much higher standards. As the hon. Member for Leeds Central and Headingley has pointed out, serious health risks can arise from mouldy and damp conditions. It was not long ago that a toddler in Rochdale died from prolonged exposure to black mould, yet MPs still hear every winter from constituents who are dealing with terrible cases of damp and mould. A constituent in Bath recently wrote to me that their walls are black with mould. Now, after months of relentless coughing, they have been referred for asthma testing. Another constituent described fungi growing up from the floor. Damp and decay have already damaged their belongings, and now they fear that the place they call home is no longer fit to live in. Such cases are prevalent across the country. One in four of the complaints that Citizens Advice receives is about disrepair, damp, mould or excessive cold. Is it any wonder that the NHS spends £1.5 billion every year treating respiratory illnesses? There have been small-scale trials in which heating vouchers were given to at-risk households as a preventive measure, helping to avoid illness and reduce pressure on health services. Why not roll it out nationally? It is not just privately rented properties with unaccountable landlords that have these issues. Many of the cases that I hear about come from tenants in social housing. My largest social housing association, Curo, has made it clear that housing providers face soaring costs. Repairs, decarbonisation, regeneration and new home delivery must all be funded from increasingly stretched social rents. Social rents are set by the Government using a “consumer prices index plus 1%” formula, but successive Governments have capped, cut and changed this model. In 2003, for example, there was a 7% rent cap, despite the CPI reaching 11% that year; meanwhile, the average operating cost per household unit rose by 11%. The Government have ambitious house building targets, but that mismatch leaves providers struggling to maintain existing homes, let alone build new ones. Because funding is overstretched, increasing numbers of social tenants are not getting the repairs and upgrades that their properties need to prevent damp and mould in the first place. I ask the Government to look at this closely. A fundamental review of the rent and capital subsidy regime will make sure that providers can provide homes that are well maintained and managed, while also meeting their requirements to improve, regenerate and build new social housing. At the heart of this regeneration must be a programme of home insulation, which is something that Liberal Democrats have been asking about for a long time. Well-insulated homes stay warmer, so insulation is key to reducing energy bills. Much of the housing stock in Bath is Georgian and grade II-listed. These homes are in dire need of insulation, but listed buildings are more expensive to insulate because of the specific regulatory requirements. For many of my constituents, the cost of insulating their homes is just too high. The Government have announced the warm homes local grant, aimed at improving the efficiency of low-income, low energy-performance homes. However, in the recent funding award, Bath and North East Somerset council will receive a fraction of the amount that it requested: just 26% of what was felt to be needed to carry out the work following consultation with the warm homes team. The existing consortium was awarded approximately £11 million over two years under the home upgrade grant phase 2. The programme has improved 80 homes in Bath, helping fuel-poor residents to save money on energy bills and benefit from a more comfortable and climate-friendly home, but it has been cut under the warm homes grant. The council is now receiving a reduced budget of just £4.5 million a year over three years. Thousands of homes in Bath are eligible for the warm homes grant, but a very small fraction will receive it. The programme is likely to be oversubscribed; I understand that there is a waiting list from the previous scheme that will account for the first year of upgrades. The ability to carry out funded work on homes helps to alleviate fuel poverty, improve health and reduce carbon emissions. Reducing the budget will have knock-on effects on all those areas. The other national awards reflect a similarly bleak picture. Once again, we had a winter in which our constituents suffered in cold and damp homes. I am not aware of any public acknowledgment from the Government that funding for home energy upgrades has been cut. I ask the Minister whether that represents a rowing back on the targets in the warm homes plan, or whether it is a reallocation of resources in the warm homes plan. The Liberal Democrats propose a 10-year insulation programme, starting with free insulation for the most vulnerable homes. If we want to reduce household energy bills, insulating homes is the place to start, so I hope that the Government will sincerely consider that. The state of our rental housing, both private and social, is simply not good enough. It is one of the many failures of the previous Conservative Government, so the new Government must now step up and deal with the problem. The stories from my constituents in Bath are echoed across the country: damp walls, black mould and cold, unliveable homes. We know the solution—higher standards, proper funding for repairs and investment in insulation—but we continue to see piecemeal action and shrinking budgets. I urge the Government to act fast so all our constituents can live in safe, warm and secure housing.

• 7 May 2025 · Government Mission on Opportunity: Equality · Hansard source

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  My constituents repeatedly raise with me the lack of affordable childcare as a key factor driving the gender pay gap. To give families real choice in those crucial early months, will the Government consider increasing paternity pay to 90% of earnings, with a cap for higher earners?

• 6 May 2025 · Hospital Backlogs · Hansard source

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  On a recent visit to the breast unit of the Royal United hospital in Bath, specialists told me about a red flag system that could help to speed up care. If someone has a red flag symptom, such as a lump or a bleeding nipple, the triage team can book them straight into the breast clinic, rather than waiting to see a GP. Does the Secretary of State support such an approach?

• 6 May 2025 · Parking Regulation · Hansard source

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  Indeed. We have already heard this today, but we must have a mandatory code of conduct. I have one constituent who was hit with a £100 fine by a private company, despite having spent the entire time parked in the business that owns the car park. When she went to the Independent Appeals Service—as some people dare to do—the review stated that the charge was in the region of £85, when it was actually a lot higher. That also raises questions about the quality of the appeals process. It is high time that we brought private parking more fully under statutory regulation, with a code of practice that puts fairness first.

• 6 May 2025 · Parking Regulation · Hansard source

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  Parking regulations are not about where we leave our cars, but about how we shape our communities, support our local economies and respond to the climate crisis. When done well, they should enhance our communities, not stifle them. They should be not a revenue source, but a planning tool to balance environmental priorities, support active travel and nurture vibrant neighbourhoods. They are not about declaring war on motorists; they are about our public spaces, which belong to us all. The Liberal Democrats have proposed a national framework for fair parking standards, with clear rules that ensure transparency in permit pricing, protections for small businesses and common-sense exemptions for essential workers. My Bath constituency is a beautiful and bustling city, but it is under pressure. Narrow Georgian streets and high visitor numbers mean that space for parking is in high demand. Parking regulations must be implemented fairly, with safeguards for lower-income households. Let us not forget the digital divide, which we have already heard about. As we move towards app-based payment systems, we must ensure that no one—especially the elderly or vulnerable, or those struggling with their kids—is left behind. We call for a requirement that all parking areas retain alternative, accessible methods of payment. Many of my Bath constituents—we have already heard about this issue this morning—have been hit with disproportionate fines from private operators, especially around retail areas and tourist hotspots. We need stronger regulations, and a binding code of conduct to prevent abuse and to ensure that all enforcement is appropriate and clearly communicated. Today, we are calling for a review of private parking enforcement. Too many of my Bath constituents are being caught out by unclear signage and unfair fines, while appeals processes are skewed against individuals.

• 28 Apr 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Lady agree that it is shame that there has not been recognition from the Dispatch Box that there would be no premier league if there was no grassroots football? The better our grassroots football, the better the league will be.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Road Safety and Active Travel to School · Hansard source

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  I intend to call the Front-Bench spokespeople at about 7.5 pm. The debate is heavily oversubscribed, so I am putting an informal time limit of two minutes on all speeches. Even with that I might not get everybody in, but let us see how it goes. I call the Chair of the Transport Committee.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Road Safety and Active Travel to School · Hansard source

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  I will impose a one-minute limit on speeches now, so that we can get as many in as possible.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Road Safety and Active Travel to School · Hansard source

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  Order. Will the hon. Gentleman bring his remarks quickly to a close?

• 22 Apr 2025 · Road Safety and Active Travel to School · Hansard source

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  I am sorry, but I will have to stop Back-Bench contributions here. Members have been incredibly good at sticking to a very tight time limit. I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Retail Investment · Hansard source

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  I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called to speak.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Point of Order · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. He has put his correction on the record.

• 12 Apr 2025 · Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill · Hansard source

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  We are hearing about the previous Government’s efforts to save British Steel, and we have heard a somewhat confusing account of the deal that the now Leader of the Opposition negotiated. If such a deal existed, can we see a record of it?

• 8 Apr 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Ineffective energy trading with the EU is a major barrier for global investors. According to Energy UK, we are losing out on £30 billion of investment in interconnectors alone. What will the Government do to improve our energy trading with the EU to unlock this vital opportunity?

• 7 Apr 2025 · Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate · Hansard source

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  Autonomous vehicles are the next step into the future. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with UK manufacturers to ensure that they can take full advantage of the next revolution in how we use cars?

• 1 Apr 2025 · Eating Disorder Awareness · Hansard source

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  First, thank you Mr Stuart for chairing your first Westminster Hall debate so well; you kept us in order and on time. I thank all Members for their wide-ranging, thoughtful and moving contributions. Sharing our stories can raise awareness, but it takes a lot of courage. As we have heard, eating disorders do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender or background. Although they disproportionately affect young women, it is important that we keep an eye on young men—we heard very good contributions on that. Eating disorders are a national emergency—I reiterate that even after hearing the Minister’s response. Although some things might be improving, as I said at the beginning, I have been here for six years and, on the whole, things have got worse, not better. We have heard about the Minister’s sharp elbows, and we have heard that there is hope. This debate is an annual event, and I hope that next year I am able to come here and say that the situation has got better, not worse. We owe it to all sufferers. As my hon. Friend the Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) said, it is a moral outrage that we have continued to let the situation deteriorate. It has to get better. Next year, I want to be able to say that we have made real progress. The APPG and I want to work with the Government to make the situation better. Campaigners are there to help; we need to work together. I hope that it does not get worse for another year. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered eating disorder awareness.

• 1 Apr 2025 · Eating Disorder Awareness · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member on being so brave in talking about his own experience. I, too, have a daughter who suffered from an eating disorder; she was not quite as ill as he describes his daughter being, but I am still visited by those hours—though they were many years ago—when I was gripped by fear and anxiety. It is only by sharing these stories that we can ultimately bring all this to light, so again I thank him for being brave enough to share that.

• 1 Apr 2025 · Eating Disorder Awareness · Hansard source

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  The Minister is making a powerful point. Demand is surging, yet it seems that investment from ICBs is going to fall. How can that be possible, and how is it morally acceptable?