PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Business of the House - 30 January 2025 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?

I shall. The business for the week commencing 3 February includes:

Monday 3 February—Second Reading of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.

Tuesday 4 February—Debate on motions to approve the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025 and the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2025, followed by debate on motions to approve the draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2025 and the draft Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Order 2025.

Wednesday 5 February—Motions related to the police grant and local government finance reports.

Thursday 6 February—General debate on Government support for coalfield communities, followed by a general debate on financial education. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

Friday 7 February—The House will not be sitting.

The provisional business for the week commencing 10 February will include:

Monday 10 February—Second Reading of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

Tuesday 11 February—If necessary, consideration of Lords amendments, followed by consideration in Committee and remaining stages of the Arbitration Bill [Lords].

Wednesday 12 February—Second Reading of the Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords].

Thursday 13 February—General debate. Subject to be announced.

The House will rise for the February recess at the conclusion of business on Thursday 13 February and return on Monday 24 February.

Before I call Joy Morrissey, I think it appropriate to wish her a happy birthday.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I hope that the House will join me in offering thoughts and prayers for victims and their families following the collision this morning when an American Airlines plane crashed into the Potomac following a collision; but I believe that the Leader of the House will join me in rejoicing at the return of more of the Israeli hostages today.

It is an honour to respond to the right hon. Lady. Serving with her on the Modernisation Committee, I have observed the energy that she puts into bringing this House into the second quarter of the 21st century. We are lucky to have someone so persuasive in her position, someone who really listens to Members. [Hon. Members: “But—”] No buts, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I approach this session of business questions in that spirit. One innovation that would be very welcome would be a commitment from the Leader of the House to providing our dates for Opposition day debates, which we have still not received. Another extremely welcome innovation would be the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero finding time to reply to numerous letters sent by Opposition Members; perhaps the Leader of the House could persuade him to do so, but perhaps she would have more luck with the Chancellor.

As each week passes, our constituents face more and more negative consequences from the Chancellor’s disastrous Budget. Last week the Office for National Statistics revealed that there had been a staggering 47,000 drop in employment in December, the sharpest fall since the pandemic. Job vacancies have also collapsed. The day before the Chancellor’s Budget, in which she launched her attack on British businesses, there were 858,000 job vacancies in our economy; now the number has fallen to just 740,000, a drop of 14% in just two months. I know that she is proud of being the first female Chancellor, but would it not be even better for her to be known as the Chancellor who was brave enough to change course? Because of her Budget, business confidence has collapsed. Because of her Budget, growth has collapsed. Because of her Budget, employment is falling and unemployment is rising. Because of her Budget, UK gilt yields are at an eye-watering level. Because of her Budget, mortgage rates are now rising, despite her promise that she would bring them down.

We have seen a glimmer of hope with the Chancellor’s U-turn on her non-doms policy, which has caused some of the UK’s biggest taxpayers to flee her socialist nightmare. It is a welcome U-turn, but I feel for the Leader of the House and for Labour Members. I cannot imagine that they ever thought they would be explaining why a Labour Government had U-turned on punishing non-doms, but not on punishing pensioners. Will the Leader of the House seek to persuade the Chancellor to be bold, change course again, and spare British pensioners, farmers, businesses, workers and households from more economic pain?

May we have a debate in Government time to explore the many areas in which a Chancellor U-turn would indeed be welcome? If not, will the Leader of the House ask the Chancellor to be bold and U-turn on punishing pensioners, and reinstate their winter fuel payment? Will she ask the Chancellor to be bold and U-turn to spare family farms that have put food on our tables from her tax raid? Will she ask the Chancellor to be bold and U-turn to save businesses that create jobs, wealth and growth in this country from her catastrophic national insurance tax raid? Will she ask the Chancellor to be bold and U-turn on her 1970s-style tax and borrowing spree, to protect the households that now face rising mortgage costs because of her? That is a task that I hope the Leader of the House will agree is in the interests of the House, its Members, and the people of this country.

All our thoughts are with those affected by the air crash in Washington DC. The scale of this tragedy is still unfolding, and we send our deepest sympathies to all those involved and those still carrying out the rescue operation.

This week saw the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. No one could ever forget visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, as I did with young people from my constituency with the Holocaust Educational Trust. We must never forget. I join the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey) in welcoming the further release of hostages in Israel and Gaza today.

Members will have noticed that Mr Speaker is not in his Chair today. I can assure them that he is not taking up a new acting role on the set of “Emmerdale”. He is instead celebrating the life of another northern legend, at the funeral of Lord Prescott.

I welcome the hon. Member for Beaconsfield to business questions, on her birthday. I very much welcome working with her on the Modernisation Committee. I have found her contributions to be greatly valuable and enlightening, and I know she does a really good job as a Whip and a constituency MP, supporting colleagues across the House. Given her contribution today, she could perhaps give a few tips to the shadow Leader of the House, the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman), when he returns, because she has taken a very business questions-style approach. I will follow up with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if there are issues with correspondence.

The hon. Lady raised issues around the economy. I will gently remind her of a few stats. Inflation is down now, thanks to this Government. Wages are growing at their fastest rate in three years. We have created more than 70,000 jobs since we came into office, and business investment is at its highest level in 19 years. PwC has just rated the UK the second best place in the world to invest after the US. The International Monetary Fund and the OECD both predict that Britain will be Europe’s fastest-growing major economy in recent years.

This Government are getting on with the job, and it has been another week of delivering the change that people voted for. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will be introduced today, with real action to tackle small boats and smuggling gangs, in contrast to the Conservatives’ costly Rwanda gimmick. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill gets its Second Reading next week. Despite promises from the Conservative party, it failed to bring that forward. That important piece of legislation will address the huge cost of fraud in our welfare system.

We have taken major strides to get growth going, taking the difficult, bold decisions that the hon. Lady asked for, many of them on issues that have been raised in business questions over recent weeks. They include the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, creating the UK’s answer to silicon valley; the redevelopment of the huge site around the Old Trafford football ground, which even I can welcome, as a City fan; and, thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mr Doncaster Airport himself, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher), and my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson), their airport is set to become thriving once again. We are backing airport expansion across the congested south-east.

I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (Perran Moon) will be over the moon that we are investing in Cornwall’s mineral industry, which he has raised with me many times. We are giving the go-ahead to the lower Thames crossing, which my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Jim Dickson) has long championed and raised with me. We are supporting Port Talbot and Teesside through the advanced fuels fund and Wrexham and Flintshire through the advanced manufacturing investment zone. We are building nine reservoirs—the first in 30 years—to provide water for new homes.

We are reviewing the Green Book, to enable better public investment and growth outside London and the south-east. We are taking difficult decisions, some of which the hon. Member for Beaconsfield raised, because we had to fix the foundations to get our country growing again, so that we can invest in the public services that people desperately need and voted for at the last election.

Brent is known as the reggae capital of Europe. Bob Marley wrote some of his best hits there, and we have Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson, who celebrate their birthdays this week, too. Today, in the Jubilee Room, we will be honouring one of the lead singers of Boney M, Liz Mitchell. As people will know, the band’s hits include “Daddy Cool”, “Rasputin” and “Rivers of Babylon”.

Sing it!

I would sing it, but my voice is a little bit croaky today.

Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Liz Mitchell? Maybe we should have a debate in Government time about music and how it can be a unifier and bring about community cohesion.

I congratulate Brent on being the reggae capital. We can all recognise some of the great hits that my hon. Friend mentioned, and I am pleased that she is hosting an event today in the Jubilee Room for Liz Mitchell of Boney M. I cannot think of a decent pun on “Daddy Cool”, but my hon. Friend is definitely “Brent cool”. I watch her social media and TikToks, and she probably has a glittering career ahead of her in that regard.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

May I echo the words that have been spoken about the unfolding tragedy in Washington DC? My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families.

When I am out and about talking to people on the doorstep in my Chelmsford constituency, the issue of crime often comes up. That is not because Chelmsford is a criminal hotspot—far from it—but because of the often frustrating low-level crime that takes place, which concerns my constituents. They often say that they want to see more bobbies on the beat. They want to see more uniformed police patrolling our streets, making their presence felt, and reassuring the community by building relationships and deterring wannabe criminals. Much of that presence is provided by police community support officers, who work with police officers and share some of their powers. They do genuinely wonderful work that frees up precious police officer time for other and perhaps more complex policing issues. In short, they are very welcome and an important part of our communities.

In Essex there are 99 PCSOs, but not for much longer. Essex police have just announced that they are getting rid of all of them, as they face a £12.5 million budget shortfall for 2025-26. I doubt that Essex police will be the only force to consider such drastic action, and I am sure that I am not alone in being extremely concerned about the implications of that decision. Will the Leader of the House consider asking the Home Secretary to make a statement on the effect on our communities, and on what can be done to salvage the situation before the experience of all these dedicated individuals is lost and society suffers as a consequence?

I thank the hon. Lady for sending her thoughts to those affected by the air crash in Washington DC. She, the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey) and I are all members of the Modernisation Committee, and we represent three different parties. It is great to work with her on that Committee, and on the House of Commons Commission. As a new Member, she has really got to grips with some of the difficult issues that we face in this place.

I thank the hon. Lady for drawing attention to the challenges that her constituents face with bobbies on the beat in her area. She will know that the funding for Essex police will increase by £25 million next year, but I absolutely share her view that strengthening neighbourhood policing is vital for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour. We are committed to providing an additional 13,000 neighbourhood officers and PCSOs nationwide, but local decisions are a matter for local police. She can rest assured that after years of cuts to police forces, we are determined to recruit extra officers. I will certainly make sure that the Home Secretary has heard her question, and that she gets a full response about what is happening in her local area.

Flexible Engineered Solutions International in my constituency is an excellent example of a strong and successful business. It delivers projects in oil and gas, and in renewables. Last week, it hosted clients from Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilians travelled on the newly reopened Northumberland line. They travelled 5,600 miles, and the new line was the last leg. It was fantastic. Can we have a debate in Government time on the strategic importance of good local transport infrastructure that allows people from places like Brazil easy access to constituencies such as Blyth and Ashington?

I am delighted that, after 60 years of closure, the Northumberland line was finally reopened last December. I would have loved to have been a passenger on that train, and to have heard how the conversation between my hon. Friend and the Brazilians flowed—or not, as the case might be. He is absolutely right that vital transport infrastructure, especially in our regions and in constituencies like his, is the bedrock of ensuring economic growth, prosperity, rising wages and good jobs for his constituents. I am delighted to support his call for that today.

I call the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.

I am sure the whole House will express condolences to the victims at the Kumbh Mela in India who sadly lost their lives or were badly injured.

In addition to the business announced by the Leader of the House, there will be a debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 4 February on apprentices and Apprenticeship Week. On Thursday 6 February, there will be a debate on open access to rail services, followed by a debate on debt cancellation for low-income countries. On Tuesday 11 February, there will be a debate in Westminster Hall on the cost of energy. On Thursday 13 February, there will be a debate on HIV Testing Week, followed by a debate on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

After the recess, on Tuesday 25 February, there will be a debate on maternity services, which we have heard about this morning. On Thursday 27 February, there will be a debate on rural crime, potentially followed by a debate on mental health support in educational settings.

We have a veritable queue of debates for the Chamber, so it is a bit disappointing that there will be a general debate in Government time next week. We have debates lined up that will take us through to the April recess. Will the Leader of the House give us an early indication of when the estimates day debates will be held? I ask because we have to consider applications for, and advertise, debates to be held in the week commencing 3 March.

Yesterday, I met representatives from Balochistan, Sindh and the Muttahida Qaumi movement in Pakistan. They recounted to me atrocities too horrible to describe, committed against minority communities. We give Pakistan millions of pounds in aid, money that appears to be diverted away from the communities that desperately need it. Can we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary or the Minister for Development on what will be done to make sure that our aid is concentrated on areas of Pakistan that desperately need it, and that human rights triumph and the money is used effectively?

I thank the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee for informing the House of the important debates that his Committee has allocated for the coming weeks. I think we have been very generous in allocating Backbench Business time in recent weeks, and we will continue to be so. We have been doing our best to announce business as far in advance as possible—sometimes three weeks in advance—which is unprecedented in recent times. I will ensure that he is made aware of when the estimates day debates are likely to be.

The hon. Gentleman raises important issues about Pakistan. As he will know from his very good attendance at business questions, the subject is regularly raised with me and other Ministers. The Minister for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), has recently raised a number of these matters with the Government of Pakistan, and I think it would make a good topic for an update statement to the House. I will ensure that Ministers have heard that call today.

Four Carlisle men, Rae Daly Armstrong, Ivan Cooke, William Lewis Johnston and Charles Ross, were among almost 500 casualties from the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit who served in the second world war. The casualty rate for that very small unit was the second highest in the war. When planning the debates and events in this House that will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, will the Leader of the House give particular consideration to that small unit, which suffered such great losses during the war?

I am sure the whole House will join my hon. Friend in putting on record our thanks for those involved with the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit and its important work. As she will be aware, we have funding for a huge number of activities to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war. The Minister responsible will make a statement shortly about how that funding will be allocated and what activities will be involved. I will ensure that the Minister hears my hon. Friend’s pleas for commemoration of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit to be part of those activities.

I thank the Leader of the House for her further commitment to the development of aviation in the south-east, which I am sure will extend to the development of Manston airport in my constituency. It already has a development consent order and is, in common parlance, shovel-ready. During the debate on the Climate and Nature Bill last Friday, I raised the subject of public funding for the Drax power station, an environmentally wholly unacceptable operation. At Prime Minister’s questions yesterday, the hon. Member for Canterbury (Rosie Duffield) again raised the issue of Drax and pointed to a KPMG report that suggests that the funding for Drax had been claimed illegally. Can we have a debate on that report and on the funding of Drax in Government time?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for welcoming the Government’s commitment to alleviating passenger congestion in the south-east, and for his local airport’s commitment to doing that, which I am sure we all welcome. He raises some serious matters, which were mentioned at Prime Minister’s questions yesterday, about the Drax organisation and whether public funds have been used appropriately. This Government take such reports incredibly seriously, and I will ensure that the House is updated in due course.

I too wish the shadow Minister a happy birthday. In October 2024, people from across Newcastle-under-Lyme came together for the unveiling of a wonderful statue of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Queen’s Gardens. There has been much talk of Heathrow airport in recent days. As our nation will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Queen in April 2026, will the Leader of the House back my calls to rename Heathrow after Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? What a wonderful tribute that would be to a lifetime of service to the country and the Commonwealth.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that excellent idea with me. He is absolutely right that we need to appropriately mark the late Queen’s extraordinary 70-year reign in a very big way, given all that she contributed to our public life and national identity. He will be aware that the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee has been set up to consider how best we could do that, and I will ensure that his suggestion is fed into that committee.

Yesterday, I re-established the all-party parliamentary group on freedom of speech. I am sure Members on the Government Front Bench will welcome that, given their recent slight changes of opinion on free speech in higher education. Will the Leader of the House find space in Government time for a broader debate on freedom of speech, given that her neighbour, the hon. Member for Blackley and Middleton South (Graham Stringer), is the deputy chairman of the APPG? In addition, will she clarify what she said at the start of business questions about the lower Thames crossing getting the go-ahead? My understanding is that the development consent order has not yet been passed; in fact, it has been delayed twice. That clarity will be important for people in constituencies like mine, who are eagerly awaiting the Government’s actions in that area.

The right hon. Gentleman will know that this Government are committed to free speech and to making sure that everybody has the ability to express themselves freely and without recourse. He might want to join my neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Blackley and Middleton South (Graham Stringer), to apply for a Backbench Business slot. We have had a number of urgent questions and statements to the House on those matters, but I will ensure that we are updated.

On the lower Thames crossing, the right hon. Gentleman will know that the Chancellor gave her commitment to that project in her speech yesterday. There is, as always with such matters, the quasi-judicial process that has to be gone through, which is a matter for the Secretary of State for Transport, but I will ensure that he is kept updated on that.

Today, Lord Ericht has ruled that the consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields was granted unlawfully by the previous Government because they had failed to properly account for the effect on the climate of burning the fossil fuels that would be extracted. Can we have a debate on the future of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields and on the UK joining the countries that formed the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance?

My hon. Friend will know that we have been clear that we will not challenge the judicial reviews in this case. We will consult on new guidance that takes into account the Supreme Court’s ruling on environmental impact assessments to enable the industry to secure jobs and invest in the economy of the future. We aim to conclude that by the spring of this year and I will ensure that the House is updated.

The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has told me that, aside from funding, motor neurone disease research needs a better regulatory framework to encourage investment into this country and to make it easier for UK citizens to take part in overseas trials. That research benefits not only the one in 300 who will develop MND but those who develop other neurodegenerative conditions, such as the many forms of dementia. Will the Leader of the House ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to make a statement to the House on that issue?

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise that issue, because people are still suffering, as are the families of those affected by MND. We need more research. We have some great campaigners, such as Kevin Sinfield, who have raised a huge amount of money. The hon. Lady is right that access to trials and research is critical. I will ensure that she gets a ministerial update on what the Government are doing.

Constituents in the village of Killamarsh in my constituency, a community of just over 9,000 people, do not now have any access to cash—not even an ATM—in the village. Will the Minister grant a debate on access to cash in semi-rural communities and make sure that my constituents’ voices are heard?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue for her constituents. It gets raised with me many times in business questions, because access to cash and making sure we have banking hubs in all our communities, which this Government are committed to doing, is critical to thriving market towns and high streets such as those in her constituency. We have already opened more than a hundred banking hubs, and I will ensure that she is updated, including on the banking hub in her constituency.

A rail freight interchange is being proposed near Hinckley and Burbage in my constituency. Before Christmas, the Planning Inspectorate passed its judgment on it and the then Transport Secretary, the right hon. Member for Sheffield Heeley (Louise Haigh), said she was “minded to refuse” the application. However, in an unprecedented decision, the Department extended the call for further information, which closes in a couple of weeks’ time. After yesterday’s speech from the Chancellor, there is growing concern among my community that the project might be greenlighted.

In the light of that, while I know that the Leader of the House cannot comment specifically on that case, will she write to the new Transport Secretary, the right hon. Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander), to make sure that all protocols are followed as they are written? May we have a debate in Government time on having a joined-up national strategy on rail freight interchanges and where they are placed?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising what I am sure is a huge issue for his constituents. He is right that I cannot comment on the specifics of the case, but I know that the Secretary of State for Transport takes her quasi-judicial role in such cases extremely seriously and is mindful to ensure that due process is followed in all circumstances. I will raise the issue that he has raised with me with Ministers today. It is vital that we upgrade rail freight capacity in this country. We are now at capacity in many places. Interchanges with other services are vital, and I will ensure that he is updated.

Yesterday, it was reported that a former constituent of Kensington and Bayswater, Roman Abramovich, owes up to £1 billion in UK tax—potentially a bigger case than even Bernie Ecclestone. Does my right hon. Friend share the country’s anger at people such as Roman Abramovich using complex corporate structures and British overseas territories to dodge tax while others pay their fair share, and will she ensure that time is made to scrutinise whether His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has all the resources it needs to pursue the case and recover as much money as possible for the Treasury?

My hon. Friend is right to raise tax evasion, tax avoidance and, in some cases, illegal tax avoidance—industrial-scale tax avoidance such as in the case he raised. Obviously, I will not get into individual cases, but the gap is still too wide. Just a few years ago, the tax gap between what was being avoided and what was being collected was a staggering £36 billion. We are recruiting 5,000 new HMRC compliance officers and aim to close the tax gap over the coming years.

This week, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation forecasted child poverty levels across England and Wales for the next five years. The results are stark: child poverty rates are forecast to increase in both Labour-run Wales and Labour-run England. However, there is hope and a way forward. Child poverty rates in Scotland, which are already estimated to be the lowest in the UK, are set to drop further, with the SNP Scottish Government’s Scottish child payment recognised as a driving force in that reduction. Can we have an urgent statement from the UK Government on extending the Scottish Government’s approach to child poverty, including the Scottish child payment, to the rest of these islands to ensure that a reduction in child poverty is not confined solely to Scotland?

This Government are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty. We inherited a very challenging context from the previous Government. The child poverty taskforce has been set up, and has funding. Its urgent work has begun, and we will publish the child poverty strategy in the spring. The hon. Gentleman mentions the SNP’s plans to end the two-child cap in Scotland, but he will know that there is not a single penny to back that up. It is a promise in the never-never land, trying to make politics out of this issue. I suggest that he takes seriously what we are doing to tackle child poverty, rather than making party political points.

Rochdale Get Together After Serving is opening a brand-new military veterans and community hub at R-KIX sports centre this Saturday. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking all the local businesses and charities that donated computers, carpets and even new windows for this new hub, which will support job searches and provide skills help? Will she congratulate in particular Royal Navy veteran Adam Trennery on his excellent initiative, which will help all veterans in Rochdale?

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Adam Trennery and all those involved in the Get Together After Serving team. It sounds like a really great initiative to support veterans in his constituency. The Government take these sorts of initiatives very seriously, and I thank him for raising it.

Could the Leader of the House bring forward a statement on smart meters and their roll-out? She may be aware that there was a geographic divide in the United Kingdom in the original roll-out, whereby properties essentially north of the M62 were supplied with data by something called the radio teleswitch service. The service is due to be switched off in June, but over 165,000 properties in Scotland still rely on it, of which 3,745 are in my Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency. It appears that the roll-out of the new meters will not be able to meet the timescale of the switch-off, and it is important that we hear the response from Ministers to that.

The right hon. Member raises a very important matter, and I thank him for doing so, because we recognise how important it is to have a smooth transition for consumers away from the radio teleswitch service. I am concerned to hear what he says about that being off track for many of his constituents. We will continue to work closely with Ofgem and the RTS taskforce to ensure that the deadline is met, but I will absolutely ensure that Ministers come to this House regularly and update him and other Members on progress.

My constituent Clare Rogers came to my surgery after she lost her son to a ketamine addiction. Clare told me of the severe pain and neurological damage he suffered. A crisis of ketamine usage among our young people has become apparent, and we must look to mental health and addiction services because they are ultimately the ones that will treat addiction, prevent relapses and give people a chance to turn their lives around. Will the Leader of the House provide time for Members to discuss this issue, which goes across the Home Office, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care, so that our young people understand the harms of ketamine usage and so that we can put this issue to bed?

I am saddened to hear the case that my hon. Friend raises. She is absolutely right that ketamine is extremely dangerous, and the rise in its use across many of our towns and cities is deeply concerning. This issue has been raised with me a number of times in these sessions, so I will ensure that a response is made available for all Members about how the Government are tackling it.

I ask this question of the Leader of the House on behalf of my constituents and neighbouring constituents from Cheadle, because their MP, my hon. Friend the Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison), is on paternity leave following the birth of beautiful baby Poppy last week. He, his partner Lou and Poppy are all doing well, and I am sure the whole House sends them our very best.

Stepping Hill hospital in Hazel Grove has a reported repairs backlog of £130 million, yet it does not qualify for the new hospital programme. Will the Leader of the House encourage Health Ministers to come to the House to update us with a statement on what the plans are to repair those hospitals that do not qualify for the new hospital programme?

I join the hon. Member in congratulating the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison) on the birth of his daughter Poppy last week, and I thank her for stepping in to do some cover for him.

I am very familiar with Stepping Hill hospital and can appreciate the state of disrepair it is in and how much it is in need of capital investment. The hon. Member will know that this Government inherited a hospital building and capital investment programme that was, frankly, a work of fiction: it had no money backing it up and deadlines that were never ever going to be delivered. We have now turned it into an actual plan of action for those hospitals, but I will ensure that she gets an update on Stepping Hill hospital and what more can be done.

I thank the Leader of the House for her warm words earlier about the work many of us have done to get the lower Thames crossing greenlit by the Chancellor yesterday—something the Conservatives simply failed to do over 14 years.

I warmly welcome the Government’s commitment in the devolution White Paper to a strong new right to buy and maintain beloved community assets. Stone parish council in my constituency has been attempting to purchase the freehold to the Lads of the Village pub for some time. The pub has been an important part of Stone village since 1793, playing a significant role in community life. Despite offers from the parish council at full asking price, the owner has refused to negotiate or sell. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate in Government time about how we protect vital community assets like this one?

I take this opportunity to once again congratulate my hon. Friend on all his campaigning and all the times he has raised with me and other Ministers the lower Thames crossing—I am sure he is pleased with this week’s announcement.

I join my hon. Friend in welcoming some of the measures outlined in our devolution White Paper around community ownership and the right to buy, so that communities like his can take on and restore, or bring back to life, vital community assets like the one he describes. I am sorry to hear that the owner of the pub in his constituency is not engaging in the way they should.

The Secretary of State for Health made a promise to the House that the Government will recruit an extra 1,000 GPs. In a recent statement, he said they have already recruited hundreds of GPs. We have asked for evidence of that claim, but the Minister of State for Care has not been able to provide us with a specific figure. Will the Leader of the House inquire with her colleagues as to whether hundreds of new GPs have been hired, so that we can see what progress the Government are making?

The hon. Member is absolutely right that it is vital that we recruit more GPs. We have been left a terrible situation with the NHS workforce. That is why workforce planning was at the heart of our recent 10-year plan for the national health service. I will absolutely ensure that Health Ministers and the Secretary of State for Health regularly come to this House to update us on progress, and I will get him a correct figure, if I can, as soon as possible from the Department of Health and Social Care.

My constituency has some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches, beloved by swimmers and the local community in Portobello and Joppa. Groups like the Porty Water Collective are fighting hard to protect the beaches from sewage overflows and sewage-related debris washing up on them. The UK Government are taking big, important steps to fix England’s sewage crisis, but in Scotland, water is devolved to the SNP Government, we do not monitor sewage overflows as much as in England, and local groups cannot access what little data there is. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time so we can solve Scotland’s sewage crisis?

The beaches around my hon. Friend’s constituency do indeed sound beautiful, and I am sure he regularly gets his kit off to go for a swim in the sea there. He is right that it is unacceptable that sewage is still flowing into the waters and seas of Scotland and that we do not even know the extent of it. The Scottish Government, as he says, are responsible for Scottish water and should frankly get their act together. We have brought forward legislation that will start to take action on this matter, and the Scottish Government should follow suit.

King Lifting Ltd is a west country firm that operates mostly mobile cranes across the UK. The company holds a Home Office licence for sponsorship, but cannot employ the heavy crane operators it needs. The work is not for everyone because it involves long stays away from home working on major infrastructure projects, such as wind farms, High Speed 2 and our nuclear sites. Operators qualify as individuals not through the company and must also be experienced. Every time King Lifting advertises, it gets dozens of applicants, almost all from abroad, and the company trains and tests heavy crane operators to meet the UK’s high standards. Please may we have a debate on adding crane operators to the UK immigration skilled workers eligible occupations list?

The hon. Member is absolutely right that skills are at the heart of all these industries that are vital to creating the new jobs and industries of the future through our mission to be a clean energy superpower by 2030. The Government want to take more action to ensure that those who live and work in this country have access to such opportunities by having a much stronger emphasis on skills development and work opportunities through reforming the Department for Work and Pensions and jobcentres, but I will have a look at the issue she raises and ensure that she gets a response.

Unless questions are short and answers are on point, we will not get everybody in. I call Mark Sewards.

Greenhill primary school serves the small Armley and Bramley parts of my constituency. Its excellent work was recognised in its most recent Ofsted report this month, which states that the school has improved rapidly and pupils are safe. I have seen that excellent work at first hand, including through the Solar for Schools programme. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the school for its amazing Ofsted report, and grant a debate in Government time on the need for solar energy programmes in primary schools?

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Greenhill primary school for its achievements in that regard. He is absolutely right that schools could do more to provide sustainable energy for themselves through Solar for Schools—a school in my constituency has embarked on that. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is keen on that issue, and I will ensure that he is updated.

In Kyrgyzstan, President Sadyr Japarov has signed two new laws—the religion law and the amending law—imposing stricter regulations on religious communities in that country. Those laws, effective from this Saturday, introduce more stringent requirements for registration, impose bans on unregistered religious activity and increase state control over religious practices, so freedom of religious belief is impeded. The laws introduce heavier fines for violations, raising concerns about the restriction of religious freedom there. As the climate of uncertainty and fear among believers rises, will the Leader of the House join me in condemning those actions, and will she speak to her Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office colleagues about any policy implications?

Once again, the hon. Gentleman raises an important breach of freedom of religious belief—in this case in Kyrgyzstan. I will of course raise that with the Foreign Office and ensure that he gets a full reply about it.

This week, I visited Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, which is managed brilliantly by Sally Godden and her team, and I met Rugby Artists and Makers Network painters Jan Clark and Aish Magesh, ceramicist Belinda Edwards, and spinner Angela Dewes. Does the Leader of the House agree that any support given to such municipally run galleries, or to creative entrepreneurship such as Art at the Alex—a former pub run by Chris Pegler and Steve Davies—is much needed to allow artists to showcase their talent, strengthen our community, inspire the next generation, boost the local economy and, importantly, make a living through their artistic endeavour, and will there be time for a debate on that?

The Government are absolutely committed to municipally run galleries such as the one that my hon. Friend mentions. The culture sector and the cultural offer are at the core of making our towns, villages and cities vibrant places where people want to live and work. I join him in welcoming that.,

In my constituency, the Isle of Arran has been connected to the mainland through harbours at Brodick and Ardrossan for 190 years. I have mentioned before the Save Ardrossan Harbour group, which is fighting hard to keep the ferry sailing from Ardrossan. Although I welcome the new ferry that is currently sailing from Troon to Brodick, I am concerned that fewer sailings are timetabled. I have been made aware of an island constituent who has had to reschedule a health screening on the mainland three times as they are unable to make the journey and return home on the same day. Had the ferries still been sailing from Ardrossan as usual, that would not have been a problem. Will my right hon. Friend grant a debate to discuss the fact that the SNP Government and other stakeholders need to sort out the ferry situation as soon as possible to provide clarity for the people of Brodick?

My hon. Friend is a real campaigner on this matter, which she has raised with me a number of times. She knows that the SNP Government have wasted over £5 billion of taxpayer’s money on pet projects, including ferries that did not sail. They have had a massive boost to their budget as a result of the UK Government’s Budget, and their excuses really have run out.

Kinneil Estate, which is home to a UNESCO world heritage landmark and where James Watt tested his steam engine prototype, attracts thousands of visitors to Bo’ness. Kinneil Museum, which is operated by Falkirk council and supported by the fantastic Friends of Kinneil, provides space to learn about local history dating back to Roman times. It is, however, threatened with closure, which risks damaging local tourism and the preservation of local heritage. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time to debate the importance of local heritage centres?

What my hon. Friend raises is particularly concerning given that it relates to a UNESCO world heritage site. Heritage is of course a devolved matter, but we take it very seriously indeed, and it would make an excellent topic for a debate.

Questions are getting even longer. I said short questions, please. I call Connor Rand.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe progressive muscle-wasting disease that affects around 2,500 people in the UK, including Felix from my constituency. Felix’s mum, Lisa, has told me about Givinostat, a promising new treatment that could be transformative. However, not all NHS trusts are signed up to the early access programme for the drug, even though it is free. That needs to change, so could we have a debate or a statement on Duchenne muscular dystrophy and how we can improve access to treatments for it?

As my hon. Friend says, that treatment is free to patients and the NHS under the early access programme, but whether local trusts can cover the cost of administering it is a matter for them. I know that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence aims to publish guidance on the use of Givinostat in the NHS shortly, and we will update the House as soon as possible.

On 16 January, WHSmith in Stockton announced its closure, putting at risk our town centre post office. I am leading a campaign with local Labour councillors to find an alternative location. Does my right hon. Friend agree that post offices provide vital services for towns such as Stockton, and will she consider a debate in Government time on this important issue?

Post offices play a vital role for our communities, and my hon. Friend is absolutely right to stand up and call for their services to continue in his constituency. He will know that there is such a debate this afternoon—he may wish to raise those issues then.

Last week, I received letters from year 5 pupils at St Thomas Becket Catholic primary school in my constituency. They raised concerns about deforestation and highlighted the alarming decline of tropical rainforests by 50% and the unacceptable use of child labour by the industries driving deforestation. Will the Leader of the House allow time for a statement on what progress the Government have made on their pledge of £239 million of funding to halt and reverse deforestation in forest-rich nations, and will she join me in thanking the pupils of St Thomas Becket school for raising that important issue?

I join my hon. Friend in thanking those students—year 5 pupils are often the toughest of audiences. She will know that the UK supports a variety of programmes aimed at preventing deforestation, and we are a major contributor to Brazil’s Amazon fund. I am sure that that would make a good topic for a debate.

Yesterday the Bank of Scotland announced the closure of its Alexandria branch in my constituency. Branch offices are essential to ensure access to cash and face-to-face banking for the most vulnerable and for many small businesses in my constituency. Does the Minister share my concern about the loss of such vital services and recognise the urgent need for the Government to roll out more banking hubs, and will she raise with Government colleagues the need for a banking hub in Alexandria and West Dunbartonshire?

Banking hubs are critical to communities such as that of my hon. Friend in West Dunbartonshire. The Government are committed to rolling out our 350 banking hubs—more than 100 are already open. I think that would be an extremely popular topic for a debate.

It is a source of national shame that youth funding decreased by three quarters under the previous Government—one of the deepest cuts made to any public services. There was no real strategy for young people, and we are seeing the consequences of that. The Government are determined to turn that around, and we will work with my hon. Friend to do that in Stoke-on-Trent.

I am delighted about the recent announcement at the creative industries growth summit of new funding for West Yorkshire. This funding will enable local leaders to address the specific needs of local creative businesses, which is a priority for Mayor Brabin, and it will benefit towns such as Holmfirth, home to the Picturedrome. Could we have a debate in Government time on what further support can be given to local creative and entertainment venues?

Culture and Holmfirth go hand in hand. Many of us of a certain age will remember “Last of the Summer Wine”, filmed in Holmfirth. I recently went to Compo’s chippy, and I can say that it does great fish and chips. West Yorkshire is one of the priority areas for our creative industries sector plan, and we are working closely with the fantastic Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, who is a real leader in this regard.

This week, I met a constituent, Bradley Price, who has recently taken up a degree apprenticeship with Nuclear Transport Solutions. We talked about the excellent transferable skills he is gaining and the great career options open to him. There is no doubt that high-quality apprenticeships like that can be the right route for so many school leavers, yet it seems from talking to pupils in Rossendale and Darwen that awareness of the range and quality of such opportunities is remarkably low. I welcome the announcement of a Backbench Business debate on apprenticeships, but would the Leader of the House agree to a debate in Government time on raising awareness in schools about apprenticeships?

I wish Bradley good luck with his degree apprenticeship. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that degree apprenticeships offer a real career opportunity for many of our young people, and they are still not as widely known about as they should be through careers advice in schools. He raises a really important point, with which this Government wholeheartedly agree.

Wrexham is a thriving hub of business, and the continued investment in the Wrexham and Flintshire investment zone is very welcome indeed. Companies such as Wrexham Lager, Kellogg’s and JCB, among others, are exporting from Wrexham around the globe. However, too many businesses have had to give up on exporting due to the huge increase in costs from red tape introduced under the previous Government. Such things are critical if we are to achieve the growth we want, so will the Leader of the House please consider providing parliamentary time to debate how we can ensure that these businesses get the support they need?

I am sure my hon. Friend welcomes—in fact, he has done—the much deserved announcement this week of an investment zone for his constituency of Wrexham. He is absolutely right that businesses face far too much red tape, especially because of the botched Brexit deal by the last Government, and this Government are committed to reducing that.

Since last year, all parents in England who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a pregnancy have been able to apply for a certificate that formally recognises their loss. An agreement was made in principle with the previous Secretary of State of Health to extend the scheme to Wales, but discussions were paused before the general election. Would the Leader of the House consider writing to the relevant Ministers to ask them to meet me to discuss how this scheme could be extended to Wales, so that baby loss certificates are made available without any further delay?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that really important topic. She is absolutely right that baby loss certificates in England have provided recognition and comfort to many families who have been bereaved by baby loss. I think her call for the scheme to be extended to Wales is absolutely right, and I will make sure she gets some contact with a Minister to discuss it further.

Saving the best contribution to last, I call Sureena Brackenridge.

In Wolverhampton North East in the past five years, we have lost banks from Wednesfield High Street and all banking facilities in the Scotlands and Three Tuns areas. Can the Leader of the House make time for a debate on banking hubs to keep banking on our high streets?

I think that is the fourth time banking has been raised with me today, which just goes to show how vital having access to cash and banking hubs is for communities such as those in Wolverhampton. That is why this Government have committed to opening 350 hubs; over 100 are already open. I think that would be an extremely popular topic for a debate.

Bill Presented

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Secretary Yvette Cooper, supported by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary David Lammy, Pat McFadden, Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Secretary Hilary Benn, Secretary Ian Murray, Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Secretary Jo Stevens and Dame Angela Eagle, presented a Bill to make provision about border security; to make provision about immigration and asylum; to make provision about sharing customs data and trailer registration data; to make provision about articles for use in serious crime; to make provision about serious crime prevention orders; to make provision about fees paid in connection with the recognition, comparability or assessment of qualifications; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Monday 3 February, and to be printed (Bill 173) with explanatory notes (Bill 173-EN).