PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Points of Order - 17 December 2025 (Commons/Commons Chamber)
Debate Detail
Contributions from Jessica Toale, are highlighted with a yellow border.
17:29:45
Apsana Begum
Poplar and Limehouse
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. More than 40 Members of this House, led by the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn), wrote to the Justice Secretary on Monday urgently requesting that he respond, intervene and meet the lawyers of the Palestine Action prisoners, who have been on hunger strike for over 45 days. Since then, one of the prisoners, 20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah, was not transferred to hospital until just a couple of hours ago, despite her urgent pleas for urgent medical treatment since yesterday afternoon.
Prisoners have the right to humane conditions, to a fair trial and to medical treatment. Given that lives are at immediate risk and that points of order have been raised by Members of this House to no avail, could you kindly advise me, Madam Deputy Speaker, what we may do to get an urgent response and intervention from the Justice Secretary before the House rises tomorrow for the Christmas recess?
Prisoners have the right to humane conditions, to a fair trial and to medical treatment. Given that lives are at immediate risk and that points of order have been raised by Members of this House to no avail, could you kindly advise me, Madam Deputy Speaker, what we may do to get an urgent response and intervention from the Justice Secretary before the House rises tomorrow for the Christmas recess?
Judith Cummins
Madam Deputy Speaker
I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of her point of order. I understand that this matter was raised with Justice Ministers yesterday. The hon. Member may also wish to raise this issue during tomorrow’s debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming Adjournment. In the meantime, if she requires further assistance in raising it with Justice Ministers directly, she may wish to seek further advice from the Clerks.
Mr Andrew Snowden
Fylde
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. In a written answer on 9 December 2025 to a parliamentary question that I had submitted, the Treasury stated explicitly that it had not opened any new inquiries into child benefit eligibility in the context of the serious errors in a trial of data sharing between the Home Office and the Treasury. However, I have recently seen correspondence between the press team at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and journalists that directly contradicts the answer given through the Table Office, with HMRC’s press office stating that the programme was not paused and that therefore new inquiries were continuing. As both things cannot be true at the same time, can you give me advice and guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker, on how the official record can be urgently set straight?
17:35:04
Madam Deputy Speaker
I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. While I am not responsible for the accuracy of responses that Ministers give to written parliamentary questions, I am clear that it is of the utmost importance that Ministers are properly held to account by Members, and that they take their responsibilities to the House seriously. Those on the Treasury Bench will have heard the hon. Member’s concerns, and I hope they will pass them on to the relevant Minister. The hon. Member may also wish to raise the matter with the Procedure Committee, which is currently undertaking an inquiry into written parliamentary questions.
17:36:05
Jessica Toale
Bournemouth West
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance on a matter relating to access to the House. Unison had arranged, today, a lobby day for migrant care workers to meet their Members of Parliament and discuss concerns around care worker visas, exploitation and support for the sector. Those attending came from across the country, including from my constituency, and some came from as far as the Scottish highlands and Northern Ireland.
The event was originally intended to take place on the parliamentary estate, either in Westminster Hall or in Committee Rooms, giving some of the hardest-working and lowest-paid workers in our country a valuable opportunity to visit and engage in this place of democracy. Many workers took time off at an incredibly busy time and arranged cover to enable them to attend. However, I was shocked to learn that they were informed late on Tuesday evening that they would no longer be permitted to use the facilities in the House. They were instead moved to a venue off the estate, meaning that the majority were not able to visit Parliament at all.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I would be grateful for your guidance on how such decisions are made; how Members can raise concerns with the House authorities; and whether you would be willing to join me in apologising to these key workers, and ensuring that they will be able to visit the House and meet Members properly at a future date.
The event was originally intended to take place on the parliamentary estate, either in Westminster Hall or in Committee Rooms, giving some of the hardest-working and lowest-paid workers in our country a valuable opportunity to visit and engage in this place of democracy. Many workers took time off at an incredibly busy time and arranged cover to enable them to attend. However, I was shocked to learn that they were informed late on Tuesday evening that they would no longer be permitted to use the facilities in the House. They were instead moved to a venue off the estate, meaning that the majority were not able to visit Parliament at all.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I would be grateful for your guidance on how such decisions are made; how Members can raise concerns with the House authorities; and whether you would be willing to join me in apologising to these key workers, and ensuring that they will be able to visit the House and meet Members properly at a future date.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I thank the hon. Member for notice of her point of order, and for raising this important issue. I will draw it to the attention of Mr Speaker and the House authorities so that she may receive a substantive and full response.
Bills Presented
Afghanistan Schemes Data Breaches (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
James MacCleary, supported by Calum Miller, Monica Harding, Richard Foord, Helen Maguire and Cameron Thomas, presented a Bill to make provision for establishing an independent public inquiry into data breaches by the Ministry of Defence and other public bodies relating to applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Scheme and Afghanistan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme; to provide the inquiry with the power to question Ministers, former Ministers, officials and other relevant persons about the circumstances surrounding such breaches, including action taken in response to the breaches and decisions taken by the Government in relation to legal proceedings in respect of the breaches; to require the inquiry to report within one year of its establishment; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January, and to be printed (Bill 350).
Leases (Integrated Retirement Communities) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Dr Andrew Murrison presented a Bill to make provision about leases for occupancy of premises in integrated retirement communities; to make provision about any fees associated with such leases; to make provision about the regulation of operators of integrated retirement communities; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January 2026, and to be printed (Bill 352).
Bills Presented
Afghanistan Schemes Data Breaches (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
James MacCleary, supported by Calum Miller, Monica Harding, Richard Foord, Helen Maguire and Cameron Thomas, presented a Bill to make provision for establishing an independent public inquiry into data breaches by the Ministry of Defence and other public bodies relating to applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Scheme and Afghanistan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme; to provide the inquiry with the power to question Ministers, former Ministers, officials and other relevant persons about the circumstances surrounding such breaches, including action taken in response to the breaches and decisions taken by the Government in relation to legal proceedings in respect of the breaches; to require the inquiry to report within one year of its establishment; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January, and to be printed (Bill 350).
Leases (Integrated Retirement Communities) Bill
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
Dr Andrew Murrison presented a Bill to make provision about leases for occupancy of premises in integrated retirement communities; to make provision about any fees associated with such leases; to make provision about the regulation of operators of integrated retirement communities; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January 2026, and to be printed (Bill 352).
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