PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Business of the House - 10 October 2024 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

Will the Leader of the House update the House on the forthcoming business?

May I wish the Leader of the House a happy birthday? Forty today!

Twenty-one today, Mr Speaker.

The business for the week commencing 14 October includes:

Monday 14 October—Second Reading of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

Tuesday 15 October—Second Reading of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill.

Wednesday 16 October—Opposition day (3rd allotted day). Debate on a motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats. Subject to be announced.

Thursday 17 October—General debate on the international investment summit.

Friday 18 October—The House will not be sitting.

The provisional business for the week commencing 21 October will include:

Monday 21 October—Second Reading of the Employment Rights Bill.

Tuesday 22 October—Second Reading of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill [Lords].

Wednesday 23 October—Motion to approve the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, followed by motion to approve the Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.

Thursday 24 October—General debate on Black History Month.

Friday 25 October—The House will not be sitting.

Additionally, the House may wish to know that I have tabled a motion under future business confirming the upcoming dates for sitting Fridays. Subject to the agreement of the House, the first sitting Friday to consider private Member’s Bills will be 29 November.

Mr Speaker, may I start by welcoming your new Chaplain, Rev. Mark Birch, to his role? I am sure we all look forward to working with him. Let me also extend warm birthday wishes to the Leader of the House. It is hard to believe, but today is a very significant birthday for her. The whole House extends warm wishes to her and her family. I am sure there will be a lavish party to mark the occasion, but I am genuinely concerned for the right hon. Lady. To keep up with her Cabinet colleagues, she will need, at a minimum, a personal DJ booth and a luxury penthouse to host the party in. I can see from the look on her face that she is a bit concerned about how she will fund all that. Since it is her birthday, I will give her some free advice: she should not follow the example of her Cabinet colleagues and send the bill to Lord Alli. Anyway, I wish her a happy birthday.

I must start today with the shocking failure of the Government to inform this House first about the proposal to give away the strategically vital Chagos islands. The Government should have waited a few days until Parliament was sitting, or waited a few weeks until the Mauritius election was over, and told this House first. They showed total contempt for Parliament. Will the Leader of the House take this opportunity to apologise to the House now and explicitly commit that this will never happen again?

The Chagos proposal is shocking: paying—yes, paying —to give away sovereign territory to a country allied with China, which might be allowed to place military or intelligence assets near the Diego Garcia base; downgrading a sovereign base to merely a leased base, when leases can of course be terminated; and ignoring the Chagos islanders themselves. The Opposition will oppose the plans every step of the way. Will the Leader of the House now expressly confirm to the House that there will be a Bill on these proposals and a CRaG—Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010—vote on the treaty itself? Can she tell the House when that will happen?

Members across the House are horrified by the Government’s callous plan to strip winter fuel payments from most pensioners, including 84% of those in poverty. The Government refused to provide the equalities impact assessment in response to a written parliamentary question from one of my colleagues, but just a few days after the vote they slipped out that assessment via a freedom of information request. That denied Members of Parliament the chance to see the impact assessment before voting, presumably because the Government wanted to disguise from their own Back Benchers the fact that over 70% of disabled pensioners will lose their winter fuel payment. The failure to disclose key information to this House appears to me to be a breach of section 1.3(d) of the “Ministerial Code”. First, will the Leader of the House apologise to the House for hiding that information before the critical vote, and will she ask the independent adviser on Ministers’ interests to investigate that as a potential breach of the ministerial code? If she will not, then I will.

The public up and down the country are horrified at the Prime Minister’s insatiable and venal appetite for freebies. He has had more than any other MP in the last five years, totalling over £100,000: designer suits, £1,000 spectacles, pop concerts and stays in an £18 million penthouse, all paid for by Lord Waheed Alli, who was rewarded with a Downing Street pass and influence over appointments. Not a Government of service, but a Government of self-service, feathering its nest courtesy of Lord Alli’s extremely capacious credit card. Is the Leader of the House ashamed that the Prime Minister has been doing that at the same time as stripping pensioners of their winter fuel allowance? He has paid back £6,000 of the £100,000. Can she explain why it is £6,000? Will he be paying back any more?

Finally, this weekend marks 100 days since the formation of the Labour Government. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I wouldn’t get too excited. It is fair to say that they have been busy: a chief of staff fired; millions of pensioners on low incomes stripped of their winter fuel allowance; inflation-busting pay rises for train drivers and the unions, without any performance improvements in return; and schools in chaos as a result of botched VAT plans that even the trade unions—even the trade unions—say should not be implemented in January. Many successful people, it turns out, are now leaving or planning to leave the country. In the Budget in a few weeks’ time, it appears that tax rises and ballooning borrowing are coming as the debt rules are rewritten, all breaking election promises. Perhaps it is no surprise that the Prime Minister’s personal poll ratings have gone down faster than Lord Alli’s bank balance after a shopping trip with the Cabinet. A recent poll showed that the public actually now prefer the last Government to this one. If they carry on like this, it will not just be Sue Gray who is in need of a new job.

I, too, welcome the new Chaplain, Mark Birch. I also pay tribute to Lily Ebert, who dedicated her life to ensuring that the horror of the Holocaust can never happen again. I am sure that all Members will want to send their best wishes to the residents of Florida as the damage of Hurricane Milton unfolds.

I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the rest of the House for the birthday wishes. It is a significant birthday for me. Fifty years ago today was also a general election day, and my mum was in labour and voting Labour. I knew even then that I should not come out before the polling station opened. If the House will indulge me slightly, I will take this opportunity to thank my mum and dad, because I would not be here without their life- long support.

Not only was that a big day in the history of my family; it was a rare day in that Labour won a general election. Talking of historic victories, this week marks the first 100 days of our new Labour Government. The work of change has begun. I remind the House that we have made fiscal responsibility an Act, so that Liz Truss can never happen again. We have set up GB Energy, lifted the moratorium on onshore wind, invested in carbon capture and storage, and set up the national wealth fund. We have set ambitious new house building targets, and are ending no-fault of evictions and giving new rights to renters. We are bringing our railways back into public ownership, and providing new powers to stop river pollution. We have ended the doctors’ strike so we can get the waiting lists down, kept our promise to Figen Murray on Martyn’s law, ended one-word Ofsted judgments, set up the border security command, and taken swift action on riots. We are fixing the prisons crisis that the last Government left behind. We are paving the way for better buses across the country. We have tightened the rules on MPs’ second jobs, and we are modernising Parliament and reforming the House of Lords.

And today, 97 days after the election, we are introducing the biggest boost to workers’ rights in a generation, giving people dignity and security at work, not as a nice extra but as an integral part of a strategy for a high-wage, high-skill, growing economy. We have worked apace to deliver a new deal for workers, tackling exploitative zero-hours contracts, ending fire and rehire, and providing day one rights for bereavement, parental leave and statutory sick pay. We are providing flexible working for those who want it, boosting productivity and living standards. This is what Labour Governments deliver. We have produced twice as many Bills in our first 100 days as the Tories did during the same period after the 2010 election. That is our record, and we are proud of it.

The right hon. Member for Croydon South (Chris Philp) asked me about the Chagos islands. We are committed to making statements to the House first when the House is sitting, as is laid down in our “Ministerial Code”. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement to the House on Monday, the requirement for proper parliamentary process and scrutiny will of course be followed. That will include a Bill and the full CRaG process, so I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will have ample opportunity to debate the matter further at that time.

I am aware that the right hon. Gentleman wrote to me about winter fuel payments, because a Sunday Telegraph journalist told me that he had written to me before I had actually received his letter. I know that he likes to come to Parliament to raise these matters first, but he is reaching desperately for a conspiracy when there is none. We granted a vote on the winter fuel payment because we respect Parliament; his party did not. We published the equality analysis, although there was no requirement for us to do so; his party would not have done the same. We have had to make a very difficult decision that we did not want to make in order to fill the £22 billion black hole that his party left behind. [Interruption.] He does not want to hear it, but it is the truth.

The right hon. Gentleman had some brass neck to raise the issue of standards in Parliament. He and his colleagues voted to change the rules of this House when another of his colleagues was found to be in breach of the rules against taking cash for lobbying. His Prime Minister was found to be in serious breach of the rules when he failed to declare a loan he had received for doing up his flat—a loan brokered by someone to whom he then gave the job of chairman of the BBC. And let us not get into the fast-lane, mates- rates covid contracts that cost taxpayers millions of pounds, or, indeed, the fact that his Government changed the rules on socialising while at the same time partying in Downing Street and lying to the House about it for months on end. We will take no lectures from the party opposite.

While we are getting on with changing the country, the Conservatives are soaking themselves in the comfort of the warm bath of opposition. On the day that we are boosting workers’ rights, they are in a race to the bottom on maternity pay. I gently say to the right hon. Gentleman that it is time the Conservatives took a cold shower. Yesterday showed that they cannot even count—perhaps they should have stuck with the “king of the spreadsheet” after all. In just 26 parliamentary sitting days, we have delivered more Bills and more change in this country than was achieved in 14 sorry years of Conservative rule.

The east midlands has the lowest level of transport spend per person, at just 56% of the national average. The state of the transport network we have inherited comes nowhere near the level of ambition that I know my colleagues in the east midlands and our new mayor have for economic growth. If the region received the average level of funding across the UK, we would have an extra £1.29 billion every year. May we have a debate about inequalities in regional transport spending?

My hon. Friend raises a very important issue, and we welcome the level of ambition from the mayor and the local authorities in the east midlands to improve transport in the region. As was outlined in Transport questions earlier, the Department for Transport is undertaking a thorough review of these issues, and I am sure it will soon come back to the House with further information.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

I echo the words of the Leader of the House about the issues affecting Florida at the moment; we wish everyone safety. I also echo the congratulations of the shadow Leader of the House to the Leader of the House on her very special birthday. I welcome the statement from the Leader of the House, and we on the Liberal Democrat Benches look forward to scrutinising parliamentary business and working constructively for the good of the country.

The new Government have mentioned many times their commitment to building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament. We Lib Dems recognise that our country is in a housing crisis, and we welcome the target. Although I know that all MPs love donning a hard hat for an all-important photo opportunity, those homes will be delivered not by central Government but by local government, largely through the planning system and partnership work with developers and infrastructure providers. That is the case in my constituency, where the Liberal Democrat-run Chelmsford city council is already delivering, with thousands of new homes being planned. However, these homes are in danger of not being delivered at all if the Government do not urgently act in two extremely important ways. First, they need to speed up their decision making around funding for large infra- structure projects, such as the A12 widening scheme. If this important scheme does not receive the funding promised by the previous Government, more than 10,000 homes may not be delivered.

Secondly, councils that are a long way into developing or reviewing their local plans, such as Chelmsford city council, are extremely concerned that they will miss the arbitrary national planning policy framework transition period deadline by just a matter of weeks. That will render all the expensive work that they have done on their plans null and void, thereby threatening the delivery of thousands of homes and leaving a developer free-for-all in the absence of a valid local plan. Specifically, planning authorities desperately need the Government to extend the transition period in the new NPPF to at least three months. When can we expect to receive assurance about funding for the infrastructure projects that are crucial to supporting the Government’s home building targets, and when can we expect a solution to the cliff edge faced by councils that are currently reviewing their local plans?

I thank the hon. Lady for her birthday wishes and welcome her to her new role. She, too, is a member of the Modernisation Committee, and I very much enjoyed our exchanges at our first meeting in September. I look forward to working with her on the House of Commons Commission, of which I think she will now become a member. Given her background in glazing and construction, I am sure that her insights into the many repairs needed in this place, especially to some of the stained glass windows, will be particularly valuable to the House of Commons Commission. She might not quite realise the heady heights that she has now reached in the House of Commons. Pressing and important matters, such as the cost of a bacon butty in the Members’ Tea Room and the state of the toilets in Portcullis House, await her valuable contribution and insights in the House of Commons Commission. I pay tribute to her predecessor, whom I have known for many years and who always made thoughtful contributions to this session.

The hon. Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman) raises some important matters about house building. As she will know, this Government are unashamedly pro house building, but that does not mean that there is a developer free-for-all, as she rightly says. That is why it is important that we boost planning capacity in local authorities, and we are bringing forward the infrastructure Bill to make sure that big infrastructure decisions are taken much more quickly and robustly. I hear what she says about the national planning policy deadlines, and I will make sure that she gets a good reply to that point as soon as possible.

I do not want to embarrass Members, but I will just say that if you were late in, please do not stand. Let us take somebody who was in very early: Ian Lavery.

Responsibility for Woodhorn Museum on the former Woodhorn colliery site in my constituency—the home of the fantastic world-renowned pitmen painters—has this week been transferred to Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums by the Tory-led Northumberland county council, which has sold off the family silverware. There has been no consultation whatsoever with residents. Can the Leader of the House please make time in the parliamentary schedule for us to discuss how local people and communities can have a say on how to protect cultural assets in their region?

As ever, my hon. Friend makes a very important point. These important cultural, industrial and historical assets are for the community to enjoy into the future. I am sure that the topic he raises would make for a very good Adjournment debate, should he wish to apply for one.

I call the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.

On 9 July 1944, Lily Ebert arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau with her mother, brother and younger sister, who were all murdered in the gas chambers. Somehow Lily escaped. She dedicated her life to spreading awareness of the horrors of the Holocaust and recounting her story, and hundreds of millions of people around the world have seen videos of her reciting her story. She died earlier this week. Despite the efforts of the Nazis, she leaves behind 10 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; so the attempts of the Nazis to wipe out her family failed. But we have a problem. Lily dedicated her life to spreading the word about what happened in the Holocaust, and we send condolences to her family. As the Holocaust survivors sadly pass away, it is even more vital that we get the Holocaust memorial and the education centre built alongside this place. The Holocaust Memorial Bill is going through its stages in Parliament. Will the Leader of the House do everything she can to speed up that process, so that before the last Holocaust survivor sadly leaves us, they can witness the monument to making sure that it never happens again?

I thank the hon. Member for that very important tribute to Lily Ebert. She did indeed dedicate her life to ensuring that the next generations are educated on the true horrors of the Holocaust, so that they never happen again. The hon. Member has spent most of his parliamentary career educating the rest of us on these important matters, and pushing forward the Holocaust memorial centre here in Westminster. He knows that that Bill continues its passage in the Lords. I was very pleased to ensure that it was included in this Government’s King’s Speech programme and had early passage in the other place. Hopefully, it will receive Royal Assent at the earliest opportunity, should both Houses wish it to.

In recent weeks, two of my constituents have contacted me about unacceptable delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and particularly about wait times for medical assessments. Most recently, concerns have been raised about the performance of the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency. People in Carlisle and north Cumbria are experiencing incredibly long wait times for driving tests. In areas like mine, where public transport is virtually non-existent, driving is a precursor to being economically active. Will the Leader of the House arrange for the Secretary of State for Transport to make a statement on the steps that the Department for Transport is taking to improve the performance of both the DVLA and the DVSA?

My hon. Friend makes an important point that has been raised in this House previously. Frankly, the situation is just not good enough, especially for people in rural communities like hers, who rely so heavily on being able to drive. She may be aware that there is a Westminster Hall debate next week on the availability of driving tests; that might be a good opportunity to raise some of these issues. I will, of course, ensure that the Minister has heard her question.

Can we have a debate on the hospital review programme? The Leicestershire and Rutland hospitals are now in its scope. We were due to have two hospitals, a midwifery unit and a car park. The proposals were in phase 3, and work had already begun on the plans. I have set up a petition, which is also being shared by fellow Leicester and Leicestershire MPs, to make sure the issue gets the recognition that it needs. I urge everyone in Leicestershire and Rutland to sign the petition. Can we have a debate in Government time on the review, to make sure that the hospitals serving over 1 million people in Leicestershire get the funding that they need?

The new hospital building programme is of great interest to many Members on both sides of the House. However, when we came into government, we found that the programme was a complete work of fiction. Money had not been allocated for many of the promises that had been made. We are undertaking a full and comprehensive review of the new hospital programme to make a realistic and costed proposal for all the new hospitals that this country so desperately needs.

I wish the Leader of the House a happy birthday, and reassure her that life begins at the age she has turned.

This Government have made a huge effort to combat violence against women and girls, both through policing and the courts, but underlying attitudes are more difficult to tackle. In Milton Keynes, I partnered with White Ribbon to make sure we became the first white ribbon city in the UK, and to tackle attitudes by partnering with the police, the shopping centre, the football team and schools to create an environment in which every woman and girl feels safe. International White Ribbon Day is coming up in November. We have always marked it in this House, but does the Leader of the House agree that it would be even more powerful if we became the world’s first White Ribbon-accredited Parliament, so as to make sure that every woman and girl feels safe on our estate?

Life obviously begins at 30. I thank my hon. Friend for raising the important White Ribbon campaign and accreditation, to which she has long been committed. Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government, and one of our key missions is to halve violence against women and girls over the coming years. We are determined to meet that very ambitious target. Her idea of Parliament undertaking the journey to become a White Ribbon-accredited organisation is very good, and I will discuss it with her and with members of the House of Commons Commission.

Will the Leader of the House join me in paying tribute to two fine, distinguished, genial and dedicated parliamentarians, whom we have lost in the past few days: Michael Ancram, Lord Lothian; and Sir Geoffrey Pattie, who passed away most recently? I send my appreciation and condolences to their families, and I would be grateful if the Leader of the House did so on behalf of the House.

As it is the Leader of the House’s birthday today, would she consider giving a present to this House? It is absolutely true that successive Governments have announced important matters in the media, when they should have announced them first to this House, and successive Oppositions have criticised them for doing so. Will she do her level best to ensure no unnecessary repetition of what we recently saw happen with the announcement on the Chagos islands, which was made so soon before Parliament was set to resume?

I join the right hon. Member in paying tribute to the eminent parliamentarians he mentioned, whom we recently lost. It is important that this House comes together to do that.

I try to give many presents to this Chamber, which was why I was keen to announce the long-term recess dates; I am sure we can all agree that was a present. The right hon. Gentleman is right that the Government and I, as Leader of the House, are committed to the principle that statements should be made to Parliament first, and should be made to Parliament as soon as possible, if the House is not sitting. I take the firm view that Secretaries of State should make those statements. I work very hard to uphold those principles. Of course, there are times when announcements need to be made during the recess for international or national reasons, so it is right that the Foreign Secretary came here at the very first opportunity to make his statement to the House.

Warm birthday wishes to the Leader of the House. I welcome the announcement that Black History Month will be debated in Government time. I hope that the decision has been made for perpetuity, so that no matter the colour of the Government, the debate will always happen. This year’s theme is “reclaiming the narrative.” Last week, I posted a poem, “Of the first ones”, on my social media platform. It received a lot of support and some wonderful messages, but also a lot of racist abuse. Researchers at the Natural History Museum have stated that

“scientists are sure that homo sapiens first evolved in Africa”,

so “reclaiming the narrative” might also mean resetting the narrative. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is important to debate such subjects as Black History Month, so that we have an even greater understanding of history?

I thank my hon. Friend for using an opportunity at Prime Minister’s questions yesterday and on other occasions to ask for a debate about Black History Month. It is thanks to her and colleagues’ efforts that we have been able to announce that debate today, so I pay tribute to her. I am sure the issues she raises will be discussed during that debate. It is vital that the narrative is reframed, and that we expose the attitudes she describes on social media and elsewhere, which are fuelled by ignorance and hate, and put an end to them.

May I suggest that the Leader of the House celebrates her special birthday by granting a debate on the amendments to the international health regulations that were agreed at the World Health Assembly in the summer, and that we give MPs a vote on the issue before we hand over sovereignty over important matters of national public health to the World Health Organisation?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for those birthday wishes. As I have gently said on previous occasions, he slightly misunderstands the situation, but of course we always bring important matters before the House. When those matters require a vote—and, in fact, in some cases when they do not require a vote—we have been, and will continue to be, very forthcoming.

Birthday greetings to the Leader of the House from me and my constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Will she join me in paying tribute to all the volunteers and members of the team at Newcastle-under-Lyme food bank? They do wonderful work supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. With that work in mind, can we have a debate on this Government’s plans to tackle food poverty?

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is absolutely right: it is shocking that in 2024 this great country of ours still requires such a huge and widespread use of food banks and that we are blighted by food poverty. That is why this Government have set up a cross-cutting taskforce to address child poverty, and why we are committed to the roll out of free breakfast clubs and the creation of more nurseries in our schools. It is also partly why we are so delighted to introduce the Employment Rights Bill today, so that people can have dignity and security in work.

In north and north-east Lincolnshire, we have some excellent further and higher education institutions that provide the knowledge and skills that our young people need for the evolving world of work. Yesterday, I met representatives of the Association of Colleges, who outlined the challenges that the sector faces. Can we have a debate in Government time on further and higher education colleges to give Members the opportunity to tease out from Government how they see policies developing in that area?

I know that is a matter of concern for many people, and the Government have speedily set about having a review of the funding of BTecs. That review will be completed very quickly, as it is of great concern to further education colleges. We have education questions on 4 November and the forthcoming Technical Education Bill will soon be coming from the other House.

October is ADHD Awareness Month, yet individuals with ADHD —attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—are still being failed with diagnosis delays, medication shortages and a lack of resources in schools and the workplace. May we have a debate on how Government can best support people with ADHD across their lifetime, from childhood to adulthood, to ensure that we can give everybody the opportunity to thrive?

May I take this opportunity to welcome my hon. Friend back as the MP for Leigh and Atherton? [Interruption.] It is a short holiday that she should never have had from being the MP for Leigh, as it was then. I also thank her for all the work that she has done as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on ADHD. I am sure that this would be a very good topic for a Westminster Hall debate if she should apply for one.

On Monday, Gloucestershire’s police and crime commissioner suspended the county’s chief constable. Yesterday, we learned that the deputy chief constable had been suspended in January and subsequently retired in June. These matters remain under investigation and I do not seek to comment on the specifics of the cases, as that would be unfair to the individuals concerned. Given that this leaves our local police force with its two most senior posts vacant, will the Leader of the House consider making time for a debate, or a ministerial statement, on what happens in these difficult circumstances where a leadership vacuum emerges in police forces?

The hon. Member would not expect me to comment on the individual cases that he outlines. We do have Home Office questions coming up on 21 October and I am sure that he can raise those matters there. One thing that we have found since the election is that morale and leadership in our police forces are not what they could be, which is why the Home Secretary is embarking on a recruitment drive and reforms in our police force to ensure that we have all the police that we need.

Around half a million people rely on heat networks, which is good in achieving our climate goals, but heat networks are not included in the Ofgem price cap. My constituents in Craigmillar are therefore facing a 400% increase in their energy bills. That is terrifying for them and completely unacceptable. Heat networks should have the same protections as traditional heating systems. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time so that we can address this terrible anomaly?

That very important matter has been raised with me before and I know that it is of real concern to my hon. Friend and to many other colleagues across this House. Next week’s Westminster Hall debate on the community benefits of renewable energy projects may provide him with an opportunity to raise it, but if not I will ensure that he gets a good response from the Minister.

Many happy returns to the Leader of the House, who shares her birthday with the true legend that is my father. Last week, we saw significant flooding in the east of England, and across Cambridgeshire in particular. In my constituency of Huntingdon, I visited local residents whose houses either flooded or were at risk of flooding on Hansell Road and Centenary Way in Brampton, and on Whitecross in St Ives. In all instances, local residents told me that they were frustrated by the lack of co-ordination in the multi-agency response. Afterwards, I wrote to the chief executive of Cambridgeshire county council to address that. He was very quick to abdicate responsibility, stating that

“being a Lead Flood Authority does not mean we are the lead agency in addressing a response to flooding”.

With the Government implementing a flood resilience taskforce, will the Leader of the House make time in the parliamentary schedule to debate the role and responsibilities of co-ordinating the multi-agency response to flooding?

First, I wish the hon. Member’s father a happy birthday. What a great birthday he has—good judgment there. The hon. Member raises the important issue of flood resilience, which gets raised in business questions and elsewhere frequently. As we move into the winter months, the issue is of particular relevance. Were he to apply for a Westminster Hall debate, I know that his application would get wide support, but I will consider whether time can be made for these issues before we get into the winter months.

I welcome the introduction of the Employment Rights Bill today—a truly momentous piece of legislation that will improve conditions for workers across the whole country. Can the Leader of the House advise me on how the Bill will have a significant impact on the working lives of my constituents in Mansfield?

We are delighted that that huge Bill will be introduced today. I put on the record my thanks to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and all their officials, who have worked at pace to introduce this huge and important Bill within 100 days of the election. As my hon. Friend says, it will do many things. I will not go into them now, but it is an important reminder that in 1997, when the previous Labour Government introduced the Bill that became the National Minimum Wage Act 1998, it was resoundingly opposed by Conservative Members, as they are seemingly opposing today’s Employment Rights Bill. I am sure that that will be a matter of much debate in the coming weeks as we discuss the Bill.

Many happy returns to the Leader of the House. This week, questions have been raised about whether Lord Walney is to be sacked as the Government’s anti-extremism adviser, amid concerns about his independence. I understand that a formal complaint will be lodged next week about paid roles that he held advising lobbyists for clients including fossil fuel and arms companies at the same time as he advised the Government that some peaceful climate protesters and anti-war protesters should be considered extremists. May we have a debate on whether we need to revisit the rules around when a Government adviser is formally described as independent, especially when the Government have said that they want to raise standards?

The hon. Member raises an important matter about a public appointment, the specifics of which I will not get into now, as to do so would not be appropriate. Home Office questions will be on 21 October, but I will ensure that she gets a response from a Minister long before then.

Despite warm words and promises from Ministers and indeed Prime Ministers in the last Government, Doncaster royal infirmary, for reasons that to this day are still unclear, was left off the new hospitals programme, which we now know was not even funded. Will the Leader of the House allow time for a debate on Doncaster’s need for a new hospital and our extensive repair backlog, as well as the urgent need to transfer all patient records from paper to digital so that people in my constituency can have the healthcare that they deserve?

My hon. Friend describes a familiar story. The woeful state of the infrastructure within our NHS and the capital and digital assets are matters of huge importance and great urgency. As I said in answer to an earlier question, unfortunately the last Government’s new hospital building programme was a work of fiction, and we are working at pace to put that right. I understand that Doncaster and Bassetlaw teaching hospitals NHS foundation trust is due to receive its critical infrastructure risk funding soon, but I will ensure that she gets a full response about the future of her hospital.

May I also wish the Leader of the House a very happy birthday? Fifty is definitely the new 30 in her case. An investigation by researchers at the University of Bath has revealed that schoolchildren in England are unknowingly smoking vapes spiked with the synthetic drug Spice, which is highly addictive. Tests on just under 600 confiscated vapes revealed that one in six contained Spice. That is an alarming figure. The Government must raise awareness of this issue in schools to educate young people, teachers and parents. Can we have a debate in Government time to raise this serious issue and discuss how we can protect young people from a life of serious addiction?

I thank the hon. Member for the birthday wishes and for all her work over recent months. As ever, she raises another thoughtful and important matter. She will be aware that the Government are committed to imminently bringing forward the tobacco and vapes Bill, which will rightly bring in new restrictions around the sale of vapes to children, and there will be further measures announced in the Bill when it is soon introduced.

In Norfolk, safety concerns regarding school ceilings have recently been identified. Norfolk county council has inspected 60 schools and at least 15 are in need of urgent repairs; signs of these faults were reportedly missed in previous inspections. Can we have a debate on school safety in Government time to ensure that every child is educated in a decent building?

The woeful state of our crumbling school buildings is there for all to see, and the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete scandal a year or so ago was just another symptom of the previous Government’s lack of decision making and lack of funding for these things. I am sure that the Education Secretary would be happy to take a question from my hon. Friend in oral questions, which are coming up soon, and I will ensure that the relevant Minister has heard her question.

Many Members, including reportedly the Health Secretary, have grave concerns about the proposal to legalise euthanasia. Changing the law would change our relationship with the elderly, the infirm and the vulnerable, and risk a broadening scope and abuses of power. On such a serious issue, we need proper consultation and real debate, so instead of rushing this measure through in a private Member’s Bill on a Friday, will Ministers commit to a proper, considered consultation, and then make available Government time for us to carefully address this very serious matter?

The hon. Member will know that assisted dying is a matter of conscience and therefore a matter for Parliament; it is not one on which the Government have a view or will take an active role. We will remain neutral. Should someone wish to bring forward a private Member’s Bill, I am sure that it will progress through respectful and lengthy debate in Parliament, as we have had in the past and has taken place in the other House. That is a long-standing convention. The Government have set aside collective responsibility to allow the debate to happen in a thoughtful and thorough way.

Today is World Mental Health Day, so I pay tribute to staff and volunteers at charities such as Mind BLMK and Samaritans, among many others, who do brilliant work to support people in Luton South and South Bedfordshire. This year’s theme is mental health in the workplace, so I was delighted to see Labour’s Employment Rights Bill formally laid in Parliament today, and even more pleased to hear the Leader of the House announce that its Second Reading will be on 21 October, even though that pre-empted my question. I will simply ask: does she agree that Labour’s Bill will make a huge difference to people’s mental wellbeing in the workplace and that the whole House should support it on that basis alone?

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend.

I extend my warm wishes to the Leader of the House on her special birthday.

With one pharmacist per 7,200 residents, West Berkshire has the lowest provision of pharmacists in the country—the national average is one pharmacist per 4,600 residents. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time to debate how the current NHS pharmacy contract restricts the availability of pharmacists, particularly in west Berkshire?

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. Rolling out the availability of pharmacy services is vital for the Government’s agenda on prevention and on providing services—be they GPs or pharmacies—in every community. Those are important matters. I know that the Health Secretary will continue to update the House. Health questions are next week should the hon. Gentleman wish to raise the matter then.

I congratulate the Leader of the House—my constituency neighbour—on her birthday, and wish her and her family the best.

Mr Speaker has left the Chair, but I know that he is, like me, a long-standing user of Avanti West Coast trains for his constituency travel, so I am sure that he will be familiar with their poor reliability. Last week, I was made aware of a serious crisis at my local station, Stockport. It seems that Avanti is simply not employing enough staff for the station to function when it comes to passenger and worker safety, and passenger experience. The Financial Times recently reported that Avanti was the worst-performing train operator in the UK between April and June. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on the impact of Avanti’s operational performance not just on the regional economy in the north, but on the national economy and public infrastructure?

Like my hon. Friend, I am a regular user of Avanti West Coast services and Stockport station. I hope that Avanti’s reliability will be spot on this afternoon so that I can get home in time for a birthday meal—please take note! He raises an important issue. The privatisation programme has not worked, and our trains have for too long been unreliable and expensive, serving the country poorly. That is why we very quickly introduced the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, which is now in the other place. We will soon bring forward a further Bill to establish Great British Railways in order to bring our trains back into public ownership once again.

I wish the Leader of the House many happy returns.

In South Northamptonshire, more than 4,000 people have a diabetes diagnosis, yet only 54% of them have the required treatment to avoid complications. We need to remove the stigma around diabetes and secure greater access to technology. Will the Leader of the House urge the Government to take action to ensure that we take the treatment of diabetes seriously and give patients the support that they need?

I thank the hon. Lady for that important question. She is absolutely right: diabetes is one of those illnesses alongside which people can live long, healthy and happy lives if they get the right treatment. Technology is moving at a particularly fast pace in that area, and if every patient could get access to it, that would improve their quality of life. Were she to ask for a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate, I am sure that it would be well received.

More than 20 people are hoping to get in, so let us keep contributions short and snappy.

I extend my birthday wishes to the Leader of the House.

One of my Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove constituents recently told me about the difficulty they were having in securing a test to qualify as a driving instructor. We have a dire need for more driving instructors to tackle the backlog of those waiting for tests. Will the Leader of the House make time to debate the matter in the House?

My hon. Friend is the second Member to raise that important topic this morning. He may not be aware but there is a Westminster Hall debate on 16 October on the availability of driving tests. Of course, having qualified driving instructors is critical to that endeavour, so he may wish to attend that debate.

House buyers in Acland Park in Feniton thought that they were buying homes in which they could raise their families, but their deeds stated that the Acland Park Management Company would apply to get the road adopted by county council highways and the sewers by South West Water. Since then, the management company has become insolvent, the roads and sewers have not been adopted and the residents cannot move or sell their homes. Will the Government grant us a debate on flawed, failed and rip-off property management companies?

That topic gets raised many times in this House, and we are all well aware of it. It is part of the reason we will be introducing draft legislation on leasehold reform, which is a long-standing issue. I am sure the hon. Gentleman could raise the issue of managing agents in a further debate, either in Westminster Hall or through the Backbench Business Committee once it is established.

With many high street banks announcing local branch closures and pointing people to the post office as a resource for services, the attractiveness of being a sub-postmaster has never been more important. In my constituency, though, our post office in Cairneyhill will be closing, and those considering taking it over are being put off by the costs and complications involved. Could time be allowed for a discussion of how to support new postmasters to take on those vital community roles?

Postmasters have had a very difficult time in recent years, and there are still many questions facing the Post Office about the support, recruitment and remuneration of postmasters. I am sure that would make an extremely good topic for a debate in this House.

Happy birthday, Leader of the House! To make quite a simple point, do not count the years—instead, make the years count. That is the important thing to do.

On the minds of Members who care about protecting freedom of religion or belief is a man of great importance, Jimmy Lai. British citizen Jimmy Lai, who will turn 77 at the end of this year, has been detained in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison in Hong Kong for nearly four years since December 2020. Confined to a cell for 23 hours of the day, his Catholic faith is a source of strength. What steps can the Government take to raise the case of Mr Lai with the Hong Kong authorities, and will representations be made concerning reports that Mr Lai—a practising Roman Catholic—has been denied access to the Eucharist, aggravating that inhumane treatment even more and impinging on his freedom of religion?

What better birthday present than a question from the hon. Gentleman, and some pearls of wisdom to go with it! I will take his words on board.

As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises a very important case. Mr Lai’s case is a priority for this Government; the Foreign Secretary has already raised it with China’s Foreign Minister, and we continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and to release him immediately.

I must declare an interest before asking my question: before serving in this place, I am proud to have served as a national officer for Unison, the biggest trade union and, by membership, the biggest organisation for women in the country. As such, I am particularly pleased to see the measures dealing with maternity rights in the Employment Rights Bill presented today. It is estimated that more than 4,000 women who were dismissed last year will benefit from the provisions in the Bill. The Conservative party has pushed through to the final two of its leadership contest—whether or not it intended to do so—a candidate who believes that maternity pay has gone too far.

Not true.

Conservative Members may not want to hear it, but it is true. On that point, will we have plenty of time to discuss the important issue of maternity rights as the Bill progresses?

My hon. Friend can take a great deal of personal satisfaction and thanks for the Bill getting to this place, along with his union Unison, which we are proud to have worked with on that Bill and on the Make Work Pay policy document that supports it. He is absolutely right: the issues of maternity pay, parental leave, bereavement leave and zero-hours contracts, as well as all the other benefits in the Bill, will be widely debated as it progresses through the House of Commons.

There is an even better birthday present than a question from the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon): theatre tickets to the Beck theatre in Hillingdon. That theatre is much loved by my residents and constituents, but unfortunately we face the real prospect of its closing in the coming weeks due to the inaction of the local Conservative council in Hillingdon. Would the Leader of the House make time in this place to discuss the real value created by arts, culture, and community theatres such as the Beck?

My hon. Friend raises the very important matter of community theatres, and the one in his constituency sounds really important. It is a matter of national shame that so many theatres are struggling to find funding, and I hope that his local authority will reconsider its decision. He may wish to raise this issue next week at Culture, Media and Sport questions.

May I say penblwydd hapus iawn to the Leader of the House?

Last week, I was absolutely delighted to attend the launch of Bangor University’s new medical school, a really exciting development that will not only train the next generation of doctors in north Wales, but be a real catalyst for regional investment. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating all those involved in delivering the medical school, and make time for a debate in this House on the important role that universities can play in stimulating regional growth?

To see the new medical school opening is a brilliant thing to happen so early in my hon. Friend’s time as the MP representing Bangor. It will be a vital facility in helping this Government to deliver our ambitions for an extra 40,000 appointments a week and all the additional doctors that our NHS so desperately needs, so I am delighted to thank all of those involved, and I thank her for supporting it.

May I wish my right hon. Friend an excellent time on her very special day?

Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Drumchapel citizens advice bureau and thank it for dealing with 7,448 clients, clocking up 12,442 volunteer-hours and securing some £2,810,039 for clients in the course of the last year? Drumchapel citizens advice bureau, although excellent, faces a situation that is of course typical across communities up and down this country. Would the Government be able to provide time for a debate so that we can recognise the work of CABs and discuss what further support they might be given?

I am sure every Member of Parliament in this House will want to thank the citizens advice bureaux for the work they do across the country in providing our constituents with so much support and advice. I am sure that would be a very welcome topic for a Backbench Business or Adjournment debate if she wanted to apply for one.

Order. I am going to try to get everybody in, so let us keep questions really short.

I recently met campaigners in the beautiful village of Toft Monks in my constituency to talk about road safety in the area. There is a campaign running, which I am supporting, to lower the speed limit to 30 mph to make sure that children can walk to school safely on the village roads. Can we have a debate in Government time on highway safety in rural areas?

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. That is a great topic for a debate. We had Transport questions this morning, but if he wants to put in for an Adjournment debate on that, I am sure it would be looked on kindly.

I would like to pay tribute to my fellow Libran, and say that 50 is indeed the new 21. As a woman of a certain age, I know that it is really important for us in this House and for everybody to celebrate and raise awareness of World Menopause Day, which is on 18 October, as well as the work of Maggie’s, the cancer charity, which wants to highlight the issue of early treatment-induced menopause for women receiving cancer treatment. Can we have a debate on the Floor of this House about the crash menopause and raising awareness for women undergoing cancer treatment?

My hon. Friend highlights the important work that Maggie’s and others do and those affected by cancer that brings on the necessary early onset of menopause and other issues. I am sure she will continue to raise these matters in the House.

I wish my parliamentary namesake a happy birthday.

Dockless e-bikes are an increasingly popular transport mode in Kensington and Chelsea and in Westminster, yet local authorities do not have the powers to regulate inappropriate parking and antisocial behaviour. Would the Leader of the House consider granting time to debate whether local authorities should have more power to regulate the dockless e-bike rental market?

My hon. Friend does indeed have a great surname! He is absolutely right that e-bikes can be a blight and a challenge, and there are safety issues. The Government are currently considering these issues, and we have introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill that will consider some of these matters further, so I am sure there will be plenty of debate.

During the recess, I had the privilege of visiting Elliott Hudson college, an outstanding institution delivering excellent post-16 education in my constituency. The students had some fairly tough questions for me—the future is very bright in Leeds South West and Morley—but my question today is about the decision to pause and review the cancellation of the applied general qualifications, and specifically the impact of that on the ability of colleges such as Elliott Hudson to plan for the future. The review is absolutely the right course of action for the Government to take, but will the Leader of the House provide time for this House to be updated on its progress, so that post-16 education institutions such as of Elliott Hudson can have some clarity on what qualifications they can offer next year?

As I know from my own constituency, this matter is raised with Members regularly by further education colleges. The Government have paused the planned defunding of those qualifications, which means that 95 qualifications are again available to learners. The review is taking place as quickly as possible. I hope we will publish it before Christmas, and I can guarantee that there will be a statement to this House at that time.

I am sad to inform the House that my colleague and friend Councillor Linda Maloney MBE passed away recently. She served the local community in St Helens for 30 years as a councillor, and she was a trailblazer on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority. She was a formidable woman, a strong Labour woman and an inspiration to many people, including me. Will the Leader of the House join me in sending condolences to her husband, Mike, and family? Could she find time for a debate on the importance and value of community campaigners and councillors such as Linda, to recognise the difference they make to communities up and down the country?

Linda Maloney sounds like a wonderful woman who served her community in St Helens brilliantly over a long period. It is a very welcome reminder of the important role that our councillors, volunteers and community activists play in making sure that our communities are the best places in which to live and work.

The murder of Mark Noke in my constituency last year, in a terrible case of mistaken identity when a drug gang went to the wrong address, was a heartbreaking and senseless tragedy, especially for his family, whom I met recently. Although justice was served with seven convictions, I believe that the experience of the family throughout the trial could have been improved. Will the Leader of the House set out how this House can monitor the new Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 to ensure that its provisions are implemented, and will she advise how the voices of bereaved families such as my constituents can be heard in that process?

I am sorry to hear of the tragic case that my hon. Friend has outlined, and my condolences go to the loved ones of Mark Noke. We are going to implement the reforms in the Victims and Prisoners Act, but we will also go further. We are going to introduce the victims, courts and public protection Bill later in this Session, and I am sure he will want to follow that with a close eye.

An elderly constituent of mine in Cardiff West has been involved in months of protracted correspondence with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which has suddenly demanded that my constituent hand over payslips dating back 50 years to satisfy itself about my constituent’s employment half a century ago. The House will know that the number 50 holds a particular resonance for my right hon. Friend today, so may I take the liberty of asking that she looks kindly at a request for a debate on how HMRC approaches such cases with our elderly constituents?

I think my hon. Friend misheard—it is 30! [Laughter.] He raises what sounds like the really ludicrous situation of expecting somebody to find so many payslips over a whole lifetime as evidence, and I will definitely raise the matter with Treasury Ministers.

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and over the last few months I have seen how Bawtry has turned the town pink, with 70 organisations coming together to raise awareness of this really important topic. In fact, I think the last time I saw as many bras on display was when I was a young kid of about seven years old and shopping with my mum and sister, and took the wrong turn in Marks and Spencer. Would the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Bawtry and those 70 organisations on raising awareness of this massively important issue, and of the importance of noting and identifying the symptoms of breast cancer early?

My hon. Friend might attract some other attention to Bawtry, now that he has said how many bras are on display. He raises an important issue about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the importance of the screening programme in preventing many deaths—it prevents 1,300 deaths a year. He is right that the programme has been declining, so the efforts of his constituents and others to raise breast cancer awareness and highlight the importance of screening are absolutely to be applauded.

The Cheshire county netball under-17 squad, which includes girls from my constituency, will travel to America next month to compete in the netball open championships—the first British team to be invited to do so, I believe. I know that the team will have an unforgettable experience and will showcase their talent, and I wish them all the best. Will the Minister arrange a debate on the benefits of supporting grassroots teams and facilitating their participation in such events, which offer youngsters unique opportunities and help develop cultural relationships between countries and friendships between competitors?

I am delighted to congratulate the Cheshire county under-17 squad on successfully reaching the 2024 USA netball open championships—what an achievement. Netball is a fantastic sport; I really enjoyed it as a youngster, as my daughter does now. My hon. Friend might want to raise these issues in the next debate on the importance of sport in our society.

Having saved the best till last, I call Jim Dickson.

My hon. Friend raises a really important matter for his constituency, and it is exactly the sort of subject that would benefit from an application for an Adjournment debate in the House.

Bill Presented

Employment Rights Bill

Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)

Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, supported by the Prime Minister, Secretary Angela Rayner, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Pat McFadden, Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Secretary Liz Kendall, Secretary Louise Haigh, Anneliese Dodds, and Justin Madders, presented a Bill to make provision to amend the law relating to employment rights; to make provision about procedure for handling redundancies; to make provision about the treatment of workers involved in the supply of services under certain public contracts; to provide for duties to be imposed on employers in relation to equality; to provide for the establishment of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body; to make provision about trade unions, industrial action, employers’ associations and the functions of the Certification Officer; to make provision about the enforcement of legislation relating to the labour market; and for connected purposes.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Monday 14 October, and to be printed (Bill 11) with explanatory notes (Bill 11-EN).