theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_8

Sadik Al-Hassan:What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase economic growth through new transport infrastructure. \p Darren Jones: The growth mission is the central mission of this Government. At the Budget, we delivered a £1.1 billion cash increase to the transport budget for 2025-26 compared with 2024-25, representing a 1.5% real-terms increase. We will set out further spending plans for transport in June. \p Sadik Al-Hassan: What value does my right hon. Friend expect that the recently announced and much-anticipated Portishead and Pill railway line will add to the local economy of my constituency of North Somerset? \p Darren Jones: First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on his campaigning on this issue. As I represent the neighbouring constituency, I declare that the project may have some indirect benefit for my constituents. I can confirm to the House that the project supports regional and national strategic objectives. The West of England is the most productive city region outside of London, and it is set to continue to grow. An efficient and reliable rail link between Bristol and Portishead will support a range of large and small sites for housing and employment across the region, halving journey times and opening a wide range of job and leisure opportunities for the residents of North Somerset. \p Martin Vickers: If steel production ceases or is curtailed at the Scunthorpe steelworks, there will be a massive impact on the wider economy in northern Lincolnshire. Can the Minister give an assurance that contingency plans, including improvements to transport infrastructure, are in place should the worst happen? \p Darren Jones: We recognise how important this issue is for the hon. Member’s constituency, the region and, indeed, the national economy. My ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade are in discussions on this particular issue, but in our infrastructure strategy we are considering, as he would expect, the best value for aligning investments between housing, rail, energy and other types of infrastructure to deliver growth for everyone, in every region of the country. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the shadow Minister. \p Gareth Davies: We know that the Energy Secretary is against airport expansion unless it is in Doncaster, and we know that many Labour MPs are against airport expansion unless it is in Pakistan. To be fair, at least the Chancellor wants airport expansion actually in this country, but at the same time she is jacking up air passenger duty by as much as 16%. Only this Chancellor could be pro-airport, but anti-passenger. Labour’s Climate Change Committee wants to see air passenger numbers fall by 2030, so I ask the Minister: does he? \p Darren Jones: No.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_10

Anna Sabine:What fiscal steps she is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living. \p Torsten Bell: The Government’s top priorities for pensioners are to raise the state pension and to rescue the NHS. This week more than 12 million pensioners saw their state pensions rise by 4.1%, well ahead of inflation. That is worth an extra £470 a year for someone on the full new state pension, and £360 a year for those on the full basic state pension. \p Anna Sabine: I have 250 pieces of outstanding casework relating to the winter fuel payment. An elderly constituent emailed me during the winter, enclosing a picture showing that her thermometer was at 15° and saying that she had to remain in bed for as long as possible each day to stay warm. Given that energy bills are now increasing, does the Minister agree that the decision to cut the winter fuel payment has already had serious consequences for the welfare of pensioners throughout the country? \p Torsten Bell: What the Government are doing is raising the state pension, extending the warm home discount, and ensuring that an extra 50,000 people have had access to pension credit over the last six months. When Members talk about mistakes that have had lasting consequences for pensioners, I look back to the coalition Government’s decision to cut the rate of energy installations by 90%. Pensioners are living with that legacy, in leaky homes, day in day out, but this Government are getting on with insulating homes throughout the country. \p Christopher Vince: The 4.1% increase in the new state pension will make a huge difference to pensioners in my constituency. What more are the Government doing to tackle the cost of living crisis left by the last Government? \p Torsten Bell: I thank my hon. Friend for being a regular attender at Treasury questions, and indeed, as far as I can work out, at every other departmental questions session. He is right to suggest that we will do more, because we are not just increasing pensions above the rate of inflation this year but doing so throughout the current Parliament, and that should raise the state pension by up to £1,900 by the end of the Parliament.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_15

Lewis Cocking:What steps she is taking to help protect in-person banking. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government understand the importance of in-person banking to communities and are working closely with the industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. More than 220 hubs have already been announced, of which more than 135 are already open. \p Julian Smith: Rural communities such as Settle in North Yorkshire are really struggling with the loss of face-to-face banking services. Link hubs are one route for them to replace the banks that are closing. I urge Ministers to do what they can with Link—I accept that it is an independent organisation—to help it to relax the criteria for rural communities, allowing them more face-to-face banking services. \p Emma Reynolds: I would be very happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman if he wanted to discuss a specific banking hub that is being considered. We work very closely with Link. As he will know, his Government passed the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, under which the Financial Conduct Authority, Link and the financial services sector ultimately have power over the criteria, which is not something we are planning to change. \p Lewis Cocking: How does the Minister plan to make it easier to establish banking hubs in communities that have lost all of their banks? I did have a meeting set up with the previous Minister, but she left Government before that meeting could take place. Will this Minister agree to meet me so that I can discuss the establishment of a banking hub in the town of Cheshunt in my Broxbourne constituency? \p Emma Reynolds: I am always happy to meet colleagues and will be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman. \p Clive Efford: The criteria applied by Link are too strict, and banks are being able to walk away from their customers. In Eltham, we have had a salami-slicing process of banks gradually leaving the high street, but, because we have a building society, we cannot ask for a hub. Will the Minister undertake to review Link’s approach, because it is making it difficult for customers to carry out their banking business? \p Emma Reynolds: As I said in my previous answer, we do not have any plans to change the Link criteria; those are a matter for Link. However, there are some flexibilities in the way that it applies the criteria, depending on the local population, travel times to nearby bank branches and, indeed, the number of small businesses in an area. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend if that is of concern to him.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_17

Catherine Atkinson:The defence sector is a vital part of our local economy in Derby, particularly with the landmark £9 billion deal struck with Rolls-Royce, which is supporting the Royal Navy’s submarines and providing a major jobs boost. Does the Chancellor agree that national security goes hand in hand with economic security and, in turn, financial security for households? \p Rachel Reeves: The first duty of any Government is to keep the nation safe. That is why we are increasing defence spending as a share of GDP to 2.5%—the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war. Derby has a vital role to play within the UK’s defence sector, particularly in nuclear engineering and aerospace, as demonstrated by the landmark £9 billion deal with Rolls-Royce, which will create up to 1,000 jobs in the city and protect thousands more. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson. \p Daisy Cooper: I welcome the fast action by the Government to convene the automotive industry in reaction to President Trump’s damaging tariffs, but the measures in and of themselves will not create new export markets or stimulate demand here in the UK. Will Ministers look at Liberal Democrat calls to reintroduce the plug-in car grant and equalise VAT for electric vehicle pavement charging? Will the Government instruct the valuation office to scrap business rates for EV charging bays until the transition is complete? \p Rachel Reeves: The support that we announced yesterday on the phase-out of internal combustion engine cars was very much welcomed by the automotive sector. It will give much more flexibility around the allowances and around plug-in hybrid vehicles. All of that is welcome, but we are keeping a watching brief as well as trying to  ensure that there are new markets for cars made in Britain in other countries around the world by securing more trade deals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_18

Oliver Ryan:What is the Chancellor doing to support businesses and boost wages in towns such as Burney, Padiham and Brierfield, which were forgotten for 14 years under the previous Government? \p Rachel Reeves: My hon. Friend is doing great work supporting local businesses in Burnley, including the digital marketing start-up Door4, which I know he has been championing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_19

Vikki Slade:I have been contacted by many local businesses, including the Cross Keys pub in the Holt Heath nature reserve and the BEAR café in Wimborne. They are two different venues in two different locations, but both tell me that these are the most extreme trading conditions ever seen in hospitality. With national insurance, minimum wage and energy and food costs, will the Chancellor consider a reduction in VAT on hospitality sales to protect high streets and local producers and to save our communities? \p James Murray: I am unclear, given the hon. Lady’s remarks, whether she is opposed to the increase in the national minimum wage, but she should know that we have extended support for businesses in business rates relief this year, which would have been ended entirely under the plans we inherited from the previous Government, and there will be permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure premises on the high street from April 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_20

Dan Tomlinson:As a north London MP, I know that tackling the high housing costs in this city is a priority for my constituents. It is my belief that one route to that is investing in the country as a whole, so that we are not just flying on one London-shaped engine. To that end, did you know, Mr Speaker, that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe that does not have a tram or a mass transit system? That is a damning indictment of decades of economic failure. Will the Chancellor do all she can to ensure that the Leeds tram is built as fast as possible so that her constituents and mine can be better off? \p Rachel Reeves: Hear, hear. I had better declare an interest as a proud Member of Parliament for Leeds West and Pudsey. West Yorkshire combined authority is receiving £830 million for transport spending through round 1 of the city region sustainable transport settlement. That includes £200 million for the development of a mass transport system. For too long Leeds has lacked this. This Government will put that investment in and get those trams running.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_21

Wendy Morton:With the jobs tax and the increase in business rates, and as a result of US tariffs, it is vital that we stimulate the UK economy. What is the Chancellor’s plan, and can she expect us to see interest rates fall? Perhaps if she was listening to the question, she would be able to answer. \p James Murray: I think that was a question about business rates reform. As the right hon. Lady will know, we published a discussion paper on transforming business rates. I am sure that the right hon. Lady will have read and responded to that, so I will look out for her consultation response in what we have received. Transforming businesses rates is about ensuring that we make the business rates system fit for the future to support investment and business growth right across the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-04-08b conversation_22

Allison Gardner:Will the Minister join me in congratulating Goodwin International, which is building a multimillion-pound production unit in Newstead in Stoke-on-Trent South, creating up to 100 jobs in defence manufacturing? Does he agree that increased investment in defence spending will have a tangible impact on my constituents, fuelling jobs and local investment? \p Darren Jones: Yes, and I congratulate my hon. Friend on championing jobs and businesses in her constituency. As she knows, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have confirmed that defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and that a minimum of 10% of the Ministry of Defence equipment budget will now be spent on novel technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence, which will create highly skilled jobs and drive benefits to the wider economy, including in her constituency of Stoke-on-Trent South.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_2

Harpreet Uppal:What recent discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the adequacy of support from mortgage lenders for older people with interest roll-up lifetime mortgages. \p Emma Reynolds: Lifetime mortgages have been regulated by the FCA since 2004. Those rules provide robust consumer protections, including requiring lenders to engage and provide tailored support to all their customers. \p Harpreet Uppal: One of my constituents, a 96-year-old man, took out in 1990 what he thought was a £15,000 loan, but what was actually an interest roll-up lifetime mortgage. Despite paying £40,000 over the years, he now owes over £52,000 due to compound interest. He has been  denied redress by the financial ombudsman due to time limits, and my team has also contacted the FCA and the lender without success. My constituent is now left to deal with the consequences. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this case, and how we can better support other people who have been mis-sold those products? \p Emma Reynolds: I am really sorry to hear about the circumstances that my hon. Friend’s constituent is facing, and I would be happy to meet her to discuss the issue further. Lifetime mortgages are complex financial products, and I suggest that anyone considering equity release seeks independent financial advice to help ensure those products are suitable for their needs. \p Al Pinkerton: An increasing number of pensioners are reaching the end of their mortgages with outstanding borrowing and finding themselves unable to meet later-life lending criteria, and this is likely to become even more prevalent in years to come as house price rises continue to outstrip earnings. What discussions is the Minister having with lenders and the mortgage industry about expanding those criteria and giving hard-working pensioners who might otherwise be forced to seek council support the opportunity to remain in their own homes? \p Emma Reynolds: I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this important issue. I discuss mortgages with lenders and, indeed, with the Financial Conduct Authority on a weekly basis, and I will ensure that I pass on his comments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_4

Markus Campbell-Savours:What comparative assessment she has made of the potential impact of rules for assessing value for money in public spending on levels of funding allocated in the south-east and the north of England. \p Rachel Reeves: In January, I announced a review of the Green Book to ensure that it is supporting fair, objective and transparent advice on public investment across the country, and I am working closely with our mayors, particularly Steve Rotheram, who has championed this issue. Since January, the Treasury has been in conversation with over 70 different organisations and individuals regionally and nationally to identify areas where we can make changes to the Green Book and champion investment in the north of England. \p Lisa Smart: Bear with me on this, Mr Speaker. The previous Conservative Government did not get absolutely everything wrong. They rightly identified that Treasury spending was a powerful tool to rebalance our economy in favour of areas like ours in the north of England. They then failed to deliver, and voters delivered their verdict at the ballot box. This Government have the opportunity to use this powerful tool and ensure that regional disparities are not further entrenched when they look at the Green Book. What reassurance can the Chancellor give my constituents that projects such as repairing Stepping Hill hospital, or bringing the tram-train to Marple, will get a fair crack of the Treasury spending whip? \p Rachel Reeves: I totally agree with the hon. Lady. The plans that we inherited from the Conservative party saw capital spending decline as a share of GDP, which is totally the wrong decision if we want to grow the economy and improve prospects in towns and cities across the north of England. Over the course of this Parliament, we are putting £113 billion more into capital spending so that we can build the road and rail infrastructure, the energy infrastructure, the digital infrastructure and the housing that our country desperately needs. Under our reforms to the Green Book, we will make sure that we get more investment to the places that need it, including towns and cities in the north of England. \p Markus Campbell-Savours: I am grateful to have secured Thursday’s Adjournment debate on the A66 road improvement project—a key transport link between Cumbria, the north-east and North Yorkshire. Cumbria is a long way from Westminster, and many of us fear that the economic case for major projects is stacked in favour of the economically active south-east. Can the Chancellor reassure me that Cumbria will not be disadvantaged when key public spending decisions are taken? \p Rachel Reeves: My hon. Friend is a staunch defender of his constituency and region. We will make decisions at the spending review, which we will publish on 11 June, but as a proud northern MP, I am absolutely determined that the north gets its fair share of investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_7

Peter Prinsley:What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure cross-departmental planning in the development of the spending review. \p Darren Jones: The Treasury has reformed the spending review process to ensure that it facilitates genuine collaboration across Departments. As part of this spending review, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I have met Secretaries of State multilaterally in mission clusters, which have brought together Departments to agree cross-departmental priorities, increase transparency, reduce duplication and align spending with mission delivery across Whitehall, while learning every possible lesson from the failure of the Conservatives to ensure that it is never repeated ever again. \p Peter Prinsley: Some 9,000 UK medical graduates compete with 15,000 overseas graduates for postgraduate training, meaning that many of our own graduates simply cannot progress into higher professional training, and either go abroad themselves or leave medicine. Does the Minister agree that the Treasury has a crucial role to co-ordinate spending on medical university education by the Department for Education and on postgraduate training by the Department of Health and Social Care, so as to ensure that public money spent on medical student education is not wasted? \p Darren Jones: The Government are committed to training the staff the NHS needs as part of our 10-year plan. International staff clearly play an important role in the mix of staff that we have, but we also want to create opportunities for people across the country to work in our national health service. That is why, thanks to changes this Government have made, we have already been able to recruit more than 1,500 additional GPs since October who would otherwise not have been able to seek that type of employment. \p Roger Gale: While discussing the spending review, will the Treasury get the Agriculture Secretary and the Energy Secretary together in the same room, and make sure that agriculture receives the funding it needs and that energy is not allowed to charge agriculture, effectively, for its loss of income? In other words, will the Chancellor ensure we are not robbing Peter to pay Paul? \p Darren Jones: A meeting of that nature has already taken place as part of our mission-led approach to Government. We continue to engage with the Departments for Energy Security and Net Zero and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on these issues, as the right hon. Gentleman suggests—it is exactly what we mean when we talk about cross-departmental collaboration. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, further details will be set out in the spending review in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_10

Munira Wilson:What steps she is taking through the tax system to support vulnerable families. \p James Murray: The Government are committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible. The personal allowance means those earning below £12,570 pay no tax. At our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds, which was implemented by the previous Government. \p Munira Wilson: I thank the Minister for his response, but what short and long-term assessments have Ministers made of the cost to the taxpayer of the deep cuts in grants for therapy for some of the most vulnerable and traumatised children in our country through the adoption and special guardianship support fund? Given the Treasury’s intransigence in putting more money into the fund to meet rising demand, it is likely that adoption and kinship care placements will fail, resulting in more children in the care system in the short term. In the long term, sadly, we know that care-experienced children are four times more likely to end up with a criminal conviction. There is a moral and economic case to support this fund properly. \p James Murray: I very much recognise, both as a constituency MP and as a Minister, the importance of making sure that adoptive parents can build a strong family unit with their adoptive children. If I may make a broader point, the only reason we can invest in public services is because of difficult decisions we have taken around taxation. The problem with the Liberal Democrats and other parties on the Opposition Benches is that they are happy to support the extra funding for public spending, but not the tax rises necessary to pay for it. \p Rachael Maskell: This is not an issue on which to make a party political point. The reality is that a 40% cut to the adoption and special guardianship support fund will be deeply impactful for young people who have experienced significant trauma—abuse, neglect and so much more. Given that our mental health services are not fit for purpose at the moment, it is imperative that we make the right investment so that those young people are not denied a life course opportunity if that fund is cut. Will the Minister review the decision and ensure that we have the proper funding that young people need? \p James Murray: As my hon. Friend will know, spending decisions are for the Chief Secretary of the Treasury to discuss with Departments. I make the general point that investment in mental health, for instance, which she mentioned, is possible only because of the decisions we  have taken on taxation to ensure that we can support public spending on mental health services and on support for young people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_11

Sarah Edwards:What steps she is taking to help increase returns on investment from pension savings. \p Torsten Bell: That is absolutely the right question. We all understandably hear calls for higher rates of pension saving, but the prior question is this: how do we ensure that savers get the best bang for their buck for every penny they save? The forthcoming pension schemes Bill will help make that happen, with bigger pension schemes and fewer small pension pots, driving down costs and driving up saving rates for pensioners. \p Sarah Edwards: Can the Minister share with me, as chair of the reconstituted all-party parliamentary group on pensions and growth, any plans for how counties that are outside mayoral authorities, such as Staffordshire, could benefit from pension reforms to encourage more investment in the UK, to support infrastructure, jobs and local regeneration? \p Torsten Bell: I certainly can. Our reforms to the local government pension scheme will support local investment in every part of England and Wales. Our defence spending plans will be felt on the ground—total defence spending in the west midlands totals £1.6 billion a year. We are building reservoirs again, including one in the west midlands. We are also getting the country trading once again, including businesses in Tamworth, where PI-KEM, a specialist chemical supplier, recently won a major export order, with £100,000 in UK Export Finance support. Britain, and Tamworth, are open for business. \p Jim Shannon: I want to ask about 18-year-olds, who are just starting off, being encouraged to take out a pension. Whenever I was 18, my mother took me down to see John Thompson, the pensions man in Ballywalter, and he said, “You’re going to take a pension.” I asked, “What for, Mum?” She said, “You’re taking a pension.” So I took the pension. Does the Minister agree that what everybody really needs is somebody like my mother to encourage them to take a pension? \p Torsten Bell: I did not know where that was going, but I know that I speak for everybody in the House when I say that the whole country needs someone like the hon. Gentleman’s mother.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_13

Rosie Duffield:If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. \p Rachel Reeves: This Government are securing economic growth. Last week, the numbers published showed that the economy grew by 0.7% in the first quarter of this year, including an 8% increase year on year in investment spending. We are now the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Since the general election, there have been four cuts in interest rates, 200,000 jobs created and three trade deals secured. Britain’s economy is stronger, but I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that working people are better off. \p Rosie Duffield: Westminster is once again buzzing with the latest U-turns, speculation and briefings over the Chancellor’s policies on the winter fuel allowance and the two-child benefit cap. There is less of a buzz for the visitors to Canterbury food bank, however, which last month distributed enough food to make 13,545 meals, in a 47% rise on the same period last year. Will the Chancellor end the serious anxiety of those experiencing fuel and food poverty now and reverse those policies? \p Rachel Reeves: The only reason that we have been able to grow the economy and get those cuts in interest rates, which help working families in Canterbury and right across our country, is because we have returned stability to our economy. That means never making a policy commitment without being able to say where the money comes from, which is what got our country into a mess under the previous Government. We have set out the policies that we needed to put investment into the NHS and secure our public finances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_14

Tracy Gilbert: \p Darren Jones: I join my hon. Friend in welcoming the official opening of the Charles Hammond berth. As she knows, we set up Great British Energy in Scotland, bringing forward £300 million of investment ahead of the spending review to secure jobs and supply chains. Funding for the Port of Cromarty Firth, announced in March, is expected to support up to 1,000 highly skilled jobs, while our uplift to the clean energy bonus will support offshore wind supply chains across the country. That is yet another example of the Government working with business and of a Labour Government delivering for the people of Scotland. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the shadow Chancellor. \p Mel Stride: Will the Chancellor explain what the Economic Secretary to the Treasury meant last week when she said that there will be no tax rises on individuals at the autumn Budget? Will the Chancellor similarly confirm that there will be no tax increases on businesses? \p Rachel Reeves: In our manifesto, we set out that we would not increase taxes on working people—that is, the income tax, national insurance or VAT that they pay. That is why we also reversed the previous Government’s decision to increase fuel duty, which would have had a disastrous effect on working people in our country. We will set out all other tax policy at the Budget. \p Mel Stride: What many up and down the country are asking is why that manifesto pledge not to impose taxes on working people was broken. Last week the Pensions Minister confirmed to the House that the Government would never interfere with the fiduciary duty of pension trustees to get the best return for their members, but when the Chancellor was questioned on that topic by Bloomberg the very same day, she said:

“I am never going to say never”.

This is chaos. The Government cannot even speak with one voice. It is clear that the right hon. Lady and the Pensions Minister cannot both be right, so will she now put the record straight? \p Rachel Reeves: We have secured an agreement with the biggest pension companies to invest on a voluntary basis in UK unlisted equities and infrastructure, which is something the Conservatives never achieved. We are getting investment into British infrastructure and British businesses because that is the way to grow the economy and support working people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_15

Sureena Brackenridge:Will my right hon. Friend outline the steps being taken in the forthcoming spending review to ensure that increased defence spending will stimulate economic growth, so that supply chain companies, such as Collins Aerospace in my constituency, can continue to strengthen national defence capabilities while boosting our local economies, jobs and quality apprenticeships? \p Darren Jones: As my hon. Friend knows, the Government are committed to increasing spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP, with an ambition to go further to 3% in the next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions allow. As part of that increase in spending, we are making sure that UK companies and UK workers get the benefit, including in places such as Wolverhampton, through apprenticeships, good jobs and good growth. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson. \p Daisy Cooper: Yesterday the Chancellor said that she understands the concerns that some people have about the limit at which the winter fuel payment is removed. Does she therefore now agree that restricting the eligibility so tightly was a mistake? \p Rachel Reeves: As the hon. Lady knows, when I became Chancellor last year, we inherited a £22 billion black hole in the public finances—not in some year in the future, but in the financial year that we were already three or four months into. This meant that we had to   make difficult and urgent decisions to put our public finances back on a firm footing—because, unlike the Conservatives, I will never play fast and loose with the public finances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_16

Jack Abbott:Labour-led Ipswich borough council recently announced investment to reopen the iconic Grimwades building in our town centre, which has been left vacant for more than a decade. This local ambition matches the Government’s national initiatives, but challenges remain, so what steps are the Government taking to go even further and reform the unfair business rates system for good? \p James Murray: We are determined to go further and faster to reform business rates, which is why we will publish an update paper in the summer. I am also glad that we can work with councils such as Ipswich to ensure that we can turn around town centres after years of Conservative decline.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_17

Joshua Reynolds:With interest rates still high, what assessment has the Chancellor made of the number of homeowners going into mortgage arrears and the impact that is having on families right across the UK? \p Emma Reynolds: We are in weekly touch with the Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates mortgages, and under this Government we have seen four interest rate cuts since the election, which is bringing mortgage rates down for hard-working people across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_18

Deirdre Costigan:Does the Chancellor agree that four interest rate cuts, three trade deals, two successive quarters of growth and almost 1% of growth announced last week show that our plan for change is working? Does she also agree that it is now essential that this House supports the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill and other efforts to boost growth and put money in the pockets of my constituents in Ealing Southall? \p Rachel Reeves: I very much agree, but what is truly extraordinary is that the Conservatives, Reform and the Scottish National party have voted against or abstained on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and they do not support any of the trade deals that we have secured to support working people in our country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-20a conversation_19

Lisa Smart:My Hazel Grove constituents are content to pay their fair share of tax, but they are understandably disappointed when His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs overcharges and then ghosts them. Gail from Romiley is a foster carer who was owed a tax repayment. She repeatedly contacted HMRC over a nine-month period, but it was only when my superstar casework team got involved that she got a £1,200 rebate. What assurance can Ministers give my constituents that HMRC is adequately resourced to give them the support they need to pay their fair share of tax? \p James Murray: I am sorry to hear about the experience of the hon. Lady’s constituent. To reassure her and her constituent, one of my priorities as chair of the HMRC board is to improve HMRC’s day-to-day performance. We have seen the percentage of telephony adviser attempts handled go from 59% last March to 80% this March. It will remain a priority for me to modernise and digitise the service.
debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_1

Sarah Green:What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of exceptional funding for schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: I am proud that while this Government have made tough decisions, we have protected key education priorities. There is additional investment in breakfast clubs, we are rebuilding and improving our special educational needs and disabilities system, and we are doing much more. After 14 years of decline, dither and delay, we are putting education back at the heart of national life and breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child in every community.

In response to the hon. Lady’s specific question, exceptional funding will continue to be allocated through local authorities on a case-by-case basis. \p Sarah Green: Chesham grammar school, in my constituency, has received exceptional funding from the Department for some years to facilitate the hire of the neighbouring leisure centre’s sports hall for PE lessons. This year, the school’s application has been denied, despite its circumstances not having changed; it still has no on-site sports hall, and it still needs to fund the £65,000 hiring fees each year. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this particular case to ensure that the students of Chesham grammar school have access to the PE curriculum the school is required to provide come September? \p Catherine McKinnell: I would be happy to arrange a meeting for the hon. Lady to discuss this matter further. Buckinghamshire requested for a local authority-owned facility to be funded, and, in line with the published guidance, rental costs for local authority-owned facilities are out of scope of the exceptional funding. However, local authorities should organise such provision within the cost availability for schools. I would be happy to discuss the matter further. \p Deirdre Costigan: Too many children in Southall go to school hungry, so I am delighted that the Chancellor and this Labour Government have chosen to triple investment in breakfast clubs, and that some of the first free breakfast clubs will open at Blair Peach and Wolf Fields primary schools in my constituency. Does the Minister agree that children learn better with a full stomach? \p Catherine McKinnell: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, which is why we are focusing our investment on breakfast clubs, which will ensure that children get not only a good start to the day with a full belly, but the support of a club that will help them to achieve and thrive.
debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_2

Sarah Bool:How many schools left the breakfast club early adopters scheme prior to 24 February 2025. \p Bridget Phillipson: Last month, Labour announced the first wave of primary schools set to offer the new free breakfast clubs. We were delighted that more than 3,000 schools applied to be early adopters, with 750 starting to deliver from the summer term, meaning that children will start the day ready to learn and parents will save up to £450. While Conservative Members cannot bring themselves to welcome the clubs, Labour is boosting parents’ work choices and children’s life chances. \p Sarah Bool: Primary schools have been forced to pull out of the pilot or take a financial hit to participate in it. Does the Secretary of State really believe that the basic funding rate for breakfast is 60p? \p Bridget Phillipson: No, I do not, because that is not actually the case. I am afraid that is not the only area where the hon. Lady is mistaken. The Conservatives should swallow their pride and welcome these breakfast clubs, which will transform the life chances of children across our country, are incredibly popular with parents, and will ensure that all our children get a brilliant start to the school day. \p Mark Ferguson: I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I welcome Opposition Members’ interest in breakfast clubs. Can the Secretary of State confirm that all primary schools and all primary school students will have breakfast clubs by the end of this Parliament? \p Bridget Phillipson: I recognise the incredible work that the early adopters will be taking forward, but it is the case that all primary schools will offer a universal free breakfast club under this Labour Government. Opposition Members can raise the previous schemes  that they left behind all they like, but those schemes were far less generous. This Labour Government are trebling investment in breakfast clubs.
debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_3

Andrew Cooper:What progress her Department has made on establishing regional improvement for standards and excellence teams. \p Bridget Phillipson: Labour’s RISE teams have hit the ground running. The first wave of advisers—professionals with a proven track record of driving up standards—are now drawing up improvement plans with schools. The Tories left more than 600 stuck schools teaching over 300,000 children with no plan for improvement. Labour will drive high and rising standards, turning those schools around and creating a system where every child can achieve and thrive. \p Andrew Cooper: In my area, the Government have identified six stuck schools in Cheshire East and two in Cheshire West. Can the Secretary of State explain the support that will be made available to them to drive up standards? What levers do RISE teams have if schools choose not to follow their advice? \p Bridget Phillipson: Universal support will be available to all schools to drive up standards, but we expect all schools to engage in mandatory, targeted RISE intervention. We will not hesitate to act where there are concerns. Unlike the last Conservative Government, we will not stand by as children pass through schools that are not delivering, year after year. \p Wera Hobhouse: The attainment gaps in the south-west are the largest in England, across the primary and secondary sectors. In the past, local authorities have played a big role in improving education. What plans do the Government have for local authorities to be involved in closing that attainment gap? \p Bridget Phillipson: The hon. Lady is right to identify the disadvantage gaps that exist in many parts of the country, and the challenge in her part of the country. We believe that local authorities have an important role to play, working with trust leaders and others to drive up standards. That is why, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are bringing forward measures to ensure that the system works together more effectively, including in areas such as admissions and place planning.
debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-03-10c conversation_6

Will Stone:What recent progress she has made on determining the future of the institutes of technology. \p Janet Daby: The Department values the approach of the institutes of technology, which bring together education and industry to develop and deliver curriculums related to local employers and create sustainable pathways for talent development. We will continue to work with IOTs —including Swindon and Wiltshire IOT—in developing our strategy for post-16 skills. \p Will Stone: I thank the Minister for her response. Would she consider meeting me so that we can work together on growing IOTs like Swindon, especially given their degree-awarding powers? \p Janet Daby: IOTs bring together further education and higher education providers to deliver higher level technical qualifications including degrees and apprenticeships. I could offer to meet my hon. Friend, but I am sure he would much prefer to meet my noble Friend the Skills Minister from the other place. I will raise his request with her. \p Rebecca Smith: The Stimulating Physics Network has been working to improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of non-specialist science teachers in secondary schools, with outstanding results: in schools that take part, there are 6% more A-level physics entrants, and 29% more girls taking physics. That compares with 13% in schools that do not take part. However, funding for the scheme has been cancelled from 31 March, which is a considerable problem for constituencies like mine, which has a need for science, technology, engineering and maths—STEM—skills, due to the needs of the defence sector. What plans does the Minister have to fill the gap left by the SPN, in order to ensure that the value of physics teaching in schools is maintained, and to reassure teachers, including my constituent Thom, who have been committed to delivering the SPN? \p Janet Daby: We absolutely support girls and young women to take STEM subjects. It is interesting that the Conservatives did funding mid-year, which is unusual. As I am sure that they will be aware, hard decisions need to be made because of the difficult fiscal situation inherited by this Government. We will continue to do more to get girls into STEM subjects; we are absolutely committed to this.