theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Perran Moon:What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for offshore wind in Wales. \p Jo Stevens: In June, the Crown Estate announced that it will partner with Equinor and Gwynt Glas to develop floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea. Those projects will create over 5,000 new jobs and will leverage £1.4 billion in private investment. This will deliver generational  change in Wales. We are supporting the industry with an £80 million investment in Port Talbot port and a £1 billion clean energy supply chain fund to support offshore wind across the UK. \p Perran Moon: Meur ras ha myttin da, Mr Speaker—or should I say “Diolch yn fawr”? The proposed floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic sea lie between the two ancient Celtic nations of Wales and Cornwall. The Celtic sea not only will be a valuable source of renewable energy but has the potential to create thousands of jobs across south Wales and Cornwall. Does the Secretary of State agree that local funding for economic development is essential to realise that potential and that, working hand in hand with Cornwall, Wales will play a key role in helping to unleash the Cornish Celtic tiger? \p Jo Stevens: My hon. Friend is right that floating offshore wind presents significant opportunities for Wales and the UK. In the leasing round that just took place we had a first-mover advantage in this technology of the future. Earlier this month, the Energy Secretary granted development consent for the Mona offshore wind farm, which will bolster north Wales’s offshore wind industry. All of that is contributing to securing our energy independence and bringing down bills for people in Cornwall, Wales and the rest of the UK. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call Jim Shannon. [Interruption.] \p Jim Shannon: I know that cheer was not for me, Mr Speaker. When it comes to offshore wind in Wales, the waters in which that offshore wind energy will be generated are the same waters that flow by Northern Ireland, the same waters that flow by England and the same waters that flow by Scotland. Is it not time to have an offshore wind strategy for the whole United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? If we do it together, we will do it better. \p Jo Stevens: I always believe that we do things better when we do them together.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Olivia Bailey:What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales. \p Nia Griffith: We are committed to spending 5% of the UK’s GDP on national security by 2035. The spending review invested to keep our people safe, with a £10.9 billion real-terms increase to the Ministry of Defence budget. This will help grow the Welsh economy and our thriving defence sector, which is home to over 160 companies employing more than 20,000 people right across Wales. \p Olivia Bailey: This Government’s commitment to spending 5% of GDP on national security will be transformational for Wales and for my constituency, where thousands are employed in the defence sector and where we welcomed a £15 billion boost for the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Do the Secretary of  State and the Minister agree that both our national security and our local economies are better off with Labour? \p Nia Griffith: Absolutely; our ambition is to become a defence industrial superpower by 2025. We are making defence an engine for growth, boosting prosperity, jobs and security for working people across the UK. As part of this, we will establish the UK defence innovation fund, with £400 million to fund and grow UK-based companies. We are also launching the new regional defence growth deals across the UK, including a cluster in Wales. \p UNKNOWN: The Prime Minister was asked—
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Andy MacNae:Last week, four-year-old Eli Testa was killed in Rawtenstall cemetery when a memorial stone fell on him. All of Rossendale was shocked by this tragedy, so I hope the Prime Minister will join me in offering his deepest condolences to Eli’s parents and family.

Families in Rossendale are also deeply concerned about reports that Reform-led Lancashire county council is considering cuts to nursery funding, which would raise costs for working parents and might force some nurseries to close. If this is an example of the sort of efficiencies that Reform is considering, then all of Lancashire—indeed, all of us—should be worried. Will the Prime Minister join me in asking Lancashire county council to think again? \p Keir Starmer: I send my deepest condolences to Eli’s friends and family. I join my hon. Friend in urging the new Reform council to think again and change its mind on damaging cuts that hit children and young families. My hon. Friend is doing a much better job than his predecessor, the Conservative party chairman under Liz Truss, who has now joined Reform. That proves once again that if people vote Tory they get Reform, and if they vote Reform they get the Tories. While both parties are cutting services at home, we support families with free school meals and free breakfast clubs, and by extending free childcare.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Desmond Swayne:Jack Straw told us that the Human Rights Act 1998 places on us no expectation that we will   remedy a declaration of incompatibility issued by a court, so the Prime Minister is wrong to say that the legacy Act is struck down. His own proposals, which open the door to compensation to Gerry Adams and place in jeopardy our own servicemen, present enormous difficulty to those of us who have served—that is increasingly the case on the Prime Minister’s own Benches. Will he consider that? \p Keir Starmer: The failed legacy Act was struck down by the courts in Northern Ireland, and that leaves veterans exposed. We are creating a secure, transparent system that protects veterans from unjustified persecution, but that also gives victims, families and survivors the confidence that they need in the process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Paul Waugh:Workers in Rochdale on the minimum wage received a much needed pay rise this summer, thanks to this Government, but honest businesses are being undermined by the menace of illegal working, particularly by illegal migrants from Iran and Iraq in bogus barber shops and fake vape shops. Does the Prime Minister agree that we need to speed up the roll-out of digital IDs, particularly to help our police and immigration staff crack down on this grey market that ruins our high streets and undercuts the pay of British workers? \p Keir Starmer: My hon. Friend is an excellent champion for Rochdale and, I know, a strong supporter of his local police and trading standards teams. Since we came to power, we have ramped up enforcement raids on illegal working. Arrests have gone up by 50%, and we are tightening the law on delivery drivers. Digital ID will help us to tackle illegal working, and we are rolling out the use of e-visas to have digital records of immigration status and allowing on-the-spot checks of anybody’s right to work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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James MacCleary:Severe  pregnancy sickness—hyperemesis gravidarum, or HG—can mean vomiting more than 20 times a day. It causes physical discomfort, acute malnutrition and severe dehydration, which often leads to hospitalisation. It has profound and long-lasting mental health consequences. It was recently reported that a woman took her own life after being denied access to the only licensed treatment, Xonvea—tragically, her unborn child died too. The drug is licensed and available, yet women face a cruel postcode lottery to access it. Will the Prime Minister work urgently with the Department of Health and Social Care to end this scandal, so that every woman who needs Xonvea can get it, wherever she lives? Will he meet with me and campaigners to look at this as a matter of urgency? \p Keir Starmer: I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this really important issue. I am obviously incredibly sorry to hear about the tragic case that he mentions. As he will know, the availability of this drug is regulated across the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which makes decisions on which treatments provide the best care for patients while maintaining value for money for the taxpayer. I will make sure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to see what more can be done to get this treatment to patients who need it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Navendu Mishra:In  Stockport, approximately 20% of families live in social housing. After Stockport Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors blocked the Greater Manchester spatial framework proposal in 2020, the need for social housing is even more critical. Far too many families are living in insecure, overcrowded accommodation and waiting years for a suitable family home. I welcome Labour’s record-breaking £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing, and I want to ensure that communities such as mine in Stockport are prioritised. Can the Prime Minister confirm that these homes will be built and will be affordable? Will he look again at suspending the right to buy? \p Keir Starmer: We are delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, and we are proud to do so. Our £39 billion investment will deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes, with at least 60% of homes delivered for social rent. While we do not intend to remove the right to buy, which helps social tenants to get on the property ladder, we are reforming the scheme to protect social housing stock and encourage councils to deliver more new homes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Julian Smith:A much better understanding of the particular needs of autistic and neurodiverse children is vital to expanding capacity in mainstream education for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. As the Prime Minister looks at the SEND Bill over the summer, can I urge him to introduce mandatory training for all teachers and staff on autism and neurodiversity? \p Keir Starmer: I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that contribution, because parents and children have been failed far too often. We are committing an additional £1 billion to SEND, but there must be meaningful reform alongside it, and new teachers must have the appropriate training. We are committed to reviewing that and to working with parents and teachers, and we will take away his suggestion. I invite him and others across the House to work with us on this important reform, because I think this issue has been raised with me more than any other at Prime Minister’s questions. It is clearly a broken system; it needs reform. If we can work together across the House to get it right, I think that is the least we owe to parents and children across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Tim Roca:I com-mend the Prime Minister on his work to tackle the arbitrary detention of British citizens abroad and warmly welcome the creation of a special envoy. He will know of the anguish of the families of Jimmy Lai, Ryan Cornelius, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Jagtar Singh Johal and others. Can the Prime Minister tell us when he anticipates the appointment of the envoy will happen? Will they have real powers, like their counterparts in Canada and the United States, to help bring our people home? \p Keir Starmer: I thank my hon. Friend for his work on the all-party parliamentary group on arbitrary detention and hostage affairs, championing the plight of British nationals facing the most difficult circumstances  overseas? We routinely raise these cases with international counterparts, as he would expect, and we are deeply committed to getting them home and united with their loved ones. As part of our work to strengthen support for British nationals overseas, we are working at pace to get the envoy role set up, and I will make sure that he is kept updated about that.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Blake Stephenson:Government plans for English devolution and NHS reform suggest that integrated care boards should align with new strategic authorities. The Government’s plan for Bedfordshire will not currently achieve that, so what assurances can the Prime Minister provide that local NHS reorganisation will be good value for money, improve local accountability and deliver the healthcare services that are needed to serve my constituents in rural Mid Bedfordshire, including the much-needed GP surgery in Wixams? \p Keir Starmer: The hon. Gentleman’s points about good value for money and accountability are really important. They are embedded in the work we are doing with the NHS at the moment, which is improving on our watch—not only the waiting lists, but in other respects. The 10-year plan for the NHS, which is intended to ensure that the NHS is fit for the future, has a number of principles, including the principle of local accountability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Brian Leishman:On 11 June, Alexander Dennis announced that it was planning to stop bus manufacturing in Scotland. My hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) and I have met the workers, the trade unions, the company and both UK and Scottish Government Ministers to see how closure can be averted. Alexander Dennis needs commitments to orders for 2025 and 2026, and elected mayors are ideally placed to do this. Our industrial strategy is right when it says that where things are made, and by whom, matters. As such, can the Prime Minister assure Alexander Dennis and the workers that he believes bus manufacturing should have a future in Larbert and Falkirk? \p Keir Starmer: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this matter. It is a deeply concerning time for the workers and their families in Falkirk. I agree with him, and we are working with mayors and local leaders to develop a pipeline of future orders for zero emission buses, which is an important aspect of this issue. The Minister for local transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield and Rothwell (Simon Lightwood), is hosting an urgent meeting of the bus manufacturing expert panel.

While Labour mayors in England are ordering Scottish buses, the SNP is ordering buses from China, just like it ordered ships from Turkey and Poland, not from Scottish shipyards. The SNP should be backing Scottish workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Graham Stuart:I begin by warmly congratulating the Prime Minister on his first year in office. I acknowledge that the Labour manifesto was beautifully written, deeply moving and, like that other great blockbuster of hope and redemption, “The Salt Path”, a total pack of lies. With joblessness, inflation and debt ballooning, with  his personal ratings collapsing, and with his Back Benchers on a work to rule, could the Prime Minister recommend— \p Lindsay Hoyle: Order. Come on—let us get on with the question. \p Graham Stuart: Could the Prime Minister recommend a summer recess read, in order to take all our minds off the calamitous journey on which he and the Chancellor have embarked? \p Keir Starmer: From looking at the Opposition Benches, I think most Conservative Back Benchers are already on their summer recess. We are very proud of our manifesto—it was a very successful manifesto, giving us a landslide victory—and now we are very proud to be implementing it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Imran Hussain:Let us be clear in this House: Israel is starving Palestinian children. That is a war crime. Israel is killing Palestinian children as they queue for food. That is a war crime. Our Government have quite rightly imposed thousands of sanctions on Russia for its war crimes in Ukraine. How many more horrors must we witness before the Prime Minister acts with the same scale of sanctions against Israel to stop this genocide? Do Palestinian lives not matter? \p Keir Starmer: As I said earlier, I am appalled by reports of more civilians being killed in Gaza, particularly when they are trying to access aid. Each of those incidents needs to be fully and transparently investigated, with accountability for any failings. That, of course, has to happen alongside the ceasefire that is desperately needed and that we are working hard with others to achieve, in order to release all of the hostages who remain, but also to protect civilians and get much more aid into Gaza at speed and at volume.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lincoln Jopp:I can see why you call these sessions Prime Minister’s questions and not Prime Minister’s answers, Mr Speaker. \p Hon. Members:: More! \p Lindsay Hoyle: Order. If this carries on, there will be no more. Come on, Lincoln Jopp. \p Lincoln Jopp: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Following the magnificent success of the England cricket team earlier this week and the triumphal return of Mr Jofra Archer, does the Prime Minister agree that what he needs from his Ministers over the next 12 months is more pace and less spin? \p Keir Starmer: My Ministers have delivered on the NHS, on the economy, on rail, etc. The hon. Gentleman needs a break.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Emma Foody:Successive Conservative Governments failed to invest in the transport infrastructure of the north-east, but the Labour Government are already changing that with the £1.8 billion that was recently secured for the region.   Upgrading Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts can build on that, unlocking growth, and is supported by local people and businesses. Does the Prime Minister share my disappointment that rather than supporting my campaign for upgrades, the Conservative leadership in Northumberland county council is actively undermining my lobbying efforts to deliver this game changer for the north-east? \p Keir Starmer: My hon. Friend is doing a superb job for Northumberland, and I am happy to set out what we have delivered. We have delivered more than £400 million of funding for Northumberland county council this year—a 5.8% increase—as well as an 80% increase in the number of homes on which construction has started in my hon. Friend’s area, a near £13 million increase in funding for Northumbria police, and 14 free breakfast clubs in Northumberland, supporting more than 3,000 children. That is the difference that a Labour Government makes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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Alison Hume:What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on protecting domestic abuse victims from the perpetrators of that abuse with whom they share a joint tenancy. \p Jess Phillips: The Renters’ Rights Bill will allow individuals to end joint tenancies, supporting domestic abuse victims to leave their abuser if they share a home. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced a £30 million increase to the domestic abuse safe accommodation grant, raising the total funding in 2025-26 to £160 million. \p Alison Hume: My constituent Molly is trapped in the house where she was violently attacked in front of her children. She is confined to living upstairs, because going into the room downstairs triggers her post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite the perpetrator of this abuse rightfully being in prison and having a restraining order of five years, Molly’s landlord has told her that they cannot take him off the lease, so she cannot move. Can the Minister confirm that the Government are taking steps to ensure that victims of domestic abuse, like Molly, can move on with their lives? \p Jess Phillips: I thank my hon. Friend for raising Molly’s case—our hearts go out to her and her children for the trauma they are living with. Her case raises many issues, including the need for early intervention in domestic abuse cases, the need to improve therapeutic support for victims and, as my hon. Friend has said, the desperate need for reform of the rules around property rights in cases of economic and domestic abuse, so that women are not trapped. I cannot give my hon. Friend immediate answers on all those issues today, but I can promise that they will all be included in our upcoming strategy on violence against women and girls. \p Vikki Slade: While I have every sympathy with Molly and the millions of women who experience domestic abuse, according to the ManKind Initiative, one in five men are also victims of domestic abuse. My constituents Mark and Adam are victims of serial female abusers who engage in not only psychological, physical and financial abuse, but sexual abuse as well. What is being done to make sure there is space for men in refuges, and that there is training for police to ensure they believe these men? Often, they are burly chaps who have been in the Army, and people simply do not believe that they have been victims, which only compounds the problems they face. \p Jess Phillips: We often refer to violence against women and girls, as the term refers to a group of crimes that are majoritively suffered by women at the hands of men, but of course men are also victims—both from other men and from women. The £30 million of extra funding that I mentioned in answer to the substantive question is for councils to provide accommodation in cases of domestic abuse under part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Local areas should be looking at the needs in their area and acting accordingly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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Damian Hinds:What recent assessment she has made of trends in the incidence of fraud. \p Dan Jarvis: Fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in our country, and this Government will publish a new strategy to protect consumers and businesses later this year. Before that, our Crime and Policing Bill will introduce new measures to fight fraud, including a ban on the use of SIM farms. I hope Opposition Members will support those measures. \p Damian Hinds: As the Minister says, fraud is the largest volume category of crime; it was coming down under the last Government, but over the past full year it has gone back up again dramatically. The Online Safety Act 2023 is a landmark reform, but criminals will always seek new channels, so what will the Minister do in his new fraud plan to address that displaced fraud, including that delivered through advertising on websites not covered by the Act? \p Dan Jarvis: I am genuinely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising this important issue again. He is right: fraud accounts for over 43% of all offences recorded by the crime survey for England and Wales. Tackling fraud relies on collaboration between law enforcement, industry and Government Departments. That means everyone playing their part, and we continue to urge the tech and social media companies to take stronger action to stop consumers being defrauded when using their sites.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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Seamus Logan:If she will review the temporary worker visa regulations for the fish processing sector. \p Seema Malhotra: The seasonal worker route is designed to support the horticulture and poultry sectors, both of which have short-term seasonal production  peaks. I discussed these issues with the Scottish Minister during my visit to Peterhead fish market in February. There is not the same evidence of seasonal patterns in the fish processing sector, which would require significant but short-term increases in labour, but I am always happy to discuss these matters with colleagues in the House. \p Seamus Logan: May I begin by acknowledging the passing of a giant of our movement, Mr Alex Sim from Peterhead, whose funeral is taking place at the moment?

On Wednesday 5 March the Prime Minister told me from the Dispatch Box, in answer to a question about the fishing industry in my constituency:

“We…want to tackle the problems of labour shortages”.—[Official Report, 5 March 2025; Vol. 763, c. 280.]

However, it is not just a question of fishing. Last week, Moray chamber of commerce told me of hospitality sector business closures, in some cases related to the inability to recruit key staff. Can the Minister tell me what progress has been made in this vital area? She has mentioned discussions with the Scottish Government, but when will we be informed of sector-specific progress ensuring that these industries, which are crying out for help, receive it? \p Seema Malhotra: As the hon. Gentleman will know, we work closely on this issue with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, but we must also focus on addressing the underlying causes of recruitment problems. We recognise the position in which some of our fishing communities find themselves in relation to workforce challenges, but the hon. Gentleman will, I hope, welcome the news that through our new labour market evidence group we will be engaging with devolved Governments in the gathering and sharing of data and evidence on the state of the workforce, on training levels and on participation by all parts of the domestic labour market, so that we have an immigration system that is well informed and works for the whole United Kingdom.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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Chris Curtis:Whether she plans to extend the qualifying settlement period for people with British national overseas visas. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government are firmly committed to supporting existing members of the Hong Kong community in the United Kingdom and those who may come here in future. The new rules on earned settlement will be subject to consultation. Following that consultation we will outline the way in which the new rules will operate, explaining, for instance, which immigration routes they will affect and when the changes will come in. \p Chris Curtis: Many of my constituents came to the UK from Hong Kong under the BNO visa scheme in search of safety, freedom and opportunity. They have shared with me their concerns about how the uncertainty involved in the changes in the visa system might affect their future here. Can the Minister provide reassurance that those on BNO visas, in Milton Keynes and throughout the country, will continue to have security, stability and a clear route to permanent settlement? \p Seema Malhotra: My hon. Friend is a strong and powerful advocate for members of the Hong Kong community in his constituency and throughout the UK. We recognise those concerns, and we are taking steps to ensure that BNO visa holders have an opportunity to share their views during the consultation on the new earned settlement and citizenship rules. As I have said, following that consultation the Government will outline the way in which the new rules will operate and the immigration routes that they will affect. Given the ambitious nature of these proposals, it is essential that we fully understand their impact on all affected groups before making any final decisions. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BNO route will continue to apply. \p Pippa Heylings: Will the Minister clear up, once and for all, the further confusion over the proposed changes to the settlement period from five to 10 years? Will she clarify for the BNO visa holders living in my constituency whether the changes will be applied retrospectively or only prospectively, and will she confirm that those who are already building their lives in the UK and working in important sectors in my constituency will not see their pathway to settlement unfairly changed mid-journey? \p Seema Malhotra: The BNO route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BNO status. As I have outlined, we will have a consultation. We will ensure that BNO visa holders have the opportunity to share their views during that consultation, and we will listen to those views very closely.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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Jo Platt:What recent progress her Department has made on improving neighbourhood policing in Leigh and Atherton constituency. \p Yvette Cooper: The Government are introducing a neighbourhood policing guarantee, which means that all communities will have named and contactable officers from the end of this month, and we are expanding neighbourhood policing, including by delivering 176 new neighbourhood officers this year for the Greater Manchester police force, which covers the Leigh and Atherton constituency. \p Jo Platt: As a proud Co-op Member, I commend the long-standing campaign for better protections for retail workers. USDAW’s National Retail Workers’ Day, which took place this weekend, highlights the essential role that retail plays in all our communities. Will the Minister join me in thanking retail workers in Leigh and Atherton and across the UK? Will she commit to strong, visible neighbourhood policing in our towns, which is crucial to protecting them from abuse, to ensure that workers can work safely on the frontline? \p Yvette Cooper: I will certainly join my hon. Friend in thanking shop workers in her constituency and right across the country, who were often on the frontline during the covid pandemic. Sadly, during that period  and since then, they have seen a disgraceful increase in assaults and abuse. We cannot stand for that, which is why we are not only introducing stronger neighbourhood policing—particularly in town centres—but bringing in the new law on assaults against shop workers as part of the Crime and Policing Bill. What a shame the Conservative party voted against it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

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John Lamont:Whether she has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the national inquiry into grooming gangs. \p Jess Phillips: As the hon. Member will be aware, child protection and policing are devolved to the Scottish Government. We regularly engage with them on a range of issues, including the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse that was announced by the Government. On 26 June, officials met to discuss the Government’s approach to the national inquiry, its remit and the expectation that relevant findings and lessons learned will be shared with the devolved Administrations, and we will continue to discuss this matter with our Scottish counterparts to ensure a comprehensive UK-wide response. \p John Lamont: Senior Scottish advocate Sandra Brown has said that grooming gangs could be operating in every town and city in Scotland. This scandal affects the whole of the United Kingdom, so when will the Government extend the grooming gangs inquiry to Scotland? Surely all victims across all parts of the United Kingdom deserve justice. \p Jess Phillips: Of course. I agree with the hon. Gentleman, but he should take up that issue with the Scottish Government, as it is devolved. As I have said, we will make sure that all learning is passed on to the devolved Administrations. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the shadow Minister. \p Katie Lam: The comments from my hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont) relate to the question of whether it will be a national inquiry, rather than a co-ordination of a few local inquiries. All the victims and survivors deserve justice, so can the Minister please confirm for us today that every town and city with a grooming and rape gang will be part of the inquiry, including and especially where local authorities may not wish to be part of it? \p Jess Phillips: To the hon. Lady’s question, whether a local authority wishes to take part is not up for debate. The inquiry will be decided by the chair of the inquiry, as would happen in a statutory independent inquiry, and that work will go on. When we have inquiries, we have to make sure that we actually live by the recommendations of those inquiries. That is why I ask the hon. Lady why she voted against mandatory reporting and making grooming an aggravated factor—those were recommendations from the last inquiry—when she was asked to vote for them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_11

Julian Lewis:What steps her Department is taking to stop small boat crossings. \p Yvette Cooper: Small boat crossings undermine border security and put lives at risk. The criminal gangs have adapted their tactics to exploit French rules that prevent the authorities from intervening in French waters. The French Minister of the Interior and I agree that this needs to change. He has instigated a major maritime review to change tactics and operations, and we want to see these changes in place as soon as possible. \p Julian Lewis: I agree with the Home Secretary that that would be a major step forward. Does she agree with me that, on average, well over 1,000 people have been crossing the channel each week this year, and that there is no way any form of court procedures can keep pace with that? Does she therefore agree that nothing other than prevention, as she has described, interception or, as a last resort, detention and return can possibly be successful? \p Yvette Cooper: I agree with the right hon. Member that we need stronger action to prevent the boat crossings in the first place, which is why we are working closely with France both on strengthening law enforcement, with a new law enforcement and investigations unit in Dunkirk, and on the issues of maritime tactics, because we need those interventions in French waters. \p Luke Myer: The small boats crisis is one of the single biggest issues that my constituents raise with me, and although the Government have made progress on returns, crossings are still happening. What assurances can the Home Secretary give my constituents that these gangs will be dismantled and that the crossings will stop? \p Yvette Cooper: My hon. Friend is right to refer both to returns—we have increased returns of failed asylum seekers by more than 20% since the election—and to the action against the criminal gangs. We know that there are Iraqi Kurdish gangs in particular operating in northern France, so we have a new agreement in place with the French Government, the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, to pursue those gangs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_13

Calvin Bailey:What steps her Department is taking to counter hostile state threats. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department is taking robust action to respond to state threats. We continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which include launching the foreign influence registration scheme on 1 July. We have also announced the conclusion of the transnational repression review, new police training and the establishment of a cross-Whitehall joint unit to tackle state threats. \p Calvin Bailey: Twenty years ago, after the horror of the 7/7 bombings, we joined up how we work on security threats of all kinds, creating an enduring multi-agency approach. Now, with the added challenge from far-right extremism and the rapidly mounting threat to Europe from malign Russian activity, we need to bolster our responses across borders as well as across our agencies. Will my hon. Friend look at the concept of a joint UK-French national security council meeting to push that forward at Thursday’s summit? \p Dan Jarvis: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I am sure we will all be reflecting on where we were 20 years ago. He is right about the nature of the threat we face today and he makes a very good suggestion. As he will know, we work very closely with our French neighbours. Important conversations will be taking place against the backdrop of the state visit, but I will consider more carefully the point he makes. \p Lee Anderson: We know that terrorists and potential terrorists are coming on small boats across the English channel, so why is Border Force picking these people up and bringing them to the UK? \p Dan Jarvis: I can say to the hon. Gentleman that we are strengthening those checks. We continually assess potential threats in the UK and ensure that we guard against them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_14

Joani Reid:What steps her Department is taking to tackle knife crime. \p Diana R. Johnson: My hon. Friend will know that the Government have set an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade. We are determined to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets. This month, we are running a major new surrender scheme for lethal weapons, including ninja swords, in hotspots across the country, alongside introducing the new provisions in our Crime and Policing Bill to crack down on the illegal sale of knives online. Those measures will help to reduce the availability of dangerous knives on our streets and ensure that those who perpetrate these offences face the full force of the law. \p Joani Reid: Six weeks ago, Kayden Moy, a 16-year-old boy from East Kilbride in my constituency, was stabbed to death, leaving his family bereft and a community—my community—in grief. Since Kayden’s tragic death, I have received multiple videos and images of local youths posing while wielding machetes in their own homes, but the police claim that they are powerless to take any action whatever. Does the Minister agree that much more needs to be done to stop the very real glamourisation of knife crime online, and to prevent social media from being a breeding ground for youth violence? \p Diana R. Johnson: May I first express my condolences to Kayden’s family and friends? That is just appalling to hear. My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the role that social media can play in glamourising these types of weapons. That is why it is so important that we have measures in the Crime and Policing Bill and the Online Safety Act 2023 to start to tackle that. As I say, it is absolutely appalling.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_15

Alex Baker:What steps her Department is taking to tackle shoplifting. \p Diana R. Johnson: This month, we have supported police and the retail industry to launch the new retail crime strategy, and the Home Secretary launched a safer streets blitz in town centres, with targeted action to tackle retail crime. Under the previous Government, shop theft soared to record levels and assaults against retail workers spiralled out of control. That is why, in addition to investing in neighbourhood policing, we are introducing in our Crime and Policing Bill a new stand-alone offence of assaulting a shop worker, because everybody has a right to feel safe on the job. \p Alex Baker: Staff at Tesco in Aldershot tell me that the store is facing rising levels of shoplifting, with people walking out of the store with full trolleys. It is often the same individuals, who are emboldened because they do not fear the consequences. Hampshire police are doing their best, but they cannot attend every incident, and store staff feel threatened and powerless. This is a nationwide problem. What steps is the Home Secretary taking to tackle the wave of retail crime and to protect shop workers on the frontline? \p Diana R. Johnson: It is totally unacceptable that shop theft and violence and abuse towards retail workers have continued to rise, particularly over the last two years  of the previous Government, when they went up by 60%. We are asking retail workers to perform a significant act of public service as they enforce restrictions on the sale of items including cigarettes, alcohol and knives. As I have set out, the bespoke offence in the Crime and Policing Bill will help to shine a spotlight on the problem and ensure that we bring perpetrators to book. The Bill will also ensure that the sanction of a criminal behaviour order can be attached to a conviction for assaulting a retail worker, which will help to protect retail workers. \p Richard Holden: Whether at Asda in Basildon or Waitrose in Billericay, there have been real issues with shop thefts, particularly by organised gangs, which often come from outside the local area. They come in, ransack stores and then drive away. What is the Minister doing to address the issues that go beyond local theft and are actually a nationwide gang issue? \p Diana R. Johnson: The right hon. Gentleman raises a really important point. We will continue to crack down on the organised gangs that target retailers. As we have set out, we will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national police intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, to share information and make sure that retailers are part of the conversation. We are doing everything we can to tackle organised gangs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_16

Nick Smith:What steps her Department is taking to tackle the antisocial use of off-road bikes. \p Diana R. Johnson: Our Crime and Policing Bill, which Opposition Members voted against on Third Reading, is giving the police greater powers to clamp down on off-road bikes and other nuisance vehicles that cause chaos in our communities. Once the changes come into force, officers will no longer be required to issue a warning before they seize a bike that is being used antisocially. On 28 May, we published a consultation to explore changes to the circumstances in which the police can seize and destroy these vehicles, and we will not hesitate to go further if needed. \p Nick Smith: I thank the Minister for that answer. Gwent police are taking on dangerous, illegal off-road bikes, but a related problem is electric bikes, which are sometimes chipped to go faster and have become a new danger. Will the Minister please look into this? The bikes can be switched up from being a means to get from A to B into being a real menace. \p Diana R. Johnson: Yes, I am very happy to look into that issue and to meet my hon. Friend to discuss it. He may want to know that the 60 additional officers that are going to be available in his police force area by the end of this year will help to tackle some of the antisocial behaviour involving e-bikes and other vehicles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_17

Liz Jarvis:If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. \p Yvette Cooper: On 7 July 2005, terrorists attacked London’s transport network at King’s Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road, Aldgate and Tavistock Square. Fifty-two people, who were travelling by tube and bus across the capital, never came home. We remember them and the loved ones they left behind, and all those who faced terrible injuries and endured the trauma of that day, and we remember the incredible bravery and courage of those who responded—the emergency service workers and the fellow passengers who saved lives that day. In the words of the King, this was an act of senseless evil, but he also reminds us that we must

“remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion”

as

“the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst.”

I want to thank not just those who responded that day but those who have continued to work tirelessly in the two decades since against Islamist extremist terrorism, against other increasingly complex terror and national security threats, in counter-terror policing, in the security and intelligence agencies, and on prevention. Most importantly of all, this is about all of us, as we remember how our capital and our country came together across communities and across faiths to ensure that we never let hatred win. \p Liz Jarvis: I associate myself with the Home Secretary’s remarks. Eastleigh police station was closed in 2019 after 95 years of service. In 2023, the Hampshire police and crime commissioner promised that a new station would be opening within 12 months, but we still do not have one. Does the Secretary of State agree that my constituents deserve a new police station? \p Yvette Cooper: As the hon. Member will know, decisions about where police stations are located are for the local force, the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner. She will welcome the news that Hampshire is getting 65 additional neighbourhood police officers, who will be out on the beat this year as a result of the Government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee.
debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-07a conversation_19

Tony Vaughan:I echo the Home Secretary’s remarks about the 7/7 attacks. Alcaline Transport in my constituency was fined £10,000 after it reported that a clandestine migrant was found in one of its vehicles. When will improvements to the clandestine entrant civil penalty scheme be fully implemented, so that hauliers who report issues responsibly are supported, not penalised? \p Angela Eagle: I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. While the clandestine entrant penalty scheme has to be rigorously enforced in order to be effective, it also provides a very fair process of appeal for hauliers against penalties that are not justified by the facts of a case. I am sure that my hon. Friend will assist the company in his constituency through that appeal process.