theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_15

Pippa Heylings:The UN Secretary General has warned that it is now inevitable that we will fail to keep global warming under 1.5°C, with the threat of devastating consequences, like the loss of the Amazon rainforest and its role in climate regulation. While the Conservatives and Reform continue to sabotage climate action, it is good to know that the Prime Minister will be going to COP30, but will the Foreign Secretary commit to making no further cuts to our international aid budget, so that we can contribute to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility fund? \p Stephen Doughty: The hon. Member is a passionate advocate on these issues; we debated them just the other day in Westminster Hall. The UK remains committed to providing international climate finance, now and in the future, and to playing our part, alongside other developed countries and climate finance providers. We are committed to delivering £11.6 billion in international climate finance by the end of 2025-26.
debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_16

Christopher Vince:Friday was World Polio Day. My constituent Anne Strike, a former Paralympian, continues to campaign for the eradication of polio. What reassurances can the Minister give me that the UK will continue to be a leading player in that aim? \p Chris Elmore: My hon. Friend is a long-standing advocate of polio eradication. The UK is a long-time supporter of the initiative and we have confirmed a £1.25 billion pledge to Gavi for 2026-30. Other spending, including on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, is being reviewed as part of the spending review and the official development assistance allocation process, which will be decided in due course.
debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_17

Richard Tice:As we speak, the Chagossians are in the High Court to try to stop the terrible Chagos surrender deal. Given this Government’s passion for international human rights, and that we all agree how badly the Chagossians have been treated, will the Government finally agree to grant them a referendum on this dreadful deal? \p Stephen Doughty: I am not going to comment on legal proceedings, but the hon. Gentleman knows full well that this had to be a treaty negotiated between the UK and Mauritius—that is the basis on which it is done. We absolutely recognise the historic wrongs done to the Chagossian people. I have engaged with Chagossian communities on a number of occasions and will continue to do so through our new contact group.
debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-28c conversation_18

Luke Charters:I welcome the new package of sanctions on Russian financial institutions. Does the Minister agree that we should stand ready to expand that package to stop Russian financial institutions financing Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine? \p Stephen Doughty: My hon. Friend will know that we do not comment on future sanctions designations, but we are, as the Foreign Secretary said, absolutely committed to choking off Russia’s war machine and bringing Putin to the table. That is why our sanctions alongside others have denied Russia access to at least £450 billion since February 2022, which would have funded two more years of this illegal and barbarous war. We will not hesitate to act where we can and we will work with others in that endeavour.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_3

Dave Doogan:What recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reducing the cost of living in Wales. \p Jo Stevens: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor and Treasury Ministers on a wide range of issues, including the cost of living. This Labour Government are on the side of working people. That is why we have already taken action by increasing the national minimum wage and the national living wage for 160,000 workers across Wales. We have frozen fuel duty and extended the warm home discount. There is more to do, and we are determined to put more money into people’s pockets right across Wales. \p Dave Doogan: A century of Labour taking the people of Wales for granted came crashing down last week with the sensational victory of Plaid’s Lindsay Whittle in Caerphilly, with Labour reduced to third place. Why would anybody accept any more Labour, as Labour’s cost of living soars, its Westminster perma-crisis deepens, and 700,000 people in Wales live under its poverty prospectus? The Secretary of State will not say what she is going to speak to the Chancellor about, but does she think the Chancellor is ready and willing to help the people of Wales? The people of Wales feel abandoned by Labour over the last five decades. \p Jo Stevens: I am not sure whether the hon. Member has ever been to Caerphilly or even to Wales. If he has, that is good; if he has not, he needs to be careful about   what he says about the people in Wales. He absolutely does not know what he is talking about. His party’s record in Scotland is nothing to boast about. Nationalists will divide the United Kingdom, costing Wales £21.5 billion every single year. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the Chair of the Select Committee. \p Ruth Jones: I welcome last month’s news that Newport city council and Caerphilly county borough council will each receive £21.5 million from the UK Labour Government’s Pride in Place scheme. That funding will empower communities across my constituency to invest in community assets and their local high streets, drive local growth and create jobs, thus reducing the cost of living. Does the Secretary of State agree that at last in Wales, we have two Labour Governments delivering for the people of Wales? \p Jo Stevens: My hon. Friend, the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, is absolutely right. Our pride in place programmes, the local growth fund, the city and growth deals, the investment zones and our freeports are all the result of having two Labour Governments working together for the benefit of everyone across Wales. Taken together, they will boost the economy, draw in further investment, create thousands of jobs and raise living standards across Wales. They demonstrate this Government’s commitment to growth—practical, visible, long-term investment that empowers local communities and delivers real benefits for them.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_6

Catherine Fookes:What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve cross-border rail connectivity between Wales and England. \p Anna McMorrin: We are investing at least £445 million in Welsh rail in order to right years of underfunding by past Governments. That will mean new stations and more and faster trains along the key lines, and will improve cross-border connectivity, create jobs and boost economic growth. \p Catherine Fookes: I thank the Minister for that £445 million investment, which will be a fundamental driver of economic growth and connectivity in south Wales. What action is she taking with Cabinet colleagues and industry partners to ensure that a new station serving my constituents in Magor and Undy is delivered without delay, getting my constituents on track, and faster, towards their destinations? \p Anna McMorrin: My hon. Friend has been a strong champion for this rail investment, which is the key to unlock Wales’s economic potential. It includes funds to progress the five Burns stations in Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy. I will continue to work with the Wales Rail Board and the Welsh Government to ensure that the community my hon. Friend represents is given the infrastructure that it needs. \p Aphra Brandreth: The huge potential of both the north-west of England and north Wales is being held back by poor rail infra-structure. The last Conservative Government committed themselves to spending at least £1 billion to upgrade and electrify the railway lines from Crewe and Warrington through Chester and into north Wales, but this Labour Government have scrapped those transformational plans, at a time when economic growth is a priority. Will the Minister seek to reinstate the vital rail infrastructure investment in the Mersey Dee and north Wales region? \p Anna McMorrin: That money just did not exist. We are investing a historic £445 million in Welsh rail to right years of underfunding by previous Governments, unleashing Wales’s economic potential. That will mean new stations, faster trains on key lines, and connecting people with well-paid and better jobs right across Wales. Two Governments are working in partnership to deliver for the people of Wales. \p Lindsay Hoyle: Order. Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, may I welcome, in the Gallery, the honourable Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and his delegation? \p UNKNOWN: The Prime Minister was asked—
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_10

Alan Strickland:I am speaking on behalf of my constituents Shannon and Tyler, who lost their two-year-old son Hudson earlier this year. Worried about their son, they called 111 and were told that he had gastroenteritis. In fact, Hudson had a twisted bowel and, after being rushed to hospital a few days later, he tragically died.

Shannon and Tyler are full of praise for the NHS medical staff who worked so hard to save their son’s life, but they just wish they had been offered an in-person   appointment sooner, which might have given a more accurate diagnosis. They want Hudson’s legacy to be better access to face-to-face NHS appointments for children under five, so that other families do not face this tragic situation. Their online petition on the matter has gained over 80,000 signatures. Will the Prime Minister join me in sending the best wishes of the House to Hudson’s family, and will he ensure that they meet a Health Minister to discuss their courageous campaign? \p Keir Starmer: I thank my hon. Friend for raising that tragic case. I am sure that I speak for the whole House in saying that we send our sympathies and thoughts to Hudson’s parents, Shannon and Tyler. I will make sure that they get the meeting that he has asked for. This is exactly why we are working to improve access to face-to-face appointments for those who want one. To enable that, we have delivered the largest cash uplift for GPs in a decade, have put over 2,500 GPs into general practice, and are upgrading 1,000 surgeries to deliver 8 million more appointments.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_11

James McMurdock:Earlier this week, I got to see the very best and some of the worst of our national health service. When my own daughter needed it, it was there, but when an 89-year-old gentleman in the restaurant I was eating at collapsed, it took over an hour and 15 minutes from my first call to the arrival of two exhausted paramedics.

Basildon hospital has just been downgraded to inadequate in the latest Care Quality Commission report. I invite the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care—or the Prime Minister, if he has time in his schedule—to visit Basildon with me so that he can thank the staff for their exceptional work and get to grips with the problems they are facing. \p Keir Starmer: I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue and for the two examples that he has given. The downgrading of Basildon hospital is deeply disappointing. The Care Quality Commission has set out immediate actions for the trust leaders to deliver improvements. Our decisions in government have seen a £26 billion boost for our NHS, helping to deliver over 5 million extra appointments. I gently point out that he was elected to represent a Reform party that would dismantle our NHS and charge people to see their doctor.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_12

Anneliese Midgley:Reform says that it stands up for the working class, but the truth is that it never has—its Members voted to block the Employment Rights Bill again and again. Does the Prime Minister agree that only this Government are on the side of working people? It is Labour that is creating tens of thousands of jobs, like in our deal with Turkey; it is Labour that is getting rid of zero-hours contracts; and it is Labour that is protecting workers from unfair dismissal from day one. \p Keir Starmer: I am proud that we have delivered the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation—which the Tories and Reform have voted against at every turn, as they always do with any form of workers’ rights and protections. The deal that we struck on   Monday with Turkey is worth £8 billion, 20,000 jobs and 10 years of work in manufacturing the Typhoons. It was possible only because we are a trusted member of NATO. Reform would be an absolute nightmare on defence—it would not be a trusted member of NATO because it is Putin-friendly.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_13

Clive Jones:Targets for cancer patients beginning treatment within 62 days have not been met by any NHS trust for 10 years—a legacy of the last Conservative Government. If those targets had been met in every month of 2025, so far nearly 3,000 breast cancer patients would have started their treatment on time. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the national cancer plan, which I asked for a year ago, makes it possible for the 62-day target to be met, along with recruiting much-needed cancer specialists and replacing outdated equipment? \p Keir Starmer: I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this matter, which I know is personal to him. We are investing £600 million to improve diagnostic capacity and are rolling out new radiotherapy machines, including, I am pleased to say, in his local trust. We have seen real improvements, with 148,000 more people now having cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days, but I acknowledge that there is more to do. The national cancer plan will set out how we will go further and deliver the best care for every patient.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_14

Ian Lavery:The big four banks have been allowed to abandon our high streets, basically closing their branches with impunity. Between 1999 and 2025, my constituency alone lost banks in Guide Post, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Bedlington and Blyth. Meanwhile, those banks made more than £40 billion profit in the last year alone—they are absolutely drowning in cash. The manifesto pledge to roll out 350 banking hubs is to be welcomed, but its quirky—almost bizarre—qualifying criteria need detailed revision. Will the Prime Minister commit to a wholesale review of personal face-to-face banking, which would enable local residents and businesses, alongside many vulnerable people, to access their own money in their own time on their own high street? \p Keir Starmer: I know how important face-to-face banking is on our high streets. As my hon. Friend says, we have committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the United Kingdom, and over 180 are already open. However, I want to reassure him that 350 is not the limit; although decisions over hubs are taken independently, they can be rolled out wherever a community needs one. I am happy to make sure the relevant Minister follows up with details for him.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_15

Mike Wood:I am proud that the last Government introduced the triple lock, and we have committed to keeping it. \p Lindsay Hoyle: Order. The problem is, one or two of you are trying to catch my eye. If we don’t get through this, you won’t get a chance. \p Mike Wood: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The triple lock was a great achievement of the previous Government, and we will be keeping it. From April, pensioners with private pensions as low as £2 a month will be paying income tax for the first time. At last year’s Budget, the Chancellor was clear that extending the freeze on personal allowances would breach Labour’s manifesto commitment. Will the Prime Minister prove the media speculation wrong, keep his promise and guarantee that there will be no extension to the freeze on personal allowances? \p Keir Starmer: The freeze was introduced by them. That is why it is coming in next year.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_16

Graham Stringer:The hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), when he was an official, produced a devastating report on the Home Office. Reading it, it shows a Department characterised by disarray and defeatism. There have been 12 Home Secretaries over the past 30 years. Some were better than others, but none managed to get the Department to deliver the services that people should be able to expect in this country. Will the Prime Minister give the new Home Secretary the necessary resources and policy interventions to ensure that she can be successful? \p Keir Starmer: Yes. She is bearing down on the challenges at the Home Office—most of them inherited from the last Government. We will make the changes necessary, and I have every confidence in the Secretary of State to do so. \p Lindsay Hoyle: I call the Father of the House.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_17

Edward Leigh:Given all the hatreds there are in the world today, was it not a lovely moment to see the King and the Pope pray together in the Sistine chapel? Does it not give us hope that these historic divisions can be resolved? Does it not give us hope that, despite the fact that Ukraine and Gaza may seem intractable problems, if we have the will to preserve the freedom of all people to live in their own country, and if we have the will to have faith in our common humanity, these problems can be resolved and we can win through? \p Keir Starmer: I agree. I thought that the King and the Pope praying together sent an incredible message to the world and was very powerful. I agree that if we all work together, we can bring people together, notwithstanding the very many difficulties and challenges around the world and in our own country. It is why we should, so far as we can, unite on national patriotic renewal in this country, rather than have the toxic division we see from some on the Benches opposite.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_18

Daniel Zeichner:Cambridge is one of the most intensive science and innovation clusters in the world, and that success is based on openness to talent. At the moment, in many American universities there are many well-qualified people pondering their futures. That presents a fantastic opportunity, but it is a global competition. What are our Government doing to make the destination of choice for those people the United Kingdom? \p Keir Starmer: My hon. Friend’s constituency is just one example of why the United Kingdom is a world leader in educating and attracting the brightest minds. Our immigration White Paper includes changes to make sure that more of the world’s best graduates and entrepreneurs start their careers and businesses here. We are also boosting our research and development sector with more than £86 billion, to ensure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest.
debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-10-29e conversation_19

Alison Griffiths:Last weekend I spoke to Paul, who runs Bah-Humbug Sweets in Littlehampton, and yesterday I heard from Matt, a tech entrepreneur whose British company employs thousands worldwide. Their businesses could not be more different, but they both told me the same thing: this Government are piling on new taxes, regulation and costs that are making it harder to create jobs, invest and grow. So when will the Prime Minister stop choking opportunity and start backing the people who create jobs in the first place? \p Keir Starmer: Our small business plan was widely welcomed by small businesses across the country, not least because of their input into it. The hon. Lady complains about the measures we had to take at the last Budget, including national insurance—[Interruption.] The Conservative Front Benchers are saying that we chose to take them, but they still cannot say whether they would reverse them. They know nothing about the damage they did to our economy. \p Janet Daby: I am wearing all black today to demonstrate my sorrow over a fatal stabbing that took place in my constituency yesterday. We all know that one death is one death too many, but I have had two deaths in my constituency in the last few weeks. My community needs reassurance. Knife crime must end. Will the Prime Minister say what more his Government are doing to tackle knife crime? \p Keir Starmer: I thank my hon. Friend for raising these tragic cases, which have a huge impact on families, friends and communities. I know that she is a passionate and dedicated campaigner on this issue. Every single life lost to knife crime devastates communities. That is why we banned zombie knives and ninja swords and are strengthening controls on online knife sales. We are also giving stronger powers to the police in our Crime and Policing Bill, which both the Conservatives and Reform voted against.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_2

Colum Eastwood:What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on funding for an addiction treatment centre in Derry, in the context of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, published on 9 January 2020. \p Fleur Anderson: With New Decade, New Approach, the UK Government committed to make funding available for a range of projects aimed at supporting community and reconciliation initiatives. My officials regularly discuss these commitments with their devolved counterparts. On addiction services, it is now for the Northern Ireland Department of Health to consider how best to use this funding and bring forward a business case to the Government on that basis. \p Colum Eastwood: The people of Derry were made a promise during the NDNA negotiations. I remember, because I negotiated that particular part of it. They were promised that the Northlands addiction treatment centre would be given £1 million for the development of a brand-new addiction centre. The Northlands organisation has saved countless lives in Derry, but it has now been told by the Department of Health in Stormont that its core funding has been cut, and that the promised money is not guaranteed. Does the Minister agree that the Department of Health is in no position to undermine an international agreement? \p Fleur Anderson: The hon. Member is a powerful advocate for his constituents, for the Northlands centre, and for the need for services to tackle the scourge of addictions. I join him in recognising the need for support for people with addictions, but given that this matter is devolved, it is now up to the Department for Health to present a business plan, based on its review of addiction services, for the services that will provide the best support for the most people.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_5

Shockat Adam:What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on lessons learned from the Good Friday agreement. \p Hilary Benn: The Good Friday agreement has brought peace, security and a better life to the people of Northern Ireland. It remains an unparalleled achievement almost 30 years on from its signing, and I pay tribute to all those involved in its creation for their political courage, bravery and willingness to compromise. \p Shockat Adam: I recently visited the west bank and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George). There we saw a systematic process of one community being taken over by another, with the Israeli Government building walls and fences to protect the settler community. The Secretary of State is of course aware of the great results Mo Mowlam achieved in securing peace in Northern Ireland following a process of engagement with both sides—a process that resulted in walls and fences being broken down, and a mutual respect and a common peace being achieved. Will the Government commit to using the lessons of Mo Mowlam and the Northern Ireland peace process to help secure a lasting peace in the middle east? \p Hilary Benn: I share with the hon. Member and the whole House a wish to see lasting peace in the middle east, and what is happening at the moment is appalling and intolerable. However, I think the most important lesson from the Good Friday agreement was the courageous political leadership shown by the parties to the conflict—people such as John Hume and David Trimble—and I have to say that, tragically, that same courageous political leadership is absent in the middle east.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_6

Lauren Sullivan:What steps he is taking to support the Northern Ireland Executive in tackling violence against women and girls. \p Fleur Anderson: Rates of violence against women and girls are higher in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK. This Government are committed to working with the Executive to tackle this emergency, and I have met and supported many politicians and organisations across Northern Ireland that are doing just that. The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess Phillips), and I recently met the Northern Ireland TEO—The Executive Office—and Justice Ministers in Belfast to discuss working closely together, including on online safety and support for frontline organisations. \p Lauren Sullivan: The strategy for tackling violence against women and girls must challenge the attitudes that enable it. What recent discussions has the Minister had with stakeholders across Northern Ireland to support these campaign efforts? \p Fleur Anderson: I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend about tackling attitudes. I have met and I am supporting many groups, and I will highlight two that I have visited. The excellent Foyle Family Justice Centre in Derry/Londonderry supports victims, and the St Joseph’s Boys’ school in Creggan is doing fantastic work, with the support of White Ribbon NI, through the shaping mindsets programme, which tackles toxic masculinity head-on in the school. \p Jim Shannon: I thank the Minister of State for all she does on her visits to encourage people across Northern Ireland, especially women, ladies and young girls. What we really need in Northern Ireland is legislative change, longer sentences and more people convicted. What discussions has she had with the Minister responsible for police and justice in Northern Ireland to ensure that, legislatively, we are moving fast to try to stop violence against women and ladies in Northern Ireland? \p Fleur Anderson: I thank the hon. Member for raising this issue, and he is absolutely right that what we do needs to be rooted in what happens on the ground. I met the executive unit working with the police to tackle perpetrators, and they are seeing evidence of that. The legislation for our jurisdictions can be joined up—that is absolutely right—but what has come across to me on many visits is the need to tackle what happens online. The Online Safety Act 2023 is now being enacted through Ofcom, which undertook a consultation in Belfast recently on its draft guidance. It proposes practical steps for online safety, and steps to tackle misogyny, pile-ons, domestic abuse and other harms. He is absolutely right about what we can do, through our efforts on the ground, if we all work together.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_7

Luke Evans:What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the US-UK economic prosperity deal on Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: The trade deal with the USA, together with the agreements with the EU and India, are very significant. Northern Ireland exporters, including those exporting services, technology and farming goods, will benefit in the same way as those in other parts of the UK. In particular, the US deal is a major opportunity for Northern Ireland farmers to sell their high-quality beef to a US market of over 300 million people. \p Luke Evans: I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his answer, but there seem to be wildly different interpretations of what the deal means for Northern Ireland. Will he clarify what it means for imports and exports in the light of the impact of EU tariffs? Was that explicitly discussed at the EU-UK summit? \p Hilary Benn: The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that EU retaliatory tariffs directed at the USA would have an impact in Northern Ireland, because of its dual-market access. I can write to him with further details of how precisely that would work. It depends partly on whether there is less or more than a 3% difference between the tariff in the EU and the tariff that applies in the UK.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_8

Jim Allister:What steps he has taken to strengthen the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: The Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which we will discuss next month at the East-West Council, remains strong. The deal with the EU will enable the smooth flow of agrifood and plants within the UK’s internal market. That is why it has been overwhelmingly welcomed by businesses. \p Jim Allister: In referring to the deal with the EU, what the Secretary of State ignores, of course, is that Northern Ireland continues to be under a foreign customs code, which means that there are still customs checks on all goods, including agriculture goods, moving within the United Kingdom. Ideologically and personally, is he committed to the Union? I am not asking if he is committed to the consent principle; any separatist can accept that. Is he personally and ideologically a Unionist? \p Hilary Benn: The Government and I support the Union, and I also support the Good Friday agreement. I point out to the hon. and learned Gentleman that when it comes to customs arrangements, there are no mandatory checks. There are checks that apply generally on the basis of risk and intelligence.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_9

Greg Smith:What steps he is taking to replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. \p Hilary Benn: The Government have begun the process of repealing and replacing the previous Government’s legacy Act. The draft remedial order in Parliament represents the first step. The Government will address the other issues arising from several court findings of incompatibility in primary legislation. \p Greg Smith: I listened carefully to the answers the Secretary of State gave just now to the shadow Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Alex Burghart), and to my right hon. Friend the Member for Goole and Pocklington (David Davis). The Secretary of State must understand the severe anxiety, particularly for our veterans, caused by not having a timescale on this matter. Will he at least commit to putting in place a deadline? Will he also take seriously the findings of the Policy Exchange report? \p Hilary Benn: I listen carefully to all the representations that are made to me, including in that report, which I have read. I am committed to introducing legislation as soon as possible, although that is subject to the availability of parliamentary time. This Government came into office absolutely committed to remedying the absolute failure of the Legacy Act passed by the previous Government. \p UNKNOWN: The Prime Minister was asked—
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_10

Lewis Cocking:If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 21 May. \p Keir Starmer: My deepest condolences—and those of the whole House, I am sure—are with the families and friends of Jennie, Martyn and David, who were tragically killed in the fire in Bicester last week.

I welcome to the Under-Gallery Cheryl Korbel, the mother of Olivia. I am always humbled by those with the courage to respond to appalling heartbreak by campaigning for change. I know that the whole House will pay tribute to her extraordinary courage and extraordinary resolve.

Because of the actions taken by this Government, the UK is now the fastest growing economy in the G7, interest rates have been cut four times, and we have secured our third trade deal in three weeks—deals with India, the US and the EU. These deals are in the national interest and will improve the lives of working people and businesses across the United Kingdom.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today. \p Lewis Cocking: This Labour Government have been in power now for almost 12 months. When will the Prime Minister stop defying the will of the British people, stop dancing around the subject, and stop all illegal immigration into the United Kingdom, which has been rising on his watch? \p Keir Starmer: It was the previous Government who lost control of immigration; they had record numbers for net migration, and lost control of the borders. We are bringing forward legislation to give law enforcement the greatest possible powers. What are the Conservatives doing? They are voting against it.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_13

Anneliese Midgley:Yesterday in this place, I read the victim impact statement that Cheryl Korbel never got to say to her daughter’s killer Thomas Cashman, because he refused to face her in court. I am made up that Olivia’s law passed Second Reading, but until it gets Royal Assent criminals can still not show up, denying victims justice. Will the Prime Minister commit to making sure that Olivia’s law becomes law as fast as possible? \p Keir Starmer: I thank my hon. Friend for reading that victim impact statement. I know from talking to Cheryl how hard it was for her to make that victim impact statement in the first place; it took a huge amount of courage, and grief. She wanted to read that statement to the perpetrator, as she should have been able to do. I know from the meetings that I have had with her how visceral the pain is to her of not having been able to do so. I therefore thank my hon. Friend for reading that impact statement out in the Chamber, allowing it to be heard by the whole world.

Cowards who commit these heinous crimes should face the consequences of their actions, which have a huge impact on victims’ lives. That is why we will force offenders to attend their sentencing hearings, with longer sentences, unlimited fines and prison sanctions for those who seek to avoid facing justice. I pay tribute again to Cheryl, who I will meet later this afternoon, for having the incredible courage to push for that change, notwithstanding the incredibly painful impact it has had on her and her family. \p Jim Allister: The Government assure us that Northern Ireland is still in the United Kingdom’s customs union. If so, how is it that British steel can be sold to the United States tariff-free, but that same British steel if sold into Northern Ireland is subject to EU tariffs? Why on Monday did the Prime Minister not even try to take back control over the trade laws that govern Northern Ireland? \p Keir Starmer: It is important that we reduce tariffs on steel into the US market and other markets—including the EU markets—for obvious reasons. It is also vital that we seek to ensure that we reduce any barriers in trade within the United Kingdom as a whole. Yesterday was a step towards that. There is further work to do, but we do want to get to that place where we can trade without those barriers in the United Kingdom. We will continue to work on that.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_14

Andrew Pakes:The Prime Minister will know that thriving high streets are essential to local growth, but in cities such as mine, people are increasingly concerned by the uncontrolled growth of betting shops and vape stores. Research shows that that concern is not isolated. Nearly half of betting shops and gambling stores are in the 20% of places that are struggling the most, such as Peterborough. Will the Prime Minister ask his Departments to meet me and campaigners so that we can discuss ways that local communities such as mine can take back control of our high streets? \p Keir Starmer: My hon. Friend is an excellent champion for his constituents. We are committed to supporting our nation’s high streets to adapt and thrive. Planning applications are required for any new betting office to ensure that locals have a say on individual cases and that communities can use the planning system to allow for a change of use of their properties. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets the meeting that he has asked for.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_15

Alistair Carmichael:On Friday, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published its report on the Government’s vision for agriculture. The Committee agrees with the  Government that land purchase being used to shelter wealth from inheritance tax is a problem that needs to be tackled. As a cross-party Committee with a Government majority, however, we took the unanimous view that the Government’s current proposals for inheritance tax reform will catch too many family farms that will simply not be able to pay the bill. We ask for the changes to be paused and reworked. Will the Prime Minister listen to the Select Committee and those on his own Benches who want to tackle tax evasion and support the farmers who keep producing food for the nation’s table? \p Keir Starmer: The right hon. Gentleman knows the very limited impact of the inheritance tax, only on farmers at a very high level. He will also know the record amount of money in the Budget that we put into farming and the measures taken yesterday with the EU deal, which will massively help farmers who sell their product into the EU market.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_16

Julia Buckley:The  Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway is on track to link north Wales and my Shrewsbury constituency directly to London, with five trains daily, strengthening cross-border travel and fuelling this Government’s mission to drive economic growth. With 15 Members from constituencies along the route already on board, will the Prime Minister support our journey and urge the Office of Rail and Road to give WSMR’s open access application the green signal? \p Keir Starmer: Our plan for change will see the railways reformed to deliver more reliable and better value services for passengers right across the country. My hon. Friend has been a champion for better railways and easier journeys for her constituents. Open access operators have huge potential to offer passengers more choice. I will be delighted to ensure that she and other interested MPs meet the Rail Minister to put their case forward.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_17

Neil Hudson:I think I am right in saying that the Prime Minister might be a lawyer, trained to review evidence and reach judgment. When he looks at the effects of his decisions—cutting the winter fuel payment and making pensioners poorer, damaging businesses with the jobs tax, decimating rural communities with the family farm tax and risking our food security by selling off our fishing waters—surely he can review the evidence and see the verdict. Will the Prime Minister throw those damaging policies out of his court once and for all, before they do any more harm? \p Keir Starmer: The evidence is certainly coming in: the highest growth in the G7; four interest rate cuts in a row; and trade deals with countries across the world that want to do deals with this country because they can see the stability that this Government have brought about. Instability with the Conservatives; stability and growth with this Labour Government.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_18

Andy MacNae:It is National Epilepsy Week and we are joined in the Public Gallery by England rugby player Tommy Freeman, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at 19 but who, through effective treatment, has gone on to be  selected for the British and Irish Lions. I hope the Prime Minister will join me in congratulating him on that great achievement.

For a third of epilepsy sufferers, however, seizures cannot be controlled by medication, as in the case of my constituent Ben Lacey, who suffers multiple seizures every single day. Ben will never be able to work, yet he has been subject to the stress and uncertainty of multiple PIP reassessments. Will the Prime Minister reaffirm his commitment to ensuring that people such as Ben, who have lifelong conditions and who cannot work, will be protected from those damaging reassessments and given the support they need to live with dignity? \p Keir Starmer: May I begin by congratulating Tommy and everyone selected to represent the British and Irish Lions? It is an incredible achievement and we will be cheering them on.

It is important that we protect those with severe disabilities or lifelong health conditions who cannot work, paying them a premium and stopping those reassessments, which is part of the reform that we are bringing about. Ultimately, we also need to get back to face-to-face assessments by trained assessors and health professionals, which fell to only one in 10 assessments under the previous Government.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_19

Lee Anderson:This Prime Minister keeps telling his gullible Back Benchers that he has deported 24,000 people from this country since he came into power, but he will not say who these people are. It is my guess that they are people who came on work visas or students and that they were simply overstayers, but I am willing to be proved wrong if he can answer one simple question: how many of these people that he has deported are failed asylum seekers that have come on small boats or on the back of lorries? Answer the question! \p Keir Starmer: I am very proud that we have removed over 24,000 people: the highest record for nearly 10 years. We are taking other measures to get back control of our borders, including the Borders Bill, which gives our law enforcement enhanced powers, including terrorism-like powers. What did the hon. Member’s party do? What did he do? He voted against them, and I will tell you why: they do not want to fix this problem, because it benefits them not to fix it. Party before country.

It is very good that the hon. Member is standing in for the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) today. There was no sign of him yesterday at the EU summit. He was the first through the e-gates to somewhere in the south of France: Nice work if you can get it!
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_20

Kirsteen Sullivan:I welcome the Government’s investment of £680 million into mental health support. Meanwhile, in Scotland, many children in my constituency are stuck on an NHS Lothian neurodevelopmental waiting list, which only recently has seen patients referred in March 2022. This delay can lead to poor mental health, with children ending up on a child and adolescent mental health services waiting list too. How will the Prime Minister work with the devolved Governments to ensure faster diagnosis and greater support, so that no child across these isles grows up on a waiting list? \p Keir Starmer: My hon. Friend rightly and powerfully raises the broken promises of the Scottish National party on mental health services. This is important, and we will have positive discussions with the devolved Governments to work on addressing mental health waiting times. The SNP promised to invest in frontline mental health services, then cut them by £54 million in real terms this year. With a record settlement in the Budget and two decades in power, the SNP is out of excuses and out of ideas. Scotland deserves better than that.
debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-05-21c conversation_21

Kirsty Blackman:If the Prime Minister agrees that the Israeli Government starving children to death is monstrous, why does he think it is okay for the UK to continue to sell Israel the equipment for the fighter jets to drop bombs on those starving children? \p Keir Starmer: What we contribute into a pot is parts for fighter jets, and if we were to stop that, they could not be used by other countries in other conflicts, including those in which we are involved—[Interruption.] The hon. Member does not know the detail at all. They are not sold directly. They go into a pot. If we were to stop that, they would not then be available to others around the world who desperately need them in the conflicts they are engaged in, and that is why we will not do it.