Alan Campbell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  That is an issue not just in rural areas, but across the country. Unfortunately, I hear the name Evri very often, and I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising it this morning because my wife constantly asks why it is not being raised in business questions. I pay tribute to the superstar—there are some good examples out there, and we should make sure that we do not have a blanket opinion of services, but Evri is a name that I do not often hear mentioned in a very positive way. This is the sort of timely thing that he might want to raise in the pre-recess Adjournment debate.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises such an important matter, and I join him in celebrating the crucial lifesaving work done by mountain rescue teams in his area and across the country. His is a very beautiful area for both residents and the many visitors he gets. Unfortunately, mountain rescue teams are very active at all times of year, and they do an absolutely fantastic job. I know that Members have welcomed, as he has, the changes to vehicle excise duty announced in the Budget, but there are perhaps other things we can explore. If he seeks an Adjournment debate, or uses the pre-recess Adjournment debate to amplify his message, we will see where that leads.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We recognise that certain groups of patients still may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, and we are developing new emergency care hubs; in some cases, that includes care homes. The Government’s 10-year health plan will mean more dentists and improved access to oral healthcare, but I am as distressed as the hon. Gentleman’s constituents will be by the case he raises, so if he wishes, I will try to get him a meeting with Ministers so that he can hear what is happening in his area.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that really important matter. The Government strongly support the principle of providing inclusive PPE. We stock PPE for a diverse workforce in the health and adult social care sector in preparation for a future pandemic, including in a wide range of sizes, but I will raise these concerns with Ministers. If she would like a meeting with Ministers to raise these matters, I will try to facilitate that.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will certainly find out from the relevant Department what the circumstances might be at the prison. Of course, we would all want the guidelines to state that prisoners have access to books, but I am not sure what the individual circumstances might be at the prison. I am not going to comment any further on that, but I will draw it to the attention of Ministers.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises some really important matters, which I know are frustrating to her constituents. Local authorities have a really important role to play. The Government are very keen that both powers and resources are devolved not just to regions, but to individual communities, where they will have the most effect. I am sure that if she seeks a Westminster Hall debate or an Adjournment debate, she can raise these matters still further.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Let me join the hon. Gentleman in thanking Spelthorne Dementia Support for everything it does and commending it on getting a King’s award, which is a big achievement. He will know that the parliamentary year is quite full, but I will certainly give thought to what further we can do to highlight the fantastic achievements of charities across our country.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend speaks powerfully of the appalling actions that have taken place, and I join him in condemning them. Mr Speaker, I know that you have done a great deal through the Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections, but this is also a priority for the defending democracy taskforce. The taskforce is focusing on where the police can be increasingly effective when such incidents occur and democracy is deemed to be under threat, not just where MPs are intimidated—of which there are too many examples—but where other local representatives are intimidated, too. It is simply not acceptable. Let me be very clear: anyone involved in public life should not be subject to harassment or intimidation for doing their job, and this House needs to stand united in sending out that message.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Disadvantage faced by those who have grown up in care is one of the great social injustices of our time. The Equality Act already protects many care leavers under indirect discrimination provisions, but I will ensure that the relevant Minister is made aware of my hon. Friend’s comments and writes to him directly.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to those dads and we wish them well. Men’s mental health is at the forefront of the Government’s health strategy, and the role of fathers is considered as well. Perhaps he will get an opportunity to raise the issue in an Adjournment debate or in the pre-recess Adjournment debate.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We are doing all sorts of important things to keep elections free and fair in our country, and that is very important indeed. I look forward to seeing the Bill. I cannot guarantee that the Government will want to support it, but it is important that this place discusses these matters from time to time. We have a proud tradition of free and fair elections in our country and it is imperative that it stays that way.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am sure that the whole House will join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Emma and her family. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Emma on her incredible efforts in Brodie’s memory. Every suicide is a tragedy. Through the national youth strategy, we are taking steps to ensure that every young person feels supported.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising the work of the Courtyard Pantry Enterprise, because small businesses are at the heart of our economy. We are committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises through our small business plan, which will break down barriers to starting a small business. We are working across Government to make sure that farms and farmers are brought into that, because it is a great opportunity. I invite my hon. Friend to go into these matters in further detail, perhaps in the pre-Christmas Adjournment debate.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work as Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, and the whole Committee for its important work. The list of future debates is testament to the important matters that the Committee is able to deal with. We must, of course, look ahead at the parliamentary year, and parliamentary weeks, but there is inevitably a place for such important debates. I am grateful that the hon. Gentleman watched my performance in the Procedure Committee yesterday. That is at least one person who was watching, and I suppose it is a warning that in future I had better take more care with what I am saying. What I said—I invite colleagues to watch it or read the transcript; it is a blockbuster—and my comments about the hon. Gentleman and the Committee were genuine. He is doing a very good and important job, as is the Committee, and I am pleased to be able to say that. If the hon. Gentleman lets me have details of the vaccine case that he raised, I will take it up with the Department for Health and Social Care. I am surprised, as he is, that we are talking about possible strike action by doctors in the midst of what is happening out there and the flu situation, which is very serious, and I hope that is reflected in the attitudes of doctors as they move towards a ballot. He is right: what people require is clarity. I do not know the answer to his point about why someone should be pushed from pillar to post. That is not acceptable. There are enough vaccines out there, and it is not acceptable that there is not sufficient clarity. If he lets me have the details, I will draw the case to the attention of Ministers, and if there needs to be greater clarity going forward, I will ensure that that is what we get.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  If the hon. Lady gives me details of that case, I will do everything that I can to help her constituent.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We continue to assess the wellbeing of prisoners and will always take the appropriate action, including taking prisoners to hospital if they are assessed as needing treatment by a medical professional. We are keeping that under very close scrutiny; the Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the situation, and he and his Department are monitoring it closely. However, as was made clear by our right hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) and by Mr Speaker yesterday, it is important that correspondence on these matters is responded to quickly and in a timely fashion, so I will raise this issue with the Department to make sure Members are kept informed.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  What a fantastic festive event! The contribution of volunteers to events like these is invaluable. It has a real impact in bringing communities together, and is in the best of our traditions. I thank everyone volunteering at this festive period for their contribution. I will certainly look at my diary to see whether I am available next year, but I am in danger of making Scrooge look cheerful.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a champion for the issue of child poverty, and I commend her for that. I agree with her about the vital community work that organisations such as the Annexe, Drumchapel LIFE and Kingsway Community Connections, among others, do in her constituency and many others. It is more than disappointing that at the very time that this Government are publishing the child poverty strategy, the SNP Government should act in the way that they have done. As she rightly points out, we have provided the Scottish Government with a record funding settlement. They have nowhere to hide on these matters.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon), the Justice Secretary is monitoring the situation. The care and health of prisoners, whatever their status happens to be, are paramount in these matters. The Justice Secretary is taking these matters seriously and monitoring the situation. Should there be something to report to this House, I am sure he will come and do so.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  We do not just talk about small businesses being at the heart of our local communities. They are at the heart of what we do and our approach to these matters. That is why we have introduced permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000, which is worth nearly £900 million annually and benefits three quarters of a million properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving those businesses certainty and stability, and there is no cap at all, so that all qualifying properties will benefit. We recognise that there is a challenge in revaluation, which was instigated by the previous Government and is being carried out independently by the Valuation Office Agency. Some businesses have seen their values increase significantly since the pandemic, and I understand that some will be disappointed with the outcome of the Budget, but we are spending £2 billion this year to cap any increases for many businesses up and down the country. In terms of statements from Ministers, I have just read out the business for next week. We have the Second Reading of the Finance (No. 2) Bill, and I am sure the hon. Member and his party’s finance spokesperson will use that opportunity to raise these concerns further.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly will. That is a huge achievement and it is fantastic for the hon. Gentleman’s constituents, but this is also an opportunity to thank volunteers and charities not just in his constituency but across our country who do such fantastic work on loneliness and other matters. These issues come into sharp focus at this time of year, of course, and I pay tribute to the charity.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising such an important point, as is his custom in this House. As he knows, the UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, both offline and online. The Foreign Office regularly engages with Governments directly to raise areas of concern. I will make sure that these concerns are brought to the attention of the Foreign Secretary, and that the hon. Gentleman gets an answer.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concern and frustration about the attitudes towards nuclear, because Scotland is well placed to benefit from new nuclear projects. There are millions of pounds-worth of investment, high-quality jobs and apprenticeships, and I certainly welcome what sounds like a fantastic development in his constituency. Should he wish to raise the matter through a Westminster Hall debate, he can test Ministers on what further can be done.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, I join the shadow Leader of the House in sending our condolences to the friends and family of Lance Corporal Hooley, who died while serving our country and in the cause of keeping the flame of freedom alive. As we approach Christmas, I want to recognise the contribution that charities make across our country. Homelessness charities in particular provide an invaluable service in supporting those experiencing homelessness throughout the year, but particularly as the temperatures fall. I draw the House’s attention to the launch of the Government’s homelessness strategy today, which aims to halve the number of people sleeping rough long term by 2029 and which will rewire the system to ensure that support is where it is most needed. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness will provide further details to the House in her statement later today. I also want to mention the charity Citizens UK, which does a fantastic job across the country, including in my constituency, and which has been selected by The Guardian for its charity appeal this year. As a result of Citizens UK’s successful campaign, it has helped to triple the number of living wage employees across the north-east region and launched a citizens commission on mental health, particularly for young people. It has had a direct influence on the excellent work that the Government are doing in that regard. I want to place on the record, as the Member of Parliament for Tynemouth, my thanks to the Reverend Simon Mason and Father Chris Hughes, who provide fantastic leadership on these matters. I am pleased to announce today the publication of the Modernisation Committee’s first report with recommendations to improve accessibility across the parliamentary estate. It is simply not acceptable that some MPs, staff and visitors are prevented from engaging in some aspects of parliamentary life due to this place’s inaccessible nature. As the crucible of our democracy and national debate, the House of Commons must be accessible for all, and I am happy to say that work is under way, but much more needs to be done. I thank all members of the Committee and the former Leader of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell), for their work on the inquiry. On wider matters, last week the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025 received Royal Assent, which will protect vulnerable animals by strengthening the rules on pet travel to ensure that animals imported into the country for sale are healthy, treated with care and transported humanely. I congratulate the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) on navigating the Bill successfully to Royal Assent, which underlines, as we approach a second Session at some point in the new year, how important private Members’ Bills can be. They can be highly effective and can provide an invaluable opportunity for Members to promote the causes they support, to change the law and—certainly in this case—to help deliver Government priorities. If the shadow Leader of the House wants to take credit for some changes, I am pleased to let him live in a world in which he can do that. On Russian assets, the Government continue, as he knows, to consider how Russian assets might be used, particularly in support of Ukraine. We are working very closely with allies to make progress on that. I can assure him that we are constantly aware of what might be happening in our own country and therefore take these domestic issues very seriously indeed. The shadow Leader of the House mentioned leaks and what the Chancellor said to the Treasury Committee yesterday. She made her views on leaks and briefings, including what happened with the OBR ,very clear to the Committee. Of course, any Government have a responsibility around Budget time to take market reaction into account, but I gently remind the shadow Leader of the House that the reaction of the markets to the Budget was actually quite positive—I want to ensure that that is on the record. If anything emerges from the inquiries that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor talked about yesterday, I am sure that Ministers will want to update the House about those matters—they would be absolutely right to do so—but I gently remind the House that, although all these discussions about process are important, the Budget was about cutting the cost of living, balancing the books and getting growth in our economy, and those are the matters of most interest to people in our constituencies.

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that the whole House will join me in congratulating Dave Taylor and the dedicated volunteers at the Royal British Legion in Gravesham; I am sure we can all find similar examples in our areas and constituencies. Despite some of the circumstances, it has been a very good year for the poppy appeal. I pay tribute to the volunteers, who do an absolutely fantastic job, but also to the public, who step forward and support the appeal. The volunteers’ hard work is a really powerful demonstration of our nation’s commitment to those who have served. Should my hon. Friend want to raise this issue in a timely fashion, she could do so next Thursday; or perhaps she could apply for an Adjournment debate, in which she could go into the subject in more detail.