Carolyn Harris MP: speeches

Speeches

• 12 Apr 2025 · Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill · Hansard source

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  Today I represent not only my constituents in Neath and Swansea East, but those of my hon. Friend the Member for Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock). After years of under-investment and neglect by the previous Government, this Government’s commitment to steel is truly welcome. However, it is vital that the £2.5 million steel renewal fund already announced by the Government is used to support the industry across the UK, and Wales needs to get its fair share. Some 2,800 steelworkers lost their jobs in the region, but they recognise that the circumstances in Port Talbot were different from those in Scunthorpe. In Port Talbot, half the steel production had already been shut down when the Labour Government came into power, despite Plaid Cymru’s desperate attempts to electioneer this as an issue. It was impossible to reverse the deal that had already been struck between the previous Tory Government and Tata. Although steelworkers understand the urgency of the current situation and support the Government’s action to prevent further closures and job losses, they need commitments for Wales that will attract investment and create much-needed employment opportunities, like those being offered by the floating offshore wind industry. It was too late to save the furnaces in Port Talbot and the jobs are long gone, but investment in the area will bring new jobs—and, most importantly, new hope to all our constituents.

• 31 Mar 2025 · Political Donations · Hansard source

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  Order. The debate is now suspended for Divisions. We will suspend for 15 minutes for the first vote and 10 minutes for every subsequent vote. Everyone who has spoken in today’s debate is expected to return for the winding-up speeches.

• 31 Mar 2025 · Political Donations · Hansard source

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  I think I made myself clear: if you are going to mention a Member, you need to inform them before you mention them, not after, to give the Member the opportunity to turn up. I suggest that you inform the Member concerned as a matter of urgency, Mr Thomas, and apologise for not doing so beforehand.

• 31 Mar 2025 · Political Donations · Hansard source

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  I remind Members who wish to speak that they should bob, and they need to have been here from the beginning of the debate. Interventions—should Members take them—are meant to be just that: short and relevant to the points being made. I point out to Members that if you mention a current Member by constituency, you need to have formally informed them beforehand, so that they will know they have been mentioned. I call Jamie Stone, Chair of the Petitions Committee.

• 31 Mar 2025 · Political Donations · Hansard source

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  Order. I do not think I should have allowed that first intervention, and I certainly should not have allowed the second. This is completely out of scope. Can we stick to the motion?

• 6 Mar 2025 · International Women’s Day · Hansard source

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  In my almost 10 years in this place, I have become somewhat vocal on women’s issues. Some would call me a “ferocious campaigner”, others a “challenging mouthpiece”, but I will take both. My passion for ensuring that women get access to the support and services they need is what drives me—from women struggling through the menopause to women in prison, and women who are victims of domestic violence, human trafficking or modern slavery. It has been my mission to use this platform to be their voice. Today, I will speak about an industry that is powered by women but is all too often overlooked and undervalued. As a former co-chair—alongside you, Madam Deputy Speaker—of the previous Parliament’s all-party parliamentary group on beauty and wellbeing, which we are reconvening, I have often spoken about the personal care sector. We championed such businesses during the pandemic, when they were belittled by those in power and were among the last businesses to reopen. Since then, we have continued to promote the contribution that they make to our economy, as well as the physical health and mental wellbeing benefits that they bring to society. More than 80% of those working in the personal care industry are women, and the industry has one of the highest rates of business ownership compared with other sectors—especially for women. In fact, women are four times more likely to own a personal care business than a business in any other sector. “The Future of the High Street”, a report published by the Federation of Small Businesses last year, recognised that women owners of small and medium-sized enterprises were more likely to engage with their communities, but also highlighted the difficulties women faced, such as excessively high rental costs, when women typically earn less than their male counterparts and bear the brunt of the time and cost demands of raising a family. It is especially encouraging therefore to see that beauty and wellbeing businesses, which are predominately owned and staffed by women, continue to open and thrive—and they really are thriving. In 2023, there was an 11% year- on-year growth in the GDP contribution of the industry to £27.2 billion. The same year saw a 10% increase in the industry’s workforce, with businesses employing 418,000 people. Professional services, such as salons, directly employed 224,000 people, of which 180,000 were women. Every day, the industry plays a role in our lives—from the products we buy to the services we use. It keeps us clean, enhances our appearance and helps us to protect our physical and mental health. Will the House join me in wishing every woman who works in the personal care sector or owns a business—let us face it, they will probably be working all day Saturday—a very happy International Women’s Day? [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”]

• 27 Feb 2025 · St David’s Day and Welsh Affairs · Hansard source

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  It is always a great pleasure to speak in the annual St David’s Day and Welsh affairs debate, and it is a special honour this year to be speaking as the Member of Parliament for the new seat of Neath and Swansea East. Having lived in Swansea East my entire life, it was a real step into the unknown when the boundary changes forced me to leave behind half of my very special constituency to represent a completely new and equally special constituency. It may only be 15 minutes down the road, but those 15 minutes bring whole new communities, a much more rural landscape and a diverse caseload that differs in many respects from what I knew before. When I made my maiden speech in this place almost 10 years ago as an Opposition MP, I spoke about my city, Swansea, questioning Dylan Thomas’s portrayal of it as an “ugly, lovely town”. I thought it is only right for my first St David’s Day speech as a very proud Government MP, representing Neath and Swansea East, to talk about the new part of my constituency and the wonderful town of Neath. Neath is a town steeped in history. We have Neath abbey, a Cistercian monastery dating back to 1129, and a Norman castle, also built in the 12th century. At the heart of the town centre are Victoria gardens, overlooked by the formidable St David’s church, named for our patron saint. Consecrated in the 1860s, the church continues to be a focal point of the community today and it is always a great pleasure to be invited to attend events there, especially with my constituency husband, Jeremy Miles MS. Just a few minutes away from the church is Neath market, a traditional covered market that has traded in the same building since 1837. As shops have come and gone over the years, the market has been a constant and the produce on sale is, in my opinion, the best available. If a shopping list includes Glamorgan sausages, Caerphilly cheese, a dozen Welsh cakes, a bunch of daffodils or even a bucket hat with a dragon on it, Neath market is the place to go. Neath really has a past to be proud of. In addition to the beautiful historical buildings, we also boast one of the oldest fairs in the UK. Neath great fair, which takes place every September, can be traced back to 1280 and not even the first world war could disrupt it, with Henry Studt’s vans even used as a recruiting office for the war effort in 1915. Talking of showmen like Henry Studt, yet another outstanding church in the town centre, St Thomas, has a close affinity with the Showmen’s Guild, housing a wonderful carousel horse and a stained-glass window that was commissioned for the guild’s centenary celebration. Our modern-day Neath is no different from anywhere else across the country, with its once bustling town centre feeling the effects of the convenience and value of online shopping. I know many constituents were understandably devastated when Marks and Spencer closed nine months ago after decades of being the town’s anchor store, unfortunately with very little support from the rainbow independent-Plaid coalition local authority. We are very lucky to still have a selection of national chains and individual bespoke shops still trading and thriving. Personally, I am a very big fan of shopping locally as it means I can pop into the Castle Hotel for a cup of coffee. At this point, I must give a special mention to Miss Jones Boutique, Mossies and Coco Blush. Any time hon. Members see me standing here, it is almost certain that I am wearing something from one of those shops. Like everyone else in our great country, my constituents in Neath are a truly patriotic bunch. Hon. Members will struggle to find a man, woman or child who is not vehemently proud to be Welsh; proud of our country, of our history and of those who represent our nation. Back in July, at the very start of this Parliament, the Leader of the House joined me in wishing good luck to Team GB in the Paris Olympics and particularly to Dan Jervis from Resolven, who was heading to Paris as part of the GB swim team. I mention Dan again today as earlier this month he retired from competitive swimming. I congratulate him on all he achieved and thank him for being such a wonderful role model. I know from visiting a host of grassroots sports clubs across the constituency that we have plenty of aspiring athletes who want to follow Dan’s lead. Last October I was particularly pleased to support a heart screening programme for young people from Bryncoch football club in Neath and Clydach football club in Swansea. Thanks to a generous donation, we were able to work with TOBE-Heartsafe to bring that programme to young people who otherwise might not have been able to access it. TOBE-Heartsafe was set up by Sam Richards in memory of her son Toby. It has always been my desire to help people. That was at the heart of why I first stood for election 10 years ago. A decade on, I remain as proud as I was on that first day, now with a growing number of Welsh Labour representatives in this place. While I have not quite got St David’s knack of working miracles—but I do have a go—I will do everything in my power to help my constituents. I remain humbled and thankful that the people of Neath and Swansea East put their trust in me again last July, and I look forward to continuing to represent and support all my constituents throughout this Parliament. I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, a very happy St David’s Day.

• 24 Feb 2025 · Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her response. In 2023 the then Home Affairs Committee recommended that pimping websites be outlawed, but the previous Government took no action, allowing sex traffickers to continue legally to exploit their victims online. I have since been made aware of further online exploitation, with websites allowing men to rate and review the women for whom they are paying for sex, including admissions of trafficking, under-age sex, and rape. Will the Minister share what action this Government will take to protect victims of online sexual exploitation?

• 24 Feb 2025 · Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking · Hansard source

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  6. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce demand for sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

• 6 Feb 2025 · Coalfield Communities · Hansard source

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  Very wise. I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. I am being contacted by a growing number of mineworker constituents who were enrolled in the British Coal staff superannuation scheme, as is my hon. Friend the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Gerald Jones), and all those constituents are understandably disappointed that they have not received the same justice as their former colleagues in the mineworkers pension scheme. That inequality is unfair, particularly as almost 5,000 women who worked in the industry and who were paid less were in the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. Does my hon. Friend agree that urgent action is needed to bring some parity to the situation?

• 6 Feb 2025 · Coalfield Communities · Hansard source

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  rose —

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Ms Qureshi. Your point has been made and noted.

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Mr Coleman. I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Order. Ben Coleman to resume his speech.

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Order. Mr Coleman, I remind you that I am the audience, not the Public Gallery.

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Order. Before we continue with the debate, can I bring to everyone’s attention that guests in the Gallery are not permitted to contribute in any way to it? Any Member who speaks needs to stay for the wind-ups. We will have a tight time limit of six minutes per speech. Can I please encourage colleagues to make short interventions? Otherwise, some people will not be able to speak. I call Yasmin Qureshi.

• 16 Dec 2024 · Israel and Palestine · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind the right hon. Member that the case is sub judice and we should not talk about it.

• 16 Dec 2024 · Israel and Palestine · Hansard source

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  Order. As Members can see, the debate is very oversubscribed. I will set a time limit of four minutes, but if interventions continue as they have, I anticipate that it will be reduced. If Members are on my call list, they need to be at a seat. I ask Members who have made an intervention and who are not down to speak to make way for Members who are waiting to speak. I also remind Members taking interventions that, as generous as it may be to the person they allow to speak, it means that Members at the bottom of the call list will not have an opportunity to speak. I leave that to your judgment.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Budget 2024 · Hansard source

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  The Budget commitment of £80 million for the Tata transition board was indeed welcome, but Thrive, the domestic abuse organisation in Neath and Port Talbot, is concerned that since the Tata announcement there has been a rise both in reported incidents of domestic violence and in demand for prevention services for perpetrators. Can the Secretary of State provide assurances that the transition board will look at this as a priority funded project?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Pimping websites and paying for sex · Hansard source

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  I rise on the 10th day of the UN’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence to present a petition on commercial sexual exploitation on behalf of my constituents in Neath and Swansea East. Pimping websites are used by traffickers to advertise and facilitate the sexual exploitation of women. Our laws against pimping have failed to keep pace with technological change, and such websites are now readily accessible and play a key role in enabling sex trafficking in this country. Victims of trafficking and exploitation are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and it is our duty to protect them. The petition therefore requests “that the House of Commons urges the Government to outlaw pimping websites and paying for sex, and provide support, not sanctions, to victims of sexual exploitation.” Following is the full text of the petition: [ The petition of residents of the constituency of Neath and Swansea East, Declares that demand from the minority of men who pay for sex is driving the prostitution and sex trafficking trade, and this sexual exploitation is being facilitated by pimping websites that operate with impunity. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to outlaw pimping websites and paying for sex, and provide support, not sanctions, to victims of sexual exploitation. And the petitioners remain, etc. ] [P003026]

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q3. Today it is Question 3 but, who knows, next week I could be No. 1 in the charts, as the first MP this year to bring out a Christmas single. Will the Prime Minister join me in thanking my musical collaborator, the hugely talented Mal Pope, and everyone involved with this year’s “Everyone Deserves” hamper campaign, which will deliver festive food to 1,500 homes across five constituencies in south Wales? Like our song says, “There’s a reason for the season and everyone deserves a Christmas.”

• 3 Dec 2024 · Leisure Services: West Lancashire · Hansard source

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  I will call Ashley Dalton to move the motion and then I will call the Minister to respond. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.

• 3 Dec 2024 · Critical Minerals: Domestic Production · Hansard source

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  Order. I remind Members that they need to stand if they wish to speak during the debate.

• 12 Nov 2024 · School Transport: Northumberland · Hansard source

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  Before I call the hon. Member for Hexham to move the motion, I inform Members that the parliamentary digital communications team will be conducting secondary filming during the debate.

• 6 Nov 2024 · Support for the Steel Industry · Hansard source

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  Unlike the previous Government, this Government are fully committed to enabling the £800 million transition fund to support former steelworkers. I recently visited the steelworkers’ support centre in Port Talbot, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock). In its opening four weeks, it has helped almost 600 individuals, many of whom will be from Neath and Swansea East. Will the Secretary of State join me in thanking Community union and the other organisations that have set up the centre, and provide an update on the transition fund?