Clive Betts MP: speeches

79 published records · newest first.

Speeches

30 Jun 2026 · Defence Investment Plan · Hansard source
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I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to buy British and create British jobs. When he produces his further strategy on procurement in the autumn, will he try to get a joined-up approach to procurement across Government, as that is important to our industrial strategy? The MOD is investing £1 billion-plus in Sheffield Forgemasters to create the capacity to build nuclear reactors for our submarines, yet at the same time, Rolls-Royce is purchasing the same sorts of nuclear reactors in South Korea to go into civil nuclear plant. Do we not need to get that sorted out, right across Government, to make sure that we are doing British industry proud and buying British products to create British jobs?
17 Jun 2026 · Steel Tariffs · Hansard source
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It is absolutely right in principle for the Government to try to defend the steelmaking sector, particularly Liberty at Stocksbridge and Rotherham. However, there are downside implications for smaller firms, particularly manufacturing firms such as Ansell Handtools, Special Steel Group and Crown Hand Tools in my constituency, all of which have said that they cannot buy precisely the steel that they need, or the quantities of steel that they need, from British manufacturers. That is the challenge. I know that the Minister has been doing a great deal of work on this; can he tell me how he will leave a channel open for concerns to be raised by those companies if the further measures that he has taken do not address their particular grievances?
16 Jun 2026 · West Bank: Settler Activity · Hansard source
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3. What steps she plans to take in response to increases in settler violence in the west bank.
16 Jun 2026 · West Bank: Settler Activity · Hansard source
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Let me add a few words about the murder of Jo Cox. I was a friend and colleague of Jo’s, and I still remember the numbness and shock that I felt on hearing the news. Quite simply, no Member of this House should fear for their life because they speak out on behalf of their constituents. The west bank is illegally occupied by Israel. The settlements are illegal and have been expanded through extreme violence by settlers, supported by the Israel Defence Forces. I do not know whether my right hon. Friend is aware that, in May, the Dutch Government decided to ban trade in goods from settlements. They did so because they wanted to put pressure on the Israeli Government. The Dutch Foreign Minister made it very clear that the Dutch Government acknowledged that enforcement would be difficult and that they carefully weigh up these matters, but they decided in the end that doing anything was better than doing nothing. May I suggest that might be an appropriate course of action for our Government? We ought to be seen on the right side of this, and finding reasons why we cannot act is not right. We ought to be acting on this matter.
15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source
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I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his appointment—he is very well suited to the job at hand. I am sure he will understand, though, if I also express my disappointment that his predecessor and my constituency neighbour, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (John Healey), felt he had to resign because of the inadequacies, as he saw them, in the defence investment plan. I congratulate everyone involved on the seizing of the tanker. It is an important lesson for Putin that we are going to disrupt his war machine, but it is also a first; will the Secretary of State indicate if we are looking to undertake such operations more regularly in order to ensure that the many such tankers that sail in these waters are not free do so in future without the fear that our Government may act against them?
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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We move on to the shadow Minister, Dr Caroline Johnson, who has 10 minutes to make her contribution.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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Order. Members must not refer to each other by name in the Chamber.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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We now move on to the Front Benchers.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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Order. I will call Mary Kelly Foy next, as the co-sponsor of the debate. After her speech, I will give hon. Members an indication of how long they may have to speak, to try to get us to the end of the debate in a reasonable fashion.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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I am supposed to be neutral in the Chair, but I think I am allowed to give a particularly warm welcome to Ashley Dalton.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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Before I call Wendy Chamberlain, let me say that the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) has indicated to me that he has to leave at about quarter past 4. He has a plane to catch; I accept that as a reason, and he has given advance notice, which I thank him for. We will begin the wind-ups by 4.05 pm at the latest.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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Order. We have four Members who want to come in, so I will issue a guideline of nine minutes each for speeches, if Members could stick to that, please.
11 Jun 2026 · Secondary Breast Cancer · Hansard source
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If the Minister allowed a couple of minutes before 4.30 pm for the mover to make some further comments, that would be really helpful.
22 Apr 2026 · Pension Schemes · Hansard source
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The Public Accounts Committee has had a number of hearings on this issue, and I am sure the Chair, the hon. Member for North Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown), will want to ask some questions. First of all, there is a shared responsibility here. MyCSP has responsibilities, but I have to say that the Cabinet Office oversaw this, and there are real questions that the Minister should be asking officials in the Cabinet Office about their degree of responsibility. We have had so many assurances on this. Are the June assurances really going to be kept to? This is not a one-off issue, is it? The civil service pension scheme has had at least three different problems with three different providers in the past. We have had the teachers’ pension scheme, the Royal Mail pension scheme—an awful lot of them. We asked the Cabinet Office permanent secretary whether she would go away and look at having an in-house team built up to administer public sector pensions in a way that might prevent these recurring problems with a variety of private sector providers, whose arrangements always seem to go wrong.
26 Mar 2026 · Prison Officers: Mandatory Body Armour · Hansard source
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The right hon. Lady had the courtesy to advise me in advance that she would have to leave shortly after 4 pm, so I think it was reasonable to allow her to speak in the debate.
26 Mar 2026 · Prison Officers: Mandatory Body Armour · Hansard source
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Order. Six Members wish to contribute to the debate and we have about 50 minutes, so people can do the sums on that—it is about eight minutes maximum for each speech.
26 Mar 2026 · Prison Officers: Mandatory Body Armour · Hansard source
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We move on to the Front Benchers, who are entitled to 10 minutes each. I hope that we can allow at least two minutes for Julian Lewis to wind up at the end. I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
19 Mar 2026 · UK Steel Strategy · Hansard source
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I welcome the strategy. Sheffield’s history is inextricably linked to steel, and we want our future to be linked to steel as well. My right hon. Friend mentioned the excellent work that Forgemasters is doing to provide steel for our nuclear reactors, our nuclear submarines and, hopefully, our civil nuclear program, through small modular reactors. The strategy mentions the procurement of British steel. Will the Secretary of State set out how the Government will ensure that public bodies do procure British steel rather than just saying that they will? My hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Dr Tidball) has fought so hard for the future of Liberty in the past few months. What would the Secretary of State say to her about Stocksbridge steelworks? Will this deal ensure that the steelworks has a viable future and that jobs are retained for the whole of Sheffield?
11 Mar 2026 · Disability Equipment Provision · Hansard source
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Order. Six Back Benchers want to speak in the debate, so I suggest about five minutes each as a guideline.
11 Mar 2026 · Disability Equipment Provision · Hansard source
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We now move on to the Front Benchers. The Liberal Democrat and Opposition spokespeople will have five minutes, and the Minister will have 10. There is a bit of flexibility on that time, so we can be a little more generous if required.
11 Mar 2026 · Disability Equipment Provision · Hansard source
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Minister, it would be helpful if you could allow a couple of minutes at the end for the mover to respond.
11 Mar 2026 · UK-based Tech Companies · Hansard source
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Order. The hon. Gentleman has not been reading the media—we had some good news this morning, which has moved us forward. I just wanted to make sure everyone is up to date with the important information.
11 Mar 2026 · UK-based Tech Companies · Hansard source
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Order. We have five speakers, which gives each of them between eight and 10 minutes, so that we can get the Front Benchers in after that. I call Chris Evans.
11 Mar 2026 · UK-based Tech Companies · Hansard source
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Can the Minister make sure that he allows two minutes at the end for the mover to wind up?
11 Mar 2026 · UK-based Tech Companies · Hansard source
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We now come on to the Front Benchers. Everyone is entitled to at least 10 minutes, but I think you can work out that you have a little bit more if you want to take it.

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