Jacob Collier MP: speeches

Speeches

• 20 Nov 2025 · Transport System: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  14. What steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth.

• 20 Nov 2025 · Ukraine: Forcible Removal of Children · Hansard source

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  All of us want to see peace in Ukraine, but it must be on the terms of the Ukrainian people—terms that they are fully behind. Russia cannot gain, or be seen to gain, from its illegal and unprovoked invasion. What assurances can the Minister give that the Government will stand fully behind Ukraine in ensuring that there is a peace agreement on Ukraine’s terms?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Asylum Policy · Hansard source

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  The Home Secretary has outlined common-sense measures to ensure that the British public are no longer asked to fund or accommodate foreign national offenders. At the same time, she is right that our country has a proud, long-standing tradition of offering sanctuary to those fleeing persecution. Can she therefore confirm that the United Kingdom will send no individual back to a place where they may be tortured, killed or persecuted?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. In Staffordshire, there are proposals to limit the hours of police community support officers in the evening. I welcome the named police officers returning to my constituency, but will the Minister ensure that the neighbourhood policing guarantee will mean more PCSOs on our streets, not fewer?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Budget: Press Briefings · Hansard source

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  The Chief Secretary will be aware of the vital role that beer and pubs play in my constituency, the beer capital of Britain. As the Chancellor finalises the Budget, will she ensure that this sector, which faces significant pressure, receives the support that it deserves in order that it can thrive and continue serving our communities?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Points of Order · Hansard source

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  indicated assent.

• 12 Nov 2025 · Points of Order · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition recently visited my constituency for her tool theft campaign, but I do not think that she has been informed that my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) has already secured changes through the Sentencing Bill. The right hon. Lady did not notify me of her visit, and given that she is a long-standing Member of this House, I seek your advice on how she can be reminded of the courtesies to be afforded to Members.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Curriculum and Assessment Review · Hansard source

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  At a recent Burton and District chamber of commerce meeting that I hosted, businesses raised the importance of financial education for young people about mortgages, savings and pensions. It appears that the Secretary of State was listening. What support she will give teachers, so that they can deliver that effectively?

• 5 Nov 2025 · Drug-related Deaths · Hansard source

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  I am proud to be a patron of Burton addiction centre, a residential rehab centre in my constituency. It is calling for a 2% target across the nation. Does my hon. Friend agree with that target for residential rehab? Perhaps the Minister would like to visit some time, when she is able to.

• 28 Oct 2025 · Gaza Peace Plan · Hansard source

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  We are grateful to the United States for its co-ordination. This must not be a temporary peace that fades away. As the Foreign Secretary says, the ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides accused of violations, and fighting on the occupied west bank continues. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the UK will continue to play an active role in supporting the peace plan and holding all parties to their commitments?

• 28 Oct 2025 · Gaza Peace Plan · Hansard source

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  2. What steps her Department is taking to support the Gaza peace plan.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I do agree. I think the Government will look at those international comparisons and where Britain is in the league tables. The TUC seeks day one rights, individual entitlements to paid leave and higher pay rates so that all families can benefit, including single kinship, adoptive and surrogate parents and those in atypical roles.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I start by wishing a very happy second birthday to William, the son of my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Alex McIntyre). Perhaps he is at a soft play centre in Walthamstow. I thank hon. Members for sharing their experiences and those of their constituents, which has powerfully showed the need for change in this area. I also thank the Minister for setting out the criteria of the review. I know that he cares passionately about these issues. Despite what the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) said, there is a real need for change, as we have heard throughout the debate. The Government’s parental review is the very first of its kind, and while it shows that the Minister and the Department are willing to listen, it must lead to real action with clear milestones for reform so that we do not see millions of families falling into poverty. I welcome the Minister saying that he will draw on the evidence he heard today, as well as submissions from unions, employers and families. No parent should have to face poverty in bringing up their newborn. If we get this right, we can strengthen family life, improve equity and give every child a fairer start. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member can hear from the Chamber that there is support for that position. I am sure the Minister has heard that. Trade unions have welcomed the Government’s review—I declare an interest here, as a proud Unison and GMB member. The GMB says that it is pleased that the Government are listening, and calls for 12 months’ maternity pay, stronger protection against discrimination and fairer rights for fathers and partners, including six weeks’ paternity leave on equal pay. The union’s model parental leave agreement also advocates paid emergency bereavement leave and carer’s leave, recognising that decent parental pay and leave boosts retention and wellbeing. The Trades Union Congress, representing over 5 million workers, warns that the current system entrenches inequality by excluding many women, the self-employed and those in insecure work.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I agree. The day one rights that the Government will introduce will be helpful in the context that my hon. Friend sets out. Ministers have rightly said that they want to remove the barriers that discourage people from having the children that they would like to, and parental leave and pay are at the centre of that effort. If families feel that taking leave means that they cannot get by, they will delay decisions. We know that the support needs to be in place so that they can make those choices freely. Changing the system is therefore about supporting families and maternal health and sustaining a strong economy that is built on fairness and security.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse, and a privilege to open this very busy debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. Calling for statutory maternity and paternity pay to match the national living wage, the petition before us has attracted a great deal of public support from families who want Parliament to look again at how we help parents in the first months of their child’s life. I thank the creator of the petition, Grace Carter, and the thousands who signed it for prompting this important discussion. The petition highlights a simple contrast that many parents experience. The national living wage is meant to ensure a basic standard of living for workers but, during maternity or paternity leave, state support falls well below that level. At present, statutory maternity pay after the first six weeks equates to just £4.99 an hour, compared with the national living wage of £12.21—55% lower than the income that the law defines as the minimum required to live on. It is hard to justify there being a minimum income for work but not for caring for newborns, and families really feel that gap in their pocket. In response to the petition, the Government have stated that statutory payments are designed to provide “a measure of…security” rather than a full wage.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. I know that my hon. Friend has a lot of experience in his own family to bring to this debate, and I wonder if his daughter is watching it. A parental leave system that works for every family, for employers and freelancers, and for single parents and kinship carers alike is not a cost to be endured but an investment in our shared future. It is in that spirit that I look forward to hearing the rest of the debate tonight.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I agree, and those are some of the themes that I will come on to. We know, from parents such as Grace and from the stories that we will hear throughout today’s debate, that the current system leaves huge gaps and does not support families or children in the way it should.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady has highlighted an area that needs to be addressed. One of the starkest, most glaring inequalities in the system is that dads who are self-employed or freelance are not eligible for anything. That is something that the Government should look at.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I agree. It is quite stark that lots of parties are represented here today, but apart from the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith), there is not one Member of the official Opposition here. Ultimately, this issue is about the country that we choose to be. The first months of a child’s life are not a private indulgence; they are a public good. When parents are able to be present, children flourish, mothers recover, fathers bond and families become the firm foundation of a stronger, healthier society. When that support is absent, we all pay the price—not immediately, but inevitably. This issue is not merely a question of fairness; it is a matter of foresight and basic national good.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I agree, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a long-time campaigner on these issues. I know that that is something that the Government have heard him say and will continue to hear him say. We know there are huge costs involved. A nursery place for an older child at this time can cost up to £1,200 a month for three days a week, while the average mortgage is between £800 and £1,000 a month. Add in household bills, food bills and transport costs, and it becomes painfully clear how impossible it is to survive on the statutory maternity pay of £4.99 an hour.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a great champion for his constituents. Many of the issues that he notes will come out in the debate today. He is right to say that the Government have begun the first ever full review of parental leave and pay, which is a serious and welcome step.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  Yes; the hon. Lady highlights a stark inequality that the Government need to address. Behind every statistic is a story. The recent campaign by Pregnant Then Screwed gathered testimony from families across the UK who face the brutal consequences of the current, inadequate system. Laura from the west midlands had to return to work just 11 weeks after giving birth because she could not afford the mortgage repayments on her low maternity pay. She said that she had been “overwhelmed with guilt over the limited bonding time” that she had had in those early months due to returning to work, and it had greatly impacted her mental health. Izzy from Chester, recovering from an emergency caesarean section, was left alone in pain, unable to feed herself and her baby. Her wound later ruptured and became infected. She believes that that would not have happened if her husband had been at home longer. Neya from London told us about the aftermath of her traumatic birth and its impact. She slept on the floor for weeks and was unable to function. She said that she could barely think about how she would have coped if her husband had not been around. Another parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, shared a reflection that captures the long-term cost of the current system: “I’m struggling to see how we can possibly have a second child because of all of this. I’m very happy, grateful and content with one but it feels like the choice is starting to be taken out of our hands.”

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  Yes, absolutely. My hon. Friend is a real champion of his constituents, and I too welcome the Government’s commitment. Shared parental leave was designed to bring flexibility, but in practice very few families can afford to take it at the current levels. The House of Commons Library notes that only 5% of eligible fathers take it up, with most saying that they cannot afford it. The United Kingdom offers one of the longest periods of maternity leave in the developed world, yet one of the lowest payment rates. The outcome is predictable: mothers often return to work earlier than they would like, fathers and partners take little to no time off and the unequal division of care that begins at birth shapes the patterns of earnings and progression for the years afterwards. Recent research by the University of Bath and its partners, Working Families and the Fatherhood Institute, tested the impact of a more generous and flexible leave offer for fathers and modelled what would happen if paternity leave were extended from two to six weeks, to be taken flexibly within the first year and paid at a meaningful rate. The findings were striking. Better pay produced much higher take-up by fathers, improved wellbeing for both parents, maintained a closer connection of women to the workforce and lowered staff turnover for employers. When only jobs and earnings were considered, the policy still brought a net gain to the economy; when wellbeing and family outcomes were added, those benefits rose sharply. In every scenario, families and employers were better off when parental leave was properly paid. Those are not just numbers. They mean families spending real time together, children getting a better start and businesses keeping valued staff. The evidence is clear: when leave is paid at a level parents can afford, everyone benefits.

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I know that that is the experience of many parents, and I am sure that the Government will look at it as part of the review that they are undertaking. Under the current arrangements, a mother or primary adopter can receive maternity pay for up to 39 weeks. For the first six weeks, that pay is 90% of average weekly earnings. For the following 33 weeks, it falls to a flat statutory rate, or 90% of earnings—whichever is lower. Statutory paternity pay lasts for two weeks at the same flat rate.