Kevin Bonavia MP: speeches

Speeches

• 31 Mar 2025 · Mobile Phone Theft · Hansard source

  More

  8. What steps her Department is taking to tackle mobile phone theft.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

  More

  In my constituency of Stevenage, we have an excellent charity called SADA—Survivors Against Domestic Abuse. Such charities rely on multi-agency working to deliver essential services to those affected by domestic abuse. How are the Government continuing to support organisations in working closely together to continue to provide effective services to those who have suffered domestic abuse?

• 19 Mar 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

  More

  10. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

• 11 Mar 2025 · Israeli-Palestinian Peace: International Fund · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) on securing this debate. He alluded to precedents and I want to talk about one, because the UK has been a trailblazer for peacebuilding in complex conflicts around the world, but most notably in Northern Ireland. The attention of the world has naturally been drawn to the destruction and the suffering of the peoples of both Palestine and Israel since the devastating Hamas attacks and throughout the subsequent war. I believe that the UK has a unique contribution to make in the area of civil society and people-to-people peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. In the mid-1980s, when a political peace process was non-existent, the international community decided to intervene at the grassroots level with the International Fund for Ireland. Expert effort was put into investing in civil society to create the social, economic and political foundations for peace. Twelve years later, the landscape in Northern Ireland was transformed, with genuine constituencies for peace. That allowed the negotiation of the Good Friday agreement. That model is one of the areas of peacebuilding in which we in the UK have unparalleled experience. Today, thanks to the tireless work of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, there is cross-party support for an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Indeed, the precedent does not just show that the UK can take a leading role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but that a Labour Government are particularly well placed to do so. It was Jonathan Powell, who was the Downing Street chief of staff in the 1990s and is now the Prime Minister’s national security adviser, who led the Good Friday agreement talks. Because of its investment in civil society at a moment when peace seemed distant, he characterised the International Fund for Ireland as “the great unsung hero of the peace process”. Today, we have an opportunity to play a similar role in a similarly intractable conflict. That is why I am so pleased that the Government have indicated their intention to do so, most recently in December with the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Foreign Secretary will convene an inaugural meeting to discuss next steps with partners. I end by asking whether the Minister can provide us with an update on when the meeting in London will take place and on which partners will be involved. I also ask what plans the Government have to use next week’s G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Canada to raise the establishment of an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. It is unquestionable that this summit is an opportunity to make the real progress that I believe only a Labour Government can make in these circumstances.

• 6 Mar 2025 · National Resilience · Hansard source

  More

  The covid inquiry found that years of under-investment under the Conservatives meant that our health services were already struggling to cope even before covid struck, with waiting lists rising years before the pandemic. Does my right hon. Friend agree that investing in our NHS and tackling the terrible delays that patients, including many of my constituents in Stevenage, experience in receiving treatment are vital to improving our country’s resilience?

• 6 Mar 2025 · National Resilience · Hansard source

  More

  16. What recent progress his Department has made on strengthening national resilience.

• 5 Mar 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  Q2. I commend the Prime Minister for the decisive leadership that he has shown in Europe and at home to bolster our collective security. The £13.4 billion increase in defence spending has been very much welcomed in my constituency. Will the Prime Minister outline how that increase in defence spending will boost jobs and growth in places such as Stevenage, and will he join me in visiting some of my constituency’s businesses?

• 4 Mar 2025 · Economic Growth: New Transport Infrastructure · Hansard source

  More

  4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase economic growth through new transport infrastructure.

• 4 Mar 2025 · Economic Growth: New Transport Infrastructure · Hansard source

  More

  In my constituency, Stevenage borough council is working to secure jobs and opportunity, with town centre regeneration under way and over 590 council homes delivered, but outdated infrastructure is holding back growth. Businesses have been clear with me that upgrading Stevenage station gateway would unlock growth, with the prospect of 15,000 jobs being delivered and a £1.5 billion benefit to the economy each year. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss how we can make the most of this opportunity to unlock economic growth through more infrastructure investment?

• 25 Feb 2025 · Defence and Security · Hansard source

  More

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Prime Minister is absolutely right to say that this is a generational moment for this country’s security. I pay tribute to this generation’s armed forces and all those who work in the defence sector, including in Stevenage, where they are refitting the Storm Shadows for use by Ukraine for its security and our security. Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the increase in defence spending he has announced today will, done properly, also help the wider economy?

• 24 Feb 2025 · Ukraine · Hansard source

  More

  Today, we pay tribute to the people of Ukraine fighting not only for their own freedom but for the freedom of all Europe. The Foreign Secretary said that we must learn from history. Over 80 years ago in Munich, this country and others talked away the future of Czechoslovakia without it being there and stripped it of its vital resources; we all know the tragic consequences. Today, there can be no peace without Ukraine, and there can be no enduring peace without the security that this country and other NATO allies can give to it.

• 10 Feb 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  As seems to be the consensus of the House, our support for Ukraine must remain unwavering in the face of Putin’s war of nationalist aggression. I am proud that this country retrofits Storm Shadow missiles in my constituency. With an increasingly unstable geopolitical situation, does the Secretary of State agree that full co-operation with our NATO allies to defend Ukraine and guarantee the security of Europe continues to be integral in the defence of our own country?

• 3 Feb 2025 · AstraZeneca · Hansard source

  More

  The wider context of the issue before us today is that this country is at the forefront of the global life sciences sector, of which there are clusters across the UK. In my constituency of Stevenage, which was the first post-war new town in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, we have GlaxoSmithKline, Autolus, and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. Will my hon. Friend tell the House how this Government are committed to spreading growth in the life sciences sector across the whole country, and thank all our hard-working scientists?

• 24 Jan 2025 · Unity Contract · Hansard source

  More

  I very much welcome this statement. As the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) said, we need SMEs to support our defence sector. One of the key challenges facing our defence sector, as Ukraine has shown, is that we need to speed up the pace of innovation in this new era facing defence. In Stevenage, we have many excellent SMEs supporting our local defence primes, Airbus and MBDA. Will my right hon. Friend show her support for what SMEs are doing and support them in the future?

• 23 Jan 2025 · Cyber Security · Hansard source

  More

  6. What recent progress his Department has made on strengthening cyber security.

• 23 Jan 2025 · Cyber Security · Hansard source

  More

  Between July 2023 and 2024, over 150 cyber-incidents were reported by the local government sector in the UK. Last year, the average ransom demand from a ransomware attack was over £2.2 million. As the local government sector does not pay ransoms, the average cost to our councils of recovering from a ransomware attack is approximately £12 million. Will my right hon. Friend therefore make additional support available to local authorities to enhance their cyber-security and protect local services for constituents such as mine in Stevenage?

• 16 Jan 2025 · Grassroots Sports · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Minister for her response. Last year, in my constituency, the Stevenage Football Club Foundation delivered more than 9,000 hours of activity in grassroots sports and engaged over 15,000 participants, generating nearly £10.7 million-worth of social value. This did not happen only in my constituency. Last year, the 72 English Football League community club organisations delivered more than £1.2 billion-worth of social value across this country. Will the Minister commit to supporting local community club organisations, such as the Stevenage FC Foundation, in engaging local people and directly supporting communities?

• 16 Jan 2025 · Grassroots Sports · Hansard source

  More

  10. What steps her Department has taken to support grassroots sport in Stevenage.

• 9 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  I welcome the Secretary of State to her place. In my first public meeting after my election, residents in Knebworth called for more fast train services. We got some, but there has been poor reliability. Will she meet me to discuss those issues?

• 9 Jan 2025 · Public Finances: Borrowing Costs · Hansard source

  More

  A key ingredient of economic growth has to be responsible government. People in Stevenage and across the country are still paying the price for 14 years of irresponsible government—the terrible decisions, the mini-Budget—and now we have a party in opposition that still does not get it. Opposition Members responded to this party’s Budget by saying that they accepted the improvement in public services, but they would not say how they would pay for it. Can my right hon. Friend assure us that this Administration will be committed to responsible government for the rest of the parliamentary term?

• 17 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

  More

  T5. I welcome the clean power plan, which the Government published last week, which lays out the route to energy security and lower bills. Will my right hon. Friend provide more detail on how our new national champion, Great British Energy, which is backed by the overwhelming majority of the public in Stevenage and elsewhere, will form part of this new plan?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Employer National Insurance Contributions · Hansard source

  More

  I totally agree with my hon. Friend that this Government are supporting people across the whole country, including Scotland today, and I really hope the Scottish Government use the money they have been given well. Returning to the Opposition motion, were they also opposed to our country being left a £22 billion black hole by the last Government? Where they also opposed to the disastrous Liz Truss mini-Budget, which included £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts, and which shocked the markets, crashed the pound and skyrocketed mortgage rates? Were they also opposed to the last Government’s spring Budget, which included myriad damaging unfunded promises in an attempt to flash the cash at the public ahead of an election? If they do now oppose all the above, they must agree with me that we have to restore economic stability by funding our pledges. That means finding money, and if it is not through this measure, would they tax working people or make another black hole? We have to face down the reality of these choices for what they are. It is overwhelmingly clear that the shadow Cabinet, who were exiled into opposition this summer, have not learned a single thing. They have made £6.7 billion in unfunded spending commitments in just four weeks. At least we can be grateful that they are not in the position to do more damage at the moment. Turning to what the funds raised from this measure will do, are the Opposition opposed to investing an extra £25.6 billion to fix the foundations of our NHS or cutting waiting times with 40,000 extra elective appointments a week?

• 4 Dec 2024 · Employer National Insurance Contributions · Hansard source

  More

  After inheriting the ruins of 14 years of Conservative failure, this Government have had to make tough decisions to balance the books.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Employer National Insurance Contributions · Hansard source

  More

  And I will keep it coming until the right hon. Gentleman gets the message. After 14 years of working people footing the Bill, this Government are choosing to spread the load in as fair a way as possible. In the spirit of building an economy driven by collaboration between productive workers and thriving businesses, a balance has to be struck. While we are asking employers to contribute more, this does of course come with protections for small businesses. While employer national insurance contributions will increase by 1.2%, this Government are choosing to protect the smallest businesses by increasing the employment allowance to £10,500 and expanding this to all eligible employers. Let us therefore stop the politically expedient outrage and check the real-life impact. Changes to the employment allowance mean that the Office for Budget Responsibility expects that 250,000 employers will gain and an additional 820,000 will see no change. We have also committed to provide support for public sector employers for additional employer cost. This also means that, unlike the previous Government, who gave us the highest tax burden since the second world war, Labour are able not to ask for a penny more out of workers’ pay packets. While we must listen to the genuine concerns from businesses, which, like the rest of society, are feeling the brunt of 14 years of Tory austerity and decline, I am in no doubt that these decisions are the right and necessary ones that will fix the foundations of our economy and unlock the funding to rebuild our public services.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Employer National Insurance Contributions · Hansard source

  More

  I say to all Members of this House that people have to see these measures in the round. This Budget will support all our businesses in the long run. Are the Opposition now opposed to protecting the triple lock, increasing carer’s allowance, freezing fuel duty, paying workers properly and supporting local councils? Are they opposed to boosting education funding by £6.7 billion and hiring 6,500 extra teachers, who our children desperately need to secure their future? If they are opposed to those things, they are not listening to the British public who, in my constituency of Stevenage and in hundreds of other seats, voted at the last election for a change from years of Conservative chaos. Change with Labour will bring a decade of national renewal to fix our public services from the ground up. Businesses can only have the confidence to invest in the UK if we bring stability to the economy, put money into the pockets of customers and develop thriving public services for the workforce that will in turn improve productivity for businesses. Business confidence was demonstrated by the record-breaking £63 billion in investment secured for the UK economy at the international investment summit. Under Labour, Britain is open for business. Today, the Conservative Opposition are asking us to pretend that we can grow our economy and rebuild our public services without saying how it would all be paid for. This Tory Opposition, with their motion today, show that they have learned nothing from 14 years of Tory fantasy economics. The shadow Chancellor brought up fantasy economics, and his party delivered that for 14 years in government. Today we have a Labour Government. The country voted against fantasy economics in July, and today I will vote against it too.