Lee Pitcher MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jul 2026 · Flood Insurance: Reform of Flood Re · Hansard source

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  The Minister will be aware that I spent most of my career supporting the most vulnerable people in communities that had been flooded, and helping them to find ways to support their mental health. It is not unknown for many of them to have post-traumatic stress disorder post floods. That can be brought on by a number of triggers, including the sound of rain on the window or the anxiety of worrying about being able to insure a house post floods. The reduction of contents-only insurance to £25 a year for bands A and B will be transformative. Does the Minister agree that it will make such a difference in helping lower-income households and in ensuring that Flood Re protects the things that matter most to people?

• 29 Jun 2026 · NHS Breast Screening · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a valid point. The environment that people first walk into makes a massive difference in how they feel about their screening. I went to one of those units with my wife only a couple of weeks ago—she had a lump in her breast—and the warm welcome that she got as we walked in was so amazing; it put her at ease and it put me at ease so I could support her, and it made the whole experience as good as it could possibly be. I am also thankful to say that she is doing very well. Will the Minister provide an update on what the Government are doing to ensure that the people who can already go for tests go for them? No woman should wait for a screening letter if she notices a lump, a change in shape, skin changes or anything that does not feel right. Whatever their age, they should contact their GP. Early diagnosis gives people more options, more time and often the chance to see children and grandchildren grow up. That is why this petition matters, and that is why, ultimately, we need to act on it.

• 29 Jun 2026 · NHS Breast Screening · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) on introducing the debate, and I thank everyone who signed the petition. Behind every signature is a person, a family member or a friend, who has faced the frightening possibility that cancer may be found too late. They may even have lost somebody because it was found far too late. In Bawtry in my constituency, local people have painted the town pink over the last few years during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They have also taken the time to promote a simple message inspired by the movie “Legally Blonde”: bend and check. It is a powerful reminder that awareness, confidence and early action can save lives. I am really glad that Epworth may also be turning the town pink later this year under Kim Penfold, who is getting shops to join in and turn their fronts pink to raise awareness of early detection and screening. The petition calls for routine breast screening to begin at 40 and to take place annually. That is a serious and understandable ask, but we must be guided by the evidence as well as the strength of feeling. The current NHS programme invites women to be screened every three years from the age of 50 until their 71st birthday. The independent UK National Screening Committee has advised that, on the evidence currently available, lowering the age or increasing the frequency of screening could bring harm as well as benefits, as we heard from my hon. Friend. Mammograms can be less accurate for younger women with denser breast tissue, increasing the risk of false positives and unnecessary tests and treatment. However, UK Age trial findings from a study of 160,000 women over 20 years show that annual mammograms for women in their 40s significantly reduces breast cancer deaths, saving a life for 1,000 women screened—one life, millions of memories. We cannot stand still. The question raised by this petition is therefore entirely legitimate. I would be grateful if the Minister confirmed when Parliament can expect the UK National Screening Committee to consider the final AgeX trial findings and how the evidence on additional screening for women with dense breast tissue will inform future decisions. We must also focus on the women already entitled to screening, as about three in 10 eligible women do not take up their invitation. This Labour Government’s work on digital innovations, mobile units, targeted outreach and more accessible equipment is welcome, but it must reach women in deprived communities, rural areas and communities where uptake is at its lowest.

• 29 Jun 2026 · Animal Abusers · Hansard source

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  Absolutely; there is no place for legal loopholes like that in our country, where we love our animals so much. The Government have referred to the police national computer and to existing arrangements for information sharing. I recognise that there are important safeguards around personal information and data protection that we must be aware of, but a record held somewhere in the system is not the same as a practical safeguarding tool that can stop a banned person acquiring another animal. That is the point behind the petition, and it is a point that we should take very seriously. This Labour Government were elected on a commitment to strengthen animal welfare, including through action on puppy farming and smuggling, snare traps, trail hunting and hunting trophies. We should now look carefully at whether the animal protection provided after a cruelty conviction is strong enough in practice. I believe there is a serious case for a properly governed national safeguarding scheme for those convicted of the most serious animal cruelty offences and subject to ownership bans. It would not need to be a public database. This should not be about naming and shaming people or allowing uncontrolled access to sensitive information; it should be a proportionate safeguarding measure, with clear rules on who can make a check, when they can do so, and what information they can receive. It can be managed, is what I am saying. Animal rescue and rehoming organisations, veterinary professionals, local authorities, licensing bodies and responsible breeders should be able to establish whether an individual is prohibited from keeping an animal before an animal is placed in that person’s care. We rightly recognise that information sometimes needs to be shared to protect children, vulnerable adults and the wider public. I believe we should be willing to consider a careful and proportionate approach that protects animals from people with a proven record of cruelty or neglect. The petition calls for automatic life bans following convictions for animal abuse or neglect. I understand why it has attracted such strong support. For the gravest cases, particularly those involving deliberate, sustained or repeated cruelty, the future protection of animals must be at the heart of the court’s decision. There should be a strong presumption that someone who has shown such serious cruelty should not be entrusted with the care of an animal again. Courts must retain the ability to consider the individual circumstances of the case, but where a serious offender receives only a short ban, or no ban at all, there should be clear reasons for that decision. This is not simply about punishment; it is about prevention. Animal cruelty can be part of a wider pattern of harm, as we have heard. It can sit alongside coercive control, domestic abuse and violence within a household, which makes early identification and effective safeguarding even more important, so I ask the Minister to look carefully at what more can be done. Will the Government consider consulting on a national animal welfare safeguarding disclosure scheme, so that responsible organisations can check whether a prospective owner has been convicted of serious cruelty or banned from keeping animals previously? Will the Government consider whether the law should create a stronger expectation of lengthy and, where appropriate, lifetime ownership bans in serious and repeated cases? Will they also publish clearer information on the number of disqualification orders made, how long they last, how often they are breached, and what action is taken when they are ignored? My 13-year-old constituent is not asking for anything unreasonable. They are asking for a system that works, before another animal is intentionally harmed. That is a basic test of whether our animal welfare laws are doing what the public expect them to do. For my 13-year-old constituent, for Bea, for all those who signed the petition and for every wonderful, beautiful animal we love, we should always try to meet that test.

• 29 Jun 2026 · Animal Abusers · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Burton and Uttoxeter (Jacob Collier) on securing this debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee, and I thank all my constituents and everybody else who signed the e-petition. Of course, I also thank Bea, who is in the Public Gallery today, for bringing this issue to light. This topic matters deeply to people across the country, including in my constituency. People expect those who cause suffering to an animal to face serious consequences. More than that, they expect the law to prevent another animal from ever being put at risk again. At home, our dog Foggy is a treasured member of our family, and that is how most people feel about their pets. They rely on us, they trust us and they absolutely deserve to be safe in our care. I recently received a letter about today’s debate from a 13-year-old constituent, who is worried that someone convicted of animal abuse could go on to have another animal and cannot understand why someone who has already shown cruelty towards an animal should be given another opportunity to cause harm. It was a powerful letter, not because it came from a young person—although that certainly made it all the more striking—but because it put the matter so plainly: why should we wait until another animal has suffered before we act? As we have heard, important powers are already available to the courts under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Those convicted of an offence can be disqualified from owning animals, keeping them, taking part in their care, influencing how they are kept, dealing in them or transporting them. Those powers absolutely matter. Increasing the maximum sentences for the most serious animal cruelty offences was an important step forward, but the petition raises a fair question: is the current system clear, consistent and practical enough to stop people who have been banned simply going elsewhere and acquiring another animal? A conviction may be recorded and a disqualification order may be made, but what happens when someone approaches a rescue centre, a breeder or another organisation to take on an animal? How does that organisation know whether the person standing in front of them has a history of serious cruelty or has been banned by a court from keeping animals? At present, the answer seems far too uncertain.

• 25 Jun 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  “Can we have one, Dad?” That was the iconic slogan of Yorkshire Caravans back in the 1980s. I am sure the Leader of the House will not quite remember then, but will he join me in congratulating Yorkshire Caravans on achieving its 100th birthday, which is a huge milestone for a local business in Bawtry in my constituency?

• 24 Jun 2026 · Farming Road Map and Profitability Review · Hansard source

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  I wonder if the Secretary of State agrees that for far too long farming has been undervalued because we have focused only on what goes out of the farm gate. We should focus more on the holistic contribution of farming—that is when we get good policy and can take our success forward for farmers.

• 23 Jun 2026 · Prison Safety · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that prison safety cannot be separated from mental health? When inmates are in crisis, they can self-harm and there is a potential risk of dying through suicide. It can affect the safety of staff and other prisoners, too. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to tackle physical safety and mental health?

• 23 Jun 2026 · Prison Safety · Hansard source

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  I know that the Minister is a huge champion of mental health, and of men’s and boys’ mental health in particular. In my constituency, I have the Moorland, Lindholme and Hatfield prisons. Will he join me in celebrating the amazing work being done by the Samaritans in those prisons to support people, and Andy’s Man Club as well?

• 22 Jun 2026 · British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Gentleman agree that whatever we do with the BCSSS surplus, we should do with the mineworkers’ pension scheme as well? We must ensure that mineworkers are looked after, and that the surplus goes back to the scheme’s members, too.

• 22 Jun 2026 · British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme · Hansard source

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  The Minister talked earlier about putting the wrongs right, and those decisions that will be made in the future will hopefully do just that, but once that is done, we want to make sure that they are future-proofed for everyone, regardless of what happens in the future. Will the Minister also commit to ensuring that once those wrongs are put right, that will continue, whoever governs in the future?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Road Safety: West Midlands · Hansard source

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  Likewise in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, we have a clear picture of where our hotspot areas are. The hon. Lady spoke earlier about having teeth and the ability to proactively plan and work with councils and National Highways to ensure that we tackle these problems and prevent accidents from happening before they occur. Does she agree that we need to use our road safety strategy to change the culture from being reactive to being proactive and preventive in order to save lives before people are harmed and hurt?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Road Safety: West Midlands · Hansard source

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  On schools, it is not just about speeding, is it? One the biggest issues is parking outside schools. We need to find a way to help schools to move parents on, or to have others come in—relevant organisations, the police force or National Highways—to support them. We need to give them the teeth or the accountability to come in and provide support; if not, we will lose more children crossing roads between parked cars.

• 9 Jun 2026 · Road Safety: West Midlands · Hansard source

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  We have a lot of farming communities and agriculture in the Isle of Axholme, and we have a big issue with horses often being killed on the roads. The space between a car moving at high speed down a country road and a horse is really important. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that we need to take that issue into account, particularly when we talk about the importance of those animals to small and medium-sized businesses in my area?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Road Safety: West Midlands · Hansard source

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  I am sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker— I have made lots of interventions today, but this issue is really important to me. On the topic of new developments, Warren Park estate in my area has had new roads for a long time, but some of the markings are not there. The developer and the highways authority need to work together; will the Minister encourage them to do so? There is one specific junction that is particularly dangerous. Will he join me in pushing them to resolve that issue as soon as possible?

• 9 Jun 2026 · Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree. This is not about heritage or the sentimental value of steel, although those things are of course important. Steel means something to people in their hearts, but, with a business brain, this is just about doing the right thing for the industry and for our country, our people and our communities. Steel is part of who we are. It is in the homes we need to build, the railways we need to renew, the energy infrastructure we need to deliver and the defence capability we need to protect our country, and it is in the skilled work, pride and industrial strength of communities that have already given more than enough to Britain. This debate is not only about a steelworks; it is about whether Britain is prepared to act like a serious industrial nation again. For too long, we have been too casual about losing the things that make us strong: factories, skills, supply chains, ownership and industrial capacity. We have allowed strategic British assets to pass out of British hands and then pretended that ownership does not matter. It absolutely does. In Dunscroft, Hatfield, Rossington, Thorne and Moorends, people know what happens when a major industry is allowed to collapse. They do not need a lecture in industrial policy; they and their families have lived through it, and their towns still live with the consequences. The loss of coalmining was not just an economic event but a social rupture. It damaged local economies because it damaged confidence. It damaged pride and the sense that the country valued the people and the places that powered it. That damage is still visible 40 years later. When people say that the Government intervention is too bold, too risky or too ambitious, I say that they need to look at the cost of not acting. Doing nothing is not free. It has costs for jobs, skills, supply chain resilience, industrial communities and national capabilities. It leaves Britain less able to build, less able to defend itself and less able to stand on its own two feet. That is not prudence; that is managed decline, and I did not come into this place and into politics to manage decline. This Bill says that when a foundational industry is at risk, when thousands of skilled jobs are at stake, and when national resilience is on the line, the Government do not have to stand aside and hope the market sorts it out. The market has not sorted this out. Decades of decline, under-investment and foreign ownership have brought us to this point. The choice before us is not between some perfect private sector solution and public ownership. The real choice is between responsible public action now or allowing a vital national capability to disappear. We cannot allow that. Some of the amendments before us seem to start from the idea that Government intervention is dangerous. I disagree: the danger is delay and timidity. The danger is pretending that rigid caps, lengthy processes and automatic routes back to private sale are the same thing as responsibility. Managed risk is not recklessness; managed risk is leadership. If we keep doing the same safe things, we will keep getting the same results. Those results are the decline that people keep voting for us to change—the change that I come to this House to be part of. This is a time to be bold and to step up. This is a time to take well-managed risks in the public interest. There are times to seize the bloody obvious and deliver for the country, and this is one of them. For the workers at Scunthorpe, for the families across my constituency who depend on those jobs, for the industrial communities that know exactly what happens when the Government walk away, and for the future strength of this country, I support this Bill. Britain needs steel, Britain needs British assets in British hands, and Britain needs a Government with the confidence to act in the national interest. This Bill is a welcome step in the right direction. It turns the tide on 40 years of ideological self-sabotage. That is why amendments that would delay, dilute, cap arbitrarily or force a route back to failed models should be resisted. This Bill deserves the support of the Committee today.

• 9 Jun 2026 · Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill · Hansard source

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  It is really sad that we have got to that point. Does my hon. Friend agree that the whole point of making bold decisions and taking a bit of risk is that it gives people aspiration for the future? It is about getting the next generation of children to set their minds on having jobs and careers in steel and manufacturing, working on the shop floor and having camaraderie. They need to envisage a future in which people have a regular, great income and support their local community and economy.

• 9 Jun 2026 · Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill · Hansard source

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  There is those three lions on my shirt, our NHS, the joy of holding a brolly over a barbie on another washed-out bank holiday Monday, that sweet smell of fish and chips on a Friday, a Mr Whippy on the beach, strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, His Majesty the King, the pageantry of trooping the colour, nil points at Eurovision, Fifa Ultimate Team, “Strictly” at Christmas, a “Gavin and Stacey” special, Monty Python, that Geri Halliwell dress, Phil Mitchell, James Bond, KSI, corgis, Larry the cat, Ant and Dec, accents, having that main character energy—and steel. Steel is to the UK what Yorkshire tea and Yorkshire puds are to God’s own county, what hotpot is to Lancashire and what black cabs are to London. It is about us. It is about what makes us and drives us. It is about pride. Before I turn to new clauses 12 and 4 and amendments 20 and 7, which I am against, I want to begin with Martin Welch. Today marks 48 years since Martin began working at Scunthorpe steelworks, and he is now its longest-serving employee. That is 48 years of skill, graft, and loyalty to an industry that has helped to build this country. Martin has also been a champion of safety for his coworkers, standing up for people who are doing difficult, skilled and sometimes dangerous work. When we debate steel, we are debating people like Martin, families like his, and communities whose working lives, pride and futures are bound up with the future of British steel.

• 9 Jun 2026 · Water Safety · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton Itchen (Darren Paffey) for securing this important and timely debate. My heart, warmest thoughts and love go out to all those families and friends who have felt the loss over the last few weeks, or in the past, of anyone who has drowned. Sam, I made your dad, Simon, a promise—and I made it before I even opened my mouth to respond to him that first day I met him. I saw your eyes looking up at me from a photo that your dad had put into my hand, and I could hear the pain in his voice—a pain that no parent other than one who has lost a child could ever say they have felt. I could see in that moment how he had given every single ounce of himself, having lost you, to ensuring that no one else ever felt that heartache again. Sam, I promised your dad then—and I make that promise to you now—that you will save lives. Sam was 15 years old, his GCSEs completed, and there was hot weather and the chance to go for some fun with friends in a reservoir. Sam never came home, and in the past few weeks, as we have heard, 19 people have not come home. Drowning kills more people per year in the UK than cyclists, fires, floods or knife crime, yet that fact does not seem to be recognised—certainly, it is not recognised enough. Well, not any more. Minister, we have a national emergency. This is a burning platform, a ticking time bomb, that needs sorting before the next hot spell. We must react. The Government must act. We have to do something about this, and we can. We have heard that drowning is not inevitable, and the World Health Organisation recognises it as a preventable public health issue. The heartache can and must be stopped, and the Government must act to help to stop it. I pay tribute to the Mirror for launching its Save Lives for Sam campaign, and many people have stepped forward to join the fight to Save Lives for Sam right now. Sam’s face is looking at me as I speak. I thank the Mirror for using its platform and for being there. I also want to recognise the work of the Royal Life Saving Society UK, Swim England, the National Water Safety Forum, the Swimming Alliance, the Canal & River Trust, the National Fire Chiefs Council and all those who have been pushing for years, often long before the issue received the public attention it deserves. I also thank all the Olympians who have stepped forward to support the campaign, Rebecca Adlington, Tom Dean and Michael Gunning. Those are powerful voices out there right now, and I ask even more to come together to spread the message so that we can save lives. Together, we are calling for the Government to launch an urgent public awareness campaign ahead of the summer holidays to target parents and children on relevant TV and social media platforms. We are calling for water companies and those in control of large, high-risk water bodies to do the right thing and provide the correct safety equipment through refreshed risk assessments. Ahead of the holidays, we are calling for compulsory lessons in schools on how to survive getting into difficulty in the water. We are also calling for the Government to ensure that a single person has accountability for water safety, as the Governments in Wales and Scotland have, because drowning must be accepted as a preventable public health issue. Finally, and very importantly, we are calling for Sam’s law to be put in place—that was my private Member’s Water Safety Bill in the name of Sam. Contrary to what the Government say, it had full cross-party support. It would create a legal responsibility to provide, maintain and ensure easy and rapid access to safety equipment around reservoirs and water bodies; it would create a specific criminal offence of vandalising safety equipment around those water bodies; and it would expand water safety learning outcomes in the national curriculum to include a requirement to understand dangers related to swimming in open water. The Government have already started to transform the water sector through the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and have indicated that they will go further, having included a clean water Bill in the King’s Speech. If that is to be a serious public health Bill as well as an environmental Bill, drowning prevention must be part of it. I call for the Government to include water safety as part of that Bill. Sam’s father, Simon Haycock, is not here today. He has done something extraordinary and amazing with unimaginable grief looking over him. He has fought with dignity and determination to make sure that other families do not go through what his family have gone through. In fact, right now, he is at a school teaching children about the dangers of swimming. He has spoken to communities and campaigned for Sam’s law. He has turned loss into action. The very least this House can do is listen. In the late 1880s, an unidentified woman, now referred to as Annie, was found in the River Seine. A mould of her face was used as the first CPR training dummy. It was a tragedy, but it resulted in millions of lives being saved since. The darkness of the tragedies of Sam and Mackenzie, who recently died in the River Don, and all those we have lost through drowning, will bring light to others. Their legacy will be that Sam saves lives.

• 3 Jun 2026 · Youth Mental Health Support · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making a great speech. I would like to raise awareness of paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus, conditions caused by an abnormal immune response that results in brain inflammation and leads to obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, children feeling pressures that they have never felt before and unbelievable overnight behaviour changes. There is little awareness about these conditions, but they lead to poor mental health. Some of the children from the PANS PANDAS UK board came to Westminster not too long ago. They talked to us about the conditions, and one of those young lads made a heartfelt plea for us to get behind him, as he had considered taking his life because of PANS/PANDAS, and the conditions are not recognised or diagnosed. Would my hon. Friend join me in encouraging the Minister to think about PANS/PANDAS in any conversations she has around mental health?

• 3 Jun 2026 · Small Towns: Transport Links · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that, when we think about growth, we need to think about being strategic in how we connect all our railways, buses and so on? A new airport is going to be opening in Doncaster. We need to be thinking about the future and how we connect that to the rail network as we go forward.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  I recently visited Weldricks pharmacy in Rossington and saw the amazing work done by the team there. My constituency is in quite a rural area and provision is patchy. Does the hon. Member agree that it would be good to map all community pharmacies, understand where there are gaps, and make targeted interventions? That would ensure provision for the number of people living in that area.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  Standardisation and consistency in services are really important. A person in my constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme is living with poor mental health. His pharmacy has stopped doing nomads, and it is too far for them to travel to the next pharmacy, where those are not paid for. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that consistency in how we support pharmacies is massively important to help people such as my resident?

• 1 Jun 2026 · Cadet Forces · Hansard source

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  I welcome the announcement of the first National Cadets Week, and I look forward to the new cadets action plan and the long-term vision for cadet forces. The figures released last week showing that more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training are deeply worrying, both for young people themselves and for wider society. Cadet forces can help to meet that challenge by giving young people confidence, discipline, skills, structure and a sense of purpose, helping them to succeed and thrive. How will the Minister ensure that cadet opportunities are not only maintained but expanded, so that young people in communities such as mine in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme can continue to benefit?

• 1 Jun 2026 · Cadet Forces · Hansard source

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  10. What steps he is taking to support cadet forces.