Liam Conlon MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Dec 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that what has not been conducive to education and preparing children for the best start in life, as I have heard from primary school teachers across my constituency, is the decimation of Sure Start, which provided children with the best start in life?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

• 24 Nov 2025 · Families in Temporary Accommodation · Hansard source

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  11. What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of families in temporary accommodation.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Families in Temporary Accommodation · Hansard source

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  The number of people in temporary accommodation in my constituency soared during the last 14 years. Hundreds of families in Beckenham and Penge are stuck in unsuitable accommodation for months and years on end, and one in 50 Londoners are now living in temporary accommodation. From speaking to fantastic local charities such as Living Well, as well as local schools and NHS staff, I know that the housing crisis left by the last Conservative Government is also a leading driver of deprivation and inequality. Will the Minister set out what her Department is doing to address that?

• 18 Nov 2025 · Northern Ireland Troubles Bill · Hansard source

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  May I start by thanking the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Sir Julian Smith) for his thoughtful contribution? Ever since the Northern Ireland legacy Bill was introduced by the previous Government in 2019, thousands of innocent victims’ families have waited to see this day. Of the many reckless things the Conservatives did to our relationship with Northern Ireland in their 14 years in government, I struggle to think of a more egregious example than that legislation. It was a direct attack on the Good Friday agreement, it undermined accountability and the rule of law, and it has caused significant pain to thousands of victims’ families. Indeed, in the bringing forward of that Bill, there was no consultation with any victims’ groups or families. The right hon. Member for Tonbridge (Tom Tugendhat) referenced the South African truth and reconciliation commission, but a key difference is that that commission put families’ and victims’ voices at its centre. For people across Northern Ireland, the legacy of the troubles is not a chapter in history, but something carried in every family and community to the present day. I know this from my own family. I am a relative of Father Hugh Mullan, one of 11 innocent victims of the Ballymurphy massacre, which took place in 1971—one of the worst atrocities of the troubles. Hugh was a Catholic priest, and was trying to help another victim and offer the last rites when he was shot and killed unlawfully by a member of the Parachute Regiment. He was shot first in the abdomen, and then again in the back as he lay on the ground. What is often missed in discussions of troubles-related cases is that what followed often compounded families’ grief. Hugh was labelled as a gunrunner, and there were attempts to smear him that could not have been further from the truth, but it would take 50 years for the words “entirely innocent” to appear on public record in a ruling by Mrs Justice Keegan. I have had the pleasure of working with victims’ groups right across Northern Ireland, on a cross-community basis, and I want to remark on the words of Sandra Peake, the chief executive officer of the Wave Trauma Centre, a fantastic cross-community charity. Sandra said: “Whatever the previous Government’s intention the result would have been that terrorists who carried out the most egregious crimes imaginable would be able to walk free if they told their story to ‘the best of their knowledge and belief’. They could say that they stabbed John Molloy, an 18 year old, in a frenzied attack, leaving him to bleed to death yards from his home because he was a Catholic. And the state would say, “Thank you and we’ll say no more about it”. A witness saw them laughing and dancing down the road after they murdered John. Thanks to the Legacy Act, they would still be laughing and dancing. What John’s parents, Linda and Pat, were being told”— by the previous Government— “was that they should grieve in private while the evil perpetrators could celebrate in public. And this in the name of ‘reconciliation’.” I have met many victims’ families, and they are some of the best people I have met. In the face of unimaginable trauma, they have led campaigns for justice with immense courage and dignity. They are motivated not by revenge or retribution, but by their love for their relatives and their determination to secure truth and justice. The legacy Act introduced by the last Government denied them all those things, and did so without consulting them. I will finish with the words of Michael O’Hare, brother to 12-year old Majella, who was shot by a solider in south Armagh on her way to church one morning in 1976. I am pleased to see Michael in the Gallery today. He has said: “This is an important day for families like ours, who thought we’d seen the door closed forever on these cases. Majella was just an innocent little girl who didn’t deserve to be gunned down when walking along the road with her friends. We deserve truth and accountability. It’s a huge relief that that is now a possibility again, even if we’ve had to wait half a century. It’s never too late to do the right thing”. Today is about doing the right thing. It is a step forward, and I thank the Secretary of State for all his work, as well as every victims’ group that has been part of bringing forward this Bill.

• 17 Nov 2025 · Asylum Policy · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her statement. I was really proud of how my Beckenham and Penge constituency came together to welcome Ukrainian families after the conflict there, through schemes such as Homes for Ukraine. I am pleased that the Government have announced today that they will expand such safe and legal routes, recognising the UK’s responsibility and desire to support those in need, and removing the need for refugees to make dangerous journeys. Can the Home Secretary set out how quickly we can expect these safe and legal routes to start operating?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity · Hansard source

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  Fourteen years of Conservative government have left the UK as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, undermining our economy and food systems. I welcome the Government’s recent actions to reverse this, including the new guidance to protect bees from pesticides and the introduction of legislation to help protect two thirds of the world’s oceans. Does the Minister agree that where the Conservatives have failed, this Government will take action at every level to protect nature and biodiversity for future generations?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity · Hansard source

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  9. What steps she is taking to improve biodiversity.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Public Office (Accountability) Bill · Hansard source

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  I start by saying that it was fantastic to have Hillsborough law campaigners in the Gallery today. I worked for them for several years before I was elected to this place on behalf of victims of the Ballymurphy massacre—one of the worst atrocities of the troubles. I am a relative of one of the victims of that massacre, Father Hugh Mullan, a Catholic priest who was unlawfully killed by members of the Parachute Regiment. It took my dad’s family 50 years to have the words “entirely innocent” put on the public record; in the intervening years, people tried to smear Hugh as a gunrunner, obfuscating justice. It is a pattern that we see repeated across so many of the stories we have heard today. We should not forget why this legislation matters. All the campaigners and campaigns supporting the Hillsborough law are distinct: victims of Hillsborough, the infected blood scandal, Grenfell and Horizon, the covid-19 bereaved families, victims of the Windrush scandal, the troubles and many more. These are events that span decades and involve different arms of the state in different parts of the UK; the circumstances and consequences of each differ greatly. However, after each event, when families began to seek justice, they often faced similar challenges and circumstances: first, the smearing of innocent victims as guilty; secondly, the closing of ranks among authorities, shutting off routes to justice; and thirdly, a legal system where the scales of justice are stacked in favour of the state. The human consequences are severe. Mr Kalia, a victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal from Bromley, which I represent, found his own children mistrusting him after he was unable to clear his name. His marriage almost broke down and he contemplated suicide. This Government have the potential to put an end to these obstacles and create a turning point in transparency, accountability and justice in public life to ensure that Mr Kalia’s experience, and those of so many others, is never repeated again. That means full parity of arms at inquests, putting an end to David versus Goliath battles in court, where the state, flanked by an army of lawyers, takes on families who have scraped together for a single barrister. It means a full duty of candour, with proper consequences for those who fall foul of it. It means creating an obligation for full disclosure, ensuring that public bodies are wired to help families to achieve justice, not to close ranks and protect their own. I thank the Prime Minister today for his reassurance that this Bill will not be watered down and for his work and that of the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General in the other place in driving the Bill forward. I am also grateful for the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) in tirelessly campaigning on this issue. Passing this Bill will lead to a rebalancing in the relationship between state and citizen. We will also have fulfilled the purpose of power—to give it away—and will have empowered families to pursue the settlement that they want. I again thank every campaigner and every family for their work on this Bill. I will finish with an Irish proverb: “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”— it is in the shelter of each other that the people live. I know that what the Hillsborough families and many other families have done today is to provide shelter for others for many years to come.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Public Office (Accountability) Bill · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that this will be particularly important for people who have been disabled by public gross negligence?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Wet Wipes: Plastic Ban · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making an important point about community engagement; education is a really important part. Richard Barnes from the London Wildlife Trust is a constituent of mine in West Wickham in my constituency of Beckenham and Penge. He and the trust do fantastic work engaging local communities across London in education campaigns. Does my hon. Friend feel that that is an important part of her campaign?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Wet Wipes: Plastic Ban · Hansard source

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  In Beckenham and Penge, there were 167 call-outs related to wet-wipe blockages in 2024. Given the precarious state of our water sector after 14 years of Tory-enabled under-investment, does my hon. Friend agree that we should do all we can to reduce the number of unnecessary call-outs such as those in Beckenham and Penge and across the country?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Wet Wipes: Plastic Ban · Hansard source

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  We have some fantastic local groups in Beckenham and Penge, including the Crystal Palace Park Trust, Friends of Cator Park and the Birkbeck community initiative, as well as eco-councils at schools such as Stewart Fleming primary and Langley Park school for boys. Will the Minister join me in thanking them for their incredible work to protect our local natural environment? Does she agree that the changes we are making in this place will support that effort to protect our natural environment for future generations?

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

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  Another glaring missing piece is that, as well as supporting mothers and fathers, it is important that we support those who suffer the tragic loss of a baby. Will my hon. Friend therefore join me in welcoming our Government’s commitment to introduce a right for workers, including those who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, to take time away from work to grieve?

• 21 Oct 2025 · Co-operative Sector: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I have always wanted to intervene on the hon. Member—the shoe is on the other foot. He mentions Portaferry; my dad is from there. It is where he was born, went to school and learned his trade as a carpenter before moving to Britain. The project the hon. Gentleman mentions is very special—it is the first cohousing project in Northern Ireland and I go there quite a lot. I have seen it; it is intergenerational, mixed-income and run by the community. Is not Portaferry Cohousing a fantastic example of how co-ops can keep decisions local, build trust and create housing, jobs and services that fully reflect the values and priorities of the local community?

• 21 Oct 2025 · Co-operative Sector: Government Support · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend will know, the co-operative movement is a pillar of ethical business in Britain—owned by its members, rooted in its communities and committed to fairness. It includes the multiple Co-op stores that we have in Beckenham and Penge, which not only provide good jobs and affordable food but reinvest in local causes. Does he agree that it is important that we champion and expand co-operatives as part of building a fairer, more democratic economy?

• 21 Oct 2025 · Ending Homelessness · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) and the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) for securing this important debate. I thank the APPG for ending homelessness for its comprehensive recent report, as well as all those across the homelessness sector who work tirelessly and those whose experience and expertise informed the report. Homelessness in all its forms is rising. In my borough of Bromley—a borough also represented by you, Mr Efford, and by the hon. Member for Orpington (Gareth Bacon)—nearly 2,000 households are now in temporary accommodation. Most of them are placed out of borough, in part due to the failure of the Conservative council over several decades to invest in building new homes. I have spoken to families in Beckenham and Penge who have been placed as far away as the midlands, uprooted from their homes, work, schools and support networks in south London. I remember, on my first visit to a school after the election, hearing about the dozens of children at that school who live in the Travelodge, and the impact of that on them. We are short of time, so I want to make a couple of quick points. I welcome the steps the Government have already taken, including the £39 billion of investment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation, the measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill, and an £84 million cash boost to support families in temporary accommodation. If we are to meet the scale of the challenge, we must work with charities such as St Martin-in-the-Fields and its brilliant chief executive officer Duncan Shrubsole, who is a constituent and a very good friend of mine. To the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Wavertree, the last Labour Government achieved so much, and it is in our DNA to tackle this issue. We are making progress, but we need to accelerate. I look forward to the Minister’s response.

• 21 Oct 2025 · Ending Homelessness · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Minister to her place. Part of what she mentioned is subject to the ongoing fair funding review, and the index of multiple deprivation is part of that. Alongside a number of London colleagues, I would like that to fully reflect housing costs and the impact of homelessness. Once housing costs are factored in, London has the highest rate of poverty in the country, with one in four households in poverty. Some good movement has been made on the positive indication of the income domain, but currently the fair funding review would give the same weightings to homelessness as to distance from a post office. Would the Minister meet with me and others—and I know that she has offered time later—to discuss that and to ensure that the formula reflects the cost of housing in London?

• 20 Oct 2025 · Childcare: Affordability · Hansard source

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  12. What steps she is taking to help increase the affordability of childcare.

• 20 Oct 2025 · Childcare: Affordability · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her response and welcome her to her place. I recently had the pleasure of welcoming my right hon. Friend the Education Secretary to St Anthony’s Catholic primary school in Penge, where we saw preparations for the opening of its new school-based nursery. St Anthony’s is one of two schools in my constituency of Beckenham and Penge to be awarded money for school-based nurseries in the first round of funding, the other being Oak Lodge Primary in West Wickham. Does the Minister agree that school-based nurseries such as these are essential for providing the high-quality places we need and, crucially, for tackling early childhood inequalities and closing the attainment gap before children start school?

• 20 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T8. I recently met dedicated parents from my constituency who choose to home-educate their children. They raised questions about duties on parents and providers to report details of their children’s education and recreational activities included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Could the Minister reaffirm his support for home-education families and meet me, so that we can provide clarity for these parents?

• 8 Sept 2025 · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Hansard source

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  I have been contacted by many constituents across Beckenham and Penge, including Lachlan from Australia, who were en route to qualifying for indefinite leave to remain but now feel uncertain about their future. Does my hon. Friend agree that clarity on the Government’s earned settlement scheme and the retrospective effect of changes to indefinite leave to remain would be warmly welcomed by hard-working constituents like Lachlan and others in Beckenham and Penge and across the country who want to make Britain their permanent home?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Leader of the House might remember that back in March I informed the House about the search for funding and support for an incredible young man from Beckenham, Lucas De Gouveia. At just 14, he is already representing Great Britain in wheelchair tennis. I am delighted to update the House today that, working together, we have secured sponsorship for Lucas from companies including easyJet to help him with the additional costs of competing internationally. Together, we met the Sports Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), to raise the profile of wheelchair tennis and para-sport. Yesterday, Lucas won the quarter-final in the US Open wheelchair singles. He is the youngest competitor in the tournament. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking the Lawn Tennis Association and everyone who has supported Lucas, and wish him the very best of luck in the semi-final?

• 2 Sept 2025 · Eating Disorders: Prevention of Deaths · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. I will keep this fairly brief. Many of the points I was going to raise have been mentioned, but I want to say that tackling this issue is not new, and contrast the challenges we now face under this Labour Government compared with the previous Labour Government. I had the pleasure of working for Tessa Jowell, and I remember her telling me that as Culture Secretary one thing she focused on was banning size zero models from the catwalk at London Fashion Week, and the impact that that made on the promotion of unhealthy body images. This week I have two students from Beckenham and Penge, Claudia and Arek, doing work experience with me, and they are here today. Speaking to them about the challenges that they and their generation face as sixth formers today, they mentioned the constant bombardment of images on social media and trends such as #SkinnyTok. Our previous Government did not have to face that, but we have to face it today. It will be really interesting to hear from the Minister how he thinks we can, all of us, address the new emerging challenges for the new generation, where we see eating disorders and associated conditions at a record high, in no small way down to the prevalence now of social media and smartphones.

• 2 Sept 2025 · Eating Disorders: Prevention of Deaths · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that, further to masking the scale of the crisis, excluding eating disorders as a contributing factor on death certificates also cruelly extends the pain that families feel, insinuating that otherwise healthy young people have died from organ failure?