Michelle Scrogham MP: speeches

Speeches

• 12 Jan 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Labour Rural Research Group and to see the difference it makes when we have serious conversations behind the scenes, talking to the Treasury and Ministers. In the last 12 months, I have met over 100 farmers from my constituency, who were all incredibly concerned about the changes that were proposed. We had serious conversations about what we needed to do and listened to them talk about their problems. While they were all incredibly pleased with the changes to those proposals, does my hon. Friend agree that our farmers and farming communities have struggled for decades? They might have farms worth lots of money, but it is more important that they are profitable. Does she agree that those are the changes that we need to make?

• 6 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T4. Without energy security, projects such as Team Barrow and the regeneration of Barrow-in-Furness more widely would be impossible to deliver. Does the Secretary of State agree that large-scale proposals, such as the MESH—Marram energy storage and decarbonisation hub—project in the Irish sea, can play an important role in delivering the Government’s clean power 2030 ambitions, strengthening energy security and creating skilled jobs? Will he meet EnergyPathways to discuss this project further?

• 16 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Forests With Impact is delivering innovative prisoner rehabilitation through horticulture, paid work and accredited training at HMP Haverigg, helping people to gain skills for employment on release while also contributing to environmental recovery. Would the Minister be willing to pay a visit and observe this work at first hand, and will he meet me to discuss how similar schemes could be supported more widely?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Post-16 Skills Education · Hansard source

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  After 14 years of neglect, young people in Barrow and Furness are going to benefit from this Government’s commitment to supporting the apprenticeships that will drive our local economy. Does the Minister agree that Labour’s unprecedented investment in skills shows just how serious this Government’s commitment is to driving opportunity in communities like mine, and will he further agree that Barrow-in-Furness should be one of the locations for the Government’s new defence technical excellence colleges?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Post-16 Skills Education · Hansard source

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  10. What steps his Department is taking to help to ensure that post-16 education provides the necessary skills to support the economy.

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to speak today on behalf of the people of Barrow and Furness as we mark this season of remembrance. Each year, we pause to reflect on the courage, duty and sacrifice of those who served, including those who never returned and those who live with the cost of service every day. In Barrow and Furness, remembrance runs deep. Our town has long been bound to the defence of the nation not only through the proud service of the men and women in uniform, but through the hands and skills of the generations who built and maintained the Royal Navy submarines. Every steel plate and rivet crafted in Barrow is part of a commitment to peace through strength, the nuclear deterrent that has kept our country safe for over half a century. Those who work in our shipyard and those who served before them understand that deterrence is not abstract, but the quiet assurance that our nation can protect itself and prevent conflict. Their work honours the memory of those who fought to secure that peace. Alongside that proud industrial tradition stands our Army Reserve centre in Barrow, where local men and women train and serve with professionalism and pride. They embody the spirit and service that runs through our community. My late grandfather Charles Arthur Beadell served in the second world war. He was my favourite person in the world, a devoted and fun-loving grandparent who would tell a very young me tales of war sanitised for my six-year-old ears. I had no idea until I had grown up and he had passed that those stories were a form of therapy. The horrors he saw haunted him, leaving him screaming in his sleep for the rest of his life. He had taken lives and watched those around him lose theirs. He had been blown up with his team, and being the only survivor, he was the lucky one. Yet he never once showed any bitterness towards German soldiers, and often remarked that they did not want to be there any more than him, but they were all serving their country. In a world with so much anger and hate, I think of his words of wisdom with hope. Remembrance is not just about looking back. It is about the duty we owe to today’s veterans, reservists and service personnel. It means ensuring the success of the armed forces covenant: those who serve our country deserve not to be disadvantaged for their service. I was proud to sit on the Committee on the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill, which created an advocate to ensure that those who have served are never left behind. Today, let us ensure that our commitment to peace and security continues through the work done in my constituency, in constituencies across the country and here in Parliament. We will remember them.

• 23 Oct 2025 · United Kingdom Security Vetting · Hansard source

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  3. What recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the security clearance processes of United Kingdom Security Vetting.

• 23 Oct 2025 · United Kingdom Security Vetting · Hansard source

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  The Minister will know how proud we in Barrow are to be building our world-class nuclear submarines. Working in the shipyard requires security clearance, which is provided by UKSV. However, some of my constituents have lost job offers due to the significant delays in receiving clearance. That has a severe impact on those individuals as well as on our ability to deliver the submarines that defend the country. Can the Minister assure me that steps are being taken to speed up the process?

• 23 Oct 2025 · Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund · Hansard source

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  As a coastal MP, I was delighted that my constituency was selected for £20 million of pride in place funding. How will those funds benefit coastal communities around the country?

• 15 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place · Hansard source

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  I welcome the pride in place funding announcement and, in particular, the £20 million that has been allocated to Barrow Central ward in Barrow-in-Furness. It is one of the most deprived in the whole country, and it is refreshing to see that under this Labour Government, we are delivering to those who were left behind by our predecessors. Does the Minister agree that the people who live there not only know the opportunities and the barriers, but understand where we need to spend the money to put things right in these left-behind communities?

• 8 Sept 2025 · Veterans: Support · Hansard source

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  This Government are resetting the relationship between those who serve and those who served. The Government’s response to the Defence Committee’s inquiry into the armed forces covenant was positive. Will the Minister provide an update on the work that is being to strengthen the covenant?

• 1 Sept 2025 · NEETs: Barrow and Furness · Hansard source

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  I have been impressed by the work being done in Drop Zone in my constituency. It runs a variety of projects for young people, including specialised education for those with additional needs, mental health support, and support for the transition back into education, employment and training. But young people in Barrow and Furness still face difficult challenges from a long legacy of underfunding. The youth trailblazer scheme is already making a difference in some constituencies after just a few months. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can tailor the scheme to specifically target young people in Barrow and Furness?

• 1 Sept 2025 · NEETs: Barrow and Furness · Hansard source

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  3. What steps she is taking to support young people into employment, education or training in Barrow and Furness constituency.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Neighbourhood Health Services · Hansard source

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  My constituents in Barrow and Furness very much welcome the Government’s move towards delivering more neighbourhood health services, but my right hon. Friend will be aware of the great concern locally about the proposal from Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board to permanently end level 3 critical care at Furness general hospital. More than 10,000 people have signed my petition just this week to oppose that move. Will the Secretary of State please ensure that decision makers meet me and representatives locally to explore an alternative path forward that ensures patient safety, protects the integrity of our hospital and reflects the area’s growing population?

• 22 Jul 2025 · Neighbourhood Health Services · Hansard source

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  12. What steps his Department is taking to support neighbourhood health services.

• 15 Jul 2025 · Afghanistan · Hansard source

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  It is staggering to hear of yet another serious data breach under the previous Conservative Government. Does the Secretary of State— [ Interruption. ] Conservative Members can bicker from their Benches, but it was clearly a mistake made when they were in power. Does the Secretary of State agree that we have inherited a chaotic and poorly managed system, and can he tell us what systems have been put in place to correct that? We must not see more systems with officials emailing an Excel spreadsheet—it absolutely beggars belief. Can he confirm that this will never happen again?

• 3 Jun 2025 · Armed Forces Commissioner Bill · Hansard source

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  I recently met the mother of Jaysley Beck, who tragically took her own life after being sexually assaulted and abused within the services. I was really impressed by her mother’s strength and her campaign. Does the Minister agree that the Bill will give more powers to family members, and that maybe we can avoid these tragic incidents in future?

• 2 Jun 2025 · Strategic Defence Review · Hansard source

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  I am sure that the whole House is in no doubt about just how proud we are in Barrow and Furness to be building the submarines that keep our nation safe. The commitment to expanding this country’s submarine programme, with up to 12 SSN-AUKUS boats to be built in our shipyard, is the start of the next chapter of that illustrious career. Does my right hon. Friend agree that defence spending under this Labour Government means investment in British companies, in local supply chains and in the very fabric of our communities?

• 7 May 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q7. I thank the Prime Minister for recently visiting the now royal port of Barrow in my constituency to lay the keel for the new Dreadnought-class submarines. He will have seen how proud we are to build our nuclear deterrent, which keeps us safe. As we move forward with our plan for change, does he agree that Barrow and Furness could provide a blueprint for the whole country, with defence investment creating jobs, growth and prosperity in communities across the UK?

• 30 Apr 2025 · UK Airstrike: Houthi Military Facility · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. We have had a long-standing relationship with the US, which is our closest security ally. Does he agree that our continued work on AUKUS will help to deepen and strengthen that for all the nations involved?

• 28 Apr 2025 · Scientific and Regulatory Procedures: Use of Dogs · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. The use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures is an issue that rightly draws strong public interest, with over 235,000 people signing the petition that we are debating. It is not just a small outcry, but a clear signal that action is needed. Like so many other dogs, my much-loved working cocker spaniel Charlie is a clear example of how sentient and intelligent dogs truly are—and I am sure that he would want me to put on the record today that he is a very handsome dog. I was also thrilled to see Jennie enter the room today. We can feel the response in the room when a dog enters the Chamber. They bring more to our lives. Dogs form deep emotional bonds, show remarkable sensitivity and learn with incredible ease. As with most dogs, Charlie is not just a pet; he is a member of my family, alongside my two cats, Merlot and Jags—I hesitate to add that I did not name the first cat. It is precisely that connection that makes the idea of using dogs like Charlie in laboratory experiments impossible to justify. However, the case should not be made only on ethical and emotional grounds, but on the grounds of practicality and scientific validity. A growing body of evidence points to the limited translational value of data from dogs, as we have heard, in predicting human responses to drugs and chemicals. It is particularly concerning when we discover the pace of innovation in non-animal methods, including organ-on-a-chip technology, advanced cell cultures and AI-driven modelling systems. Those approaches are not only more humane, but frequently more accurate and cost-effective, begging the question: why have we not moved on this issue already? Despite advances in biomedical research, dogs continue to be used in procedures that often cause significant suffering. They may be force-fed substances for toxicity tests, restrained for long periods and ultimately euthanised—as almost every Member has mentioned. Those are not minor interventions; they are often serious intrusions on an animal’s welfare, and they occur even as the scientific merit of such tests is increasingly being questioned. While the Government have stated their commitment to phasing out animal testing where scientifically possible, many would argue that we have already reached that point, at least in the case of dogs. The infrastructure, knowledge and tools exist; what we now need is the determination to act on them. I understand that regulatory change takes time, but we must be clear in our direction of travel. The continued use of dogs in research is increasingly difficult to defend in the light of alternatives, shifting public opinion and our broader responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, as well as scientific best practice. We have the opportunity to show leadership on this issue by supporting innovation, upholding ethical standards and responding to the concerns of hundreds of thousands of our constituents. It is time to set a clear path towards ending the use of dogs in research and to invest in alternatives that will define a more humane and modern scientific future.

• 12 Apr 2025 · Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill · Hansard source

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  Will my hon. Friend give way?

• 26 Mar 2025 · Spring Statement · Hansard source

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  Communities such as mine in Barrow and Furness feel very acutely the failures of the previous Government, as they left us in a dreadful state. Does the Chancellor agree that it is through this Government’s commitment to, and funding in, Barrow and Furness and our defence sector that we can transform things on the ground, which will mean that Barrow can be a blueprint for how the defence pound can be better spent across our constituencies?

• 17 Mar 2025 · Women’s Changed State Pension Age: Compensation · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I thank the hon. Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for opening the debate. I first want to acknowledge the tireless campaigning of the Barrow and Furness WASPI women. They have worked tenaciously to advocate for fairness and justice for all those affected. WASPI women did not ask for this change, and they had no say in how it was implemented, but they are the ones left to cope with the consequences: the financial strain, the anxiety and the uncertainty. The issue is not about opposing pension reform. No one denies that we need a sustainable and fair pension system, but we must recognise that the way these changes were carried out was deeply unfair to those who had no ability to prepare. It is also important to recognise the context in which the Government find themselves. This mess was not created by this Government but, as in all too many cases right now, they have been left with the difficult task of clearing it up. There is no easy solution, but the findings of the ombudsman’s report provided a critical assessment of the way the previous Government handled the pension age changes. The report confirmed what many of us had long suspected: that the communication of these changes was inadequate and misleading. Those findings underline the need for a fair and swift resolution to ensure that the WASPI women are not left to bear the consequences of these failures alone. I commend the excellent work of the all-party parliamentary group on state pension inequality for women, and encourage Members across all parties to continue to work with it. It remains a vital forum for dialogue and understanding. There is still time to deliver a fair and equitable compensation package for these women. This is the time to right this wrong. The way forward is continued collaboration, where Ministers keep the door open to those who have legitimate concerns and wish to find a fair resolution. Ongoing dialogue is essential to ensuring that the affected women are heard and that a fair and just solution is found. There are many WASPI women in my constituency. I pledged to back those women, and I will stand by that pledge until justice is served.

• 4 Mar 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T10. The previous Government’s mismanagement has left our flood defences unfit for purpose, which has a huge impact on my constituents. Will the Chancellor set out what the Government are doing to increase community resilience against flooding and coastal erosion?