Nesil Caliskan MP: speeches

Speeches

• 18 Jun 2026 · Stoma: Public Toilet Provision · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I begin by paying tribute to Members from across the House for the incredibly thoughtful and personal stories that they have shared. I am very conscious that Members speak on behalf of their constituents, and that some Members speak from personal experience. Although I do not have that personal experience, I have a very close family member who does, and I have heard Members speak in the Chamber before about their own experiences and have reflected very carefully on the power of those remarks for those beyond the House who hear them. I thank Members very much for their contributions. I also thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this very important debate, and for his continued interest in this issue. I know that he is a committed advocate for public toilet provision, including for those with non-visible disabilities such as stoma use. I recognise the importance of the provision of good-quality, accessible public toilets more broadly. For far too many people, access to clean and safe public toilets can be the deciding factor in whether they feel able to visit a town centre, a high street, a park or any local attraction. As others put it so eloquently, such facilities support the dignity and independence of people with disability and accessibility needs. Of course, accessibility to a decent facility encourages everybody to spend more time in their local areas, and to use the shops, services and attractions in them. I do not need to detail the benefits of that in itself. It is true that for many people, it is just too difficult to access the facilities that the rest of us can access so easily every day. Members have correctly pointed out that that is a challenge not only for those with a stoma, but for many other people, including those with ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel disease. The list is much longer than that; the point is that many people are impacted by the lack of accessibility facilities. However, this debate is focused on stomas, and I want to place on the record the Government’s recognition that this is absolutely a real challenge. Approximately one in 335 people of all ages in the UK is estimated to be living with a stoma, and each year more than 13,000 people in the UK undergo stoma surgery. For people living with a stoma, access to suitable toilet provision is not simply a matter of convenience; it is fundamental to their dignity, safety and independence. Many people living with a stoma feel anxious about leaving home, particularly in the period after surgery. The Government recognise that being able to live well, to work, to enjoy days out, to shop and to socialise requires access to appropriate public toilet facilities. However, as Members across the Chamber have said, standard public toilets may not always provide that facility for everybody in a safe and dignified way. It is important that we recognise the specific experience of people with invisible disabilities, who are often uneasy about using a disabled facility for fear that it may be a challenge to do so—assuming that the disabled facility would even meet their needs. In recognition of the importance of this subject, at the last spending review, in 2025, the Government committed more than £5 billion over the next three years for essential local services, including public toilets, and we continue to provide 100% mandatory business rates relief for stand-alone public toilets, which is helping reduce ongoing costs for local authorities, but I absolutely accept that the facility needs to exist in the first place. I recognise that, for stoma users, practical features such as clean shelf spaces and discreet disposal bins can make a significant difference. I thank Members for raising the issue of facilities in male toilets, which are so frequently overlooked. It is worth highlighting that all building work must meet the functional requirements of the Building Regulations 2010, which address accessibility and provide guidance on meeting those requirements, including the installation of shelves, sanitary disposal units and accessibility toilets. However, I accept that the very fact we are having this debate means that the reality on the ground is very different. The Building Safety Regulator has a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep the standard of buildings under review, and I welcome the fact that the Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson), drew attention to the £30 million Changing Places programme, which supported the targeted installation of almost 500 new disabled toilet facilities. I learned much about that programme when I served as a council leader—if I learned anything from my days in local government, it is that bins and toilets are two topics that people get very passionate about. The role of local authorities is central to this conversation. It is the Government’s view that local authorities are best placed to understand the needs of their communities, and to make decisions about the provision that is right for their areas. I take careful note of the important arguments made about statutory requirements and regulations, but I say gently that local authorities might not think that is the best approach. I am yet to come across a local authority that does not want to do the best for its area, and I think there is a conversation to be had about how we can better support them to do that.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Pride in Place Programme: Community Cohesion in Aldershot · Hansard source

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  Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I am delighted that Cherrywood in my hon. Friend’s constituency will receive up to £20 million over the next decade through the Government’s expanded Pride in Place programme. The Government have committed significant sums of money to equipping communities with the resources and power to drive local change, so that they can bring people together and restore a sense of pride in their area.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Pride in Place Programme: Community Cohesion in Aldershot · Hansard source

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  I commend my hon. Friend on her strong campaigning to secure investment for her area. She asked an important question about local people having a say over their areas—because they know best. The Pride in Place programme represents a break from the micromanagement approach taken with previous regeneration funds. Local boards are provided with the power of intervention and the autonomy that they need to pursue the change that their communities want. Youth centres, libraries, green spaces, cultural venues and help for families, including family hubs, will all be in scope of support for more cohesive and resilient communities.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I join my hon. Friend in recognising the significant investment for his area. The Pride in Place programme, rolled out by the Government, is our commitment to devolution, and we are investing in areas that have been ignored for far too long.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for raising that important issue. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 goes some way towards addressing it, but I highlight that the Government are pushing ahead with high-street rental auctions, which are helping to bring long-term empty shops back into use.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Having served as a council leader, I know just how important community assets are, and I am happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss the matter further.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The cheer across the House is a second reminder for me of the importance of coastal communities; the first reminder came when I responded to the Adjournment debate in the week before last. The Government are committed to mayoral strategic authorities having the fiscal tools to drive good growth in these areas. We have recently consulted on extending those power to FSAs, and will publish a response shortly.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue. I will point to two things: first, later this year we will bring forward a high street strategy backed by at least £150 million; and secondly, as I said earlier, we are pushing ahead with the high street rental auctions programme, which is already seeing empty shops being brought back into use.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Community cohesion is an important aspect of how we allocate money through MHCLG, but I recognise that it is not the only important aspect. I am therefore happy to meet him and other Members of Parliament who want to talk about how we allocate money in a fair and transparent way.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Neil Duncan-Jordan) for securing this important debate. I so appreciated the way that he spoke about the area he represents. His opening remarks made reference to the smell of the sea, which I know will be nostalgic for many. He also made an important point about hospitality and how important it is for the local economies of coastal communities. Coastal communities are a vital part of our national identity, serving as a key reminder of our national pride and shared maritime history.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  That is a very important point. As my hon. Friend will know, education is a top priority for the Government, which is why we have seen record investment. I believe that coastal communities will benefit from that commitment.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I will make a little progress. Although short-term holiday lets can be hugely beneficial to local economies, the Government appreciate that their excessive concentration in some areas of the country can impact on the availability and affordability of homes to buy and rent; hon. Members have highlighted some of the challenges. That is why the Government are making progressive changes to the tax system to protect our vital public services and to ensure that housing is primarily seen as a home rather than an investment. Those taxation changes will be important for coastal communities. Alongside that, the Government have abolished the furnished holiday lets tax regime, meaning that landlords will no longer be incentivised via the tax system to make their properties available for short-term holiday lets. That is an issue that has long been raised by those who live in coastal communities. On the important points that my hon. Friend the Member for Poole made on health, I recognise that some of the greatest health inequalities can be found in our coastal towns. I am therefore delighted that the Government have made it a core mission to strengthen joined-up approaches between health and social care services so that people experience health services locally in a more integrated way, with a person-centred approach. Coastal areas will really benefit from that joined-up thinking. A neighbourhood health service approach along with reforming the better care fund in line with the commitments set out in the 10-year NHS strategy are all things that will benefit our coastal communities, which are disproportionately impacted by health inequalities.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a really important point. It is only my second week in this role, but I have already had passionate representations from my hon. Friend and other colleagues who represent coastal communities, and I will continue to engage with them to talk about the important points they have made in this Chamber and beyond. The Government are committed to supporting coastal communities everywhere to fulfil their potential and thrive. Coastal communities are a key part of our ambition for the whole country. They play a vital role both for the areas themselves and for the whole economy. Protecting coastal communities, particularly from coastal erosion, is a priority for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and we will continue to do that. My hon. Friend the Member for Poole made important points about the local communities and economy. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about MHCLG’s commitment to Pride in Place and a number of the other programmes that the Department is using to directly target a range of economic, social and health-related challenges felt by coastal communities. Our £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade to 284 communities across the UK, and at least 56 coastal communities across the UK are part of it. They will receive over £1 billion collectively through that programme. A package of targeted investments will be delivered through each community developing a plan, in consultation with local people, that reflects local need and determines where that money is best spent. The programme will help communities to improve local infrastructure and play areas, important cultural venues, and health and wellbeing services, among many other things.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising an important point. Sadly, over the past decade or so children have become less likely to have swimming lessons, and the consequences have been catastrophic, particularly when we consider coastal communities. I know that my hon. Friend and other hon. Members have already made such representations, and I am happy to take the idea away and ask MHCLG to look further at it. We must also work across Government to ensure that we are doing everything we can to support children and adults to benefit from swimming classes, so that we can keep them safe, as well as communities more generally. We also need cross-departmental and cross-Government work with the Environment Agency to ensure that water is clean, so that our coastal communities can be enjoyed not just by the people who live in them, but by those who visit them. Clean water is not just a “nice to have”; it is fundamental to the health and safety of everybody who visits coastal towns, and I will ensure through MHCLG that we have an adequate cross-departmental approach on that. Finally, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Poole for securing this debate. I know that he cares passionately about the issues he raised, which go beyond his coastal area and speak to many constituencies across the country. The identity of our coastal communities is intrinsic to the identity of our country, and each of our coastal communities has a particular identity that is important to the local area. Government investment to ensure that our coastal communities are properly looked after is not just about borders; it is about ensuring that we support people who live in those communities, reduce health inequalities, and ensure that everybody has the opportunity to thrive. Question put and agreed to.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Coastal Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I am always happy to have a cup of tea with colleagues, and especially my hon. Friend. I will turn to the important points made about holiday lets, which particularly impact coastal communities. The Government have committed almost £40 billion to the social and affordable homes programme, which is important for the delivery of houses and affordable homes more generally.

• 15 Apr 2026 · Draft Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  An additional pressure has just entered the room. Why and what changes are needed? Over time, it has become clear that parts of the current framework are not working as well as intended and are creating confusion for consumers, as well as unnecessary complexity for businesses. Having engaged extensively with a range of stakeholders across industry and consumer groups, we have prioritised a number of targeted reforms to support both consumers and traders. First, we will remove the category of linked travel arrangements altogether. Currently, those exist as looser arrangements than holiday packages that require businesses to take out insolvency protections. However, there is clear evidence that they are not achieving their purpose. Many consumers do not understand when they are protected and when they are not, and many businesses struggle to understand exactly what their obligations are. That uncertainty benefits no one. It can undermine consumer confidence, increase the number of disputes and place unnecessary burdens on businesses, especially small operators. Our changes will mean that, in the future, when consumers make bookings in circumstances that closely resemble a package—such as booking multiple travel services through the same trader in a single visit—they will now receive a full package of protections. That will align the law more closely with how people understand their bookings in practice and will strengthen consumer protection. At the same time, we will reduce burdens on businesses that simply facilitate a later booking of a second service within 24 hours. That will allow, for example, domestic tourism businesses to refer customers to one another without triggering wider obligations, supporting collaboration and growth while ensuring that consumers remain protected under wider consumer law. Secondly, recognising the complex set of relationships that are required to organise a package holiday, we will introduce new provisions to clarify requirements around refunds and redress for businesses working with third parties. When services are cancelled, travel organisers will now benefit from refunds from those third parties within 14 days, bringing their rights of refund in line with those consumers. We will also update provisions to give organisers greater clarity about their ability to obtain redress from third party suppliers. That will help ensure that financial risk sits more fairly across the supply chain. Let me turn to the impact on consumers and businesses. Strong and consistent protections build consumer confidence to book package holidays, which supports demand and benefits compliant businesses across the travel sector. For consumers, the changes will make the regulations clearer and easier to understand by removing the confusing linked travel arrangements category and clarifying when package rules apply. Clearer rules reduce disputes and uncertainty, helping consumers to book with confidence and reinforcing trust in the travel market. Consumers return to businesses that treat them fairly, creating growth that supports the economy. For businesses that provide package holidays, the proposals reduce unnecessary complexity and support more straightforward compliance. At the same time, clarifying the right to redress from third party suppliers helps to ensure that costs fall to where failures occur, ensuring a fairer distribution of financial risk. That makes it easier for businesses to plan, manage cash flow and work collaboratively across the sector. Subject to parliamentary approval, the new regulations will commence in April 2027, to allow some time for travel operators to adapt their approach for the new arrangements. In summary, the regulations underpin the complex but vital relationship between consumers and travel businesses. Consumers rely on businesses to deliver holidays that are often paid for well in advance. Businesses rely on consumer confidence to invest, operate and grow. The regulations help that relationship to function by setting clear rights and responsibilities on both sides. The changes we are making preserve the core bargain—strong, trusted consumer protections alongside a framework that is workable and proportionate for business. The reforms demonstrate the Government’s commitment to maintaining strong consumer protections, while also reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, to create an environment where travel businesses can thrive, contributing to economic growth across the county. I commend the regulations to the Committee.

• 15 Apr 2026 · Draft Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026. I cannot tell you, Mr Twigg, how very delighted I am to be opening this debate. The draft regulations were laid before the House on 2 March. I am grateful for the opportunity to set out why they matter, why change is needed and how the Government’s proposals strike the right balance between protecting consumers and supporting a successful travel sector. As I think all hon. Members would recognise, the travel sector plays a vital role in the lives of millions of people across the UK. A holiday is often the most significant discretionary purchase a family makes in a year, and our constituents will often spend many weeks saving for it. Holidays are a source of joy, support people’s wellbeing, bring people together and help families to explore new places in the UK and overseas. The sector is also economically significant, supporting around £58 billion of the UK’s economic output and more than 1 million jobs. Package holidays remain a central part of the market, and the UK package holiday sector alone was valued at around £11 billion in 2022. From high street travel agents to airlines, accommodation providers and small domestic tourism businesses, package holidays are a central part of the market. Each year, around 15 million to 20 million people in the UK take a package holiday, often choosing them over other types of travel because of their added convenience and protections. The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 are the cornerstone of consumer protection in the sector, and the changes we propose will support businesses to thrive and grow while ensuring robust consumer safeguards. The package travel regulations exist to make the market work effectively. They give consumers confidence when they are paying for travel in advance, often months before departure, and give businesses a clear framework in which to operate. In practical terms, the regulations provide a framework of financial protection if a company becomes insolvent, require clear information to be given before booking, set out responsibilities if something goes wrong during a holiday, and protect consumers from unexpected price rises after a booking has been made. Those protections matter both to people and to the industry, but they can only work well if they are clear, understood and proportionate. [Interruption.] Do I continue, Mr Twigg?

• 20 Jan 2026 · Railways Bill (First sitting) · Hansard source

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  As outlined in my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, I am a member of the trade unions Unison and GMB.

• 8 Jul 2025 · Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Training in Schools) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the evaluation of training about special educational needs and disabilities in initial teacher education; to require training about special education needs and disabilities for certain persons working in schools as part of their continuing professional development; and for connected purposes. May I first remark on how touching the tributes we just heard were? Every child deserves an inclusive education in an environment that enables them to thrive. Every child should have teachers and support staff who understand their needs and have the professional capacity and skills to care for and teach each child. I propose this Bill because sadly that is not the experience of many children with special educational needs living in my constituency. Children in Barking and Dagenham have been let down because the national SEND system is broken. Across the country, parents feel hopeless and teachers are overwhelmed. Last night, my constituency neighbour and hon. Friend the Member for Dagenham and Rainham (Margaret Mullane) secured an important debate in this House on SEND. She highlighted that requests for education, health and care plans in Barking and Dagenham doubled in 2022—an increase that was four times the national average. I know that improving the life chances of children, regardless of their background or needs, is central to the Labour Government’s mission. However, we cannot achieve it without fixing special educational needs support. As my Bill sets out, requiring compulsory SEND training for teachers and teaching staff would provide them with the skills they need to educate our children. Initial teacher education and continued professional development programmes have no dedicated SEND training. SEND seminars and sessions are woven into the existing curriculum but fail to give teachers the expertise they need to support SEND children. The depth and practical application of existing training is often too variable, and many teachers feel underprepared. Teachers require professional expertise to effectively provide wraparound support for all children, but I am afraid children with SEND are instead forced into an overstretched EHCP process managed by overburdened local authorities because mainstream school support has been stripped away after 14 years of Conservative cuts. When I visit schools and meet parents in my constituency—I recently held a coffee morning attended by more than 100 people—I hear the same thing over and over again: early help makes a big difference. Early help can happen only with appropriately trained teachers with the skills to identify children in need. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that ensuring a child receives speech and language support, for example, would reduce behavioural issues in children with SEND, making a mainstream setting more successful for many children who might otherwise be excluded from school. SEND children are five times more likely to be excluded and have some of the widest attainment gaps of any demographic, impacting on earning potential and overall life chances. It does not have to be that way. With more than 50% of students with an EHCP being in mainstream schools, the current system is letting down children who have special educational needs and disabilities. Schools are trying their best, but the truth is that teachers feel ill-equipped to provide support for children with SEND. One teacher in Barking and Dagenham told me about the four-hour training seminar on SEND that they attended, but that was their only training, followed by a “get on with it” attitude from the education sector. The lack of training means that well-meaning teachers inevitably create an exclusive education environment, resulting in nine out of 10 children with SEND being left behind. This is a two-tier education system, working against our children who have the greatest need. Early intervention must be at the core of the Government’s SEND strategy, but it will not be successful if it is left only to special educational needs co-ordinators and teaching assistants, and this Bill seeks to address that. For most schools, a dedicated SENCO on the school’s senior leadership team is a nice to have, rather than a must have. Parents—certainly those I have met in my constituency—are often left wondering who they can turn to as they fight to get the support that their child deserves. One parent in my constituency told me about the exhausting decade they have had fighting for an EHCP for their son, who has autism. After five years of school becoming too difficult a challenge for her son once he started secondary school, in 2020 her little boy was referred by the NHS to neurology. It took until 2024 for a doctor to confirm that he also had epilepsy, which was causing brain seizures resulting in short absences. The point here, which the little boy’s mother made to me, is that her child was clearly struggling at school for years, finding it difficult to focus. That was apparent before the 10-year fight to secure an EHCP for her son, which she only managed to do towards the end of his time at secondary school. This little boy was in mainstream school for 10 years, being taught by teachers with inadequate SEND training. His mother feels that teachers equipped with better skills and training on SEND would have identified her child’s needs sooner, and could have helped him earlier. SEND support for children is a complicated picture that requires input from different agencies, and parents must always be at the heart of any discussion or decision about SEND support for their child. That is especially true for the many children who will, and do, fall short of the statutory duty to secure an EHCP. With the lack of specialist support or training for teaching staff in mainstream schools, those children are too often left unsupported. Of course, for some children, access to specialist SEND schools is the most appropriate fit; however, the majority of SEND children are in mainstream schools. We must therefore recognise that our schools should fundamentally shift to being better equipped to support children with SEND, with teachers who are better trained, because SEND children deserve the opportunity to succeed in our mainstream schools. Being a good teacher, or good at any of the professions that look after and teach our children, takes a special kind of person. The responsibility these people hold is greater than their responsibility to any individual child; they are helping raise and educate the next generation in our communities, and shaping our society—a society in which I want everyone to thrive and to which I want everyone to contribute, including those with SEND. This Bill supports teachers to do their job properly. They deserve adequate training, enabling them to deliver the early help that children with SEND need. I ask hon. Members from across the House for their support for this Bill, so that we can begin to fix the broken SEND system in this country. Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That Nesil Caliskan, Anna Dixon, Chris Ward, Chris Kane, Mr Clive Betts, Danny Beales, Daniel Francis, Dawn Butler, Jen Craft, Lloyd Hatton and Sarah Hall present the Bill. Nesil Caliskan accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 12 September , and to be printed (Bill 281 ).

• 26 Jun 2025 · G7 and NATO Summits · Hansard source

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  As a member of the cross-party UK delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I have had the opportunity to meet Ukrainian Members of Parliament, who make the powerful case for continuing support from NATO allies. It has become clear in recent months that other countries in the region—Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia —are growing ever more nervous about their vulnerability to invasion by Russia. Can the Prime Minister comment on the UK’s efforts and dialogue with those countries at this unsettling time? Does he agree that the security of the Baltic states is important for our national security?

• 26 Jun 2025 · Armed Forces Day · Hansard source

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  I take this opportunity to mark an important week for our armed forces. I welcome everything my hon. Friend says about support for our armed forces and their families by way of investment in their homes and more money in their pockets. Does he agree that supporting our armed forces goes way beyond just the equipment that they need on the frontline? It is about making sure that their families are valued through the support that the Government can give them and that they receive from the communities they live in.

• 17 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Barking community hospital in my constituency has been providing antenatal services to mothers in Barking for many years, and women also use its services to give birth. I was therefore really disappointed when I heard last week that the maternity birthing unit is likely to close. Many in my community are deeply concerned. They are being redirected to Newham hospital, which the Care Quality Commission has rated as “requires improvement”. Women deserve to give birth in a safe clinical environment. Will Ministers ensure that additional attention and resources are provided to Newham hospital, so that it improves its standards and my constituents who are being redirected to give birth there can do so in a safe clinical space?

• 10 Jun 2025 · Warm Home Discount: Extension · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for outlining the support available to households with high energy bills. Some 6,000 households in my constituency benefit from the warm home discount, but many in Barking and Dagenham, alongside almost 2 million other households in this country, are dealing with high energy debt. What plans are under way for energy debt relief schemes, or a scheme to help those who built up debt under the previous Government, so that we can support them now? Unlike the Conservatives, we do not abandon those households suffering from debt that arose as a result of the legacy of past Governments.

• 10 Jun 2025 · Warm Home Discount: Extension · Hansard source

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  20. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the warm home discount to all households in receipt of means-tested benefits on people receiving those benefits.

• 10 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T7. Thousands of my constituents in Barking receive their energy via a heat network provided by their landlord or a housing association. In many cases, they are not eligible for the warm home discount. What plans do the Government have to make sure that those constituents receive the support they need?