Paul Holmes MP: speeches

Speeches

• 12 Mar 2025 · Housing Development Planning: Water Companies · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Lewell-Buck. I congratulate the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) on her speech on issues that all hon. Members in this House can share concerns about. As MPs, we often get the same casework, and there are issues in my constituency similar to those in hers. This debate is particularly timely. I also congratulate the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) on some charming revisionism of his party’s record in government. I will tackle comments made by some of the contributors in this debate and then make some general remarks about this Government’s current policy. The hon. Member for North Shropshire highlighted the genuine hell of her constituents who live in homes that were built many years ago and which are now surrounded by a housing development that has not been properly connected to sewer or drainage systems. That is a particular issue in old villages. In Botley, in my constituency, around 3,000 houses have been built in the Botley-Curbridge corridor. In sections of the Boorley Green development we have a housing estate that cannot be used because the developers did not put in adequate infrastructure. Those houses cannot be sold because backed-up sewage is coming out of the drainage systems. I understand the frustration that the hon. Lady has faced, as a Member of Parliament, in trying to go to the right organisation, and through the right channels of communication, to get those things sorted. I have gone through that and know how challenging it is. This is genuinely not a criticism of the hon. Lady, but her remarks—and many of the contributions this afternoon —targeted water companies for not doing enough. I agree with those remarks, but there are examples, in my constituency and across the country, where water companies have tried in vain to sound the alert about their frustrations regarding building infrastructure, or to convey their concern about a development. For example, water companies have made it very clear that they are very worried that they have not been listened to in the planning process in connection with One Horton Heath, a large-scale development in my old constituency of Eastleigh, which borders my new constituency. Their concerns about the land that the development is being built on, and where it is to be situated, and their descriptions of the infrastructure that they want provided, have not been heard. The hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) is a local hero in my constituency because she has a history of speaking on issues such as this, although I hope she does not become too much of a hero in the northern villages of my constituency. She will know that our constituencies are sharing infrastructure investment from Southern Water and Portsmouth Water in the water for life scheme. Like her, I have serious concerns about transparency, and some of the plans going forward. She was absolutely right to mention some of the infrastructure that will be built to try and deal with the overall issue that the hon. Member for North Shropshire described, but I remain concerned that this is a lot of money for a short-term project with Southern Water—a company that has shown that, quite frankly, it could not run a bath properly. I deeply share her concern to ensure that it manages the project properly. I hope we can work together to ensure that that project is fully looked at. My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Exmouth and Exeter East (David Reed) mentioned a large-scale development in the village of Cranbrook, which is being expanded, where South West Water has not made good on the promise that it made. He made an interesting point about the 1.5 million homes; he is clear that the Government need to be clearer on reform. As we go through the parliamentary stages of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill—the Minister will be delighted that I will be sitting opposite him for many months to come unless the leader says otherwise—I am hoping that the Government will make that reform clearer. My hon. Friend the Member for Exmouth and Exeter East will know that many people have challenged whether the 1.5 million homes are achievable. As a party, we have always made it clear that home ownership should be made a reality for many hard-working families, and we do generally support the 1.5 million new homes. However, I must stress an essential caveat: the new homes must be the right homes and be delivered in the right places, as I have said to the Minister. Development must be sensitive to local needs, sustainable in its approach, and guided by the voices of the communities that it serves—including water services. This is important in rural communities, where water supply concerns pose significant challenges. Water demand in rural areas fluctuates due to climate change, tourism, and agricultural needs. Despite that, the Government’s new housing targets fail to account for those systemic pressures, leading to a dramatic increase in required housing numbers—106% in New Forest, 199% in North Yorkshire and a staggering 487% in Westmorland and Furness. Rural voices must be heard, particularly in discussions surrounding water infrastructure and the continued lack of a statutory footing for water companies. To mitigate these challenges, early collaboration between strategic policy-making authorities and water companies is essential. I know the Minister will agree. Last December, the updated national planning policy framework acknowledged this need, continuing the previous Government’s commitment to aligning water infrastructure with development. While water companies are not statutory consultees, and we agree that they should be in the later stages of the process, good practice dictates that their involvement in the planning process should be encouraged from the outset. Simply put, we cannot afford to ignore the critical role of sustainable water management in housing development. That is why the last Government implemented the “Plan for Water”, focusing on reducing demand, halving leakage rates, developing new infrastructure and ensuring drought resilience. We set clear, legally binding targets, including a 20% reduction in public water supply usage by 2038 and significant cuts to leakage rates. The previous Government’s record is clear. In 2010, only 7% of storm overflows were monitored; under our leadership, we ensured that 100% are now monitored. We fast-tracked £180 million of investment to prevent over 8,000 sewage spills and secured £60 billion from water companies over the next 25 years for the largest infrastructure upgrade in history. However, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 does not adequately address the root causes of water pollution. Environmental groups like River Action have criticised the Bill, arguing that “one-off actions” will not resolve systemic pollution issues. The truth is simple: the current system does not ensure that water demand and environmental protection are balanced. There is no real oversight, no accountability, and no sense of urgency to fix the problem. We also face a major disconnect between planning and water management. Water companies create water resource management plans to project future demand, but these plans do not always account for real-time pressures from new housing developments. Similarly, drainage and wastewater management plans are meant to assess waste water capacity, yet they lack the detail needed to align with local planning. What is worse—as has been outlined by the hon. Member for North Shropshire and many other Liberal Democrat colleagues—water companies are not statutory consultees in the late stages of the planning process when detailed applications go before local authorities. That means that local councils approve new developments without properly assessing whether there is enough water supply or sewage treatment capacity. Under the law, water companies are forced to connect new developments, even when they know they lack the resources to do so sustainably. Only the Secretary of State can make changes to the list of statutory consultees through secondary legislation. During the passage of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, the Government at the time committed to consulting on whether water companies should become statutory consultees on individual planning applications, and if so, how this could be facilitated. Will the Minister outline where we are with that review and whether the evidence is still with his Department? He may not be able to tell us this afternoon, in which case he may write to me and concerned parties. It may be that Members have to propose amendments in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill to see that these changes are necessary for water companies. We call on the Government to publish the review of the statutory consultee system, which I have just mentioned, and look to include the views of water companies on supply and treatment capacity before local authorities grant planning permission. That would enable water companies to input into the planning process effectively and better align investment plans with local development needs. To conclude, the stakes are clear. We need a housing policy that is ambitious but also realistic. We also need more water infrastructure that is sustainable and resilient. Most importantly, however, we need a Government who listen to local communities, rather than a Government who impose top-down and unachievable targets and remove statutory consultees from the national planning policy framework and other systems. I urge the Government to build upon the solid foundation laid by their predecessors —as they would expect me to say—to deliver on the “Plan for Water” and to ensure that home ownership remains within reach for hard-working families without compromising the integrity of our national resources.

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

  More

  rose —

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Home Secretary for giving way, but I think she should apologise for not answering the question. There were record levels of policing under the last Government; 20,000 extra police officers were recruited. I ask her again: she said that she is recruiting 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers, but will she confirm that 3,000 of those will be diverted officers? They are not new, are they?

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Home Secretary for giving way; it is courteous of her. On miscounting numbers, can I drill down on the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty)? Of the 13,000 new neighbourhood officers that the Home Secretary claims she is recruiting, 3,000 will be diverted from the existing workforce, so they are not new, are they? Will she also confirm that her police funding settlement will lead to 1,873 officers being withdrawn?

• 10 Mar 2025 · Points of Order · Hansard source

  More

  On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance on how I may get a response to correspondence I have sent to Departments on behalf of my constituents, in particular His Majesty’s Treasury. I was going to raise a case that had not been answered since August 2024, but coincidentally I received a response this morning. But I would like to raise a case on behalf of a small business that I wrote to the Treasury about in December. There has been no answer since December. I chased the Department on 12 February and was told that a response would be with me when they could possibly get it to me. I have still not had a response. The issues I have raised with the Treasury are important ones for a small business in my constituency that is being affected by this Government’s adverse policies. How do I get an answer for my constituents from the Treasury, and how should I take this forward?

• 26 Feb 2025 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Hansard source

  More

  I am grateful to the Minister for giving way on that point, because she is at risk of not necessarily being accurate in her remarks. She is absolutely right that the Conservative Government went into negotiations with Mauritius, but she seems to think that starting negotiations means that the end result must be capitulation and abiding by Mauritius’s ideas. Before other Members stand up and read out the Labour party briefing, can I remind the Minister that under a Conservative Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, it was deemed that those negotiations were going in a direction that was not in the British national interest, and they were ended?

• 26 Feb 2025 · Family Businesses · Hansard source

  More

  Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

• 26 Feb 2025 · Family Businesses · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the Minister for handling this debate in his usual courteous way. May I take him back to something that he said in his remarks about hospitality businesses and pubs delivering economic growth? There is a small pub chain in my constituency that must find a third of its total turnover because of the actions of this Government, with the result that it may have to close a venue that supports a small village in my constituency. Is that the economic growth that he thinks he is delivering?

• 26 Feb 2025 · Family Businesses · Hansard source

  More

  The hon. Gentleman is giving a very entertaining speech and I look forward to visiting the business he mentions, I hope, in the future. He has outlined that businesses are being set up in his constituency and he is perfectly entitled to do so, but did he speak to the new business about the extra £800 per employee that this Government have put on it in the Budget, and what does it have to say about that?

• 25 Feb 2025 · Draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. As I welcome him to his place, the Minister can be reassured that, although I like a challenge, we will not divide the Committee this morning given the number of Government Members on the other side. However, as he would expect, we have some questions to follow up on some of the points that he made in his concise speech. We are here because the Government have announced a hike in fees for householder development applications, applications for prior approval, and applications for the approval of details reserved by condition. The increase is a further blow, we would argue, to homeowners, who already face the complexities and red tape of the planning system. I understand that new burdens are also being introduced: applications for prior approval and for the approval of details reserved by condition, to approve details not fully described in planning permission, now face added layers of paperwork, all of which will add to the burden on ordinary people trying to make improvements to their homes. Let us be clear about the context. When increases in fees were necessary in the past, the last Government always took care to ensure that they were fair and kept as low as possible. That is why, as the Minister outlined, in December 2023 the last Government increased planning application fees by 35% for major developments and 25% for all other applications. We understood that householders already contribute to local authorities’ budgets, primarily through council tax. Now, fees will jump by 105%—from £258 to £528—for single dwelling house improvements and other alterations. For two or more dwelling houses, the increase is also an eye-watering 105%, from £509 to £1,043. We remain concerned that the measure means that people simply trying to make improvements to their homes, in line with local planning policies and national regulations, are being burdened with ever higher fees. As a result of Labour’s local government finance settlement, councils are already having to raise council tax by 5%—the maximum they can raise without going to a referendum. Those councils represent people already dealing with the tax hikes imposed by this Government; now those people must navigate these increased costs just to make small improvements to their properties. We are concerned because there is no evidence that the rises will deliver a better service for local people who are going through the planning system for simple changes and low-level planning alterations. Nowhere in the impact assessment is there conclusive proof that the money will go back into restaffing planning departments or helping with the efficiency of planning decisions—as we know, those take far too long for far too many people. Meanwhile, costs increase on people already suffering the brunt of the Government’s fiscal decisions. The Minister hinted at an expectation that local authorities would keep the extra revenues within planning departments, but I would be grateful if he outlined what monitoring mechanism he will personally put in place to see whether the increases deliver better services and planning decisions for local people. If the improvement in efficiency that we expect does not take place, what mechanisms will he put in place to bring the increases back down? The Local Government Association has identified a £1.7 billion shortfall, directly resulting from the Government’s national insurance contribution hikes. This is not a hypothetical problem; it is a real issue impacting local services, including planning authorities. As I said, there is no guarantee that that extra burden will result in quicker planning decisions. Furthermore, local authorities across the country are facing cuts that go beyond planning. As my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner has pointed out, millions of pounds are being cut from crucial funding schemes, such as the new homes bonus and the rural services delivery grant. Those cuts, combined with the national insurance hike and this increase, are pushing councils further into financial crisis. There is a clear case for treating householders differently from large developers, as the last Government did. Home improvements, however small, are a right of homeowners, in line with local and national planning policies. They are not there to be priced out of reach for ordinary homeowners. Improvements to homes, under schemes as described, free up the market and help to create sustainable communities and local supply chains. I urge the Government to reconsider these fee increases and the impact that they will have on ordinary households across the country. I cannot see that there will be better services at the end of this proposal. As I mentioned, we will not divide the Committee, but I hope the Minister will take onboard some of these comments and outline to the Committee how he expects efficiencies to improve. We need a fairer, more balanced approach to funding planning authorities—one that does not target hard-working homeowners. It is time for the Government to rethink their approach to planning and local funding, and stand up for the people who matter most: the citizens who contribute to their communities and the local economy.

• 4 Feb 2025 · National Cancer Plan · Hansard source

  More

  I declare an interest, in that I have now been smoke-free for 34 days using the NHS Quit Smoking app, even though my waistline and the Government have tested my resolve in recent weeks. Eighteen months ago we lost my office manager, Susan Hall, to lymphoma. The Minister will know that parliamentary employees are not just employees; they are part of our family. Part of her treatment was community care provided by an excellent hospice in my constituency called Mountbatten hospice. This is not meant to be a political point, but what progress has been made on looking at a fairer, Government-led mechanism to fund our hospices across the United Kingdom on an even footing and with more money?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Very democratic of you.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  If the hon. Gentleman is seriously suggesting to the House that just because other people do it, we should follow suit, then he needs to go away and think about his policy proposition again. This country — [ Interruption . ] Let me finish the point. This country has elected more stable Governments than most European nations have under proportional representation. That is a proud and long-standing convention of this country and of this House of Commons. I suggest to Members from across the House that that is why the Conservative party believes and this House should believe in keeping first past the post as we go forward in other general elections.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  I think that is a relatively lazy argument about the internal machinations of the Conservative party and is not concerned with our electoral system. I give the hon. Lady the point that it was not a good time within my party, within this country and that period of office, but it concerns the way parties elect leaders and not the electoral system for the public. In relation to proportional representation not allowing parties from different wings to be elected, if we look at an example from 2009, in European elections under the PR system, the British National party won two European Parliament seats with 6% of the vote. In the rare cases in which the BNP won local government seats, such as in Barking and Dagenham in 2006, its support represented 35% to 50% of the popular vote in the winning wards. First past the post, by contrast, acts as a safeguard against extremism in ensuring that only candidates with broad support can win. That helps preserve the political stability and moderation that are hallmarks of our parliamentary democracy. When coalition Governments are formed, it becomes difficult for voters to hold any one party accountable for their decisions. Blame for unpopular policies can easily be shifted between coalition partners, which, given how things are going for them, I know might be appealing for Labour Members. However, that erodes trust in politics, whereas first past the post provides clarity. Voters know exactly which party is in charge and can hold it to account at the next election. It is also the case that under a party-list PR system, which was previously the European Parliament’s system in Great Britain, there was no direct accountability, with representatives dependent on a party patronage system. How many voters actually knew the name of their European Parliament Members when we were in the European Union? I would hazard that there were only one or two well known MEPs and one of them is still close by. I think the choice for us is clear, although I know that I am undoubtedly in the minority this afternoon. First past the post ensures strong and stable governance, clear accountability and an electoral system that is easily understood by the public. It prevents small, unrepresentative parties from wielding disproportionate influence and upholds the direct link between MPs and their constituents. The British people have spoken in favour of first past the post and we should respect that decision. Members in other Opposition parties should learn and take it from us: we know that you cannot keep asking the same question over and over and expect a different response. The first-past-the-post system has served the UK well for generations. It delivers clear outcomes, stable Governments and a direct link between voters and their representatives. If we were to move to a PR regional-based system, that link would be lost and MPs would be scrambling and fighting to take on their constituents’ casework. We can just imagine the mafioso-style turf wars such a system would generate. To scrap those sensible and time-honoured demarcations would be terrifically reckless and fundamentally unnecessary and would do our electors a disservice. We should not trade a proven system for one that prioritises theoretical fairness over practical effectiveness. The challenges we face as a country demand strong leadership, clear accountability and a system that works for the people. Even though I do not like the result, the Labour Government won that mandate under the system we have. First past the post has provided that Government and we should stick to that, allowing the British people to have a system they fundamentally understand and fundamentally believe in.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am perfectly willing to correct the record and apologise to the House. However, that was still a minority of the 50% that would be required under the system that the Liberal Democrats are advocating.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Why?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead (Rachel Gilmour) for that wonderful intervention. Members should know that she and I are very good friends. Unlike the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, I am not afraid to stand up for the courage of my convictions and for the arguments that I will make. Unlike Members of the Liberal Democrat party, I am prepared to take interventions and have a genuine debate,

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  No, I will not. I will finish responding to my right hon. Friend.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He is giving a typically brilliant speech—we used to talk to each other in the boardroom of Clarion Housing Group, where we worked together—and his idea of a referendum is interesting. If a referendum were held and the result was 52:48 to keep the current system, would he expect the Liberal Democrats to keep asking that the question be put again and again and again?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Well, I have not finished making my point yet and I intend to do so. The electoral system in Israel elects people from extreme wings, from both sides of the aisle, who have a disproportionate impact on the policies and outcomes of the Israeli Government.

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  The hon. Gentleman is making a good case, though one that I fundamentally disagree with, as he will hear later. He has just outlined his own Government’s position on proportional representation. We have already had an answer on that, so where can he go now? On 2 December 2024, when asked by the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage (Olly Glover), the Deputy Prime Minister said that this Government would not set up a national commission and would not examine proportional representation any further. What does the hon. Gentleman propose to do to make the Government change their mind?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Will the hon. Gentleman give way on that point?

• 30 Jan 2025 · Proportional Representation: General Elections · Hansard source

  More

  Not at the moment, as I will make some progress. Over the past several hundred years, our country has undergone myriad complex and contentious reforms that have revolutionised our systems of governance. Those changes have often been made in a piecemeal fashion over many centuries, from Simon de Montfort’s Parliament of 1265, in which representatives from towns and the shires were summoned together to discuss matters of national concern, to the great Reform Acts of 1832 and 1867, permitting the expansion of suffrage, to the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928, which extended the franchise to all persons, male and female, over the age of 21. Those evolutionary changes have allowed us, as a country, to forgo frequent domestic upheaval and civil wars, which are a feature of other less stable systems. I know I am in a minority of one this afternoon—apart from the hon. Member for Ilford South (Jas Athwal)—but the Conservative party has long championed first past the post as the fairest and most effective way to elect representatives— [ Interruption . ]