Sadik Al-Hassan MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I must declare an interest as a registered pharmacist. I speak today wearing two hats: as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on pharmacy and as someone who spent nearly two decades working as a community pharmacist. That experience is why earlier this year, as APPG chair, I wrote a vision for what pharmacy should look like in 2040 and put it directly to policymakers across Government and pharmacy. Community pharmacy remains one of the most accessible parts of the NHS, with around 80% of the population living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. However, as has been mentioned, nationally 1,383 pharmacies have closed since 2016, including six in North Somerset, even after two pharmacies were reopened in Portishead thanks to the hard work of Magna Pharmacy and Ramesh. Every single day, 1.6 million people walk through a pharmacy door, saving an estimated 38 million GP appointments every year. That is why the funding settlement announced last week matters so much. The 10.3% uplift adds £340 million to the overall contract. More importantly, an increase in the margin allowance provides important support and stability for the sector. I thank the Minister, the Department and Community Pharmacy England. However, I have called this a down payment on a brighter future. It is just a start, not an end point. The 10.3% uplift is very welcome, but it comes against a backdrop of an around 9% yearly increase in costs. Pharmacy First and the inclusion of independent prescribing are good starting points, but the next step is to map out what we want Pharmacy First to look like through to 2030 and beyond. It cannot simply remain a pharmacist-led service for a small number of conditions. Community pharmacy has the potential to play a much broader role across acute care, minor ailments and prevention. That ambition must be backed with the professional boundary changes to match, because it will mean nothing if the foundations are not right. Pharmacies are receiving £800 million less in real terms than a decade ago. The Government’s independent analysis found a funding gap of £2 billion a year. Former colleagues are telling me that they are dispensing more and more medicines at a loss, spending hours sourcing drugs that should be available and managing patients’ anxiety when the supply chain fails. As a country, we have become addicted to cheap medicines in our NHS, which has created vulnerabilities right across our supply chain. Fixing the drugs bill in a way that supports wider investment and greater supply chain resilience will also strengthen community pharmacy services for the future. We must get this right. My vision for pharmacy in 2040 calls for genuine integration into neighbourhood healthcare, as the 10-year health plan intends. However, integration works only if the infrastructure works. A true single patient record system with read-write access for pharmacists is the foundation on which everything else depends. Primary care, pharmacy and hospitals all need to work from the same picture of the same patient and sing from the same hymn sheet. There is no point writing a vision for pharmacy’s future that does not fit the wider NHS system it sits within. The 10-year health plan wants to move care closer to home. Community pharmacy is already there. It is an incredibly efficient, high-value asset to the NHS. I urge the Government to match that ambition with sustained, multi-year funding, a workforce plan that unlocks independent prescribing and the digital infrastructure to make seamless care a reality. This could be a really bright future for community pharmacy. I believe in the future of the profession, but only if we have the will to see it through.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Community Pharmacies · Hansard source

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  Only the good ones.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Preparedness for National Emergencies · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I must declare an interest as a registered pharmacist. Before my election as an MP I worked in community pharmacy for nearly two decades and, crucially, worked on the frontline through the covid-19 pandemic. Like so many frontline healthcare workers, in my constituency of North Somerset and up and down the country, I went to work every day during lockdown as a key worker to serve members of my community, helping patients to maintain continued access to essential medicines and medical advice. Any pharmacist will tell you that that was not an easy time for our profession. We were not prepared. We were scared that we could bring covid to our own families and we desperately tried to do our best by our patients even when we had little advice to go on. I will not list a litany of failures, as the detailed covid inquiry did, but I will say clearly that under the previous Government our healthcare system was stretched thin. In a national crisis the public and frontline workers need to trust the Government, yet pharmacies were told that they did not even need PPE. Resilience must be built into future plans. True neighbourhood health means ensuring that we have systems, processes and governance ready before the next crisis hits.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Conflict in the Middle East: Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  8. What steps she has taken to help mitigate the potential impact of the conflict in the middle east on the economy.

• 28 Apr 2026 · Conflict in the Middle East: Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor for her efforts in what are far from ideal circumstances. Attacks on energy infrastructure and the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz are having real consequences here at home. Baker Hughes employs more than 300 people in Nailsea in my constituency of North Somerset and is an essential energy technology provider. It is at the sharp end of this crisis. Can the Chancellor confirm what support the Government are providing to exposed companies like Baker Hughes, to secure energy supplies and rebuild damaged supply chains today, and invest in the infrastructure we will need to protect British consumers tomorrow?

• 15 Apr 2026 · Cost of Heating Oil · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. In my constituency, 2,281 homes rely on heating oil as their only source of warmth. Those are not households with alternatives; they are off the gas grid entirely and, unlike the rest of us, they face a market that is completely uncapped and unregulated. As we all know, the ongoing conflict in the middle east and the strait of Hormuz is driving oil prices unpredictably higher. Families relying on heating oil are being squeezed the hardest. Those in the worst affected areas, such as Wrington, Felton and Dundry, cannot switch supplier instantaneously. They buy in bulk, have no negotiating power and, when prices surge, go cold. I therefore welcome the steps this Government have taken: the energy bill cap extended until June, saving the average household £170; the £150 warm homes discount for the most vulnerable; and, crucially, the swift announcement of a £53 million support package targeted at low-income and vulnerable households who depend on heating oil. The funding allocation reflects census data on need, demonstrating that this is not a scattergun approach. It is targeted, proportionate and urgent. Support alone, however, is not enough. I welcome the Government’s commitment to introduce a strengthened code of practice to improve price transparency, and to explore a new regulator or ombudsman for the market. Those households deserve the same consumer protections as everyone else. I urge the Minister to move quickly to ensure that local authorities have the guidance and resources to get this funding to those who need it before the cold takes hold. No one in this country should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family. This package is a welcome start, but it must be the beginning not the limit of this Government’s ambition.

• 23 Mar 2026 · Draft Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) (Amendment) (Specified Period) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I am glad to see that there is likely to be no impact on consumers or energy bills as a result of this amendment, particularly in the light of the current hostilities in the middle east. At a time when prices are rising and energy bills are due to be affected, it is reassuring to know that residents in North Somerset and across the country, who are simply trying to heat their homes, will not be impacted. For low-income and vulnerable households already struggling with the cost of living, schemes such as ECO4 are more vital than ever. The extension will ensure that suppliers have the time they need to complete installations and, critically, remediate non-compliant works, so that households who need help the most actually receive it in full.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Royal Mail: Performance · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. The performance of Royal Mail is an issue of significant concern across North Somerset. Issues with deliveries are having real consequences for residents and businesses alike. In the light of concerns highlighted to me, I launched a survey in mid-February to ask constituents about their experiences with Royal Mail. I have also been working constructively with local CWU representatives and meeting staff in sorting offices to understand the challenges Royal Mail is facing and to find practical solutions. I am grateful for the engagement and look forward to continuing those conversations. The issue was brought into sharp focus for me in January when I hosted a town hall for constituents. Many residents unfortunately received their event invitations after the town hall had already happened. One property business in Clevedon shared its experience. The business deals with house and flat sales, where deadlines carry real legal weight. The business went nearly two weeks without a single delivery. Royal Mail said it is either a staffing issue or that other delivery routes are taking priority. The property business asked whether it might be able to collect its post directly from the local sorting office, but it was told that that would not be possible. According to my survey, 87% of respondents in North Somerset are experiencing delays, and 53% said that delayed deliveries had caused them to miss appointments and deadlines. Those figures reflect a level of disruption that goes beyond what most North Somerset residents would consider acceptable, and it is a concern shared by staff. One of my survey respondents has stage 4 cancer. They manage over 50 medical appointments alongside work and caring for a four-year-old child. They depend on NHS letters to manage care and plan their life around it, and one key appointment letter sent in December has still not arrived. As a pharmacist, I see that risk as unacceptable. Our posties are a pillar of our community, working tirelessly in all weathers to deliver a vital postal service. I want to be clear: my concerns are with systemic issues in our postal system. Perhaps, as the CWU asks, Royal Mail should be back—

• 9 Mar 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  I will talk about that in a second, but I appreciate the hon. Member’s patience. Social media was sold to us in that way, but these platforms have been driven not by connection, but by engagement algorithms optimised purely for profit—something altogether more troubling. Parents such as me are locked in a daily battle, which they simply cannot win alone, of fighting platforms that have been specifically designed to keep children hooked. This is not just my experience. A 2024 report found that 78% of young people have experienced at least one form of online harm—body shaming, harassment, non-consensual sharing of sexualised images—or been publicly outed. As a pharmacist, I know that if a drug were causing such measurable harm for 78% of young people, it would be withdrawn, reformulated or placed behind the counter with strict controls on who could access it. We would act because that is what the evidence demanded, and the same logic must apply here. We have an identifiable source, we have overwhelming evidence of harm and we have the power to act. Big tech companies are billion-dollar corporations that have built their business models on capturing the attention of young people for as long as possible. If we are serious about holding these companies to account, we should go further. I urge the Government to consider a windfall tax on social media companies, so that those who have profited from the exploitation of children begin to pay for the damage they have caused. Like the tobacco industry before them, these companies knew their product was harmful and took steps to make it more harmful and more addictive, but then denied responsibility for the consequences. We do not accept that argument from tobacco companies, and we should not accept it from big tech either. The revenue raised could make a real difference. Youth centres have closed, and the pubs and community spaces that once gave young people somewhere to go and something to belong to have disappeared. Mental health services are overwhelmed. Education support is stretched. A generation has been harmed and the companies that profited from that harm should contribute to repairing it. That is why I welcome this debate today and any discussion on raising the digital age of consent, regulating social media and, crucially, holding big tech to account. I understand the urgent call for action, to put our boot on the neck of big tech companies that have hurt an entire generation and put our children at risk—I share that desire completely—but I also understand that we need to get this right. It is relatively straightforward to identify what change is needed. The harder and more important question is how we make those changes in a way that is enforceable, durable and genuinely protective of children. A well-intentioned measure that cannot be properly implemented or enforced helps no one. We must learn from Australia’s model. The world is watching. Our teachers, parents and healthcare professionals are watching. Our children depend on what we decide in this Chamber today, tomorrow and in the future. Their opportunities, hopes, and dreams are in the balance, so we have to get this right—for them.

• 9 Mar 2026 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  As a father of two young boys, I want to be clear that I have approached these Lords amendments, particularly Lords amendment 38, not only as a legislator, but as a parent. I have seen at first hand the pressures that social media places on children, and I have considered this matter with the utmost care. To date, I have received 1,309 emails from residents across North Somerset calling for immediate action to raise the age of social media access to 16. That makes this campaign one of the largest I have seen since my election. The consensus is clear: parents, teachers and almost everyone who works with young people want to see meaningful change, including the Gladiator Steel—I am sure no one wants to mess with him. Social media was sold to us as a tool for connection—a way to stay close to friends and family, to find community and to share in each other’s lives—but that promise has been broken.

• 23 Feb 2026 · Leasehold Reform · Hansard source

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  I commend the Government and my right hon. Friend’s reforms to the leasehold sector, particularly capping ground rents, which will make a real difference to leaseholders across North Somerset. I have been contacted by numerous constituents in Portishead and across my constituency living in leasehold properties managed by FirstPort. They report persistent failures, poor communication, and opaque and unjustified service charges. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the Government’s leasehold reforms will go further by introducing robust, enforceable regulation of service charges and professionalising property management companies such as FirstPort so that they can genuinely be held accountable for poor management practices?

• 23 Feb 2026 · Leasehold Reform · Hansard source

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  13. What steps his Department is taking to reform the leasehold sector.

• 3 Feb 2026 · Town and City Centre Safety · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. In my constituency of North Somerset and our amazing town centres, safety is an issue raised consistently by residents, and their concerns reflect a wider truth about communities across our country. Homicide rates in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest levels since records began, which is welcome news, yet that is not how people in my community and across the UK feel. We have less violent crime, but the small crimes that tear the fabric of our community spirit are on the rise. Having spent nearly two decades working in pharmacy, I know at first hand that I can be in a local shop watching somebody sweep a shelf of products into their bag and walk away almost undeterred, driving a feeling of lawlessness, making us feel that antisocial behaviour and crime rates are increasing, because low-level everyday issues are more prevalent and more visible. Shop floor staff are often told not to put themselves at risk—rightfully so, as I still have a scar on the back of my hand from a shoplifter. The public are afraid to get involved, as they will likely be on the wrong side of the law. It is the antisocial behaviour, the petty shoplifting, the lack of police presence and even the proliferation of e-bikes tearing through our streets that is driving the feeling of unsafe towns and villages. Add in the absence of CCTV coverage and police presence in key areas, and residents feel they have nowhere to turn. The Portishead post office, which is in one of the largest towns in my constituency and a vital hub that Portishead residents and I campaigned tirelessly for, suffered two break-ins, one only a month after opening its doors in May 2025. Even next door in the village of Pill, where I live, I have seen a rise in antisocial behaviour, including bikes tearing up football pitches and even affecting a match. That is why I welcome the Government’s Bill and the safer streets mission that sets out clear priorities on neighbourhood policing and town centre crime. Part of the conversation should be about the fundamental changes we have seen on our high streets. We should look not with nostalgia, but at what we need our high streets to look like in future.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  I am sure the hon. Member, as somebody with a great degree of business experience, understands the global trading environment that we sit in, and the energy shocks that come from events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I thank him for his note on talking with businesses in my constituency. I spend a lot of time talking with businesses in my constituency; I do not know whether Reform UK does the same. Would he like to clarify that?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Member give way?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Member give way?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Member give way?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  I can answer that quite clearly. The word “can” is written in paragraph 18.8; it does not say “will”. I think the right hon. Member’s assumption that these figures—which, as it is written quite clearly, only may lead to price increases—should surely be one for the Minister to answer in a minute.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  You referred to paragraph 18.8 of the impact assessment.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Sir Desmond; I appreciate that, and it is a pleasure to serve under your chairship. Paragraph 18.8 says that the figures in the impact assessment “should be treated with caution” because they are “at the upper end of estimates”. Does that mean we should “treat with caution” everything the right hon. Member has said?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  This order is crucial in ensuring that businesses are not penalised for the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic. By correcting historical activity levels to account for reduced activity during covid-19 lockdowns, we ensure fair treatment for operators whose operations were disrupted through no fault of their own. The order updates our efficiency benchmarks to reflect current industry performance and further drive decarbonisation: an essential goal that we must continue to pursue to protect our planet for future generations. The order also enables our carbon border adjustment mechanism to work effectively by phasing out free allocation where appropriate, ensuring a level playing field between domestic producers and imports. This is sensible housekeeping that supports both our climate ambitions and our industrial base, at a time when it is urgently needed.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 · Hansard source

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  I think, actually, that when we fix some of the problems around climate change, like investing in energy infrastructure and making sure that we take the true cost of business, that will eventually bring down bills. At the moment, Conservative Members seem to be saying that they do not want to account for the cost of climate change, which is maddening, considering their previous position.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Universities: Statutory Duty of Care · Hansard source

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  As a pharmacist, I remember when this news came out. My entire sector shares the grief of the family for the loss of a potentially amazing pharmacist. Does the hon. Member agree that pharmacy is a little lesser because of it?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Universities: Statutory Duty of Care · Hansard source

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  Here with us in the Public Gallery is John, a constituent of mine from Nailsea. John’s beloved son Max devastatingly lost his life to suicide in 2017, at just 23. Max’s mental health difficulties emerged while he was studying for an economics degree at the University of Edinburgh. Tragically, Max is not alone. Does the hon. Member agree that there is a crisis of care in universities, and that we need a funded statutory duty of care to protect other students like Max?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief · Hansard source

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  I wish you, my constituents in North Somerset, House staff and hon. Members a happy new year, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Government’s decision to amend the thresholds for APR and BPR, as do rural communities in my constituency, and extend my thanks to the organisations that campaigned for this outcome, such as the NFU. However, this is only one part of a larger problem. For 50 years, our country has witnessed the gradual erosion of our rural community sustainability, national food security and farm profitability. I look forward to 2026 being the year that the farming sector gets the wider change that it needs in order for the new year to be happy and profitable.