Steve Yemm MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jun 2026 · Child Sexual Offender Data · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for her intervention, and of course, I agree with her. Parliament should never be in a position where we shy away from confronting those failures with absolute honesty—that is critical. Equally, we must approach this issue with a great deal of care, evidence and proportion. I looked at the crime survey for England and Wales. It estimates that about 7% to 8% of adults experienced some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16—that is about 3 million people. It shows that the abuse is most commonly perpetrated by someone already known to the child. Other Members have alluded to this: it could be a family member or acquaintance—often a trusted adult or family friend—and, in fact, a growing proportion of abuse now takes place online. That matters, and it is an important issue to raise in this debate, because the majority of child sexual abuse in this country does not take place in the form of organised group offending. Although grooming gang cases are among the most serious, heinous and disturbing forms of abuse, they are not the totality. It is important, as many other Members have said today, that we reflect the totality of child sexual exploitation in Britain. We should not narrow our national understanding of this crime to a single form of offending that might risk not reflecting on where harm is actually occurring. That does not mean that we should avoid difficult questions where patterns or clusters of offending emerge. On the contrary, we should be prepared to follow the evidence. Honestly, I do not think we have always done that; often we have not.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Child Sexual Offender Data · Hansard source

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  I wholeheartedly agree with the views that my hon. Friend has expressed. Too often our vulnerable children were absolutely failed because our institutions were worried more about reputational damage, political sensitivity and some kind of corrupted political correctness than about protecting working-class boys and girls from harm.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. In Mansfield, our youth hub is already bringing together Jobcentre Plus and local partners to support young people into employment. Can the Secretary of State set out how the Government are strengthening youth hubs around the country to ensure that every young person has access to high quality, personalised support?

• 21 Apr 2026 · Sex Trafficking: Scotland · Hansard source

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  I wonder if my hon. Friend shares my frustration that the Scottish Government voted down Ash Regan’s unbuyable Bill, which would have outlawed paying for sex and decriminalised victims of sexual exploitation in Scotland, despite the Scottish Government saying that they supported the Bill’s principle.

• 20 Apr 2026 · Maternity Commissioner · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I am pleased that we are having this important debate on an e-petition that secured more than 100 signatures from my constituents in Mansfield. Indeed, after meeting the Nottingham Maternity affected families group on a number of occasions since I became the Member of Parliament for Mansfield, I have become acutely aware of how important these issues are to families in Nottinghamshire and my constituency. Although consideration of a maternity commissioner is important, it must be accompanied by something more fundamental. Donna Ockenden’s work, both in Nottinghamshire and in other parts of the country, has exposed patterns that we cannot ignore: families not listened to, concerns frequently dismissed and failures repeated over many years. What has been most troubling is not just what went wrong in one place, in Nottinghamshire, but how familiar those failings are across multiple trusts. Similar issues have emerged in different parts of the country, at different times and under different leaderships. That points not simply to isolated breakdowns, but to systemic weaknesses that demand a national response. A maternity commissioner could play a vital role in ensuring accountability, ensuring that recommendations are implemented, giving families a voice and providing leadership to drive improvement. However, a commissioner alone cannot answer the deeper questions: how did this happen repeatedly, in various hospitals, right across the UK, for decades? That is a deep set of questions relating to multiple failures. That is why a full national and public inquiry—more than a taskforce, although that is very welcome—is necessary. An inquiry could compel evidence, hear directly from families and staff, and examine culture as well as clinical practice. That would bring together the experiences of those affected not in fragments but as a whole. Too often learning has been localised and therefore somewhat limited. As a number of hon. Members have already said, reports are written and lessons are identified, but the wider national system fails to absorb them. The creation of a maternity commissioner, the establishment of a full and proper national inquiry, and action on the outcomes of past and ongoing inquiries are not alternatives; they can be complementary in driving change and properly understanding the failures that have occurred over many years. We owe it to the families in Nottinghamshire and right around the country, and to my constituents, who have suffered life-changing harm and in many cases the deaths of children and mothers, as well as to those who rely on these services, to do all those things. I therefore welcome today’s debate, and I hope that the Government will take note of the points made.

• 13 Apr 2026 · Young Cancer Patients: Experiences and Outcomes · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. This is Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, and it is right that we use this moment to shine a light on a group that is too often overlooked: young people who fall between children’s and adult services, and whose needs are too often not fully recognised. Before 1990, young people with cancer were treated either on children’s wards or alongside much older adults, with very little recognition of their distinct needs. The Teenage Cancer Trust changed that. It pioneered specialist care for 13 to 24-year-olds, creating dedicated units within the NHS that are staffed by expert nurses and youth workers, and which are designed to support not just treatment but the whole person. Today, 28 units across the UK help young people to receive care, alongside others their own age, in environments that protect their independence, dignity and mental health. At that age, cancer is not just a medical condition; it disrupts young people’s education, relationships, identity and plans for the future. We know that when young people receive age-appropriate care, their experiences and outcomes improve significantly, but only around half of young people with cancer currently benefit from this type of specialist support. One of the most critical issues facing young people with cancer is the speed of diagnosis. Unlike many adult cancers, those affecting young people are often rare and cannot be prevented. Blood cancer, which is the most common cancer for young people, does not have the same focus or understanding as other types of cancers. That means early diagnosis is absolutely crucial, yet too many young people face delays. Awareness of cancer symptoms among young people remains worryingly low. Fewer than half of 18 to 24-year-olds can identify key warning signs—things like unexplained lumps, pain, tiredness or significant weight changes. In Mansfield, I have heard directly from families about the consequences of that lack of awareness: multiple GP visits, uncertainty and delays before being referred for diagnosis. Indeed, nearly half of young people with cancer report attending three or more GP appointments before being referred. That experience was echoed by the family of 11-year-old Joel from Mansfield, who in 2024 sadly passed away after a nine-month battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. He made four initial GP visits and presented with a range of symptoms, which were dismissed as simply bruising from football or as a laundry detergent allergy. After the symptoms worsened, it took a second opinion from another GP and an emergency A&E visit before the cancer was diagnosed correctly. It is important to recognise that such delays are not just clinical; they are often psychological. Evidence shows that waiting two months or more for a diagnosis significantly increases the likelihood of anxiety and depression. I ask the Minister, how will the Government ensure that teenagers and young adults are not simply funnelled through paediatric diagnostic pathways, but are recognised as a distinct group with distinct needs? What steps will be taken to raise awareness, both among young people and across primary care, of the signs and symptoms of cancer in this particular age group? The second issue that I want to address is psychological support. A cancer diagnosis at any age is devastating, but for a young person it is often overwhelming. They face fears about survival, about treatment and about their future. Their education is interrupted, their friendships are disrupted and their sense of identity can be shaken. It is deeply concerning. Studies including research from Young Lives vs Cancer, which provides specialist social care support, show that 90% of young people undergoing cancer treatment experience anxiety, 83% report loneliness, 70% experience depression and nearly half experience panic attacks.

• 13 Apr 2026 · Young Cancer Patients: Experiences and Outcomes · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to secure this important debate on a subject that matters deeply to me in my role as parliamentary champion for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and as an officer of the all-party parliamentary group on cancer in children and young people. It is an issue that matters profoundly to my constituents. In Mansfield, I am contacted regularly by young people, by parents and by families whose lives have been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis. They write to me not just about treatment but about their wider experience—the fear, the uncertainty, and the disruption to education, work and relationships. They write because they want to be heard, and I hope that tonight the House, and indeed the Government, will listen. Every few hours in the United Kingdom, a young person hears the words, “You have cancer”. It is mostly blood cancer, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma—the most common cancers among children, teenagers and young adults in the UK. The reality is stark: more young people are getting cancer. Rates have risen by a quarter since the early 1990s, and the increase is projected to continue. Cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death among teenagers and young adults in the UK, but even for those who survive, the impact can be lifelong—physically, emotionally and socially—especially when the right support is not there. This is happening at a time when life is already tough for young people, many of whom are facing economic uncertainty, struggling with mental health issues, and worrying about their futures. A cancer diagnosis compounds all that, often at the most formative stage of life.

• 13 Apr 2026 · Young Cancer Patients: Experiences and Outcomes · Hansard source

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  In view of the time, I will continue, if my hon. Friend does not mind. These are not marginal figures. They represent the overwhelming majority, yet despite a clear NHS commitment that every young person should have access to mental health support, provision remains inconsistent. In effect, it is a postcode lottery. Five years ago, the Teenage Cancer Trust warned of that in its “#NotOK” report, but today progress remains limited. In Mansfield, families have raised with me the difficulty of accessing timely mental health support during and after treatment. The family of Eilidh, a 23-year-old from Mansfield who was diagnosed with a rare lung cancer at the age of 20 after initially being reassured that nothing was wrong, made that point to me. She underwent the removal of an entire lung, but what followed was a lack of clear aftercare and support, with no structured rehabilitation, limited guidance on recovery and ongoing difficulty in navigating care. Her experience highlights not just the physical impact of cancer treatment, but the confusion, anxiety and gaps in support that too many young people face once treatment ends. I ask the Minister what funding and timelines are in place to ensure that every young person with cancer can access specialist psychological support, and not just during treatment but for at least two years afterwards. The third issue is access to clinical trials. Clinical trials are essential to improving outcomes and developing new treatments, but teenagers and young adults are significantly less likely than other age groups to take part, not because they do not wish to but because the system does not work for them. They are often excluded because of age restrictions: they are too old for paediatric trials and too young for adult trials. They are more likely to have rare cancers, meaning that fewer trials are available. I refer again to Joel from Mansfield: his family asked his doctors about opportunities to participate in a clinical trial, but were told that there were none. Even where trials exist, information can be difficult to find, both for clinicians and for parents. The ambition has been clear—50% participation by 2025—but progress has been slow. No young person should miss out on a potentially lifesaving opportunity simply because of their age, so I ask the Minister how the Government will measure and report progress on improving access to clinical trials for young people, and what accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure delivery. Finally, I want to address the issue of data. Too often, young people with cancer are effectively invisible in the system. Data is not consistently collected, not consistently reported and not always broken down in a way that allows us to understand their experiences. Without good data, it is hard to identify inequalities, we cannot target improvements and we cannot ensure accountability. What steps will the Minister take to improve the collection and publication of age-specific data on cancer outcomes for teenagers and young adults? To conclude, the issues I have spoken about today matter deeply to my constituents in Mansfield and to the young people facing cancer today across the country. They also matter to the families supporting them, and they matter to all of us who believe that no young person should face this disease without the care and support they deserve. The evidence is clear: when young people receive timely diagnosis, age-appropriate care, access to psychological support and opportunities to participate in clinical trials, their outcomes improve. The Teenage Cancer Trust has shown what is possible, but it cannot do it alone. If we are serious about improving outcomes, the commitments in the national cancer plan must be delivered with urgency, funding and accountability. We need to improve awareness, we need to remove barriers and we must ensure that young people are no longer overlooked or underserved. I will close with a simple request to the Minister: will she commit, alongside the Secretary of State who promised me personally that he would do so, to visit a Teenage Cancer Trust unit to hear directly from young people to understand their experiences and to see at first hand the difference that specialist age-appropriate care can make? If we truly listen to those young people, we will know exactly what needs to change.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Artificial Intelligence Growth Zones · Hansard source

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  Fourteen years of Conservative economic decline saw jobs and opportunity leave places such as my constituency of Mansfield, and AI now presents a chance to turn that around. How will the Secretary of State ensure that the Government roll-out of AI growth zones, creating opportunity across the country, will translate into local jobs and skills in left-behind communities?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Artificial Intelligence Growth Zones · Hansard source

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  3. What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI growth zones on regeneration in Mansfield.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source

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  Responsibility for maintaining roads in my area sits with the Reform-led Notts county council. It is all talk and no action and, frankly, residents are tired of excuses, particularly when they centre on funding. The reality is this: funding is increasing significantly through the Labour Government and the mayor, Claire Ward, rising from £18 million to almost £50 million. When the county council says it cannot act due to lack of funds, it simply does not stack up because the money is coming in. Nottinghamshire residents deserve better. They deserve roads that are safe, properly maintained and fit for purpose, whether they live on a main road or a rural lane. The funding is there and the need is clear. It is time for Notts county council to deliver for them. I will continue to press it on behalf of my constituents until it does.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Child Maintenance Service · Hansard source

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  We have all received casework on this subject. I often find that what I can only term incompetence by the CMS enables non-resident parents to shirk financial responsibility—at the expense of the child, at the end of the day. Does my hon. Friend agree that we in Government must look into these issues and take decisive action to ensure that the CMS is fit for purpose, gets a grip and actually does the job we are asking it to do?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Immigration Reforms · Hansard source

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  It is important to recognise that position, and it is important that transitional arrangements are put in place for people who entered the country absolutely legally. Crucially, I hope my hon. Friend will also recognise that we are shifting the system away from dangerous and illegal routes, towards safe and legal pathways, because no one should be risking their lives in the hands of criminal gangs. This is what good government looks like. It is about restoring trust in the system, it is about fairness, and it is about delivering for constituents like mine in Mansfield, who expect a system that is fair, controlled and in the national interest. This Labour Government are getting a grip, and I am proud to support them.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Immigration Reforms · Hansard source

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  I have met many people living in my constituency—workers from west Africa and from Asia—who make that case to me. I have written to the Home Secretary to support that case, and I hope the Government will look at the results of the consultation and think carefully about transitional arrangements for people who have been in the UK, working quite properly, for some time. At the same time, as the Home Secretary has set out, it is important to recognise that the Government are restoring both control over the system and compassion. It is important not to choose one over the other, but to deliver both together. As a Government, we are taking decisive action to stop abuse of the system, and we will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds as a result. It is important to recognise that we are introducing a system where refugee status is not automatically permanent, but—

• 17 Mar 2026 · Immigration Reforms · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. People in my constituency and, I think, right across the country are clear: they want an immigration system that is fair, but one that is controlled and works in the national interest. That is exactly what this Labour Government, led by the Home Secretary, intend to deliver.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Productivity and Economic Growth: East Midlands · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Member recognise the fact that, in 2010, productivity in the east midlands was at 92% of the national average, but by the time the previous Government left office it was at 85%? Actually, the region went steadily backwards under the Conservative Government. Does he recognise that?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Productivity and Economic Growth: East Midlands · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. We must confront honestly the challenge of productivity in the east midlands remaining well below the UK average, currently at around 85% of it. Our constituents’ wages reflect that gap entirely, and if we are serious about raising living standards in the region, we have to close it. Investment drives productivity, enabling businesses to purchase better equipment, adopt new technologies and expand production. Such investment is not an abstract concept for my constituents and their wages. Transport is a clear example. For too long, the east midlands has been under-invested in compared with other regions. Transport spending per head is shockingly now only around 54% of the UK average, which is the lowest of any region in the nation. That matters. Transport is not a luxury, but the infrastructure that allows firms to move goods, people to reach jobs and businesses to operate efficiently. Investment in skills is also critical, and my constituency is fortunate to have great educational institutions. On a broader structural point, public investment in the UK follows behind private investment, in great contrast to other European countries, particularly Germany. We must recognise that economic growth should be spread across the country. Our national conversation too often focuses on a small number of already prosperous areas, such as Oxford, London and Cambridge. Those places are important, but economic growth has to go further. If we get this right, by combining public sector ambition with strategic private investment in infrastructure, transport and skills, places like my constituency of Mansfield, as well as other communities in north Nottinghamshire and right across the region, can play a central role in driving our future economic growth.

• 10 Mar 2026 · Technology Sovereignty · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I want to speak about technological sovereignty from an east midlands perspective. Too often, Westminster debates are focused on venture capital or high-level digital strategy and so forth while the real foundations of our tech capability lie in specific industrial regions. The east midlands already has the capabilities to anchor British technological sovereignty. Derbyshire, and particularly Derby, is one of Europe’s most important aerospace hubs. Nottingham is home to two world-class universities, driving innovation in materials science, data science and advanced manufacturing. For Nottinghamshire and my constituency, this is about linking university research directly to local production; strategic public investment in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, with a focus on export focused technologies in particular; encouraging pension funds and public investment programmes to support domestic capital, rather than sending wealth abroad; and restoring political and economic confidence in post-industrial communities in the midlands like my constituency. Technological sovereignty is not just a slogan; it is a matter of real practical capacity and of the technologies that will shape the future being designed and built in this country rather than elsewhere. The east midlands already contains many of the pieces needed to secure that sovereignty. The task is to recognise them, back them and build a new national political economy that puts production, skills and regional industrial strength at the centre of Britain’s future.

• 9 Mar 2026 · Unemployment · Hansard source

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  Will the Secretary of State outline what exactly the youth guarantee means for young people in my constituency of Mansfield?

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Many former mineworkers in my constituency are entitled to receive a set amount of solid fuel per year. As few homes now rely on coal, some have requested a payment in lieu from the National Concessionary Fuel Office, as they are entitled to. Those requests have often been refused, yet following intervention from my office, payments have subsequently been awarded. Will the Leader of the House ask Ministers to review the work of the National Concessionary Fuel Office to ensure that former mine- workers in my constituency and across the country receive the payments to which they are entitled?

• 3 Mar 2026 · Funeral Premises: Environmental Health Inspections · Hansard source

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  A grieving family in my constituency contacted me last year. They said that their deceased father, who had been left in the care of a local funeral home, had been stored in such a way that his body had decomposed to the extent that it was “covered in maggots” by the time it was sent to the coroner. That was reported to the family by the coroner. I understand that the funeral home was not regulated. Does my hon. Friend agree that the case in my constituency highlights the case for further regulation and a more rigorous inspection regime for those who work in this industry?

• 10 Feb 2026 · Sherwood Forest: Tourism · Hansard source

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  On Robin Hood, would my hon. Friend join me in celebrating the legacy of former Mansfield Woodhouse resident Major Hayman Rooke, who discovered and is associated with the Major Oak tree in Sherwood Forest? I am sure my hon. Friend is also aware that the tree, which was named in Major Hayman Rooke’s honour, is believed to have been the legendary hiding place of Robin Hood and his merry men.

• 4 Feb 2026 · Postal Services: Rural Areas · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. My constituency is part of the rural county of Nottinghamshire. Many of my communities are feeling the impact of poor service by Royal Mail and facing unacceptable inconsistencies with delivery. I have received correspondence from constituents across Mansfield who say that their post and letters are going undelivered, and they are rightly angry about that. My constituent Jim says that his grandson missed out on an invitation to a job interview because the letter did not arrive. Another constituent, Gail, said that several pieces of her mail have gone missing, including letters for local hospital appointments. It is becoming all too familiar, and I think many Members will recount similar issues. Whether it is a birthday card from a loved one or a bill, everyone needs their mail. Government agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions, banks, hospitals, the police, courts and many other organisations communicate only by post. The consequence of getting one of those letters late can be hugely damaging in many ways. Having spoken to postal staff in Mansfield, I know that they are under huge pressure. I pay tribute to them, because they all work incredibly hard in all weathers to deliver our mail. It saddens me that Royal Mail has, in correspondence to me, blamed the issues on staff sickness. I am meeting Royal Mail bosses in the very near future, but postal workers have already told me, on the condition of anonymity, that they have been instructed to prioritise parcels over letters. They have also mentioned that staff retention is difficult because newer recruits are paid less than their colleagues, and that management are not hiring enough people to get the job done. That is the credible reason for the problems we are witnessing, and it is not good enough. Royal Mail has to step up. If it does not, the regulator, Ofcom, should get involved to guarantee that Royal Mail meets the universal service obligation. Communities in Mansfield and across our country are sick and tired of the excuses. They just want their mail delivered on time. That is not too much to ask. My message to Royal Mail is therefore very clear: get this mess sorted out, get your house in order and get your act together, or we will make you do so.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q3. Sadly, on Christmas day my constituent Beryl Barrett passed away after tragically falling into an unrepaired pothole. I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending my condolences to the family. In my constituency there are literally thousands of potholes in our roads, which Nottinghamshire county council is failing to repair. Does the Prime Minister agree that it is time that the council took action, and will he meet Beryl’s family so that we can work together to ensure that there are no more accidents like that?

• 19 Jan 2026 · School and College Assessments: Integrity · Hansard source

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  4. What steps she is taking to help ensure the integrity of school and college assessments and examinations.