Commons Chamber

Thursday 13th March 2025

(began 8 months, 1 week ago)

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09:35
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None Portrait Q1. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support businesses in rural areas. (903158)
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Order, we start
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None Portrait Q4. What steps he is taking to support high street businesses. (903161)
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Number four.
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None Portrait Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
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**** Possible New Speaker ****

We We now We now come We now come to
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10:38
Lucy Powell Portrait Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Manchester Central, Labour )
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Will the leader of the give us the forthcoming business?

**** Possible New Speaker ****

I shall. Monday, 17 March, remaining stages of the children's well-being and schools build a one. well-being and schools build a one. Tuesday, 18 March, remaining stages the children's well-being and schools bill. Wednesday, 19 March, consideration of Lords Amendments to the National Insurance contributions secondary Class 1 contributions bill secondary Class 1 contributions bill followed by Opposition days, first allotted day, second part. Debate on allotted day, second part. Debate on a motion in the name of the official opposition subject to be announced.

General debate on knife crime among General debate on knife crime among children and young people followed by general debate on coastal communities. The subject of these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Find 21 March, the house will not be sitting. The provisional 's nest for the week commencing 24 March will be Monday, 24 March second reading of the planning and infrastructure bill. Tuesday, 25 March, if necessary, consideration of Lords Amendments followed by consideration of Lords Amendments to the great British Energy Bill followed by consideration of Lords Amendments to the terrorism protection bill followed by motion to approve the draft National Minimum Wage Amendment regulations 2025.

Wednesday, 26 March, my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make a spring statement followed by remaining stages of the tobacco and vapes bill. Thursday, 27 March, general debate on Saint Patrick's Day and Northern Irish affairs followed by general debate on the 10th anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday, 28 March, Private Members' Bills.
10:40
Jesse Norman Portrait Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative)
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I am sure that the whole house will want to join me in recognising and thanking the salvage and nature specialists who are scrambling to clear up after the disastrous collision we have seen in the Northsea. They say a conservative is a socialist who is been mugged by reality but if that is so, we are witnessing the extraordinary sight of a Prime Minister who is been visibly mugged by reality in slow motion before our very eyes. The government's brand of socialism started with the union payoffs, the rapid settlement of pay disputes in the public sector for efficiency benefits and a heavily tax-and-spend budget.

The Chancellor was even so pulled announce that she would not raising taxes or increasing debt over the course of the government. She said I am really clear that I am not coming back with more borrowing or more taxes. But the budget started to unravel almost as soon it was published. We had the bizarre sight of a government that is evermore committed to talking about growth while it proceeded to club both to death across a variety of sectors. How is that through the National Insurance rise? The burden of the new employments rights Bill but also, through its loss of credibility in the markets which have pushed up things by 25% since September.

Great British energy was announced and did nothing. The government made an unsuccessful approach for the newly rebranded national wealth fund which had been setup only weeks before. The system of infrastructure monitoring and planning had been dismantled and there has been no news for three months at the decision on small, modular, nuclear reactors which was due on September 1 or thereabouts. I asked the leader if she can update the house as to when we can expect that decision. Then-President Trump got elected because of the special SWAT team of Labour activists sent over to campaign for his rival, and then the mugging by reality really began.

The energy secretary was. Auerbach his zero carbon energy plans. The Minister had to announce his plan for change. The government was. Rate its spending plans to address the situation in Ukraine and so it continues. This week, we have heard of its operation, but is that but a knife to reshape the civil service? Next week we will have ill thought through cuts to welfare. Labour went to become a gentle voters at the time of the general election. Now the reality is setting in, they are a pleasing shade of purple with more and more patches of blue.

The prime minister and the government are becoming more conservative by the day. But in sharp contrast, it is the government's policy towards rural areas that is most striking. We have sin the effect on services in rural areas. Now we see in the same week compulsory powers to seize farmlands compulsory powers to seize farmlands and the abrupt stand of the scheme. We are threatening folding is through the inheritance tax changes, even to clean up the River Wye, one of the glories which has been cut to just £1 million.

The Labour message is clear, don't be a farmer, don't give us food security, don't work every hour God sends whatever the weather. We don't care. She ignored my questions yet again last week but perhaps you have a go at these questions now. Why has the government taken such a punitive approach to the countryside and is it doing so deliberately or is it just by accident? Finally, will she come to visit farmers with me so she can see the actual effect of these policies by herself.

We will throw in some ice cream as well as that will make any difference.
10:44
Lucy Powell Portrait Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Manchester Central, Labour )
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Thank you very much. I want to start by congratulating parents across the country on the day of action. The whole house will be as hopeful to everyone else regarding Ukraine as talks continue this week and over the weekend. And I'm sure we all welcomed the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine. This really is an important moment for peace in the region and the ball is now firmly in Russia's court. The honourable gentleman spent most of his speech last week and this giving a long lecture about why I don't answer his questions while failing to ask me very many at all.

We had a couple of small questions there at the end of another diatribe that took us through various myths and took us through various myths and He will now the government had to take difficult decisions when we were coming into economy that no government wants to deal with with high debt, stagnant growth, low productivity and wages, public services on their knees. That is why we have had to take the difficult decisions we have to fix foundations and get the investment back into public services as we desire.

He raises the point about National Insurance but I have to point out to the House that he was a Treasury Minister when his government raised National Insurance on businesses and working people as well. I am sorry to tell him that the government absolutely backs British farmers and we are doing what we can to support them and have increased the farming budget to £5 billion, far more than they ever did, and have set out a new deal and are investing in flood defences and have a plan for sustainable food and he knows better than anybody that the Sustainable Budget that his government did not use and that is why because the font but setting out a new one that will come after the Spring Statement next week.

An alternative point of view on recent history is order paper aficionados will have noticed that aficionados will have noticed that Tuesday was the 100th sitting the Parliament 100 days of boosting public services, reforming the state in favour of people and against vested interest and 100 days of change and 100 days of putting the government back in service of working people. We have had the most ambitious King's Speech Program of any incoming government with 10 pills receiving Royal assent including the Rail Ownership Act, the water special measures act, ending policies for water bosses polluting the waterways and very soon Martin's Law, keeping our promises.

More on the way but strengthening the rights of renters, switching on Great British Energy, off-road bikes, stronger protections against stalking and spiking and yesterday we computed the stages of the Employment Rights Bill, giving people dignity and security in work and that is just a few and beyond that we are fixing the big problem is that the country faces with waiting lists coming down, more GP appointments, breakfast clubs in school, a 25% increase in return is operable to be here, more affordable housing, restricting the right to buy, finally getting rid of hereditary peers, and the biggest devolution of powers and a generation and that is a snapshot of the 100 days and I know that you will be pleased, Mr Speaker, should know that in that time we have made 115 statements to this place because like you I respect the House of Commons and that we make announcements here but what a contrast to the last government who had to be dragged here to make statements and the last King's Speech was threadbare with the nickel ambition to ban petty -- the pinnacle of their ambition to ban pedicabs.

They do not turn up for Prime Minister's Questions and I do not blame them because they were a zombie government and a zombie Opposition.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. With permission I would like to make a statement on the future of NHS England. Since coming into office, this government has made big strides in fixing our broken NHS. Under the Conservatives, the NHS suffered years of industrial action, costing taxpayers billions and costing patients more than 1 million cancelled operations and appointments. We negotiated an end to the resident doctors strike within three weeks. We have delivered the 2 million extra appointments we promised in our first year.

And we did it seven months early. And after 14 years of rising waiting lists under the Conservatives, we are finally turning the tide. Cutting waiting lists for five months in a row, cutting waiting lists through the winter pressures, cutting waiting lists by 193,000 so far and counting. We have agreed the GP contract with GPs for the first time since the pandemic. Our first step to bringing about the family doctor. And we have delivered the biggest uplift in hospice funding for a There should be no doubt about the scale of the challenge ahead.

We inherited an NHS going through the worst crisis in its history, so there is no time to waste. We inherited public finances with a £22 billion blackhole, so there is no money to waste. The urgency of the crisis means we have to move faster to deliver better value for taxpayers and better services for patients, something the party patients, something the party opposite can't even begin. Lord Darzi's independent investigation into the National Health Service traced the current crisis back to the 2012 modernisation of the NHS by the Right Honourable Lord Lansley.

The Darzi investigation said the reorganisation was, " Disastrous, a calamity without international precedent. It scorched the earth the health reform. The effects of which are still felt to this day." The Health and Social Care act Health and Social Care act established more than 300 new NHS organisations, created a complex and fragmented web of Berry Chrissie and to quote the Darzi investigation, " Imprisoned more than a million NHS staff in a broken system." Well today, we are putting the final nail in the coffin of the Conservatives disastrous top-down reorganisation of the NHS.

There are more than twice as many staff working in NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care today than there were in 2010. Twice as many staff as when the NHS delivered the shortest waiting times and the highest patient satisfaction in history. Today the NHS delivers worst care for patients but is more expensive than ever before. The budget NHS England staff and admin alone has soared to £2 billion. Taxpayers are paying more but getting less.

We have been left with two large organisations doing the same roles with an enormous amount of duplication. It is especially in times like these that such bloated and inefficient bureaucracy can be justified. But even if the Conservatives haven't left a £22 billion blackhole in the public finances, the Prime Minister would still be announcing the changes he is today. Because every pound is wasted on inefficient bureaucracy in good times or bad is apparent that can't be spent on treating patients faster.

Spent on fixing our crumbling schools, lifting children out of poverty or putting money back into people's pockets. There is always a duty on ministers to get as much value for taxpayers money as possible. And I can honestly say that it is achievable with the way that my department and NHS England are setup today. Nor can I say that the current setup is getting the best out of our NHS. I'm sure members will have heard their local NHS leaders complain about the top- down way in which the NHS is run.

And now I find myself at the peak of this enormous mountain of accountability. I don't just recognise the complaint. I agree with it. Frontline NHS staff are drowning in the micromanagement they are subjected to by the various and fast layers of bureaucracy. In the Hewitt review, the former Health Secretary right honourable friend Dane Patricia Hewitt reported that one local service was required to send 250 reports and forms to NHS England and the Department of Health and social care in a single month.

That is time and energy that is not being spent delivering care for patients. The Hewitt review also concluded that having two organisations doing the same jobs has led to, " Tensions, waste time, and needless frictional costs." Since coming to office, I have sought to correct that by building A1 team approach between my department and NHS England, working towards our shared mission of building an NHS fit for the future. Today the Prime Minister is announcing that we are turning one team into one organisation.

I want to acknowledge that there are talented, committed public servants working at every level of the NHS and my department, including at NHS England, who I've had the privilege of working with over the past eight months. The reforms we are announcing today are not a reflection of them. They have been set up to fail by a fragmented system that holds them back. The actions we are taking today will change that. Workers only begun to strip out the duplication between the two organisations, and bring many of NHS England's functions into the department.

NHS England will have a much clearer focus over this transformation period. It will be in charge of holding local providers to account for the outcomes that really matter, cutting waiting times and managing their finances responsibly. And it's tasked with realising the untapped potential of our National Health Service as a single payer public service, getting a better deal for taxpayers through central procurement, being a better customer to medical technology innovators get the latest cutting-edge tech into the hands of staff and patients much faster.

And being a better partner to the life sciences sector to develop the medicines of the future. Over the next two years, NHS England will be brought into the Department entirely. These reforms will deliver a much leaner top of the NHS, making significant savings millions of pounds a year. That money will flow down to the front line to cut waiting times faster and deliver our Plan for Change. By slashing through the layers of red tape and ending the infantilism Asian frontline NHS leaders, we will set local NHS providers free to innovate, develop new productive ways of working, and focus on what matters most, delivering better care for patients.

I cannot count the number of conservatives who have told me in private that they regret the 2012 reorganisation and wish they had reversed it when in office. But none of them acted. They put it in the two difficult box while patients and taxpayers paid the price because only Labour can reform the NHS. And the government is proving that only Labour can be trusted to reform the state. The Prime Minister has committed to cutting the number of quangos. Today we are abolishing the biggest quango in the world.

I'm delighted that Sir James Mackie will be leading the transformation team as the Chief Executive of is England. Jim has a track record of turning around organisations, balancing the books, driving up productivity, and driving down waiting times. He is putting in place in the transformation team to drive change. And alongside Doctor Penny, as the incoming chair, I'm delighted to have such a capable leadership team of radical reformers to transform NHS England. I would also like to take this opportunity to place on record my heartfelt thanks to Amanda Pritchard, who has shown an outstanding commitment to our National Health Service over her decades of service, which I know remains undiminished.

She has also been a rock of enormous support, not only in the past eight months but also in the past few weeks as we have worked together with Jim, preparing for this change. I'd also like to place on record my thanks to her deputy, Judy and Kelly who is one of the most outstanding public servants of his generation, and like to thank the rest of the leadership team departing at the end of this month. They deserve our thanks and best wishes for the future.

Change is hard. There will always be cautious voices warning you to slow down. However broken the status quo is, there will be those who resist any change away from it. But we should be in no doubt. We inherited a National Health Service going through the worst crisis in its history. Patients awaiting an acceptable length of time for an operation, GP appointments or an ambulance. This Labour government will never darken the hard yards of reform. We will take on vested interests and change the status quo so the NHS can once again be there for us when we need it.

The Prime Minister has said an enormously ambitious target for the NHS to cut waiting times for operations from up to 18 months to a maximum of 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament. It will require us to go further and faster than even the last Labour government achieved, but patients in our country deserve nothing less. The reform the Prime Minister is setting out today will mean fewer checkers and more doers. It will cut through the complex web of bureaucracy and devolve more resources and responsibility to the frontline to deliver better value for taxpayers money and a better service for patients.

And it will set the NHS up to deliver on the three big shifts needed to make the service fit for the future from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. The NHS is broken but not beaten. Together we will turn it around and I commend the statement of the House.
11:56
Caroline Johnson Portrait Dr Caroline Johnson MP (Sleaford and North Hykeham, Conservative)
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Thank you. And thank you to the sector of state for advance sight of his statement. It is disappointing that once again this was not made to the House first and in recent days there had been numerous media briefings about the potential for this restructure. Under new leadership on the side of the House we believe in a leaner and more efficient state. That means using resources effectively, reducing waste and preventing duplication. Spending money where it is most beneficial. After all the public understandably want to see the focus on patient care and not on backroom managers.

Therefore we are supportive measures to stream and the management and we do not oppose the principles of taking direct control. But we need to know what steps will be taken to meet targets while all this upheaval happens. We need to know specifics on what is being planned. What are the timeframes for abolition of NHS England? What date will be completed by? How many people will be moved into different roles? How many people will lose their jobs altogether? How much money is this expected to save? Labour run the NHS in Wales where they have the highest waiting lists and the longest waiting times in GB, so what lessons have Labour learned from their failure in Wales? NHS England has just lost much of its leadership.

Is that because they had no longer got confidence in the sector of state or because he didn't have confidence in them? Perhaps you could tell the House with Alan Milburn particular someone who does keep his job in this upheaval? We also need to be clear that moving people into different roles will not fix the challenges that face the NHS. This active state has spoken about taking direct control. This may help ensure the NHS stop wasting money on expensive DVI staff and ensure they do provide dignity and privacy for female staff and patients.

What does it mean for clinical practice Asian? Will conditions that are less common and have less glitzy campaigns, less celebrity backers suffer because the secretary of state has now got political considerations? Does this active state have the bandwidth of this, given he is such a busy role already? And how does the centralisation of power linkup with more powerful regional bodies and local integrated cables? In the first six months after entering office, the government had 14 reviews and cause evidence.

These will require more staff. These jobs at risk or is it other pre-existing roles which are set to be cut? This announcement comes the same week as Labour's Employment Rights Bill passes through the Commons. Is this active state getting a move on because he knows the red tape and bureaucracy will dramatically increase afterwards and make the necessary decisions he has to take that are difficult to deliver? What drives to improve efficiency in the Civil Service and management of the health service are welcome, what about the NHS itself? The government slimmed down our productivity planning to live in the 20% pay rise in return for no modernisation or reform.

How will these decisions improve efficiency? I asked the Department what proportion of people with a nursing qualification working in the NHS are inpatient facing roles, the Minister said they did not know. How can he use the skills and force effectively if he doesn't know whether skills and resources are? And what the Prime Minister is making a lot of noise about productivity and cutting waste, he still refuses to set a target for cutting the Civil Service headcount. And thanks to the decisions he and the Chancellor to cut the budget, the eyes of the state are growing rapidly.

Not shrinking. Changes to national insurance contributions have diverted funding away from the frontline and compensating Treasury. And ultimately any restructure will be challenged by the government's continued failure to tackle immigration. So whilst steps to improve efficiency in healthcare service are welcome, these words
12:00
Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Taking the more serious questions of the Shadow Minister races first, in terms of timeframes, we will be working immediately to start bringing teams together, as we have been with the one team culture we have been building in the last eight months. I want the integration of NHS England into the department to be complete in two years. She asks about the reduction of officials. The size of NHS England, there are 15,300 staff in the Department for Health and Social Care, 300,000.

-- 3300. We are looking to reduce headcount by 50%. That will produce significant savings, the amount will be determined by the precise configurations we will keep the house updated on that. She asks about clinical leadership. One of the changes we will be making in terms of the transformation team is to ensure that succeeding Professor Stephen Howe's whose departure from NHS England was planned long before these changes, there will be two national medical directors, one for primary care and one for secondary care, underpinning our commitment to the shifts we have described.

There are enormous improvements to be made in terms of patient outcomes, patient safety, and proactivity. I'm demanding stronger clinical leadership to drive those improvements to productivity. Frankly many consultants and clinical teams on the frontline will welcome the liberation. They are hungry for change. She asked about data for the workforce, and complaints we have not been able to give the precise answers. I greeted frustrating not having that precise information at my fingertips. A gentle reminder on this, her party was in power for 14 years.

She can't very well complain eight months in when they left the data architecture and infra structure that is woeful and embarrassing. She asked about efficiency. Once again she refers to the resident doctors deal as if this was a failure. The actual failure was leaving doctors on the picket line not on the front line. The failure was wasting huge amounts of taxpayers money, and the cancellation delay to patient appointments operations and procedures. We got rid of that within weeks of coming into office.

The deal does include reforms that will include proactivity for if she is in any doubt about results, she should look at the fact that despite winter pressures NHS waiting lists have fallen five months in a row. Once again we get the facile points about our honourable Friend Alan Milburn who is the lead non- executive board member for my department. I don't know why you bothered to pay for a mortgage, he lives rent free in their heads. And for the record he has a record on the NHS that the party opposite cannot even begin to touch.

She asks about confidence. I am delighted to be introducing a new transformation team, different challenges, different leadership challenges require different leadership skills. And I have been really pleased to work with Amanda Pritchard for the last eight months and delighted to work with her on this transition. So people should have no doubt in the confidence I have in her skills talents and abilities, I think she has a lot still to contribute to our NHS. On the issue of confidence we don't need to ask about confidence in the Conservative party, it is reflected by the scarce numbers opposite.

On Wales, what is the lesson there? The lesson is that when you have a Conservative government in Westminster, in England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland, the National Health Service suffers. We are creating a rising tide to raise all ships, and the SNP don't have any excuses now because, as I said before, all roads lead to Westminster and down that road to Holyrood is the biggest funding settlement since devolution began. So no hiding place is there for the SNP.

But if people want real reform of the NHS in Scotland they should vote for Scottish Labour and Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie. People can see here in Westminster the difference that new leadership provides. The Shadow Minister laughingly referred to new leadership of the Conservative party for top it is certainly meaner but it is the same old Conservative party. The only thing they have shrunk is their own party. The only jobs they have laid off are there poor party staff. And the only thing they are capable of changing, I don't think there is anything there capable of changing come to think of it.

What they do is look over their shoulder at one man leading a party he can't even manage a five aside team. So diminished are they, I appreciate it must be so painful for the Conservative party. It must be so painful watching a Labour government doing the things that they only ever talked about. Reducing the side of bloated state bureaucracy, investing in defence, reforming our public services, bringing down the welfare bill. The public are asking what is the point of the Conservative party, I'm bet they glad they chose change with Labour.
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12:06
Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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I am grateful to my right honourable friend for her question. She is absolutely right about the need to improve procurement. One of the things that Attlee and Bevan could not have predicted in 1948 is the single-payer model of the NHS makes it ideally placed for this makes it ideally placed for this makes it ideally placed for this Machine learning, big data. We have to unlock the potential so we make sure we got the treatment and technology, productivity gains and efficiencies, but we also have to get the basics right in procurement.

And we have to change the culture of profligacy, routine deficits and routine overspending. That is why today, the leadership of NHS England have been summoned to London to get an immediate grip on the deficit that was already being baked in for the 2025/26 financial year. Because they have become so accustomed to the idea that governments will come in and bail them out. I said before the election that there would be no release of money in winter because winter is predictable, they were given additional resources, the NHS has to learn to live within its means.

Despite howls of outrage before and since the election I have kept my word. I said there would be accountability for people who say the government comes along to bail people out. Having come from a local government where that culture would never be tolerated we are bringing that same financial discipline to the NHS. We will not tolerate deficits. It is important we get better value for money and making sure that nationally, we are providing that support in terms of procurement platform. That is how we will help the system to deliver better value.

And we will liberate the front line to focus on the things that really matter to service to patients.
12:08
Alison Bennett Portrait Alison Bennett MP (Mid Sussex, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrats Spokesperson.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. The Secretary of State NHS shakeup The Secretary of State NHS shakeup is well underway. Many members in this place will agree that the NHS used to be the envy of the world but years of Conservative failure have years of Conservative failure have left patients suffering and getting the care he needs. I and my colleagues welcome steps to reform the NHS. The new leadership of the NHS has much to do. Could the NHS has much to do.

Could the Secretary of State advise where the new legislation will be needed to scrap NHS England? Given his answer to the member, that it will take two years for this merger to complete. When will this new legislation be brought forward? Any attempt to fix the NHS will ultimately fail if they don't address the crisis in Social care. The Secretary of State must show the same urgency in reforming Social care as has been shown to the NHS. There is the urgency? Long promised cross-party talks have now been postponed indefinitely with no new date.

And care providers are hanging by a thread due to the rising cost of National Insurance Contributions. The secretary of state grew with me that any attempt to fix the NHS will prove futile if we ignore the elephant in the NHS waiting room that is the crisis in Social care. We will clear our diaries for cross-party talks. Will the Secretary of State give us a date today? date today?
12:10
Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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I am grateful to that level Democrats for those questions. In terms of the change that is needed, much of the change can be delivered without the need for primary legislation which is a relief. As members will have noticed this government has come into office with the most ambitious legislative program of any incoming government. So time is of a premium in terms of the business of this house and the other place. So we will work immediately to move forward without changes to primary legislation.

But with course we will need to make primary legislative changes, and I am working with that Leader of the House and business managers to make sure we have got an appropriate timetable that enables us to do the things that we need to do in a timely way. But also safeguards the ambitious legislative program that has already been set out. She is right to talk about the importance of Social care. She asked where the urgency is, the urgency was to be found with the immediate steps that Chancellor took on coming into office to stabilise the finances of my department with an immediate release of funding.

It came with a budget that delivered £26 billion extra for the Department for Health and Social Care, and they protected funding specifically for Social care and the boost in spending power for local authorities. The urgency came with the biggest expansion of Carer's Allowance since the 1970s. The urgency came with £86 million increase in the disabled facilities Grant not just for the next year but released in January for the remainder of this financial year. The urgency is reflected in the Employment Rights Bill which makes provision for Fair Pay Agreements to deal with the workforce crisis, and we will work with employers in trade unions to prepare for that legislation and the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements is already underway.

I do regret we have not convened cross-party talks, it is genuinely due to practicalities on the part of a number of parties involved. We will be in touch over the next week to make arrangements for Baroness Casey to engage with parties across the house.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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I am grateful to my honourable friend for that question. I do think that is the case. I also think this is not just about form and function, it is also about the opportunities for productivity gains through modern technology practices. One of my frustrations is whenever we talk about the exciting frontiers of life sciences and medical technology, this country's competitive advantage and how we need to build on that position, I am greeted with a weary sigh from poor frontline NHS staff and managers for that matter who say it is lovely and we agree with you it is lovely and we agree with you but we are in need of a machine that turns on reliably and it would be nice to have a system that does not require seven passwords to log in to deal with a single patient.

We will prioritise that investment in technology. The final thing I want to say, we want to liberate the frontline and I'm grateful to the leadership that GPs have shown in agreeing a contract with government for the first time since the pandemic which contained substantial reform elements to benefit them, and their patients. We have also got to liberate management in the NHS as well. As Lord Darzi said, it is not the case that there are too many the case that there are too many managers, but layers and layers of bureaucracy between me, as the Secretary of State, and frontline staff.

We have got to liberate frontline staff and managers to help them be more effective in managing resources more effectively. And to deliver a better and safer care.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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the teams that need to be cut. He sent a signal to ICBs as they find savings that should not be at the expense of the broader shifts and plan? Quite can I give the cheque the select committee my assurance that I would be delighted to appear that I would be delighted to appear in front of her committee at the earliest opportunity. I appreciate her committee will want to her committee will want to scrutinise in more detail. I would scrutinise in more detail.

I would I also want to reassure her that the direction we are giving to frontline leaders is to deliver the three big shifts in our 10 year plan and to make sure that as we take immediate steps to bring the finances under control, that we are doing so in a way that lays the firm foundations for the future of the NHS that we need. I guess the cautionary note I would make to members right across the House is that when we ask frontline leaders to reform and change ways of working, sometimes that does mean not just changes to bureaucracy as it were, which is the easy and low hanging fruit.

Sometimes it does require service reconfiguration in the interest of patient outcomes and better use of taxpayers money. Sometimes they get those changes wrong, and I've successfully campaigned against closures of services like King George accident and emergency department, which shouldn't have been closed. And when we won the case on clinical grounds, but sometimes, and let's be honest, the public can get anxious and members of Parliament feel duty bound to act as megaphones and amplifiers for public concerns. I think is really important we support and engage with local NHS leaders.

By all means scrutinise, challenge, ask questions, but we've got to give local leaders the support to do the task that we are asking them to do on behalf of patients and taxpayers, and that's why the powers that I have to intervene in those frontline service reconfiguration is are those that I will use in only the most exceptional and necessary cases and I have not used them once in the last eight months.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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That's an excellent question from my honourable friend. We are building with surgeon Mackie, an outstanding transitional team which will be announced very shortly, and which brings together some of the best leaders across the country, and expertise from outside the NHS to drive the scale and pace of transformation that is necessary. She is right to say it is existential. It is existential because we cannot allow the curve of constant demands that continue to rise to the extent that it is.

The NHS is long-term workforce plan for example as one country working for the NHS and in current trajectory in 50 years time, 100% of the public will be working for the NHS. That is clearly not a sustainable position, and I tell people now who resist this reform out of love for the NHS, do not kill it with kindness. We have got to bend the curve of constant demand and ensure health services are sustainable for the long-term on the equitable foundations of a public service free at the point of use that we will always defend.

Andy also said my honourable friend behind me, if we don't get this right, goodness knows what will come next. The Leader of the Opposition says she wants a debate on the funding model for the NHS. The leader of the Reform Party, not sure who is the Leader of the Opposition yet, the leader of the Reform Party says that he is up to anything. I'm sure he is, and that should worry us, but Lemme just say to those who say we want to debate the funding model of our NHS, and the equitable principle of the public service free at the point of use, we are happy to have that debate but on the side of the House we are unequivocal.

With Labour, the NHS is not for sale and will always be a public service free at the point of use so that when you fall ill, you never have to worry about the bill. the bill.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Am grateful to the right honourable gentleman for that thoughtful question. Let me say to him two things. Firstly, democratic accountability matters, both in terms of patient outcomes and value for taxpayers money. And one of the things that I think I and my labour and many of my Conservative predecessors have reflected on a lot over the years is what the role of the secretary of state and government is in a National Health Service where clinical decisions should always be clinically led, and I think it's the responsibility of the secretary of state to be the champion for patients and the champion for taxpayers and to make sure that the system as a whole delivers better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers.

But the argument I have started, and it has ruffled some feathers, within the NHS but even more so with some of our country's most loved charities in recent months is this fallacy that the Secretary of State can or should just fire endless instructions into the system as if the Secretary of State or for that matter and NHS England could just pull some big levers and drive change in such a vast and complex system. It's a falsehood. Of course we should set national strategic priorities on behalf of the public.

Should make sure there is more transparency and information so that patients and communities and staff can hold the system and themselves to account to improve performance, but this over centralisation has got to stop. And so for the future, it will be for the Department and the NHS nationally to do those things that only the National Health Service can do, providing the enablers for the system as a whole, but what we are presiding over and embarking on is the biggest decentralisation of power and history of our National Health Service.

Putting more power into the hands of frontline leaders and clinicians, but even more fundamentally and transformation, more power into the hands of patients. And if we get this right, we will have an NHS that could be truly the envy of the world. But if people continue to indulge in the fallacy, that just more targets from the centre or more political control or indeed less political control is or indeed less political control is the answer, then we will fail. He also mentions the CQC.

It's got itself into a terrible mess? I know that's not what he intended. When I think you Mackie rightly made the decisions for and that's why he has the full support of reforming the CQC so it can be the best guarantee and safeguard of quality that patients and the public deserve, and Doctor Penny and her forthcoming Doctor Penny and her forthcoming report will show that at pace. report will show that at pace.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Grateful to my honourable friend. It always worries me when he says he wants to see me in front of the Select Committee because he doesn't pull its punches despite being on the side of the House. And let me just say to him, and reassure him actually that firstly on primary care, I hope we are beginning to turn what has been I think deep anger and frustration and anxiety among primary care leaders about the state of the system as it is and its future into increasing amounts of quiet optimism and hope.

I think GPs can see we are walking the talk with the biggest uplift in a generation, the fact we work constructively with GP leaders to perform the contract and agree that furthermore radical reform is needed together and will be embarking on that under the auspices of a 10 year plan. My honourable friend the Minister for Care as well as delivering that significant achievement is also in the very final stages of work with pharmacists to stabilise the community pharmacy sector which is vital for the NHS's future, but can also reassure my honourable friend that under the auspices of the tenure plan for health, notwithstanding Baroness Casey's work on the long-term future of social care, we do have an eye on social care and the relationship between Health and Social Care and so people won't be waiting until next year for the first case report or indeed later for the final case report on the longer term to see action from this government on social care, particularly as it relates to the NHS.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Great question. We want to give people the tools to do the job. The Prime Minister set me on my honourable friends the Department an enormous challenge on behalf of the public. And in turn, I'm setting an enormous challenge for NHS leaders at every level, but particular frontline NHS leaders. We've got to give them the tools to do the job in terms of data platforms and the technology that they are given to work with. Making sure they have access, not just to cutting-edge treatments and medical technology but also to the back office productivity support that can drive efficiency and improvement, and frankly liberate managers and liberate frontline staff from the arcane traditions, systems they are working with.

I think the final thing I would say is some of the very best people I have met in the last few years shadowing this portfolio and now holding it in government are NHS leaders. Especially on the frontline. And it's my responsibility to give them the tools to do the job, and that's not just about financial resources. It also means bulldozing through those barriers and stop regulations stopping them making decisions in the best interests of patients and the value of taxpayers.

And I've given them an undertaking that I will have their backs in terms of the decisions they will have taken the frontline but also bulldozing through the national bureaucracy that is tying them up in knots and that is tying them up in knots and we need to set them free.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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I'm grateful to my honourable friend for her question. Firstly she is right, if we are just replicating NHS England as it is, with the challenges it has been set up in ICBs across the land, we will have failed. Frankly if we replicate NHS England and the Department as they are today just in one organisation, then we will have failed to meet the challenge of changing it. It needs to feel and act like a completely new organisation, culture, way of working.

To modernise the state so that if Disraeli or Gladstone or Churchill or Attlee walked into Whitehall at the end of this government, it would not look so much like the government they worked in in the 19th and 20th centuries. That is the reality of Whitehall today. It is not a reflection of the people who work in it but it shows what we need the change that is true with the NHS. I'm looking forward to working with ICB leaders to reform their ways of working, to clarify their priorities, then clear orders, and make sure they are able to deliver.

Finally she mentioned the staff of NHS England. And I thank her for the care that she has shown. Change is always disruptive. And it can be scary. And of course when job losses are involved, I note that is particularly the case. I want to acknowledge that on the floor of this house, as I have two staff across both organisations this morning. I know the permanent secretary and the chief executive of NHS England has done this in recent days and I will be holding a towel with staff next week.

This isn't a reflection of them. In fact I think they will recognise in my description of ways of working, the many things that frustrate them. Nonetheless, they are dedicated, talented people. Some of the best people I have ever worked with in any walk of life or any career I have worked in. I am looking forward to working with them the same dedication and professionalism they have always shown, in the coming weeks and months to be able to look back on this time and with pride at having taken the NHS for the worst crisis in its history and being part of the team that got it back on its feet and made it fit for the future.

feet and made it fit for the future.
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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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I'm grateful to the honourable member for question. We will shortly be setting out our urgent emergency care improvement plan so we can deliver the year-on-year improvement that people deserve. The levels of waiting times in emergency departments are not just in emergency departments but ambulance response times in the entire system are accessible. I refuse to use terms like temporary escalation to describe the grim reality of corridor care. I thick this is a shameful situation and I am genuinely sorry that patients are being treated in those conditions.

And staff are having to work in those conditions suffering the morale injury as they do so. We have worked the moment we came into government to make sure we got through this winter as well as we could. I think that is reflected in the fact that despite pressures, waiting list have fallen for five months in a row over winter. The challenge set up the Royal College of emergency medicine about targets and standards I would just say ahead of the winter, I was very clear with frontline leaders that patient safety must come head of performance targets particularly the four hour target.

When it comes to the 12 hour target, I believe that target is related to patient safety. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine would agree and we have to work together to get those weights of longer than

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12 hours down as a priority because those are the weights directly linked to safety and patient outcomes. Can I gently ask members and
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None Portrait Ministerial statement: The 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan
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Can I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. It brings
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Stephanie Peacock Portrait Stephanie Peacock MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) (Barnsley South, Labour)
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State for his statement. It brings us to the statement, Victory in Europe and Japan, 80th anniversary. Thank you. With permission I

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Thank you. With permission I would like to make a statement about the government's plans to mark the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day. 2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War. 80 years since victory in Europe on 8 May 1945. Since victory over Japan on 15 August. In all our long history, we have never seen a greater date than this. Those are the words of Winston Churchill when he marks the end of fighting in Europe on VE Day.

Huge crowds gathered outside to celebrate. With thousands flocking to Buckingham Palace, and spontaneous street parties erupting across the nation. Our late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II joined in the celebrations will stop a princess at the time tiptoeing out of the palace with her sister, Princess Margaret, to join the celebrations on the streets of London. All of us, she said, were swept along by tides of happiness and relief. The sacrifices made over the war were great. Without the combined efforts of the Allied forces from Britain, the Commonwealth and beyond, the way of life we enjoy today and the values we hold dear would not have been possible.

The total number of allied deaths, injuries, and captures exceeds the millions. And thousands of people lost their lives here at home. We are proud to remember the lasting legacy of peace they fought so hard to secure. Each of us in every community has a direct connection to those who served in the Second World War. Those service personnel who were called up and asked to risk their lives for our freedoms are not strangers. They are parents, grandparents, and the ancestors of our neighbours.

I have always been very proud of my grandad served in the RAF. And I know the country feels equally proud of every veteran who risked and often tragically paid the ultimate sacrifice as part of that terrible conflict. It is the ancestors of our neighbourhoods and the communities who led the effort on the home front. Children who were evacuated, women who stepped into essential roles and of course the Bevin boys, many from Barnsley, who worked down the pit to power the war effort.

As time passes, and we approach 80 years between life today and the end of the Second World War, the living memory of those who experienced the war fades further into history. This year's commemoration may well be the last were veterans who served their country during the Second World War can be in attendance. And my generation will be among the last to have the experience of speaking directly to those who fought for the country or contributed at home. It is up to all of us to keep their stories alive.

Just as people took to the streets in 1945, it is with great pride that I announce the measures this government will take to mark the anniversary in 2025. All of us have memories of how national moments of celebration can bring us together. From the Olympic opening ceremony in London 2012 to the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, these events unite us in our history, our story, and our common values. This year's anniversary will be no exception. Clement Attlee said in 1943, "Here in this country, although our political divisions were deep, in time of need, we were able to transcend them in the interests of the whole community.

" The event this year will be a timely opportunity to remember those communal values. Pulling together a fighting spirit in the face of adversity and compassion for our neighbours. I'm delighted to confirm that the government has announced a program of activities up and down the UK. Celebrations will start on the early May bank holiday, one day 5 May, with the Cenotaph draped in flags overnight, followed by a military procession and fly past. Street parties will be held across the country, echoing the celebrations of 80 years ago.

As part of this we all know the power of food to bring people together. We will be working with partners including the lunch, to make sure as many parts of the UK as possible can celebrate. We are launching a new initiative, a call to action, for community and volunteering groups to come together to get their town or village ready for the day, whether that be bunting, litter picking or crochet bonnets for letterboxes. The next day iconic buildings will light up in commemoration. In particular, 25,000 ceramic poppies will cascade from the Tower of London recreating the beautiful installation from 2014.

On 7 May there will be a special performance of the Parliament choir with tickets available to the general public. And on VE Day itself, there will be a service at Westminster Abbey where we will come together to reflect on the values that the Second World War generation fought to protect. Celebrations will conclude with a VE Day concert delivered by the BBC, mirroring the spontaneous celebrations that took place in 1945. And featuring a mix of music, poetry, and the spoken word. On VJ Day, Friday, 15 August, the Royal British Legion will lead the nation in honouring those who fought and died during the war in the far east.

With a service at the National Memorial Arboretum. Veterans will rightly be at the heart of our commemorations and the government is honoured to be working with the Royal British Legion and other Royal British Legion and other partners to bring this to life. Indeed, to prepare for these events, we are launching our "Letters to loved ones" initiative to encourage school children and family members to explore their family histories, looking for old letters and artefacts to help them learn about life during wartime.

Share them on our website. This will come together a joint event at the Imperial war museum north with the National museum north with the National Theatre. To inspire young people to learn about what life was like in wartime Britain and we are announcing our shared story. This will bring together a range of educational resources, training materials for schools from the Royal British Legion. The next morning will be a brand-new National Theatre production written by award-winning screenwriter and playwright which will focus on the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of young people after the Second World War.

And an immersive augmented reality experience will bring moments from VE Day to life. We want the whole of the UK to feel included and involved in VE Day and VJ Day celebrations, wherever they live and whoever they are. I know events and services are happening across devolved nations including community initiatives in support of activities. In Wales and Scotland, a VE Day event will take place at the Senedd on eighth May. And as Scottish concert organised by the Legions of Scotland in Edinburgh will take place on 6 May.

In Northern Ireland, there will be a number of councils funding community initiatives in support of VE Day and VJ Day activities. Special activities, talks, lectures will take place in museums across the week in all parts of the UK. I would like to thank my counterpart in the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish government their support and engagement which will ensure all parts of the United Kingdom will mark this 80th anniversary. We will be working with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the "Forevermore post quote tour which will focus on the expenses of Commonwealth soldiers many of whom continued to fight after the war on the European front had come to an end.

Together we will make sure that the legacies of those who gave their lives will continue to be told for generations to come. I am sure that the house will join me in looking forward to these commemorations, as an opportunity to come together as a nation, as Britain did 80 years ago. To honour veterans and reflect on the freedom and value but the Second World War generation fought so hard to protect. I commend this statement to the house.
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Saqib Bhatti Portrait Saqib Bhatti MP (Meriden and Solihull East, Conservative)
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Shadow Minister. I thank the Minister for that excellent statement and for advanced sight of it. As we approach anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day, we look forward to the whole nation coming together to celebrate the end of the fight in Europe, the surrender of Japan, victory over our adversaries and the end of the sackable more. At times like this we see Britain at its best. When the whole nation comes together to pay tribute to a generation that made unimaginable sacrifices.

Often putting down their lives in the This country and the service of good over evil. Both Victory Europe and Victory over Japan Day should forever be etched in our memories. On VE Day, across the Western world, millions rejoice, believe that the years of conflict and immense hardship were finally coming to an end. Millions of people of another country including our late Queen came together to celebrate the end of fighting in Europe. For a long time Britain stood alone as it stood up to evil.

But with support from its allies, we defeated Nazi Germany liberated Europe from Fascism. While celebrations on the street went on, thousands of British, Commonwealth, and allied Armed Forces was still involved in brutal fighting in the Far East. We are forever in debt to those brave souls who fought to defend this country. I also want to be to beat all those who are currently serving in our Armed Forces, from putting themselves in harm's way to spending time away from their families, their service and sacrifice deserve our deep gratitude.

I reflect on those who continue to give their lives for our country. Individuals like Joseph Murphy the rifleman in my constituency who lost his life in Afghanistan while trying to carry a fallen comrade to safety for or my old school friend, an RAF officer who lost his life in Afghanistan. One of the hardest decisions we will have to make in this house is the decision to send our brave men and women into war. I reflect on the cries of anguish from parents would still reverberate within my heart.

And they reflect the difficult decisions we will have to make and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers from today and yesteryear. And the pain of those with loved ones left behind. All those serving, those who have served, to all those who have sacrificed, we say thank you. We also remember the sacrifice of soldiers from the Commonwealth. Whenever I walked down Whitehall, after take a moment to get the statue of the field marshal, the commander of the 14th Army, the forgotten army.

The sacrifice of troops and the crucial battles can never be forgotten. I hope events like this will help to reinforce the sacrifice of British and Commonwealth troops in defeating Japan. By the end of the Second World War, over 2.5 million soldiers from India volunteered in the fight against evil. The celebrations must mark the heroic contributions of soldiers from modern day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Africa, Canada. These were from a variety of religious faiths and backgrounds who fought side-by-side in respect of race or religion, to stand up for the values that we all hold dear.

Freedom, liberty, and the rule of law. So I welcome the Minister's announcement on our shared story. The story of the second what should be passed from generation to generation, and our young people must know about the sacrifices that were made in generations past, as they will have to face the challenges of tomorrow. As we celebrate the conclusion of the second world war, it is also right that we focus our minds on Europe's first major conflict since 1945. Because it is hard to recall in recent memory a time of such danger and uncertainty.

Our world has profoundly changed, and because of the tyranny of Mr Putin is unjustified barbaric invasion of Ukraine, once again the spectre of war looms over Europe. The forces shaping our world, a warmonger in the Kremlin, conflict in the Middle East and extremism poisoning young minds. This means we must value our Armed Forces today, now, more than ever. I also hope that when we do the celebrations we can celebrate peace in Ukraine. Turning to the plans the ministers outlined, I'd like to put on record the opposition's wholehearted support to the government's plans.

We want this date to be a day of joy, reflection, and celebration. Brother Mr join me in encouraging as many people as possible to take the opportunity to reflect on and mark this important anniversary in our history? Will the Minister also work with local government and local councils to make sure those who need planning or support and want to celebrate can do exactly that? Does she agree with the spectre of war looming over Europe, we must value the contribution of our Armed Forces now more than ever? The 80th anniversary as an opportunity to remember the sacrifice and sheer determination of the people who saw us through this dark period.

It is right that their service is properly commemorated. service is properly commemorated. And I credit organisations like the Royal British Legion and others who serve my constituency will help these events take place. I look forward to working with the government to make sure we do right by our brave men and women in the armed forces. armed forces.
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Jamie Stone Portrait Jamie Stone MP (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Liberal Democrat)
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I associate my party as well as being planned, it's a great idea. I crave the indulgence of the House to mention my parents, both of whom served in the Second World War. My father served in the 14th Army led by Bill Slim, he was part of the second wave through Kohima. And when I asked him what it was like all he said to me was a terrible smell of corpses. As the thinker stayed with him. My mother completely to my family surprise we discovered and worked in Bletchley Park, and she was shocked and horrified when it came out, she spluttered but I signed an official secrets act.

My mother could never do a crossword so we don't know what on earth she was doing there. If you think about the period before the Second World War, that word appeasement comes to mind. I'm sure all of us who have been witnessing been happening these last months that same word comes into our mind. But we pray for peace. It has to be a piece where allies and has to be a just peace I would suggest above all else. 1940 was a very very close-run thing.

Had become across the channel, which might have done had he not decided to turn east and head towards Russia, we might still be in a German state today. Who knows? But it was vacuous that we got through and we won that war. Now I close with one final suggestion to the Frontbench, which is this, and has only been mentioned, there are some precious few veterans still with us today. All over the UK. I'm not sure if I picked up the Minister quite correctly, but it strikes me if I might that to go some way by local governance, cultural departments, their memories and encouraged to write things down onto a tape recording, might be quite interesting to publish a book perhaps of their reminiscences, memories while they are still here because from this history will be learned from the future and their accounts will be crucial thing to generations ahead of us.
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Alistair Carmichael Portrait Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat)
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I beg to move this House considers the future of farming and I remain the House of my register in the register of interests and I place my appreciation for the backbench business committee for allowing us this time in the chamber. First of all, it may be helpful to explain to the House why I thought this was an important time to have a debate of this sort and that was before I knew anything about what happened in the week.

The Select Committee which I chair has inquiry entitled The Future of Farming and I thought it would be an opportunity for members to shape the course of the debate and contribute to the work of the inquiry. I very much hope that is the case. I could also privately hope that this might be an occasion where we might look beyond some of the changes that have occupied so much of the bandwidth in the political debate since the Budget around inheritance tax, the basic payment scheme removal, ring fenced Dubbo -- double CAP payments.

It would be an opportunity to remind people just what we have got going with British farming because there are tremendous positive signs in Westminster today they are Westminster today they are demonstrating how much they care about their industry and community and for those of the public gallery or outside today, I call the message will go to them less than clear that there are those of us in the House that want to see them stick at their efforts and it is worth it.

Agriculture is one of the most resilient and resourceful workforces to be found anywhere. There is active debate in government on how you make work pay and the value of. If anybody wants to see the work ethic in action, go and spend a few days on a farm. You will see it clearer than anything. We have had a lot of concern in recent years around the balance to be struck around imported food and food produced domestically.

There was apparently an agenda behind some trade deals which was underpinned by thinking that we did not need to produce as much or indeed any food domestically and could rely on imports and then Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and we had a rude wake-up call and now we see Donald Trump in the White House talking about changes to trade and tariffs. Surely these things alone should help us understand the importance of a healthy home-grown agriculture sector.

We should not be off shoring to other parts of the world are standards of environmental protection or animal welfare. Climate change is held up as a stick with which to beat our farmers but it is a real opportunity. Those areas of the world from which we are currently importing fruit are also undergoing changes from climate change and are not being able to produce the food on in years to come but in this country we have a climate which is absolutely suited to that.



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Farmers in my constituency faced

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Farmers in my constituency faced the threat of floods and drug made worse by climate change that you worse by climate change that you were talking about and in addition to the other challenges farmers are facing, that my honourable friend agree the government should invest agree the government should invest in rural flood management and water storage and work with farmers to

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storage and work with farmers to help them manage water on farms. I absolutely do and my honourable friend bits are perfectly when she says, "Work with farmers." Because it seems so much of what government does, north and south of the border, so much of what passes for agricultural policy are something done to farmers rather than in partnership with them but in order to get to the bright future I believe farming could have, we must get past the present.

The decision to close the Sustainable Farming Initiative Scheme on Tuesday without any notice has provoked predictable any notice has provoked predictable Doing it with a press release with just adding insult to injury. It was almost like a return to the glory days of the Soviet Union where the bureau was boasting about their advances and targets in the five year plan for tractor reduction. The government has pulled the plug out from under farmers across England coming on the back of the accelerated removal of the basic payment scheme in the budget.

And I'm afraid that the Minister's defence in the house yesterday around budget is not adequate and does not tell the whole story. On 14 January this year, the director- general for food security and trade told the environment affairs Select Committee that we have got almost 11,000 applications and 7000 offered. If that continues at that scale. There may come a point where the budget comes under pressure and we have to consider taking action. Well, what has been happening since that time? The secretary was quite open with the Select Committee.

She said that it hinged on the spending review, so how did we get to that point where the officials seemed to be warning us to the point where it closed without notice? The press notice specified the budget as 1.05 specified the budget as 1.05 billion. This is the first time that I have been able to discover that there has been that figure in the public domain, so how can farmers and their representatives possibly hope to regulate their behaviour knowing that money will be running down and when they should get their applications in? The frustration of many is that for some, this didn't come from outside a clear sky.

This has been rumoured for some time now, and it is well-known that agents and consultants have been quietly advising clients to get applications to beat the deadline and the exhaustion of the pot. Now, that is fine if you are big enough to apply a land agent or a consultant, but yet again, it is a busy time of year for the upland farmers and others. These are the ones who deserve the assistance more than ever and they are the ones who have been left behind.

Tom Bradshaw described DEFRA as a failing department. Now, that is strong language from a man who is not given to hyperbole. But the Minister would do well to take heed of it. That same evident session to which I referred saw evidence given by the permanent secretary, the biodiversity and trade and the Deputy Director for policy engagement and strategy. The committee has not formally expressed an opinion on it, but it is fair to say that the discussions that followed the session left few of us if any with any impression of an impressive leadership team that was in command of the brief.

It was clear that they understood the target but it was very unclear about how they were going to achieve these targets, and we have seen this. Many of this lies with the previous government, but the secretary called this an iterative process which to my mind just seems to be another way of saying that it is OK to get things wrong and to make them up as you go along. And I'm afraid in the minds and eyes of members across the country, this reinforces this impression.

The future of farming could be bright, but to do that, we have to give confidence to farmers to invest and to bank. The government has got to acknowledge the damage done by the budget changes, especially in relation to APR and BPR on that conference. The anecdotal evidence has been growing for months. We have seen machinery dealers and registrations and tractors, but now this week, we have seen the confidence survey.

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This is an excellent discussion

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This is an excellent discussion on this debate. On the points he is making, don't they further underpinned the issue of my underpinned the issue of my constituency that given the values of land, that it is being brought up by private equity farms and pension funds for use in industrial tree production or solar farms as a

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result of these developments? This is the consequence of agricultural policy that no longer has the concept of food production at its heart. What we need to do is across this house, rebuilding the consensus around getting that food production back into agriculture because climate change restoration are important parts of context that will be fitted around that, but without the food production at the heart of it, then you come to the

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sort of consequences here. I would like to take to the point before he was interrupted. Earlier before he was interrupted. Earlier before he was interrupted. Earlier today, the honourable member raised the issue of the rural economy and asked what the government was doing asked what the government was doing to assist. The answer virtually came there, none, but is it not the case there, none, but is it not the case that the rural economy is interlinked and if we damage one interlinked and if we damage one part of that, we damage at all and to the point he was making of goods to farmers, there will be so many industries if this is.

Continue.

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The gentleman is correct, and it is true, but it has to be understood is true, but it has to be understood how farming underpins everything in the rural community. Just take the example about agricultural emergence and machinery dealers and the rest of it, these are successful business of it, these are successful business people. These will be people who will be part of the local club. They will have children in schools. They will take on leadership will take on leadership responsibility of all sorts.

If they cannot meet living in the countryside, you don't expect people like that to just wait for things to come along. The population is seen to increase and you are on vicious circle which is the opposite of what we need, and it is also the opposite of what the good farming industry actually can provide as a whole. If we are going to be serious about growth, it has to be growth for everyone. Bus includes rural areas as well, and that allows me to come back to the point I was about to make, and that is in relation to the NFU confidence survey which was published just this week and that makes grim reading for anybody who cares about the countryside and agriculture.

It tells us that 85% of landowners believe that the reforms to APR and BPR will increase their inheritance tax liability, they reduce mitigation. This increases to 32% for animal and livestock 32% for animal and livestock 32% for animal and livestock Because of this increase, 65% say they expect a reduction in profits and 43% expect to reduce investment to offset these additional costs. Again, this is on top of the changes that we see in relation to SFI this week, the basic payment scheme.

I would like to say quite a lot more about other aspects of the budget in relation to the removal of the ring fence of devolved budgets, but I am reluctant given the pressure that we have on the time and the number of people who want to intervene to say that, but I have spoken about this before, so those who are interested in my views can refer to previous in my views can refer to previous contributions. There simply is a small silver lining to be found in the debate, and it has forced us to think about about the extent to which farming does produce such a spectacularly poor return on income.

Sorry, on capital. Essentially, this is something we have all known for years, but now we are forced to ask ourselves why that is, and the fact of the matter is that 80%, 80 years of interference in the food market by governments through agriculture has had the unintended consequence of keeping farmers poor and making supermarkets rich. I have a 10 minute rule motion to encourage the government to introduce meaningful regulation in that foodchain supply chain, and the Minister and his colleagues have spoken recently about their intention to see farming income increases.

That is something that is devoutly to be welcomed, but it is something that is going to need a much more comprehensive and coherent strategy than we have seen thus far. Not all confidence is about finances. We have seen a lot of doubt thrown into every sector of agricultural information because of the biodiversity sets. The paltry sector has been hit hard. We see African swine fever moving across the continent. It seems likely we will see blue tongue disease back in this country soon.

That's are in the frontline of the animal Plant health agency, and we over them all a debt of gratitude, there is so much more that needs to be done in relation to that. The Select Committee has heard evidence in relation to this from health authorities, local authorities, and we have asked questions of the Department at the point at which software systems are updated in order to stop animal products coming from Germany following the identification of foot-and-mouth outbreaks there.

We have still not been told by the Department, despite getting answers, whether or not it was updated on the 10th or the sixth. That is something that the government should be able to tell us. I have sympathy for the government. They are dealing with a brand-new system here. Essentially, we should be able to see this as a pressure limit, and if it didn't work perfectly everywhere, let's identify those parts where the pressure escaped, but in order to do that, we need more transparency and more candour from departments, so if the government can answer that when he comes to answer the debate, I will be enormously grateful, and if not, it will assist the committee greatly if we were able to get that answer in correspondence.

Time really is against us this afternoon. I would love to have thought we had the rest of the afternoon but don't. I will conclude my remarks at this stage, but on behalf of the committee, I very much hope that members across the house will continue to engage with our enquiry because of food security is national security as the prime minister keeps telling us, then our committee is

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one of the most important committees in this house. The question is as on the order

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The question is as on the order paper. After this speech, I will be imposing a four minute time limit. With the exception of Frontbench speeches.
14:00
Sadik Al-Hassan Portrait Sadik Al-Hassan MP (North Somerset, Labour)
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speeches. As the representative from North Somerset, like many in the debate, I Somerset, like many in the debate, I represent a normal constituency and a great number of farmers who have the privilege of meeting on a number of occasions since July. The farmers have not shied away from expressing to me there wide range of concerns going far beyond changes to the inheritance tax regime. From those meetings, I have grown concerned that the outcry over changes to inheritance tax in this house and subsequent time given to the topic have distracted us from the more fundamental questions regarding the future of farming.

That is why I am thankful for the member from Orkney and Shetland for securing this debate today and making clear in his application that he wishes to debate a range more widely than a discussion on the merits of I start by recognising farming is an issue that causes great passion. We have seen the protests that seem to occur every other week and from conversations I have had my constituency, I've quickly gained appreciation we are talking about not just a profession but a lifestyle.

Often, constituents I have met are working to spoil that they are fathers and grandfathers generations before have worked. I think it is understandable why there is widespread feeling among farmers that too often this place, so distant to so many, does not listen to the needs nor discuss the issues pertinent to their livelihoods and often imposes its will arbitrarily upon them and if we are being, all of us present will admit that this is not a new sentiment.

This goes back decades and has been directed at all parties in turn. I want to use the opportunity of my speech today to talk about an issue that may not be grabbing headlines currently but, from discussions with farmers in my constituency I believe constitutes the greatest impediment to a thriving farming sector and IKEA the concern again and again. No matter the product of former chooses to specialise in is the excess of, or supermarkets in the contract negotiations and the raw deal farmers get as consequence.

Too often, farmers are subject to a situation of take it or leave it from megacorporations who dictate price and impose unfair conditions on farmers. Many have had a perfectly edible crop rejected due to minor defects in ascetics and excessive delays in payment and some have told me of arbitrary cancellation of orders with no reason given. The fear of retaliation keeps many instances from seeing the light of day and this has arisen due to the oligarchic nature of the supermarket industry.

The Supermarkets Act is a great keeper and this issue is not unique to the UK. Five companies control 80% of the trade here. In recent years, our constituents have become increasingly aware of the inflation of greed that they see every day and proceeds as they pay for food in supermarkets and these increases in prices are not benefiting hard working farmers to produce the food but rather the shareholders who are often not based in the UK and last year alone we saw the big four supermarkets increased profit by 97 % and farmers felt continued squeeze of rising energy prices and rising fertiliser and labour costs, to name a few.

If we are serious about improving their lot, we must focus our attention on this, I think. Of course.

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I thank the honourable member for giving way. Does he agree that not giving way. Does he agree that not only do they supermarkets not have only do they supermarkets not have farmers that part but two of the big six did not even pay corporation tax last year., I thank her for her body last year., I thank her for her body contribution to the debate and I contribution to the debate and I agree that it is fundamental that we fix some problems in the supermarket supply chain affecting farmers and supply chain affecting farmers and that companies will pay their fair share to the country.

Farmers continue to feel the squeeze from the crisis but I think we should strengthen the Groceries Code Adjudicator and David -- give it real teeth. It must be properly resourced to do that and I suggest we should increase the levy that supermarkets pay which is not supermarkets pay which is not increased despite a rise in profits. Farmers do not shy away from telling me how much they love their profession and how sad they are that their children do not see it as a viable profession.

To secure the future of farming, we must secure future worker time to do that we must make it a profitable business. Without fundamentally rebalancing Without fundamentally rebalancing the scales of power between those who grow our food and those who sell it, farming will continue to be unprofitable and an unattractive career for young people and I note that the next review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator is set for the end of this month unlike the farmers of Somerset, I am eagerly waiting to hear how my honourable friend at the Department for Rural Affairs intend to improve the situation.
14:07
John Lamont Portrait John Lamont MP (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, Conservative)
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The importance of farming cannot be overstated. It is not only vital for farmers but all communities, the economy, national security. Farming allows us to keep food prices as low as possible in shops and supermarkets under the foundation of the rural economy which supports tens of thousands of jobs, not only farms but along the supply chain. There is no national security without the food security it provides. I have known this for all of my years because I grew up on a farm and saw my family and friends work extremely hard to earn a living, getting up before dawn and working till after the sun went down, piling in difficult conditions, away from the limelight and often with little thanks or reward.

-- toiling. That is the story of many family-run farms across the country, in the Borders of Scotland, British businesses across the country. The Labour government is putting farmers' government is putting farmers' future at risk and the family farm tax is putting them under threat and it will compound the damage the SNP has done to rural areas across Scotland. Family businesses which have often been passed down from generation to generation will be hit hard by the vindictive Labour Family Farm Tax.

The small family businesses are the lifeblood of communities and support jobs and local shops, workers who rely on trade for their business to survive and businesses who supply therefrom. They are more than farms but community firms which benefit everyone in the local area. These facts are ignored by the SNP during 18 years in power and have already been ignored by Labour within one year of being in power. What does the future of farming look like once Labour brings in the Family Farm Tax? The National Farmers' Union estimates hundreds of families will struggle because of the tax and feature generations will be denied the chance to farm family land.

Farmers will be discouraged from investing in properties because it will increase the tax children will have to pay and they might feel the need to save cash to cover future tax bills. What will happen if Labour will force farmers to tell family businesses that the countryside will not be maintained to the same standards at the same volumes of high quality could not be produced and the environment will suffer as no foreign food has to be imported. Other rural businesses in the supply chain will suffer from the decline in investment and trade.

Prices in supermarkets and shops will rise. The Family Farm Tax will farm the future of farming and the future of the economy and cost of living for all of us. In conclusion, if the government is serious about supporting farms, it will listen properly to farming communities and the single biggest thing that farmers are demanding, scrappy Family Farm Tax. It is the only way to secure the future of farming. The government should do the right thing

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and scrap the Family Farm Tax. I will introduce an immediate

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I will introduce an immediate time limit of three minutes because I want to get everyone on this important.

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important. I'm very grateful to contribute to this debate given I have 350
14:10
Julia Buckley Portrait Julia Buckley MP (Shrewsbury, Labour)
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to this debate given I have 350 farmers in my constituency, Shrewsbury. It is famous for food and drink and the nation's favourite market. There are more farm holdings than any other county in the UK in Shropshire and I'm proud of our produce and in particular and due to allergy being used in an area of outstanding beauty that uses technology to unlock the Syrian foreign of land-use. I've had the privilege to be invited to visit so many farms and work with local support networks in Shropshire, the National Farmers' Union, Country Land Association and support from farmers and overwhelmingly my farmers tell me one key message - farming is tough.

Profit margins are so tight that they have struggled for years with high costs of energy, fertiliser, animal feed up 44% by fertiliser, animal feed up 44% by 2019 and decreases in supermarket prices since Brexit, further compounded with terrible trade deals with New Zealand and Australia. Low profitability environment is not just an academic description. It is the harsh reality for 12,000 farm livelihoods forced out of business since 2010. Comprehend the scale of the collapse under the previous government.

More than 850 farms went under every year of the government with 16 closing every week. It has left farming as the lowest profitability of any sector in the UK. This must change, for the sake of hard-working farmers and for vital food security, we must revitalise farming with activity, new technology, sustainability. Let's support... Let's support...

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I thank the honourable lady for giving way. Given what she said giving way. Given what she said about farm holdings, which she regarded as a failure of this regarded as a failure of this government if the number is lower at the next election? I just explained the next election? I just explained it was 12,000 Laura since the previous government and so by the honourable gentleman past my own honourable gentleman past my own admission, it's a catastrophic admission, it's a catastrophic failure.

-- lower. Let us support farmers to deliver high quality food with high environmental standards in

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markets, such as the... I will give way. Does my honourable friend agree

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Does my honourable friend agree with me that in terms of the challenges talked about today, challenges talked about today, University research will play a vital role in farming at the she

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vital role in farming at the she welcomed some of the announcements for farming innovation and technology? It is most interesting and

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It is most interesting and exactly the direction we have to go to make farming more reductive and profitable. We must welcome profitable. We must welcome innovation. We have to look at the backing of British produce and DEFRA have promised 50% of public key must come from local farms that meet high welfare standards and this means every meal and every hospital and on every army camp and in every prison will be supplied with at least 50% local produce from British farmers.

I cannot wait to see the impact that this will have on the hospital in my own constituency. I am sure the bench opposite have questions about yesterday because following the announcement they have got in touch with me with questions about proposed changes to the Sustainable Farming Initiative Scheme. I was glad to reassure any farmer that all submissions will be from the budget but has now been completely maximised. In contrast, last year, the previous government was unable to distribute funds to desperate farmers and wasted 350 million.

Under this government, this entire budget has been committed three weeks before the end of the financial year, helping over 57,000 farmers. Ministers have been clear to set out the approach which will take on board for back from farmers on the complexity and inconsistency of the previous scheme and will aim to provide a program that is more carefully managed at the newly improved FSI scheme will have a larger budget and a more targeted approach and delivered in a fair and more orderly way, ensuring value for money.

In my own professional career, before coming to this place, I worked for over 20 years to design, develop, deliver EU funding schemes such as these in my professional experience, the most impactful schemes are those with a robust strategic objective and are multiannual in nature and take the opportunity to review and approve technical specification with feedback from the applicants

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I am grateful to the member from

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I am grateful to the member from Orkney and Shetland for getting this debate this afternoon. I would like to make three points. My to make three points. My constituency has farming at its heart. There are 431 Agricultural heart. There are 431 Agricultural Holdings Act covering 48,000 ha and
14:16
John Glen Portrait Rt Hon John Glen MP (Salisbury, Conservative)
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the universal feed back that we have had from farmers has been that since this government has come in, they are very disappointed with what has happened. The changes to the APR and BPR have catastrophic implications for planning and despite making her sensible suggestions, farmers are in absolute despair, and that is before we had all the changes to national in, to the National living wage, and the overall context for operating small businesses which has been transformed and the level of exposure that farmers feel to these combined pressures is enormous.

We had the announcement of the suspension of the SFI scheme, and on that, there are a number of farmers who rang me up yesterday and said this is the end. What are we going to do? One farmer I spoke to said we have 27 farms that he operates under, and he works to prepare documents for grants, but they haven't quite gone in, so he is now facing grave uncertainty. This needs to be addressed urgently. The combined effect of those changes in the budget and what was announced have a massive impact across the United Kingdom but I want to use my remaining time to focus on where we need to go forward.

It is about the future of farming, and post-Brexit, I recognise reconciling the incentives around food productions, environmental management, getting the right arrangements for change in place which need serious thinking and leadership. To transition from where we are is not straightforward and I would urge the Minister to put some to find objectives into the domain and make this accountable for delivering to them. It would help the government make a clear roadmap going forward and would help farmers to know what food security really

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means from his perspective. My constituency is the lifeblood

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My constituency is the lifeblood of the local communities. I recognise that farmers are often the guardians of the countryside and our guardians of the countryside and our national heritage. Farmers like Richard Evans, a brilliant sheep farmer who I met earlier this year, a leading voice in the wildlife a leading voice in the wildlife network. That is a farmer led group in support of farming and the environment. With 52 members environment. With 52 members covering 44,000 ha of farmland, they recognise that they are not only custodians of very important land for agriculture and food production
14:20
Terry Jermy Portrait Terry Jermy MP (South West Norfolk, Labour)
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but also home to a wide variety of species, many of which are found nowhere else in the UK. On my visit nowhere else in the UK. On my visit with Richard, I was joined to talk about how we can work together to about how we can work together to support our rivers locally including red chalk streams because farming has a significant impact on our waterways. But in order for farmers such as Richard to continue their such as Richard to continue their excellent work, we must move towards a future for farming that prioritises farms like this because prioritises farms like this because we cannot allow mega-farms to dominate the industry and the landscape.

A compassion in studies show that there are more than 1000 large intensive pig and poultry farms across the country, a 20% increase since 2016. Norfolk has been dubbed the mega farm capital of Europe. Residents in my constituency are very concerned about the number of intensive farms and how these are contributing to biodiversity last and pollution. Many affect people living nearby, especially because of the health hazards posed. We have a further proposed mega farm to be built in my constituency, and if approved, on 3 April, it will be one of the largest in Europe.

This has an objection for all local parish councils as well as the worldwide fund for nature and compassion in world farming. If the council were to make a decision early next month, it would be a disaster, and as I have said, this cannot be allowed to proceed. This is not farming but industrialisation. This is something that I am passionate about. Once holding a mighty holdall for 16,000 which still makes it one of the largest council farming estates in the country, I recently met in my constituency, successfully farming the land there for 26 years.

We need support farmers like Richard and Daniel and the next generation of farmers such as their daughter Emma and Jessica. It is highly likely that devolution will go. We need to give priority to entry-level farming as we move towards farming in the

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future. I thank the member for Orkney and Shetland in securing this debate. The future of farming is up for The future of farming is up for debate given the grave concerns held by the farming community the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond and breadth of Scotland and beyond over the proposed tax reforms and inheritance tax coming in next year. The arguments against this proposal The arguments against this proposal have put to ministers time and time again with a consistent theme that seems to be a complete inability to listen and to act on these concerns.

I don't blame the Minister but I blame Treasury officials. The Minister is an honourable man trying to job but I don't think he is being
14:23
Seamus Logan Portrait Seamus Logan MP (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, Scottish National Party)
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listened to by others. Even among the benches opposite, around 40 MPs the benches opposite, around 40 MPs representing rural areas have made these concerns known to the these concerns known to the Treasury, calling for the 1 million threshold to be raised to protect threshold to be raised to protect small family farms and amnesty for older farmers and those with serious health problems. It seems a very health problems. It seems a very reasonable approach to me. I don't blame the Minister for any of these things.

Research by farming things. Research by farming associations are rarely called into information on which the threshold was chosen. Surely it is not Treasury officials to return to numbers and think again but rather than back the Treasury into a corner here, let me offer the government a very sensible and reasonable way out of this impasse. Farming representatives who I met with recently are suggesting a clawback mechanism as an alternative approach for tax revenue. This mechanism would allow relief on qualifying assets but suggest changing IHT and all those assets if subsequently sold by the beneficiary within an agreed timeframe.

They suggest seven years. The NFU says this proposal will meet the recent revenue, penalised farm owners and the risk of bringing up family farms will prevent stifling investment in food production and will take away the incentive to use APR and BPR solely as a way of avoiding tax liabilities. It would also target those individuals and corporations who are gaming the system by using the land to shelter from liabilities, and the government doesn't have to cave in on this. There is time here.

We agreed to enter a new round of consultation, engaging with industry representatives and considering how they might be some compromise. Finally, I want to finish by referencing a discussion I had with the Minister recently on the need to kickstart the trade that has been so damaged by Brexit. The government is making positive moves in the European Union and that issue will be on the priority list to revive

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Scotland's important seat. I want to start my contribution
14:25
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter Portrait Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP (Suffolk Coastal, Labour)
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I want to start my contribution by picking up where I left off this morning in my question to the business minister. At the heart of business minister. At the heart of the problem facing farming and profitability is that of an unfair supply. The big six supermarkets are in effect acting like a cartel, porting unfair prices on farmers and pursuing unfair practices towards family farms. Last year alone, as we had earlier, the big six made a pre-tax profit of more than £5 billion, and of those big six, Asda and Morrisons didn't pay a penny of corporation tax.

As we know, supermarkets are price setters, seeking maximum profits to drive down the cost they have prepared to pay for home-grown quality produce. At the same time, the cost of running a farm continues to rise. In a world where farmers and producers are struggling to make a living and relying on government grants and subsidies so they can survive from one year to the next, this can't be seen as fair or right. We need to look properly and with real scrutiny at the supermarkets.

These practices need to change. We cannot allow farmers to the brunt of the system while others benefit so proportionately. I want to address the issue of APR. Many farmers raise their concerns with me directly. I have listened to these concerns and raise them directly with Treasury and remain committed to advocating for farmers over the months ahead. However, it is important to reiterate that changes to APR a significant but it is not the root problem facing the industry. If farming was profitable, farmers would be less worried about paying a tax bill.

The focus must be on making farming more profitable. Without profitability or government support, we will only provide limited how. This includes ensuring fair prices for quality produce, protecting farmers from unfair competition and addressing rising costs from fertiliser equipment. I don't doubt that this will be a tough battle to fight when society so often prioritises price over quality. People will happily spend more on cappuccino than they will on locally produced chicken, but if we want to protect British farming, we must change our approach.

The future of farming is essential, not only for the economy but the very fabric of rural society itself. We must continue to put farmers first,
14:28
George Freeman Portrait George Freeman MP (Mid Norfolk, Conservative)
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From a farming family, I have no interest to declare other than a interest to declare other than a deep interest in my family's ability to continue farming its farm in to continue farming its farm in Suffolk. Most of all, he is a member Suffolk. Most of all, he is a member for a fabulously rural community. He once had the privilege of being the parliamentary candidate for mid parliamentary candidate for mid Norfolk. So, he knows what the house needs to know which is that it is magnificently rural and is the magnificently rural and is the absolute engine room of food and farming and food processing, growing berries for Ribena, to Derby's pubs, developing gluten-free flour.

It is an engine of some of the most exciting activities and technologies in UK agriculture. And it is that because it has enjoyed a relatively stable framework of support, but history shows us that agriculture is vulnerable. We have depressions at the end of the 19th century in the 40s and 50s, and we are at the most, that we could be incubating a fabulous industry. There is a wall of money. The world has to double food production in the next 25 years on the same land area with half as much water and energy and we are home to 10 of the world's top 30 institutes.

But minister, I have to say, this policy is going to overnight reduce massively reduce the market in the UK for those innovations. It will remove a great industry that is beginning to get off its feet and tackle the opportunity that it has, and if we are not careful, we are sleepwalking. The Ukraine war, Pres trumps trade wars, in the interest of food security, sustainability, we need to be supporting our industry to show the world how you deliver more from less and that is why we have set out a major call for 180 U-turn to support the sustainable intensification that agricultural productivity, to produce more, because in my constituency, the impact of the farm tax, the small- business attack, the abolition of SFI and the massive subsidies for solar farms is beginning to look like net-zero and the Department of local government, 50% in housing targets, are trying to get farmers off the land to make room for solar farms and badly designed housing.

I

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It is an honour to speak in this debate is a member of the Environment and Rural Affairs Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and I thank my honourable friend for securing the bid. It is
14:31
Josh Newbury Portrait Josh Newbury MP (Cannock Chase, Labour)
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friend for securing the bid. It is not just about keeping fields green and supermarket shelves stocked about securing the future of rural communities, protecting the environment, supporting farmers, the backbone of the food system in the nation. This government inherited underfunded farming schemes which resulted in hundreds of millions of pounds not bridging the pockets of farmers and now they are is more money than ever before being spent on the sustainable incentive and countryside stewardship. The recent implementation of the three setup changes the complimentary use of land needed to achieve environmental targets alongside support for punishment schemes and it will drive for security, biodiversity, food and air quality.

We also need clear policies on how to deal with directly competing interest, as has been seen in Scotland. If we are to make the transition successful, we must make sure farmers are supported in the chip, ensuring new schemes are flexible and equitable and supportive. We must free up the bottleneck of application and as an MP dealing with the natural landscape, I welcome the protection program. We know that any sector that does not have certainty in the workforce will lack certainty for the future and I commend the Straits the government has made expanding apprenticeship.

-- strides. Environmental and land sectors must year and these benefits. Only 5% of 285,000 people working in agriculture are under 35 with climate change and food insecurity, the next generation must be equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Automation is a way of meeting challenges but the harsh reality is small farms cannot shoulder the burden of the risk of investing in expensive new technology. There is good work on this and there are agreements of 20 and 25 years to unlock long-term investment and that will become the new normal because without that farmers will not be able to do everything we want to see.

I want to raise the long-term plan. It is not frequently spoken about 2500 in the 1970s and that just 200 part of our many farmers to keep supply chain small and. To bring my remarks to conclusion, it is clear that the reality is many years, farmers have been worried about your future and the future of the sector. We must ensure farmers feel confident concerns are heard and addressed so that we can achieve the world bidding ambitions we have for the agricultural sector.
14:34
Wendy Morton Portrait Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP (Aldridge-Brownhills, Conservative)
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Farming is the backbone of this country, providing us with the food we need to feed families and also acting as a steward of the land we hold dear. Farmers do so much more than growth. They protect the countryside, create jobs, contribute immensely to rural economies. In my constituency we may not have as large farming population as some other constituencies but, believe you me, the farmer that we have our vital to the national chart and as my honourable friend recognises during his recent set to some local farmers, their efforts to support local communities contribute to food local communities contribute to food security.

I pay tribute to each and every one of them and it was farmers who took valuable time of the land today to bring the attractors to Parliament -- their attractors to support the debate. Changes to agriculture and business property relief 2036 will have profound consequences for family farms, including those in my constituency. The removal of the 100% belief about the first agricultural business property can see farmers being forced to pay inheritance tax at 20% of the value of your property above the threshold, pushing many of them out of business.



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I thank my right honourable friend for giving way. Though she agreed that changes to agricultural agreed that changes to agricultural property relief are contrary to what the Prime Minister outlined in Downing Street what the government Downing Street what the government to tread more lightly on people's lows. Does she agree this is a false lows. Does she agree this is a false economy in that ultimately this economy in that ultimately this policy risks farming assets being concentrated in the hands of the very few, making the market more

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worse off for consumers and British society? My honourable friend is spot on. He stands up for his local farmers in a strong and powerful way and, far from treading lightly, the government is trampling over farmers and this will lead to land being sold off to meet tax liabilities and sold off to meet tax liabilities and I fear we will see the concreting over of the beautiful countryside. Another topic that demands attention is the use of agricultural land for battery energy storage systems.

I am supportive of the move to renewable energy but like solar farms, we must ensure the siting of these is done with care and consideration. In my constituency, we have seen a decision by a planning inspector to improve the storage facility or defeat belt, agricultural land, Chapel Lane against the will of the local council and community. Our land is finite and we must balance the need for renewable energy with the need for renewable energy with the need to safeguard land for agricultural use and for production and thought I the government to take a more balanced approach to land use and ensure agricultural land remains available for farming and food production because I fear these changes will simply drive a coach and horses through arable land and the green belt and this respect the use of local residents.

We can no longer take food security for granted. The war in Ukraine, global inflation, supply chain disruption, extreme weather events are contributing to rising food prices and shortages in some areas. In the UK, we produced a 61% of the food that we need. We can no longer be complicit. It is time to stagger performance. The government announced it was closing the SFI scheme this week. Let me conclude, I could say more, I would love to, but farming is not just a job but a way of life and all farmers, no food.

It is time the government axed the Family from Tax.

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The economic fundamentals of farming must be a priority and I call on the government to focus on call on the government to focus on key determinants of operating profitability environment. There are
14:38
Noah Law Portrait Noah Law MP (St Austell and Newquay, Labour)
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many drivers of makes a British firm successful but issues like monopolies, price volatility, challenges with international trade, differentials and environmental standards, consumer culture, they continue to threaten the viability and as a result we have seen increasing consolidation with many farmers shifting to larger and more arable-focused operation. With trade, livestock farming has been hit hard. The deeply flawed trade deal with New Zealand it's a hammer blow to sheep farmers and the land industry and it puts British farmers at a competitive disadvantage and then there are standards themselves.

The world living standards of food safety and environmental sustainability and standards we are proud of. There is not recognition of the additional cost that this process and it is said that there are are products of other companies ourselves. If we value high quality British food, we must ensure our policies reflect that, whether through better labelling, better deals, financial support, and, I'm being honest, there is the onshore in of emissions as outlined by the honourable members.

Because of the operating environment, an operating environment that was a crucial role in shaping, access to targeted support for elevation and environmental land management can power from the tripod often the support fails to reach the farmers who need it most and I welcome the successful deployment of SFI, something the previous government failed to do. We must look at the next wave of initiatives. The power of supermarkets must be addressed to ensure farmers receive a return.

This is a massive cultural challenge and ship that must take place with regards to the value we place on food. Consider the geographical disparities. Farmers can face unique challenges. Smaller fields which take generational knowledge to manage, higher transportation costs, exposure to weather, but they are receiving the same marketplaces as larger landforms with fewer overheads. Lucy must acknowledge the uneven playing field and -- government policy must acknowledge the uneven playing field and deal with farms with these geographies which are essential to navigating the rural landscape.
14:41
Danny Chambers Portrait Dr Danny Chambers MP (Winchester, Liberal Democrat)
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I congratulate my honourable friend from Orkney for securing this important debate. I would like to important debate. I would like to follow on. Trade deals, potential ones with the USA, to undermine high animal welfare standards and we have been working hard to establish those and if we allow products produced to lower standards, things like hormone-treated beef, chlorine- chicken, if these become the norm, it will cause more issues. This is not protectionism. This is about fairness.

Not only are vets and farmers proud of animal welfare standards but so are the British public and we should not be looking to compromise those. The UK has made significant strides with livestock without compromising animal welfare. The veterinary and farming sectors have worked together to promote responsible use of antibiotics setting an example for the rest of the world to follow. The responsible use of medicines in agriculture, the 2024 report, it highlighted that the use and sales of the products and food containing animals remains low and there has been a 15% decrease in these products in the last 10 years.

Resistance surveillance carried out by the Veterinary Medicine Directorate has shown multidrug resistance in animals is at its lowest in a decade. These are encouraging statistics and are the product of years of work and dedication between scientists and the community and it is a huge public health issue and we should ensure that trade deals do not force farmers to compete with countries that do not have the same use of antibiotics as we do. To finish off, on Saturday, earlier this week, I was visiting the NFU in Hampshire and the farm of Ben Robinson and they are starting to plan this week and it is the hardest time of the year for sheep farms and the farmers will be working all day and all night and we know that informing the amount of effort and time at work that you put in does not always result in profits.

So many factors are out of your control. You could have international disease outbreaks, geopolitical events putting up fertiliser prices, weather, change in government policy, trade deals, and I pay tribute to the Farm Community Network we work hard to secure the mental health of farmers.

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On Friday I found myself over 1000 which was under the North Sea
14:44
Luke Myer Portrait Luke Myer MP (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Labour)
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1000 which was under the North Sea and I will explain shortly. -- 1000m. I acknowledge the hard work farmers do across the country and the point that in recent years farmers across Britain are facing a serious squeeze. In my constituency where are wijja of reasons that might has a range of reasons there are no NFU prompts but I want to focus on the soaring cost of fertiliser which is driven by global supply chain shocks and a reliance on imports.

These are impacting farmers in pockets of threatening food security and the resilience of the agricultural sector by deep underground in North Yorkshire there is a potential solution and last week I had the pleasure of visiting the ICL facility which produces fertiliser and exports it around the world. It contains four essential nutrients, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur Cash vital for plant growth and super low-carbon and requires processing and additives and leads to healthier and resultant soil. Studies have shown it can boost crop yields by 3-5% it can boost crop yields by 3-5% We must back British solutions.

That means a clear strategy on fertiliser security, investment in research and support for innovation that reduces costs for farmers while strengthening our food system. The facility is currently the only operational mine in the world. There is a product on the way soon and has a strong future ahead. I have been down both facilities and I am struck by their ingenuity. Above the wild unbroken Heather of the Moors or the coastline is untouched by the operations in the debts below, and I pay tribute to produce these exports boosting security.

Britain cannot afford to be at the mercy of volatile markets and we have the resources and the ambition to build a more resilient farming sector right here at home. We can build a role in supporting the role to role in supporting the role to strengthen security. I hope we can urge the government to recognise and support farmers in supporting solutions to unlock private investment, safeguard jobs and secure the position as a global

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production. We risk the future of farming in Wales. Decisions like changing the
14:48
Llinos Medi Portrait Llinos Medi MP (Ynys Môn, Plaid Cymru)
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Wales. Decisions like changing the model for agriculture to needs based, potential in funding for Welsh farming. This is despite Wales having a higher population of farmers in other parts of the UK, and changes to the agricultural and property relief which will have a dramatic impact on the future of farming. How can the UK government justify these changes when they have no concrete data for their impact in Wales? That is why we need the Wales impact assessment. It is crucial that government have accurate data to understand the impact of these changes.

And how does this help economic growth in Wales? 90% of our land area is given over to farming. In 2020, it was worth £1.7 billion to the economy. And the wider foundation in Wales, businesses that produce, process, manufacture and produce, process, manufacture and sell food to goods was 9.3 billion. Never mind the wider supplied, so why is the UK government undermining rather than supporting this industry and its growth potential? A government that doesn't understand the agricultural economy risks the future of rural communities.

Westminster policies that don't understand Welsh agriculture were 43% speak Welsh trample over the future that we have fought so hard for in Wales, threatening the future of food production and families and young people to stay and work in their communities. And it is crucial that good farmland continues to be used for food security as food increases for the transfer of Welsh land to companies that don't have a worry about inheritance taxes is likely if not inevitable.

In my constituency, we are battling to keep fertile land away from developers plans for 3700 acres of solar farm that would negatively impact the economy. This land has sustained us for generations across Wales and further afield. There is a reason we have named morning the mother of Wales. Undermining agriculture producers risks missing an opportunity to shorten our food supply chains and improve our resilience. UK government's decision shows a significant lack of understanding of the importance of farming in Wales.

Their inability to distinguish between corporations and hard-working people making a living from the land speaks volumes. The UK government make their own decision. Now is the time to show they support people by listening to farmers and reversing this. reversing this.
14:51
Ellie Chowns Portrait Ellie Chowns MP (North Herefordshire, Green Party)
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I welcome this very timely debate on the future of farming in the week in which the SFI rug was pulled out from underneath farmers and the future of farming surely has to be young farmers, so I have been in touch with some young farmers in my constituency to ask what they think I should be talking about, and I have been sent a screenshot of the screen that said thank you for doing your application. When you are ready, submit it.

If we need to close applications, we will give you six weeks notice, publicise this on Gulf.uk, and we will email you. If that is not a broken promise, I don't know what is. Other farmers in my constituency, Louise is exasperated. We followed government's advice to the letter and have been kicked in the teeth. Another pharmacist pulling SFI is criminal. More short-term thinking forcing us in decisions we don't want to make. And since yet another coffin for family farms with no warning, environmental projects planned have to be stopped.

We can't plan for the future if the rules keep changing. So the future of farming needs to BS and I it needs to be S4C sustainable, S4 fair, and I for in partnership. I will give

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way briefly. I think my friend will agree with

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I think my friend will agree with me that this has been an awful situation where SFI has been shut situation where SFI has been shut down with no notice on Tuesday night and either Geoffrey has been and either Geoffrey has been disorganised or it has been sneaky. It either which way, it diminishes

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trust in government. I agree. This has diminished trust and it is vital to rebuild trust and it is vital to rebuild that trust because we need that sustainable, fair, and in partnership future for farming. Sustainable both in environmental tans. We need to recognise climate crisis and the nature crisis. We need to support farmers to make that transition to nature friendly farming. Farmers in my constituency are absolutely at the forefront of this but they need the government to back them, not sweep them off their feet with changes to policy with absolutely zero notice.

So we need farming to be sustainable environmentally. It is not acceptable that rates of return on farming are so low for so many, and the government has a crucial role to play in tackling them. The Green party has called for a doubling of budget because of all of those extra budgets that farming provides socially and environmentally. We need the government to step up on that. Farming needs to be fair, internationally and locally. We need to make sure that farmers are not undercut and undermine our animal welfare and environmental standards here.

We need to make sure the government is standing firm on that, and it needs to be fair locally because access to farming support schemes has not been equal. It is hard for many farmers to access the support schemes. I hope the Minister will ensure that farmers have equal access and the support they need to be able to access those schemes, and finally, the future of farming has to be in partnership. It has to be in partnership themselves. Their voices have to be heard.

We need a fully joined up approach to land use, food, farming and sustainability, and it needs to be in partnership with nature. There is no sustainable future for farming.
14:55
Carla Lockhart Portrait Carla Lockhart MP (Upper Bann, Democratic Unionist Party)
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I have often spoken about my deep connection to farming. It is in my DNA. I love the rural way of life and for 40 years, I have been part of a rural community that values hard work, resilience and responsibility for the land. If the farm isn't doing well in this country, no one is. He doesn't hold any of the grand titles or credentials so often revered in this place, but what he is is a farmer. One who understands all to well that agriculture is the cornerstone of our economy.

And when that is broken, removed or chipped away at, the consequences are dire. Our economy weakens, and our food security is at risk. Trust in politics is hard earned but easily broken, so when our farming community had words from the union in 2023, they could be forgiven for placing a certain degree of trust in the government. Farmers could relate to the Prime Minister when he said that losing a form is not like losing anything else. He went on so that we can't have farmers struggling.

We have stability and certainty. Well, those words ring hollow don't they. The October budget was a defining moment in this parliament's history, delivering the biggest hammer blow to farmers in a generation. The family farm tax grab is an extension threat to the future of farming, and for those who do survive that blow, they will be strangled by the government's other disastrous policies. Consider the closure of Lifeline vehicles for Add to that tax increase, hike in National Insurance contributions, property relief and ever-growing burden of environmental rules, regulations and requirements, and to add insult to injury, when the government speaks about the black hole and rebalance, 536 million going in the UK aid for foreign aid.

If we end up importing food from abroad, we have a much greater carbon footprint than what we grow at home. As I bring my remarks to a close, this debate is focused on the future of farming, but there can be no future. They have been restrained, yet they face relentless threat, none more so than the family farm tax. They represent to rise up from rural constituents and the men and women who feed off and the circular economy that depends on

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farming. Our farmers find themselves in an increasingly precarious position. We
14:58
Ben Obese-Jecty Portrait Ben Obese-Jecty MP (Huntingdon, Conservative)
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increasingly precarious position. We find a drip drip of process eroding our culture. We have seen process in Westminster and they are coming here to pledge their fealty. I note the member for North Somerset mentions how unprofitable farming is. I don't know how he hopes they will square the issue with unprofitable business. We have recently seen an announcement of the Sustainable Farming Incentive with only 30 minutes notice. New purchase powers will see more farmland concreted over, dozens of solar farms in the pipeline, all to be forced through at an infrastructure project because of the qualifying threshold that is now nearly 20 years old.

The future of farming looks bleak. Innovation is important. I visited Vantage in my constituency to discuss how advances in technology can have a positive impact on farming techniques, particularly as farms face fewer resources and increasing fewer available farmworkers. Well Mumford is 1/5 generation farmer and the managing director and I met with well last year who talked to me through some of the local challenges faced by farmers to highlight the opportunities led by technology. This gave me an opportunity of the robot tractor.

Surely, a missed opportunity to call it Robocop. It is a controlled robot tractor, smaller than a commenced tractor and doesn't look like one, but there are multiple benefits to this technology. Being remotely piloted, it doesn't require a cockpit which makes it lighter. It has a smaller footprint and reduces soil compaction and reduces flooding. A further benefit is how the tractor can be used a night without a need for a human operator. It allows work to continue when resources are stretched.

Many farmers increasingly see older family members unable to work the hours they once did an automation can benefit the small family farms by reducing the need for additional farmworkers, given the struggle to guarantee those resources. It is a very impressive piece of machinery and it is now in use in my constituency. This is one example of forwardthinking technology that is making a technology that is making a I want to see farms and food security protected.

I want us to go back to living abroad in these practices. We must protect our vital farming sector. The
15:01
Caroline Johnson Portrait Dr Caroline Johnson MP (Sleaford and North Hykeham, Conservative)
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I must declare an interest as the wife of a farmer. Farming is a very difficult job. It is unbelievably long hours, physically hard work in all weathers, every day of the year. It is a true vocation and labour of love and farmers provide us with the food we need to eat. Lincolnshire farmers are particularly important in relation to food security and provide 12% of the UK woes fit and 30% of vegetables and 80% of poultry and 11% of wheat.

Jobs in the future and the greater area make up 24% and farmers here for 13,500 acres of woodland and 2500 miles of public right of way but this is under threat. The production is less profitable and in some cases not profitable at all thanks to this government.

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She is making an excellent speech and the point I'd struggle to understand put forward by Labour understand put forward by Labour members is the acknowledge farming is not profitable but support the policy that takes more cash away policy that takes more cash away from the businesses and I wonder if she is finding that hard to reconcile.

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reconcile. I thank the honourable gentleman for his intervention and I find it extremely hard to reconcile. The Minister in his red bowtie gave a speech in which he said the government would have the back of farmers and I'm sure he believed it was true when he said but within a month he was involved in the government Budget. How will a family farm attacks make farms more profitable and how will a business tax make farms more profitable? How will traffic drops in payments make farms more profitable? How will arise in the minimum wage make farms more profitable, or a rise in National Insurance contributions, or the planned cuts? Or not.

What about closing payments early and without notice, despite promised notice to make farms more profitable and businesses more secure. It will not. They are talking about taking land without due consideration and it has led many farmers to ask the question why the government hits farmers so much and why do they want to do heart small farmers for much. Let's be clear on the effects of the law. There will be redundancy.

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Does the other members think the largest budget format will do if not

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largest budget format will do if not make farming more profitable? I do not think they will. They

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I do not think they will. They are saying they will give some money here about to get there and we are here about to get there and we are saying of hospices, the NHS, farming, taking money away in tax farming, taking money away in tax left right and centre and giving you left right and centre and giving you a few pounds and saying to be grateful and it does not wash and people can see straight through it. The effects will be to reduce food security and will be the collapse of small businesses and collapse of land and will be an increase in food prices for consumers rich and poor across the country.

This debate is on the future of farming. Many farmers feel that thanks to this government, they have no future in farming.
15:04
Mike Wood Portrait Mike Wood MP (Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, Conservative)
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We believe in the future of where farming thrives based on stability, growth, sustainability but the growth, sustainability but the Labour policies are putting all of this in jeopardy and that is whether it is the disastrous last-minute overnight closure of the sector, the relentless assault on family farms with the death tax of your negligence towards rural business. negligence towards rural business. The Labour agenda is harming the heart of rural Britain and the shortsightedness to stop accepting new applications with no notice to the NFU despite the promise of six weeks notice as clear sign of failure to understand or care about the long-term needs of farmers.

Thousands of farmers are looking for support to the SFI and Labour has chosen short term political convenience over long-term sustainability. Farmers deserve consistency, not abrupt cuts to vital programs and we will continue to back farmers. The inheritance tax policies are a direct attack which go to the heart of family farms and the planned cuts to agriculture and property relief will make it impossible for farmers to pass on livelihoods, businesses, and farms they have had for generations to children with a huge tax burden.

Imagine you are farming an average cereal farm. You inherit that from your parents and the NFU report is saying that you face paying inheritance tax payments and each one is 1.5 times what you can expect to make an annual profit and you are running at a loss to fund the

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government that served... I thank him for giving way. He's

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I thank him for giving way. He's giving a great speech. It is being said that the tax can be avoided but said that the tax can be avoided but one does not know who will die and where and it is not often 10 years apart.

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My honourable friend is right. The people best placed to avoid the tax are the very people who do be contributing, there are landowners contributing, there are landowners who will be able to avoid paying for this but an average cereal farm is only, the only records facing inheritance tax bills which are one, the only records facing inheritance tax bills which are 1.5 times annual profits, it will be to sell land or machinery. That is something that is blatant abuse and the government apparently does not see it and that becomes difficult to assume this is incompetence rather than a deliberate strategy to dismantle family farms, particularly combined with the plans set out by the Deputy Prime Minister this week on compulsory purchase.

The Labour policies threaten the future of farming, rural businesses, communities that rely on them. The damage that would be done in terms of sustainability, biodiversity, the high streets and by the Budget is an area where Labour management is letting down farmers and rural communities. Rural Britain can thrive and we are farms are supported, businesses grow stronger. We will continue to fight for the future and I call on the government to change course before it is too late for the rural way of life and we will continue to fight for farming communities including mine in south Staffordshire.



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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is my pleasure to speak in this debate and I thank the right debate and I thank the right honourable member for Orkney and Shetland prosecuting Mr bid. I'm always proud to stand up and always proud to stand up and represent farmers from my community, Strangford, and across Northern Ireland, who are dedicated to trade.
15:09
Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon MP (Strangford, Democratic Unionist Party)
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Ireland, who are dedicated to trade. Farming is massively important in Northern Ireland and £2.5 million annually to the economy. It accounts for 5.6%, higher than any other nation. Northern Ireland also exports large amounts of beef and dairy and poultry to the Republic of Ireland and further abroad. If travels all over the world. It creates a sense of how important farmers are. It is no secret that myself, my party, my colleagues, members across the House were shocked by the decision to implement inheritance tax.

The facts are 60% of farmers cannot and will not survive this. Living on a farm and having relationships with people nearby, and many of them spoke to me before the debate and I know all too well the impact that this will have. OK.

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I thank my honourable friend and neighbour for a giving way. He talks about the number of farms affected about the number of farms affected by this and it is far higher than the Treasury tells us. This Office the Treasury tells us. This Office is preparing its own figures to push back against the Treasury figures. The fundamental problem, the vast majority of firms will be affected

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by this. He is absolutely right and sounds

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He is absolutely right and sounds of the Jews across the House and of the Jews across the House and where we stand. I believe the decision will destroy the very essence of what so many farmers there have worked hard to achieve. I've called on the Minister to support this numerous occasions and I asked him, he could be a friend of the farmers, if the honourable member will contact the Chancellor and suggest one of the ideas and solutions is increasing the threshold from £1 million to £5 million and if that is done, farms will be saved.

Do you want to be the farmers' friend? When you approach the Chancellor, but the honourable gentleman approach to the Chancellor and persuades them to increase the threshold from £1 million to £5 million, you will be a friend forever to all the partners in my constituency. There is a solution from the Ulster Farm. I will digress and make a quick point on avian flu and in relation to Northern Ireland having the highest tuberculosis rates in Europe.

I get asked about TB in relation to avian flu and the discussions the honourable gentleman has had with the environment Minister to ensure we can overcome these setbacks together. This is in food security and farming and industry matters and with the young farmers of society and I'm thinking of the sons of my neighbours who want to have a farm for the future as well. There are so many expectations on farmers. I'm pleased to see some post in the conversation about the mental health of.

It is an important issue. There is no doubt farmers must be supported, not tore down. To conclude, I am proud of our farming industry and grateful for it and I want it to succeed. For those who represent rural constituencies or those who do not, the importance of agriculture cannot be disregarded and we must make it our goal to, protect, progress the success of farming across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. We need the Minister to stand up for farming today and he must go to the Chancellor, tell her what we did, increase the threshold from £1 million to £5 million and things will get better.

will get better.
15:13
Jamie Stone Portrait Jamie Stone MP (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Liberal Democrat)
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Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I want to congratulate my honourable friend for opening the debate in his friend Dan for his thoughtful speech. I want to congratulate members on all sides of the chipper for what they have said. I was brought up on a farm and I was the B boy who shooed the coast, they represent the biggest constituency in the UK. Farming is about the food we eat and the tourist economy and it is all about that and it was difficult before the change because Brexit did not help and we had botched the yields which did not help.

Much has been said I will remark on one thing which was set by the honourable member for Sleaford. Land prices in Northern Ireland are much higher than other parts of the UK and the effect of the taxation will be rather large than in the rest of the UK. To compound this, as we have, it means many family farms and rural businesses will struggle. We know that. That is why my party is saying we should raise the Budget by £1 million and perhaps he can help out on that.

We want to see a renegotiation of trade agreements.

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Also, the strengthening of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. I thank the honourable gentleman

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I thank the honourable gentleman for a giving way to clear my partner for a giving way to clear my partner as a conservationist. As the Groceries Code Adjudicator was set up, I recall the frustrations that it was not used. Will my honourable it was not used. Will my honourable friend agree there will never be friend agree there will never be able to control meaningful measures of the supermarket if the cost of a single investigation is greater than the annual budget? Can I ask the Minister through my honourable friend that he remedies this friend that he remedies this

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She brings knowledge from the party which is very valuable in this debate, and my right honourable debate, and my right honourable friend is a champion of this cause. In saying what he will say and do say, it strikes a chord amongst farmers in my constituency getting a fair deal which is fundamental to fair deal which is fundamental to making farms viable for the long- term. It's not that we want to do everything, but I do hope that the government will engage constructively with my right constructively with my right honourable friend over this.

It is too important to let this one go,

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and it could be an easy win for all of us. He is making an excellent speech,

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He is making an excellent speech, but does he agree that we have farmers who face a double whammy. Not only do we have to deal with farm tax being imposed by the farm tax being imposed by the government opposite, but the hostile environment that the SNP are creating towards farming communities.

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communities. I thank the gentleman for his

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I thank the gentleman for his contribution. We both might have something to say about that if our colleagues were here. There has been a lack of knowledge north of the border, or a lack of understanding of things that are fundamental to the way of life where we represent different ends of Scottish geography. I want to conclude because time is short by mentioning three things that are causing my constituents some anxiety. In particular, I spoke with farmers this week and there has been publicity about what is known as lab grown meat produced from cells in a lab environment.

It is thought that this could be a parliament in two years time. It is a way of producing food, but what does that mean for farmers? This needs to be looked at very carefully indeed. The second thing I am duty-bound to mention is the low price of Malta and Bali. This is the highest quality barley. Not so much as being bought, and that is a reflection of the fact that they are not selling semi bottles of whiskey. My friend is doing his bit and never ceases to do so, but this goes back to an earlier point made that farming is intermingled throughout the economy.

If we can have measures from the government to increase whiskey sales to get good quality whiskey, that would return and benefit the growers of malting barley which would make things more viable. The memorable Wembley isn't with us, but in all fairness, he did make that point. He also made the point about seed potatoes. I welcome the framework of the time but we could get our sweet potatoes into Northern Ireland, but I know there are markets crying out to get hold of high quality potatoes.

If we can do every measure at our disposal to create these things, I will be extremely grateful to the government. Finally, this is rather a strange point, but a number of farmers have told me that people who work on the farm for decades and now moving on to other jobs. People who drove factors to cultivate yield sometimes taking the option of driving a digger for a builder and there is a labour shortage beginning to occur on some of our farms.

There should be a worry for the way farms, but also because of new entrants into farming. I commend my right honourable friend for bringing this forward. Farming is fundamental to the country, to the way we feed ourselves and in a world that we have seen which is quite dangerous, the more we feed ourselves, the better. Thank you very much.

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May I congratulate the member for

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May I congratulate the member for securing this important debate and for bringing his expertise as chair of the Select Committee into this discussion. May I welcome those discussion. May I welcome those farmers in the gallery who have been given their views known at various contributions during this debate. Not all of them terribly happy. And the tractors outside, leave you and the tractors outside, leave you and me, they have been tooting as loudly
15:20
Victoria Atkins Portrait Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP (Louth and Horncastle, Conservative)
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me, they have been tooting as loudly as they possibly can. I am not sure it is welcoming the scandal that emerged, but no doubt the farming minister will be able to help us with that. This debate should have been filled with positivity and confidence about the future of British farming. Instead, this debate has been overshadowed by the farming fiasco of this Labour government. Injustice you feel a few short months, this city dwelling government has destroyed families ambitions for the future, put risk generations of expertise and custodianship and less than 48-hour sicko ripped the rug out from business cases immediately.

This government has treated farmers and the countryside with unashamed contempt. And this contempt has consequences. The NFU announced this week that farm business confidence has reached historically low levels, and this was all before the scandal on Tuesday night. New tractor registrations are at the lowest level since 1998, and when I visited Lama in January, manufacturers were telling me that people are not investing in new machinery as a direct result of the budget. Just as the Chancellor inherited the fastest-growing economy in the G7 and has ground it down into stagflation, so true has the Secretary of State inherited a glowing farming sector that has gone through massive change from Brexit but was seizing the farming and environmental opportunities available.

After a few months of this city centric government, farming families are feeling ignored. Alienate it and disrespected. To use the Secretary of State's own words. But where is the Secretary of State? I have been hunting high and low for him but nowhere is he to be found. He had a major announcement yesterday but he sent his poor junior minister out because the Secretary of State is missing in action. And where is rural labour MPs? We heard about a rebel force of Labour MPs who are threatening to stand up on the family farm tax.

This debates is their chance to show their support for their farmers, but where are they? They are not here. A total of 10 Labour MPs have turned up and six have spoken. That is 1.4% of the parliamentary party, so Labour's farming fiasco policy can be summarised in three points. They will remove farming and environmental schemes that help farms thrive and on which they build business cases. They will permit the state to seize farmland without consent or market value, and if family farms do thing on, Labour would tax farmers for dying.

Let us deal with the first of these, the abrupt halting of sustainable incentives and the massive cuts to deal with payments. They sneaks the decision out late before being dragged to the despatch boxes bias yesterday. This is a chaotic and inept way for a government to treat taxpayers, businesses and families. Yesterday, the Minister kept using the figure of £5 million over five the figure of £5 million over five years. The first year will be set by the previous government, including a £300 million that were rolled over from the previous year.

It is for a Labour minister to set the budget for 25 sex over the spending review. So can the Minister confirm that the DEFRA budget will not face substantial cuts in this spending review given that he has relied on this figure so much, and can he confirm that ministers are counting money which will be removed at a stroke by the Chancellor. David from Gloucestershire, a farmer, has asked the Minister if he should simply power up his farm and turn his back on 25 years of farming.

We won't be able to afford principles. Everyone loses but the environment mostly. And we have heard from honourable members about how their farmers have contacted them because they are facing a financial crisis because of this. The truck does outside don't seem to be tooting at celebration yesterday. These were cut in the budget. Tens of thousands of farmers who were not signed up to SFI in any of its iterations are still being subjected to a 76% cut in their dealings direct payments, leaving many in cash flow crisis, including tenant farmers.

This wasn't mentioned at all by the farmers from Shrewsbury, Southwark coastal, sent all store, and facing the industry is the importance of bio security for the future of farming. The second case of foot-and-mouth is alarming that we have heard nothing from the government on this. Will the Minister confirm whether funding for Dover port has now been agreed, outline how he is preventing the rising trend of bush meat being sold over social media platforms and explain why the government continues to ignore our calls to increase funding for the redevelopment of Weybridge.

But I can reveal what the Secretary of State and the farming minister have been prioritising this week. They have issued a consultation, not on SFI, not on family farm tax, not on cuts to D- Link payments, but on how to carry a chicken. I'm sure everybody thinks that is the national priority for farming at the moment, so let's turn to the government's plans to undercut property rights and force farmers to sell their land at below market value. This is a policy that goes against a fundamental British in support of landownership and puts food security and prices at risk.

My friends set out the case for this, and then we move on to the family farm tax, a tax that a member from North Somerset criticised as being a distraction and Southwark coastal seem to be arguing for more taxes for farmers, but at least those members mentioned the farm tax. The members for Shrewsbury, sent all store and Middlesbrough didn't see fit to mention it because they are ignoring the facts of life on this. As members on this side of the house no, this is having a genuine and economic toll on farms throughout the UK and one farmer told me I have stopped encouraging my daughter to spend time on the farm so that I don't have to have that conversation of why she can't take over in the future.

This government is robbing the next generation of farmers of their futures and it is having a devastating impact on elderly farmers. It was shared in the Senate this week that a farmer declined cancer treatment months before his death as he wanted to make sure that he died before these changes came into effect. This is desperately harrowing and yet we are being told this by farming organisations and this is all because the Chancellor, who refuses to meet farmers, is destroying British farming with her taxation policy, and it isn't just the family farm tax, the family business tax, national insurance height, the fertiliser tax, all set out by my honourable friends for Upper Bann and sleep at a North hike.

You name it, they will tax it, and that is why my friend said that farmers see no future in farming under this government because in the words of one mid Devon farmer, at no time in all of these years have I felt so deflated with the job. To the farmers who are despairing at this city dwelling government, please note that we conservatives hear you, we support you, we will work with you to mend the outright assault on the countryside that this Labour government is carrying out and we together will build a bright farmer for farming.



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Thank you, and can I start by thinking and congratulating the member for Orkney and Shetland on securing this very important debate securing this very important debate on the future of farming. I won't say I agreed with all his say I agreed with all his conclusions though I listened closely but I can also thank him and his fellow committee members for his fellow committee members for their continuing work and I look forward to meeting his committee in time. I am grateful for having the time.

I am grateful for having the opportunity to talk about the very important role of farming in this country because food security is country because food security is national security and our commitment to farmers is absolutely steadfast. It is the hard work of the U.K.'s farmers that puts food on our tables and stewards our beautiful countryside. But as we all know, the sector is facing high costs and tight margins. Farmers have struggled to get enough workers to pick fruit and veg, and frankly, they are being sold out in past trade deals and farmland is increasingly at risk from flooding and drought, and this all comes as we face the biggest transition for farming in generations, moving away from the basic payment scheme to The underlying problem in the sectors that farmers do not make enough money for the hard-working committee they put in, and we absolutely committed to making farming more profitable.

And that approach will underpin our 25 year farming roadmap and a food strategy where we will work in partnership with farmers to make farming and food production sustainable and profitable. And that roadmap stands on three principles. Firstly, a sector that has food production at its core. The role of farming will always be to produce the food that feeds our nation foster the instability we are seeing relating
15:31
Daniel Zeichner Portrait Daniel Zeichner MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Cambridge, Labour)
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to both Ukraine and during coated shows that food security is national shows that food security is national security. Secondly, the sector where security. Secondly, the sector where farm businesses are more resilient in withstanding the shocks which disrupt farming from time to time, whether it severe flooding, drought whether it severe flooding, drought and disease, we will help farmers who want to diversify their income to put more money into the business to put more money into the business that they can survive those more difficult times when they come, and thirdly, I'm going to make some progress because I know that time is progress because I know that time is short.

Thirdly a sector that recognises restoring nature is not in competition with sustainable food production that is essential to it. Taking our first strand, food production, our new deal for farmers is supporting farmers to produce food sustainably and profitably. And we are actually making progress. Statistics earlier this week show that the average farm business incomes across the country are forecast to rise in the first year of this government. That is welcome news, but we recognise there is more to do, and it certainly won't happen overnight, but over recent weeks with announced a series of new policies.

We are extending the seasonal worker visas for five years, making the supply chain fairer, an issue raised by my honourable friends from North Suffolk and Somerset and Suffolk Coastal, so we will see in the next few weeks new regulations to make sure contracts clearly set out expectations and only allow changes if they are agreed by all parties. And of course introducing a new regulator alongside the groceries code adjudicator, or building the work of the existing regulator, they ask about sodium Place.

We are using the government's purchasing power to back British produce, working with the Cabinet office to create new requirements for government catering contracts to favour high quality, high welfare products that British producers are well placed to meet and was very well outlined by my honourable friend The Earl of Shrewsbury in her contribution. That will mean that British farmers and producers can compete for a fairer share of the £5 billion a year the public sector spends on food, money straight into the farmers bank accounts to boost turnover and boost profits.

And we will never lower our food standards and trade agreements, we will promote robust standards, national and internationally and will always consider whether overseas bodies has an unfair advantage, again a point made by my honourable friend's from St Austell and Newquay and others. We are investing in UK agri-technology sector. I listened closely to my honourable friend from Mid Norfolk's comments. There is much we agree on. We are looking to put in a further £110 million in farming, which was announced last month, and also strengthening the wider British tech sector, a point made well by my honourable friend the Middlesbrough's.

These reforms will support farmers to make more money than the food they produce. Let me move the second strand, diversification. Farmers must be resilient to future challenges if they are to remain financially viable and strengthen food security. We know the threat of flooding and drought and from animal disease as well as the geopolitical tensions that increased demands on our land for energy generation. We are investing to help farm businesses be old zillions gives animal diseases that can devastate livelihoods and threaten our entire economy.

We are all mindful of the issues around bluetongue, avian flu. On a recent case of foot-and-mouth that we saw in Germany and the one in Hungary, I spoke to the Hungarian minister earlier this week, and we have taken all the appropriate precautions in place as ever if the shadow Minister once a briefing, that is or is available in these kind of cases. That's why we are investing overdue hundred billion pounds to set up a new national bio security centre, modernising the animal and Plant health agency facilities at Weybridge, vital to protect farmers, food producers and exporters when disease outbreaks we know can be devastating to businesses.

We are helping keepers of cattle, sheep and pigs in England improve the health, welfare and productivity of their animals by expanding the fully funded farm visits offer. We've also invested, announced new ways to help farmers remain profitable and viable even in challenging harvest. We will consult a national planning reforms this spring to make it quicker for farmers to build new buildings, barns, other infrastructure to boost food production and will ensure permitted developer rights work for farms to convert larger barns into whatever is required, farm shop, holiday lets, sport facility, whatever suits their business planning.

We are working with the Department of energy security and nets so more farm businesses can connect their own electricity generation to the grid more quickly. So the farmers can sell surplus energy and diversify income. And the third element, nature. Restoring nature is vital to food production, not in competition. With healthy soils, abundant pollinators, clean water, the foundations for farm businesses rely on to produce higher crop yields and turn a profit. Without nature thriving, there can be no long-term view security, a point very well made by my honourable friend from South West Norfolk.

We now have more than half of all farmers and environmental schemes, that includes 37,000 live agreements, meaning 800,000 ha of arable land has been farmed without insecticides, 300,000 ha of low- impact grassland managed sustainably, and 75,000 km of hedgerow is being protected and restored. That is very important for nature. Now we've already had a discussion about the SI cap, set at 1.5 billion for 24/25 and 25/26, and as we discussed yesterday, that cap was reached this week with record number of farmers in the scheme, 37,000 live agreements with every penny of this now paid to farmers all committed to payment through existing agreements or submitted applications.

And we will continue to support farmers to transition to to support farmers to transition to more sustainable farm models, and we will announce details of the revised scheme after the spending review, but I will give way on this one occasion. Chevrolet the clarification that everybody wants is we saw the figures last night, they cut across two years. What is the money for this financial year, 24/25 that he describes as a cap? What is the value that he reached on Tuesday night that led to that announcement?

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We have been far more transparent in disclosing the way in which the budgets work than the previous government. It was disclosed last night. She can look closely at that. night. She can look closely at that. What we do over multiple years, and she will know this, that we had to she will know this, that we had to monitor it very closely. What we cannot do and will not do is play fast and loose with the nations finances. We are taking no lessons from the party opposite about how to from the party opposite about how to manage the public money in this country.

This is about using public money in a way that supports food production, restores nature, production, restores nature, respects farmers for the effective business people that they are while ensuring that we stick to our budgets. And we are also improving other farming schemes. The governor has announced an increase in higher level stewardship payments, rates across a range of options for this year. We will reopen the arm capital grant scheme and open the rolling application window for the countryside stewardship IT later this year, and we are continuing with very important landscape recovery projects that were awarded funding in rounds one and two.

As well as some of the other funds referenced by my honourable friend from Cannock Chase. So it's these three strands that will create a resilient profitable sector for decades to come, and I look forward to continuing this important discussion with members across the House.
15:39
Alistair Carmichael Portrait Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat)
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Thank you. Since I opened this debate, I've been sent a copy of a letter from Douglas Paterson, a seven generation farmer in my constituency. It's a copy addressed from his father from 10 Downing Street from 1917., " We've now reached a crisis, the heroism of her family's at the front must be backed by the self-sacrifice and tirelessly of everyone at home. To this end, the production of each quarter of wheat and oats and of each bushel of potatoes is of vital importance.

The letter finishes: The government is confident that farmers will take one step forward and do all in their power to utilise their services to the best advantage. Farmers of this country can defeat the German submarine and when they do so, they destroy the last hope of the Prussian. It is signed to Lloyd George. The fact that we stand in this chamber today and debate this matter is testament to the fact that Charles Patterson and his generation did step forward, and it's why we have a solemn and historic duty to ensure that his great-grandfather -- great-grandson can continue to do the same.

I could think of no better definition of what it has meant by national interest.

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The question is as on the order paper. As many as are of that opinion say, "Aye." Of the contrary, opinion say, "Aye." Of the contrary, "No." I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. I will give a few ayes have it. I will give a few moments for the frontbenchers to moments for the frontbenchers to We now come to the backbench debate on mental health support in educational settings.

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Thank you. I beg to move that this House has considered mental this House has considered mental health support in educational settings. I want to thank the backbench business committee for granting this debate and the MPs from across the House who supported its application. I would also like to thank Emily Hawes for, my team and the staff the mental health foundation for their support in preparing for today's debate. There
15:41
Chris Bloore Portrait Chris Bloore MP (Redditch, Labour)
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preparing for today's debate. There should be no doubt that good mental health and well-being are as critical to the progression of our young people as physical health. Protecting mental health at an early age can help a defining impact on lifelong resilience and ensuring positive mental health outcomes. At a time in our young people face a barrage of challenges from social media, especially girls and young women, from what feels like a never-ending conveyor part of demeaning misogynistic content, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis impacting young people up and down the country, to me this is a timely debate, and I thank those honourable members who have stayed in the chamber today.

Much of what I will say today reflects my conversation with young people, parents and teachers and professionals in my constituency of Redditch and the villagers. All of whom when they approached me I run a visit, in Tesco food shop, or one of my surgeries, displayed A-level of courage and determination to build a system for the purpose that will ensure all children get the support they need to have the most fulfilling lives possible. I hope this debate can be about how we can support our schools, particularly our education professionals who are not trained mental health professionals but also often on the

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frontline to ensure our children get the best support they can at the most appropriate time. Can I commend him for bringing this forward? Was just picking this forward? Was just picking looking at some of the stats from looking at some of the stats from Northern Ireland to support what the honourable gentleman is trying to achieve. In 2023 Northern Ireland pupils with disabilities reported pupils with disabilities reported lower levels of general well-being across all measures as compared to those who are nondisabled. In schools.

Does the honourable member agree that access to pastoral care teams who are equipped and trained to deal and help those with declining mental health do disabilities in school would be one of the ways of addressing this very

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issue? I think that's my first intervention from him, so I feel very honoured for that. But I very honoured for that. But I absolutely do agree with him, and I will be talking about other groups as affected as he has mentioned as affected as he has mentioned later in my remarks. So I thank him for his intervention. I hope this debate can be about how we can support our schools particular educational professionals, but I also hope that this is a discussion also hope that this is a discussion that brings awareness to the challenges faced by young people.

I challenges faced by young people. I know some like to hand wave away any discussion about mental health problems among children and young people. Since the publication of this debate and from reading previous debates elsewhere, a few people have whispered in my ear that they don't believe children are resilient enough these days. I simply don't buy that either. I know it makes them uncomfortable when young people talk about their mental health challenges, but to me it can only be a positive thing that awareness and mainstreaming of mental health conditions have given confidence to so many across society to have honest conversations about how they are feeling and the impact of other sections can have on the mental health.

What the statistics tell us about the state of our young people's mental health? NHS statistics show that in 2023 about one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 had a probable mental health disorder and urgent referrals of children and young people to an agency manager health services have tripled since 2019. The uncomfortable truth is that waiting list for children and adolescent mental health services can be a postcode lottery. For instance, in November of last year the average waiting time for a child for referral to a first appointment in Hereford and Worcestershire was seven weeks.

Compared to the national average of five weeks. We also know from Freedom of Information request that one child waited almost 2 years for an appointment. Referrals are Hereford and Worcester for -- Worcestershire trust have increased by five times across the country.

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I thank him for securing this

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I thank him for securing this backbench debate. That statistic of one in five young people with mental health condition must concern us health condition must concern us all. I hear from my own constituents in Shipley constituency that they are waiting a long time to get the are waiting a long time to get the children seen on the NHS, whether that's for an ADHD assessment or trying to get medication. And during that time the children are unable to that time the children are unable to participate in schools, says Matt Noble Friend agree with me that it's vital that we get children and young people's access to mental health, get those waiting times down so they

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I agree. It is about parity between mental and physical health. We would move heaven and earth if those children had physical those children had physical injuries, and we must do more to assess those mental health conditions that young people suffer from.

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from. He makes a really valid point about the need for parity between mental health and physical health. We also agree that actually there is a connection between the two? Sometimes poor physical health can Sometimes poor physical health can impact mental health, and vice versa?

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I agree wholeheartedly. Many young people I have spoken to have suffered from long-term physical conditions or illnesses that have conditions or illnesses that have had a detrimental impact on their mental health. There is evidence that the severity of mental distress that the severity of mental distress has increased. Admissions to acute mental health wards for children and young people increased by 65% between 2012 and 2022. A report between 2012 and 2022. A report published in September found that 90% of responders reported an increase in disclosure of mental increase in disclosure of mental health issues in 16 to 18-year-olds and those above 19 had an even higher amount.

The need for joined up and well resourced services is urgent. The report found that almost 1/3 of colleges ported at least one death from suicide in the previous year. It is distressing to consider that this escalation can and does happen, and this is why this debate is so important today. Despite the expansion of children and young people's mental health services, increased demands means the NHS estimates that the needs of less than half are being supported. The children and mental health coalition found there was an increase like you would have been impacted by mental health challenges, and children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, educational needs and disabilities, and those from LGBT Q backgrounds.

Young carers, children in care and refugee and migrant children. Children in kinship carer arrangements also have a high prevalence of social, emotional, mental health needs similar to that of looked after was but owing to their lesser entitlements and lack of support, their experience when of support, their experience when The complexity of issues that may impact a child's mental health is why mental health charities have been campaigning for a cross government medal have approached such a long time. I hope this government can deliver on this.

Why are educational establishments are crucial as part of this debate? The Centre for Mental Health has published research that 75% of lifetime it'll have difficulties occur before the age of 24. And 50% occur before the age of 14. That is why education settings are critical in addressing this national crisis. Schools and colleges are seen as places where children learn academic skills but also are safe places to seek support. Currently mental health provision in education centres varies. Mental health support teams can be found almost 50% of schools and their proven highly effective.

Research published by Barnardos has demonstrated that for each pound invested the government to save £1.90. Education and health of Schuld I have spoken with said we must reach England my coverage of this as soon as possible. The promise of the government to deliver a scar school counsellor in every school together with this would be a powerful

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indicator. I thank him four giving way on

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I thank him four giving way on this hugely important subject. I'm sure other people across the house, sure other people across the house, children's mental health is one of the subjects that comes up most frequently on the doorstep with parents struggling to get the mental parents struggling to get the mental health care their children need. One of the questions asked most frequently is how can we afford to frequently is how can we afford to increase mental health care. Will the honourable member agree with me that it is actually more cost- that it is actually more cost- effective to provide timely mental health than it is to end up treating people when they have been sick up for longer? Two, I thank him for the intervention but I would argue we cannot afford to take prevention and

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intervention on these issues. ... The honourable member will

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... The honourable member will know that suicide is the main cause of death for young people under the age of 35 in the UK. For those under age of 35 in the UK. For those under 18, school is where young people spend the majority of their lives. spend the majority of their lives. And when we have an opportunity to make change. Will he join me in paying tribute to the three dads walking were played a significant role in ensuring that this issue role in ensuring that this issue stays on the agenda, and to tackle the assumption that talking about

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suicide makes it more likely to happen? I thank Member for that

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I thank Member for that contribution. And I pay tribute to those you mentioned. It is such a those you mentioned. It is such a critical and important issue for the future of young people and I congratulate anyone that comes into this space and makes a positive this space and makes a positive difference to the outcomes. Despite the best efforts of teachers, education settings have yet to have education settings have yet to have much support. The experience of some young people themselves shows that young people themselves shows that the support on offer in some schools is not quite sufficient.

Mental Health Foundation works with families to help them develop their mental health together. Head of this debate they asked two of their participants and one from London to share their own experiences. One person said they say they will invest in mental health but this is not happening. There's a lot of pressure on children it is having a toll on mental health. As a parent, I'm feeling the strain of some of the constant breakdowns and failures to access support.

So schools had to be more proactive in dealing with the mental health. She said we only pick up when we are behaving irrationally and never understand why we are behaving this way. Schools are often the first point of contact went someone struggles with their mental health they need to feel confident that they have the support for pupils and can spot the signs of any difficulties. Education support and charity supporting the mental health and well-being found that 74% of staff often help pupils with personal matters beyond the academic work.

Educators are filling

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in where there are gaps. Further highlighting the need for joined up and abetted services. I thank the honourable gentleman

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I thank the honourable gentleman four giving way. I agree with him that schools and teachers at the that schools and teachers at the forefront of this mental health crisis that is facing our children. crisis that is facing our children. I recently visited a local primary school, and a Church of England school, and a Church of England primary and I want to pay tribute to the staff there for the excellent work they are doing to support their work they are doing to support their young people with debt mental health in making it much easier for them to talk about it.

Would my honourable friend agree with me that it is vital that schools have the adequate

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resources to provide adequate support? I thank her four intervention and I agree. It is not just young people who are struggling the process. The who are struggling the process. The additional workload of carrying out additional workload of carrying out well-being checks in distress in situations is taking its toll on stuff. 70% of all staff are stressed in education settings, rising to 84% in education settings, rising to 84% amongst senior leaders. No one could do the best work they are mentally depleted and healthy teachers can provide better high quality support provide better high quality support for the pupils.

What else can we do? We can't ignore the other factors significantly impacting young persons well-being which is why we need a whole government approach. Children and people might be expecting poor quality housing and overcrowded housing. Or the ability to get a GP or dead is the point when they need it. All challenges that I'm glad this government is taking action to remedy full stop but we can go for the mentally healthier nation, because for the rollout of anti-bully programs across the country.

The evidence shows that these programs work best when delivered in a whole school way. Rather than just taking a narrow approach, student and staff narrow approach, student and staff body understands what constitutes bullying and it stands against it and has tactics to prevent it. These programs have been tested and shown to be effective. They create a healthy environment, and leads to economic gains. The cost of picking up the pieces of childhood bullying in later life are enormous as are losses to the labour market as well as the toll of bullying in the here and now.

Young people can use a text service, a crisis line for help and People texting struggling with suicidal thoughts, urging to self- harm and some get feelings of depression and anxiety put up some refer to anger, shame, fear, hopelessness and frustration that resulted from being bullied. Others spoke about the lack of focus on poor performance in school as a result of their bullying. We also need to look at innovative new ways to develop the threats and people are facing a stop in a world where so-called influences like Andrew Tate can get their claws into our young men's minds, we need to look to the work of people like Mental Health Foundation's.

Currently operating in Lambeth and Islington, it works with young men aged 12 to 16 who face disadvantages and inequality that puts them at risk of mental health problems. Create a safe space for young men to come together and discuss issues about their lives, taking into account the lived experiences and often difficult environments they navigate. Helps to develop strengths like integrity, self-determination, positive anger expression and respect for women. Government respect for women. Government support is needed for this space.

Schools have a vital role in understanding young people's experiences and how it might impact their mental health. The Girl Guides report that one in HM people aged 13 to 18 have seen sexual threats directed at women and girls online. One in eight girls said they have received sexual threats online from strangers or someone that they knew. Over a year after the passing of the Online Safety Act, suicide and race hate forums remain accessible and it is not clear action will be taken.

Given Ofcom's permissive approach is likely that school staff have to understand what's of communities pupils are involved in the impact it is having. The time when 36% of boys say they have adult content chosen by friend in school, the impact on a young girl worth is great. How do we pull all this together? When it comes to preventative mental health perhaps overwhelmed by the complicity of the challenge, we find initiatives scattered, rarely appropriate funded, and they often do not learn from each other.

Sometimes we use localism as an excuse. We must create a public health mental infrastructure. The Mental Health Foundation described us as having a clear roadmap led by evidence which every part of the system will know it's response ability for producing mental health problems and will be funded. We need to re-examine the public health approach which despite a welcome uplift this year is well below 2015 levels was it means ring fenced funding for schools and the NHS tied to specific outcomes.

It means the rollout of England white metal health teams and councillors in every school. The children and young people's mental health coalition responded to the NHS 10 year plan coalition calling the plans to deliver a competitive roadmap for those up to age 25. The AoC found that 32 the colleges a lot of of their local suicide prevention plan and 65% said they do not have a drawbridge with a local NHS trust. It is clear that keep children well and save our NHS services and their commissioning bodies must be fully integrated into Mental Health Support Teams education settings.

Schools colleges and universities should be included in the local cloud strategies, and data should be freely shared. I'm excited by this government's pledge to look at future hubs which aim to bring services together, deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges, where appropriate, to deliver universal provision. These initiatives could represent the start of an infrastructure and implementation plan for a national network of these hubs. The College network of these hubs. The College Says it has the potential to support some of the most minority ties to children who might not be able to access support on the school basis consistently.

I'm pleased the NHS remains committed to extending access to children and young people's mental health services and it recognises that early intervention includes outcomes for children throughout their lives reducing long-term pressure on health services and benefits the economy and wider society. I urge the government to seize this moment and see if it can create a true network of mental health support across this country. Getting those programs in place, following evidence and committing to relentlessly drive down levels of poor mental health. To build a mentally healthy community in schools and beyond.

Prevention, early help, treatment can help young people deliver positive outcomes. Yes many of the measures I have referenced today are the ones already announced by the government that will require significant investment. But the cost of inaction and the knock-on impact for children's social care far outweigh any initial cost. Now is the time

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for action. I think we have eight members hoping to contribute. There will be hoping to contribute. There will be a time limit of four minutes because I want to make sure we all get in.

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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. Thank you so much to the honourable member for Redditch for bringing member for Redditch for bringing this debate. For talking about the this debate. For talking about the importance of these programs for talking about anti-pulling programs as well. And for the members who as well. And for the members who have brought in the mire wider mental health issues. These are vital issues as well. I am proud to say that there has been rare and groundbreaking work in educational settings in my constituency of Brighton Pavilion.

A campaign led by young people and secured funding for council capacity in local schools and it is a cause of pride. The £200,000 of investment for the city council will support hundreds of young people with counselling across And I was very inspired by the work of the students pressing the council for this, who put their case direct to the council. I talked about two students in my opening speech. I welcome the council and the funds to support this vital work.

I'm pleased to see Fulham the pilot there will be another year fond of 25/26 via the council. The key request now from the British Association for counsellors and psychotherapists and citizens UK is the government funded school counselling provision delivered by specialist children and young people, counsellors and psychotherapists on a statutory basis. So I welcome the pledges from
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16:02
Helen Hayes Portrait Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)
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on his excellent speech. The starting point of thinking about mental health services and education settings must be an understanding of the foundational nature of good mental health and well-being for everything we seek to do in life. Challenges with mental health are corrosive for every aspect of our lives, depression or anxiety can ruin the happiest of celebrations on the sunniest of days. It can prevent us from focusing on essential tasks, can affect our relationships with friends, family members and colleagues and can leave some people feeling unable to get even out of bed in the morning.

That's true for all of us as adults and it is equally true for children and young people. Good mental health and well-being is essential for accessing education and getting the most out of it get our children and young people are suffering an epidemic of poor mental health and well-being, and it's holding them back. In every school that all of us in this House visit in our constituencies, I'm sure we will have heard head teachers, senior leaders and teachers in our classrooms talking about the challenges the young people in their classes face their mental health, and that is borne out by the data too.

In 2023, one in five children aged 8016 -- eight to 16 had a probable mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression. And amongst young people 17 to 19, the rate of probable mental health disorder had increased over just five years from 10th in 2017 to more than 1/4 by 2022. So in this context I welcome the government's commitment to place a mental health professional in every school across the country, but there are some additional points that I wish to raise, which are relevant to the effectiveness of that rollout.

The first is around clarity, which I hope the mystique and given the level of qualification that the mental health professional will be required to have in every school. And the second is whether their remit will be as well as delivering services to young people, to drive a culture across the whole school that is conducive to good mental health and well-being, which will as he knows will involve the senior leaders buy in. And there are other areas relevant to children's mental health and well-being. The crisis in a special needs, special educational needs and disability system is having a profound impact on children's mental health and well- being, and my committee heard this week from children who had been hospitalised and diagnosed with PTSD not as a consequence of their additional needs but as a consequence of being in schools that consequence of being in schools that are unable to meet their needs.

And to know that the Minister knows about the urgent need for reform of our SEND system. Mental health professionals in schools will also quickly be overwhelmed if we cannot get to grips with the crisis affecting our children and young people as a consequence of their addiction to smartphones and their access to social media. Which we know is making our children more anxious, less able to focus more sleep deprived and more stressed out. And I welcome the measures the Minister announced in response to my honourable friend's bill on Friday, but I do believe there is a need to go further with this urgent crisis which is affecting the mental health and well-being of our children.

Finally, I want to touch on the vital issue of CAMHS waiting times. We have GPs to prescribe antibiotics Pressure medication to prevent heart attack or stroke but when an infection becomes a critical illness or a patient has suffered a heart attack or stroke, we went think for one second it was appropriate to send them back to their GP, yet that's exactly what happens to far too many children and young people who are seriously mentally unwell. It's an unacceptable situation, and as well as looking at mental health and well-being support, in education settings, we also need to look at how our NHS can deliver much more quickly and effectively for children whose problems are much more serious than that.
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John Milne Portrait John Milne MP (Horsham, Liberal Democrat)
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Thank you. And thank the honourable member for bringing this important debate. It's time to acknowledge that SEND and mental health provision in schools is one of the great crisis facing today. Although I do appreciate there's a lot of competition for that particular accolade. Financial pressures have significantly impacted CAMHS funding in my constituency. Despite a modest 0.6 0.63 uplift for Sussex, the sector has placed mandated 15% funding reduction, 1.6 million and that's coupled with rising staff costs due to higher national insurance contributions and an increase to the National Living Wage.

Meanwhile, demand just keeps going up. Since September 2020, Sussex comes has experienced a substantial rise in referrals, tribute to the pandemic and the easing of lockdown restrictions. This search has adversely affected waiting times for initial assessments and treatment. But the crisis is even sharper at the local education authority funding level. My local authority West Sussex has a dedicated schools grant deficit scheduled to go past 130 million by this April. They allowed to keep this off the balance sheet for another year, but there is only so long we can maintain the fantasy that this service can be afforded without major central government intervention.

But most of all, the pain is being felt at school level and by the Children and Families Act who experience the many failings and gaps in service. I have been contacted by no less than five schools in the last fortnight alone regarding this issue. Typical of their messages this from Holbrook Priory School governing board, " Schools, trusts and local authorities are overwhelmed by the rising number of pupils who are seeking additional support, and the ever increasing cost of providing assistance. Urgent action is required now to help solve the crisis in SEND so the future of our children is not blighted by a system that is not fit for purpose." And have to say having visited many schools recently, the one thing I feel is verging on desperation of the teachers but also their love for the children they are looking after.

They really disbelieve want to help them, but they are in an impossible situation and there is unafraid to say an element of physical danger in some cases. Not the children's fault. It's our fault. Horsham schools are asking for health services to take on more of the strain. Because they are at breaking point, but while mental health provision in schools has cleared benefits, we must ensure that this provision is in full on school budgets. And to help support teams cover about 44% of schools in the UK and come from NHS budgets, not school budgets.

That should become 100% coverage. The pressure on schools to cope with more and more send my children with little or no extra funding is set undo every game we've made in educational standards over the last decades. I appreciate that the government is taking at least some action to assist things now, but the pressure... I would urge them to use every lever that they have to avert this crisis before it spins entirely out of control.

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I congratulate my honourable

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I congratulate my honourable friend the member of Redditch on securing this debate. And I'm grateful to the backbench business committee for finding time for it. I know from my experience that we have know from my experience that we have a mental health system that is overstretched and under resourced. overstretched and under resourced. In fact there has never been so much demand for mental health support for children and young people. In June, children and young people. In June, the number of active CAMHS reference in England was a record 840,000.

It's clear that this government have inherited a crisis in children and young people's mental health. We want young people to be happy, healthy and safe and to be equipped with everything they need to achieve and thrive as adults, but with half of mental health issues developing by the time the young people reach the age of 14, three quarters before the age of 24, it is essential that there is early intervention mental health support for children and

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young people. Last year I met the parents of a young woman struggling with the mental health in my constituency. She wasn't in crisis but did need She wasn't in crisis but did need some additional support. Her school encouraged her parents to withdraw encouraged her parents to withdraw her from the school because they can provide the support, which they did because they didn't know what to do.
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Sojan Joseph Portrait Sojan Joseph MP (Ashford, Labour)
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because they didn't know what to do. Living her out of education for over 18 months and severely in crisis. Does my honourable friend agree with me that early intervention in

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schools is crucial for breaking down barriers? I thank the honourable member for

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I thank the honourable member for the intervention and I agree with that and have many experience of that and have many experience of similar crisis. I want to illustrate this point by referring to some this point by referring to some real-life examples. In the operating hall this week is an excellent exhibition about the Mental Health Act that has been brought together by mind. It features artwork and by mind. It features artwork and written pieces by people who have been detained under the current act.

I had the pleasure of meeting some of them on Monday, including a young lady called a FIFA. She is now 19 but was first detained under the act when she was 14. She spoke powerfully and movingly about the treatment she endured while she was under section. When I asked her if there was one thing that could have helped her, she said without hesitation that if she had received mental health support at an earlier stage, she is clear that her experience would have been very different.

The other examples I would refer to are from my own experience of working in mental health system and demonstrate the different early intervention and support can make. There are two young people who are of similar age, one teenage boy who unfortunately has not been able to access the support he needs, and as a result he is struggling to cope. This is not only impacting on his mental health but having a detrimental impact on his family, especially his parents. By contrast, in the second page, the parents of teenage girl who had been diagnosed with a mental health condition knew I worked in mental health at the time I came to see me.

I ensured she was referred to CAMHS at an early stage and as a result both she and her parents are doing well, and the young lady is due to sit her A-levels in the summer. This underlines how children who receive support quickly are less likely to develop long-term conditions that negatively affect their education. Social develop and health later in life. I welcome the right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence education has been clear that children's wellbeing will be priority for this government.

Research from British Association for counselling and psychotherapy indicates that children whose mental health difficulties are initially too complex for low intensity interventions but are too complex enough to be referred to higher intensity interventions, such as CAMHS can easily miss out on the mental health support they need. Ensuring there is enough mental health support for children and young people in educational settings will help to free up NHS time and resources while also making sure we have a healthy and productive population in the future.

But we should also make sure that support exist in the community so can I ask my honourable friend for an update on the government's plans for young future hubs? Do they agree that this access drop-in hub can provide an important step in providing community-based mental health support for children and young people? There is clear evidence that the places and circumstances in which people are born, grow, study, live and work have powerful influences on the mental health. Children and young people from low- income families are four times more likely to experience mental health problems than children from higher income families.

While one in four of the children and young people with diagnosable mental health condition live in a household that has experienced a reduction in household income. This is why I want to see reform of the way that we deal with the mental health. From deal with the mental health. From Westminster, I'd like to see greater cross-party working. At local level, I believe through greater cooperation between schools, college and universities with local health providers and others in the local community can help create education settings that are effective and protecting young people's mental health and general well-being, taking this long-term approach will help create a society that prevents mental ill-health for children and

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young people in the first place. Due to the number of withdrawals,

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Due to the number of withdrawals, we are now you may have noticed, we have stopped the clocks. Basically have stopped the clocks. Basically there are two colleagues left. I'm going to allow you to please yourselves. The Frontbench want to yourselves. The Frontbench want to be up by 4: 30 so I'm going to let you manage this time between you manage this time between

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you manage this time between I have gone through and scratched quite a lot out but you will probably be pleased about that. I want to be tribute to my honourable friend member for Redditch for his efforts to secure this important debate. Being an MP is a difficult job to define. It is true that there are 650 ways to be an MP. We are all finding our way. But in choosing such a subject for the debate, he shows his humanity and the man he is.

So I commend him for that. With debates like this, you can do good in this place. We have a profound opportunity to profile issues we and our constituents care about. And amplify the voices in a constituency who may not get the attention they deserve we can show that they matter, restore trust and faith bit by bit. I love this job because we get to do that. It is an honour to speak in today's debate on a topic that is important to the future of our young people.

Mental health and education settings is an issue that affects the entire country and one
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Dan Aldridge Portrait Dan Aldridge MP (Weston-super-Mare, Labour)
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that demands urgent action. One in eight children and young people in the UK are living with a mental the UK are living with a mental health condition often left without support, guidance, and critically the treatment they need to build resilience to thrive in a fast changing world. For years, changing world. For years, governance failed young people by not providing certainty and fundamentally the early intervention is needed to support our children into mental wellness. In the into mental wellness. In the knowledge that when things go wrong, there is a safety net for them.

This issue has only worsened since the issue has only worsened since the pandemic which amplified the strain on the mental health of young people. Too many students, we all see this across our families, are still not receiving the support they need. This is a crisis and cannot afford to ignore. Too many young people are not in education employment or training as they are felled by system so woefully unsupported during a time when anyone who has any children and who works with them knows that this is a crisis and has been for a long time.

Funding for Mental Health Support Teams represents a step forward in ensuring that young people receive the help they need particularly at an early stage. However we cannot overlook that much more still needs to be done for children in towns like Weston-super-Mare and beyond so they do not fall through the cracks anymore. I welcome the government's progress in the short time. Yet the reality is not all schools are currently able to access the services. Even when MHS piece are available the support is often not available.

I know everyone in the house is impatient for much-needed improvements. As constituency MPs, we see the pain of the previous government's failure on Charles mental health. In surgery after surgery. We must ensure that these teams are expanded across the country reaching every school and every student needs help. I would like to pay tribute to all the teachers, support staff, volunteers, and families across the constituency for their crucial role in supporting the mental health by young people. These are the ones who see students day in day out and you are the first ones to notice when something is wrong.

Yet many teachers and teaching staff feel underprepared to deal with mental health challenges in their classrooms. Staff should not feel they are managing the challenges on their own, and it is vital schools are supported, with resource but also ongoing professional development to help deal with the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges faced by their students. We must also recognise that the mental health of teaching staff themselves is just as important. Teaching staff work under incredible pressure. And the emotional and psychological toll of supporting students often with their own challenges can be overwhelming.

If we expect teaching staff to support the mental health of students we must ensure they receive appropriate support too full stop the evidence is clear, investing in mental health support in schools not only helps students emotionally and physically but also boosts academic outcomes and overall school well- being. It cascades out to families and well beyond the school gates. We cannot and must not fail more children and families by not taking this seriously. The young people of Weston-super-Mare, like those of us in the UK, are bursting with potential.

But without the right support for the mental health to navigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of our fast changing society, and we have to talk it down rather than talk up the nature of our fast changing society, but without it, that potential will not be realised. I look forward to the government's continued expansion of mental health support in schools, I urge them to ensure that our teaching staff are given the tools and support they need to look after their own mental health so they can continue to be the positive role models and carers that our students need.

We trust them to look after our children every day and we go it to them to

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make sure they are looked after. Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker.

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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. I first want to say how good it is that members are here in the Houses that members are here in the Houses of Parliament discussing mental health are young people. And I thank my honourable friend for bringing forward such a critical debate. In a forward such a critical debate. In a previous role on the health scrutiny committee for Leicestershire and committee for Leicestershire and Rutland what is clear is that young people are waiting too long for treatment, and that is having a long-term detrimental impact on long-term detrimental impact on them.

This is in addition to the increasing number of young people that are needing to wait on campus waiting lists that are just too long. We also need to look at specialist services such as people
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Amanda Hack Portrait Amanda Hack MP (North West Leicestershire, Labour)
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suffering from disordered eating, it has doubled in just a couple of has doubled in just a couple of years. What is clear is we need to improve early intervention for our young people. We have to ensure mental health is discussed only as mental health is discussed only as part of the curriculum but it is discussed with young people across their peers. We need to ensure that their peers. We need to ensure that young people reach out for support when they need it. Just as importantly, we need to listen to importantly, we need to listen to them and act when they do.

Often them and act when they do. Often people are ignored. Current children and adults have experienced a global pandemic. We can't ignore this period in their lives and the impact it has had on some of them. I have two teenagers so I've seen it firsthand myself. By increasing mental health support in educational settings, we know we can provide the foundations that I am people will need for the future. We are discussing something that can't always be seen on the surface, and is often viewed as off-limits.

Often think about a group of young people that I visited in an alternative educational provision in my constituency. Just by speaking to them I know how difficult and tough life has been for them at such a young age. But I also feel very empowered from them, they were amazing young people, and they knew that the support that they have received when they needed it had turned their lives around. For some, it can be six hours of relentless bullying at school.

60% of Girl Guides so they have received negative comments from other people about their appearance. Some will be within a school setting. And nearly half of seven to 10-year-olds said they feel alone over half the time. Often when conversations around mental health support is being had, we just talk about teenagers. But mental health support needs to be available for all young people of every age to help build healthy habits, help them talk about what they need, and set out where people can go for support.

Talk

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I think before I became an MP I worked with young people, and increasingly over the last few increasingly over the last few years, mental health issues that we saw normally on teenagers are saw normally on teenagers are becoming younger and younger. Some of the links for that is linked to younger people having access to younger people having access to social media and not having many of the breaks we would have had as younger people. The honourable members point is a very valuable one and will she tell me more?

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and will she tell me more? I want to thank my honourable friend for the intervention. I think the sadness is we was talk about teenagers but if we can give those young people as young as seven to 10 that resilience, we might be able to prevent them being poorly when they get older. We have to start the conversations as early as possible to build resilience and confidence in our young people. And putting mental health support in educational settings or not any means we can change the culture in schools for children who struggle with the mental health, we will be able to see how young people can be supported in the right place, at the

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right time, in the right setting. Onay point of order.

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Onay point of order. Thank you. In my speech earlier referred to West Sussex County referred to West Sussex County Council. I neglected to mention in Council. I neglected to mention in my declaration of interests that I'm currently still a member of the currently still a member of the Sussex county council. I want to put that on the record.

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that on the record. I thank the woman before that point of order. Now he has put it on the record it will be recorded as such. Thank you. We now come to the Frontbench contributions will stop I come to the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
16:25
Munira Wilson Portrait Munira Wilson MP (Twickenham, Liberal Democrat)
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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. Could I start by congratulating the honourable member for Redditch. This incredibly important debate. I spent much of the past five years talking about children's mental health, and I don't think frankly we can have enough debates about it. It is so incredibly important. We have heard many statistics from honourable members today. I will add to those, evidence says that UK students have the lowest reported well-being in Western Europe based on a survey of 15-year-olds.

In 2024 The Children's Society found that the happiness of UK children aged 10 to 15 was at its lowest since recording began in 2009. As we have heard with the NHS reporting that a staggering one in five children, six in every classroom, having a mental health disorder. I would argue that it is not an exaggeration to say that we are heading towards a public health emergency as far as our children's mental health is concerned. Yet, as is so often the case, with both children and with mental health, they are often overlooked and low down the priority list.

The Darzi Report highlighted that children account for 24% of the population but only 11% of NHS expenditure. The latest evidence suggests you are eight times more likely to have to wait over 18 months if you need mental health treatment compared to physical health. Despite this, the government targets on bringing down NHS waiting lists excludes mental health. With over 100,000 children waiting over a year to be assessed for mental health treatment it is clear that children have been de- prioritised.

As I have repeatedly said in this place, putting money into children and services that support our children as the greatest investment we can make the country. When budgets are tight, support for children and mental health should not be pushed aside. I don't think it is an exaggeration to call the situation a public health emergency. When it comes to public health When it comes to public health issue, we know that prevention and early intervention are key. That is where the role of schools, colleges, universities comes in.

As we have heard, half of lifetime mental health conditions arise before the age of 14. Ensuring mental health support available in schools from primary upwards is absolutely critical intervention. The Liberal Democrats have long called for the mental health practitioner to be placed in every primary and in every secondary school. Given we know the impact of Online Harms Bill on our children's mental health, we have strongly made the case for a strongly made the case for a principal that the big tech giants should bear the costs of this measure.

A trebling of the digital services tax would fund a practitioner in every primary and secondary school in England. I am slightly confused because I have heard the Minister when we have been discussing this issue during the Bill Committee of the Children's Wellbeing Bill, and I have seen in Labour Party materials that the government is committed to introducing specialist Mental Health Support Teams for children and people in every school. But I know that previously there was a commitment for a counsellor in every school and it is durable member of Redditch talked about the counsellor in every school.

So I'm hoping that Pointer policy will be clarified by the Minister when he speaks from the Dispatch Box in a moment. During the Dispatch Box in a moment. During the Bill Committee, my impression was it is the governments intention to build out from the Mental Health Support Teams that were established during, by the last government. He confirmed during the Bill Committee that only 44% of children and people have access to these teams. And that will rise to 50% in April. He did not set out a timeline or a plan as to how and when the government will proceed to cover all schools to meet their commitments to ensure that every school will have access to specialist support.

The MHS T is brilliant, I've spoken to staff working these teams both in my constituency and in Castleton with the member there. The reality is that they are spread far too thin across a number of primary and secondary schools with some schools only getting half a day or a day of support. I don't think this is enough. Last year one teenager in a secondary school in my constituency took their own life or stop another school in my considered he had three teenagers in two months ending up in A&E having attempted to take their own lives.

Clearly that level of mental ill-health requires much more acute intervention and therapy in school. But the reality is if we start early and young, proper support, some of these truly awful incidents might have been prevented. The MHST model might be the best in schools but I would urge the government to be ambitious to every school has a full-time a quiver to one person in terms of the amount of support they have. I note many schools are trying to top up the resource out of their own funds, but the budgets being stretched ever further, sadly mental health support is one of the areas that head teachers and governors are telling me they are having to start cutting back on.

We know the epidemic of mental ill-health is driving the crisis that we have got in our schools of persistent absence. As we have heard from the honourable Member, we have heard a lot in recent days about the 1 million or so young adults who are not in education, employment, or training. So for the sake of these young people's futures, for the sake of our economy, and for our society, we must be better and we must do more. I don't have time today to talk about school staff but again this was mentioned by the honourable member for Weston-Super-Mare.

We know we have recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. That is because many teachers see themselves as the fourth emergency service. We have to support them with their dental health if we want to stop that flow out of our schools. On higher education hope the government will look at introducing a duty of care as we have heard too many tragic stories of students taking their own lives and their loved ones know nothing about the mental health problems. And I also want to pay tribute to a lot of the charities around the country that are plugging the gaps In my constituency we have amazing charities like purple record and off the record working with children and their families.

Working across Bridgeton to step in and work with some of those children no longer engaging with school command some of the suicidal ones who as I said before, there have been a number of suicide attempts in my constituency and when I've been to Annesley Bridge have heard of many more stories of attempts of children taking their own lives, and these services are absolutely critical if we want to keep those young children and young people save and help them to recover. Just before I sit down because I know Madame Deputy Speaker, she is saying have got a few more minutes, in which case I just want to touch on two more points.

Childhood bereavement. It's a really important and often overlooked issue. I want to pay tribute my honourable friend the mammoth Edinburgh West who has long championed the need for a register of those children who have been bereaved. The childhood bereavement has a terrible impact on children's wellbeing, and potentially their mental health and the educational outcomes. I hope that ministers will look seriously at introducing a register so we know how many of these children there are, where they are based, and what support they need because that information isn't available at the moment.

Additionally there is no national mandate from the Department for Education for schools to have a proven policy. Nor is there any national policy to support schools with this. So I hope that will be addressed. And finally, the honourable member from Redditch mentioned children growing up in kinship care. The Minister will know I've been long campaigning cross- party on support for kinship carers and children -- growing up in kinship care. I no I and other honourable members inboxes have been filled with constituents you have either adopted children or who are kinship carers for children whose parents can no longer look after them and have benefited from the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

It's a really really critical fund that those parents, those carers are often accessing to be able to support those children who have suffered terrible trauma often to support them with their mental health and to provide therapeutic support for those children who have experienced trauma, loss and instability, yet there is no, there are no guarantees, no reassurance from government as to the future of that fund. If I'm correct, I think at the moment we got funding confirmed until the end of this month, and there's a huge amount of uncertainty, and honourable members from across the House of Ashley tabled written questions, and there's been no clear answer on what the future of this fund is, so I hope when the Mr gets to his feet at the despatch box, he will put on record what the plans are for the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

It's crucial, and we cannot lose it. In conclusion, our children cannot thrive and they can achieve their full potential if they are not happy and if they are not well. So I implore the Minister to work closely with his counterparts in the Department of Health and Social Care to treat this public health challenge as an emergency. Our children and young people are only young once. They deserve the best feature they can get. They cannot afford to wait. We need to prioritise this.

Thank you.

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Called the opposition minister. Thank you, do like to congratulate the honourable member
16:36
Caroline Johnson Portrait Dr Caroline Johnson MP (Sleaford and North Hykeham, Conservative)
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congratulate the honourable member from Redditch for obtaining this important debate in the chamber today. I'd also like to declare an interest because I'm a consultant paediatrician, network throughout my career with children usually at the point of severe crisis when they've been admitted to A&E hospital following episodes of having delivery self harmed, cutting themselves, taking overdoses and other such things, and I've seen quite clearly the heartbreak for families as they struggled to understand what it is they can do to best help the young person to get best help the young person to get better.

Over recent years there's been a decline in the mental health and well-being of children and young people and an increasing demand for mental health services. This is perhaps one of the big challenges of our era. Currently around 1/5 of children aged eight to 16 are said to have probable mental health disorder up from 12.5% in 2017. This figure is even higher at 20% for people aged 17 to 24. The consequences of mental health the students range from poor academic performance and dropping out of university or college to self-harm and suicide and we must do all we can to help.

I want to briefly talk about university students because university is supposed to be among an enjoyable formative period of your life, but for many people it's also when they leave home for the first time. When they separated for the first time from the family, their friends and their support networks. And data from the Office for National Statistics shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic students reported high levels of anxiety, lower levels of happiness than the general population. The number of students with a mental health condition has increased sevenfold in the decade, last decade.

Even before the pandemic students consistently reported worse mental health from the rest of the adult population these trends were greatly exacerbated by the impacts of lockdown, so can I ask the Minister can he update the House on what steps he is taking to support young people with mental health problems as they go to university and developing mental health problems at university? Despite the unprecedented challenges the previous government face, not least the pandemic, we did make important strides in improving mental health services.

An increase in the recognition and discussion of mental health problems and decreasing investment and reducing stigma. Between 2018 and 19 and 23/24, spending on mental health services has increased by 7.4 billion which give an additional 3 inch and 45,000 young people access to medical support they needed. And the number of mental health nurses increased by 30% since 2010. Still we see the demand is outstripping supply. Prevention is better than cure, and we do need to understand why we have such high levels of mental health problems in children.

So can the Minister update the House on how the government is working to identify risk factors for poor mental health and how the government will support the children and support families to help prevent poor health? The last government to try to take mental health problems early and stop them from getting worse, committing a mistake many pounds of funding for 24 early swaps and 24/25. These offered early open access mental health intervention without the need for a referral by bot doctor or school.

The drop-in centre offers advice to children going through traumatic stress and anxiety, giving them space to go when the problems first emerge, and I wonder what the gum is doing in terms of expanding the availability of these centres. And what the Minister can update us on that. The Online Safety Act made very good progress in protecting children from harm from online content but there is much more to do on the topic of screen time as been mentioned by honourable members this afternoon. Does the Minister agree with me that the mounting evidence we are hearing completely from health professionals about the impact of smartphones in particular on children's mental health is very concerning.

And if so, will he support the Conservatives amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to ban smartphone use in schools? However, there have been some concerns over the desire to sport and enable individuals to have positive mental well-being, the danger that the pendulum has swung a little far and the boundaries between distress and disorder have become blurred. And the risk of that as it misses out, those who are most unwell may miss out on they deserve and need because of the volume of referrals, but it also risks burdening others with unhelpful oversubscription that can help them back without addressing the root cause of their very real needs.

84% of GPs are now said to believe that societies approach mental health has led to medical icing the normal ups and downs of life. The terms well- being, mental health, mental illness are often used interchangeably. So what steps is the most taking to distinguish between these terms and educational context? And in other public services to ensure that we can get the best outcome for those affected and make sure people get the treatment they clinically the treatment they clinically require. I want to pay tribute to the work many charities do to support our young people with mental health problems.

But also to ask the Minister to talk to his Chancellor about funding for these services because Dr Sarah Hughes the Chief Executive of Mindset the implications for the NIC rise and, " Eye watering at a time when we are trying to direct every penny towards delivering the best support." These charities do immense work to create a mentally healthy society, putting everything they have into it and this covenant should recognise the huge investment and not just stabilise it destabilised by mounting costs they simply cannot subsidise.

It's also important to recognise this connection between physical and mental health and those with long-term fiscal conditions are considered more likely to have poor mental health. Is the government doing to support children with chronic illness? Help them improve their mental health. In 2023, now Education Secretary said that Labour want to train mental health counsellor available in every secondary school. What steps they take towards achieving this? More specifically, why are they focused on secondary schools? In April 2024, Doctor Patrick wrote to general secretary said we also need to see improved support for pupils in primary school to secure wraparound care for all stages of education for tips what is the government doing to support children in primary school? Head of the last general election the Labour Party promise to establish young future subs and recruit 8.5 mental health maple 5,000 mental health staff in schools.

Why so little progress made in delivering these promises? The Minister stood on a manifesto to establish the young people's future hubs. And provide mental health in all schools at 107 £5 million cost. They said they would fund it through revenue from applying VAT interest rates to private schools. Can the Minister confirm if the revenue obtained from applying the VAT to private schools looks like it will be sufficient to expand the mental health support as described? And if not, how does the government intend to fund these measures? They said they are going to do.

In the speech the Confederation of school trust on seventh November last year, the Education Secretary also claimed the government would give every single child the very best chance in life in a new era of child-centred government. So how does she justify the impact of well-being of those children who are forced to move schools due to the imposition of the private sector? VAT. Think tanks have been noticing that being forced to move school has an impact on friendships and emotional developing. But support is the offering those children? In conclusion, mental ill-health issues among young people are one of the defining issues of our time.

As with semi other policy areas, the government has promised a panacea. But it has delivered so far a

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sticking plaster. I now call the Minister Stephen

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Morgan. Thank you. I'm grateful to my honourable friend the Member for honourable friend the Member for Redditch for securing a debate on such an important subject, which such an important subject, which rightly invites considerable cross- party support. We note that one third of adult mental ill-health third of adult mental ill-health originates before age 14 and see -- six in 10 have their first onset by age 25, meaning child hood and early adulthood is critical period for early interventions and prevention.

That is why this government has set a bold and new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history. Which of course includes their mental health and well-being. We have seen increases in mental health issues in children. NHS surveys suggest that around 20% of eight to 16-year-olds had a probable mental health disorder in 2023, up from 13% in 2017. Well- being or life satisfaction of children and young people also shows cause for concern.

Long-term reductions in children and young people's well being of a common trend across countries, and we have to acknowledge that England and the UK report along the lowest levels of average life satisfaction among the participating countries. There is no one civil reason for this, and rising mental health challenges is an international phenomenon. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 such as school closures and reduced opportunities for social and emotional development are a factor, as are changes in health behaviours like low physical activity, increased eating and sleeping problems, and increased screen time and social media use.

Point made by There are a wide range of contributing society factors and national and global issues like international outlook, international conflict, and climate change. The relative influence of these drivers is complex. Taken together they show the scale of the challenge that we are facing.

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I thank him for giving way. Amongst children and people who suffer the most acute mental health suffer the most acute mental health challenges, are children and people who will have experienced some kind of adverse expense of trauma of adverse expense of trauma resulting in them being taken into the care system. My committee heard evidence a couple of weeks ago from children and people who talked about children and people who talked about the lack of adequate assessment of their mental health when they are taken into care when they move taken into care when they move placements.

They are calling for strengthening the regulations around that so that health and well-being is properly taken into account. I have tabled an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing Bill which will be discussing next week. I wonder if the Minister would give a commitment to look at that and see if we can get the support to be better for children.

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I thank my honourable friend for the intervention. I know she is a the intervention. I know she is a real champion for looked after. We will certainly look at those proposals and look at all work that the Select Committee does to support the Select Committee does to support our most vulnerable children in society. Prevention is vital. Schools and colleges can actually play preventative roles through what play preventative roles through what they do day-to-day. Attainment is a vital factor in longer term mental vital factor in longer term mental health, helping our people have access to the things they want to do in life.

In a further study and in life. In a further study and jobs. The best schools and colleges to set high standards and high expectations, and supports children to overcome barriers to their learning including those with special educational needs and disabilities. We also understand that a child's experience in school helps them to both achieve and thrive. Education settings also support the social and emotional developers of people through what is taught in lessons through extracurricular activity and through pastoral support.

Pupils who are thriving with positive subjective well-being and a strong sense of belonging, accomplishment, autonomy, and good health achieve better educational outcomes and are more likely to attend school. They are better equipped to face issues in their lives which is important. Not every child facing mental health issues will need clinical interventions. The support they get from their friends, family, and school and college staff can be what they need. Like my honourable friend from Weston-super-Mare said, I would like to acknowledge and recognise the many thousands of school leaders, teachers, and staff committed to promoting and supporting the mental health and well-being of their pupils every day through the things that they do to make school a safe and supportive and inclusive place for children, supporting specific needs of children and working with parents and families and other community services.

We know that as many as nine in 10 schools have a designated lead. 's mental health and over three quarters benefited from DfE funded training, helping embed a whole school approach to mental health and well-being. Nevertheless schools and colleges themselves cannot deal with every issue that people have. That is why as a government we are committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school so every young person has access to early support, to address problems before they escalate.

This commitment will be delivered through the expansion of NHS funded Mental Health Support Teams. These teams Health Support Teams. These teams will work in schools and colleges offering early support through evidence-based one-to-one and group interventions. Liaising with specialist services and supporting Leeds to develop their holistic approach to mental health and well- being. This is what makes mental health resource team is such a valuable resource. I've seen this important work first hand on visits to education settings in Brighton, to Manchester, and rugby.

By April 2025 we expect these teams to cover over 50% of children and people in schools and colleges. On plans for further expansion, they are being drawn up the NHS to achieve 100% coverage as soon as patently

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possible. I will give way. I am very grateful to the

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I am very grateful to the Minister for giving way., What sort Minister for giving way., What sort of level of resource does he expect that to be? Might it be half a day a week, one day a week, or full-time equivalent? I know the previous

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equivalent? I know the previous equivalent had been for a counsellor in every school. I thank her for the intervention.

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I thank her for the intervention. I can assure her that it will mean access to a mental health fictional in every school and we are working at the detail of that as we speak and will announce more in due course. I will make some progress if I may. The pace of the roller Mental Health Support Teams will be determined by local needs. At present is substantial investment in the workforce growth and training through this Parliament, with further announcements being made in the spring.

We recognise that our pledge to every school to have access to specialist mental health professionals is not the whole answer. Schools are facing their own pressures and rely on health professionals for diagnoses and treatment for their pupils until health needs. We all know from our own post bags and inboxes, and as my friend from Redditch shared during his contribution, waiting lists for those referred for specialist support are too high. The Department for Health and Social Care is working to bring waiting times down and intervene earlier.

In addition, the governance will be putting in place the new young futures hubs including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit 8500 new mental health stuff to treat children and adults. As well as targeted mental health support, we must also tackle the wider drivers affecting children and people's mental health. For instance, my department Scott rented child poverty strategy will centre on unlocking opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. In addition, we recognise the importance of monitoring and understanding trends in the well- being of children and young people.

And already closely monitoring national data and research on young people's mental health and well- being and encouraging schools to measure people's well-being. Since becoming the Minister for early education, I have seen and heard about such incredible work going on in schools and colleges across the country. I've listened to the issues education staff continue to have. And it brings real joy to engage directly with children and people across the country. My department will continue to support education staff and provide a range of guidance and practical resources to help schools to embed effective whole school or college approaches to mental health and well-being.

Example, the resources hub for mental health leads, and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils. And I recognise there is interest across the house in a number of different forms of support such as counselling provision, as we have heard this afternoon. We believe that schools are best placed to choose what provision best meets the needs of their pupils. But ensure there are resources in place to help schools

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do this well. Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker.

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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. Would the Minister agree that what has been announced today does fall has been announced today does fall short, access presumably by appointment to services that are available in the local area to be in available in the local area to be in a different setting, is not the same

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kind of availability to support as having councillors, properly qualified counsellors, in schools. I can assure the honourable

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I can assure the honourable Member that I have not announced anything today. And as I mentioned, we are working to the detail of this. The commitment is access to dedicated mental health of in every school. It was a real pleasure to visit her constituency and see that work first hand. A number of members are interested in the role of councils in this important area. Turning to public health, local government public health response is an essential element of promoting healthier lives, and addressing health inequalities.

There will be more than £4 billion of public health funding in 2025/26 including over £3.8 billion in a public health grants to local authorities which is an average of 5.4% cash increase. Or 3% real terms increase in the local authority public health grant
16:55
Stephen Morgan Portrait Stephen Morgan MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Portsmouth South, Labour)
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funding compares to the last financial year. This represents a significant turning point for local significant turning point for local public health services, marking the biggest real terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced funding. I want to thank all members across I want to thank all members across the house for their contributions this afternoon. My honourable friend for Redditch spoke with insight and for Redditch spoke with insight and passion about the support needed to support children and people. The need for parity between physical and need for parity between physical and mental health, and made a number of informed contributions based on evidence and research.

I also pay tribute to my honourable friend for Blaydon and Consett who I know for some time has spoken in the space of half of families who have lost loved ones due to suicide. And for working alongside the hugely dedicated alongside the hugely dedicated campaigners that are 3 Dads Walking. I've met them and they are inspiring. We had from the chair of the select committee who made a number of points from the time of the committee and from visits to schools.

I look forward to continued constructive engagement as we go forward with our ambitions in this place. Other members made contributions on support for SEND children. I'm glad to so that every child regardless of their individual needs deserves the opportunity to achieve and thrive and succeed. This government is aware of the scale of the challenges in the current system to stop we have made clear our commitment to addressing them. In conclusion, I would like to assure my honourable friend, the member for Redditch, and all members that this government ties is the health and happiness of children and well- being.

We recognise the need for further support in schools, so that all children can achieve and thrive including tackling the generational challenge of school absence and bolstering young people's well-being and sense of belonging. We value the many contributions from across the

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house in the debates today, and I thank my honourable friend from Redditch. This debate. The last few minutes to wind up.

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The last few minutes to wind up. Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. First of all let me thank the Minister for Scott Benton responsible for the way in which his department has helpfully answered as many questions my officers put through to him. I would also like to through to him. I would also like to say I thank him for some of his say I thank him for some of his candidness and I look forward to the detail following from questions. I will give a quick speed dating reference to the comments people have paid.

I want to thank the member for Dulwich for her expertise and comments particularly on SEND provision. I want to thank the men before Brighton Pavilion for raising awareness of the success that her and campaigners have had in her constituency. The member for Horsham, as a fellow former county councillor, and understands the challenges councils in rural areas are facing full stop I thank the member for Ashford for his focus on early intervention, and support his viewpoint that cross government working is vital to make progress on this issue.

I would like to thank the member for Stafford for her intervention, and how sad I am to hear about students being told to enrolled from school because provision is not available. I want to thank the member for Weston- super-Mare for his excellent and heartfelt comments about his residence. And also his timely comments about the work of teachers in our schools. I'd like to thank the frontbench spokesperson for the Lib Dems, she has a long history on this subject. I have read many of her contributions in the last two weeks.

I know she is fully committed to this cause. I want to thank the Conservative member for her thoughtful comments and for her expertise in the area that she works in. And finally I want to say that we are talking about the life chances of our children in this debate today. We have made so much progress in discussions about mental health, and we know the difference that early intervention can make. It is OK not to be OK. We have made progress in people feeling that they can say that but it won't be OK if we don't make the progress to support children in the long run.

support children in the long run. Thank you.
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None Portrait Adjournment: Contribution of Muslims to communities
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Minister that he was raising this point of order. If not he will no

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doubt do so swiftly. I beg to move the House do now adjourn. The question is this house do now

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The question is this house do now adjourn. The subject for debate is adjourn. The subject for debate is

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adjourn. The subject for debate is Thank you. It is Ramadan 2025 or

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Thank you. It is Ramadan 2025 or 1446 as many Muslims know it. It's the first time I'm observing after being elected to this place as the member of Parliament for Glasgow member of Parliament for Glasgow South West. As the only minority ethnic and Muslim MP representing a Scottish Westminster constituency, I feel a sense of unique responsibility to espouse the role that Muslims pay in our country positively. This should be often doesn't feel natural and easily vocal to celebrate. According to the 2022 census, over 76,000 Muslims live in Scotland, and I'm proud that 13,000 of them, almost one in six live in my constituency of Glasgow South West, a vibrant and diverse community of colours and ethnic backgrounds who find a way to be multicultural but still tender coalesce seamlessly around a Scottish and British identity.

Perhaps we have much to teach the rest of Britain and I would welcome a visit from the Minister or one of his team whenever they have time. Across the UK there are 4 million Muslims representing 6% of the total population and contributions are vast, particular in the month of Ramadan when many will be redoubling and find their efforts in their community and charity work. British Muslims donate £1.79 billion a year to charity, four times more than the national average and volunteer time worth £622 million a year.

In that regard, I would like to place my thanks to the many Islamic charities active in my constituency, including Islamic relief who diligently work not only on international but
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Zubir Ahmed Portrait Dr Zubir Ahmed MP (Glasgow South West, Labour)
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increasingly local causes. Businesses owned by Muslims contribute £25 billion a year to the contribute £25 billion a year to the British economy. And this is notwithstanding the fact that the UK is a world leader in Islamic finance, holding 85% of the European finance, holding 85% of the European Islamic finance banking sector. And while like every community there are challenges of inequality, vast strides have been made in education and the participation of Muslim women in society. There's been a women in society.

There's been a notable increase in educational attainment with 32.3% of Muslims holding degree level qualifications in 2021 compared with only 24% in 2011. And this is largely driven by women coming into higher education, something we can wholeheartedly welcome. So the story of Muslims is intricately woven into our society. It's apparent in every walk of life and this one worthy of celebration. Most prominent perhaps no NHS when I worked as a full-time surgeon prior to election to this place. That footprint was most palpable during the COVID pandemic.

When many served on the frontline when they knew that they were disproportionately at higher risk of harm. And many made the ultimate sacrifice of Muslim doctors. Who had their ancestry in Africa, Pakistan and the Middle East dying of COVID in the course of their clinical duties. Unlike this Ramadan, when mosques at night are resplendent with light and beautiful presentation of the Koran, in 2020, mosques went dark, fell silent and taking that decision long before government ever taught them to close their doors to worshippers, to stop the virus and protect everyone in their community.

Instead, many like the Glasgow Central mask a stones throw from my constituency boundary, transformed into a testing and vaccination hub, undoubtedly saving thousands of lives. But this should not be a surprise because despite recent rhetoric, it is important to place on record the footprint of Muslims in the British Isles and indeed serving in British interests has been long and enduring and at

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times existential to our country. Very grateful. For allowing us to

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Very grateful. For allowing us to move down from Scotland to move down from Scotland to Hertfordshire and can I congratulate my honourable friend for securing this debate and is doubling body for me that you are in the chair for me that you are in the chair for this important debate and the House is strengthened by both his present is strengthened by both his present and did yours. Because landline is home to many faith communities who home to many faith communities who do much good to bring our community together, and since September 2023 we are now home to the Newcastle- under-Lyme X lame centre on Cogan Avenue in the West Lord Jones.

Will my honourable friend join me in thanking the Muslim community for

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all they do to bring our people together? I thank my were found for the intervention and wholeheartedly thank the constituency for their contributions and one day I'm even contributions and one day I'm even getting invitation to go there. At least 2.5 million Muslim soldiers least 2.5 million Muslim soldiers and labourers are reported to have fought for the Allied forces in the First World War and 5.5 million in the Second World War. Nearly 1.5 million Muslims were killed in action and this does not include the action and this does not include the many Muslims serving other roles during the war, including my grandfather who was interned by the Japanese while serving as a constable in the Hong Kong police Force during the Second World War.

In more recent times, the sense of service has manifested in an election of Muslim MPs to this place. And it would be remiss of me not to mention your achievements as the first ever Muslim minister serving in the government and now the first ever Muslim Deputy Speaker. But despite this contribution, the shared history, the shared values, it is unfortunately eight March was time for many British Muslims. 6,000+ anti-Muslim incidents have been reported in the last year, and my own social media talent I see a sense of this increase, and increasing diatribe of hatred directed at me, not so much anymore because of the colour of my skin as it was when I was younger but my religion.

Many despite me being born here and serving the NHS here question my place in parliament because they do not deem enough generations of my family to have lived here for me to be British enough to serve in this place.

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Thank you for giving way and for securing this debate. Like him, I securing this debate. Like him, I have a very diverse community which he knows because he was once a resident there. My seat in east resident there. My seat in east London has long as East London has come along had a history of reputation of communities working together and supporting one another. together and supporting one another. He talks about the kind of age we live in of politics which is a time live in of politics which is a time of populism and those silent populist voices would like us to think that community engagement has think that community engagement has gone.

They agree with me that the work that the diverse communities from different parts of the world do, particularly the Muslim community how they engage themselves in business and charity and social

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life and show that up to be the lie that it is? And I wholeheartedly agree and thank my honourable friend for his thank my honourable friend for his intervention? And in fact this will be the thrust of the conclusion of my speech, that aspect about social cohesion being so important and something to keep in the forefront of our minds. This rhetoric we see of our minds. This rhetoric we see online I think has the ability surreptitiously to desensitise all surreptitiously to desensitise all of us, and that desensitisation is finding its way to places such as the dinner table where is becoming increasingly acceptable form of conversation to indulge in anti- Muslim rhetoric.

As it does so on the dinner table, on Muslim dinner tables across the country, they are questioning their place in the society. This is a trend that should worry us all. Because it undermines the fabric of our society. Our cohesion and identity as a country and we know from other forms of hatred that one starts with anti- Semitism or anti-Muslim hatred rarely stops there.

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Thank you. I'd like to commend my honourable friend for his honourable friend for his contributions to this House and again to echo comments so great we have you, Adam Deputy Speaker in the have you, Adam Deputy Speaker in the chair for this important debate. The point my honourable friend made about fighting the tide of hatred is about fighting the tide of hatred is something that I've seen firsthand. In a previous life before into this In a previous life before into this place I was very proud to work for our first ever elected Muslim heritage Mayor of London Sadique heritage Mayor of London Sadique Khan.

And he's been a testament to fighting against this hatred and showing that London can stand as a beacon of hope against this. I think it's really important that we are here today to celebrate this achievement is of Muslim residents around our country. There are so many amazing organisations in my constituency in Stratford, the welfare foundation, soul sisters and the welfare trust. My honourable friend join me in thanking them for their contributions to Stratford and Bow and wishing them a peaceful Ramadan?

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I thank my Noble Friend who was the politician who upsets Oliver the politician who upsets Oliver constituents well and I will deftly join her in congratulating those organisations, physically the welfare trust you also operates on welfare trust you also operates on my own constituency. As I was saying, this is a trend that should worry us all because of the nature worry us all because of the nature of this undermining, and we know that kind of hatred of anti-Muslim rhetoric does not stop with Muslims.

rhetoric does not stop with Muslims. It has a common denominator to divide, fragment the bonds that have been forged over years and indeed it's a lightning rod to violence and it's a lightning rod to violence and civil disorder. This coming Saturday as a reminder of where that hatred leads if left unchecked. It's the sixth anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shooting in New Zealand. On 15 March 2019, 51 innocent lives were tragically taken in that act of hatred, the youngest being just three years old.

This being just three years old. This sickening attack and those attending Friday prayers was a dark day but in that darkness came the light of a response by the now former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. She enveloped the Muslim community in empathy, inclusiveness and acceptance in a way that Muslims living in the West had really experienced and in a way that will never be forgotten. I remember the following day coming out of the operating theatre being driven to tears by her compassion.

She validated my existence as a Muslim in the west in a way at that time that no one in this country could have managed and for that Muslims find wide will hold her in a special place in our hearts. We must not mistake compassion for weakness. In compassion there is often strength and perhaps an even clearer sense of vision of the future and a bravery to confront the difficult issues, to have the difficult conversations across communities but most importantly within. And we had -- saw that sense of bravery last year and our Prime Minister who acted decisively to protect mosques and those at risk of violent attack, to mobilise quickly and effectively the state against anarchy.

He attended Westminster Hall, the first time it's ever been held this, and he is

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holding an tonight. I commend you on this debate. It would be remiss of me from a small would be remiss of me from a small town in the West Country to talk about the Muslim population in my town, and in the context of what happened in the summer, I was really proud to be able to stand with the Muslim community in Weston-super- Mare but also see how the civic pride and the civic duty that pride and the civic duty that community felt was not diminished by community felt was not diminished by the hostility that they faced, and I want to pay tribute to the family and I share in particular, 21-year- old.

She's had her few charity for years, feeding the people of Weston-super-Mare, supplementing the issues that we have around destitution, and the family is amazing and the huge asset to the

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town. Allows a thank my honourable friend for his warm words and join him in commending the family and for all they are doing to cement the bonds of community, cohesion in his constituency? It's a clear indication with the premises actions I've outlined that this Labour I've outlined that this Labour government under this Prime Minister values and shares bread with all communities and as a friend of the communities and as a friend of the Muslim community. I think also in this regard my right honourable friend the mammoth Ilford North his tireless efforts over the last decade in tackling anti-Muslim hatred, and is also a true friend to Muslims across this country.

When such hatred takes root in our society does diminish us all. That's why I'm glad the Deputy Prime Minister is also taking action and perhaps the Minister be kind enough to outline some of the detail around the new group set up by his department tackle anti-Muslim hatred in this country once and for all led by Dominic grieve KC, which is of course welcome. The Minister will know this is not just an issue for Muslims commit speech to a wider issue of social cohesion.

-- Social in cohesion. The review on social cohesion argue that social cohesion is not just about protecting the democratic norms of our country, has wide reaching benefits for society as a whole. From helping achieve sustainable economic growth to reducing the threat of terrorism and hate crime, increasing societal resilience, shocks such as pandemics, improving public health, increasing volunteering and strengthening communities. Social cohesion and a wide range of adjacent policy areas. I know this Government takes very seriously. I believe recent events around the world demonstrate that we are at an inflection point in our country.

We can roll over, take the easy answer to the scapegoating of the community or conversely, indeed avoid as has been done in the past the difficult conversation that sometimes needs to be had with in communities. Neither of these attitudes serves any of as well. We should call out hatred when we see it online, on dinner tables, in changing rooms and public spaces. But in a pluralistic British society we should also be able to issue challenge to communities when we see failings. I am proud to be an MP on the side of the House because I believe it is only this Government that can achieve this.

Many communities with their own separate traditions but still able to coalesce into naturally one British

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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker.

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Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. May I thank my honourable friend and May I thank my honourable friend and the member for Glasgow South West. During this debate during such an important time for the Muslim community. What a pleasure it is to community. What a pleasure it is to follow a speech like that. Thoughtful, reflective, but also challenging to us all in this place, challenging to us all in this place, and particularly to us as a government, I'm looking forward to feedback on some of the points he raised.

I've course would take him up on his invitation to visit. I never miss a chance to go to Glasgow. It is only right that we honour and celebrate the contribution of the British Muslim community during the month of Ramadan. A time of reflection, devotion, and to communities. Up and down the country, we have been on a tour which started in Glasgow, we have been to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Weston-super-Mare, east of London, and now I had a bit of Nottingham. But Ramadan will be a sacred period of fasting, prayer, and charity.

It is also a time that brings people together, strengthening bonds between neighbours, colleagues and friends of all beliefs are none. Here the UK we see the vibrancy of Ramadan reflected in our public life. Ramadan lights in Oxford Street, the historic event her hosted at Windsor Castle and the many gatherings taking place across the country. They show how deeply embedded and richly valued these traditions are within our national culture. I think of my mosques, and culture. I think of my mosques, and how they throw their doors open and food is or was a great draw certainly there because the food is fantastic.

I also think of the work done by organisations to get people into learn about Islam and educate. It is very important. This does across the government are honoured to be joining this month to celebrate the richness of communities and values of compassion and generosity. In my honourable friend mentioned the Prime Minister hosting an event in Downing Street tonight. It is fitting to have this debate during Muslim heritage month. The great moment to reflect on the immense contributions that Muslims have made to Britain past and present.

Is lemon Muslims part of Britain for centuries from the early 1700s, and the small communities of Muslim sailors and traders from all over. And outside the port communities of East London, we have had colleagues speak. South Shields, Liverpool, the committee in Woking, Surrey, and it is surprising that the first mosques in London do not open to 1895. The personal story is a powerful one. It was after the Second World War when many former soldiers answer the call to help rebuild the nation and the Muslim population grew substantially.

The forces in both world wars and the innovators are shaping our future today. The legacy of British Muslims is one of resilience dedication and excellence. I'm furious that my honourable friend has beaten me to the opportunity to embarrass you Madam Deputy Speaker because you probably don't quite want us to draw highlights your own personal achievements but they are very important. You were the first female Muslim minister to stand at this very Dispatch Box full stop run-out the first Muslim person to sit in that chair is Deputy Speaker.

I think four people who watch these debate importance they will place, and if you think about those young girls and boys who will see you and see your example and know that if you can do it perhaps they can do it too. And if they are watching I say you can only muster new should. There are lots of good examples in Parliament of people who look and sound like you have done so much for our country and democracy. We want to recognise this history, and the government is committed to doing so which is why we support the creation of the Muslim war memorial.

It will stand as a lasting tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Muslims who served in Britain in times of conflict, ensuring their contributions, often forgotten, I finally given the recognition they deserve. We intend for the memorial to include an educational element. To ensure people of all backgrounds and ages are able to learn and understand the sacrifices made by Muslims and the armed forces during the two world wars. And beyond. And the contribution is one, and that is very much the theme of the debate, the contribution that Muslims make to the UK my honourable friend said clearly and I will add a bit myself.

Whether it is business, the arts, science, healthcare, which is Muslims are at the forefront of progress and innovation. Contributions to the economy a substantial with businesses generating billions. A recent think tank stated that British Muslims generated £70 million a year to the UK economy through income, business, and charitable giving. I think the charity in Nottingham that recently was awarded the Kings award, and what they do for my community to make sure that the people where we live don't go hungry.

I am looking forward, if that is the right word, to running the London marathon to raise funds for them next month. I wish I had started training. I currently don't own a pair of trainers which I believe is an impediment to the exercise. The same report noted contributions made to public services, including education, social care, and emergency response. Filling over 46,000 roles across our NHS, delivering Social care to our sick and elderly. My honourable friend is an example of that, a surgeon who has made so much difference to so many people in their most challenging moments.

We are lucky to have in serving our NHS, we are

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lucky to have him serve now legislature too. I am grateful to the Minister for Care giving way and I wish them the best for running the London marathon. My father ran it five times in the 1980s I'm happy to get times in the 1980s I'm happy to get some tips for you. I wonder, as he talks about the contribution made up and down the country if you will join me in expressing a note of disappointment that there is not a single member from any opposition party sitting on the opposition party sitting on the opposition benches this afternoon.

We are meant

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to speak as one community and it is a real disappointed that no one else is here. I'm grateful for the intervention

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I'm grateful for the intervention of a kind offer of support. I have to say I'm not one generally for policing other colleagues diaries policing other colleagues diaries but I hope that during this period of time, colleagues from all political parties and none are able to use their platform positively to to use their platform positively to promote the important work of Britain's Muslim community and to fight the rise of Islamophobia. Just fight the rise of Islamophobia. Just before I do that, I want to reflect on two things that my honourable friend mentioned.

The first is that London's is the Islamic finance capital controlling assets worth nearly £6 billion, 85% in Europe. Great success story that is right country. And around the extraordinary charitable giving of British Muslims donating millions each year to support those in need both at home and abroad. As my honourable friend says, British Muslims give four times more to charity than the average UK adult donating over £700 each year. In Ramadan alone I think we can expect contributions to exceed £100 million will stop what a lifeline that is for those who receive that funding.

Civil society will benefit from the leadership and activism of communities. I think of the Muslim councillors on my local authority as well as colleagues in this place. I know this goes much deeper with remarkable contributions to volunteering and social welfare. Whether it is supporting food banks, homeless shelters, mentoring young people, or engaging in community outreach, their service embodies the values of generosity and civic duty that strengthens our society and fosters social cohesion. I think actually provides a very nice intersection between faith and our national values.

I think we would like to think those British values as well. We know that despite the invaluable contributions, the Muslim community continues to face discrimination and prejudice in our society. Anti-Muslim hatred remains a real and persistent issue affecting the lives of many. My honourable friend mentioned online but also mentioned creeping normalisation is. We should stand against that and we as a government certainly do. It is impossible not to go back, with the sixth anniversary being on Saturday, to the horrific Christchurch terror attacks.

A stark reminder of online hatred and real-world violence. I remember being at a mosque in the days following, talking to a Muslim constituents and indeed those who came like me in solidarity. About came like me in solidarity. About their fears and how they felt with obvious reality that that could have been them at Friday Prayers. And the things that we had to do to stand against it to make sure they are safe in our city. I think it is something that all of us should expect.

That is at the root of the desire to tackle hatred head on is why we have recently announced a new working group to define a tackle anti-Muslim hatred. In this initiative I hope reflects our wavering commitments to ensuring communities in the UK to live free from discrimination and fear. My honourable friend asks for a bit more detail on this. As he says it has been chaired by Dominic grieve, KC, and it is very positive. The group will help us understand and define prejudice and discrimination targeted against Muslims.

This comes in the context of such hate crime being at a record high in England and Wales which is why we think this requires urgent attention. The initial peer group, it will want to come back as swiftly as they can do, to help shape our government's response, to make sure we are truly standing up against the rise in

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hatred in the way that my honourable friend says. Just on the point of the group

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Just on the point of the group and the reference to it taking and the reference to it taking months, which is correct, we want to make sure this is done properly. Can make sure this is done properly. Can I ask the Minister to explain how members of this House will be able to fit into this process to ensure the expenses are constituents raise

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the expenses are constituents raise with us are raised with the committee? I will make sure that colleagues through the Minister for Faith are through the Minister for Faith are able to have this. We are very good conduits of information and insight because we see it every day in our own communities. And by definition we covered the entire community. It is an excellent idea from the honourable gentleman that I will make sure comes to fruition. To conclude, Ramadan reminds us of our shared values.

Kindest community, a commitment to justice. During this important time of the British Muslim communities, the government reaffirms its dedication to building society where everyone, regardless of background and belief, is valued and respected. I hope those who are watching the debate have seen the strength of feeling from across these benches. I say to all those observing, may this month bring you peace, strength, and countless blessings. Thank you.

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The question is that this house do now adjourn. As many are of that opinion say, "Aye". The ayes have
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