Commons Chamber

Thursday 11th September 2025

(began 1 month, 2 weeks ago)

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None Portrait Oral questions: Transport
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**** Possible New Speaker ****

Order, Order, order. Order, order. We Order, order. We start Order, order. We start with
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None Portrait Q1. What steps she is taking to improve passenger rail performance. (905570)
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questions to the Secretary Of State For Transport.
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None Portrait Q2. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services. (905571)
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Question number two.
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None Portrait Q17. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger rail infrastructure. (905586)
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Question 19.
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None Portrait Topical questions: Transport
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Tropical number one.
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Stephen Doughty Portrait Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Cardiff South and Penarth, Labour )
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your gentlemen for his question. Before I respond, I think it is important we all recognise today that it is the anniversary of September 11 attacks. Many of us will be attending commemorations later on today. Our thoughts are of course with the thousands of people who lost their lives in that despicable terrorist attack including many British and very American citizens and those from other countries. I think the whole House condolences will be with family and of Charlie Kirk. Absolutely appalling attack and murder yesterday.

We know too well in this House sitting underneath the two Shields rounded colleagues across the spectrum the terrible consequences of political violence. I know the whole House will be thinking of Charlie's family, friends, and urging an end to this sort of political violence. It is appalling. In light of additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as ambassador to the withdraw him as ambassador to the US.

The emails show the depth and extent of the relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was materially different to that known at the time of the appointment. Lord Mandelson's suggestion that the first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged, and mindful as we call on the victims of Epstein's appalling crimes, he has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect.
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Neil O'Brien Portrait Neil O'Brien MP (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Conservative)
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I thank you for granting the statement and I agree with the words of the Minister, and Charlie Kirk. This is yet another example of poor judgement by this week Prime judgement by this week Prime Minister, I pay tribute to the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, securing justice for the victims of Eckstein. This raises massive questions. It is not just that Peter Mandelson said Epstein was his best pal, it wasn't that he brokered a deal for him while he was Business Secretary.

We know he was working for Epstein's early release after he was convicted. The simple question is this, is the Minister now saying that the Prime Minister did not know about any of this at the point that he was appointed? Don't say the boxes were ticked and the process was followed. What did the Prime Minister know at the point of his appointment? The Minister this morning said, my understanding is all the information was present. Is that correct? Did the Prime Minister knowable the government now publish all the documents relating to Peter Mandelson's vetting? If the Minister says he does not know at the time, when did the Prime Minister become aware of the revelations? Peter Mandelson quietly stayed at Epstein's house when he was in prison.

He says he was wrong to think he was innocent. He had pleaded guilty. There are huge questions here. Did the State Department give any warning to our government ahead of this appointment? Did the prime ministers chief of staff Sue Gray give any warning? Have any employees of Global Counsel deserted the Washington embassy since his appointment? Next week will be the state visit, this is a huge turmoil and I cannot believe the government have put Amalek in a terrible position. I am glad that Peter Mandelson is now gone.

The Foreign Secretary has said that detecting women, girls, and victims was her priority. How on earth did that square with the behaviour of the government over recent days? Squirming and twisting to try and protect Peter Mandelson rather than the victims. Let's be clear, this is the victims. Let's be clear, this is a government where you had a corruption Minister having to resign over links to corruption. You had a former police having to resign over having not been clear with the police.

You have a Housing Minister resigning over not being taxed on her house, and this is a weak Prime Minister with error after error of judgement.

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Mr Speaker, I think the first thing that we need to make clear
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None Portrait Urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology if he will make a statement on the cancellation of life sciences investment
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We We now We now come We now come to We now come to the We now come to the next We now come to the next Urgent Question, shadow Secretary of State.
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Ian Murray Portrait Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) (Edinburgh South, Labour)
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Mr Speaker, can I firstly start by welcoming the honourable lady to her new role. I did want to do that yesterday but questions ran ahead of us. I'm answering this question on behalf of the Secretary of State. As a significant life sciences company which employs more than 1,600 people and plays a leading role in delivering new treatments for diseases like cancer, it is a value partner to this government. MSD's decision to not progress investment at King's Cross is deeply disappointing in a commercial decision for them.

King's Cross is a shining example of the strength of UK life sciences clusters. It is one of the biggest in Europe employing 60,000 people in the area. It is investment for major life sciences companies like GSK and AstraZeneca houses institutions and welcomes the UK leading biomedical treatment centres including UCL age, Moorfields eye Hospital. We are proud of this, and it will continue to do so in the future. Life sciences is one of the eight priority sector in the Industrial Strategy and backed by significant public investment to enable it to grow.

Ageing discoveries like personalised cancer vaccines and a new test for Alzhiemer's. It has enhanced its status further and the fundamentals of the UK market are more advantageous today when they made the decision to invest before. What has changed the US and international fundamentals. The UK has become the most attractive place to invest in the world but of course there is still a lot more for the government to do. The academic environment in the UK continues to produce innovative ideas. The talent to run the ideas that attracts foreign investment.

We have great academics in the NHS provides a research platform that is second to none. This decision has in part been taken as part of a broader effort by MSD to ensure the company is optimising its investment, and resources in key drivers of growth. It is not continuing its job discovery projects in the UK. They have announced they have had to cut $3 million a year resulting in significant impact on the share price. This is also to do with the challenging global situation.

The challenge with NHS medicines goes back 15 years. I wonder who was in charge that period? Spending has fallen from 15% to 9% in that time, the last joint agreement on medicine prices being agreed between the sector and with the previous government in 2033. We are living the consequences of those decisions made under the previous government. They took their eye off the ball regarding NHS medical investment and an offer was made to the sector. This government recognises we need to do more to support and grow our life sciences sector.

We have started delivering on the work of investing £600 million in the service alongside the relevant trust. To committing up to £520 million to life sciences Manufacturing and billions of pounds being opened up. We continue to support life-saving treatments. MSD will continue to be a key investor in the UK. I welcome the continued investment in clinical trials and significant partnerships with institutions such as future health. MSD will continue to employ 1,600 people. We remain closely engaged with MSD's will take forward the

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Sector Plan and the tenure NHS. Can I gently say, you are only

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Can I gently say, you are only allowed three minutes. I'm sure you are coming to the end.

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are coming to the end. Thank you for your advice. Life sciences sector as part of the 10 10 Year Health Plan. We continue to explore opportunities to partner with MSD further and build a long- standing relationship.
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Julia Lopez Portrait Julia Lopez MP (Hornchurch and Upminster, Conservative)
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standing relationship. Thank you Mr Speaker. I hope you give me the same flexible as you go a little over. Last night US pharmaceutical giant Merck cancelled the construction of £1 billion drug research centre in the prime ministers constituency. 800 jobs were going to be provided, now evaporated. 125 scientists were to be employed, no longer. The message from Merck executives was unsparing, simply put, the UK is not internationally competitive. The government must wake up and do so now.

If AstraZeneca's announcement on investment was the canary in the mine for UK life sciences, last night's announcement should be a klaxon sounding across Whitehall. Can the Minister assure us he is arranging urgent meetings with health business and Treasury ministers today? This facility was going to specialise in diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and MS. It was going to feed into the work of a cluster of life sciences bodies like the Francis Crick Institute. The government engage with Merck before its decision? What damage will this cause to research and medicine access for our constituents who were affected by these conditions? The government told UK taxpayers that the devastating National Insurance hike would boost the NHS.

But NHS leaders admit the money has gone National Insurance, wage deals, and drug rice inflation. What better services, no money left in negotiations with life sciences companies. In fact life sciences have faced a £1.6 billion tax bill in real terms cut to R&D. What are ministers doing to push the Health Secretary for progress on health data, and advanced therapies, pricing negotiations and regulatory reform of the kind that will improve our life sciences? The last year, Labour has dined out on deals secured by the last Conservative government.

We were promised that the US UK trade deal would open doors for business. Instead, American firms are cancelling projects, and our ambassador, who should have been batting for Britain, was instead battling for survival. Now that Lord Mandelson has slipped away again, who is speaking to the Americans about this collapsed deal? What will the primers to be doing head of the state visit of President Trump to
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Ian Murray Portrait Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) (Edinburgh South, Labour)
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the questions. The message, she asked what message the Americans are given to the government but the message from Merck in the quarterly report and they had to cut $3 billion a year from the operations, that is a significant amount of that is a significant amount of money, and the share price reflected the significance of that announcement. There is no doubt that MSD makes the world's most profitable and popular cancer drug which goes to patent in 2028.

They also said in the report it is also said in the report it is causing pressure with their shareholders. The US trade deal that has been mentioned by the shadow has been mentioned by the shadow Secretary of State said it would use best endeavours to improve the conditions for US pharmaceutical conditions for US pharmaceutical companies in the UK, and it remains 0% tariff. In terms of NHS 0% tariff. In terms of NHS medicines, it is a common theme in medicines, it is a common theme in this chamber that the shadow Secretary of State come to the chamber and promote the state of the chamber and promote the state of the economy, they bemoan what has happened in the NHS.

Waiting lists have fallen, whereas they were at record levels. Satisfaction when we left the NHS in 2010 was at its highest level ever, it is now at its lowest.

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You can't appoint order the

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You can't appoint order the Spending has fallen which is part of the problems in the of the problems in the pharmaceutical industry. The Health pharmaceutical industry. The Health Secretary made a £1 billion offer to the pharmaceutical industry but they chose not to vote on that so the Health Secretary withdrew from Health Secretary withdrew from negotiations. We are trying to clear up the mess that has been left, and the shadow Secretary of State should the shadow Secretary of State should the shadow Secretary of State should I would like to welcome the Minister
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None Portrait Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
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questions. Shadow Leader of the House. Thank you very much indeed, Mr
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Jesse Norman Portrait Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative)
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I thank the leader for the business. Mr Speaker, on this 24th anniversary of 9/11, I know the whole house will want to join me, and I am sure, the leader, in sending our best wishes to the families and friends of the victims of those terrible attacks. So too are those grieving the murder of Charlie Kirk in the USA, and to our own great colleague, the member for Washington Gateshead South, for the terrible news that she has had this morning.

Let me start, if I may, by thanking the recently departed Leader of the House. She and I had our disagreements. There is no doubt about that. She supported the wrong football team and I struggled to get her to answer my questions. But she was diligent, and effective. In responding to members across this House, as well as the community. Without getting too teary about it, I will even miss her appalling puns! But, Mr Speaker. It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

Hurricane tax dodger blue either deputy priming a and the story of the Prime Minister's phase 2, but it has brought us the former Labour Chief Whip. He was a history teacher. And there can't be many better forms of public service than that. After his distinguished career channelling industriously away in the usual channels, I warmly welcome him, blinking, to the bright lights of the Dispatch Box. Mr Speaker, I have somehow thought that having plummeted the depths this summer, the government had now settled down a bit, how naive, how desperately foolish, I was.

The Number Ten team were obviously taking the Mickey, they were laughing at us, Mr Speaker, you think this is incompetent, they said, we can do vastly better than this. Resets are for wimps, let's have a full blown crash reshuffle, let's have a new Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, as well as a new Deputy Prime Minister, and let's undermine the Chancellor of the Exchequer by ostentatiously lining up the former chief secretary, to replace her. The markets will really welcome that. Even better, let's have an election for deputy.

People are already scared to death about all the taxes coming in the Budget, but they will be reassured if we run a Labour leadership election at the same time, ideally, we can make the deputy former cabinet minister, whom the Prime Minister has just abruptly fired, that will be good for stability. We can go further. We can actively undermine relations with our closest ally, if we throw in a major scandal over the Prime Minister was personal choice as ambassador to the USA.

Mr Speaker, if only this was a joke. Instead, it is a tragedy. It is like we are trapped in an unending episode of The Office, with the Prime Minister as a David Brent. The unions are upping their payment demands, the UART he is holding seven days of rolling walkouts, the owner think that probably won't be affected junior doctors in London who have voted have strikes until the New Year. They will be staying home anyway. As the former director of the IRS remarked, it is staggeringly unprepared Labour was for government, and across this House, and all of our constituents, we are paying the price for their arrogance and negligence.

Mr Speaker, the leader will only just becoming up to speed now, of course, one perfectly understands that. I would make one early request of him if I may, with the utmost seriousness will stop he will know that many thousands of veterans, including hundreds in my constituency and in his constituency, have had their lives thrown into uncertainty and bad, desperate indeed in some cases, anxiety, by the government's decision to repeal the Northern Ireland veterans act. That was more than a year ago now, the government promised to legally sound and legislative solution to the problem it created, so could the leader let us know now, or in a written update before the recess, when the Northern Ireland Secretary will come to the House and publish that solution.
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Alan Campbell Portrait Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Tynemouth, Labour)
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Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. First of all, can I add my tribute to my predecessor, the right honourable member for Manchester Central, for her excellent work as Leader of the House over the last year. She spearheaded the revival of the modernisation committee, which was a manifesto commitment. And oversaw the legislative program that forms the basis of this government's first King's Speech. I know I am among many MPs across the House and wanting to thank her for her diligence and hard work.

I would also, Mr Speaker, like to express my thanks to Colin Lee, the clerk of legislation, who is retiring this week having joined the House service in 1988. MPs from across the House have valued his wise counsel of the many years, and I know the whole House will wish him well. I know the House will also share my sadness in learning of the death of Sir Roger Sanz, who was clerk of the House from 2003-2006. He was a distinguished server of the House for 41 years, and the House will want to convey our condolences, to Lady Symons and a Roger's family.

I would like to turn to the shadow leader's remarks, but before I do so, and thank you for welcoming me to my place, before I do so, I should caution him and indeed the House, but the last time I answer the question from this Dispatch Box was the same year as the iPad was was the same year as the iPad was Both you and I had a little more hair and ever darker hue. And at the time, the average price of a pint of beer was £2.91.

And at the minute, there are people behind me who won't even old enough to buy alcohol when that actually happened. But I am looking forward to having these sessions the shadow leader of the. We have been in the house for a decade but I can't claim to know him particularly well so I too went to Wikipedia to find out a bit more. He is a philosopher, historian, and an author. It is clear that the right honourable gentleman is a thinking conservative, which is an increasingly rare commodity.

I want to associate myself with the comments that he made on the anniversary of 9/11, also on the death of Charlie Kirk, and let us remember, that in these circumstances, his family have been robbed of a father and husband. There is no justification at all for political violence, whatever the views of the person involved. Now I know that there will inevitably be a degree of knockabout about the state of the government at these sessions, or indeed, at the state of the opposition.

And to say that I am happy any day to have a debate on the comparison between this government's 14 months and his disastrous government of 14 years. The only fun we were unprepared for was the scale of the states that this country was in. On the substantive point on Northern Ireland, he knows that these are difficult matters and that the government has given a commitment to bring forward legislation. It is really important that reassurances are in place, and I can tell him that the government would be seeing something very shortly.

And let me finish on this. The shadow leader of the and I both have a deep respect for Parliament. I can give him and the house reassurance that I take my responsibility both as the government representative in Parliament but also this house is represented in government very seriously indeed. seriously indeed.
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Alan Campbell Portrait Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Tynemouth, Labour)
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I would like to thank my honourable friend for her question. This is an appalling tragedy and my family, my thoughts are with the family of Michael. It is important that we address the issue of reoffending. It is critical to public safety .we have the sub reading which reduces offending because it has a devastating effect on victims, and I would encourage on victims, and I would encourage Can I start by first welcoming the new leader of the to his place, and also join him and the shadow leader in thanking the previous leader of the four her sterling efforts, especially when there are so many people asking questions every Thursday morning.

I look forward to working with him on various committees, and I hope you will follow the government's mantra to go further and faster, especially in modernisation. Today is the big day and I would like to echo words condemning the appalling attack on the office of the honourable member from Washington and safeguards south who I have a huge amount of respect. I also want to join other colleagues by recognising that today is the 24th anniversary of 9/11. In short the whole house agrees the importance of remembering the victims including British citizens and those who continue to be affected both physically and mentally by the attack and its aftermath.

This week, I met with victims and family members who have been subject to injustice in our health system, in particular, women and their children who are affected by failures of medical devices and the prescription of drugs that have devastating life changing consequences. While pregnant, my constituent Mary was prescribed the anti-epilepsy medication sodium parade. Very sadly, Mary join so many other parents whose children were consequently born with significant birth defects. Like any parent, Mary is an incredibly wary about their future and what support will be in place to look after them will be in place to look after them when she is no longer able to.

Victims and their families are exhausted. They have campaigned for many years to draw political attention to these matters but successive governments are not listening. The government has yet to listening. The government has yet to respond to the huge report into the sodium valproate scandals that were published over 18 months ago, so I published over 18 months ago, so I ask the leader will he ask the Health Secretary to make a statement to this house to urgently provide an update?
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Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East, Conservative)
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I welcome leader to his position and hope we can have an early meeting to ensure that backbenchers can give their voice in this chamber can give their voice in this chamber as before. I thank him for the business when we return from conference. Given past experiences of when we return from recesses, and the likelihood of statements and urgent questions, there are 78 people that want to speak, so I would ask him to consider giving it tactic time so that people are able to relate their stories.

In addition, there will be a debate on the International Day of democracy. On 16 October, there will be a debate on World Menopause Day, followed by a debate on the government support for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And on 23 October, there will be a debate on histological testing, followed by the impact of workforce levels in cancer patients. I was very tempted to ask a question about the legalisation which happened this week, but it is now possible to discriminate against people because of the football team they support.

However, there is a much more serious issue, and that is serious issue in Nepal. After death of 20 protesters, the prime resigned, the parliament building was set on fire, and there was a threat to the military coup. I certainly have many relatives of constituents who live in Nepal and are worried about the situation with their families so I wonder if the leader could arrange for a minister to give a statement next week on what we are doing to protect those families and protect the families and the United Kingdom.

the families and the United Kingdom.
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Alistair Carmichael Portrait Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat)
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Thank you to the Backbench Business Committee for allocating time for me to make this statement, marking the publication of 1/3 report of the committee and the Parliament. Our report is titled bio security at the border, written is illegal meat prices and it really is a crisis. This is a crisis that has been brewing for years if not decades. It is also a crisis that matters not just on a national level but on an individual and personal level.

We should never underestimate the impact that animal disease outbreaks have on the mental health of farmers, professionals and others in our rural community when it breaks down. In 2001, over 6 million animals were slaughtered across the United Kingdom following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Rural communities were devastated. The outbreak cost to the economy would be 13 be £13 billion in today's prices. Experts at the time concluded that the infected meat that precipitated that outbreak had been imported illegally.

In January of this year, foot-and-mouth disease was again reported this timing Germany. Experts there told the committee that it was likely caused by illegally imported food. That single outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease cost the German economy 1 billion, required the culling of animals and the testing of thousands more. In response, the UK government announced sections but commercial consignment, border control was six days despite the ban on affected products. We will address that matter in our next report.

We have no idea how much I unchecked produce was able to aim for personal imports. We do know that while border officials are now making far fewer animal products, they are seizing it and presidentially at high volumes. Last year, 235 tons of illegal animal projects were seized at the UK border. Given the low levels of checks taking place, that must be just the tip of the iceberg. Health workers tell us they have seen a huge deterioration in the hygiene presentation of illegal meat and say that shipments are increasing in size.

This meat is heading to our high streets, our farm and kitchen tables. Frontline workers are anxious that a disease outbreak is imminent and we should share their anxiety. In evidence to the committee, it was described as the eyes and ears at the border. In that, she is quite correct. But still, Dover is the only port of Health Authority in Britain being funded to support the work Border Force in seizing illegal meat and dairy products. Even Dover's funding has been under threat.

This year's funding was secured at the last- minute and only after the intervention of stakeholders including our committee. We visited Dover and saw the entirely unsuitable facilities at which health workers are being required to work. We saw vans stuffed with meat adducts packaged in newspaper and cardboard boxes. This was meat that had travelled across Europe and from countries that African swine fever is widespread. The Minister for bio security committed to visiting the port of Dover to see the situation for herself.

At the time of the report's publication, she still had not done so. That is something that I passably find it regrettable and hopeful be attained in early courts. The relationship between DEFRA and the Dover Health Authority is poor. That serves no one's interest and requires immediate ministerial attention. We do know that commercial imports from certain countries have banned, criminals have found a new way to make money and bringing products in undeclared under the guise of personal import. DEFRA has reassured us that Border Force is delivering intelligence led cheques.

We are concerned that this requires reality on the ground. Reality is limited and incomplete intelligence networks with capabilities and port facilities unsuitable for seizing significant volumes of contaminated meat. At the very least, farmers and the public deserve greater transparency about the risks we face. We have called on the government stop publishing quarterly data relating to legally imported animal products. We have also asked government to model the amount of animal products into Britain and the risks this poses to our livestock.

Meat smuggling was described to our committee as the biggest threat to food security we have had for a long time. We do not know how these animals were reared and slaughtered or how the meat has been handled or stored. It carries increased risk of parasites that can make people sick and fall far below the standards of British producers and legitimate importers and consumers expense. Illegally imported meat and dairy products are being sold online and through door- to-door sales to households and businesses.

Illicit products can be found in markets, shops, takeaways and hospitality venues as consumers make sure that meat meets the standards. In some cases, meat is misrepresented as being of British origin. We had at the cost of living crisis is fuelling the market for cheap illegally imported meat as is the demand for culturally referred ducks like port from Eastern Europe. Other meat and dairy products are legally bought into Great Britain for personal consumption because individuals are unaware of the prohibition and are unwilling to take the risk.

DEFRA band personal take the risk. DEFRA band personal imports from the EU this year. But many people don't know what the rules are all wide they are in place. We think that travel operators should be legally compelled to inform travellers of food prohibition rules for EU countries as they are for other countries. There is currently no ownership and government of illegal imports of animal products. Responsibility is so fragmented across agencies that outdated inefficient ways of working have been allowed to persist in the scale of the crisis has been able to escalate to an intolerable degree.

We have called on DEFRA to establish a task force to bridge these divides. This should lead in the design and delivery of the strategy for tackling meat smuggling. We also found that Border Force is not adequately fulfilling its responsibility to enforce rules of the border. It has to many competing priorities and offices lack understanding of risks and rules associated with products of animal origin. Health authorities are willing to step up and support Border Force but are needlessly inhibited by a lack of powers and funding.

Health authorities should be given stop, search and seize powers in relation to animal products and funding for enforcement presence at the border. There is also currently no determined be smuggling. They are operating with impunity as a result. DEFRA must deliver a plan immediately to start finding repeat offenders and those who are attempting to smuggle significant amounts of animal products. Successive governments have been aware of the scale and risks of illegal meat import and have failed to deliver a response proportionate to the challenge.

We have identified the risks and some of the solutions. It is essential that DEFRA takes these risks seriously and asks to mitigate them with urgency. The stakes are too with urgency. The stakes are too high for further in action.
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Catherine Atkinson Portrait Catherine Atkinson MP (Derby North, Labour)
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate. It was originally due to take place on the first day back from summer recess but there wasn't time because so many people wanted to speak. And I'm grateful for those who were able to attend today. It is completely understandable that transport is important to so many of us because whether it is travelling to work or healthcare appointments, meeting up with families and friends, getting support to businesses who need them.

Transport keeps our country running, keeps life moving, keeps us all connected. And with this Labour government committed to opening opportunities across our country, it is important to address the historic and long-standing inequalities between regions, when it comes to transport. For those who add the transport to go on holiday in the UK during our hot summer, which already seems quite a long time ago, we have returned better acquainted with the transport infrastructure in each others' constituencies. For those who heard 'are will there yet?' from the back seat on repeat are perhaps too acquainted.

But one of the benefits of being in the transport Select Committee, as well as having esteemed colleagues, a number of whom are present here today, is that every trip can be an unofficial fact-finding trip. And we can compare, sometimes enviously, the newest tram extension or charging network or bus lane. And colleagues across the country had transport projects they are advocating for in their constituencies. And when they are successful in securing transport investment, it has been change that helps bring people together, could cost for our businesses, and allows people to access new opportunities.

But when transport breaks down or gets cut, we know that constituents suffer the consequences often on a daily basis. One example in my constituency is the bridge that was found to be unsafe and shut. Leaving people and businesses cut off and isolated. A temporary bridge was put in three years ago but thanks to the new East Midlands mayor, funding has been secured to progress towards a business case for a permanent bridge to be built. One of the reasons I was so keen to be on the transport Select Committee was because of how essential transport is to economic growth and decarbonisation.

The connectivity that transport brings is equally important open down the country. -- Up and down the country. But the amount of investments regions get for transport has historically been miles apart. When you look at different areas of spending, like education or health, transport is the most unequally distributed. There are many colleagues here from the East Midlands. Where transport expenditure, power head, has been -- Per head has been the lowest in all regions in the United Kingdom for stopping 2023-24, it was £368 per person, just 1/4 of that of London.

And around half the average in England. If you look at the five years between 2019 and 2024, if the East Midlands had been allocated the UK average, we would have seen an additional £10 billion to ensure that prosperity reaches all corners of our country. More equal investment is vital. So, I welcome the direction of travel that we saw in the spending review, including the £15.6 billion of investment in local transport projects for England's city regions over the next five years.

More than double previous capital spending rights. And it does include £2 billion of funding secured by our excellent East Midlands mayor. For years, there have been concerns that the UK Green book, which is the Treasury's official guidance for praising public investment, has paved the way for what needed to be identified, there is a concentration of investment in areas, neglecting the potential of other regions, which creates a vicious cycle. So, I welcome the Chancellor's review and look forward to the new Green book next year.

To secure the transformational change we need, this Labour government is investing in areas that have been neglected and forgotten. And speaking of neglect when it comes to potholes and the need to better maintain and improve our roads, this government has increased capital funding to £24 billion over three years, which is particularly important for Derbyshire, which had the worst potholes in the country. And with the Better Buses Bill, we have seen the recognition from this government the recognition from this government

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on the importance of bus travel. I will give way. I thank my honourable friend for

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I thank my honourable friend for giving way in her excellent introductory speech she is making the importance of regional inequalities and transport for some inequalities and transport for some she speaks about buses which are incredibly important in my constituency of Newcastle Central and West, it is not only the and West, it is not only the investment in the buses, but in a support for it. Newcastle has yet to receive real-time bus information receive real-time bus information that has but enjoyed in -- Been enjoyed in London over the last decade that makes bus travel more decade that makes bus travel more reliable and use, did she agree we need to ensure the technology that supports some of these important services is also equally distributed

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across the country? I thank my honourable friend for her intervention and I think we will all agree that the better the all agree that the better the technology you have, the real-time information that is needed, information that is needed, We absolutely need to encourage more We absolutely need to encourage more people to use our buses. Because over that 15 years up to 2023, we over that 15 years up to 2023, we saw massive losses bus services. But where cuts hit, it varied.

An hardest hit was the East Midlands region with a loss of 60% of our bus services. It is a crime that the Transport Select Committee highlighted in a report on buses over the summer. We must not forget who bus investment impacts the most. The young, the elderly, those on low incomes, the disabled. But colleagues, they will be absolutely shocked that I have got this far into my speech without mentioning trains. Because I talk about rail quite a lot.

And that is entirely understandable, as a Derby MP. Derby, the home of Great British Railways, the city at the centre of the largest cluster of rail companies in Europe, argued globally. And the city which, a few weeks ago, hosted the greatest gathering. The world's largest ever gathering of historic and modern rail vehicles, which was described as a Glastonbury for trains. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. But despite this rich rail heritage in the region, there are just over 100 rail stations for 5 million people.

It is the lowest proportion of people who live within a 15 to 20 minutes walk of a railway station in England. Around three quarters of those stations are served by just one train per hour, or fewer. So the capital of rail will be the region with the lowest train station usage per head in England. Our mainline that runs through the East Midlands, the Midland Main Line, is the only mainline route in England that is not yet fully electrified.

It is electrified to Wigston, south of Leicester, and with the new trains that will be put on by the end of the year, those living alongside the route and the 9 million passengers who use the line, will get that far using electrified tracks. But then the trains will revert to diesel, and the rest of the densely populated line will continue to be exposed to more noise, and tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 every year. I have had hundreds of people write to me supporting the call for electrification.

I think it would be,

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Thank you. She mentions constituents that have written to constituents that have written to her. This is also not true that her. This is also not true that members of this House have been working together, 30 MPs, to advocate for electrification because of the great benefits she has just described?

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I'm grateful for his intervention. And grateful for the support he has shown, alongside many colleagues for electrification colleagues for electrification benefits that it can bring. I think it it would be a fitting celebration it it would be a fitting celebration of 200 years of the modern railway of 200 years of the modern railway to continue electrification with the mainline, with the jobs, skills, and hundreds of millions in economic hundreds of millions in economic benefits it would bring. Particularly to the East Midlands.

I Particularly to the East Midlands. I love my region. And like so many in this chamber, I know my region's strengths, and can imagine the strengths, and can imagine the possibilities if investment was genuinely equitably distributed genuinely equitably distributed across our country. If our regional transport was more equal, it would transport was more equal, it would create more prosperity, economic growth, social equality, regional growth, social equality, regional development, and our transport infrastructure is the country's circulatory system. It connects and enriches wherever it reaches.

If your circulation is not great, you feel the cold, as I will know. Restrict it more, and your arms and legs get fatigued. They get numbness and pain. In the extreme eventually, lead to organ failure. That is where we have been heading over the course of far too long. But over the last year, the government has been getting blood pumping again. If the UK is a body, Derby is geographically at its heart. I am just about to finish.

I'm sorry. If the UK is a body, Derby is geographically at its heart. And is asking to have the same chance as everywhere else to be connected. We need to maintain our change of direction. To reduce the inequality in spend per person on transport. Two-state on track towards the reduction and ultimately the elimination of regional transport inequality, and deliver fair funding

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for transport. The question is as on the Order

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The question is as on the Order Paper. I will be starting with an immediate four minute time limit. Gregory Stafford.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. In just one year, this Labour government has already failed rural government has already failed rural Britain on transport. They have scraps that 2 pounds bus fare cap pushing up costs for working people. pushing up costs for working people. They wasted £250 million in the process of nationalising South process of nationalising South Western Railway, while my commuters are still stuck with cancelled peak services. They continue to pour billions into London whilst billions into London whilst communities like Farnham and others in my constituency are left behind.

in my constituency are left behind. My constituency is just 40 miles from London, yet the difference in from London, yet the difference in connectivity is stark. London enjoys a world-class system, well, when it is not being held to ransom by
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Gregory Stafford Portrait Gregory Stafford MP (Farnham and Bordon, Conservative)
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is not being held to ransom by greedy tube driver unions this week. But my constituency treated very differently. The contrast with London is outrageous. In the capital, a bus stop every 400 m, services every five or 10 minutes all through the night. In my constituency, but is up 30 to 90 minutes apart if a run at all. After 7pm, many disappear entirely. Students at the University of the creative arts in Farnham cannot get to Guildford in the evening. Meanwhile Londoners can choose from over 100 great bus route.

While London pastas can pay a fixed pounds £1.75 fair, in my contingency people are paying more. My constituents will remember Labour put up their fares. That is why I took action was I convened the task force bringing Stagecoach, the local councils and leaders around the table. Results speak for themselves was the newly revised number 18 bus service now runs on Saturdays, hourly on Sundays and linking Farnham and Aldershot. The number 13 has also been strengthened, now at six Sunday return journey.

Stagecoach even child a free trial this June after my version of better value. These attentional improvements that make life easier for thousands of people. But gaps remain. It is extraordinary there is no bus connection between two areas that are only 11 miles apart. That is why I'm in talks with East Hampshire District Council to establish a new route modelled on the hospital hopper, the scheme I

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secured funding for in Farnham. I thank my honourable friend for giving way. I agree with the point giving way. I agree with the point giving way. I agree with the point he is making. The train to get to my constituency run through his, he has referred to it already. My constituency is reliant on entirely constituency is reliant on entirely privatised ferry companies in order for us to get there. Does he agree for us to get there. Does he agree with me that this government, it is going to be truly integrated in its outlook with transport, it needs to connect all parts of the United connect all parts of the United Kingdom, and stop focusing only on cities?

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cities? My honourable friend makes a very powerful and important point. He is right. This government is focused on right. This government is focused on the metropolitan areas and constituencies like his and mine are left behind. His mention of rail left behind. His mention of rail brings me on to my point on rail. For me, rail does tell the same story as buses. Three of my four story as buses. Three of my four regional towns have stations, and the largest, the third-largest one the largest, the third-largest one has none.

Lines do exist are fragmented and unreliable. Only this week the 728 from Farnham to Waterloo was cancelled. Too many times peak chains arrived with just times peak chains arrived with just four coaches. When I challenge South Western Railway I was told that to avoid cancellations near London, they reassign carriages away from my area. I made it clear to them, I commuters are not second-class citizens and this needs to change. At the Farnham depot this summer, I press them directly on the children £50 million uplift, meant to relieve overcrowding full stop but still sitting idle for want of drivers or because of false.

I secured assurances of a change and I will now hold them to account. As I mentioned, the government wasted £250 million nationalising South Western Railway. That money could have delivered a permanent bus link for 1,000 years. Instead, urban for 1,000 years. Instead, urban areas in cross rails can trams, while my constituents get cancellations and four carriage trains. It is unacceptable. Much more help is needed for my constituents. Rural communities like my cannot keep being treated as second class.

Levelling up, economic growth, net zero, all laudable aims, it means nothing if millions of people in my constituency and the surrounds cannot get a bus on a Sunday, or a train with more than four carriages on a Monday morning. That is the reality of Labour's transport policy. Higher fares, wasted money, and broken promises. It is unacceptable to my

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constituents. I would hope it is unacceptable to every single members constituents in this House. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to thank my honourable friend member for Derby North. You are in this debate. High quality are in this debate. High quality reliable integrated public is often the difference between communities getting ahead or being left behind. Whether it is young people being able to realise their aspirations or not, other people receiving the not, other people receiving the healthcare they need, or not, or working people getting home safely after a night shift, or not, these are issues that do not just a practical consequences.

If left unaddressed, they erode trust unaddressed, they erode trust between a constituent and the between a constituent and the government they elect. Transport connectivity that is poor impedes progress. If we don't think this will make things easier for those who turn to pessimistic narratives to talk our country down. Our constituents deserve so much more constituents deserve so much more constituents deserve so much more than that. As a result of a model that was built from the top down and sent out.

A model that has at its sent out. A model that has at its heart an orthodoxy ill suited to heart an orthodoxy ill suited to passenger needs today. It is a model I'm proud to say that this government in partnership with our regional men is beginning to dismantle. From a much-needed review to increase capital spending Greater Manchester and other city regions, from the introduction of integrated settlements for combined authorities, and the Modern Industrial Strategy, to the transformative English Devolution Bill, these are all reasons I'm proud to be a Greater Manchester labour terrier.

Pioneering network where powers devolve nationally are

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seen and felt on the ground. I'm grateful. She talks about being a Greater Manchester MP. She will know that my constituency is will know that my constituency is not far. I wonder if she would support my cause for a direct trailer from Stoke-on-Trent Station to Manchester Airports Group would to Manchester Airports Group would unlock growth, but costs for families?
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Elsie Blundell Portrait Mrs Elsie Blundell MP (Heywood and Middleton North, Labour)
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I thank him for the intervention. I'm sure it is something the transport minister has listened to transport minister has listened to is looking at. Greater Manchester has set the agenda when it comes to the promise and opportunity that devolution can galvanise. Through the development and expansion, and simplify ticketing, and an enhanced network with plans to integrate rail lines in the future. It goes far beyond getting people from one place to another. As a conduit for opportunity, and for a thriving regional economy.

We know that Greater Manchester's productivity has outstripped every other region including London. Transport has been central to making this happen. Despite real success, we cannot take future progress for granted. Greater Manchester and other city regions are just as deserving of our backing today to ensure we do not scupper economic growth in the region. We need to ensure that the significant projects are moving forward swiftly and efficiently to give people hope more connected future. And it includes the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the Manchester to Liverpool enhancement.

Getting this right is integral to transforming public transport and creating networks finally predicated on the needs of local people rather than the paternalism of the centre. My constituents can speak with some experience on this. The decades, passengers living in Heywood and Middleton have been a mere afterthought, and no rail connectivity to Manchester despite being close. And an incredibly congested road network. In the one year that I have been the proud member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton North, and through central government working in lockstep with our combined authority, we have secured funding to ensure the tramp will now be connected to Manchester city centre.

It is thanks to the £2.5 billion of funding allocated to Greater Manchester by a Labour Chancellor in the form of transport for city regions funding, enabling the mayor and his team to plan for the longer term. It also means that local leaders, working with the combined authority are working to deliver a mayoral development cooperation in Middleton with a strong possibility of a new Metro service there. This is the difference that devolution can make, and in Greater Manchester, we have shown we are capable of.

But we cannot be complacent. Expertise in town and transport planning must be further developed in our regions. And our bank of knowledge must deepen. Funding cycle should be come more assured across the country enabling local and regional leaders to have the confidence to innovate. And fundamentally, we must formalise and define engagement between departments and mayoral teas. Not just ahead of the fiscal event but because we can build a robust transport network that supports the needs of local people. Regional transport equality does not have the be a foregone conclusion.

We need to find the political conviction to confront it. Each town city and village has within it people who are capable of reaching the sum of their ambitions was to we need to be unrelenting in building the unrelenting in building the

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I would like to highlight the deep inequality in transport across the country and speak particularly the country and speak particularly about the South-West, particularly the rail lines. We receive the rail lines. We receive significantly less for transport on average, the second lowest funding average, the second lowest funding in the country, only second to the East Midlands, as we heard from the honourable lady earlier. We don't honourable lady earlier. We don't have anything to look forward to on the main line at all, probably ever.

Transport spending in 2023-24 was Transport spending in 2023-24 was £429 per person in the South-West, £429 per person in the South-West, compare that with London, the north-west, in the West Midlands, all over £700. That is not levelling up but levelling down and it matters up but levelling down and it matters on a daily basis in Newton Abbot and on a daily basis in Newton Abbot and across the south-west, where transport is essential to the economy, tourism, trade, everyday life.

They are often neglected. life. They are often neglected. Remember when storms go through the sea wall, cutting the South-West off from the rest of the country. -- tore through. The economy was what -- lost £1.2 billion when was cutting off due to the storms. We do not even have the funding to develop unacceptable alternative. Every winter storm puts our connection with the rest of the UK at risk and the government is not taking this seriously. I would urge the government to give Network Rail parameters that they will accept and clear funding to design a solution.

The lack of a solution could cost another £1.2 billion if or when the cliffs fail again. Accessibility is another area where we are falling short. Too many railway stations are still lack step-free access in the South-West. I would like to see better access at the station in tin -- Tinworth, where disabled

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passengers are not able to choose. My closest station in my

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My closest station in my constituency does not have a single mainline train station and there are mainline train station and there are also severe accessibility challenges at the closest station and we are at the closest station and we are not on the list for accessibility upgrades but that could be as late as 2032. Could my honourable friend as 2032. Could my honourable friend join me in asking the Minister to make the up-rates as quickly as possible so that constituents do not possible so that constituents do not miss out? -- Upgrades.
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Lauren Sullivan Portrait Dr Lauren Sullivan MP (Gravesham, Labour)
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to them during the campaign and recently, this was the number one issue. It is about collectivity and getting across the great shift. There are no buses on Sunday that can take them into town to meet their friends. There are no buses that can take them after school if they want to stay and do extracurricular activity. A mother recently contacted me about a 16- year-old started and was excited about a new journey to the technology college which specialises in engineering and each was it because there was a bus route, 305, and we are saying this across the country with bus routes being scrapped every day.

The new bus route means a journey of an hour with a 20 minute walk and £640 to pay for the past with the privilege. The Kent Freedom Pass which is run by the Reform party, deviously the Tories, is now over £550 a year. -- Previously the Tories. Families are priced out. The course remains out of reach for many. In the urban area, liability is a major concern and the cliff collapse has caused a major issue.

Under the Tories, millions went to shiny, fast track route. Brilliant. But they serve the new services but the people who lost the bus route were promised a physical connection for a place that has been placed on whole and those that reduce the opportunity have been left behind. The two-tier system is not fair. There are a number of bus companies undercutting each other and making timekeeping each other and making timekeeping decisions based on profit.

The new bus services Bill should enable local people to make reforms, not only through the borough but across the water as well, I cannot talk more about the ferry, bring it back, because it's about getting across the borough and getting to Essex as well and supporting our businesses.

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Of course I will. I thank the honourable member for

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I thank the honourable member for giving way. She mentions ferries and I hope you will show some sympathy for my constituents rely on ferries for my constituents rely on ferries which are unregulated, privatised, and which the local government has no say in. Her local authority does no say in. Her local authority does have a saying in the ferries and I wonder if she would like to reflect

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on the role of government in all modes of transport across the UK. We share a passion for ferries.

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We share a passion for ferries. My ferry no longer runs and so despite having a local government agency that could intervene, they agency that could intervene, they have let go of that and I will have let go of that and I will continue to send the drum -- sound of the drum for this incredibly important mode of transport. The government wants to see transport to government wants to see transport to a gateway to opportunity, which I fully support, and that the barrier it has been for many years.

We want it has been for many years. We want to bring voice to the people, especially the young people, of my constituency to deserve the right of opportunity using buses.

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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I thank the honourable member and I thank the honourable member for Derby North for bringing this forward. In my maiden speech, the railways debate, I spoke railways debate, I spoke specifically on the state of railways in my constituency and you railways in my constituency and you need to open a station to bring back a service to the town which was lost a service to the town which was lost since the days of them.

Despite the attempt to level up, any improvements have been modest and inconsistent. I represent many small towns and villages that really towns and villages that really benefit from national policy initiatives and all too often initiatives and all too often applied to rely on private cars to
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Brian Mathew Portrait Brian Mathew MP (Melksham and Devizes, Liberal Democrat)
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applied to rely on private cars to travel longer distances to services, schools, jobs. Improvements to the transport fund could drastically improve the lives of people in my constituency and thousands across the country. One academic study found one fifth of workers turned down a job because of poor bus services and another friend 40% of those looking for a job said that the lack personal transport or there is an adequate public transport and these are key barriers to them getting a job.

In terms of rail travel, Wilts is in a challenging position. We have railways but many don't benefit from services and carry people and freight, often across the county, but with few stations in the country and local services range from unreliable to non-existent. Nowhere is the mismatch found that in a town at the geographical and cultural heart of the area and the marketplace is just 2.5 miles from the the railway line and to access the network, they must travel to Swindon.

Melksham is only a little better with one train every two hours and locals cannot rely on it for work and school and many are not aware of it. Major improvements to the rail services can be made with only minor infrastructure upgrades. The 2024 strategy sets out the compelling case for building the station and reconnecting 30,000 people in and around the town and bringing more visitors to this special part of Wiltshire and I'm delighted to support the proposal which would deliver many of the improvements we need locally.

A group of experts are meeting in Bath to talk about leveraging existing existing infrastructure. We need good quality transport, high quality housing, and jobs and opportunity. Lastly, the Secretary of State offered kind and encouraging words in the transport questions this morning, however, following the meeting today, it would be enormously useful if the rail minister with agreed to a meeting minister with agreed to a meeting

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For rural areas, transport links

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For rural areas, transport links are a lifeline. I am delighted this government is doing what previous government is doing what previous governments have not it is investing in infrastructure. I've already secured a £200 million investment for the junction, shaving valuable minutes of journeys for ambulances minutes of journeys for ambulances to access the hospital which will benefit the honourable member directly and I've secured £2.6 million for cycling and footpath million for cycling and footpath access across north -- Norfolk, but there is more to do.

I have three there is more to do. I have three points today. First, rural road safety. Second, the bus services in safety. Second, the bus services in South Norfolk. Third, and the Minister will not be surprised, I Minister will not be surprised, I want to talk again about the train station. I'm currently running a constituency-white survey on road constituency-white survey on road safety in South Norfolk and I will share my findings with the county share my findings with the county council and the Police and Crime Commission and the Minister for Roads.

It is clear Norfolk roads are not fit for purpose. The onset, covered with potholes, and that it is brightly budget for repair being Bus services are in effect non- existent in many areas. The whole of
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Ben Goldsborough Portrait Ben Goldsborough MP (South Norfolk, Labour)
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the Hamptons estate is without bus services. They deserve better than services. They deserve better than this enforced isolation. And obviously I now turn to wind and obviously I now turn to wind and train station. As the Department knows from my many long attempts on knows from my many long attempts on this. Currently platform two to the southbound side has no step free access. It is Victorian train access. It is Victorian train station, and celebrated its 180th birthday. Anyone with a mobility birthday.

Anyone with a mobility issue wishing to travel must travel all the way north to Norwich and then travel all the way back down to Wymondham station. It is isolating Wymondham station. It is isolating and unjust. The provisions and victims of poor transport elderly victims of poor transport elderly and disabled. Access to the station is being considered. I realise the is being considered. I realise the Minister might be able to comment on any details at this stage I could any details at this stage I could think of no better way to prove this government's dedication to tackling regional transport inequality and to make Wymondham station a success for make Wymondham station a success for all.

For viewers on BBC Politics East they would expect all politicians from East Anglia would want to talk about another aspect of rail use, and that is the Ely East and holy junction upgrade. I will continue to lobby as I know this is a cross-party issue across the whole of East Anglia. It will increase freight haulage to Felixstowe, does huge economic boost to our region. And it would give more services to Wymondham and Spooner Rowe. Two sum up, need to hold Norfolk County Council to account for failing to fix our roads.

Need to continue making progress to improve access to bus services, and Wymondham station must remain accessible to all.

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Is the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on heritage railway, I must start by noting that railway, I must start by noting that we are celebrating Railway 200 we are celebrating Railway 200 Railway 227th of September. The railways brought wealth, new ideas, and vitality to communities across and vitality to communities across the UK. They were and are the the UK. They were and are the vehicle of growth. And many heritage lines including 10 in my constituency continued to marry technologies old and new and bring technologies old and new and bring so much happiness to so many people.

But the great Little trains of Wales now charitable, or private railways now charitable, or private railways was the public rail has been the last stop on the line for last stop on the line for investment. A legacy that continues the impact, to impact the lives of people in communities across the people in communities across the nation. To illustrate, the Network Rail Wales route which accounts for
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Liz Saville Roberts Portrait Rt Hon Liz Saville Roberts MP (Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Plaid Cymru)
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11% of the U.K.'s rail network received just wait for it, 1% of the enhancement budget between 2011 and 2016. The Welsh Government previously estimated Wales could be missing out on up to £8 billion in rail investment between 2001 and 2029. And that spans a number of governments here in Westminster. The funding deficit leads to inadequate transport of the structure and has far-reaching consequences particularly for those people have not got access to cars, and for those who live in post-industrial and rural areas.

Limits people's ability to connect with friends and family and creates barriers to accessing education and employment opportunities. In Wales, we want to improve our productivity. And we want the means to do it. The Spring Statement in June offered only a token gesture towards addressing the deep-rooted funding disparities that Wales faces. For example, the government suggestion that the £445 million of rail investment over 10 years would compensate for the historic underfunding of the Welsh network, or the multi-million pound injustice of Wales's exclusion from HS2 funding is simply not credible.

Where is the reinforcement against climate change? Where is the electrification frown lines? Let's not forget that the current Secretary of State for Wales acknowledged in opposition that Wales is fair share should be at least £4.6 billion. We have received 1/10 of what our own Welsh secretary once thought was fair. The statement also included the government's review of the Green Book aimed at improving investment outside London and the south-east of England. Upon examining its contents, I was disappointed but not surprised to find no commitment to reforming the way Welsh rail is funded.

This inequality remains unaddressed. Governments decision to classify the Oxford to Cambridge away as a object benefiting Wales is a stark example of the kind of accounting manipulation massaging that deprives Wales of rightful Barnett consequentials funding. Just as we saw with HS2 under the Conservatives. Earlier this year the Secretary of State for Wales acknowledged in writing that Welsh rail has suffered significant underinvestment. Yet there has been no pledge to bring spending in Wales in line with per capita investment levels in England.

I urge the government to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive action. But it and take decisive action. But it begins by devolving power to Wales, and also granting Wales control over Wales transport investment just as Scotland and Northern Ireland already have.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Particularly for the opportunity to speak in an important debate on regional transport inequality. For regional transport inequality. For too long, communities in the north- east have suffered the effects of chronic underinvestment in chronic underinvestment in transport, and the flawed legacy of transport, and the flawed legacy of privatisation. What should be a public service has instead become a patchwork system that often fails patchwork system that often fails people. On the railways, the people.

On the railways, the proposed LNER timetable risks missing vital stops at Durham. This missing vital stops at Durham. This means unnecessary changes to means unnecessary changes to Newcastle. For older people, disabled passengers, and those travelling with children, it creates real barriers and make Sarah real barriers and make Sarah weightless accessible at a time when they should be opening up. Buses
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Mary Kelly Foy Portrait Mary Kelly Foy MP (City of Durham, Labour)
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they should be opening up. Buses tell a similar story. In different areas, people depend on services from Arriva and Go North Needs. Yet complaint reach my inbox every week. The 43 from Ashwin to Durham and other bus services are unreliable. And in some villages buses don't run at all on Sundays and Bank holidays. Too often, our area is left with the oldest buses, prone to breakdown, whilst the newest vehicles serve the roots in Newcastle and Sutherland.

Funding for new bus stops, whilst welcome, my constituents asked, what good are they when the services are not reliable to go with them? There are workforce challenges too. A shortage of engineers is causing delays. Our further education colleges could be supported to provide friendships and skills. And locating a depot where bad weather frequently disrupts operations has only added to problems. Another issue is that our drivers in the region are paid less than colleagues in the north-west by the exact same companies, hardly a recipe for recruitment or retention.

All of this reflects the wider picture. From years of underinvestment and inequality. How did the North receive the same per person as London since 2009, we would have received £140 billion more. Enough to transform the system. Instead nearly 1/5 of rural bus routes have vanished in just five years, deepening isolation for many.

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I thank the lady. I wonder she agrees that when you're talking agrees that when you're talking about isolation, there's nothing more isolating not be able to get somewhere. When you can almost get somewhere. When you can almost get to the bus stop, as is the case with to the bus stop, as is the case with my constituent who tried to get her mobility scooter onto a bus and was rejected entry, and I wonder if she rejected entry, and I wonder if she agrees with me that, whilst it is not something that bus companies have to do by law, they should

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have to do by law, they should consider increasingly the needs of disabled travellers? Thank you for the information. I

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Thank you for the information. I could not agree more. Whilst we may improve on bus services, on types of modern buses, they are not modern buses, they are not accessible in all areas. And that is a huge inequality. Thank you for that intervention. The government's that intervention. The government's Bus Services Bill is a chance to put this right. With franchising, fair this right. With franchising, fair pay, investment in vehicles, we can build a system that works for build a system that works for passengers, supports jobs, and meets our climate goals.

Reliable, our climate goals. Reliable, affordable public transport should not be a luxury. It is the foundation of a fair economy and a connected community. My constituents in the city of Durham deserve no less. They deserve a transport service that serves local people not profit. And ministers must act to deliver it.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I was listening to radio four was listening to radio four yesterday evening. I was hearing about transport problems in London. Let's face it, we hear about Let's face it, we hear about transport problems in London, we know exactly what they mean. But know exactly what they mean. But pity also the poor people in the provinces who rarely come to London but have to hear all about London's but have to hear all about London's daily problems in terms of rail daily problems in terms of rail infrastructure.

Because, in Devon, that struggle is not just an occasional disruption, it is an everyday reality. Every year, there everyday reality. Every year, there are around 50 million rail journeys to, from, and within the South West to, from, and within the South West and Glen. According to the Office of Rail and Road, between January and Rail and Road, between January and March this year, only 67% of South Western Railway services ran on time meaning one in three trained arrived meaning one in three trained arrived late.

These figures were collected late. These figures were collected even before the disruption on South Western Railway over the summer, when speeds were reduced because of the hot dry weather caused by the " Soil moisture deficit. " A journey
14:12
Richard Foord Portrait Richard Foord MP (Honiton and Sidmouth, Liberal Democrat)
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Soil moisture deficit. " A journey to London which would take little over three hours was dragged out to nearly 4. Services from wimple and venison to Exeter were reduced to just one every two hours. This is not a service that people can rely on for work, forgetting to college, for family life. With hotter summers are set to become more frequent we need a lasting solution. Even in normal times, the line is fragile. It depends on a long single track section so that if one train is late, other trains are also delayed.

Delays ripple down the line, and at busy times, South Western Railway has been cutting the current numbers in half leaving people crammed in. One solution would involve increasing rail capacity along the line between Axminster and Exeter. There would be a new 3 mile section of dual track near Wimple and Cranbrook. That improvement would make a massive difference. With the double track in place South Western Railway could run an additional hourly shuttle service between Axminster which would give two trains an hour to Exeter.

It would mean a reliable hourly service. People have better onward connections to Plymouth, Barnstable,

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Bristol, Birmingham, and beyond. He makes an interesting point. I have been campaigning in my have been campaigning in my constituency, and for the exact same reasons and benefits that he is reasons and benefits that he is describing. Does he agree with me, if this government wants to get on

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if this government wants to get on with this, and going further and faster on investing would be the way to do it? The honourable member for Harrogate and Knaresborough lovely Harrogate and Knaresborough lovely right. He points to how it is affordable to dual a piece of track affordable to dual a piece of track rather than invest in new railway lines. For students studying at Exeter College, for workers heading into Exeter, for businesses trading into Exeter, for businesses trading across the south-west, this would be transformative.

It would make the railway more resilient. When there are delays, whether they be through flooding or autumn leaves or dry clay embankments, trains could pass more easily. With the government more easily. With the government planning around 20,000 new homes along the line between Axminster and along the line between Axminster and Exeter, demand on this stretch of railway will only increase. Finally, we cannot ignore the rolling stock. The trains themselves. The diesel fleet is over 40 years old, or nearly 40 years old.

And reliability is fading. Spare parts are running out. We need government decisions on new trains, battery, electric, or hybrid, so that by the early 2030s, we might have a modern clean and reliable fleet. Rural and coastal communities like mine must not be left behind. South Western Railway is doing what it can. I understand that since I asked the railways minister in question this morning, South Western Railway have announced replacement buses from Axminster to Exeter and between wimple and Exeter.

That is a sticking plaster. What we need to seize investment that would allow them to run reliable trained not just replacement bus services. People in the south-west pay many of the same taxes as those in London, and face long delays, overcrowding, and fewer trains. It is time for the government to demonstrate that attention to transport in the south-west is as necessary as that south-west is as necessary as that

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We have an immediate time limit of three minutes. Andrew Cooper.

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of three minutes. Andrew Cooper. I thank the honourable member for Derby North for securing the debate. Transport is about progress and it Transport is about progress and it opens up opportunities for employment and enterprise and keeps us connected to the people and communities that matter most. Many communities, particularly across the North, transport is not a catalyst North, transport is not a catalyst for opportunity but a source for disadvantage with deep-rooted inequalities leaving countless towns inequalities leaving countless towns and cities disconnected, limiting access to jobs, education, essential services.

The consequences are services. The consequences are tangible and affect lives and livelihoods and the ability of livelihoods and the ability of regions to thrive. For decades, investment has been starkly unequal investment has been starkly unequal investment has been starkly unequal and London and the south-west have benefited from funding but many in benefited from funding but many in the North have been left behind with ageing infrastructure, underfunded networks, and crucially, missed opportunities for growth. opportunities for growth. Historically, spending per capita London divorce that in the North.

It could have gained an additional £66 billion but missed it on the funding due to regional disparities in infrastructure investment and then my area, inadequate transport is one of the significant barriers for unlocking potential. It's a major obstacle for new businesses, creating jobs, attracting investment. I hope changes coming. Recent reforms to the Green Book by the Treasury represent a turning point and the updated Green Book places greater emphasis on regional equity and long-term social and economic benefits of investment.

It recognises value is not just measured in pounds and pence but lives improve, communities connected, future transplant. It's a chance to invest in the infrastructure that powers productivity and ensure that regardless of where you live, you have access to the same opportunity as someone living in London and the south-east. I think that the south-east. I think that the government has begun the policy with action and investment in transport. action and investment in transport. From rail upgrades, new bus routes, rail building schemes, I'm proud it rail building schemes, I'm proud it was this government that delivered the fatal project but I suspect the former minister approved it to stop me from camping outside her office.

me from camping outside her office. This means my lobbying powers can go to other areas like improvements to to other areas like improvements to the bridge and step-free access to the station.
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Jo Platt Portrait Jo Platt MP (Leigh and Atherton, Labour )
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table for transport. In my constituency, 37% of residents face constituency, 37% of residents face a high risk of exclusion due to poor a high risk of exclusion due to poor transport, twice the average for the North-West, and nearly 5 times that of Greater Manchester. Connectivity and access to cars isolating the most vulnerable, disabled people, most vulnerable, disabled people, families. People are being trapped families. People are being trapped in cycles of poverty and missed opportunity. I've spoken to residents who set off three hours to make a hospital appointment.

Others make a hospital appointment. Others turned down college theses or job offers because they cannot afford a offers because they cannot afford a car. Without one, opportunity is out of reach. This should not be the of reach. This should not be the case and it does not have to be. We must invest in accessible, sustainable transport - walking, sustainable transport - walking, cycling, buses, trains, in every cycling, buses, trains, in every region, not just where growth is. Greater Manchester is an example of the first stages that transport evolution could deliver.

Over £30 million is being invested in safer transport through the network with services like the V1 and V2 vital and that the planned new station is a huge step forward and we must go forward. Without reliable transport, access to jobs and health care remains a postcode lottery and I welcome discussions to expand metrolink to Salford, Wigan, Leeds. The investments must continue. There is a proposal to connect the two great regions, spearheaded by Andy Burnham, the Manchester Mayor, and Steve Rotherham.

The rate of growth is faster there than the UK on the hall. I would say to the members of Reform you are not in their seats that we have proven what investment can achieve for the region and transport infrastructure is driving the success and on this side of the House, we will not let shortsighted politics stall the momentum of the North.

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I thank my wonderful friend for

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I thank my wonderful friend for securing the debate. Transport is the glue that holds communities together. Derby is a city of makers together. Derby is a city of makers and we have unique transport heritage to be proud of and a future to be excited about. If you are talking about investment in public talking about investment in public transport, it is totally a different transport, it is totally a different story. Derby powers the supply chain and the East Midlands has been left lagging behind with funding transport infrastructure.

The transport infrastructure. The transport infrastructure. The successive governments in the region have left us sitting at the back of the queue for investment. Transport the queue for investment. Transport spending in the East Midlands was just 54% of the UK average, just 54% of the UK average, shockingly the lowest of any region or nation as referred to earlier. This is not just a number. It is delays, lost opportunities,
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Baggy Shanker Portrait Baggy Shanker MP (Derby South, Labour )
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delays, lost opportunities, frustration for people trying to go about their day-to-day. Ask anyone in the community and they will tell you. They have been stuck on the same congested roads for years and have watched vital bus services disappear as the region has faced the consequences of the deepest bus cuts in the country since 2000 it. Understandably, people are absolutely fed up. That is why I am proud that this government, along with our fantastic Mayor in the East Midlands are turning the tide and we are tackling congestion and activity across the East Midlands and finally starting to put things right and that is not all.

Whether it is moving forward on upgrades to the roads, ending the traffic gridlock, or introduction of the Bus Services Bill, protecting thousands of miles of routes across the region, progress is being made. There is lots more to do, though. We must put decades of underinvestment behind us and secure projects like the little package of the Midlands mainline, which would create 5000 new jobs, reduce journey times, improve reliability. As well as unlocking over £400 million worth of economic benefit for the region.

We know that to transform transport infrastructure we need to see sustained and long-term funding in the region and at the very minimum it must match the UK average. I look forward to seeing that delivered through action, investment, and finally, through a government that backs derby and the East Midlands.

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I would like to talk about the importance of the impact of both austerity and Covid on entrenching austerity and Covid on entrenching regional transport inequalities that we have heard of so much. I would we have heard of so much. I would like to talk about the importance of us making the most of existing infrastructure which has ended up crumbling and neglected in the previous 14 years and I would like to emphasise the importance of improving services and restoring improving services and restoring ones that have been battered by austerity and Covid.

This is particularly important in coastal communities and I'm proud to set communities and I'm proud to set beside the co-chair of the All-Party Group on Coastal Communities. We share, despite the geographical share, despite the geographical differences between our constituencies, concern about the constituencies, concern about the challenges of connectivity in our coastal communities and we know that many other places experience these problems. Fundamentally, as much as coastal communities have many assets, we are at the end of the line and I would say this to everyone in the chamber, we are the most exposed and vulnerable to the populism and dark forces we have seen around us recently.

It is particularly important that when you think about that, we must people to opportunities for growth and break down barriers for opportunity, two key missions as a country. In the great strategic point, I would specifically like to urge anyone listening for Stagecoach and the county council to restore the number nine bus for precisely this reason. One of our hospitals is the, two universities, colleges. I know that
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Polly Billington Portrait Ms Polly Billington MP (East Thanet, Labour)
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children, young people, adults, or children, young people, adults, or having the opportunities cut because the service no longer exist. Furthermore, I would like to point out the impact of Covid and particularly the fact we have particularly the fact we have crumbling and neglected infrastructure as a consequence of what has happened. Ashford what has happened. Ashford International Train Station is international in name only since the international in name only since the pandemic. You will start has -- pandemic.

You will start has -- Eurostar has expansion plans which do not include Kent and cutting the do not include Kent and cutting the train journeys from Kent to Paris buy two would be a great opportunity for growth and the Good Growth Foundation pointed out it would Foundation pointed out it would improve growth across five years £2.4 billion. That would be in £2.4 billion. That would be in places like mine which, unlike other places like mine which, unlike other affluent parts of the South-East, really need the economic.

With economic infrastructure, one last message to the Minister about Ramsgate Port and the importance of restoring at least passenger ferries

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to a place that is in need of that level of connectivity. I'm pleased to follow the honourable member talking about the honourable member talking about the impact of Covid on transport. Many impact of Covid on transport. Many of my constituents rely on the Cross of my constituents rely on the Cross city line to get into time for work, city line to get into time for work, social activities, many reasons. The service was cut from four trains an service was cut from four trains an hour to just two during the pandemic which was understandable at the time, given the circumstances.

Years have passed and those trains are have passed and those trains are still not back Andy Cross City Line still not back Andy Cross City Line is the busiest commuter line outside is the busiest commuter line outside of London and the over 1 million
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Dave Robertson Portrait Dave Robertson MP (Lichfield, Labour)
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journeys starting from a city of 35,000 people. It is a busy line. It is important infrastructure. There is an ongoing debate about transport inequality and the idea that we would be seeing services cut in half with nothing done for years, it would be absolutely laughable. Because it is the West Midlands, services have not come back and the issue is how busy New Street is. It is over capacity. You cannot get in or out. I'm glad to have campaigned for and to have coordinated dozens of backbench MPs who have supported the campaign to get it funded.

It will improve capacity and when we can get trains back on the City Line and mean 50 stations across a number of regions will see improvements in services. It is a fantastic example of the government investing in the projects that we need to close transport inequality gaps and I thank the Minister for that. Given those improvements are coming, I have a line which passes past the national memoriam in Staffordshire which would make a great place to allow everyone in the country to get there to enjoy the fantastic facilities that they can take part facilities that they can take part facilities that they can take part

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I strongly believe that regional geography is scaled to make substantial public transport improvements. It is why I back the improvements. It is why I back the government's devolution agenda is the right approach. The rail inequality of the future will not be North versus South or urban versus North versus South or urban versus rural, but between those areas that have well respected ambitious mayors have well respected ambitious mayors and those that do not. For the sake of passengers, I hope the government moves swiftly to fill in the gaps moves swiftly to fill in the gaps even if there is not complete consensus.

I believe that inequality consensus. I believe that inequality in transport is already to some extent linked to historic extent linked to historic governance. In the past, large areas historically had passenger transport executives. Give them a head start as more power heads to strategic as more power heads to strategic authorities. I still believe the government could go further to encourage the creation of more encourage the creation of more executive bodies to coordinate transport regions. I also remain concerned about the highways concerned about the highways transport split.

I very much welcome clause 25 of the devolution bill
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Alex Mayer Portrait Alex Mayer MP (Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, Labour)
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clause 25 of the devolution bill that will allow MCAs to take on civil enforcement of traffic conventions. But we could go further. Fundamentally the same organisation needs to be responsible for the bus, the bus lane and the number. We also need to think differently about the geography. From the Victorian rail networks to modern motorways, has been an assumption that all roads and rail should lead to London. But it can't just be north-south. It has to be east-west. That is why I normally welcome the commitment to East West Rail to rebalance decades of underinvestment in cross-country links.

I will continue to call for an expansion of the Luton Dunstable busway, and linking it into East West Rail. Finally I will be keen to hear from the Minister, and it is a chain question rather than a bus one, about plans for GBR within regions. Does the Minister believe that the current Network Rail regions are the right ones to build on as we move on to GBR? Or does he believe there are other opportunities and other shapes? Finally I believe we should always see transport as a driver of growth.

In order to build thriving networks, we'd have a relentless focus on building this.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. We know that the people who are left behind most are young people, disabled people, people on low incomes, and older people. I know incomes, and older people. I know that you Madam Deputy Speaker called for an older People's Commissioner. for an older People's Commissioner. In this respect would provide real In this respect would provide real value here. Yesterday I spoke about buses, in Bournemouth are crying out for a better 33 bus and a reinstatement of the bus route.

And reinstatement of the bus route. And a bus that is better and goes more frequently to the airport. We need stronger provision of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, that is not concentrated in the more affluent areas, where it is affluent areas, where it is concentrated in public areas and does not work. And also when it comes to trains, we are campaigning comes to trains, we are campaigning for an accessible station to London. In the time available I wanted to In the time available I wanted to talk about the problems that people are experiencing low clear and are experiencing low clear and accessing driving test.

The Labour government has committed to 10,000 additional driving tests and we have additional driving instructors in pool. Because the centre was closed in 2019. We have a situation where operators are using bots to sweep up months worth of tests dates, and to sell them to parents and learners at a high profit. It is not fair, an example of inequality, I have written to the driving standards agency and they are nowhere to be
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Tom Hayes Portrait Tom Hayes MP (Bournemouth East, Labour)
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seen. I welcome the fact that we seen. I welcome the fact that we have £1.1 million coming to BCB for the improvement of transport infrastructure. An extra £2 million infrastructure. An extra £2 million invested in potholes. But I particularly want to make the case here, for the first time in this chamber, for the resurrection of the tram network. I think this is really important. I can hear murmurs of assent from the bench is forced everyone loves a tram.

Trams foster economic social and cultural bonds. economic social and cultural bonds. And in Bournemouth we are falling behind in terms of economic growth opportunities because we don't have opportunities because we don't have the interconnectedness we need. I am going to briefly say that if we can going to briefly say that if we can have faster trains to London, if we have faster trains to London, if we can have accessible stations, to pay the potholes, and better bus services and more driving tests stop services and more driving tests stop and the driving network attracts and the driving network attracts people to move into areas which are already thriving but could thrive more, and Bournemouth no longer be more, and Bournemouth no longer be left behind.

With thrive. It is fantastic town that I'm so proud to

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represent. The elimination of our transport inequalities and there is no limit to success. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. The perception that many people have of Kent is one of prosperity because of our close proximity to London. of our close proximity to London. But the reality is more complex than that we have widespread inequalities that feel overlooked and that feel overlooked and disconnected this is all too evident in the way our transport network in the way our transport network operates. Nowhere has this been more evident than the decision taken by evident than the decision taken by Eurostar in 2020 to stop the international rail service calling at Ashford International.

My honourable friend highlighted the importance of international connectivity to the south-east in connectivity to the south-east in terms of economic benefits. This decision has left the international decision has left the international station which cost around £80 million of taxpayers money, sitting million of taxpayers money, sitting idle for over five years. This idle for over five years. This autumn, a decision is due to be made on new potential varieties of international rail whether they will have access to the international have access to the international depot.

As the ORR comes to its decision I would ask the Minister with the government give a clear
14:39
Sojan Joseph Portrait Sojan Joseph MP (Ashford, Labour)
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indication that it will favour operators who come to Ashford? The London focus of our transport network also means that, while there network also means that, while there are good services between Ashford and London, there is not the same provision of services for my constituents who are looking to constituents who are looking to travel across Kent or for local journeys that do not involve the capital. This disproportionately affects those who do not have access to a car such as young people, the to a car such as young people, the disabled, and low income households.

disabled, and low income households. It limits the Access to Work Plus. Healthcare appointments, or being able to access local amenities. In able to access local amenities. In particular I have been contacted by many constituents have been elected many constituents have been elected who have complained about the poor condition of local bus services in my constituency. This affects the residents of the smaller villages where it is the constituent whose where it is the constituent whose son is disabled and he was unable to find a job because the bus from his find a job because the bus from his village starts too late in the morning, or the older constituents who are unable to visit theatres in who are unable to visit theatres in Canterbury because the last bus runs before the end of the performance.

These are a couple of examples I These are a couple of examples I could quote showing why my constituency and Kent as a whole is crying out for properly supported vessels. Having this is vital to Break Down Barriers to Opportunity and unlocking economic growth in our communities. I welcome that when Labour's bus service Bill is passed, it will play a major role in reforming our broken bus system. I hope the illustration of Kent County Council will take full advantage of the powers this bill gives them to deliver the improvement in bus services that my constituents deserve.



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Can I first thanked my honourable friend, the Member for Derby North friend, the Member for Derby North for securing this debate. She knows my constituency very well and will be familiar with many of the issues be familiar with many of the issues that I wish to raise today. Erewash is at the geographic and, dare I say it, emotional heart of the East Midlands. The halfway point between Derby and Nottingham. When I represent was scarcely on the map represent was scarcely on the map for the railways.

And it used to for the railways. And it used to have its own tram. Places defined by industry and inherently linked with public transport, but by the middle public transport, but by the middle of the 20th century, the legacy had been whittled away as all focus been whittled away as all focus moved towards the car. For 50 years, Ilkeston did not have a train station at all. After years of cross-party campaigning, its new cross-party campaigning, its new station opened in 2017. Lots of people tell me they feel the station has been a missed opportunity.

It has been a missed opportunity. It services only once an hour which means it is not as attractive as it can be to commuters. Ilkeston is in can be to commuters. Ilkeston is in Derbyshire you cannot get a train to Derby from the station. I'm pleased Derby from the station. I'm pleased to see discussions about another line being raised. It will restore the link from Nottinghamshire to the Erewash Valley line, apps enabling the new services connecting Mansfield to Derby to also call at Ilkeston.

At present while it bears my constituency's name it does not carry any local passenger services. If brought into more frequent use, everyone could reopen another station. If we are dreaming, perhaps one day we could bring back another station. In many ways, Long Eaton was fortunate to keep its train station after the 1960s. The station has frequent services to many destinations but there are still things that notably lacks. The ramps things that notably lacks. The ramps up to the platform are steep and the lift only work when that station is staffed which is the difficulty for my disabled constituents.

Platform my disabled constituents. Platform is too short which can cause havoc on longer trains were only some on longer trains were only some doors open. Finally I wish to raise the buses. The 21 used to link different areas directly with the different areas directly with the different areas directly with the Queen's Medical Centre. One of our local major hospitals in Nottingham. Before Covid the service was cut to just once an hour. After Covid the just once an hour. After Covid the route was scrapped altogether.

There are no direct buses and if you are trying to reach the hospital by bus trying to reach the hospital by bus it is a two our trip. It means getting a bus all the way into Derby to get another bus to Nottingham in the opposite direction. It is madness. madness.
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Adam Thompson Portrait Adam Thompson MP (Erewash, Labour)
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I am very familiar with his constituency, and I know that he has been campaigning way before he became an MP for improved transport links. When he's talking about access to bus services, as he grew with me that for smaller villages like in my constituency who are not served by a bus service at all, it really is truly ensuring that there

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is regional inequality across our country? I thanked my honourable friend

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I thanked my honourable friend for her intervention. And I agree with her completely. For years, the with her completely. For years, the East Midlands has languished as my honourable friend said in her opening remarks, has languished on opening remarks, has languished on the bottom few rungs for regional transport funding for top I'm glad that times are changing. £2 billion that times are changing. £2 billion of transport commitment early this year was bigger than I and colleagues in the region could have ever trained.

I am so excited to see what transformation that investment what transformation that investment will bring, and will be fighting every day to ensure that Erewash sees the benefits of that funding. In the long term, we are a real change, the East Midlands cannot just rely on one-off awards. We need just rely on one-off awards. We need consistent investment. Compared to planning reform overhauled and empowered local government, and empowered local government, and especially changes to the Treasury rules to end the flat refusal to spend outside of London and the spend outside of London and the greater Southeast.

These are all positive prospects brought forward by this government, I'm looking

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forward to seeing them move along. It might be healthy for indicate

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It might be healthy for indicate that I'm going to come to the Front Benches at 305. On the three minute time limit.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Since I was elected last July, I have become very closely acquainted with the long distance London with the long distance London Paddington to Penzance line. Which a number of my colleagues have number of my colleagues have mentioned. There was a big storm in 2014 and we were cut off, properly cut off, could not get in and out of cut off, could not get in and out of Cornwall by rail because it was only one way in and out.

Cut off for eight weeks. Since then an awful lot eight weeks. Since then an awful lot has been done to improve the resilience of the line. But that phase will be vital to strengthening phase will be vital to strengthening the vital coastal section and maintaining connectivity for maintaining connectivity for Cornwall. Cornwall sees a huge population increase in the summer with about 4 million visitors was with about 4 million visitors was lactose rival year-round connections constrains our economy and restricts growth as well as creating that growth as well as creating that social isolation.

Many of our students have to travel over an hour students have to travel over an hour public transport to FE providers. In getting between their partnerships and colleges is often impossible and restricts their prospects. As a restricts their prospects. As a result of our 2015 devolution deal,, Council obtained data transport Council obtained data transport powers, like franchising and partnership agreements with local bus providers. That has helped and seen an increase in bus patronage. Cornwall was the first rural area in England to introduce smart ticketing.

It came at a cost. The council subsidises 50% of public transport network. It costs us off a lot of money. Under the previous Tory government, the south-west had some of the lowest expenditure on public transport and just 429 per head, second lowest after the honourable members constituency. I welcome this government's focus on long-term investment in transport infrastructure including the
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Jayne Kirkham Portrait Jayne Kirkham MP (Truro and Falmouth, Labour )
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has many miles of small roads. I would like to emphasise, for our economic growth- Porton Down investment is for Cornwall. Cornwall investment is for Cornwall. Cornwall Chamber of Commerce has said transport connectivity is top priority for businesses that they priority for businesses that they represent. Those transport links really hold us back. We used to really hold us back. We used to receive EU funding of up to £1 billion. Much of it was ploughed into transport as we did not have into transport as we did not have the funding from elsewhere.

We have branch lines now that would not have been in existence had it not been been in existence had it not been for that money. But the funding after SPF is finished has now dried up. So we do need that investment to continue. Electrifying the mainline would really help. Currently there is a branch line passenger service that runs from Truro to Falmouth. that runs from Truro to Falmouth. There is a freight rail line at the There is a freight rail line at the end of it.

150 yards would open up so much for these new industries like critical minerals, and moving things like aggregates around. And things like aggregates around. And we have an airport that desperately needs a new PSO. In conclusion investment in transport if the investment in transport if the structure is so essential for economic growth and success in the

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I am glad to speak today because far too many of my constituents are currently held back by transport. currently held back by transport. Beginning with rail, just over the border of my constituency, is a striking example of what we are here striking example of what we are here to discuss today. Two of the three to discuss today. Two of the three platforms at the station can not be platforms at the station can not be reached by wheelchair users. Is a and told me how his friend with mobility issues had to crawl up and mobility issues had to crawl up and down the stairs to reach the connecting train.

The train company connecting train. The train company supported installing lifts but it fell under the Access for All program where demand was huge and it was heavily undisturbed. Network Rail prioritises based on passenger numbers and the proximity of the numbers and the proximity of the next available station. That means we lose out to larger pubs nearby. We have been shortlisted in the past but other stations have scored higher under the system and the reality is the next allocation of funding is a difficult prospect.

In
14:48
Josh Newbury Portrait Josh Newbury MP (Cannock Chase, Labour)
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funding is a difficult prospect. In the meantime, passengers are offered mitigations like going forward to the next accessible station and going back again. For many, is not a viable nor dignified option.

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Will they give way for a brief intervention pretty much there intervention pretty much there are... It must not be treated as optional extras in times like mine and they are central to fairness. and they are central to fairness. Change is long overdue with buses. We are one of the most car - We are one of the most car - dependent parts of the country but many rely on buses. We've lost bus many rely on buses. We've lost bus routes to Birmingham.

In my part of the road, we can see stark evidence of a public service run for private of a public service run for private profit causing inequality. Elderly residents cannot reach appointments and parents struggle to get children to school and workers turned down to school and workers turned down shifts and bus services have been cut 10 times more here than elsewhere some communities cut off elsewhere some communities cut off altogether like one area that has no service at all despite once having a direct bus to Wolverhampton.

The Bus direct bus to Wolverhampton. The Bus direct bus to Wolverhampton. The Bus Services Bill will begin to reverse the long-term decline we have seen for too long. Whether it is the last boss that never comes on a platform boss that never comes on a platform you cannot reach, my constituents now what the transport inequality looks like and I welcome the commitment to put fairness and accessibility at the heart of transport policy and I will keep pressing to ensure my constituents get the investment that there is.



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To grow the economy, we need good collectivity. In coastal communities collectivity. In coastal communities like Scarborough and Whitby, we are like Scarborough and Whitby, we are stuck in the slow lane. Scarborough is a popular tourist destination, is a popular tourist destination, attracting 3.9 million visitors last year and the train from Scarborough year and the train from Scarborough to York is an essential link for visitors and commuters. With one visitors and commuters. With one service an hour, opportunity and growth are being chalked off.

We need a twice-hourly service and this puzzle is back by the Mayor, local businesses, my constituents, and businesses, my constituents, and Lord Blunkett, who listed the service increase as one of his priorities in his report, 'Yorkshire's Plan for Rail', published this year. There have been calls for the service to be twice in calls for the service to be twice in our from the theatre and they have stated that audience members had to stated that audience members had to leave early to catch the train.

Rather that they are recent production, this is a price. There
14:52
Alison Hume Portrait Alison Hume MP (Scarborough and Whitby, Labour)
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are businesses looking for more employees but the opportunities are employees but the opportunities are out of reach for many. We have enough platforms and enough demand for a regular rail service. The for a regular rail service. The operator says one barrier to providing a twice-hourly service is providing a twice-hourly service is a shortage of drivers and insist they must train their own drivers on they must train their own drivers on their own roots and I would be grateful if they could address this grateful if they could address this in the closing remarks from the Minister and if the Minister is exploring new ways to make sure you localise need for drivers is met.

I welcome the news that the combined authority will receive £94 million authority will receive £94 million in local transport grant capital funding over the next four years but funding over the next four years but the combined authority covers a huge geographical area and it is not part of the transport through city regions and so the settlement is not nearly as large as most combined nearly as large as most combined authorities. I will carry on, thank authorities. I will carry on, thank you.

Unless we equip our first you. Unless we equip our first Labour rural Mayor in North Yorkshire with the economic firepower for buses and trains, we not only limit the opportunity of tones look Scarborough to contribute to economic growth but risk failing to break down barriers to opportunity in coastal communities. -- towns.

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When we talk about regional transport inequality, the East Midlands, where I was born and have lived most of my life, is a clear lived most of my life, is a clear example of imbalance, as my honourable friend from Derby North honourable friend from Derby North has said. Over the past five years, transport spend per head has fallen transport spend per head has fallen to 54% of the UK average in these because, the lowest of any region in because, the lowest of any region in the mission.

If we had received the the mission. If we had received the national average, we would have had £7 billion more for buses, roads, £7 billion more for buses, roads, railways. Rail funding is more unequal with £175 per head in 2023- 24, not even 40% of the English average and one third of that of the West Midlands. These are not abstract figures. They affect daily life and it means high dependency on
14:53
James Naish Portrait James Naish MP (Rushcliffe, Labour)
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life and it means high dependency on cars, low levels of bus usage, a sparse and unreliable rail network, and 75% of stations are served by only one train per hour or fewer. This is what chronic underinvestment looks like on the ground for my constituents. As has been reference, there have been positive commitments recently which I welcome, including the £2 billion allocated to the Mayor of the East Midlands, Mayor of the East Midlands, Clearwater. With huge funds -- clear ward.

With huge funds being spent, on a few fantastic projects, the money being sent will not address the long-standing imbalances and without purposeful intervention, I fear the position of the East Midlands will worsen. What needs to change? Firstly, funding parity and I'd like to see a transparent pack to bring the spend in the East Midlands on transport up to the average, including where the gap is deepest. We need a long-term multi- year pipeline for road, rail, bus, station, active travel investments, rather than piecemeal, one-off projects, so local authorities and industry can plan properly.

Thirdly, I would like to see housing growth matched by transport capacity. My constituency is delivering the housing that the government wants to see and it is important that the transport is there as well. Finally, Midland Main line electrification. I must mention this. The economic case is overwhelming and it would unlock £400 billion of benefit and 500 jobs and keeping the scheme under review risks £40-70 million in additional costs. Please look at the scheme again, Minister.

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I want to congratulate my right honourable friend from Derby North honourable friend from Derby North for securing the important debate to highlight the disparity in the highlight the disparity in the effectiveness and adequacy of transport between different regions. I would like to speak about my own constituency and consider how specific issues affect travel in remote coastal areas like Cornwall, remote coastal areas like Cornwall, as my honourable friend as as my honourable friend as mentioned, particularly in relation to transport from home to school.

The fact of the geography of The fact of the geography of Cornwall, at the end of a long potential, is characterised by remote communities, limited transport infrastructure, and a high proportion of small settlements, which means delivering services is which means delivering services is inherently more expensive and the recent funding review which closed focused on assessing local
14:56
Perran Moon Portrait Perran Moon MP (Camborne and Redruth, Labour)
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focused on assessing local authorities' experience of living multiple services like home-to-skill transport and the South-West ranks in the bottom of original transport expenditure in 2023-24. Yet Cornwall faces distinct geographical challenges. It covers a large area and many pupils live further from the new skill under limited public transport options in rural areas, necessitating dedicated school transport. These place-based characteristics are compounded by pressures in special educational needs and the disability system with a rising number of pupils requiring specialist transport but the funding formula does not reflect the complexity and the cost of providing the service.

Roads in remote coastal and rural areas are or 22 wagga- related disruption and mean transport services require extra funding. Seasonal changes exacerbate this and there are maintenance costs this and there are maintenance costs and planning complexity being added to. I hope he gets to his feet, the Minister will address some of the particular issues in remote coastal areas like Cornwall. I would appreciate a further discussion with him on this matter, particularly given the distinct devolution

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complications of Cornwall. I was quite tempted to stand up

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I was quite tempted to stand up and just say the word 'pothole' over and over again for three solid and over again for three solid minutes because the peculiarity of the approach might bring home to the Minister, who I know has been doing his best, how strongly my his best, how strongly my constituents feel about the state of their roots. The government did give their roots. The government did give us £7 million more to deal with this issue than previous years and that is very much appreciated by my constituents.

The reality is 14 constituents. The reality is 14 years of chronic underfunding has left my roads in a catastrophic left my roads in a catastrophic state. I cannot emphasise enough how state. I cannot emphasise enough how dark, dangerous, and worrying neutral rods are. The number of neutral rods are. The number of young people who died on the roads young people who died on the roads in my constituency is absolutely horrific. I cannot emphasise enough that we need separate funding for significant safety upgrades as well significant safety upgrades as well as the road maintenance fund to be increased dramatically, as soon as the government can do so.

The other the government can do so. The other matter I want to draw attention to to do with Roger my constituency is gripping and it made sound trivial but gritting is essential and roads can stay frozen for a longer without
15:01
Sarah Russell Portrait Sarah Russell MP (Congleton, Labour)
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it. What impact in my authority, having had so many financial charges, has been reduction in gritting and there are roads with no pavements and no grip on the roads and the children are dropped off at school, put into a road alongside school, put into a road alongside cards which has not been gritted at all. Head teachers mitigate the risk by not demanding parents bring children in on time and that puts them at risk and risks affecting their education with the lack of their education with the lack of safety features.

Contractors with London where there are cameras that London where there are cameras that shut the roots of completely at specific times of day and I find it staggering we have such a complete contrast of treatment. Of course, I contrast of treatment. Of course, I want children in London to be seen. It's not about taking things away from skills. It is very much about from skills. It is very much about children in my constituency and all the people having the same access the people having the same access the people having the same access Very briefly I want to touch on Northern Rail and the lack of Sunday services in my constituency.

The strikes going on for a year and we desperately need this issue to be resolved. Station rail accessible to the lack of accessible lift is a huge point. I would echo points made by colleagues that the important bus funding these things properly, and lastly there has been a 67% reduction in buses in my local area in the last 15 years. We desperately need to improve this. Thank you.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I will do my best to speak at high speed. I want to say a few words at the start about our honourable friend the Member for Nottingham South. She was an outstanding minister in the department loss is minister in the department loss is the gain of the whips office and she will will be much missed. I'm grateful as well to the honourable member for Derby North. She and I member for Derby North. She and I both represent constituencies in the squeezed Midlands, Regent historically denied a fair share of funding and critical tension.

The East Midlands receives the lowest East Midlands receives the lowest transport funding per head of any region stop the West Midlands help region stop the West Midlands help this unhappy status until recently. The rail line between Birmingham and Nottingham is slower mile for mile than that between Manchester and than that between Manchester and Leeds. West Midlands has the lowest share of public transport journeys of any English region honoured by of any English region honoured by the East Midlands was this fuels congestion, road safety problems and congestion, road safety problems and potholes.

Birmingham's roads are a special case. We had one of the last PFI contracts in the country. When PFI contracts in the country. When originally issued local government austerity and the high inflation of the early 2020s was not foreseen. The last government tried to withdraw support from the contract without a clear plan was ruled
15:02
Laurence Turner Portrait Laurence Turner MP (Birmingham Northfield, Labour)
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without a clear plan was ruled unlawful. I know that the new minister will be looking at this closely and I look forward to working with him to try to get a fair deal for Birmingham. Most public transport journeys are like us yet public accountability lags behind. National Express announced major changes to various routes this summer. People lost their direct connection to Birmingham and some older persons no longer have direct bus access to the QE2 hospital. I'm grateful to the hundreds of people who signed petitions including one I organised.

I have met with express and Transport for West Midlands and I hope we can find a way forward. On commuter rail, significant investment has been announced. I have spoken frequently about rebuilding a station as part of the Midlands Rail Hub. I will say how grateful I am that ministers have listened and I hope we can make progress on restoring that service frequency. Finally, we must be ambitious. Birmingham tramways once ran to my constituency. The original ran to my constituency. The original 1984 vision had a loop serving different areas and the vision was right.

I hope we can find funding for a feasibility study for an for a feasibility study for an extension. Regional transport inequality hinders economic growth and denies opportunities to my constituency. I'm glad the House has had the chance to debate this today.

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I will stop. Can I commend the audible gentleman for his timekeeping and gentleman for his timekeeping and the speed with which he got this

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the speed with which he got this finish. It brings us to the Front Benches remembering we would like some time for the member in charge to wind up. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I was also conscious at questions this morning of not only ensuring I did not repeat the heresy of you and not repeat the heresy of you and yours, but I will keep my questions brief. I did not have time to put on record for the third time in under a record for the third time in under a year a formal welcome on behalf of my party to the new shadow transport secretary. May I begin today notwithstanding the fact he is no notwithstanding the fact he is no longer in the chamber, by congratulating the right honourable member on his elevation.

A former transport minister knows all about transport minister knows all about the transformative effect of the transformative effect of transport, having recently hopped aboard the overnight shuttle from Durham to Basildon. On that tortuous journey, from the north of England journey, from the north of England to the south-east, there are huge inequalities in transport provision across the country. Trains or buses, across the country. Trains or buses, roads or air travel, where you live or your business is situated has a massive effect on your mobility.

The ability to move from A-Z at all points in between is a key to a modern economy. The statistics paint a stark picture of, to coin a phrase, a two-tier system. Last year transport spending in London was over £1300 per head. New research over £1300 per head. New research from Transport for the North says 11 million people in England face transport exclusion. It affects many more people since 2019. In the north-east well over 30% of residents face a high risk of transport -related social exclusion impaired to below 3% in London.

He
15:07
Paul Kohler Portrait Mr Paul Kohler MP (Wimbledon, Liberal Democrat)
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was excluded? It will come as no surprise that it is disproportionately low income households, unpaid, the old and households, unpaid, the old and disabled. The very people our transport system should be helping transport system should be helping the most are the ones facing its greatest barriers. It is not just North of England suffering from North of England suffering from inequalities. In Somerset, it is virtually cut off. The rail station virtually cut off. The rail station closed in 1971.

Whilst the honourable member for Taunton and Marblehead tells me the number 28 bus appears to run on a whim. Stratford-upon-Avon Stagecoach stopped running buses and leaving at weekends. There is no direct train service between the home of Shakespeare and London. Undermining Shakespeare and London. Undermining the town's tourist and cultural the town's tourist and cultural economy. And it is key to our tourist industry. That is why Cornwall, the new LibDem councillor has cancelled the previous Tory has cancelled the previous Tory administration plans to sell off Newquay Airport.

Now needs more help than is currently being offered the airport needs. Investment in airport needs. Investment in transport is key. Even in London, transport is key. Even in London, where transport for London is the envy of the rest of the country, more investment is needed. Repeated disruption on the District line is caused because of some of the infrastructure according to TfL being up to 130 years old. It sounds grim. My constituents are getting tired of hearing me say it but in Wimbledon and the rest of London we don't how lucky we are.

Just imagine living in a region where services are sparse or non-existent. Bus routes are cut, and the few trains running are routinely delayed for some I address my remarks to the Minister, for whom I have a high regard and no little somebody. Problems with regional transport inequalities are clearly not of his making, noise governments, but that of the past Tory administration. Take buses for example where deregulation allowed private operators to cream off the profitable route abound of the rest. Three 2015 and 2023 overall one million passenger journeys were lost.

In the north-east bus route were reduced to half the number in 2024. Sadly however, the problem is still continuing. Remember in the south-east of England tells me three bus services and cancel since last summer. In the south-west and north-east 56% of small towns identified as transport desert or at risk of becoming so. I do not doubt the government's good intentions evidenced by the Bus Services Bill but in some respect things are getting worse. The government's decision to increase the bus fare cap will accelerate the decline in bus usage.

And those already struggling the most. The Minister will point to the Bus Services Bill and provisions, but no amount of legislation will solve the issue of regional transport inequality apart from necessary investment. But as we saw with HS2 and more recently the spending review, the monies are not forthcoming. The verification has now been cancelled, and there is work to protect the mainline. Despite the very real risk of regional connectivity. It is true of our road network where the promise to widen the a 12 has been cancelled.

As a Ministers fond of telling me, there is no magic money tree. Which is why the only way to address regional transport inequalities to grow the economy. Growth impeded by the very inequality growth would help address. That is why there must be more investment in our transport system and more ambitious approach to growth. This cannot be achieved by wishing on a star, or other things. We need to boldly engage with the EU and have an integrated transport system driven by and driving a dynamic and growing economy.

IND by thanking the honourable member for Derby North calling this important debate, and

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all honourable members for the excellent contributions. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I'm would like to join the Liberal Democrats in thanking honourable Democrats in thanking honourable member for Dudley North in securing the debate. Just give us an opportunity to talk about the chasm opportunity to talk about the chasm between the government and promises and the grim reality for passengers of businesses and communities, as of businesses and communities, as has been ably demonstrated by all the contributions from the backbenches. I don't have time to give justice to all the speakers who made contributions.

I shall leave that task to the Minister. I will that task to the Minister. I will move on quickly to roads. Look at the governments record on roads the governments record on roads because it has come in for criticism. The infrastructure Spending Review that the Conservatives responsible for the Conservatives responsible for the run up to the last election ran from 2020 until 2025. This was some £24 2020 until 2025. This was some £24 billion of investment delivering major upgrades, unlocking major upgrades, unlocking infrastructure to enable one genetic thousand new homes for our constituents.

Improving free port and airport links and improved safety building 151 refuge areas for safety building 151 refuge areas for smart motorways. And we move from 25 to 25 and 30 which is Labour's opportunity to outrun us? Have they done so? Absolutely not. It is
15:12
Jerome Mayhew Portrait Jerome Mayhew MP (Broadland and Fakenham, Conservative)
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marked by the killing of key enhancements which I will come onto. Instead of action, we have targets Instead of action, we have targets here, we have consultations there, but it is very light on delivery. We but it is very light on delivery. We have a government review, the government of review, a government government of review, a government with policy papers, and it speaks to a wider truth about this government, it is led by a lawyer, the Prime it is led by a lawyer, the Prime Minister, values process over political judgement.

If you don't believe me just think about his believe me just think about his approach to the sacking of our ambassador to Washington. His original defence was the process was original defence was the process was followed. There was no critical judgement. Conceit in the transport judgement. Conceit in the transport policy as well. What we need is not process, you don't need further targets here and consultations there, we need action. Action on the 812 improvements. £1.2 billion 812 improvements. £1.2 billion project that one, the scheme had been signed off.

The housing has been cleared away. Businesses have been relocated, but it has been scrapped that warning by this government. The 812 is a core artery for Suffolk. Where is regional

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equality? He said the magic word, he said Essex. Would my honourable friend give some support to the Transport for London extension of concessions bill which I have myself tabled. TfL bill which I have myself tabled. TfL runs to Shenfield, Reading, Watford, Amersham, way beyond the boundaries of Greater London. My bill would require TfL to enable any local authority which is served by a TfL route, or by a route to which a TfL concession scheme applies to opt in to concessionary fare scheme for top including that Freedom Pass for old-age pensioners.



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I am aware that the TfL concessions bill does not make a call on the public purse. At least call on the public purse. At least on the Treasury. And it is for local authorities to opt into the scheme if they wish to. It sounds like an exciting project and one that should be developed further. I mentioned be developed further. I mentioned the A12 but there's also the A47, the A12 but there's also the A47, under the Conservatives there was under the Conservatives there was dualling.

Labour coming to power and what action do they take? They cancel all further improvements.

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cancel all further improvements. It runs through my constituency, but with the honourable gentleman but with the honourable gentleman also agree that the improvements being spent on the junction a joint being spent on the junction a joint area is making a huge difference impaired to the money wasted by Norfolk County Council, run by his

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Norfolk County Council, run by his party, a road that has not had an inch of tarmac blade? I am grateful for the

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I am grateful for the intervention. It does give me the opportunity to raise the proverbial eyebrow in the Member for South Norfolk claim credit for securing £200 million for the roundabout when that has been in process for years. Before he was even elected. As for the money he is talking about, it is the Western Road which would be a huge improvement. The moment we have the M25 equivalent for Norwich but is missing one section. The Conservatives are squarely behind finishing that.

I'm surprised to hear Labour does not support the residents in a similar way. Moving on to what Labour has done, they have cancelled the further have cancelled the further improvements on the A47, to clearly towards Peterborough. It's an example of where East Anglia has been ignored by Labour. On buses we have the most popular form of public transport, the most important for areas of high deprivation, as a number of speakers are mentioned. It is particularly important for poorer members of society, for the young and elderly and disabled.

The Conservatives recognised this because they recognised that price matters in the last government introduced the £2 bus fare cap. And the last election the pledge was to maintain it throughout the parliament will stop we recognised how popular and useful it was in increasing bus ridership was top Labour came to power and they had a choice. They could back passengers, or they could back the unions. One of their first acts in government were the first shameful acts in government was to give a 15% pay rise to Aslef drivers who are already the best paid in Europe.

They paid for it with a 50% increase in bus fares for passengers around the country. It speaks to a wider truth again. When it comes to it, Labour is the party of the unions Labour is the party of the unions

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Has predecessor, the last Conservative Rail Minister, the big Conservative Rail Minister, the big terms of the deal and said there terms of the deal and said there were issues and stations and people

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were issues and stations and people work hard and should be shown more respect. Does he agree? I have no problem with unions making demands because they are making demands because they are representing the interests of members but I complain about the government giving way to them at the expense of the general public. We've got council projects with the elective occasion of the middle and mainline which has led to people mainline which has led to people being laid off and the loss of expertise and there's the procurement of trains because we have any certainty as to whether or not the loan will be electrified or not the loan will be electrified or not.

The Conservative government completed stage 1-4 of the completed stage 1-4 of the development of the line and stage five was commencing at the government has kicked it into the government has kicked it into the long grass. This was mentioned by long grass. This was mentioned by the member for Newton Abbot. I pay tribute to him for that. And at the junction in temperature and supper, -- Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, the honourable member highlighted the need for that to be dealt with and it has been ignored by the government.

I have already given away. The big plan is nationalisation for railways and you've got to look at the motive of the government. What does it think it will do? It's not about unifying track and train because that was in the review and was going to happen without nationalisation. It's about reducing fairs and if so it is rising. Is it about efficiency? One would hope so but they are actually decapitating the management teams that drive efficiency. Is it about passenger numbers increasing? The inconvenient truth is under privatisation, passenger ridership on the railway doubled because companies were not incentivised to chase it and it's driven by open access routes but the government has opposed every application for open access since the election.

Is it to save money? If it is, they are not doing a good job because South-West Trains are the first to be dealt with and the last £2 billion in negotiations due to incompetence by the government. The truth is that they are doing it because of faith in the big state and it is a key demand of the unions. Aslef have already got 30% pay rise. The RMT are striking now. What will happen? Next time, the strike will be national.

The government is one year in. We have heard about scheme after scheme that has been cancelled. Money has been diverted from passengers to union pay and this done nothing for original inequality. -- Original inequality. It is engulfing the country.

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Passengers are so disappointed in Labour and deserve better. I welcome the debate and thanked

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I welcome the debate and thanked the honourable member for Derby the honourable member for Derby North For securely the bid. For decades, this country has faced a drawing deficit of opportunity, fuelled by pure collectivity which fuelled by pure collectivity which has defined too many communities. I've experienced first hand the precision felt by millions every precision felt by millions every day. Growing up in the North-East, I could be ours for a bus that would never arrive and so I understand the missed lessons and missed missed lessons and missed appointments lead to missed opportunities for hard-working families and poor transport has families and poor transport has deepened the divide, isolated communities, eroded polity of life while stifling growth, impacting productivity, cutting investment.

productivity, cutting investment. The last European cities without a mass transport system. We are
15:21
Simon Lightwood Portrait Simon Lightwood MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) (Wakefield and Rothwell, Labour )
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suffering. It does not have to be this way. The government is turning the page on decades of decline and ending shortsighted decision making from Whitehall and unlocking talent, ambition, potential across the country and seizing a once in a generation opportunity to change the way that things are done and building a stronger transport network that works for everyone, whoever they are and wherever they come from. We will set out the vision later in the year and champion transport which is designed, built, run with people in mind and recognise that different people face different challenges and need to solve them in different ways.

We must make transport more reliable and accessible and help everyone to feel more confident and able to use the network. We will encourage other services to with transport and tackle regional inequality in all forms. We know that politicians in Westminster cannot grasp the reality of life elsewhere and that is why the bill puts power in the hands of local authorities you can serve the community and we recognise the one- size-fits-all formula does not work. Funding franchising pilots to help. It calls for ending the plague of violence against women and girls.

We are backing the steps with landmark levels of investment and this year alone, £1 billion will help to improve bus services and keep it affordable and the bus variable more money in the pockets of passengers, making bus travel viable for more communities and improving access to jobs, education, health where it is needed most and we are giving city mayors £15.6 billion to support wider projects including mass transit in Leeds and a Metro extension in the north-east and much more and ensure tones, villages, rural areas outside of London are rural areas outside of London are not affected.

Just last week we confirmed and £4 billion to help with ambitious transport project. I'm delighted to work with the mayors, fantastic, but donnish and Devon are left behind. It's not because we do not have a city near? -- Donnish. Speak we have committed to this and looked at this outside city areas and it is still an important part for central government in tackling transport government in tackling transport inequality, particularly in. We are tackling regional disparity head on.

There are projects like the TransPennine route and we must improve motorways and the Midlands. Funding to improve the network and this is that the heart of everything we do. We are delivering new train stations in the south-west and Yorkshire, delivering new relevance and backing the schemes to connect committees. The measures will improve everyday journeys and create jobs and unlock new homes for families. Last week pianos were simplifying and making rail more accessible and we are launching next month.

Passengers can take part and benefit from the fares, making rail travel better and more flexible. We are working behind the scenes to ensure every penny is well spent and we are reviewing the Green Book to give all parts of the country they are feeling and there are plans to do this by 2026 and we are implementing new policies for supply and leveraging private investment and making it a more efficient system. I'm pleased to see a strong contingent from the east Midlands recognise the importance of driving growth across the country in tackling regional inequality.

We recognise transport spending has historically not been distributed across the country and were taking action to drive up the prosperity and living standards of the UK, including addressing balances where appropriate. That's not just the case for the East Midlands. We are investing across the whole country, from enabling mass transit and reopening the line in the south- west. We are providing the combined county authority with over £2 billion for the Transport City Regional Fund and we are receiving millions from the transport grant.

millions from the transport grant. millions from the transport grant. Mayor Clare Ward plans to use. £531 per person against an average of 398. We are investing in the region, including delivering improvements to the East Coast main line, improving the scheme, improving delays and we will work on the bypass, subject to planning consent. I recognise the frustration for members and constituents about the electrification of the Midland mainline but we must prioritise funding on schemes that make the most difference for passengers and the economic growth as soon as possible.

Further electrification has been caused but will be kept under review as part of the pipeline for future funding. The nutrients will increase capacity and marked a step change in passenger experience and honourable members have advocated for other schemes and I cannot address every one of those but we must prioritise funding that we have available and we will continue to work with local government and other stakeholders to understand local needs and potential pipers. Turning to specific contributions made in the debate, I have a lot to get through.

I welcome the many contributions from across the House. People know how important local bus services are to local communities and that is why would investing £1 billion to support and improve services, giving local leaders powers to improve services. I welcome the honourable member's contribution but he not only seems to have forgotten the 14 years in which his party had the opportunity to improve bus services but he also forgot to mention his government has been given £26 million to the county council that covers the constituency and in rural areas, driving is not a luxury but a lifeline and it continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice across the country and in July we announced over 50 new schemes which will benefit honourable members have spoken in the debate and this includes the Midlands project which we are back in with £120 million trickle into 50 locations and the work will transform services across Manchester and new stations in the south-west where there is underinvestment being addressed in Welsh infrastructure with a £445 billion package over 10 years, meeting long-term connectivity needs and kickstarting.

Turning to the comments from the Shadow Minister. The previous government, I will admit, allocated £27 billion for this risk and they did allocate that but this was revised down to £23 billion. By my calculations, that is representing an increase of £3 representing an increase of £3 billion compared to the funding... Bringing my remarks to a close, because respeaker is going inpatient, I'm here not just as a minister for local transport but as someone who knows what it is like to live in a deserted committee and stood in the rain wetting properties of the arrived on the scene the impact of poor connections first time.

I am desperate to deliver real change where it is needed most and the plan will shift power from Whitehall and the strategy will deliver growth in all regions and the infrastructure strategy will boost living standards across the boost living standards across the Since last July, we have worked tirelessly to restore certainty. We are looking after pennies and pounds to improve livelihoods across Britain and we will tackle the deficit that plagues this country and we will deliver our plan for change until we get the job done.



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I thank the Backbench for

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I thank the Backbench for granting this debate. Can I thank my many colleagues who spoke so passionately and persuasively for passionately and persuasively for better transport options for their regions, but also raised some fantastic examples of new investment. A number of investment. A number of contributions show how important it is and it is hugely heartening to hear the progress being made by this government backed by actual funding government backed by actual funding and can I thank the Minister for his response? When it comes to transport regional equality, some of this may regional equality, some of this may sit behind the Minister and echo my children's after used refrain, are children's after used refrain, are we nearly there yet, but now we have a government that has us driving in a government that has us driving in the right direction on track to unlock the economic potential that
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15:34
None Portrait Backbench Business: General debate on suicide prevention
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for the benefit of anyone watching that help is available. You can that help is available. You can access 24 seven crisis mental health support by calling NHS 111 and support by calling NHS 111 and selecting option two or by calling the Samaritans whose badge eyewear the Samaritans whose badge eyewear today on 116123. Now, I cannot thank the Backbench Business Committee the Backbench Business Committee enough for getting this debate in the main chamber today. Your recognition of just how important recognition of just how important this is to be heard is in itself this is to be heard is in itself hugely symbolic.

Now, let me start on the worker who was on standby on the worker who was on standby who, in the early hours of the morning was called to deal with the morning was called to deal with the death of a man from suicide found in death of a man from suicide found in the trees alone on some open land. That worker who, having dealt with That worker who, having dealt with the immediate response and reflected to think about the true impact of managing that situation.

He then felt asleep at the rest of the week and never once slept well again. To the family of John, a massive West Ham fan who loved motorhead, the genius of Pink Floyd, whose mum found him. That day, an experience that no parent should ever have to endure. Their baby that they once cradled leaving this world before them. That work on standby, that cousin of John, that's me. We got that call about John as we prepared to go to another family member's funeral.

That chilling call that no
15:36
Lee Pitcher Portrait Lee Pitcher MP (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, Labour)
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one ever wants to receive. John had decided he could no longer go on decided he could no longer go on living with his demons and felt that the only way to gain peace was to the only way to gain peace was to end life itself. Right now, as we speak today, there are many other Johns out there making that similar Johns out there making that similar choice. Like our John, they will be someone's son, someone's dad, someone's brother, someone's uncle, cousin, friend, colleague.

We vowed cousin, friend, colleague. We vowed as a family that the best thing we could do in John's memory was to could do in John's memory was to ensure that we help to show people a different path. So that dreaded call could never happen again to anyone could never happen again to anyone else. So whether that be raising funds through marathons or funds through marathons or maximising use on social media to highlight support, or for me, securing this debate today, we are securing this debate today, we are all doing everything that we can for John.

None of this can bring John John. None of this can bring John back to his gorgeous sister who is watching today in Australia, or my auntie and uncle, there will be some auntie and uncle, there will be some comfort that his personal fight might event others pain in the might event others pain in the future. So today, I use my privilege in being elected to this place. To use my voice to try and make a difference. I have shared my story because I want everyone to remember how common these situations unfortunately are, how so many of us tragically will get that heartbreaking call about a family member, a friend or colleague at some stage in our lives.

I'm also sharing this because just by raising the subject in this place, we give suicide prevention a national platform. Where we can strive to bring best practice and find new ways to make a difference and save lives. Compared to other leasing causes of death, suicide remains poorly understood. Stigma stops people reaching out and isolates families left behind, and breaking that stigma requires us to talk openly and honestly in places like this chamber. There are not many subjects were simply having a debate has the potential to save lives, but today, we have that opportunity, and my hope is that colleagues will use it.

The chance to shift perceptions, to push back stigma and to be heard by someone who needs it. Every year, on 10 September, we mark world suicide prevention Day. It is a chance to remember those we have lost, to comment and commit to all we can to reduce the number of lives lost. This year's theme is interrupting suicidal thoughts. And that is what we must do in this chamber. Interrupted the silence, interrupt the stigma and push for change. The statistics on this are stark.

In 2023, 7055 people across the UK lost their lives to suicide first remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 and men and women aged 20 to 34 and suicide amongst teenage girls and young women has nearly doubled in recent years. In Doncaster where I live, suicide rates are above the national average with 121 lives lost, and in the same period in North Lincolnshire, 41 lives lost. Every life lost is a tragedy. But what those numbers don't show as the ripple effect.

Every statistic represents a family affected. Suicide may happen alone but it never happens in isolation. But suicide is not inevitable. It is preventable and before I speak about anything else, let me touch on the importance of mental health and building resilience. Mental health building resilience. Mental health problems again in our teenage years, and we need to do something. That is where we can't leave these conversations until it is too late. We need to start talking to children from an early age.

This has to be done carefully and in an age- appropriate way but just as we teach our children about eating well and staying active to look after physical health, we should also be helping them to build resilience for their mental health. Whether that is mindfulness, learning how to manage stress or knowing when to turn if they need help. And just as importantly, we need to teach young people again that seeking help with suicidal thoughts is not a weakness. It is not something they need to face alone.

It is a medical issue and needs medical intervention and support. There should be no more shame in reaching out for mental health support than there is in getting a prescription for insulin or picking up an inhaler. If we can make those lessons part of growing up, we can give the next generation of far stronger chance of living a hopeful life. That is why it is so important that this government is committed to putting a mental health professional in every school, helping to build our resilience and understanding, and that is already in place for nearly a million pupils who will be there for every child in this department, and I want to give a shout out to mind in my area.

I want to focus on key areas that I want to take action on. Mandatory prevention for first responders and better awareness. Police services are amazing and crews are often the 1st to respond in crisis. Fire and rescue services were called to thousands of attempts. East Midlands ambulance service reach 20,000 ambulance service reach 20,020 24, three times the number of just four years before. And the fact is, training on this matter isn't consistent and we have an opportunity to do more.

We know training works. Evaluation shows suicide prevention, knowledge, confidence and attitudes improve after training. GPs are 20% more likely to identify people at risk. Equipping first responders started compassionate conversation to make intervention and save lives. Better research into demographic deaths. Risks are not evenly shared. Men are more likely to die by suicide than women and men deprived areas, five times more likely. Too often, men are told to toughen up. They are less likely to seek help or confide, less likely to access services until it is too late.

But this is not just about how men are taught to act town men get help. Nine and 10 men have been touched with a statutory service in the year before the death, whether that is ana, primary care or through the criminal justice system. Yet too many opportunities to help our missed, and if we are serious about tackling the biggest killers as the government has promised, we need a clear evidence- based system into how services can respond more effectively.

Without that, the mental health strategy risks failing the very group it needs to help the most. But it is not just the gender gap. The most apprised areas are more likely to die by suicide full stop autistic people are more likely. Trans people, the risk of a suicide attempt is 4 1/2 times higher. There are huge differences in death by suicide across ethnic groups, differences across regions, between different kinds of employment and educational background. These differences need to be studied and understood, just as we would for any disease that affected different demographics in different areas, and by studying the different demographics affected, we can learn about causes, the risk factors, preventative factors and parts to recovery.

Third, a rapid and ambitious rollout of mental health help after next year's pilots. These hubs could be transformative. Local community-based, accessible without referral or appointment. Exactly the kind of frictionless support we need to offer. When someone is suicidal, every barrier is a potential barrier to far. No wrong doors, no delays. If someone asks for help, the system must help them. And alongside these, we must support organisations who are already saving lives every single day, Samaritans, Mind, James's Place, men's sheds and local groups like the Jackson Hope foundation.

They are providing the human connection that prevents suicide. Too often, they are left relying on fundraising, and if we are serious about prevention, I think that the government must partner with them and not leave them struggling for survival. The government has committed its manifesto to tackling the biggest killers including suicide. It is committed to delivering the prevention strategy. I urge ministers to go faster and further, and for some people listening today, time is already running short. Prevention is not just better than cure.

The suicide, it is the only chance people will get. As I said, the theme for world suicide prevention Day is interrupting suicidal thoughts. It is our responsibility, each and every one of us, to interact with training, with research, with services that open the door in every community. Suicide is not inevitable but is preventable, and with the right action, we can and will save lives. On Monday, I will be carrying the pattern of hope, taking part in a relay across my constituency alongside many others to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention.

That pat on is a symbol, a physical icon of mental-health, a reminder that Hope can be carried, can be shared, and passed on to the Our task in this House is to make sure hope is met with action so fewer families face the grief of losing a loved one or more people find the support they need to live.

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The question is on the Order Paper and his colleagues can see around the room, we have over 10 around the room, we have over 10 members hoping to speak. We need to be rounding up by 432 let the Front Benches contribute. I will be Benches contribute. I will be putting a speaking limit under four

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minutes to give everyone time. Thank you. Can I start by

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Thank you. Can I start by thanking my honourable friend the Member for Doncaster for securing Member for Doncaster for securing this important debate in the chamber just one day after World Suicide Prevention Day. And for speaking so movingly about his personal movingly about his personal experience. It doesn't take much scratching below the surface to find scratching below the surface to find out that so many of us here in Parliament and across our constituencies have been affected by constituencies have been affected by suicide.

An estimated 7055 suicides suicide. An estimated 7055 suicides were registered in the UK in 2023. Suicide remains the leading cause of death in people under 35 and of men under 50 and we know that each under 50 and we know that each suicide ripples out affecting family, friends, work colleagues in social groups. Leading to an increased risk of suicide. It's now
15:48
Liz Twist Portrait Liz Twist MP (Blaydon and Consett, Labour)
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some 25 years since my husband Charlie took his own life and I still see those ripples affecting so still see those ripples affecting so many people who knew him. And loved many people who knew him. And loved him. We can't say it too often, every one of those lives lost to every one of those lives lost to suicide was not a number, but a real person. Every life lost to suicide person. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy. As a result of my work over a number of years with the APPG over a number of years with the APPG for certified -- suicide and self harm prevention, I've got to know many wonderful organisations, many many wonderful organisations, many of them inspired by and run by those with their own experiences of loss.

with their own experiences of loss. Working hard to prevent suicide and to help those families and friends who have lost people to suicide. who have lost people to suicide. That includes organisations like If That includes organisations like If You Care Share, Body and Soul, Gambling with Lives, Silence of Gambling with Lives, Silence of Suicide, Sobs, Three Dads Walking, Baton of Hope, James Place, the Baton of Hope, James Place, the Speak Their Names Quote Project, Speak Their Names Quote Project, with quotes from the UK on display in Parliament when we return in October.

In the baton of hope ending its trip in Westminster that Friday. There are so many people who I could name and I apologise for not naming them, but I see you and I hear you and I thank you for your work. I am pleased to work with the British standards Institute over the last 18 months who will shortly publish suicide prevention guidelines for employers and launch them in this place. There is no... Not affected by suicide, but there are some more effective than others.

It's a consequence of health and economic inequalities. In the Northeast, our suicide rates have consistently remained higher than the national average. And they have risen steadily over the last decade. There was so much more I was going to say, but I will move to the ask of the government. I am proud of the work the government is carried out so far, from expanding mental health support teachers in school to implementing only harms legislation. Going forward we need to have mechanisms in place to assess public mental health needs at a local and national level, tackle emerging issues and support well evidenced public health interventions to prevent suicide.

I would also like to talk about the online harms that people face, the government have started to take action, but this is developing all the time and I hope we can continue to take strong action in that region. And of course to continue to work and improve the national suicide prevention strategy.

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I'm grateful to my honourable friend for securing this debate and friend for securing this debate and for his incredibly powerful remarks a few moments ago. Suicide is one of the most pressing public health the most pressing public health challenges we face and behind every statistic is a devastated family, community shaken and lives changed forever. There's between 650 and 850 forever. There's between 650 and 850 deaths to suicide in Scotland every deaths to suicide in Scotland every year and in my local authority area it's experiencing between 40 and 62 annually.

While Parliament rightly debates this national issue and debates this national issue and seeking a national response, I want to highlight the work being done in my own community. Several years ago my own community. Several years ago the spotlight fell on my area where despite there being a drop in deaths by suicide in Scotland, communities were experiencing near record highs. The Council was working alongside partners in health education, partners in health education, support and the voluntary sector has
15:51
Frank McNally Portrait Frank McNally MP (Coatbridge and Bellshill, Labour)
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support and the voluntary sector has put sport -- suicide prevention at the heart of their well-being agenda. The suicide prevention strategy is a model of how public services and organisations and grassroots groups can come together, promote early intervention, raise awareness and ensure support is available at the right time in the right place. We know men between 34 and 54 are the highest group who commit suicide and I am proud that my community has specifically used sport as a force for change.

For many years it was a great partnership with local public services and professional football teams and I was involved with that prior to my election to this place. I was told a story in the weeks after that partnership launched that has always remained with me. One got a phone call to the main office Monday morning from a man who had walked through the turnstiles two days prior for the 3pm kickoff on the Saturday afternoon. He was clear that that would be his last game.

He was planning to complete suicide that very night. As the game progressed he noticed the new signage erected around the stadium on suicide prevention. He took a note of the number on the Billboard and in an act of immense bravery, he made a call. His subsequent call on the Monday was to say that going to the game on the Saturday had saved his life. The annual North Lanarkshire suicide prevention football tournament took place, it's not only a competition, it's a statement that through sport, come Rodri and community we can break down stigma, start conversations and let people know that help is there.

I am also proud to be wearing the bespoke tartan of Samaritans Scotland today, new tartan to recognise suicide prevention today. I want to pay tribute to them and all of those who worked so diligently to support my constituents at such a challenging time in their lives. Suicide prevention still requires national leadership because there are too many still dying, too many stories being cut short, too many chapters not written, too many experiences lost, too many families enduring life sentences of heartbreak.

We must ensure mental health services are proper resource, that schools and employers are equipped to support those at risk and that public authorities are giving the funding and flexibility to expand the work they are already doing so well -- given. We must send a clear message from this House that suicide is preventable, that nobody should suffer in silence and that help is always at hand.
15:54
Kirsteen Sullivan Portrait Kirsteen Sullivan MP (Bathgate and Linlithgow, Labour )
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May I congratulate my honourable friend for securing this debate. And speaking so powerfully. Last Friday we had the honour of welcoming the baton of hope to Bathgate, Blackburn, Armadale and Lynn Lithgow Blackburn, Armadale and Lynn Lithgow as it made its way across. The baton travelled the United Kingdom carrying a message of hope and purpose. The baton of hope is a powerful symbol and a national conversation around suicide prevention and I must give my personal heartfelt thanks to Donna for working so hard to bring the baton to our home.

For Donna, the baton of hope is a beacon of light in the darkest times. Living with the loss of her son, Donna has dedicated her time and love to give others the compassion they need and she does it with an open heart and open arms, wrapping everyone she meets in the biggest hug. The baton of hope's presence in our community was more than ceremonial, it was a rallying cry, a remainder that hope is not abstract, it is built, it is carried and passed on by people and a great many community organisations that I feel fortunate to meet.

Only last week we had the opening of the Bathgate men's shed led by Alan. This is a lifeline for men facing isolation, during retirement perhaps or mental health challenges. The entire shed movement is a brilliant example of how workshops are places of come Rodri, places and healing - -, lottery.... With a special mention to Sandy who told me about the work and Bathgate. These organisations are too many to mention. They often have the reach the health services and local government simply do not.

They are often doing vital prevention work in local communities to keep people mentally well. They are not only transforming lives, but very often saving lives. For example, organisations like Smile led by the inspirational Declan support children and young people affected by poor mental health. Their counselling, advocacy, outreach and community building efforts are nothing short of heroic. Especially when they receive no specific funding for the soaring number of referrals for medical services. Other organisation, environmental health kit, provides lifesaving mental health training in local community's.

They meet people where they are with empathy, dignity and understanding. Whilst we are thankful for the hard work of many organisations like those I have mentioned today, we cannot continue to rely on the goodwill of volunteers and charities to plug the gaps in our mental health system, which has stretched beyond breaking point in Scotland. The baton of hope passed through my constituency, but let it not pass us by in this chamber today or tomorrow. We must carry it forward with action and political will, to ensure that no one in Scotland or the UK will wait until it is too late for the help they desperately need.



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I want to thank my honourable friend for securing this vital debate today. This is particularly debate today. This is particularly personal for me today. I have been open about this in the House before, open about this in the House before, because I was 11 when my mother first tried to take her own life. I first tried to take her own life. I am so grateful to The Samaritans, whose batch I wear with pride, I'm whose batch I wear with pride, I'm grateful to them because it was them that saved her that first time.

She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar and finally got the support bipolar and finally got the support and medication she needed and I'm so thankful she is around today to be the brilliant mum she is and I know she is watching this. In my 30s I she is watching this. In my 30s I went through tough time and had it not been for my wonderful daughter I would not have like to switch my on would not have like to switch my on button off. I am not alone.

One in four people will have suicidal thoughts and one and 13 will attempt thoughts and one and 13 will attempt to take their own life over the course of their life. 45 is a nature woman in -- is most likely to take her own life, often influenced by
15:59
Samantha Niblett Portrait Samantha Niblett MP (South Derbyshire, Labour)
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hormonal changes ahead of menopause. As a 45-year-old menopausal woman, that his heart is a sobering fact and I'm grateful for hormone replacement therapy and we need to ensure more women are able to access the right support when they're going to these changes. But suicide is not just affect women, as we have heard members speaking of today. Veterans of all genders live with PTSD and have a heightened risk of suicide after serving their country. There has been a disturbing increase in suicides of farmers between 2022 and 2023, with more feared because of changes to inheritance tax rules.

Suicide is the biggest killer people under 35 and the biggest killer of men under 50. We know that there's a significant crisis in men's mental health. Nationally there are a lot of organisations, like Andy's man club and men sheds aiming to support men with their mental health, but in my constituency, man club was set up last year after a local chef tragically died by suicide. Joe Ward was one of the founders and a friend of his and he now helps to run weekly meetings on Monday evening at assembly rooms where men can talk openly without fear of judgment.

This Saturday, the baton of hope will be touring through Derbyshire. It was started by two fathers to sons tragically died by suicide. One of those fathers, along with others affected will be stopping by a castle in South Derbyshire on their tour and I wish them all the best and can't help -- wait to meet them with my fellow MPs in December in Parliament. I want to live in a society where no one ever feels like suicide is their only option, people deserve holistic and accessible mental health support, whether through access to medication or affordable therapies.

That's why I'm glad this government is fixing our It is about treating people, preventing them from feeling suicidal in the first place, and so much of that comes with a greater sense of security and hopefulness sense of security and hopefulness instead of hopelessness. Hope is something so much easier to have when people have a secure home, well-paid jobs, a sense of purpose and a feeling of community, and I know this government desperately wants to ensure that everyone has that and is striving really hard to deliver it.

Thank you.
16:01
Jacob Collier Portrait Jacob Collier MP (Burton and Uttoxeter, Labour)
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Can I thank my honourable friend for securing this debate and congratulate my constituency neighbour on the intervention that she just made? I welcome the conversation we are having around mental-health because every community has a story about where lives were lost and mine is no different. Helena went to my school. I still remember the smile that she had that would light up any room. On the. On 10 September 2015, she passed away after jumping into the path of the vehicle.

She was just 17. It shocks the school community and our local community. A young life with so much potential taken away from us. Weeks before Helena died, she provided feedback is considering options for year 13. She became very distressed about the result and would later go on to take her own life. Helena's parents were completely unaware of how upset she'd become. I have been working with Helena's incredible parents since my election on the smile for since my election on the smile for Helena campaign.

The campaign plans to change guidance to make sure they notify parents if a pupil becomes distressed during feedback. When I have spoken to Glenn and Sharon, they believe a simple phone call to them about Helena's distress would have meant that they would have gone and picked her up from school and this would have saved her life. Talking through this situation, to get through it together. We are seeking a meeting with the new school minister to discuss this so that we can ensure that what happens to Helena doesn't happen to any other young person and I would be grateful if the Minister could use his good offices to assist with this because Peter mental health support is about talking and being open with each other about the challenges that we all face.

It is not just about the investment that we need mental- health crisis services but frontloading that into preventative support which is why believe the government's plan for mental-health hubs and the increase is so important. Locally, there are so many people that support others to open up about their mental health, whether that is Burton district, Mind, BAC O'Connor and those like Andy's man club that are looking to setup in Burton and Uttoxeter. I pay tribute to all of those organisations.

They save lives every single day, even if they don't know it. In closing, we are which to Helena, her family, and to every young person in this country to do better. To create a culture when no one suffers in silence, where families are kept informed and where the right support is there at the right time. So I asked that the Minister reaffirms to building a system that captures young people before they fall because behind every statistic is a life, family and future.

If by making changes, we can prevent just one more family from experiencing the heartbreak that happens, then it would be worth it.
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Sojan Joseph Portrait Sojan Joseph MP (Ashford, Labour)
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And grateful to my honourable friend for the very touching speech. The clear message coming from this debate is suicide's are preventable. Defeating stigma is essential, and the more that we can raise these issues in parliament, the more we can do to help remove that stigma. This government inherited a mental health crisis. Many people are need of support and are not getting the care they so desperately require. The suicide rate is now higher than any time in the 21st-century.

We have to make sure we get the same attention and focus as physical health which is an important one. It was talked about for 14 years when the party opposite was in power and there was little progress. Under this government, I hope things will finally change. Will my friend update the house on what progress has been made to tackle mental- health waiting lists. 12 times as many people have to wait 18 months or more for treatment when compared to physical health.

It is necessary that we discuss mental health provision in this debate. After all, a link between suicide and mental

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illness is well established. We should be looking at the impact of mental-health on online gambling which is responsible between hundred and 17 suicides a year repeated in the Select Committee report, my own constituent Committee report, my own constituent lost his son to gambling suicide after only six months. It is a tragic situation and with my friend agree that gambling should be seen as a public health issue and in future, regulated not by the DCMS by future, regulated not by the DCMS by the Department of Health and Social Care to tackle gambling as a cause of suicide?

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I agree with my honourable friend that it is not all suicide which is that it is not all suicide which is linked to mental-health. There are issues that need to be tackled as well. So it is important that we do well. So it is important that we do not see suicide prevention to the person with mental-health. Many of person with mental-health. Many of those who die are shown signs of those who die are shown signs of mental illness. Not everyone who dies by suicide has symptoms of mental illness.

There are always societal factors at play. As the strategy makes clear, common risk factors linked to suicide include physical illness, financial difficulty, and economic adversity, gambling, alcohol and drug misuse and loneliness and domestic. Although addressing suicide prevention can include mental health, it also goes well beyond these issues. Seeing suicide prevention as a mental health issue means that those people in our communities who meet the criteria for diagnoses are still in distress and can end up being forgotten about.

Perceiving it as a mental health issue puts the responsibility on mental health services when in reality, local authorities, employers, schools, the criminal justice system and wider society all have roles to play. When they took about suicide prevention, we should talk about early intervention in schools, universities, our place of work and community groups. It is also worth mentioning the great work that is done by charities and many names have already been mentioned here. I would like to congratulate the safe haven which recently opened.

It offers a walk-in service every evening where people are in crisis or feel they are heading towards crisis. We hear about the support provided it is a great resource for people in our community, and I hope that hospitals are successful with their service. Working with charities can complement the NHS and bridge gaps in the provision. We also should hope that it becomes more effective hope that it becomes more effective in signposting charities.

With meaningful change in the system, I also know that talking about suicide prevention is another issue for mental-health services, risks narrowing the conversation and excluding others who might need help. I hope that today's debate has helped make it easier for those watching who might need help now or in the future to get the right help

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at the right time. I congratulate my honourable
16:25
Laura Kyrke-Smith Portrait Laura Kyrke-Smith MP (Aylesbury, Labour)
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I congratulate my honourable friend for securing this debate. I will focus my contribution on the risks during the perinatal period. risks during the perinatal period. It is the period of pregnancy to the year after the child's birth. I've spoken before about the tragic death of my wonderful friend Sophie who took out own life for years ago leaving behind her husband and three little girls aged six, three, and 10 weeks old. I have been feeling the sadness of her death again looking at the photos of her youngest who is going to primary school for the first time.

I know Sophie would have been so proud. I recall the shock of the moment I heard that she died. The message that came through her husband because it was only after we lost head that I learned about this. One in four people experience some form of postnatal depression which is something that I campaign on, but the vast majority go on to recover, but for some people it is very serious and for some it is so unbearable that they and their lives.

The leading cause of death for women in that period from six weeks to a year after the birth of their child is suicide. And the Maternal Mental Health Alliance delved into this data and found some more alarming details, in particular, the persistent social and racial can inequalities of who dies and who survives. When in the most deprived areas have a higher rate of death. Black women are more than twice likely to die, and women of mixed backgrounds also face elevated risks.

With these risks and Sophie's death in mind, I want to offer three reflections. The first is that we are all vulnerable. The woman who die by suicide, nearly half have no mental-health problems but the rest not and it is a time when I think the social pressures are great. Expected to be revelling in the joy of the new baby but the reality is that there are challenges in caring for the baby, not enough sleep, feelings of loneliness, failure, guilt and the loss of the sense of self before having children, so this can make it very difficult period for people who haven't struggled with the mental health before, so it is so important that we are all cognizant of this.

My second reflection is that we all carry a responsibility to each other. I stole it back in Sophie's death and I blamed myself. I asked if I could do more but a therapist working in my constituency recently put it to me that the reality is that sometimes we cannot prevent things from suicide, but it doesn't make it any less true and we must never be afraid to try, so the real question is how we support people better when they are suicidal, knowing that our compassion, our presence may not remove every respect it can make life more bearable.

Again, that is something that we must all be cognizant of. My third point is that the government has to keep taking suicide risk and suicide prevention really seriously as I know we do, and I hope we will hear more from the Minister on the suicide prevention strategy. We know that the catheter suicidal person receives can make a big difference. The people in the perinatal period, we have some fantastic services but I have had from so many women who can't access them and it is in all of the routine maternity care that a woman receives when suicide risk needs to be assessed and support given if necessary and the same is true of so many other parts of the NHS and so many of the other public services as we had from others whose actions can make a difference between life or death.

In the role of interventions in this is so crucial as well. Constant time, I will end it there but I hope this world suicide prevention Day is a turning point in tackling this immense challenge in our society. immense challenge in our society.
16:25
Julie Minns Portrait Ms Julie Minns MP (Carlisle, Labour)
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Can I thank my friend the honourable member for Doncaster East for bringing this very important debate? May 1997 will be etched in my memory for two very different reasons. First, the elation of May 1 and the election of the first Labour government in 18 years and then just a few weeks later, the death by suicide of a good friend. This debate is therefore not just personal to me but is of great importance for far too many of my constituents.

According to the Department of health and social care statistics, Cumberland has the second-highest suicide rate in England. Over one in five adults in Carlisle have been diagnosed with depression, placing us the sixth highest in England and. And my constituency is home to a large rural and farming population and we know that rural isolation is major contributor to poor mental-health and suicide risk. That is why I want to pay particular tribute to the work of the Royal agricultural benevolent institution who provide tailored mental health support to I also want to highlight the work of field nurses.

Specialist nurses who support farmers and their staff and families, both with their physical and mental health. Support groups are also making a huge difference. Andy's man's club which we have already had referred to this afternoon, opening Carlisle early this year and has already welcomed over 2,000 men seeking support and finding their meetings a safe place to talk. And share their experiences. In Brampton, I would like to recognise the work of someone who until merging his work with Andy's man's club last month ran a club for over two years and his leadership and honesty have helped so many men feel less alone and I would like to thank him for his work.

Finally, Carlisle happy moms offer peer support for women experiencing postnatal depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges. Their work is compassionate, community driven and essential. -- Carlisle happy moms. These are just a few organisations that help our community some people in their communities to access the support they need and we owe all of them our sum here -- sincere thanks. Suicide prevention must be a whole society effort, a message carried by the baton of hope when it came to my Carlisle constituency last Sunday.

I do welcome the steps being taken by this government in overhauling the Mental Health Act through the Mental Health Bill and investing in mental health support into school with nearly a million young people gaining access to support this year. These are important reforms and I hope they will be matched by continue investment and community- based services that I have touched on this afternoon. In conclusion, I do feel on occasions like this, our house and our chamber is at its best and it's incumbent on all of us to unite, to ensure that no matter where someone lives, whether in a community that is prospering or one facing some hardship, in a city, a village or a farm, everyone in our communities is able to access the support they need when they need it.

support they need when they need it.
16:25
Peter Swallow Portrait Peter Swallow MP (Bracknell, Labour)
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It's an honour to take part in today's debate so powerfully open by my honourable friend. I'm grateful to colleagues for ensuring that suicide prevention remains at the top of our agenda. As others have mentioned, yesterday was World Suicide Prevention Day so this debate is timely. Suicide is one of the biggest killers in this country. As mentioned so well in previous contributions, behind every statistic is a friend, a mother, cousin, a husband, each one loved by friends and family.

Over the summer recess I visited Samaritans where I saw for myself the extraordinary work they do as part of a successful and growing national network. Their volunteers are there for people at the darkest moments and we should never underestimate the lives they save. I want to thank them for everything they do in Bracknell and beyond. Last year I was privileged to chair around table organised by autism action on autism and suicide prevention, which shined a light on the disproportionate effect suicide has on those with autism.

According to the National Autistic Society, 66% of people suicide have experienced suicidal thoughts, that is nine times higher than the general population. They also report that as many as 11% of people who died by suicide have either an autism diagnosis or autism traits. These figures are shocking and demand action. Their insights in the voices of autistic people and families I heard in my roundtable and in further conversations have been invaluable in shaping my understanding of the scale of the challenge and the need for action.

Recent research from autism action, Cambridge University and Bournemouth University, the largest study of autism and suicide to date provides further insight. Almost 1,400 autistic people took part and it identified loneliness, hopelessness and feelings of failure as key drivers of suicide -- suicidal thought. Many people expect difficulties in getting support they needed, long wait times for diagnosis and the lack of post diagnostic help. They do recognise autistic people is a priority group, but there's more to do to make sure Rick -- that translates into practical action.

An updated suicide prevention strategy should specifically address the needs of autistic people. The next autism strategy should specific consider suicidality so they work hand-in- hand rather than separately. But if there's more to be done nationally to address mental health issues, I am proud that in Bracknell, local organisations are already leading the way. Walks for well-being, use line and create hope, stepping stones to recovery college, a counselling service I'm very happy to see her back up and running after a difficult year.

Andy's man club and Bracknell Samaritans. These groups are lifelines and they deserve recognition and support for the critical services they provide. I am pleased to say I've met with each of them and can personally vouch for the hard work they do in our community. I want to end with a message to anyone watching or listening today who may be struggling. Help is available. Whether by calling The Samaritans on 116123, through local services and Bracknell Forest or through friends, family and community, there are people ready to listen and to help.

Please reach out.
16:26
Jim Dickson Portrait Jim Dickson MP (Dartford, Labour)
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Can I pay tribute to my honourable friend for securing this debate on what I think we are all agreed as a critical national public health issue and so timely given yesterday's World Suicide Prevention Day, promoted by the wonderful Samaritans who do so much good work and whose badge I am proud to be wearing today. On the picture nationally, as the House of Commons library figures highlight, the previous long-term decline in suicide up to the year 2,000 has seen some reversal in recent years with the figures for 2023 being the highest since 1999.

It's right, therefore, that the government has committed to a new drive to tackle the biggest killers, including suicide in our manifesto last year. The recently published tenure health plans sets out how the government intends to put into practise the aim of transforming our mental health system, so that support is available when people need it. The commitment to a cross government approach to suicide prevention is one I very much welcome and it mirrors the successful strategies that I've seen in my time in local government.

I've also been pleased since I was elected last year to have been able to work with the excellent charity that has been mentioned by others, gambling would lives, to highlight the troubling link between gambling and suicide, with the office for health improvement in disparities estimating that there are up to 500 gambling related suicides each year. I agree with my honourable friend, with gambling for lives as well, that the responsibility for gambling should be transferred to the Department of health and social care and that there should be an investigation of all gambling related suicides and lessons learned from every case so we can prevent future deaths.

At present, coroners are not always correctly identifying the link between gambling and suicide and that needs to change. I hope the ministers will give full consideration to both of those calls. Local suicide prevention strategies have a crucial role to play. In my previous life is Cabinet member for health in Lambeth, we launched our own local suicide prevention strategy with the aim of bringing the numbers of suicides down, the strategy saw the Council targets support those groups identified by evidence is the most at risk.

Older men, the LGBTQ+ community and a range of others. We rolled out suicide prevention training open to everyone free of charge, so all residents were able to access it, but aimed particularly at key organisations in touch with at risk groups in the borough. It was all about how to have affect of, potentially life-saving conversations with people in a Safeway and we saw great take-up with that. Crucially council also launched a borough wide mental health campaign aimed at supporting people in their mental health journey in providing advice and well-being information about how to access services at the right time.

And the time saw a decline in the number of suicides that I hope will continue. In Dartford, my constituency, I would like to pay tribute to the work of the newly constituted Dartford safe haven, a little like the Ashford safe haven that was mentioned by my honourable friend. That is providing, working closely with GPs, a walk-in service out of hours to provide crisis support that so many need. I would also like to pay tribute to North Kent Mind who supplement mental health service is providing it vital help to those of mental health needs.

Let's all commit to making suicide prevention a successful national mission.
16:26
Amanda Hack Portrait Amanda Hack MP (North West Leicestershire, Labour)
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I thank the Backbench business committee for securing this debate in my honourable friend for securing this important debate but also taking forward his opening remarks in such an amazing way. We've heard the devastating numbers and we have heard the personal experience about the impact suicide is had on our communities and ourselves. These people been important to us and hopefully by discussing this difficult subject we can offer comfort and support. But also provide that hope that we can put into place improvements to prevent somebody else from taking their own life.

I wanted to speak today about two friends, one, my childhood friend who lost her dad to suicide when we were in our teens. And one who made the decision to take his own life just a couple of months ago. It wasn't until my friend's funeral in July that I reflected that while the suicides were more than three decades apart, the similarities these two men had who made this decision was stark. They were both men in their early 50s, successful, running their own businesses, amazing family men who were well respected in their work and their social circles, yet they still made that ultimate decision to take their own lives.

Leaving those left behind to her grief and sorrow with the overriding question of why. In the face of such loss we often search for answers, something to help us make sense of it. The silence, the unanswered questions, while no single explanation can account for an individual's decision, patterns begin to emerge when we look more closely at the broader picture. We look at age and gender and the risk of suicide is highest amongst those men between 45 and 54. Three times more common in men than women, a gap that only continues to grow.

We can look regionally between 2021 and 2023, the East Midlands had a suicide rate of 11.3 deaths per hundred people, placing those above national average and the fifth highest in the region. We need to look nationally, we have to create hope. Local authorities do develop strategies to prevent suicide, but the funding for voluntary services sadly has gone awry in recent years. We need that much more important national debate. We can look at the limits of existing mental health support with the reality of 1/3 of people dying of suicide having contact with mental health services in the 12 months leading up to their death.

These are important in size, but they are just in size to 66 -- statistics. We have to look for answers for this difficult question. While we might not ever know why someone decides to take their own life, it's what we do with the information we do no which is what matters. We have to build resilience for young people in schools, teaching our young people how to promote good mental health well- being within themselves. We need to equip people with the language to talk about how they feel, and the tools to support both themselves and each other through inevitable challenges in their life.

We can also look to our local organisations like one in my constituency whose philosophy is about building resilience, tackling loneliness and isolation. The government's commitment of transforming mental health service to 24 seven neighbourhood mental health service is a fantastic start, but it will mean nothing if we are giving people the tools they need to communicate, to get themselves there in the first place. Prevention of deaths by suicide will open continued conversations, growing understanding of the mental health landscape and bring in the voices of those we have lost and those who are struggling now.

Those voices are the ones that truly matter.
16:30
Danny Chambers Portrait Dr Danny Chambers MP (Winchester, Liberal Democrat)
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We now come to the Front Benches and I come to the liberal Democrat spokesperson. We have three doctors on the Front Benches now.

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There was a real doctors treat more than one species. I want to thank the honourable member for thank the honourable member for bringing this debate and speaking so bringing this debate and speaking so in notably as others have today, I know from personal experience talking about lost due to suicide talking about lost due to suicide the pain never goes away, no matter how long ago it was. I particularly how long ago it was. I particularly commend the honourable member for speaking about such a recent bereavement, that's a difficult bereavement, that's a difficult bereavement, that's a difficult One in four people who take their own lives are known to clinical own lives are known to clinical mental health services, and that is why the charities and community why the charities and community organisations are so, so important, and I recently did visit the branch and I recently did visit the branch of the Samaritans and I met with of the Samaritans and I met with Wayne Fletcher, the director, and it was so impressive and inspiring to see the number of volunteers see the number of volunteers involved to make sure there was involved to make sure there was access for somebody who needs help in their darkest times.

There will be a volunteer waiting to speak to someone, and it is incredible. They are currently looking, their leases are currently looking, their leases up, and so we are going to be working with the town council to find a new location because it is absolutely vital, this connection, the sense of purpose and mentorship that turns into a life-saving community. And I had a message today from a fellow vet in Winchester, and she said that her 15-year-old son Sam took his own life earlier this year.

And she said at the weekend, she went with school friends for stops seeing 16-year-olds crying was heartbreaking. The loss of my son is so horrific, I can't even begin to describe it. We have raised over £30,000 for papyrus but they still need more, and I hope they have made a difference in saving another child's life. Now, we know that charity fundraising is harder than ever at the moment in the economic climate, and that all three of these organisations that I have mentioned rely on the generosity of the public and people working so hard to fundraiser for them.

So, I would like to ask, in the most constructive way possible because I know all members across this house care deeply about this issue, and I know the Minister has a genuine commitment to suicide prevention, so I say this with absolutely no party political agenda, but I would like to ask about the decision to end the voluntary community prevention grant. His funding supports this and play a vital role in reaching people who may never come into contact with mental health services, so I wonder if the Minister could let us know if there is any scope for the Treasury colleagues and how we can support for these life-saving organisations at a time when suicides are at a 25 year high.

I will just finish by paying tribute to a 19 year old constituent of mine who took his own life last year. I met with his father last month and since then, he has been relentlessly fundraising for young minds, and I am always that the heartache can be something that the heartache can be something so positive. And one of my core team helped so much before the general election, and since the general election, and since the general election, and I just want to put my thanks on record to him for not only service.

service.
16:35
Luke Evans Portrait Dr Luke Evans MP (Hinckley and Bosworth, Conservative)
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He honours John today by securing this debate, and actually, all members honoured their perspective things. In the most powerful way possible, by telling personal grief into public purpose, I think the more forgiving the time to speak today. There was a TikTok video that went viral. A woman asked, be honest, who do you call when you are at your lowest? Who is that one person? The video comes in with men answering and it is harrowing and insightful.

No one, and a man, no one cares. Not a single soul, nobody. No one because I am all alone. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I don't call anyone. Speaking for the guys literally, no one. Your call someone? Not a single person, I won't turn to a civil person on this earth as they will use it against me. I wouldn't call anyone. Even call somebody? This small insight, this joking platform is what we in wider society must look at you try to understand why do men feel they are not valued? Why do they feel they cannot ask someone? Why do they fear will be used against them and why do they fear they can't ask for help? Any hide in plain sight struggling, battling until it is too struggling, battling until it is too late.

After all, we know from the Samaritans at about two thirds of suicide victims are not known to mental health services. You may be wondering why I'm choosing to focus my comments on men when we know that the latest data shows that suicide rates are at their highest level since 1999. But as we have heard, men account for suicides in the UK, and the latest paper by the Centre for policy research on men and boys puts this in stark light. More men under 50 die in the UK due to suicide than any other reason.

14 men every day die by suicide in the UK. 74% of also the sites are male. Three times as many men die by suicide every year than die in a vehicle accident and over 90,000 men by 2023 in England and have died this century. That is enough to fill Wembley Stadium. There is so much to do in this area and I want to highlight the focus and pressure that the last government made in this area. Through the NHS long-term plan, an additional was added by the government between 2019 and 2023/24 to fund suicide prevention and bereavement services in every local authority.

A former colleague touched tragically by the experience of losing his own brother to suicide was instrumental in starting the development of a suicide prevention strategy which was published in 2023. Key initiatives including the development of a new nationwide near real-time suspected suicide surveillance system which aims to provide early detection and timely action to address changes in suicide rates. In its entirety, the strategy set out over 100 actions across government departments, the NHS, the voluntary section and national partners to make process.

In 2021, the previous comment also announced and 50 million of funding for crisis mental health facilities and patient safety in mental health units, and in January 2023, it was announced £7 million of funding would be allocated to new mental health ambulances. 143 million would go towards 150 new projects including schemes providing alternatives to A&E. This is welcome but the stats show even with all this focus, the trend is worsening. With all of this work and prioritisation of funding, we are yet to hear anything substantial from this government about what they are doing on suicide prevention.

And as we know from one example, training can make a difference. The Samaritans say that for everyone life lost, it is estimated that there are six lives saved by interventions made thanks to the training given to national rail and operating staff. Proof that things can be done. Just yesterday was world suicide prevention Day and the prime minister was asked twice about this topic, and he said firstly, may I thank those dealing with suicide prevention. Everyone in this house know someone who has taken their life.

It touches all of us and we must do everything we can to prevent suicide. And secondly, I think that suicide prevention matters to everyone in this house. We reaffirm our commitment and work with all members to work with this suicide prevention. However, across this house and the public, we can be interested in hearing the tangible actions taken after one year in office. Could I ask the Minister if he could provide an update on what practical steps this government is taking directly on suicide prevention including the implementation of the strategy and what points are being addressed.

The government has been consulting on a wide-ranging issues, particularly when it comes to strategy. I would like to thank the government personally for taking this step personally for taking this step forward. The Minister stated my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for health and social care brought together leading campaigners, experts in the Premier League to inform strategy and the 10 year health plan. We take this extremely seriously because every suicide is a tragedy that has an impact on families, friends and communities.

His match opposition welcomes this step forward but taking a step in the 10 year plan, I noticed suicide is mentioned only three times. For all of us here today, we hope to see this feature heavily in the upcoming mental health strategy. Can the Minister provide an update on timescales for the strategy? And how will the strategy consider suicide prevention? Will the government also look at the prospect of a Minister for men's and boys if the evident points in this direction. We have a Minister for Women.

As we believe, women have different problems across society. By that very logic, men and boys have different needs to. We segregate policies on sex, and there would appear to be a compelling argument have a men's minister to work across departments. This can't be starker. For every woman who dies by suicide, three men die. Another achievement was the launch of a suicide prevention grant fund as we have heard, looking at organisations. In my own constituency, the charity first step receive £76,045 from grant.

The grant was used to improve specialist counselling work in prisons and building on pilot projects. That reason, the grant has come to an end in March 2025 and is not yet been renewed or replaced. In response to a written problem, the Minister stated that there are currently no plans to run another grant fund, so can the Minister explain the basis behind the decision not to renew or replace the suicide prevention grant funded earlier this year, and what alternative provision if any is being provided?

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I thank the shadow minister for his comment and we all want to work his comment and we all want to work together to achieve the best outcome. But can I remind the shadow minister that the 10 million minister that the 10 million voluntary services grant was a one- off grant and that the last government failed to renew the government failed to renew the funding for local authorities prevention with 57.1 million that

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was mentioned. At this point, I would like to

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At this point, I would like to thank her for all the work done on this point, but it is looking at the this point, but it is looking at the holistic part of what we are trying to do in this space, so I have outlined all of the funding of the outlined all of the funding of the previous government did, and she will also know the likes of the national insurance rates in place which will have a devastating impact which will have a devastating impact which I would like to have come onto which I would like to have come onto here.

The Minister also stated that we will evaluate the impact of the fund and the services provided by the grant funding organisation, the grant funding organisation, learning from this evaluation which helped to inform the government's mission to reduce the lives lost to suicide. Could the Minister provide suicide. Could the Minister provide further details on this evaluation? When it will be completed and when the government will reconsider its the government will reconsider its decision to end the grant funding. If the results show that it has had a positive impact on supporting suicide prevention? Charities were not exempt in the budget for the increase in employers National Insurance contributions.

This is significantly hampering their financial situation. You just have to listen to what the Samaritans have said in response to the spending review last year. Funding for suicide prevention has dwindled for suicide prevention has dwindled This is even more precarious at a time when many people across the country are facing economic hardship. I point this out not to score political points but to draw attention to the fact that the Labour government need to set a direction and a plan to deal with the leading killer of men and women under the age of 30.

In closing, I want to recognise it yesterday was world suicide prevention. Every year, people take their lives, the theme this year was changing the narrative on suicide. It's forced us to open compassionate conversations about suicide. Which leads me to where I started, if men don't know their value, they don't know they have someone to confide in, they don't truly believe we care, we are going to break the cycle, we are going to make a difference, and we aren't going to ultimately save lives.

This is a challenge for Labour, for society, and ultimately

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for this government. Congratulations to the new
16:47
Zubir Ahmed Portrait Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care (Glasgow South West, Labour)
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Congratulations to the new Minister on promotion, welcome to the dispatch box, just in case you the dispatch box, just in case you need to know in my constituency we were touched by young male suicide in Sussex, so I will be listening very closely to the Minister's response.

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It is an honour to respond on behalf of my honourable friend, the mental health Minister and the government on behalf of this government on behalf of this uniquely emotive topic. I thank my uniquely emotive topic. I thank my honourable friend for giving us the opportunity to debate this day after World Suicide Prevention Day. I know World Suicide Prevention Day. I know the whole house will join me in thanking him for channeling the deep amount of personal pain and sorrow amount of personal pain and sorrow into such a constructive debate.

His family and constituents should be rightly proud. I also want to commend all honourable friends and honourable members for their contributions, many of which have contributions, many of which have also come from a position of also come from a position of personal pain and experience. Often in our society it is the doctors and nurses that are perceived to be the nurses that are perceived to be the lifesavers, but I am very confident that today, every honourable member that today, every honourable member that has taken part in this debate is a lifesaver and their constituents should be rightly proud constituents should be rightly proud of all of them.

My honourable friend of all of them. My honourable friend spoke about the mental health fund and I will be delighted to set up a meeting with him and my colleague meeting with him and my colleague the mental health Minister to talk about this further. My honourable friend wished a meeting with his constituents and I'm also delighted to arrange this. My honourable friend for Hinckley in his usual forensic self asked a number of questions which I hope will at address in my speech, but I'm sure he will be forthcoming if there are any thing lacking in my answer.

The government stood on the Manifesto to tackle the biggest killers and suicide remains the leading cause of death in this country. Every life lost to suicide is one too many. That is why our men's health strategy entertain your health plan is given a renewed focus on prevention. Our aim is to get the NHS, government departments, academia and the private sector to intertwine like never before in a call to action. Let me briefly set out the different strands of this work.

First, targeting high-risk groups, including children and young people, middle-aged men and people known to have a history of self- harm. Secondly, expanding the offer of our mental health emergency departments as part of our 10 year plan, and third, imbibing a greater sense of responsibility and responsiveness in the digital and media sectors. Too often people in crisis find themselves terrified and vulnerable in places least equipped to help them. In traditional A&E departments for example, facing long waits and often inadequate support.

That's why we are committed to expanding mental health emergency departments. We are investing up to 120 million pounds to bring the number of mental health emergency departments up to 85, while piloting an innovative model of mental health care for people with serious mental health needs. This will mean people in their darkest moments can access immediate specialist care in safe and dignified spaces. Given only one third of people who died by suicide are in contact with mental health services, we are also working to make support easier to find an easier to navigate.

Our shift from hospital to neighbourhood care in the 10 year plan is a big part of that. As is NHS England recently published staying safe from suicide guidance for all practitioners is to follow. It removes any uncertainty about the approach they should take, moving away from tick box checklist and putting each patient and their individual circumstances at the centre of their care. Today I can update the House that NHS England is launching an e-learning module is a practical resource to support implementation of this guidance.

The whole country was horrified by the excellent portrayal of the current issues affecting a young man in the television show Adolescence. That was a work of fiction, but one that shown a shearing light -- searing light on the struggle that men face, ironically in an age of social media and connectivity. That's why this government is taking action by equipping a generation of young people with the tools to manage their mental health, by the end of this Parliament every school in England will have access to mental health support team.

As we safeguard our children in schools, we cannot remain blind to the poisonous environment people are exposed to online. As a father, I know this is something that keeps every parent up at night. That's why we are promoting online safety, ensuring responsible media representation of issues relating to suicide and self-harm. Under the government's Online Safety Act and all in scope services are now required to protect their users from illegal content, including a legal suicide and self- harm content. Beyond this, the stronger as protections in the actor for children.

They also protected from legal but harmful suicide and self-harm content. We have seen too many tragic stories of children being bombarded with this content, often with fatal consequences. The onus is now on tech firms to recognise this material has no place on their platforms or in our society. Ofcom is continuing to implement this regime and his recently published proposals regarding additional steps about how this content is not going to be promoted in an algorithmic fashion. We know legislation itself is not enough.

Turning to the point my honourable friend raised, firstly on his point about first responder training, first responders play an important part about preventing suicides and are often the first port of call for someone in distress and experiencing suicidal ideation. Will work closely with first responders, including police and Amlin staff to support suicide prevention efforts. Sometimes that first response is provided by government frontline services. That's why the suicide prevention strategy includes training frontline staff in some of these departments.

The Ministry of Justice for mandatory training for prison staff. The work in pension staff receiving it as well. And the NHS committed the all healthcare professionals received the necessary mental health training to meet the needs of patients. Moving to neighbourhood mental health services, the international evidence-based is robust and we are currently testing the extent of the benefits of this model here. There will be an external evaluation of these pilots to determine the impact of this, particularly based on patient experience, access and reductions in pressure on existing services and economic impact.

We will follow the evidence and make an assessment for further future rollout. On gender differences, on research into gender differences in suicide, we agree research is hugely beneficial into making good quality policy. That's why the ambition outlined in the suicide prevention strategy for England includes over five years research on national trainers and suicide rates in those specific groups. We will continue to look for ways to improve our national real- time suspected suicide for valence -- surveillance system so we can act faster on these trends.

It will drawn experts from our advisory groups, list your people -- listen to people with lived experience and help us understand why we see some of these patterns and what can be done to address them. I want to end by thanking my honourable friend again for bringing this debate forward. And of course all colleagues who have contributed today. But particularly my honourable friend for her tireless campaigning since she was elected to this place eight years ago. In her Maiden speech, she stood on these green benches opposite and spoke very movingly about her husband.

She then gave this House a call to arms saying I do not ask for sympathy, I ask for your support. She may not remember, but my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was sitting behind her on the bench that day. He, as I, am delighted that we are now in a position to be able to answer that call.

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Powerful. I think it has been a very different kind of emotion that we
16:56
Lee Pitcher Portrait Lee Pitcher MP (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, Labour)
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felt in the chamber this afternoon compared to what we normally have. The stories that have been shared, some of been stripped back and quite raw, very emotional. It brings home to me the extent of the risk that we have here. Let me thank all the members for their contributions today, for their honesty. To the shadow Minister and the spokesperson on the other bench, I no these kind of conversations, these debates are never easy, but the conversations I have heard shows the depth of commitment across his house to tackling suicide.

It also shows me and gives me hope of the amazing organisations and volunteers that are out there every day trying to support the most vulnerable when they need it most. Suicide is a huge problem, we know there is no quick and easy solutions and everyone of us came here to challenge things like this and to make a difference. What we've heard today does give me renewed hope that change is possible and if we get it right we can make a massive difference it will save lives.

To use the phrase used a bit earlier today by my honourable friend, we do here you, we do see you and we want to be here for you.

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Thank you. The question is as on the order paper. As many as are of that opinion, say, "Aye", of the opinion, say, "Aye", of the contrary, "No". The ayes have it. If the Front Benches want to shuffle over they should do so very quickly. We now go on to... Colleagues are We now go on to... Colleagues are still shuffling. We now go on to the

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still shuffling. We now go on to the presentation of public petitions. I wish to present a petition for

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I wish to present a petition for my constituent Anna Todd concerning the provision of inclusive community the provision of inclusive community stations -- places in Newton Abbot. Changes to excess to work, retail
16:58
16:59
16:59
Irene Campbell Portrait Irene Campbell MP (North Ayrshire and Arran, Labour)
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presentation of their innovative and effective in-ovo testing labs in Europe offering a vision of what we can have here in the UK. I will also be hosting a further event on 4 November and I would encourage colleagues to attend. I'm keenly waiting the animal welfare strategy this autumn and I'm hoping this topic will be considered and discussed in it.

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I will give way.

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I will give way. I thank her for giving way and for bringing animal cruelty to the attention of the House. Does she attention of the House. Does she agree with me that considering the advances that have been made to determine the sex of chicks before determine the sex of chicks before they hatch, there is no excuse for they hatch, there is no excuse for commercial egg producers to be routinely pulling animals on such a routinely pulling animals on such a

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routinely pulling animals on such a I could not agree more with what has been said.

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has been said. I beg to move that this house to now adjourn. I absolutely agree with what my

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I absolutely agree with what my honourable friend has just said and I will go on to say more about this I will go on to say more about this throughout the speech. Most people will not have heard of hatch and dispatch. It is a process of culling mail checks a few hours after they are born. This is because they are are born. This is because they are not capable of laying eggs and not grow fat enough to breed for meat. An estimated 6.5 newly hatched An estimated 6.5 newly hatched cheques are colder every year, around 45 million of which are in the UK.

Legally, live chicks can be killed using mass aeration, exposure to inane gas or dislocation when no other method is available. In the 21st-century, surely it is not acceptable that such a cruel practice takes place when alternatives exist, and I will go on to describe the alternatives. In July 2023, the government animal welfare committee released a report called opinion on chick culling alternatives which band to ban that which uses culling. Any future schemes should say whether these systems cold mail checks or used technology.

As well as financial support for the introduction of new technology and for wildlife rehabilitation projects which are reliant on culling cheques for feed. Technology can determine the sex of a cheque while it is in the egg meaning that only female eggs will hatch. Research is showing that chick embryos can feel pain from around a 13 taking a patient and most sexing systems operate between days eight and 12 while some methods take place with samples, there are also non-invasive techniques like spectroscopy.

There is also significant process in other countries. Mail chick culling is banned in Germany and Austria while countries such as Italy have passed bans which will take effect on the future and many other countries including the you S and the Netherlands have adopted an oval And I hope people here will agree that it is time that the UK catches up and introduces a ban on this cruel practice. Almost 90% of eggs consumed in the UK are produced in the UK and that is about 12 billion eggs per year out of the 13.6 billion that are consumed in total.

2 billion eggs are imported every year.

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The discussion about technology identifying cheques, this has worked really well in a similar way in the really well in a similar way in the dairy industry where you can sex semen before the cow is disseminated semen before the cow is disseminated to make sure you get female cows instead of a surplus of male cows and they don't end up being cold at a young age, a very successful

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program in the dairy industry. I thank the honourable member for

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I thank the honourable member for his intervention and I fully agree with what has just been said. I with what has just been said. I think it is a very good example to follow. There are two major hatches which dominate the sector. If we which dominate the sector. If we were able to introduce sexing technology in just two hatcheries, technology in just two hatcheries, we would be able to eradicate culling in the commercial egg industry and surely this is something worth considering.

The public is vastly in favour of this public is vastly in favour of this as well. Vegetarian Society found that 76% of respondents support a that 76% of respondents support a ban in mail chick culling, even if it result in a price increase per it result in a price increase per egg. Different parties signed a joint letter on mail chick culling. What happens to eggs deemed to be male? The immediate answer would be to merge them with other hatchery byproducts schemes for energy generation, fertiliser or animal feed.

Experts are also investigating the possibility that the eggs could be used to feed exotic animals in captivity. This would potentially be a very high value product is by day 12, the chick embryos and not sentience yet. On a personal note, as a beacon for many years, I find this discussion difficult but it is important to highlight. Cold checks are being used as animal feed for captured animals but byproducts from slaughterhouses can be the best alternative is this would be a circular approach which would ultimately reduce the number of animals killed.

Experts recommend that there should be a short-term solution with long-term research being focused on cultivated meat, or even three day printed alternatives. So in closing, the culling of male chicks is a cruel and outdated process. There is strong public support for this and international precedent. With many others, I am keenly awaiting the animal welfare strategy this autumn and I am hoping that the banning of mail checks will be a key aim of the strategy. It is important that a roadmap of the timeline is introduced to phase out this cruel practice and that mail chick culling and imports are a thing of the past.
17:06
Angela Eagle Portrait Dame Angela Eagle MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Wallasey, Labour)
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I would like to thank the honourable member for securing this debate. My honourable friend raised this issue in the Westminster Hall debate and the animal welfare standards in farming in June and I am grateful to her for giving us the opportunity to focus on the subject in more detail. Today, I fully recognise that the strong public feeling on the routine culling of mail checks has been highlighted by the breadth of support for the hatch and dispatch campaign.

My honourable friend has spoken passionately about the subject this evening. As a nation, we are rightly proud of the high animal welfare standards and high quality British produce, and this government wants to build on and maintain our record on health and welfare and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that animals receive the care and protection that they deserve. I completely understand that the culling of day- old chicks is a process that many including someone not far away from this despatch boxes may find incomprehensible and wasteful, and I can assure honourable friend that all farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation, including when they are killed.

Regulations set out structural requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, and this includes mail checks. As my friend pointed out, the permitted killing method for cheques such as gas are based on scientific research and assessment to make sure that birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering. All hatcheries in the UK use are given gas mixtures as their main method. This is a much more humane method than other gases such as carbon dioxide which is routinely used in several European countries and elsewhere in the world.

However, as the animal welfare committee advising the UK and Welsh governments on animal welfare issues have commented, the routine killing of cheques is principally an ethical issue, rather than a welfare problem because it does not need to direct welfare harms. But that doesn't mean that we should not be working to see if we can move away from it in the future as quickly as is practical and possible, but being able to do this relies on viable alternatives being developed.

My honourable friend has spoken about some of those things. The animal welfare committee reviewed the alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks and published their independent opinion on this issue last year. In their report, the committee is recommended that chick culling should be banned as soon as reliable accurate technologies were available. And it also highlighted that there were several consequences arising from such a ban, and as such, it will be crucial to learn from those countries that have already committed to moving away from the culling of mail checks.

The honourable lady mentioned that Germany, France and other European states have banned the culling of mail checks but we recognise that some European states have encountered issues following a ban for stopping some cases, in countries where there is a ban in place, Germany for example, mail checks are merely transported to other member states prior to being killed which is in the welfare gain one would have wanted to get from such a ban. So, any ban on the culling of mail checks needs to allow for the rearing and processing of those birds that hatch, despite the use of sexing technology.

Another issue flagged in the animal welfare committee's report is the fact that mail checks provide a whole food source for exotic animals, an issue pointed out in her

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remarks by my honourable friend. I congratulate my honourable

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I congratulate my honourable friend for securing this debate and outlining so eloquently the case for outlining so eloquently the case for this cause which I too support. Given as the Minister says that we Given as the Minister says that we do use many live mail chick carcasses for animal feed and we import far more than we use for pet food and places like bird of prey centres, which he agree that we need centres, which he agree that we need to find a solution to meet our need if we hope to move to in over sexing and hatcheries?

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and hatcheries? When supplying, however difficult, is established and we try to move away from it, there can sometimes be unintended sometimes be unintended consequences, and therefore, we have to look at the whole issue run that to look at the whole issue run that change so that we don't end up getting ourselves in a situation that has lowered welfare outcomes than the one that we started from, than the one that we started from, so I assure him that the Department so I assure him that the Department is very, very well aware of that and we won't move in anyway if we would we won't move in anyway if we would end up in a worse welfare situation than the one we started from, but he makes a perfectly good point.

Another issue as I was about to say, flagged in the animal welfare committee's report is the fact that mail checks provide a whole food source for exotic animals and we would have to replace that. In recent years, there has been phenomenal global process and the development of technologies that could help end routine culling of mail checks by identifying or determining embryo sex before hatching, and it appears that is also going on in the dairy industry as well, so there is a lot of time and work to go on to see what we can do to get away from the current situation in our livestock supply chains.

Several new methods have appeared and many refinements in existing systems have continued since the publication of the report on this subject. We welcome the UK industries interest in the development of day zero sexing technology which enables eggs to be sexed prior to the start of the incubation. Such a commercial system offers many benefits including economic and sustainability savings by directing hatching space in addition to providing an ethical solution to the culling of cheques. In Germany, one alternative is the rearing of male layer checks for meat production, also known as brother Henze.

Due to their slower growth rate, rearing brother Henze requires a greater input of feed and a longer phase to produce a smaller bird with less desirable body composition, making it more challenging to rear them commercially at scale in the UK. Lack of published research on the welfare of brother Henze but animal welfare concerns have been linked to this practice, in particular, managing aggression and high mortality within all-male flop can be problematic, often accentuated by housing inappropriate birds behavioural needs.

Aside from sexing technology and the rearing of brother Henze, I was also pleased to hear about an initiative to assess the viability of dualpurpose poultry groups in the UK. That is dualpurpose bridges which can be used to laying meet. And clearly, they aren't as specialist as the breeding which currently provides different breeds to the laying of different breeds to meet but since different breeds to meet but since they are dualpurpose, they don't result in the mass culling of males in the industry.

So this initiative was awarded funding earlier this year as part of DEFRA is farming innovation programme using birds that conserve egg layers and meat producers, offering an opportunity where they grow very differently and turn out differently than perhaps UK consumers are currently used to. It is also thought that jewel breeds bring other animal welfare benefits as Henze of dualpurpose breeds have lower incidences of fractures and some breeds show less injuries packing behaviour than found in commercial laying hen breeds, and the males of jewel breeds have better walking ability, lower levels of dermatitis and better for the cover and fast-growing meat chicken Dual breeds have lower protein requirements and a trial found that locally grown beans were a suitable alternative to very high protein soya which may also deliver sustainability benefits of this approach to chicken breeding can be made viable and actually become popular and be accepted by UK consumers, all of those three things have to be working.

Bringing value to mail layer chicks is of key importance and I look forward to hearing the outcome of this research and weathered dual-purpose breeds may be more ethical and sustainable approach to the one we currently have. In conclusion, this government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans in a generation to improve animal welfare and that is exactly what we're going to do. Our farm animal welfare policy is backed by a robust evidence base and is supported and shaped by input from our many excellent stakeholder and expert advice groups and I very much look forward to speaking to honourable member's about this in more detail very soon.

Whilst as I said earlier this is principally an ethical issue rather than an animal welfare issue, that doesn't mean we should not be trying very robustly to address it and I look forward to seeing progress in this area over the next period.

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Is incredibly educational. The question is that the House do now question is that the House do now adjourn. As many as are of that opinion, say, "Aye", of the contrary, "No". The ayes have it.
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