Commons Chamber

Monday 17th November 2025

(began 2 hours, 45 minutes ago)

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14:34
None Portrait Q1. What steps she has taken to ensure that the tendering process for immigration removal centre contracts is competitive. (906340)
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Order. Order. Before Order. Before we Order. Before we begin, Order. Before we begin, I Order. Before we begin, I should
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None Portrait Q1. What steps she has taken to ensure that the tendering process for immigration removal centre contracts is competitive. (906340)
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Mr. speaker. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Home Office has a procurement policy of
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None Portrait Q2. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of implementing asylum policies similar to Denmark on asylum seekers and refugees. (906341)
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Nadia Whittome Preston Mr Speaker Secretary of State.
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None Portrait Q3. What steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against women and girls. (906346)
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Josh Fenton-Glynn. Number three, please, Mr. Speaker.
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None Portrait Q5. What steps her Department is taking to introduce more neighbourhood police officers. (906348)
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Mr. Speaker. Mr. Mr. speaker, with your
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None Portrait Q8. What steps she has taken to tackle delays in the payment of refunds by her Department. (906351)
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Peter Lamb number eight.
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None Portrait Q10. Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the remit of the national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs to include Scotland. (906353)
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question number ten.
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None Portrait Q11. What steps she is taking to improve public access to police officers in Redditch constituency. (906354)
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For Mr. Speaker.
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None Portrait Q12. What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory annual cap on levels of legal immigration. (906355)
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My well.
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None Portrait Topical questions: Home Office
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We come to topical Seamus Logan, Mr. Speaker. Take care. Mr. speaker, I am pleased to
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Shabana Mahmood Portrait Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood KC MP, The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Birmingham Ladywood, Labour)
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Mr. speaker, I am pleased to start with some very good news indeed. One of the heroes of the Huntingdon attack, Samir Zitouni, the member of the train's crew who risked his own life to save others, has been discharged from hospital. has been discharged from hospital. There is a long road ahead of him now and his family have asked for privacy. But I'm sure the whole privacy. But I'm sure the whole house joins me in wishing him the swiftest and fullest recovery possible.

Since the last Home possible. Since the last Home Office oral questions, I have made a number of significant announcements. A review of police announcements. A review of police protest powers was launched last weekend, and I am pleased to say that the former Director of Public that the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord Ken MacDonald, will lead it. Last week we announced that police and crime commissioners will be abolished. The introduction of police and Crime Commissioners by the last government was a failed experiment. government was a failed experiment.

I will introduce new reforms so police are accountable to their mayoralties or local councils. The mayoralties or local councils. The savings from this will fund more neighbourhood policing on the beat across the country, fighting crime across the country, fighting crime and protecting our communities. I would like to recognise the efforts of all current and former police and crime commissioners and thank them because they served their communities with honour, and will

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continue to do so until they have completed their current order. It's far too long an introduction because I'm still
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Mims Davies Portrait Mims Davies MP (East Grinstead and Uckfield, Conservative)
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Yeah, David. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. speaker, last month across my constituency, there was an increase in knife crime. And this wasn't necessarily carried out by younger people, but by older people. And I know this is an area where the government is determined to crack down on knife crime. Can the government therefore say what more they are doing in this area to

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tackle knife crime? Can I thank my hon. Friend, of course. Nationally, we've taken 60,000 knives off the streets and 60,000 knives off the streets and knife murders are down 18% and knife crime is down 5%. But of course, every single offence is is course, every single offence is is one too many. And we will keep pushing both in terms of the policing response but crucially, the prevention response so that we

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the prevention response so that we can work with our young people to stop them getting involved in crime in the first place. So Julian Lewis.

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So Julian Lewis. It's often reported that a high proportion of people who enter the proportion of people who enter the country illegally do so without any reliable identifying documentation. reliable identifying documentation. Can any Minister say, in percentage terms, roughly what the proportions terms, roughly what the proportions are of who has and who has not? Documentation amongst illegal immigration.

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immigration. The following writing with the specific percentages to the right hon. Gentleman. But I would want to
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None Portrait Urgent question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if she will make a statement on briefings to the press about the contents of the Budget
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If she will.

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Make a statement on briefings. To the press about. The contents. Of the budget. Minister.
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James Murray Portrait Rt Hon James Murray MP, The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Ealing North, Labour )
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Minister. Mr. speaker. government. Takes their. Obligations to this House very

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Obligations to this House very seriously. There has been. Much speculation, as is usual, ahead of a budget. But the Chancellor will come to this House Chancellor will come to this House on November the 26th and deliver a budget which will protect the NHS and public services. It will support growth, enabling businesses to create jobs and to innovate. It will support those struggling with the cost of living, protecting families from high inflation and interest rates. And it will get debt falling because the less we spend on debt interest, the more we can spend on the priorities of working people.

As you would rightly expect, Mr. Speaker, I am not going to comment on individual measures today. The Chancellor has asked the Office of Budget Responsibility to produce a forecast. The OBR and the Treasury exchange information throughout the forecast process, which is the usual practice that has been established over many years. The Chancellor will take decisions based on that forecast, and we will set out our fiscal plans at the budget next week in the usual way. The OBR is making an assessment of the productivity performance of the previous government.

We will not allow the mistakes of the previous government to determine our country's future. That is why the budget next week will be guided by this government's values of fairness and opportunity, and focussed entirely on the priorities of the British people. Stability remains at the heart of our approach by building more resilient public finances, with the headroom to withstand global turbulence. We will give businesses the confidence to invest and leave government freer to act when the situation calls for it. We will continue to meet our ironclad fiscal rules, which allow the government to invest in homes, transport, energy, security and infrastructure.

Mr. speaker, taking this action means we can continue to build a strong foundation for our economy because

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that is the route to securing Britain's future. Mel Stride. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I think given that
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Mel Stride Portrait Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride MP (Central Devon, Conservative)
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Mr. Speaker. I think given that response. The right hon. Gentleman might try a. Bit of. Stand up, actually.

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Stand up, actually. And spare time. Mr. speaker, the process around the budget is meant to be the most closely guarded secret in government, but in recent secret in government, but in recent weeks, we have barely been able to pick up a newspaper without a fresh report of the latest policy movements on the 6th of November, Mr. Speaker. The times reported that the Chancellor had included increases in income tax rates in the measures sent to the OBR for scoring.

Then last Thursday, the Financial Times revealed that those proposals had now been removed from the budget package. The Chancellor and her officials may think this is a game they are playing, but it has real life consequences impacting markets. As we saw on Friday. And more than that, Mr. Speaker, it shows an utter contempt for this House in this place. Questions about the budget are always met with the same answer. Decisions on tax will be announced at the budget. That is right and proper.

But it becomes hollow and absurd when those same matters are being openly reported in the national media on a daily basis. The Chancellor even delivered a pre-budget address to the country. Not in this House, Mr. Speaker, but in the Downing Street press room. So, given the Chancellor has chosen not to come to the House today, can I ask the Minister, has the Chancellor or any Treasury Minister sanctioned any briefings to journalists or potential budget tax measures, or the contents of the overs forecasts? Have any Treasury officials or special advisers conducted such briefings? Has the Chancellor or the Permanent Secretary launched an investigation into the source of the leaks? And can the Minister explain why? The Chancellor seems to have confirmed that the OBR have downgraded their productivity forecasts before the budget has even taken place? Mr.

speaker, either the Chancellor has been knowingly allowing the budget process to be briefed out or serious unauthorised leaks have occurred from her department. It has fuelled confusion and

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uncertainty and it has disrespected this House. Yeah. Minister, can I just say it
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Daisy Cooper Portrait Daisy Cooper MP (St Albans, Liberal Democrat)
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spokesperson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These leaks are not just. Westminster tittle tattle.

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They have a very real impact on people's lives and their livelihoods. The cold weather has now reached all corners of Britain, and households don't know if they and households don't know if they can afford to put the heating on because they don't know if their taxes are going up or down or staying the same. It's also just five weeks until Christmas, and our high streets are struggling with low consumer confidence. That's precisely why we Liberal Democrats have called for a windfall tax on the big banks to fund an emergency cut to people's energy bills and a VAT cut for hospitality, visitor accommodation and attractions.

But these leaks are not just a symptom. Mr. speaker, so they are a symptom. They are not the cause because the real problem runs much deeper. The Labour government has no vision for the country, no vision for the economy and whatever their destination is, they are not taking the country with them. When people and the markets.

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Of our pinky and perky dripping

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all day. Well, this is the last one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When people in markets don't know what the government is trying to achieve, the government is trying to achieve, then rumours can and do run rife. It is clear that this budget is more leaky than our crumbling more leaky than our crumbling hospitals. So, Mr. Speaker, I should also add that the confected outrage from the Conservatives is slightly absurd because their key budget announcements were often leaked in advance as well. In one leaked in advance as well.

In one case at least, almost word for word. Perhaps this House, Mr. Speaker, needs to move to the Swedish system where the Swedish parliament gets to debate the government's budget and propose alternatives and amendments before it is finalised, amendments before it is finalised, and gets a proper period of scrutiny and accountability in the months that follow. So, Mr. Speaker, months that follow. So, Mr. Speaker, can I ask what is the government doing to stop these leaks? Does the government recognise that this flip flopping is incredibly damaging to flopping is incredibly damaging to households and the markets? And will the government consider all benches?
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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And then I'll come back to you. securing a new nuclear. Project in her constituency? She and I have

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had a number of discussions about. Nuclear power. And other. Energy projects. Mr Speaker nuclear energy provides the stable, nuclear energy provides the stable, low carbon baseload. We need to keep the lights on and to support our economy. It is central to our our economy. It is central to our clean Power mission. That is why we have launched a new golden age of nuclear, committing £17 billion to nuclear, committing £17 billion to the most ambitious programme of new nuclear for a generation.

Our small modular reactor SMR programme led modular reactor SMR programme led by Great British Energy Nuclear, is an example of British innovation. At its best, these mini reactors At its best, these mini reactors are smaller and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power stations, and we have been considering which is the best site to kick off the SMR programme. Now that we have reached that decision, that we have reached that decision, last week we announced that Wylfa, on the north coast of Anglesey, Ynys Mon is our chosen site for GB Ynys Mon is our chosen site for GB Nuclear's first SMR project.

A written ministerial statement on this matter was made on Thursday. this matter was made on Thursday. The initial project will see, subject to contracts, the construction of up to three Rolls-Royce SMR units. The site Rolls-Royce SMR units. The site could host as many as eight, subject to future policy and funding decisions. This will funding decisions. This will deliver the largest industrial investment in North Wales for a generation. It will provide 3000 good jobs on the site at peak construction. GB nuclear is already looking forward to working with Welsh communities on the project, with work due to start on the site as early as next year.

We will be progressing the SMR project across this parliament, working towards final investment decision. Meanwhile, large scale nuclear power stations will also continue to make a vital contribution in our Home-grown clean energy mix complementing these smrs and we will continue to act decisively, invest ambitiously and work with communities, investors and our allies to deliver this golden age

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for new nuclear Llinos Medi. And thank. You for that and I will get my
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Llinos Medi Portrait Llinos Medi MP (Ynys Môn, Plaid Cymru)
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You for that and I will get my next Urgent Question over properly. I am pleased the government has backed the site and Wilbur, and as backed the site and Wilbur, and as I have mentioned several times in this chamber, Wilbur is recognised as the best site in Europe. Can I firstly pay tribute to the team work over decades from elected members, from all parties, campaigners, businesses and the local community who have fought long for new nuclear at Wilbur Ynys Mon has no nuclear for 65 years.

With a strong local college and university ready to train a skilled workforce of the future. To maximise the success of this project, the government must work with the local authority on behalf of our community to deliver tangible economic and social benefits. This includes maximising opportunities in the local supply chain. The potential is clear, but the challenge is turning it into reality. After many false dawns and broken promises, my optimism is cautious. We know the cost of failure on Ynys Mon.

When the Wilbur Project collapsed, it dropped a generation of the opportunity to live and thrive in their community. Recent data from the Nia now shows that nuclear jobs on Ynys Mon are at a record low. We cannot afford further setbacks. Clear timelines and transparent decisions are therefore essential. Can the Minister confirm when the Rolls-Royce contract will be signed? The general design assessments completed and the final investment decision made? The SMI project, as it stands, is already four years behind the previous horizon project at Wilbur.

The project had a planning application and was approaching a final decision before collapsing. Funding the SMR project at Wilbur remains critical. While the government's £2.5 billion for the SMR programme is welcome, most of the costs will currently be funded privately. Given the problems of the past and that Wilbur will host a fleet of Smrs, a first of their kind reactors is the government to prepare to demonstrate its full commitment. We cannot let this historic opportunity to slip through our fingers yet again.

This is a unique opportunity to create a project which will deliver for our language, our culture, and our young people. I urge the government to work with myself and key stakeholders and developers to provide the best project ever to deliver prosperity and energy security.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Minister. She's right that of course, the community Ynys Mon have faced a number of false starts under the previous government. This is a historic opportunity, a huge moment with this project moving forward, with tangible timelines in place now and the 2.5 billion that she references and of course, Rolls-Royce taking forward this initial three smrs, but with the potential for for more in the future, people will start to see jobs very soon. We expect there will be work on the site as early as next year, and as I say, there'll be 3000 jobs on site in the construction phase at its peak.

I do want to join her in paying tribute to all those who have worked on this project over a great many years. There have been a lot of false starts, a lot of disappointment. But I think last week was a huge moment to recognise the potential for the site being realised with this next generation of nuclear. But I actually think also, Mr. Speaker, for the UK to see Smrs move forward after years of them being talked about to the actually moving forward.

And with that, the huge investment that comes into the social and economic fabric of communities like the hon. Ladies, the Prime Minister spoke last week about the investment in colleges, for example, to make sure we have the skilled workforce in the local area. And nuclear prides itself on creating many well-paid, sustainable jobs in our community. Of course, in previous generations of nuclear has benefited from that. We are determined to make sure those economic and social benefits

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are felt for her constituents, but also right across the UK. Lizzi Collinge. Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
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Claire Coutinho Portrait Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP (East Surrey, Conservative)
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EEZ. so I welcome the progress on Smrs. If we are going to have a strong economy and a good standard of life, then we need abundant, reliable, cheap energy. Nuclear works. In the winter. It runs 24 over seven for AI and it's 100% clean to boot. It uses 3000 times less land than wind and solar, and the latest prices around the world shows it can be much cheaper too. So the conservative position is that we need a lot more nuclear.

We were the party that overturned the complete failure to start any British nuclear plants under the last Labour government. So I say this with some feeling. I've been told that there was just one nuclear welder left in this country when we started work on Hinkley Point C, we invested in the supply chain and skills which had completely withered under the previous government. But now the most important thing is to keep building. I personally signed off a third large nuclear plant at Wylfa because it is the best site that we

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have. It could host both large scale and smrs. So by ruling out large scale. At.

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At. Will Forster and ditching the 24 gigawatt target, are they calling time on new large scale nuclear? That's what it looks like to the rest of the country. That would be a huge mistake. And it is the same mistake they made the last time mistake they made the last time they were in power. If we want cheap energy and growth in this country, then when it comes to country, then when it comes to nuclear, we need to build, build, build. The Minister talked about power generation from Smrs, but power generation from Smrs, but he's talking about power in the 2030s.

But industry are being told 2042 at the earliest. Is that really the best they can do? Who is right? Now we have plans to make right? Now we have plans to make nuclear build much cheaper. In fact, we made radical amendments to their planning bill to cut environmental red tape. They voted against it. But the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce will report soon. Can they confirm they will consider our they confirm they will consider our proposals when they do? And lastly, would he agree with me that it is fundamentally absurd for the Green Party to talk about clean power in this country whilst having a policy to dismantle Britain's nuclear

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to dismantle Britain's nuclear power plants? Absolutely, Minister. Well.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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Mr. Speaker, let me start at the end because it is nice in this place. We have a rare moment of consensus now and again. And I would I would add, of course, our friends in the Scottish National Party, and I'm not quite sure about Clyde Comrie. Some of them support nuclear, some of them don't. Even though we're building in Wales. She's right to say that the bedrock of a clean power system has to be nuclear. And it's also an economic opportunity, as we all know.

So I welcome that brief bit of consensus. But of course she talks about build, build, build. Actually all the party opposite did was consult consult, consult. Because she talks about signing off new nuclear. None of it's been built. It's easy to sign off things, but there was no money committed to it. Not a penny of funding committed by the previous government. So I would just say on one of the biggest days for our domestic nuclear industry in a very long time, it was remarkable to hear opposition spokespeople last week talk down the sector.

They talked big for 14 years but built very, very little. Not a single new nuclear project was complete in their entire time in office. And that's because they didn't put any funding into delivering it. We have committed almost £20 billion of real money to build real projects. Because we are ambitious about our nuclear future. We're ambitious about Sizewell C, we're ambitious about the SMR programme, and we haven't ruled out any future giga scale projects. But our ambition is matched by funding to actually deliver these.

Wylfa was the absolute best site on offer and that's why we've been really clear we chose it to host this most important flagship project of this United Kingdom. We are delivering jobs and investment in Wales and we're delivering the next generation of nuclear. After many, many, many years of disappointment by the party opposite.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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I'm grateful for a genuine question in the House of Commons. I always appreciated look, as I've said earlier on, the decision was made that Yeovil was the best possible site for Smrs. This is a hugely important project for us, starting with three SMR units, but with the potential it will have to increase that, which is a huge opportunity that the will this site has. He's right to say it would also have hosted Giga scale, but the challenge for us was after a great many years of Wylfa being promised, lots of things.

Actually the option on the table was a project with funding right now and with a clear pathway to delivery on a really important site that will deliver the outcomes we need as a country or potentially future. Wait for another spending review where we might make a decision about future nuclear. We are ambitious about what the future of giga scale nuclear would look like, but right now, funding has been confirmed for Smrs and it was right. That will come with its, you know, significantly important as a site but also with a skilled workforce takes advantage of that after what has been a significant amount of time of being promised things but not delivered.

As I've said, we haven't said that this is a limit of our nuclear ambitions, but we will say more in due course about what future sites might look like and great British energy. Nuclear is looking at those now.
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Michael Shanks Portrait Michael Shanks MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Rutherglen, Labour)
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our nuclear future. Minister well, I have to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, I was rather expecting every question today to be could be built in my be could be built in my constituency. That, my hon. Friend, is the first. So he wins a prize for that. Look, he makes the point and I won't labour it. But we had a lot of promises and a lot of big talk from the government on nuclear, but very little actually delivered. And the truth is, there was no money put forward for any of these things.

It's easy to sign and say we want to deliver something, but without actually putting any money forward, nothing is going to happen. We've committed to almost £20 billion of funding to make Britain's new golden age of nuclear a reality, and that is what will deliver jobs in his constituency and right across the country. But we are ambitious about the future of Smrs. They are able to be sited in a great many more places than traditional nuclear. We have asked great British Energy, Nuclear, to look at the range of sites that are possible right across the United Kingdom, not just those sites that were traditionally designated for nuclear projects.

That opens up huge opportunity for the energy mix of the future, and of course, for jobs and investment and training

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right across the supply chains as well. James Wild thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. In the spirit of
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