Commons Chamber

Thursday 3rd September 2026

(began 17 hours ago)

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None Portrait Oral questions: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
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one, please, Mr. Speaker.
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None Portrait Q5. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy on rural and coastal communities. (901159)
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Jerome Mayhew. and a range of tourism representatives. This government is committed to giving powers to local areas to enact an overnight levy,

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and we will work closely with Mhclg and HM Treasury on developing this policy. Torbay Mr Speaker rural and
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None Portrait Oral questions: Church Commissioners and House of Commons Commission and Public Accounts Commission and Restoration and Renewal Client Board and Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission
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Question number one, Mr. Speaker. >> Question number one, Mr. Speaker. >> Right. Who's on? Sharon Hodgson. Marsha de Cordova. >> Mr Speaker.
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None Portrait Q1. To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to support Christians in Palestine. (901143)
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None Portrait Q4. To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the level of persecution of Christians overseas. (901146)
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I have to stand up, Mr. Speaker. Right. The church remains deeply concerned about the ongoing persecution on the ground, on the
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Marsha De Cordova Portrait Marsha De Cordova MP (Battersea, Labour)
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young people, and thank him for raising the excellent work of churches in Newtownards. Now, churches in Newtownards. Now, following the exchange with the hon. Member for Wrekin, I wrote to the Local Government Minister and the Local Government Minister and the Children's Minister to discuss how faith based organisations can work more closely with local work more closely with local authorities to expand youth provision. Supporting young people is part of the Church of England's is part of the Church of England's growing younger priority, backed by a £1 billion investment over the next nine years.

And I would be happy to put my hon. Friend in touch with the team and officials at church House for further information on this, and I also just want to encourage all local authorities to see the great work that partnering with the churches can deliver in supporting and providing opportunities for young people.

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Doctor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's good to see you. After recess over the summer, I attended recess over the summer, I attended a packed meeting about saving Saint John's Church in Dudley in my constituency, a grade two listed constituency, a grade two listed building that's been at the heart of my community for over 180 years and wants to save that community going forward in providing more services to children and young services to children and young people and the adult older adults to prevent loneliness.

However, it is currently temporarily closed and
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None Portrait Q9. To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to work with other faith groups to promote community cohesion. (901151)
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Been instructed on who sits where. That was directly in the sight of Perran Moon because you came past the door. It blocks my vision when you walk in front. I don't like being challenged on something when I'm absolutely I'm something when I'm absolutely I'm correct. Marsha de Cordova.
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Marsha De Cordova Portrait Marsha De Cordova MP (Battersea, Labour)
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Marsha de Cordova thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I firstly just Speaker. Can I firstly just congratulate my hon. Friend for the work she's doing in her own constituency and bringing our communities together. She rightly communities together. She rightly points out that the church is has a key role in in in drawing our communities together. And that is a communities together. And that is a case of wanting to protect those, but also for peace and social justice. And the church supports the work of the church urban Fund and near neighbours, whose central aim is to promote interfaith understanding and stronger community cohesion.

As I mentioned in my previous answer, the church has established a working group with the bishops to promote community cohesion in response to some of the deepening political polarisation, and I hope to provide an update on that work in due

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course. Blake Stephenson question number ten, please. Mr. speaker. Marsha de Cordova yes, Mr.

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Marsha de Cordova yes, Mr. Speaker, the Church Commissioners intend to proceed with Project Spire as we continue to regard the historic links to African chattel enslavement with profound regret.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I thank the Member for that response? Around the country, particularly in Around the country, particularly in Mid Bedfordshire parish councils, parish churches, sorry are struggling to find the funds to save their historic buildings. Do the church commissioners not believe that the time, money and energy spent examining and absolving the church's historic absolving the church's historic transgressions could have been better spent bringing hope and belonging to future generations, belonging to future generations, and saving our historic churches?
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Marsha De Cordova Portrait Marsha De Cordova MP (Battersea, Labour)
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Mr. speaker, I want to take this opportunity to make clear that Project Spire is being funded out of the Commissioner's own income. of the Commissioner's own income. None of the money given in parish collections goes towards funding this project. It is also worth pointing out that over the next three years, the commissioners are distributing £1.6 billion to provide record levels of support for church ministry and mission across England. It is my sincere hope that Project Spire delivers exactly what the Member for Mid Bedfordshire points to a sense of belonging for future generations in the church.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I also want to highlight the words shared by the Archbishop of Canterbury in her historic visit to the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, which I too have also visited myself. And she says, Mr. Speaker, I pray not only in the meant for the church's involvement in the slave trade, but also for hope. Hope that the God of healing can bring justice and reconciliation to all who are still impacted by its

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legacy. Liz Twist Preston 11. Mr Speaker Marsha de Cordova.

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Mr Speaker Marsha de Cordova. Mr. speaker, church officials are in regular contact with Historic England and the Department Historic England and the Department for culture, Media and Sport regarding the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and are monitoring parish experiences of using the scheme closely following feedback. Historic England has also published Historic England has also published a funding directory to help identify alternative sources of support.
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None Portrait Urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if she will make a statement on the future of the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields following the closure of the public consultation
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Minister. >> Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Can I first welcome and congratulate the hon. Gentleman to his new position as the Shadow Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net zero, the Scottish
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Katie White Portrait Katie White MP, Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) (Leeds North West, Labour)
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Court of Session quashed the original consent for these projects. original consent for these projects. In January 2025. We published supplementary guidance in June 2025 to implement the Finch judgement, under which end use combustion emissions must be taken into emissions must be taken into account in environmental impact assessments for oil and gas production projects. At this time, production projects. At this time, the government reopened the window for applications and the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields are each subject to a live regulatory process.

The public notice periods which, as the gentleman knows, closed on the 10th and the 17th of August respectively, were part of that regulatory process. The Secretary of State will consider the representations received and will make separate decisions on each project in due course. I do appreciate the strength of interest in this decision, but it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further on either project. I have to say, Mr. Speaker, it is a little bit rich hearing the Conservatives suddenly talk about protecting jobs and caring about Aberdeen.

Let us look at the facts. By the end of 2016, under the Conservatives, more than 120 000 UK oil and gas jobs had gone more than a third of them in Scotland and the vast majority in the North East. And those aren't my words, Mr. Speaker. They're the words of the conservative MSP Liam Kerr. And what happened to Aberdeen on their watch. The independent think tank centre for cities call it Aberdeen's lost decade. It found that between 2010 and 2022, the city lost around 9000 jobs under the Conservatives, real household incomes per head fell 6.7% and nearly 15000 people left the city.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, Aberdeen was one of just two of Britain's 62 largest cities and towns to have fewer jobs than it had in 2010. I gently say to the Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, this is an abysmal record from his party in government. He may have a little bit of selective memory about the

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Conservatives record in the North east. I don't think his constituents do. So. Secretary Andrew.

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Secretary Andrew. Mr. Speaker, I don't think the Conservative Party will take any lectures from Labour on record in the north east of Scotland, given the north east of Scotland, given the result in Aberdeen South only a few months ago, but I'd like to thank her for her warm welcome to thank her for her warm welcome to my new position. The public consultation on Rosebank and Jackdaw has now closed. The department can no longer hide

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department can no longer hide behind process delay or consultation Exercises. They have dithered, prevaricated and delayed for far
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Andrew Bowie Portrait Andrew Bowie MP (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Conservative)
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too long. Industry and workers in and around Aberdeen and indeed across the United Kingdom need an answer now. We have a new Prime Minister, a new Secretary of State. So how about a new direction? That is what our oil and gas industry is what our oil and gas industry needs. That is what the thousands of workers in it that do not know what lies ahead of need. So can I what lies ahead of need. So can I ask a simple question? Will they finally approve Rosebank and Jackdaw, something we already did in government, or will they continue the PQ Secretary states campaign against Britain's North Sea oil and gas industry? It was her.

It was the previous Secretary of State that refused to appeal the ruling against the decision over two years ago. It was the Secretary of State that refused to fast track the consultation process. It was the previous Secretary of State that refused to act in the national interest, because this goes beyond Jackdaw and Rosebank alone. It is about whether Great Britain chooses to produce its own energy, or become ever more dependent on imports from overseas, dirtier and more expensive foreign imports. So where do where does the Minister want that energy that we will need to come if they do not get on and approve Rosebank injector? Mr.

speaker, the question today is a simple one, but the answer could be transformative for the North Sea industry, for the north east of Scotland, and for the United Kingdom's economic and energy security. When will they approve? Jackdaw and Rosebank Minister.
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None Portrait Urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Bluetongue Virus (BTV-3) in Livestock
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Minister thank.

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You, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to begin by recognising that this is an incredibly difficult time for
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Stephen Morgan Portrait Stephen Morgan MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Portsmouth South, Labour)
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animal health impacts. Although it poses no risk to human health or food safety. The first confirmed case of bluetongue serotype three in the UK this year was on the 10th in the UK this year was on the 10th of July in Staffordshire. As of yesterday, there have been 795 confirmed cases of bluetongue in confirmed cases of bluetongue in Great Britain. We are supporting enhanced testing capacity. We have worked closely with the devolved worked closely with the devolved governments and industry throughout the outbreak, listening to farmers and jointly developing policies to ensure farmers receive timely information and practical guidance.

This has included regular disease alerts, social media updates, weekly communications to livestock keepers and a programme of industry webinars. Vaccination remains the most effective and viable short and long term control measure against bluetongue, both for this season and in the future. Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate VMD are working closely with manufacturers to monitor availability and are taking proactive steps to ensure that additional vaccine stocks are made available as quickly as possible. I encourage all livestock keepers to remain vigilant, monitor and vaccinate their animals and report any suspicions of disease immediately.

Finally, I know that this has been a trying period for farmers, animal keepers and private vets. Support is available through government guidance. The Rural Services helpline and farming help. We will continue to work closely with industry representatives to ensure concerns are heard. Information is shared promptly and support reaches those that need it through vigilance, vaccination and partnership. We will continue to meet this challenge and protect the health of our livestock sector. Thank you.
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Robbie Moore Portrait Robbie Moore MP (Keighley and Ilkley, Conservative)
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Minister Robbie Moore. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bluetongue is spreading across Britain at an unprecedented rate, devastating livestock businesses and putting farming families under immense financial and emotional pressure. And I thank our vets and those at the front line of those at the front line of addressing the spread of the virus. As of yesterday, 795 cases have been confirmed this season, but there are more than 2500 potential cases still under investigation. Yet farmers and vets are being forced to wait up to three weeks for blood test results, leaving the livestock sector without a real time picture of the outbreak.

So why was testing capacity not significantly increased over the summer period, and when will Ministers clear this backlog in hotspot areas? Will proportionate risk based approach be adopted? Those delays are more concerning given that DEFRA is. Expenditure on bluetongue testing was significantly reduced under this Labour government by 74% in this financial year. Why did the government allow this spending to fall so dramatically? Just as the outbreak was accelerating, Ministers rightly advise farmers to vaccinate livestock but livestock. But supplies can take up to 3 to 4 weeks to arrive.

So why has the government not acted to secure adequate vaccine supplies? Working more closely with vaccine manufacturers, veterinary bodies and industry farmers also face mounting fallen stock disposal costs. Yet repeated calls to Ministers for financial assistance has gone unanswered. Can the government today confirm financial assistance will be put in place, and will the government review the environmental permit constraints to ease carcase disposal? Finally, Mr. Speaker, bluetongue presents similar symptoms to those of foot and mouth disease, which is already present in continental Europe, with testing for bluetongue taking weeks to turn around, there is a real concern that a positive foot and mouth case could be hidden within the backlog.

So what assurances can the Minister give that he is alert to this issue and is taking action? It seems, Mr. Speaker, that despite concerns being consistently raised throughout summer, Ministers have been asleep at the wheel.
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Stephen Morgan Portrait Stephen Morgan MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Portsmouth South, Labour)
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Minister thank you, Mr. Speaker, >> Minister thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I must stress that vaccination remains the only effective long term option for disease control, and we will continue to work with keepers of susceptible animals to discuss vaccine options with their discuss vaccine options with their vets to protect animals and reduce the impact of disease. I thank the Shadow Minister for his questions. We absolutely recognise that this is a difficult time for livestock keepers and for veterinary professionals supporting them. DEFRA is working really closely with livestock keepers and industry to facilitate access to vaccinations and ensure timely information.

This has included webinars, engagement events attended by 1000 farmers, disease alerts, regular updates on gov.uk on APhA channels and welfare support. I must stress that the government has acted quickly to secure increased vaccine supply. Vaccination does remain the only effective long term option for disease control, and we will continue to engage all keepers of susceptible animals to discuss vaccine options with them. With regards to testing capacity at Pirbright and Alpha, we have stepped up capacity for testing and work closely with industry on these, and we will continue to work with our keepers to ensure that the sector is supported, and I continue to engage with the National Sheep Association, NFU and others on the issues at hand.
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Stephen Morgan Portrait Stephen Morgan MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Portsmouth South, Labour)
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Minister. questions, and it's a real pleasure to be in the South West, to hear directly from farmers in August some of the challenges that they're some of the challenges that they're facing, including farmers in the southwest affected by the bluetongue virus, and I absolutely recognise the real challenges it's brought them this summer on top of a whole set of other challenges. I must stress the importance of vaccination, and that's why we've worked really closely with industry to increase the vaccine supply coming into the country, but also working closely with Pirbright Institute in Weybridge to ensure that there's extra capacity going in there.

Around the testing. We recognise the significant impact that bluetongue is having on farmers, and this does include reviewing our processes to help speed the confirmation of disease, and we are considering what further support may be available to farmers

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in the future. Ben Goldsborough thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The 27th of much, Mr. Speaker. The 27th of August 2024 will stick with me for a very long time, because that was the first case of bluetongue in the first case of bluetongue in South Norfolk. So what I would like to ask the Minister specifically is what action is being taken to what action is being taken to increase APhA capacity, but also to improve mapping, accounting for
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Andrew Pakes Portrait Andrew Pakes MP (Peterborough, Labour )
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dealing with this desperate situation on top of an already horrible year with harvest, the weather and other challenges facing weather and other challenges facing the farming community. I spoke to a farmer before this Urgent Question this morning in my constituency, my constituency in Cambridgeshire, and we're looking across the border to Norfolk and other challenges that are happening there. There is a are happening there. There is a question around the speed, the access to vaccines and the speed of testing. I would urge the Minister testing.

I would urge the Minister to speed that up, but to be honest, there's a bigger issue here. It's not a question of the immediate response. So that is important. But for far too long, DEFRA has been unprepared for the resilience we need to face biosecurity threats in this country. We have had a decade of cuts, which, frankly isn't about what's happened this year. It's what we inherited and what defence budgets were treated by lots of previous governments in the past about its priority. Can he reassure me that as we face a changing climate, and more likely of these instances, that the machinery of government in DEFRA will be up to the job of preparing these challenges so that farmers are

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supported in years to come when we face these risks? Yes. I thank my hon. Friend for his

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I thank my hon. Friend for his question may also pay tribute for his efforts and enthusiasm during his efforts and enthusiasm during his time as a Defra. PS one of the best jobs in government is my view. He makes a number of really valid He makes a number of really valid points from expertise working closely in the department. I certainly take away the messages
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None Portrait Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
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You very much indeed, Mr. speaker. The business for the week speaker. The business for the week commencing the 7th of September will include Monday, the 7th of September, remaining stages of the health Bill. Day one. Tuesday, the 8th of September. Conclusion of remaining stages of the health Bill. Wednesday, the 9th of September. Second Reading of the Civil Aviation, Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform Bill. Thursday the 10th of September. Second Reading of the Social Housing Bill. Friday the 11th of September.

Private members bills the provisional business for the week commencing the 14th of September will include Monday, the 14th of September. All stages of the sovereign Grant bill, followed by a general debate subject to be announced Tuesday, the 15th of September. General debate on the potential merits of a full ban on fracking, followed by a general debate on World Sepsis Awareness Month. The subject for these debates, determined by the backbench Business Committee. The House will rise for the conference recess at the conclusion of business on Tuesday the 15th of September and return on Monday the 12th of October.



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Jesse Norman Mr. Speaker, the past few weeks have brought news of past few weeks have brought news of the deaths of Dolly Parton, Tim Curry and Wendell Berry. I'm sure Curry and Wendell Berry. I'm sure many colleagues will share my sense of shock and sadness at the loss of these extraordinary figures, but also great thanks. Truly. We live also great thanks. Truly. We live in a world of change. Rather unexpectedly. A new government, a new Prime Minister, and a reshuffle on the Treasury bench and among the
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Jesse Norman Portrait Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative)
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opposition. But amid all this risk and uncertainty, I am delighted to say that there has been one beacon of stability, Mr. Speaker, one oasis of calm, one single unmoving oasis of calm, one single unmoving axle at the still centre of our politics. I refer, of course, to the Leader of the House and myself. the Leader of the House and myself. Each of us has emerged, Phoenix like blinking, but resolute from the ashes of political reconstruction. I rather fear that, given our longevity at least the level of banter on the other side of the despatch box, Mr.

Speaker, we will be seen over time as the Morecambe and Wise. Or perhaps the Two Ronnies of British politics. I won't invite the House to say which of us is which, but I will simply say to you, Mr. Speaker, and to all members returning from recess, it's hello from me, and it's hello from him. Now to more serious matters. I invite the leader to clarify where the government stands on defence spending. Given the different briefings and public challenges that the government and the Prime Minister have received over the last two weeks.

But I also have two specific questions. The first is on restoration and renewal. The government's had since February to table a motion on this topic. In view of the new Prime Minister's spending priorities, it now seems highly unlikely that the Ruinously expensive current plans will be put to this House before the end of this year. Seven months have already passed with no action. Will the government now recognise the delay and use it to give the R and R team time to develop a sane and far less costly alternative? My second question is about an issue at the very heart of the new government.

The status and functions of number ten North. As this House knows well in our system of government, a Prime Minister may have political power, but number ten is not a spending department and it does not possess independent fiscal authority. Yet this new Prime Minister has insisted again and again that number ten North will not just be a paper exercise. You see the difficulty, Mr. Speaker, will number ten North have real spending powers of its own. If the answer is yes, then this will be a new kind of cross departmental ministry, perhaps a territorial ministry like a regional government, but with no defined scope or mandate.

We will need to see the legal instruments delegating Treasury authority and functions to it. After all, in this scenario, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will not be fully in charge of the public finances. We will have to have new forms of accountability to this House with the number ten North Select Committee and questions so that members can press the first Secretary of State, or perhaps the Prime Minister as the ultimately responsible Minister, should the spending decisions. Number ten North take a turn out as they plan, or indeed as they do not plan? But if the answer is no and number ten North will not have spending power of its own, then ultimately the Treasury and the Chancellor will continue to sign off on its public spending and indeed on any taxing matters.

Decentralisation is really important. But number ten North will not be a means of decentralisation in this scenario. It will be just another layer of government. It doesn't feel like the government has thought this issue through at all. So I'd be very grateful for answers to these questions, both now from the Leader of the House and in writing from the First Secretary of State.
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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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Leader. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And let me begin by saying that I'm sure the thoughts of the whole House are with the people of Nepal and all with the people of Nepal and all those affected by the recent devastating flash floods, including the loved ones of 36 missing the loved ones of 36 missing British nationals. As the Prime Minister has said to the House on Tuesday, we will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are working closely with the Nepalese authorities.

Mr. speaker, this summer has seen a significant number of wildfires which have affected many people, and I want to pay tribute to the emergency services who have been on the front line of helping to tackle the blazes. But also, Mr. Speaker, pay tribute and thank the farmers who have been very brave in their work to protect their livelihoods, but indeed their whole communities. And I want to put on record our thanks to them. I also want to pay tribute, Mr.

Speaker, to the two police officers who lost their lives in Cleveland PC blades and PC Cliff. They devoted their lives to the noblest form of public service the protector protecting their their fellow citizens. Policing, Mr. Speaker, is not just a profession, it's a calling answered only by those who are willing to place themselves in harm's way to protect us all. And I think also of their colleagues in uniform, not just Mr. Speaker in Cleveland, but across policing, who have lost friends, colleagues and fellow members of the policing family.

And as the shadow leader has said, we lost a great number of great people from across the world, not least in sport and entertainment. Billy Boston Mr. Speaker, who I know you are a great admirer of one of the greatest and most popular rugby league players of all time. Kevin Keegan, a football legend who played for Liverpool, Newcastle and England and went on to manage the national side but also as the leader, a shadow leader, has said pay tribute to Dolly Parton beyond her legacy as the queen of country music.

She will also be remembered through the work of her Imagination Library, which has provided 7 million books to children here in the UK and help children across the world discover a love of reading. Mr. speaker, earlier this week, the House heard from the new Prime Minister. His administration will oversee the rewiring of the British state, and I'll get on to what the the specifics that the right hon. Gentleman raised in a moment, but also rebuilding the resilience of our communities and tackling the reindustrialisation of our regions.

And later this year, our ten year plan for Britain will set out plans for stronger public control over these essentials, making them work for people and places. Once again, I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, as you are, that the shadow leader has survived the reshuffle and I welcome him back to his place. He was very generous in his offer to run my campaign, to continue in my role, which was a very successful campaign on his part. I have to say I was very ready to reciprocate, but that proved unnecessary.

But I'm genuinely pleased that he I'm not sure. I'm genuinely pleased with the way that we were described, but I'm genuinely, genuinely, genuinely pleased that he's remained in his post because we do have our political differences, which is an obvious thing to say, but we do have a share, a deep respect for this place, and I look forward to working with him going forward. I'm not sure that his suggesting that we're either Morecambe and Wise or The Two Ronnies. I think he flatters himself about his sense of humour in that case, but it's.

We shall see, Mr. Speaker, as we go on. He talks about defence spending. There is no confusion, as he seems to suggest, about defence spending. The Prime Minister set out clearly what our position is, and of course we'll have a Budget in not too distant future which will set out clearly what those proposals are. The Prime Minister faced this House on Tuesday for three hours and 20 minutes, and then came back to do Prime Minister's Questions yesterday. So there was no shortage of an opportunity for the opposition to find out exactly what this government is going to do in terms of R and R, he knows, because we've talked about this before.

Of course, there was a set of proposals put forward and we have thought deeply about when is the best time to bring forward those proposals. I do not think he should assume, Mr. Speaker, that he will have to wait that much longer for this House to be given the opportunity to make a decision. I agree with him on one thing, which is this this decision has been delayed for too long, and as a result, there are costs to that delay which we are paying whether or not the House decides to do something in the long term about it or not.

But I do not agree with him that the answer is another delay that. Go back and have another look at this again, we've been around that track so many times that it it explains why we've actually got to this particular place. And while I'm on that subject, Mr. Speaker, it's very odd where a member of the Shadow Cabinet leaves in order to run for office and begin his support for London and criticise this side of the House when that side of the house, as far as I understand, are actually whipped against the restoration of this place, which is an iconic building, the iconic building actually in London, it's part of Unesco World Heritage Site.

It's work which is long overdue. It will create not only jobs and opportunities in London, but throughout the regions of our country. So the opposition can't have it both ways. In terms of number ten North, it's really important, Mr. Speaker, that the as the Prime Minister has said, that we pursue, in fact, go further on the devolution agenda and setting up number ten North is the biggest will be the biggest transfer of power and decision making out of Whitehall in a generation.

But I can assure you that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be in charge of the nation's finances and he will set out, as I've said, his proposals on that. But having said that, it's important that we get decisions made closer to where those affects. Those affected will feel that. But what I would say is I have some agreement with him on the point that he makes about scrutiny by this House, because I think there is an issue around, for example, how mayors are scrutinised, actually.

But I think as our power is transferred away and as decision making is transferred, it does raise the issue of how this House will continue to be able to scrutinise that. And I'll take that away and think about it more tolerable.
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Bobby Dean Portrait Bobby Dean MP (Carshalton and Wallington, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrat spokesperson Bobby Dean. Bobby Dean. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. >> Can I also. >> Warmly welcome the House back to this place? I believe that that this place? I believe that that makes him the longest continuous serving member of the Labour front bench of 20 years, and that's a remarkable achievement. I won't go into what I was doing 20 years ago, because I'm sure he's got no interest in what I studied for my GCSEs. But. One of the stories that caught my eye over the summer was the sale of British success story Easyjet to a US private equity backed investor that's going to create worry about jobs, fares, routes across Europe.

But it also creates a worry for the British economy. We're going to see profits now move overseas. Now acquisitions in themselves are not a bad thing. Sometimes they're a sign of positivity for British business. But what is worrying is the trend. We're starting to see British businesses bought out by overseas investors again and again, and we're seeing people leave the London Stock Exchange an alarming rate. And I think that this is starting to become a problem for the resilience of the UK economy.

Tate and Lyle, the famous sugar manufacturer. They were also sold to an overseas investor this summer, and three London listed companies decided to leave the London Stock Exchange just this week. And so if the government shares my concern about this, they do have many levers available to address the issue. They could look at stock market regulation. They could look at competition regulation, they could look at taxation. And I believe the time has come for us to have a proper debate in this House about this matter, so that we can properly look into the details of those levers, which ones are the correct ones, and get a ministerial response on this matter.

So could the Leader of the House organise for a debate about the future of UK businesses, and the alarming trend of them being sold to overseas investors?
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Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East, Conservative)
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the 8th of September, a debate on the safety of the Jewish community. On Thursday the 10th of September. Debates on reform in the vascular sector and followed by a debate on contribution of fathers and positive male role models to families and society on. On Tuesday the 15th, there'll be a debate on building safety, remediation of residential buildings. And indeed, when we come back Madam Deputy Speaker after the conference recess, we are planning ahead that on Tuesday the 13th of October, there'll be a debate on the future of UK coach industry.

And on Thursday the 15th, debates on support for unpaid carers, and also a debate on progress towards a smoke free UK. Now I would just gently ask the leader to consider what time will be made available in the chamber for the Backbench Business Committee for the week. We come back and hopefully he'll be able to announce that next week. That week is Baby Loss Awareness Week. Now he will recall that the last debate we had on this had protected time, but was held on a Monday.

When we came back and started very late in the day, and individuals were bravely giving their stories late into the night, which I think we all agree is unacceptable. We would like to programme that debate for the Thursday we come back if it's possible, but obviously we understand constraints on on government accordingly, can also advise the leader to use his good offices. The Backbench Business Committee consists of eight members. We are holding a Labour vacancy following the Member for Harlow promotion, but that has not been replaced.

I'm also aware that two of our members are potentially going off onto other parliamentary duties, and indeed, our Liberal Democrat member has not been able to attend because of accidental damage to his leg, which has caused him great difficulty. We have a quorum of four, so this is giving me real concern about us, our ability to meet and make decisions. So can I gently ask that we, we we do the appropriate things now, Madam Deputy Speaker, young people go back to school in the not too distant future.

And there is it's welcome that those on low incomes will be receiving free school meals. But there is a problem during term time. That's not an issue. The leader of Harrow Council has written to me and to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding what happens during school holidays. Previously under arrangements for Harrow Council, I suspect many other local authorities across the country. That has meant that the continuation of those free school meals has continued. However, we understand that the rules and regulations around this have changed under the Crisis and Resilient Fund that allegedly, local authorities will now have to individually decide who gets support and who doesn't.

That to me, and I suspect most members of the House, doesn't seem acceptable. This should be done on a basis so that children who potentially could go hungry over Christmas should not be in that position. So could the leader arrange for a statement to be made on the floor of the House next week on the position of this, so they can make sure that those children of parents that are low paid are able to secure their necessary food.
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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 indeed. First of all, I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work and the work of his committee, and I'll take away what he says and I'll take away what he says about vacancies on that committee and make sure that we fill them as quickly as possible, so that he can quickly as possible, so that he can depend upon there being at least a quorum at his meetings. Thank him for updating the House on what the topics are going to be going forward.

He will know with regard to business loss that I baby loss that I do refer to that quite a lot, because I do recall that very well. And he will know that I was extremely concerned about that and have tried since to do everything that we can to ensure that that doesn't happen again, or indeed other similar topics are given a proper time and a proper place to do that. And I will take that away, and I will see if we can make sure that that happens.

In terms of the issue that he raises about children in his patch, he will know that they do return to school, but they also return to school with help from this government. Their parents were helped with the cost of uniforms. We do. Free school meals have been extended and there has been help for travel costs as well. The government is always looking to help families where there is a cost of living issue, and I will take away his concerns because I've heard them from my constituency as well.

About what happens during term time is great, but what happens for some families outside of those times? Let me take them

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away and refer it to colleagues to see what further help we can provide. Let's get these.

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Questions a little bit sped up so everybody can get in. Josh Newbury thank you very much. Madam Deputy Speaker. The British Medical Journal has reported that £406 million allocated by universities to NHS allocated by universities to NHS trusts in England between 2020 and 2023 for medical student training remains unaccounted for, and some trusts admit they don't know how
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None Portrait Ministerial statement: Building Homes and Renewing Communities
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>> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Prime Minister has set out this week our plan to bring back hope after a decade of decline. Today, I want to update the House on the first steps my department is taking to rise to these new challenges. We know that the sense of decline people feel runs deep. The causes aren't straightforward, and it didn't happen overnight. But the most visible sign of this is a constant reminder of political and economic failure.

Is the state of our high streets. Shuttered up shops reminded us of what was once and organised crime. Too often out there, visible in the open. Decades of deregulation and austerity for local government and the recent cost of living crisis all share the blame. Every part of government Madam Deputy Speaker has a role to play in getting our high streets booming again. So in response, we are rebuilding the local state, giving councils new powers over their high streets, putting them back in control of their town and city centres.

Local leaders know their high streets best and are best placed to bring them back to life. So in the months ahead, we will support councils to block new bookies, vape shops and so-called casinos. And we will double the length of closure orders from 6 to 12 months, so that police have longer to investigate dodgy shops. And we will improve high street shopfronts by setting clear expectations for their design and appearance. This is alongside Madam Deputy Speaker our Pride in Place programme, which is giving local communities £6 billion to improve their areas.

Everyone who has walked down their high streets will have spotted another glaring signal of state failure. People sleeping rough in 2026, the world's fifth richest economy. Everyone. Madam Deputy Speaker should have a roof.
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Angela Rayner Portrait Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour)
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A roof over their head. That is who we are as a country. This is a kind, caring nation that takes pride in looking out for each other. And that is why we will end rough that is why we will end rough sleeping in this country. Madam Deputy Speaker, when I visited Changing Lives in Newcastle over the summer, I met the incredible Sabrina Cohen Hutton. Today, Sabrina is the chief fire officer for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. But as a teenager she experienced homelessness.

Sabrina is an absolute inspiration and shows that if people are given the right support that they need, they can really transform their lives. And by Christmas this year, Madam Deputy Speaker, everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the streets. We have set aside £442 million for a new rough sleeping programme to meet this milestone, while investing in accommodation and support to end it for good. That takes our total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services to more than £4 billion over the next three years.

We know that the reasons people sleep rough are complex. For example, eight out of ten have a mental health vulnerability. Our plans are more than just accommodation. It's a whole system approach, which will also include access to health, substance and employment support. And, Madam Deputy Speaker, women who are homeless aren't always visibly rough sleeping. So we are specifically asking services to meet women where they are to ensure that they get the support that they need.

But rough sleeping is just the worst symptom of an underlying crisis that we are determined to tackle. For too long, Britain as not built the homes that we need. We're getting Britain building with council housing at the centre of our plans. Madam Deputy Speaker, the failure to build council homes to replace those that were sold off is one of the major causes of the housing crisis we inherited at the last election. And last month I met with families in Kidbrooke who told me that when they moved into their new social homes, it took so much stress away.

And one resident told me that they'd come from a place where there was mould on the walls and mice on the floor, and that finding out that they were moving into a new home was like winning the lottery. And last week, I announced the first wave of our allocations for the Social and Affordable Homes programme. That's over 70,000 homes, nearly two thirds of which will be for social rent. We also announced new support for councils to rebuild their capacity, including a further £46 million over three years and an expansion of the Pathways to Planning programme.

And this follows our new National Planning Policy Framework work, which will unlock thousands of homes around train stations, and our announcement of new housing and planning powers for mayors, who can now call in planning applications for strategic sites and grant upfront permission to build for the benefit of local people. We are also giving them greater say over how national housing funding is spent in their areas. With Homes England investment now focussed on their priorities and solving the housing crisis isn't just a moral cause.

Madam Deputy Speaker, it's an economic necessity. Every shovel in the ground means new investment, new jobs, growth in every postcode. But we must put power in every postcode to the legacies of political choices. In the 1980s and the decades since, the centralisation of power, privatisation of economic wealth and the industrialisation all contributed to the loss of control so that many people feel today the future of our country relies on us building new economic and political settlement that serves those that we represent.

And that starts with the largest ever transfer of power and funding out to every region of England. For the first time, mayors will receive a share of income tax revenues, meaning that they can invest in what matters most locally. They will also be given new powers to bring rail and bus services under local control, run 16 to 19 funding and employment support and back local industries and businesses to create new jobs where power is devolved, resources will be devolved to.

And this, Madam Deputy Speaker, ends the begging bowl culture of the past devolution. In the months ahead, we will make sure that every area benefits by supporting areas without a mayor to establish new strategic authorities. And finally, I want to take this moment to thank all those involved in the response to the wildfires this summer, including the firefighters who showed immense bravery battling the flames. Madam Deputy Speaker, I saw the horrendous damage in Stourbridge first hand and the the level of emotional turmoil was just devastating.

I'll never forget meeting a woman on quarry Bank road whose neighbour was widowed less than a year ago and she'd lost her home and all her possessions to. During the fires. We made emergency funding available, and this autumn, the Prime Minister will chair a wildfire summit to discuss what more that we can do to improve our resilience. The wildfires and extreme heat show the threat that we face from the climate crisis, and we must treat this as an emergency in itself.

Madam Deputy Speaker, these steps we're taking are only the start. In the months ahead, we will take through the representation of the people's Bill, giving 16 to 17 year olds the vote and protecting our elections from foreign interference. We will speed up building safety remediation and end the feudal leasehold system. And we will work with local leaders as we fix the foundations of local government. The Prime Minister has promised a new political and economic model, and together, Madam Deputy Speaker, we are shaping it.
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Katie Lam Portrait Katie Lam MP (Weald of Kent, Conservative)
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May I call the shadow Secretary Katie Lam. >> Deputy Speaker, and thank you to the Secretary of State for advance sight of her statement. It is a pleasure to see the right hon. Lady pleasure to see the right hon. Lady again so soon. I would like to thank, by joining her in thanking those involved in the response to the summer's wildfires and applauding their remarkable courage. The Secretary of State is right to note that for far too many people across the country, the sense of decline runs deep.

In far too many places. Organised criminals have taken over the high street. In far too many cases, a place to sleep is something that people cannot take for granted. The stories that I have been told by constituents who have experienced rough sleeping or unsafe housing remain some of the most challenging and profound I have heard since coming to this place. But whilst she talks about a new political and economic model, I'm afraid what we have heard today. Madam Deputy Speaker, is a recipe for more of the same.

While her focus on the scourge of organised crime on the high street is welcome, I am concerned that she addresses a symptom of the problem, but not the underlying cause. While many bookies vape shops and high street casinos are clearly legitimate, their cash insensitivity and lower overhead costs make them particularly attractive as fronts for money laundering. However, if these businesses are closed, criminals will simply find other types of high street businesses through which to launder money. So can she set out what conversation she is having with her Home Office colleagues on dealing with organised crime itself? And though she talks about the devolution of power and resources to local people, what she really means is more politicians given the power to increase the size of the state and raise taxes, but never to let people keep more of their own money or to interfere less with their lives.

So can she confirm today whether any tax raising powers devolve to mayors will be accompanied by the powers to reduce tax? And if not, why not? Similarly, whilst she is right to recognise the vital importance of addressing the housing affordability crisis, the answer cannot be spending ever more of taxpayer's money. Instead, the state must stop making it so difficult and so expensive to get new houses built in the places where people want to live. A greater supply of homes in those places will mean lower costs for everybody, particularly those who are renting and those who are looking to get on the housing ladder.

In London, where our housing crisis is most acute. Labour have been in power for over a decade. Under Sadiq Khan, housing starts fell to their lowest level ever in 2024 to 25. Construction began on just 4000 homes across our capital. Can the Secretary of State explain why London's why Labour's London mayor has failed to get to grips with this problem? And will the changes that she proposes actually solve the housing crisis in the capital? Because if not, it is a little difficult to understand why she's introducing them.

Finally, on homelessness and rough sleeping. While we share the government's ambition to end rough sleeping, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the new Prime Minister promised to do exactly this. In his 2017 manifesto for the Greater Manchester mayoralty. His pledge was to end rough sleeping within three years. In fact, rough sleeping in Greater Manchester is increased every year since 2021, including in 24 and 25 when the Labour Party were also in power nationally. Can the Secretary of State therefore explain why the Prime Minister failed to solve rough sleeping in Greater Manchester, bearing in mind that it increased when both the local authority and the national government were run by the Labour Party? And can she explain why anybody should believe that he will be able to do so nationally.
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Angela Rayner Portrait Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour)
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A day? >> A day? >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I welcome the hon. Member to her place, and I look forward to facing her across the despatch box in the months to come. And she comes with months to come. And she comes with a job of a good, strong track record. I believe her grandparents met whilst they were delivering leaflets for the Labour Party, so that's a good start. And. And Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome her tone and in particular the agreement on supporting those that helped us over the summer with the wildfires.

And I look forward to working with them constructively, especially as we move towards that summit in the autumn, which I will keep her informed of. And some of the challenges we face have been long standing. Madam Deputy Speaker, and I think it would be remiss of me not to, you know, gently remind the party opposite that the austerity measures that they hollowed out our local services and the decline in our high street started under their watch. But she's absolutely right to highlight the challenges that our high streets face, and that's why we have a strategy for it.

That's why the announcements that we made around making sure we tackle organised crime, giving police more powers, giving them more funding so that they could tackle it with a £30 million boost to police and trading standards activity, strengthening the closure orders and a new High streets organised crime unit. So we're tackling the issues that the party opposite failed to tackle in terms of local powers. Look, the Prime Minister has been really clear about making sure that we work with local leaders and that they're able to do the things that will help them in their local community so that they can really start to tackle some of those issues.

And in terms of tax raising powers and the reducing tax, again, that is an ongoing dialogue. And the hon. Member opposite, the hon. Lady, would have seen the statement from the whole of Cabinet and the work that we're doing through the National Economic Council, to work with mayors and local leaders so that we can take those issues forward. I find it I found it amusing that the hon. Lady said that the state has made it hard to build it. They, the the party opposite missed every single housing target that they that they set.

They. And they scrapped targets completely after pressure from their own backbenchers. We've we've we've brought in new powers. Madam Deputy Speaker, we've updated the National Planning Policy framework. We're giving more powers to mayors. We've brought in mandatory housing targets again and work mandatory housing plans. And we're working with local areas to deliver the housing that we need. We have been very upfront about that, but we've also been really clear that infrastructure and and wildlife and nature have to be taken into account.

But I won't take lectures from the party opposite. Madam Deputy Speaker, when they created a housing crisis where millions of families were locked out of home ownership in terms of specifically around London, London built significant amounts of council housing. Madam Deputy Speaker But she's absolutely right to raise the challenges that London face. When you look at the number of children in temporary accommodation, London has an acute need, and that's why we recognise that with the with the support we give them through the the announcement of the money that we've put forward through the the social and affordable housing programme with their allocation of that money.

And we recognise the success that the Mayor of London has had in terms of ramping up housing supply where it's needed. And then finally, on the question of what happened in Greater Manchester with the mayor, our new Prime Minister, we saw Madam Deputy Speaker in Greater Manchester and as a Greater Manchester MP, I saw this that numbers actually fell originally. But what happened is because there wasn't a national programme, the numbers went up because more people came to Greater Manchester, and that's why we want to roll out a programme working with local leaders and with mayors, so that we can offer that support, and I hope that the hon.

Member will work with us, because I remember that this used to be a target. They wanted to end sleeping, but then they scrapped that target. But I hope they can work with us now with this renewed effort, in the spirit of how the Prime Minister wants to work to ensure that we can roll out a programme nationally where everyone who is rough sleeping has an option of safety and has an option to come in.
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Gideon Amos Portrait Gideon Amos MP (Taunton and Wellington, Liberal Democrat)
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Gideon Amos thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I first Deputy Speaker. Can I first congratulate the right hon. Lady on her appointment. I look forward to exchanges and working with her and exchanges and working with her and her team in our country. There are millions fewer council houses than there used to be. Yet the need for social housing has only increased, not least the scourge of poor quality temporary accommodation with too many children. The Shared Health Foundation found that in the last six years, 104 children have died, with temporary accommodation noted by the coroner as a contributory factor.

But in Taunton and Wellington and elsewhere, all people are seeing our unprecedented plans for private housing. Many will not be able to afford that. Housing councils, instructed by Whitehall to consent homes for 180 000 people in Somerset in the next 15 years, a 25% pace of growth never seen in the county's history. What we need instead is a truly ambitious programme of council and social housing, not the government's announcement that 60% of its 300,000 programme will be social housing, not this 18000 per year, but the Lib Dem policy of 150,000 social homes a year.

I recognise this statement confirms around 46,000 social homes over ten years, with further tranches to come. But will the Housing Secretary and the new Prime Minister, who said a lot about social housing, raised the target from 18,000 a year or not? And will the government raise its 3.9 billion funding to our proposed 6 billion? Or if we won't do that, will it write off some of the council's housing revenue account debt so councils like Somerset can build the 600 council houses? They would if they could.
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Angela Rayner Portrait Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour)
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for >> I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, and he's absolutely right to raise this issue, and it's something that the Prime Minister feels incredibly passionate about. The Prime Minister has committed to delivering the biggest council house building programme since the post-war boom ended in the early 1980s, and I recognise the challenges, but I want to also celebrate. Last year, Madam Deputy Speaker, that councils built the most council houses since the early 90s.

Since 1991 when records began. But we really want to see that ramp up with, as I outlined earlier, Madam Deputy Speaker, the money that we're invested to help councils. We've already taken measures. You'll see through the legislation going through at the moment, and it's been in the other place around tightening up a right to buy and making sure that councils keep full receipts. We're supporting that programme, Madam Deputy Speaker and I think to recognise the significance of the £10 billion of investment which was announced earlier this last month, which was about making sure that we get that money out the door so we can build those homes.

And the planning reforms we've made as well is about making sure that people have a say about the homes. Madam Deputy Speaker, but we are having clarity so that those homes are built and the infrastructure around them is absolutely right to raise the numbers of children in temporary accommodation. I still think it's absolutely awful that those children are in those circumstances, and that's why we want to tackle social housing, in particular.
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Angela Rayner Portrait Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour)
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Again, thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for that question. I think there's a theme developing think there's a theme developing here, and I think it comes from years of not having the infrastructure, and people are rightly concerned about that. I mentioned it earlier that I think a mentioned it earlier that I think a lot of the opposition that comes to some of the planning reforms, some of the mandatory housing targets of the mandatory housing targets that we've set forward as a government. And I hear it loud and clear.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I want her constituents and my constituents, every constituency that I am acutely aware that with the housing needs to come, the infrastructure that people desperately need. I don't think they're NIMBYs. Madam Deputy Speaker, I think they raise genuine concerns, and I've heard them loud and clear. That's why we've strengthened the national Planning policy framework, in particular our GPS. I'm sure my colleagues in health have heard of, but I'll make sure that there is a nod for what's happening in her particular area.

But I want to reassure the House that I am acutely aware if we're going to ramp up housebuilding, which we absolutely have to do, and our constituents expect us to do it. It has to be done in a way that local people are involved in the process, and that infrastructure is there to Manuela Perteghella.
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Angela Rayner Portrait Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour)
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I thank my hon. Friend for that. And can I just put on record my And can I just put on record my thanks to Ministers, Madam Deputy Speaker, including the Housing Minister, in my time of absence, Minister, in my time of absence, who have seen the Social Housing Bill going through this place and the other place which have strengthened significantly, which will see actually council housing for the first time, will start to see that there is more council housing being built that is being lost.

That is welcome. That's not happened for a very long time, and I'm sure the housing Minister has heard everything that the hon. Gentleman has raised today, but I know that's certainly his intention and it's definitely mine.

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Can I thank the Secretary of State for her statement this afternoon? I will allow a couple of moments for the front benches to moments for the front benches to swap over before we move to the The The clerk The clerk will The clerk will now proceed to read the orders of the

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day. Sporting Events Bill Lords.

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Second Reading now. Minister to move. Second Reading. Secretary of State. Lisa Nandy.

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Secretary of State. Lisa Nandy. Madam Deputy Speaker, I beg to move that this bill now be read a second time. Just over 14 years ago, second time. Just over 14 years ago, we lifted the curtain on the opening ceremony of the London 2012
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Lisa Nandy Portrait Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Wigan, Labour)
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Saturday Usain Bolt's winning medal after medal, sporting moments that will remain with us for the rest of will remain with us for the rest of our lives. But London 2012 did more than that. It told our national than that. It told our national story on the world stage, and it sent a clear message to future British athletes that there should British athletes that there should be no ceiling to their ambition. 14 years on from London 2012, I still years on from London 2012, I still meet athletes who talk about that moment as the moment that changed their lives forever, where they were inspired, where they saw something and where they thought, I can do that.

This is why major events matter. They bring world leading athletes and competitors to our shores. They show children across the country where ambition and talent can lead them. And perhaps not all of those children will go on to be the mo pharaohs and genesis of their generation. But they will, because of the power of sport, go on to live richer, larger lives. If done right, these events leave lasting legacies. They help to fund grassroots projects, and they break down the barriers to opportunity.

And we shouldn't be shy. Madam Deputy Speaker, about saying that here in the UK, we are really, really good at delivering them. From the Women's Rugby World Cup to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Time and time again we have welcomed the best of the best and put on an incredible show, and our government is not going to stop there. Over the next few years, we'll host the 2,028 and the tour de France Grand Depart.

But I want us to go further. I want us to be bolder, and I want us to be bigger. I want us to harness the power of major events, to build social cohesion, bring people together, to spread opportunity, and to deliver long lasting change to communities whose contribution has not been seen or valued for far too long. So alongside our bid for the FIFA 2035 Women's World Cup, I'm delighted that we've submitted a bid to host the World Athletics Championships in 2029.

We're also clear that this government would love to see the Ryder Cup return to the UK, and we are continuing to explore at pace a bid for an Olympic and Paralympic Games in the north of England for the first time. Of course I will.

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I thank her very much for giving way. I'm MP for Rushcliffe where we have Nottingham Forest City Ground, have Nottingham Forest City Ground, we have Trent Bridge world renowned cricket venue, but we also have the National Watersports Centre, which National Watersports Centre, which is one of three locations in England with a two kilometre rowing lake. But it has lacked investment lake. But it has lacked investment over many years. But for us to be able to bid for a Northern Olympics, we are likely to need that type of we are likely to need that type of venue to be within our collective offer.

So whether we should be happy to meet with me and the mayor of the East Midlands, Clare Ward, to look at the investment that sport.

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I'd be very happy to offer him a meeting with the relevant Minister and officials to discuss the and officials to discuss the specific site that he he talks about, but he's absolutely right to say, too, that this is precisely say, too, that this is precisely the reason why this government believes in major events, because of the lasting legacy they have for of the lasting legacy they have for our country and for our communities as well. And as we go on to explore as well.

And as we go on to explore the Olympic bid in the north of England, we are really clear that with that has to come the world class infrastructure that we deserve, which doesn't just include sporting infrastructure but includes the transport infrastructure as well. And Madam Deputy Speaker, if we were successful to host these events, you have my commitment here today that every single one of those events we will use to their full potential, not just to drive growth, but to deliver change and to enrich people's lives.

We will learn from exceptional mayors like Steve Rotherham, who has not only launched a major event strategy to showcase Liverpool, but is deliberately anchoring major events and urban regeneration in some of the most historically deprived neighbourhoods in his city region. I want major events to not only inspire and light up the world, but be a powerful lever for change in areas that have been neglected for far too long. But in order to do this, we need to make sure that we're in the best possible position to tap into the opportunities that exist.

And that is what this bill is for and what this bill will achieve. It will deliver a framework for delivering major events, sending a clear message to event organisers across the world that the UK is serious about being a world leader in major sporting events, as well as providing important commercial protections. The Bill will tackle tackle ticket touting for qualifying events, complementing the government's broader legislation on secondary ticketing. For too long, fans have been locked out, priced out and ripped off under the provisions set out.

In this bill, event organisers will maintain control of ticket distribution, helping more people to access tickets at face value and protect against price gouging, which has harmed sporting events for too long. Of course.

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Can I thank the Secretary of State for giving way and for the point she's making about ticket touting? I have the good fortune touting? I have the good fortune this Saturday to be travelling with the Crystal Palace, faithful to to the Crystal Palace, faithful to to Craven Cottage in search of our first three points of this season. I've paid £30 for my ticket as a I've paid £30 for my ticket as a Crystal Palace season ticket holder. Even a cursory glance on the internet shows me the same ticket.

Same same equivalent. Ticket is on sale for 130 140 £150 at Craven Cottage. Isn't it totally wrong that this practice should continue? And isn't it right that the government is really seeking to tackle this issue and clamp down on it?

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Can I can I thank him for that? And can I also say that I think this is a matter that commands this is a matter that commands support across the whole house? I think we all believe, actually, that whether it's football or live that whether it's football or live music events, that these things belong to the fans. And it is completely unacceptable that this completely unacceptable that this has been allowed to happen in plain sight for too long. And may I also, Madam Deputy Speaker, just take this moment to reassure the House this moment to reassure the House on this point, because they will know that members will know that we introduced draft legislation in this session.

We did so in order to ensure that that legislation was watertight, robust and would work, and was subject to the full scrutiny of both houses. But we do not intend to delay this legislation. The Prime Minister feels particularly passionate about this, and we will treat this

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legislation with the priority that it deserves. A giveaway. To the Secretary for giving way, and it is great that sport is going and it is great that sport is going to be protected from the ticket touts. But as you said, all that music and live entertainment is music and live entertainment is getting is a draft bill, which seems very much like a delaying tactic in the long grass out there. tactic in the long grass out there. Will she give a guarantee and an assurance that we will see this bill, and this will be introduced

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in the next session of Parliament? It is my intention that we introduce it as soon as possible, and I think we may be in a position to do better than that, but I will update the update the House shortly. I have heard the strength of feeling on all sides of this House about this, and I share it, and we we intend to treat this piece of

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legislation as a priority, as a The government in order to ensure that we get this onto the course.

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course. I thank her for giving way. She's being incredibly generous. I think she's right to pay tribute to think she's right to pay tribute to the spirit of the 2012 Olympic Games. I know that. I'm afraid to say as a teenager at the time, it say as a teenager at the time, it changed my life and my ability to go to some of those events was very go to some of those events was very much transformative, not turning me into a world class athlete, it has to be said, but nevertheless giving me a sense of pride in my country.

And I'm sure her ambition for us to bid for future events, future World Cups, hopefully future football World Cups as well as future Olympics. However, she will also know that many were very concerned at some of the scenes we saw at the World Cup this summer. Not on the pitch, but in terms of the ticket sales and the high price. Can she assure this House that if this government is bidding for events, we will always prioritise trying to

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make them as accessible as possible as part of our bid? Yeah. Can I, can I thank him for

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Yeah. Can I, can I thank him for that and I hope I can reassure him on that. Just to give him an example, we have the immense privilege of hosting the euros in 2028, and I've been really pleased to be working alongside the various to be working alongside the various sporting bodies who have given an assurance that they won't be using dynamic ticket ticket pricing as dynamic ticket ticket pricing as part of that event. We will always do everything that we can to make sure that football remains for its fans.

He will know that we introduce the Football Governance Act. One of the first things that the Minister for sport and I did in order to protect football clubs from owners who prey on those clubs, we will not hesitate to put every single lever we can to put fans first and thank. Can I thank him, too, for his advocacy on behalf of his own fans in his constituency, who I know will really appreciate it. Alongside these measures, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Bill will introduce provision to manage transport and traffic in relation to a sporting event in England, as well as bespoke funding powers for events in either England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

This will remove the current piecemeal reliance on powers from across multiple other acts, and enable us to fund related activities beyond the sporting event itself. And finally, Madam Deputy Speaker, I wanted to touch on the issue of including domestic events in these bill provisions, which we know was a regular concern raised in the other place. I want to take this opportunity to reassure this House that we have heard these concerns loud and clear. We recognise that there is a real opportunity here for some of our incredible domestic events.

We will therefore seek to address this issue through the passage of the Bill, and I look forward to working with members across the House in order to achieve that. Madam Deputy Speaker, this bill is a clear signal that this government is serious about major events and serious about harnessing the power of sport and culture to change our country and the lives of people in it for the better. Driven by a new enhanced Department for digital, culture, Media and Sport, Britain will rebuild our sense of self-confidence and we will go out to deliver extraordinary major sporting events that light up not just our towns, villages and cities, but light up the world as well.

This bill is about making sure that we are ready for those global moments, and that when the world comes calling, this country will stand ready. For that reason, I commend this bill to the House today.
14:27
Rebecca Paul Portrait Rebecca Paul MP (Reigate, Conservative)
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The question is that the bill be >> The question is that the bill be now read a second time. Shadow Secretary of State Rebecca Paul LGA. >> Thank you.

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Thank you. Madam Deputy Speaker. Sport occupies a very special place for us in this country. We all know the power it has to bring communities together, inspire millions of people to take part and provide some of those increasingly rare occasions when the whole country seems to stop and watch the whole thing, the same thing. Britain can also take enormous pride in its place in the sporting world. There is no doubt that we excel across the board, and the patriotism such events can generate is truly wonderful.

We are home to Wimbledon, the open, the British Grand Prix and the London Marathon. We have successfully hosted Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cups and European Championships and we do it exceptionally well. These events are part of our national culture. They create memories which last for generations, inspire children to pick up a racket of football or a pair of running shoes, and showcase the very best of Britain to audiences around the world. Take, by way of example, the London Olympics and Paralympics, which I know the Secretary of State has just mentioned, and we obviously share some similar memories here.

I think it's fair to say before it started, there was a bit of grumbling about the disruption, the cost and impact in even the logo, some of you may remember. But once it started, the overwhelming pride we all felt in our home nation, our capital, and our sportsmen and women was something I'm sure that none of us will forget. It was a truly momentous, once in a lifetime event that made me so proud to be British. And those of us, including me, who worked in London at that time, certainly enjoyed the instruction to try and work at home during that busy period.

But these big sporting events are not only sources of pride and joy for millions. Taken as a whole, sport is also a roaring economic engine. The government's latest estimates suggest that the wider sports sector directly contributed £63.2 billion to the UK economy in 2024, and accounted for 1.3 million jobs. Major sporting events alone can generate very considerable returns for our country. In 2023, 10.8 million of UK sport and government investment supported 16 major sporting events, which generated an estimated £373 million for our economy.

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games are a particularly striking example. Research found that the games contributed almost 1.2 billion to the overall UK economy, as well as nearly 80 million in social value. Those are very substantial numbers. They represent money being spent in hotels, restaurants and pubs, business for suppliers, employment in event management, broadcasting and security, and visitors coming to parts of the country they might

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otherwise never have visited. I will of course, be. I thank I thank the. Shadow Secretary of State and

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Shadow Secretary of State and welcome her to her place. Just on that point, on the economic benefit, obviously, I refer to my register interest, but as a member of Parliament for Silverstone, the Grand Prix has had a huge boost to the local economy in our area, and the local economy in our area, and it's a vital part. But the only reason that it is on the annual calendar as it is, is because of calendar as it is, is because of the hard work actually of the team to keep it there.

It's no guarantee that we will have it every year. So I very much welcome the Secretary of State. Looking at the widening the definition of major events to capture, you know, Silverstone, I think it's absolutely vital and so

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valuable to our sporting calendar. I thank my hon. Friend for making that point. I know she is passionate about Silverstone, and she's absolutely right in all the points that she makes. We must never be complacent about it and we must strengthen and build upon all must strengthen and build upon all of the great sporting events that we have in this country. Sport also we have in this country. Sport also strengthens Britain's reputation overseas. Few countries combine our extraordinary sporting heritage, our wonderful venues, our broadcasting expertise, our enthusiastic crowds and our experience of putting on major events the whole world wants to see.

It is therefore very much in our national interest to ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world to host these big events. So that is the context in which the opposition approaches this bill. We support its underlying objective and we will support its Second Reading. It absolutely makes sense and is in this country's interest to create a standing legislative framework of this kind. When the United Kingdom bids to host a major international sporting event, the governing body will commonly require guarantees from the host country, covering matters such as ticketing, commercial rights, advertising and transport.

Historically, Parliament has often had to legislate specifically for individual events. There is an obvious inefficiency in recreating substantially similar provisions every time Britain secures another major tournament. If we know that certain protections are repeatedly required, it is reasonable to place a common framework on the statute book, which can then be tailored to the needs of individual events that should make Britain a more competitive prospective host and give international sporting organisations greater confidence that the protections they require will be available, and that confidence is vital as international competition to host major sport is fierce.

Countries across the world understand the prestige of these events, bring the visitors they attract and the economic economic activity they generate. We cannot simply assume that Britain will continue to win the rights to host them. If we become less accommodating than our competitors, we need to make the strongest possible case for the UK. And part of that is demonstrating that when we make commitments as a host nation, we have the legal framework to deliver them quickly and effectively. With that objective in mind, there is much within the detail of the bill's proposed framework that we support.

It is right that organisers should have effective tools to prevent professional ticket touts exploiting supporters. It is right that genuine sport sponsors, who may invest very significant sums in making an event possible, should receive reasonable protection against businesses falsely passing themselves off as official partners, and it is plainly sensible to have the capacity to make temporary transport and traffic arrangements when hundreds of thousands of additional spectators may be moving around a city or region. I will, of course, give.

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We thank you very much for giving way. And the Secretary of State moved on very quickly earlier because I just wanted to because I just wanted to specifically talk about transport arrangements, because for constituencies like mine, where you've got three international you've got three international venues in very close proximity, actually, for the residents that live in that area, it can be extremely difficult. And I just wondered whether the shadow Secretary of State would agree with me that enforcement powers for me that enforcement powers for local councils to make sure that the plans that are put in place around transport are extremely important, to make sure that the residents who are hosting these major sporting events can live

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alongside them. And I thank the hon. Member for making that point, and I think it making that point, and I think it is really important that we explore this in a lot more detail as we go through the Committee stage, and through the Committee stage, and obviously it requires a bit of balance. We need to consider both sides of it in order to get to the right place with all of this. But this is a great starting position, and hopefully we will have a lot more detailed discussions as the more detailed discussions as the bill moves through the House, assuming it goes through at Second Reading, which it looks likely to, I would.

I feel at this point. So we are not concerned about the concept of the bill. Indeed, colleagues in the other place approached it in exactly that spirit, supporting the principle while working constructively to improve the legislation. And on that point, I particularly want to acknowledge the important work undertaken in the other place to ensure that the framework can benefit not only major one off international tournaments, but the great recurring sporting events which are already woven into British national life, which the Culture Secretary has already raised in her opening speech.

As originally drafted, the bill risks producing the rather peculiar result that an international tournament visiting Britain for the first time might qualify for these protections. While Wimbledon the open, the London Marathon or the British Grand Prix could not. That was a significant gap and opposition peers, including Baroness Evans and Lord Parkinson, worked closely with colleagues across the House and with the sporting sector to address it. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the ECB, the FA, the London Marathon, Silverstone, the RNA, the Rugby Football League, the Rugby Football Union, the Sport and Recreation Alliance and UK Athletics were among those supporting a widening of the framework to include repeat events.

These great recurring events are not simply fixtures in our sporting calendar, they are strategic national assets. They attract international audiences, support thousands of jobs, generate significant economic value and serve to showcase Britain around the world. We should therefore always seek to maximise the opportunities and returns they bring. As originally drafted, the Bill was principally aimed at major, one off or infrequent international events. The amendments made in the Lords widened that framework so that our great recurring UK sporting events of national or international importance, such as Wimbledon, the Open London Marathon or the British Grand Prix, can also ask to benefit from its protections.

That does not now mean that every protection in the bill will automatically apply to every one of those events every year. Rather, it means that where a major recurring event can demonstrate a genuine need for one or more parts of the framework, it can ask the government to apply them. Ministers must then agree, and any use and any use of the framework remains subject to parliamentary approval. Baroness Evans put the principle neatly when she described the Lords approach as providing opportunity, not obligation.

That is a sensible and proportionate approach. I welcome the assurances that have been given that the final legislation will deliver that objective and allow our great recurring events to benefit from the framework. I understand that there may be may be some technical tidying required as the bill proceeds through this House, and we will engage constructively with the government on that work to ensure that the bill does what is intended. The sporting sector worked hard to secure this change, and I hope the the Culture Secretary can reassure the House today that the government remains committed to delivering it in full and to preserving the substance of what was achieved in the Lords.

And I actually think we have heard that from her today. So I thank her for that. There are inevitably some further areas which we will want to examine as the bill enters committee. That is not because we oppose the powers themselves, but because a permanent legislative framework needs to strike the right balance between giving organisers the protections they require and avoiding unnecessary burdens on those affected. The first is the impact on existing businesses, one of the central reasons we want major sporting events in Britain is the economic activity they generate.

We want visitors filling hotels, restaurants and pubs. We want local businesses benefiting from increased footfall. We want traders to share in the opportunities created when tens or hundreds of thousands of people arrive in an area. There will plainly be occasions when crowd safety, security or legitimate commercial arrangements mean that some restrictions are necessary. But the government's own impact assessment assumes that a substantial proportion of street traders in affected areas may be unable to trade while restrictions operate. Colleagues in the other place pressed Ministers on that point and secured a useful change, requiring existing trading licences to be taken into account.

The government also committed to work with organisers and local authorities to consider alternative arrangements, where an existing trader cannot remain in their usual location at Committee stage, we will want to make sure that the practical arrangements around notice, authorisations and treatment of existing businesses are fair and proportionate. Same principle applies to advertising. We support action against genuine ambush marketing. Official sponsors make substantial investments in major sport and are entitled to protection. At the same time, the framework should operate sensibly for existing advertisers and should distinguish between falsely claiming an official association with an event and legitimate commercial activity.

For example, a company truthfully promoting an athlete whom it genuinely sponsors. Lord Parkinson raised concerns from the Advertising Association in the Lords, and the government undertook further engagement with the industry, which we welcome. It would be useful to have an update from the Culture Secretary on how those discussions have progressed. Again, this strikes me as exactly the kind of detailed matter that can be worked through constructively in committee. Finally, clause 25 gives government a broad standing power to provide financial assistance in connection with sporting events.

There is a certain lack of clarity here around what the criteria and eligibility for such payments would be, and I would ask again that this is considered further at Committee stage. In closing, we all want Britain to remain one of the finest places in the world to host major sport. We all want to attract new World Cups, European Championships and other global events. This is good for the sporting sector, our economy, the country and our people. We are fortunate that Britain starts from a position of considerable strength already with its world class venues, experienced organisers, passionate spectators, internationally recognised events and a sporting heritage which few countries can match.

But now we must capitalise and further build upon those strengths to fully unleash the potential of the sector, and this bill can meaningfully contribute to this. But our task now is to preserve the improvements made to the bill in the other place and ensure they deliver the intention of ensuring that our great recurring events are properly covered, too. We support the principle of the bill, we support the ambition behind it, and we will support its Second Reading today while working constructively with the government to improve and clarify it further as it proceeds through the House.

Thank you.
14:41
Jim Dickson Portrait Jim Dickson MP (Dartford, Labour)
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Jim Dickson thank you very much, >> Jim Dickson thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. Major sporting events are something that we do very well as a country. I think everybody in this House has agreed on that and making it more straightforward for us to host them is vital. So I really welcome this bill. I need to declare at the outset that I'm a member of the England Football Supporters Club, or the England Football Supporters Travel Club, as it now is, and a season ticket holder at the home of quality football in south London that is Crystal Palace.

And I and I know very many of my constituents, a lot of them Dartford Football Club supporters, but supporters of many other clubs as well are united in hugely looking forward to Euro 2028 being hosted across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland and hopefully home advantage will enable England to go one further than they were able to in 2020 for hosting major sporting events like the euros and the recent Women's Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup, has the potential to inspire the next generation of young athletes.

Anything we can do to increase the level of physical activity across society, and most of all in our young people, is important and supports our efforts of the ten year plan to create a healthier society. And I'm really pleased that sporting legacy and our young people and inclusion of our young people in sporting activity is a core part of the government's objectives in attracting major sporting events. And I also know that the nation's most vivid memories are often sporting ones. I was privileged to be in the stadium when Jess Swann, her 2012 heptathlon gold and was there with apologies to Scottish colleagues, to witness that goal by Paul Gascoigne against the old enemy in Euro 96.

But it's not just the memories. These events help to illustrate why the UK remains such a well placed country to host international sporting events. We have a range of excellent large atmospheric stadiums, a vibrant hospitality sector and brilliant fans, while also being a transport hub that much of the world can easily travel to the British public, embrace major sporting events, take the excellent and record breaking crowds for last year's Women's Rugby World Cup as an example. Birmingham's European Athletics Championship is mentioned by the Secretary of State.

Last month saw mostly mostly full stadium. And can I just give a big shout out to Dartford Harriers Emily Newnham for winning a brilliant silver medal in the 400m hurdles? The British public want us to bid for international events. It's wonderful to hear that the Olympics is a target for this government in the next decade. I also believe we should be targeting another men's football World Cup in the late 2030s or in the 2040s, alongside our bid to host the Women's World Football Cup.

And of course, I hugely welcome London's bid to bring the World Athletics Championship back to the UK in 2029. I want to pay tribute to the efforts of the England team at the recent World Cup tournament in Mexico, the USA and Canada, who took us close to repeating the 1966 triumph. As close as we've got in my lifetime, but it was a great World Cup. However, there is no doubt that many ordinary fans were priced out of attending as a member of the aforementioned England Supporters Club.

I could see the comments on our Facebook page. Over the summer, many loyal fans simply couldn't afford to go. And so, speaking of extortionate ticket prices, ticket touts selling football tickets and inflated prices outside grounds or online remains far too prevalent. And despite the efforts of football clubs and I can attest to what Crystal Palace is an example have been doing, ensuring that you have to be a club member to buy any spare tickets. But even where these efforts are in place, it's still the case that just about any Premier League match can be found in terms of tickets at an inflated price via StubHub and Viagogo and some of the other platforms, let alone via illegal touts.

And it's something that we have to address, and I'm pleased the government is doing that. And it was noticeable that in July, it was reported that more than £1.2 million in assets were seized and 432 lifetime bans issued as part of joint work between Liverpool FC and Merseyside Police investigating ticket touting. But a change in the law is still needed. That's why the measures in this bill are so welcome. It's long overdue that we create a criminal offence for the unauthorised resale of tickets for a sporting event, and I hope that we will see more joint working between the police and sports clubs, building on these new powers to make more tickets come within the reach of fans.

So I look forward to more major events being held in this country and more opportunities for us as a country, and as these sporting events to inspire a new generation.
14:46
Anna Sabine Portrait Anna Sabine MP (Frome and East Somerset, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrat spokesperson Anna Sabine. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Trying to speak in Parliament after developing vocal cord paralysis developing vocal cord paralysis feels like a major sporting event. So let's see how I get on. In the last 15 years, we've seen over four. We've seen four separate acts of Parliament passed to deliver four separate events. Each one of these bills essentially repeated the same core provisions from scratch through bespoke legislation. So this bill is a welcome change that will make it easier for the government to deliver major events.

But for the Lib Dems, there's a few areas where we think the bill could be taken further. Firstly, the scope of the bill. I'm glad to see the government has accepted a Liberal Democrat amendment in the other place, so that this legislation now applies to world famous domestic events that happen every year in the UK. But this isn't the only area where the scope of the bill doesn't go far enough. It's also limited by only applying to sporting events. Major sporting events bring in hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy, but the music industry is in a different ballpark.

In 2024, music contributed a record £8 billion to the UK's economy and 24.7 million music tourists attended live events last year. The reality is the music and cultural events are large international events. They face the same issues the sporting events do, but they're not covered by the bill. Similarly, simply, the problems that this bill aims to address don't stop with sports. If you look at Eurovision 2023, a major international event, the organisers having to improvise ticketing and trading arrangements locally rather than relying on a national framework that would provide a clear and easy solution to the problems that arise from organising large events.

If the framework of this bill is good enough for sport, why can't the government extend it to other music and cultural events? I hugely welcome that the Bill acts on the outrageous practices relating to ticket sales that we've seen in recent years, and I understand the government promises further ticket touting reforms later. But when the harm is happening now and we have the legislative architecture available, why are we delaying action? How many people across this House, how many of our constituents must pay extortionate prices to see their favourite artists and bands before the government decides change needs to happen? And Madam Deputy Speaker, it's not only ticket prices that are blocking fans from watching their favourite sports teams.

For a long time, public service broadcasters pioneered free to air coverage, but increasingly we're seeing sporting events that have always been free to air locked behind a paywall. Just a few months ago, we saw the implications of this, with fans locked out of watching the Champions League final. The Lib Dems support free to air sports on all occasions, and especially when events like those provided for in this bill are paid for by the public. Currently, this bill makes no promises that public money means public access to sports on TV.

My colleagues in the other place was an amendment to make free to air coverage a condition of financial assistance through this bill, and I intend to push for this again. One final area I'll be pushing on a Committee stage is the matter of grassroots support. Big events should never hollow out local businesses or grassroots sports and culture. The Lib Dems therefore, seek clarification from the government that commercial deals under the frameworks of this bill treat SMEs fairly and ensure that grassroots organisations see a tangible benefit from large sporting events in the UK.

For the Lib Dems, this bill is not simply about making international events easier to host. It's an opportunity to make them more accessible, more affordable and more enjoyable for the very people who make British sporting and other culture what it is. And that's what I'll be pushing for as this bill passes through this House.
14:50
Imogen Walker Portrait Imogen Walker MP (Hamilton and Clyde Valley, Labour)
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Imogen Walker. Thank you. reason, because from a kickabout in the local park to the great tournaments, getting together to watch sport or play sport brings joy to millions. And when Scotland went to the World Cup this summer, football even united the Scottish MPs on this side of the chamber with hon. Members opposite. And that, Madam Deputy Speaker, is quite the achievement. And at home we were so proud that Lewes Ferguson, from the town of quarter and a former Hamilton Accies player, was part of the squad.

He took our hopes and dreams with him to the States and he did us proud. Evie Mackie, from Lanark, represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, another local talent, to make it to the international stage. On the back of her hard work, determination and the support of the brilliant Lanark Amateur Swimming Club. So these incredible athletes have not only done Lanark, Hamilton and Scotland proud, but they've shown the way for the next generation of athletes who deserve the chance to compete at every level.

And so the provision in this Bill for the Scottish Government to fund sporting events really matters. Our pride in our nations, our teams and our sports people cuts across political boundaries and is a power that sport has, which is rarely seen elsewhere. And when the Hamilton Accies ran into difficulties that threatened their very future, the fans made it clear what the club meant to them. One young fan, just 18 years old, wrote to me to say I was introduced to the club by my father and I have been forever indebted to him for making me Anakin's man.

He gave me a platform. It gave me a platform to develop relationships with others, take in live sport, and to help me understand the true meaning of joy when those victories occurred or goals hit the back of the net. I believe the club has a massively positive impact on the mental health of many people. Man and woman, every week, win, lose or draw, the club gives people a place to go and get away from the stresses of employment, unemployment, addiction, financial stresses, grief and general loneliness, which puts it very well, I think, Madam Deputy Speaker And it was fans like this who came together to show their love for the club, overcame all the odds and after several months at another ground, brought the Yankees home this season to Douglas Park, where it is universal and it cuts across divides.

Lewes and Evie show that you don't need to be from a big city to reach the top, and that the talent we have in Hamilton and Clyde Valley is world class. But let us be clear young people don't train day in, day out to make a profit for ticket touts. They've dedicated their lives to pursue a dream. A dream that gives people hope and inspiration and something to believe in. Not to buy some crook. Another mark. So this bill is important.

Cracking down on ticket touts and building on the UK's track record of hosting major events, bringing people together and supporting local economies. This is how we will inspire and support the next generation and make sure that their hard work leaves a legacy and keeps dreams alive.
14:53
Nigel Huddleston Portrait Nigel Huddleston MP (Droitwich and Evesham, Conservative)
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Nigel Huddleston. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I refer hon. Members to my Register of Members Interest. I particularly enjoyed the reminiscing about London 2012 going on today. I actually remember Super Saturday very well because I was at the beach volleyball watching it just up the road, of course, at Horse Guards Parade. I think it was the third time I went to the beach volleyball. For some reason that attracted me quite a lot, a lot of a lot of good events going on.

But unlike the hon. Gentleman who spoke earlier on, I was very much not a teenager at the time. And could I take the opportunity as well to to just reiterate and repeat something I said this morning, Madam Deputy Speaker, and welcome the Shadow Secretary of State to her role. It is an incredibly, incredibly broad, fascinating, but also daunting brief. And I think anybody who's been involved in DCMS recognises that. But she will both enjoy it, and I wish her the very best of luck in any way I can support her.

She will always have my support. I'd also like to thank my former team as well, including the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup who is sitting there of course as well, the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight East and Lord Parkinson and the broader team who did such a good job at supporting me personally, but most important, the sectors. And I would also like to pay tribute again. And I think already we can see there will be a good working relationship between opposition and government in those areas where party politics is not relevant, and that is often the case in DCMS matters.

That relationship between government and opposition is important. It's not always seen in the chamber. It's often at events where you're together or along the corridors. But it is important that dynamic happens. I'm not going to lay it on too thick. I'm not going to say I'm going to ever vote for the hon. Ladies. But I think the most important thing to recognise is that you can be opponents, but also be civil to each other and decent and quite frankly, nice people. And sometimes people don't always see that in this place.

Politics is politics. There will always be areas of disagreement, but a constructive relationship where a constructive relationship is required is vital for British democracy and long may that continue. Now, I do also empathise with the Minister, by the way, I've been there. The constant disagreements, challenges when it comes to asking for the Treasury for money as well. But let's let's stick to this key, key theme here and about this cooperation. This is a bill that I support that obviously, there's a tone today of general cooperation for the very reasons so many colleagues have already articulated, that the UK rightfully has has a world renowned global reputation for doing these kind of international sporting events, not only well but superbly well.

And when we're committed, and indeed we're all committed to delivering international sporting events and we need to see even more opportunities to do so, because they do create these genuine, lasting legacies and inspire that next generation of talent and sport. Interest, engagement and participation can have a really positive impact as well, of course, on the nation's well-being in terms of inspiring a more active and healthy nation. It can also lead the way on inclusivity and think of the amazing achievements in the integrated Commonwealth Games, where abled, bodied and para athlete events are held alongside each other, and Britain has a proud reputation for not only investing in parasport sponsoring para athletes, but also broadcasting it on key channels at peak times.

And that is something I'll come on to again shortly. And of course, hosting major international sporting events makes huge economic sense for UK plc. As several members have mentioned today, when done well, they can be profitable and the multiplier impact on spend on travel and hospitality and pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels of course from both domestic and international visitors can be absolutely huge and we must remember that inbound visitor spend is export revenue. And every year, for example, over a million people come to the UK primarily to watch a Premier League game generating over £1 billion for the UK economy.

And again, that is export revenue. So this bill is not a trivial one. And of course, with government support, we already have major events secured, including the euros in 2028, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035. And when I say government support, it's also important to recognise that we mean multiple governments because the nature of the bidding process, the extraordinarily long timelines for some of these, often requires not only the government to commit to them, but the opposition as well, and those who are having the events or holding the events and we're bidding into them, often want to see that cross-party support, because, of course, there could be a different government by the time of the next event.

And I'm certainly hoping and planning, planning that will be the case. Yes, yes. So so so so so perhaps we can turn the tables and we on this side could benefit from your hard work

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rather than the hooray round. Now I will give way. I must say, I think that was actually the case with the 2012 actually the case with the 2012 games, if I'm not mistaken, in that it was won under a Labour government but delivered under his government. So. But the point I government. So. But the point I wanted to make was around the the, the kind of development of long term vision, because certainly in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Nottingham and Nottinghamshire we're doing a lot of work at the moment on something called the Trent Sports District, which is taking our excellent venues and painting out a long term vision for what they can do for our city and for our area.

And that's exactly what he's saying about individual events. So would he agree with me that actually using sport as a regeneration tool and a visioning tool is an excellent way of bringing everybody together across

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party for long term benefits for an area? Yeah. I do indeed agree with the hon.

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I do indeed agree with the hon. Gentleman. I think the other point is making as well is sometimes when we do these events, it's often one individual city or one particular location that gets a lot of the focus. What I quite like at the moment, there does seem to be a moment, there does seem to be a trend, even with hosting major international sporting events, and we even saw it this year with the World Cup of multiple venues, often World Cup of multiple venues, often multiple countries.

And of course, we've often bid and continue to bid on a four nations approach as well. That can also be beneficial. It goes back to that point. The economic benefit can be so considerable that it's great if we can spread that, quite frankly, outside of the M25 as well. And it's important that we do do that. And I don't want to be negative about London. We've got amazing sports venues in London, but we always need to think about London. Plus, if London is the anchor now, as the former sports Minister overseeing the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, I'm very familiar with and therefore welcome many of the framework provisions that go deep into the weeds of event organisation on matters such as ticket sales, unauthorised advertising, brand protection, transport, logistics and so on that previously had to be considered in discrete bills for each and every event, which clearly doesn't make sense.

And therefore the basic logic for this bill is very sensible. And whilst I'm broadly supportive of the bill very much along the lines of what my hon. Friend the Secretary Shadow Secretary of State said earlier on, there are some changes we would like to see, and in particular, the concerns expressed by many in the Lords that the definition of events in the Bill initially seem to cover a way too narrow group, but therefore I really appreciate the Secretary of State's comments, and I remember us having a conversation about this at Silverstone that actually there is some logic to include many of those important domestic events.

And as the shadow Secretary of State pointed out, that doesn't necessarily mean everything all the time. But we can pick and choose elements of the of the bill that always causes complexities and bills like this because it can cause some challenges, and therefore we probably need to build in some flexibility that ensures we go later on in the bill stages, we'll be able to work out. But I think there's a very clear, strong feeling on behalf of those major domestic sport or events that were mentioned Wimbledon, Grand Prix and so on, that we do right by them as well.

And again, quite frankly, make it easier for government as well in dealing with these things. So again, let's just use a hefty dose of common sense in these things. And there are a couple of other sports related matters that should be considered in the wider context of this bill that I'd like to raise. Madam Deputy Speaker and I would genuinely appreciate the Minister's views on these in her closing comments. Now, first, the Minister will be aware of speculation about allowing alcohol sales at football games.

And the Conservatives, of course, did introduce, I say, the Conservatives, the hon. Member sitting in front of me, introduced an amendment to the Football Governance Bill last year for a consultation on lifting the alcohol ban on top tier football. Now, unfortunately, that amendment, despite quite a lot of agreement, cross-party. That amendment was shut down. Then by the then the Labour government. So will the Minister now reconsider this? And is this bill an appropriate vehicle or an opportunity to consider that.

For example, would alcohol sales therefore be restricted at some of the events that we are talking about in this bill? Now? Similarly, is the government reconsidering as well the 3 p.m. blackout rule? Nothing to do with this bill. I just wanted to take the opportunity to put the Minister on the spot. And and finally, I'd also like to touch on on something that has been mentioned before on the listed events regime and ask the Minister if this is being reviewed, because particularly in the context of the events being considered in this bill, because if there is government support for hosting an event and taxpayers money being put into it, there is a reasonable expectation that attendance and viewing of that event should therefore be maximised in country and indeed the maximise the the overall benefit and the inspiration these things can have.

And therefore, is this a good time to reconsider the listed events regime, particularly for events supported with taxpayers money held in the home nations. Now BBC sports fantastic coverage of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games achieved record breaking audiences on TV, streaming and online, and I was fortunate as the Ministers were to attend the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year and the city and the organisers organisers put on an absolutely fantastic show, particularly given the circumstances of how they came about, which I think most people are familiar with.

So it was a deliberately smaller scale event and obviously the Birmingham Games and so on. And while the coverage on TNT Sports on Channel five was good, it did not get the breadth of coverage and therefore achieved the level of awareness in country that we would have had, for example, had the BBC or another major broadcaster secured those rights, which does raise the question about what the BBC is bidding for and how much it is bidding. But that is definitely a debate for another day.

Madam Deputy Speaker, though an important one, and I will end there. Madam Deputy Speaker, by confirming that I broadly support this bill, and I certainly look forward to engaging constructively with with the Ministers as it goes through its remaining stages, and I hope we will see some amendments supported by all parties. Thank you. Yeah.
15:05
Caroline Dinenage Portrait Dame Caroline Dinenage MP (Gosport, Conservative)
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Dame Caroline Dinenage. a pleasure it is to follow my hon. Friend from Droitwich and Evesham in welcoming my hon. Friend as Shadow Secretary of State to her role. I know she will be excellent. I also want to pay tribute to him as her predecessor. He has. He was an exceptional Minister. He was an exceptional shadow Secretary of State. He's always been an exceptional champion for the sectors that the DCMS represent, and I know he will be a formidable and quite terrifying backbencher as well.

So it's a pleasure to to hear him at the risk of universal agreement breaking out on four corners of this room, can I also say that I support this bill as well? Sport is one of our country's greatest strengths, one of our most successful worldwide exports. Major sporting occasions represent such a huge source of national pride. As the Secretary of State said, inspiration, massive driver of tourism investment, jobs. And when they're done correctly, their legacy can just have tentacles that go on forever.

And we are just world class at delivering them. We know that on the world stage, British athletes and sportsmen are out there representing us with just the most phenomenal success. And I was exceptionally proud of the UK. Deaf athletes who claimed 12 medals, including five gold, at the Tokyo 2025 Deaf Olympics, despite the fact, Madam Deputy Speaker, that they received no public funding. They are elite athletes who should make our country very proud. I say this as a gentle reminder, given that sports in the theme today is a gentle reminder to the Minister to look again at their eligibility for UK sport funding.

Our strength, Madam Deputy Speaker, is reflected not only in our participation and our elite performance, but also in our ability to host and showcase some of the world's most significant sporting events. This small island gave the world some of our best loved sports, from football to cricket, lawn tennis to boxing, rugby to snooker. We may not always lead the world like we did in those halcyon days of the 1700s. Madam Deputy Speaker, when the small village of Hambledon in Hampshire, known as the cradle of Cricket, took on the rest of the world and won.

But iconic British fixtures from the Premier League to Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix to the Grand National are globally synonymous with their sport. They bring people to our shores, they generate economic growth, they inspire participation, and they project the United Kingdom's reputation around the world. And, Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a reputation which is under pressure. The gap in soft power between the UK and our competitor nations is closing. Brand finance have said that the UK has recorded a sharper than average drop in soft power, and the British Council said that the lead Western nations, including the UK, hold over our competitors, is narrowing and that's why can I gently say to the frontbench it is very disappointing that the government's action.

Very disappointing that the government's action on soft power has failed to keep pace with its rhetoric. I really welcomed the creation of the Soft Power Council, but it cannot even claim to be a talking shop when it has only met four times in the last 18 months. And the culture Secretary, who I admire enormously and chairs it, has only attended twice. It needs to put together a coherent strategy and if it did, then major events would play a significant role. Our committee, the DCMs Select Committee, Madam Deputy Speaker, will shortly be reporting back on a recent inquiry we did into major events.

The UK's event sector is an engine for so much growth, but has so far received limited attention from the government until now, and they could be doing so much more to unleash its potential and ease some of its constraints. So this bill is a really good place to start to redress that balance, particularly when when done well, the ratio of investment to return on these kind of things is so high, it makes sense for the government to do all it can to attract opportunities to hold all kinds of major events, particularly sport, the Sport and Recreation Alliance told us in our Select Committee inquiry that dedicated major events legislation would strengthen the UK's global position as a key destination for major sporting events.

So I really support the principle of this bill. Bespoke legislation for individual events creates an opportunity to remove any uncertainty, anything that is unwieldy and unpractical when we're doing these individual pieces of legislation. Every time this framework introduced by these new legislation is welcomed by everybody, by organisers, rights holders, sponsors, hosts. And I do think that our noble colleagues in the other place made such important improvements by widening the legislation to include other substantial annual events. It's actually, if I can be honest, something that our committee would have introduced had it not already been done.

I suppose we shouldn't be at all surprised that amendments that were proposed by the Paralympic medallist, Baroness Tanni Grey-thompson, would have won this race. As she said, legislation in this area does not come along often and we must take advantage of this opportunity. So in Parliament has the chance to establish this framework. We should ensure that it is robust enough not only to support the next tournament, but the ecosystem that exists all year and in its amended form, the benefits of the provisions in this bill creating offences on ticket touting, ambush marketing, unauthorised trading and association will not just be felt by these one off events, but by the stalwarts as well.

And that's why I'm so grateful to the Secretary of State for her signal today that the government does not intend to remove these amendments made in the House of Lords throughout our own inquiry. Madam Deputy Speaker, the evidence we received underline a few wider concerns. The major event sector does not always feel recognised as a strategic national asset, particularly organisers. Outside of the world of sport. They often feel excluded from national planning and policy makers. The flower shows, cultural festivals, music festivals, military tattoos.

They attract tourists, create jobs, bring people together. And yet many witnesses told us that they don't feel recognised in the same way as their sporting counterparts. And across the board, the event sector are asking for better coordination, the removal of barriers that prevent them from reaching their economic potential, and witness after witness called for better cross-government working, clearer points of contact, streamlined approvals and a more coherent long term strategy. So I appreciate that this bill aims to make the United Kingdom more competitive in winning bids to host international sporting events, but it doesn't do much to alleviate the concerns that we've heard from other event organisers across the country about the things like the weight of bureaucracy, the cost of policing, the integration of events with transport plans, to name just a few.

I was also grateful during the passage of this bill in the other place, to hear that the government had promised a major event strategy, which we really welcome, and we hope that the government will lean heavily on the conclusions that we draw in our Select Committee report and the recommendations that we make when it comes out. I also want to say one final thing, Madam Deputy Speaker, about the contribution of business events. They really shouldn't be forgotten. Conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs they generate huge economic value for the UK and bring in massive inward investment.

Over a million conferences and business meetings take place in the UK every year. It generates £33.6 billion for the UK economy, given its firepower, it's almost laughable that there isn't an industrial strategy for this alone. Excuse me, Madam Deputy Speaker. Given its firepower, it's almost laughable. There isn't an industrial strategy for this sector alone. The business events sector means business and will shortly be releasing a standalone report on this, which I hope the government is minded to take note of. In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, this bill is a very welcome step.

It has the potential to strengthen the UK's ability to compete for and host major sporting events. It provides a more consistent framework and reflects the importance of sport to our economies, to our communities and to our international standing. But it needs to be the starting point of a conversation, and for those reasons, I support the bill's objective, welcome the improvements made in the Other place, and encourage the government to see this as the beginning of a wider and more ambitious vision for the future.
15:13
Pete Wishart Portrait Pete Wishart MP (Perth and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party)
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Pete Wishart thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, and not wanting to make this some sort of grand Kumbaya, let's all hold hands moment. I also very much support this bill, and I'm pretty certain that the right hon. Lady will secure the necessary legislative consent motion from the Scottish Parliament, given the devolved nature of so much of what has been included in this, there's very few opportunities that sector is going to get to have such buy in from everybody here.

So I hope she enjoys that moment. And I think I can say with some great deal of confidence that it won't last all that long, but it surely is in everybody's interest to create a legislative approach that can better equip the UK to attract and deliver the biggest international sporting events. And we are very fortunate in the UK, of course, because we've got a great global reputation for being able to produce these events and put on some stunning sporting events right throughout the decades.

And I think that's something that we'll be able to build on with this piece of legislation. What this bill will hopefully do is just build that, build, bolster that reputation, ensure that we will be near the top when it comes to being able to be one of the contenders for major international sporting events in the future. Well, the hon. Gentleman just came into the chamber, but given that I've got probably the necessary time, I will give way to the hon. Gentleman.

He's so positive about the UK, and I wanted to. Underscore that, but also say that a former diplomat, it was great to see the role that these events play in our soft power. And I wonder if you might comment on how important these events are for Scotland and for the whole UK, promoting who we are in the world. Yeah, the efforts that are made to all parts of the United Kingdom are promoted adequately, and I am sure, like me, he will be watching very carefully that Scotland gets promoted in the events that come forward in the future.

But I think it's fair to say, and others have mentioned this, that nothing enthusiasm unites the whole of the UK. If I could use that term again, then sporting success and people who are representing our nations as prize athletes and winning medals. And it was great to see in the course of the last few months that happening in both the European Championship and the Commonwealth Games, and we even got to World Cup this year for the first time in 28 years, and wear the Tartan Army did its usual job of charming all of Boston and Miami and it's usual antics, which I think thrilled and excited and impressed so many of our American colleagues.

Unfortunately, it wasn't translated on to activities on the football field, and so probably just maybe leave that at that. But it was a huge unifying force. And I think the hon. Lady is quite right that united all of us for whatever political persuasion, whatever side of constitutional debates you're on and support behind our national national side. But this year in Scotland also is the right hon. Lady referenced. Scotland also stepped in at the last moment to host the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and I would go also go over the reasons why we got there, but just I think we should all just be grateful that Glasgow did what Glasgow does and which is to step in at the last moment, and I think we could safely say that Glasgow rescued the Commonwealth Games, and I think the model that's been adopted for what's been described as a more scaled down version of the games will be the blueprint as we go forward now, and I've certainly heard other nations that are interested in bidding in the future saying that they will look very closely at the model that was adopted in Glasgow.

The games were an overwhelming success and perfectly showcased Glasgow, while allowing Scots and those from the rest of the UK to see at first hand a range of sports that caught the imagination and sports that we might not normally watch, which is only available with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, stepped up to host those games. The BBC most definitely did not. This was the first Commonwealth Games in 72 years that the BBC did not fully cover, and that was because they offered what could only be described as a desirable, derisory legacy of properly bid for the rights which they lost to the subscription service TNT.

What that meant was because it was a subscription service and people were having to pay for for watching the games, many sporting fans lost the opportunity to follow the games, and I just think that was just so bad. And compare and contrast that, of course, with the European Athletics. Only a few weeks later in Birmingham, where the BBC appropriately bid secured the rights and even went as far as to change their scheduling of the of the week so that people could see the games.

I think in Scotland we just feel we just lost out a little bit there, and I would hope the Secretary would maybe raise that with the BBC and and see why that was allowed to happen and make sure that this never happens again, wherever it's going to be held within the United Kingdom, the BBC should be covering something as significant in in popular as the Commonwealth Games and where there is no provision about broadcasting rights. I do support some of the things that have been said about free to air and, you know, like what we call the crown jewels of

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events. We in Scotland for years lost free to air football to follow the national Men's football team. I think

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Men's football team. I think that somebody like six years, we went without any opportunity to see it for free, like everybody else across the United Kingdom. That across the United Kingdom. That meant that a lot of fans couldn't follow our national team that's now been put right. And of course, we were able to see Scotland Games qualifiers on the BBC. But I think we have to ensure that everybody has the right to certainly the national men's football team qualified and appearing in major, major championships.

But I want to just say a few minutes, Madam Speaker, to focus on the clauses relating to ticket touting. And I think that for so many of us who care passionately about live music and the whole music fan experience, this this bill just feels just a little bit of a disappointment. This, I think, is a lost opportunity to ensure that the scourge of ticket touting is tackled right across the sporting and entertainment environment, and we're grateful that the government is tackling ticket touting in sports events.

But music fans have been let down by what they see as a lack of action on this issue. The government is prepared to act on behalf of the sports sector. Music fans will again have to wait before having its issues properly resolved. In clauses five and six are clauses of this bill and what it does is set regulations in relation to ticket touting for sporting events, and it's fast tracked, heavy duty legislation. It goes further than what the live music sector is asking for.

What it does is makes all unauthorised ticket resale a criminal offence for major sporting events, full stop. The government has rightly recognised the urgency around the parliamentary time, found the necessary legislation and acted decisively to shield sports fans and official sports rights holders. And quite right too. But surely music fans deserve the same attention now? The millions of people who form the backbone of our world leading 8 billion music industry are to remain exposed to the touts, to the spivs and profiteers, and for music, the government has offered a promise.

A draft ticket, tout band, a draft bill. But let us be clear a draft bill, until we actually see it. Work starts and it's pretty much just an aspiration. And what it exposes it to is a whole host of pre-legislative, scrutiny, consultations, delays and a long and winding road through this House. Now, I listened very carefully to the the right hon. Redditch response. To be fair, I intervened on her and I heard her. I think I heard her say that action is going to be imminent, and we're going to see something very quickly, whether it relates to music, and I really hope that's the case, because music fans are having to pay through the nose in order to see the see their favourite bands.

And this is costing something like £145 million a year, according to the sector. And what music is asking for is not a total ban on resale. What the UK music are asking for is a resale price cap, which prohibits someone from reselling a ticket for more than the original cost service fee limits to ensure that the price cap cannot be undermined by inflated fees or hidden charges placed on consumers, and to volume limits to make it unlawful to buy more tickets for an event than the one individual is permitted to buy under primary Barking.

And again, I have heard the Secretary of State say this before, that the government roughly supports all of these endeavours and issues, but I think what we need to see now is just to get it done, please, because what we've got is great for sports, and I think everybody is welcome, and I'm sure it will go a long way to ensure that sports fans are protected. But we need to see the same type of action, the same type of legislation for music fans. But I am encouraged by what the secretary states.

I want to end on a sour note, but I think she would expect me to come forward and say these things to her. But I think as we go forward now, let's all work together and get this fixed for music to.
15:22
Louie French Portrait Mr Louie French MP (Old Bexley and Sidcup, Conservative)
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Which brings us to the front bench. Contribution. Shadow bench. Contribution. Shadow Minister Louie French. >> Yeah, thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I start by referring members to my register of interests. I'd also like to put on record as the Secretary of State hasn't my delight that my old club, the London Broncos, won silverware the weekend, London beating the North at their own sport. It was a fantastic sight to watch and. And can I start now? Start seriously because she's. She's really enjoying that.

Can I start by saying this bill is a welcome step in the right direction for major sporting events across the UK, as we've heard already today. And can I thank all hon. Members from across both houses for their contribution so far, and particularly to my friend from Droitwich and Evesham for his fantastic championing of DCMS over many years. He's I know he's going to continue to do so, and for also putting up with me for the last 12 months. So thank you very much.

Yeah. As we all know, major sporting events make a substantial contribution, both social and economic, to our country. And more often than not, the journey from bidding stage to delivery spans across governments. So it is vitally important that we get this right and seek to work constructively wherever possible. And it is notable, Madam Deputy Speaker, that the turquoise gold hangars have not even turned up for this major debate, despite making references in the press about hosting events in the future. Not the first time that has happened either, Madam Deputy Speaker, but in an increasingly competitive international bidding environment, this Bill should help the UK to attract more events and allow those who already staged to be more successful.

I am therefore pleased that the government has accepted, as we've heard already, some of the amendments made in the other place, particularly in expanding the scope of the Bill to a wider range of major sporting events, including those taking place on a regular basis. The objective of this bill should be to streamline the bidding and delivery aspects of hosting major sporting events. That is a principle that we can support because, as conservatives, we believe fundamentally that Britain succeeds when the government gets out of the way.

And there are many sporting examples I could provide today to highlight this point, but I will highlight just three in the interests of time. Firstly, football. Yes, not without its issues, as we've discussed on many occasions, but our domestic football competitions such as the Premier League and the EFL, continue to lead the world in attracting investment and fans from across the world. We should never apologise for this success, nor forget why British football continues to deliver billions of inward investment and champions in our soft power across the world.

The success of football across the UK, but particularly in England, also means that we are well placed for future bids, given our stadiums and supporting infrastructure such as training bases. With the recent example of the Barcelona men's team training at Saint George's Park highlighting again what a fantastic facility this is, which will continue to support new coaches and existing coaches and further success. I hope on the pitch for England's national teams. I would also like to put on record my thanks to our football associations for their ongoing leadership work, both at home and overseas, in very challenging circumstances, as we have sadly seen again this summer with the ongoing FIFA saga.

Such diplomatic skills will continue to be vital for any future bids to host competition and I thank officials for their ongoing work. Secondly, I will briefly mention Formula One and the commercial vision and leadership which, like the Premier League, continues to put the UK at the top of the international podium. Formula one's success embodies the very best of international competition and sports science, creating fantastic jobs and investment across Britain, which stretches far beyond the Grand Prix weekend. As I saw again on a recent visit to the Media Formula One Media Centre in Biggin Hill.

And third, the third example that I provide is the National Lottery, one of the greatest conservative legacies that has allowed UK sport with the support of lottery players, to transform our athletic success across multiple sports. Gone are the days when a more state controlled approach to sport saw us languish in the medal tables, and this is another area where we will seek to continue working constructively with the government to ensure funding. Sport funding for sport is maximised from the Premier League to Formula One, the open to the London Marathon, Wimbledon and beyond.

Our nation's sporting heritage is rich and continues to lead the world. In fact, Madam Deputy Speaker, I cannot see why events like the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Open or the London Marathon were not were excluded from the remit of this Bill in the first place. These events provide incredible return on investment for this country, with independent assessments already anticipating that Euro 2028 will generate over £3.2 billion of social economic benefits for the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2028 and 2031.

This is equivalent of approximately £5.74 of benefit for every £1 invested. It is therefore welcome that the government has accepted these amendments in the other place, and to allow the benefits of the Bill and subsequent framework to be extended to events which already benefit this country. However, as my my hon. Friend the Shadow Secretary of State has already set it out, and many noble Lords made clear throughout the passage of the Bill on the other place. There are some serious questions still that need addressing in the government's approach to major events.

Firstly, why has the government tabled a bill to support hosting major sporting events when its own own major event strategy, which has been promised, is still unpublished? Does the Minister not see that this bill should be part of that strategy, and that they are at risk of putting the cart before the horse? Second, the bill fails to address major fiscal and regulatory concerns outlined by organisers of major events. These include proposals by the Home Office to charge for policing services, the implementation of Martyn's Law, increasing employment costs, higher business rates and the care quality commissions.

New regulations. Madam Deputy Speaker on Regulation I know the sporting events sector has had discussions with the Department for health already and the. And with the CQC on an exemption for those who provide medical services for athletes, performers and officials. But as we have seen for the past two years, Minister failed to grasp the nettle and provide urgent clarity to the sector. So would the Secretary of State or Minister please now make sure that either her directly or her Minister, colleagues provide confirmation and clarity on the introduction of the exemption as soon as possible, so that major sporting events are not negatively delayed or impacted by unintended consequences.

Madam Deputy Speaker, we have also heard from our constituents about the increased costs of businesses under successive now successive Labour governments, and that is no different to those who host major sporting events. And while the Prime Minister might be able to afford his new Everton season ticket or the returning Everton season ticket, there are many out there who will no longer be able to afford to watch their beloved teams, thanks to the increased costs being piled onto clubs across the country.

We've heard already about the impact of changes to events that are televised on national TV for free, and this is an ongoing challenge that sports are facing. It's having direct consequences for fans across the country, whether they seek to watch sport in person or at home, because not only is the government saddled organisers with more costs in the form of minimum wage increases, national insurance increases, business rates, increases and energy costs. But now the Home Office is threatening to increase the cost of policing these kind of events.

A joined up government approach would see a guarantee that our major sporting events will benefit from policing services in the same way as every other sector of the economy, and not be forced to pay again for public services that have already paid through high levels of taxation as part of their contribution, so will the Secretary of State commit to making sure that no extra police charges will be imposed on sporting events, and that an impact assessment on the ability of these events to swallow such costs is published as soon as possible, if the government are to proceed in this way.

More broadly, Madam Deputy Speaker, this government's word on sports are not being matched by its actions, as we've already seen and heard today. And I do hope that the new Prime Minister does change direction on this, because we all know that having a good strategy is one thing, and this bill will make it easier to deliver such events, but the country will miss out if we do not address some of the sporting cuts that have happened, particularly at the grassroots in the past two years, because it is future generations that will miss out.

On being inspired by hosting such events. Since entering the government two years ago, this Labour government has cut £57 million from the opening sports facilities funds £127 million a year less for primary school PE and sports premium, £35 million from investment in grassroots cricket, £11 million from multi-sports grassroots facilities programme £25 million in real terms. Cuts in grassroots sports investment compared to the previous conservative government, this is not a good record, Madam Deputy Speaker, and it is our sports and our grassroots facilities that are paying the price.

While in government, the Conservative Party invested more than £1.5 billion in grassroots schools and elite sports, from an unprecedented 400 million investments to grassroots sports and 300 millions of pounds of emergency funding to support community, to support community sports clubs and grassroots organisations. Perhaps the programme we conservatives should be most proud of, Madam Deputy Speaker, is the PE and sport premium introduced to help inspire a generation after the London Olympics, this was worth 600 million between 2023 and 2025 alone, and totalled almost 3.5 billion directly to schools since we introduced it in 2013.

This Summer of sport was built on the legacy of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the 2015 World Cup, the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the 2020 men's Euro final and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, to name just a few of the incredible events that have taken place. But if the government continues down this path of not funding sports properly, I'm afraid there will be less money for future generations and future stars that we so need. And I see, like I said, I sincerely hope the government does help this department change direction of what we've seen over the past two years.

So to conclude, Madam Deputy Speaker, this bill is a welcome move for elite sport and major international events, and we will work constructively to try and improve it as it passes through the Commons. But this Labour government must change direction. It must reduce costs for all levels of sports. Otherwise we will lose our seat at the top table of international sport and the next generation will not benefit from hosting such major events. Thank you Minister.
15:32
Stephanie Peacock Portrait Stephanie Peacock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (Barnsley South, Labour)
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Thank you, Madam Deputy. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy. >> Speaker, and I'm grateful to all hon. Members across the House who have contributed to today's debate, which has shown cross-party recognition of the importance of major sporting events and their ability to showcase the very best of our country. I'm going to speak about the bill, its importance and provisions, and I will address some of the wider points raised in the debate throughout my contribution. The UK is an undisputed world leader when it comes to hosting major sporting events, and the benefits of these occasions are felt right across the country.

We all fondly remember the London 2012 Olympics as the Secretary of State, and many others have outlined during this debate. Events like these bring huge benefits and opportunities. The London Olympics and Paralympics brought £14 billion of trade and investment benefit to the UK. This was alongside the regeneration of 500 acres of east London and 400,000 Londoners participating in grassroots sports. In the three years following the games. In my own area of South Yorkshire, the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield is another testament to the transformative power these international events can have, and stands as the only Olympic legacy park in a city that has not hosted the games.

More recently, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games contributed over £1 billion to the UK economy and events like the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, the 2026 women's Cricket World Cup and the recent outdoor European Athletics Championships, the first time the UK has hosted the Championships have and will bring their own legacy benefits and we of course note the huge success of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the fact that Glasgow really stepped up and hosted those games at the last minute.

And looking ahead, the grander path of the tour de France and the tour de France femme in 2027, and a potential World Athletics Championships in 2029, will inspire the next generation and bring live sport to communities across the country. Indeed, we expect the tour de France races the most accessible major sporting event Great Britain has ever hosted, to bring £150 million in economic benefits across the country. This government is committed to not only hosting major sporting events, but also making sure the benefits are felt far beyond the field of play.

As I have said in this House before, inactivity is the story of inequality, and that is why this government is investing at least £400 million in community sports facilities across the country over the next four years, and why we are determined that major events should support greater grassroots participation. I understand the points raised about the power of sport to inspire in every postcode, and that was made very powerfully by the Member for Hamilton and Clyde Valley and of course, from Dartford.

Now turning to the bill as it currently stands, this legislation will strengthen our ability to bid successfully for major sporting events and will ensure that we are ready to create more moments like London 2012 or Birmingham 2022. France and Australia already have similar legislative frameworks, and France's recent success in hosting both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Rugby World Cup demonstrate the value of having these protections in place. I will run through briefly the provisions in the bill and how they will be enforced.

But before I do, Madam Deputy Speaker, it is worth noting that this legislation is only one component of our broader national ambition. As I recently announced to the culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, we are currently developing a major event strategy to be published in the near future. For the first time, a comprehensive strategy will unite sport, culture, arts and business events under a single strategic framework designed to simplify and drive growth. Now, I absolutely recognise the points that the chair of the Select Committee has raised and indeed the work her committee has done, and in particular, I've heard her calls very clearly on business events.

And after I appeared in front of a Select Committee, I've convened more than one cross-government meeting, and I'm absolutely committed to making government do better in this area. Now, the shadow Minister did ask why we were, in his words, putting the cart before the horse and not publishing this bill before the strategy. And that's because, of course, we have deadlines, legal deadlines to meet for Euro 2020. Because if we weren't debating this ambitious bill, we would, of course be debating 1.20 28 bill similar to the Commonwealth Games, one that

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the hon. Gentleman took through. I will give way. Yes. Very grateful. To my hon. Friend for giving way.

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To my hon. Friend for giving way. I'm very privileged to represent Hampden Park in Glasgow, which is going to be one of the stadiums going to be one of the stadiums that hosts Euro 2020. It's a huge opportunity. It attracts investment that the Minister is talking about, but I wonder if she would agree but I wonder if she would agree with me that when we have these major sporting events, it's also important for the communities around the stadium that the right legislation is in place, that the legislation is in place, that the government works with the council and the police to make sure there is no anti-social behaviour, littering and other things that

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cause disruption to the people who absolutely. Right. And that goes to the heart of this bill. It absolutely should be collaborative and it should work for local people. And actually that speaks to to the actually that speaks to to the point I was going to come on to say which event specific regulations, setting out which provisions will be applied to the event, and including information such as the including information such as the time period, which provisions apply and how they do to a local area, will be subject to parliamentary will be subject to parliamentary debate and scrutiny through the process.

Now, moving on to some of the specifics on the bill, the ticketing provisions in this bill are designed to ensure that tickets can only be resold with the authorisation from the event owner or organiser. This measure will clamp down on ticket touts who seek to export sports fans and profiteer from major sporting moments. We saw this legislation work effectively at London 2012, and this bill will make it the baseline for major sporting events where needed. Local trading standards authorities and the Competition and Markets Authority will be able to enforce this.

While the bill does not prohibit official reselling above face value, we will be bringing further legislation on this. And, of course, the Secretary of State was very clear in her remarks about the draft legislation being there so we can get it right, but she was also clear that it should be a priority, an incredible priority in this session. Moving on, the bill will introduce time limited restricted zones around competition venues, fan zones and transport hubs to prevent aggressive ambush marketing and unauthorised street trading.

Without these protections, the Women's Euros in 2022 face persistent street trading and unauthorised advertising blimps. In contrast, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games use these powers to swiftly resolve over 50 advertising and trading infringements, protecting official sponsors and keeping spectator routes safe. The Bill will empower local authorities to undertake enforcement at future events. When determining an application to trade in a restricted zone. The Bill ensures that the interests of those with an existing trading licence are taken into account, but I'd like to say we are absolutely determined to make sure this bill is as strong as possible in this regard in terms of protecting small businesses, and we absolutely will work across the House to make sure it delivers on that.

The bill will prohibit unauthorised association, which will prevent businesses from falsely suggesting to the public that they have an official connection with an event. In order to gain exposure. We controls around unauthorised association make sponsoring an event less appealing and allow businesses to benefit without giving financial support. The bill set out controls to prevent this happening, giving powers to designated enforcers likely to be event owners or organisers to enforce the provisions. Protections will have been built in to ensure proportionality and to help ensure, once again, small businesses can benefit from major events on the doorstep.

It is our intention to make sure small businesses benefit

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from major events, and I'm very keen to work across the house to deliver this. Yes. I thank the Minister on this

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I thank the Minister on this exact point and we are willing to work constructively this. Can we also ensure there's significant flexibility that for events such as flexibility that for events such as Wimbledon, just to name one, obviously, a lot of residents nearby who suffer the parking stress that we heard earlier from stress that we heard earlier from colleagues for those events normally hire out driveways, and it actually helps with parking capacity for the events themselves. So will there be enough flexibility

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So will there be enough flexibility in the legislation that that kind of thing can carry on? I think the hon. Gentleman makes a really important and valid point, and I look forward to continuing the conversation with him in Bill Committee, and we can pick up on that specific point. And I'm going to come on to touch in a moment on recurrent events. Before I do, though, I'd just like to touch very briefly on transport. The bill enables integrated cross-boundary transport plans and temporary traffic powers in England for local traffic authorities.

Now, the Member for Rushcliffe raised this important point, and I'd like to assure him that plans will be collaborative, and they absolutely will have to take and work with local people. A good example is the games Route network used in Birmingham 2022, which ensured spectators could move safely and efficiently while minimising disruption to local residents and to businesses. Now, as the. I will

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give way. Yes. I thank. My hon. Friend for giving way. She will know that Peel Land are She will know that Peel Land are hoping to support a bid for the Ryder Cup to come to the Halton Park site in my Bolton West constituency. Many of my constituency. Many of my constituents have grave concerns and I have serious reservations around infrastructure at that site, around infrastructure at that site, which will be predominantly road traffic, in particular around Westhoughton. Chequerbent roundabout is chock a block with roundabout is chock a block with traffic.

All times of the day. Will she meet with me to hear those concerns? To make sure that any putative bid at a future date does address some of these infrastructure concerns that I raised with the Prime Minister earlier in the year. In his previous role as the mayor of

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Greater Manchester. I'm grateful to the hon. Gentleman. He raised a very important point on behalf of the important point on behalf of the people he represents, and I'd be absolutely delighted to meet him to discuss it further. Now, as the Secretary of State mentioned, we are well aware of the concerns around recurrent domestic events and we recognise the opportunities and we recognise the opportunities available here. We will seek to address this issue through the passage of the Bill, and I welcome the comments from the front bench opposite.

The Member for South Northamptonshire made an important point regarding Silverstone, and I can assure her that both the Secretary of State and I are passionate about it too, having attended. Indeed with the Member for Droitwich and the Shadow Secretary of State. Sorry, the Shadow Minister made an important point on this issue too, and I do welcome the Shadow Secretary of State's comments about working on this point, on recurrent events with us, and I look forward to doing that in committee. Now, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, and again, I welcome her support broadly for the bill.

She raised the point around music events, and I do appreciate and hear the point she made. She asked why they weren't included. The bill originally was designed for biddable events. So while I've heard those points that that is why they weren't included and indeed, that is why some of the recurrent events weren't initially included. But we've heard the points made in this House and indeed in the other place, and we will work with people to get it. Right now, the whole of the UK stands to benefit from major sporting events, and we are committed to seeing the reward shared across the four nations.

From the inception of the Bill, we have worked closely with devolved partners to ensure this bill serves the whole union, and we will continue to work with each devolved government to ensure that, where appropriate, legislative consent motions are secured. Now, I would like to cover just some of the broader points, mainly put to me by the Member for Droitwich, and again, I pay tribute to him. So, like he said, I don't want to overstate it, but I do pay tribute to him in all the work he's done on both the shadow frontbench and as a Minister before that.

And he put various questions to me. So I'll just touch briefly on some of them. So he raised the point around the 3 p.m. blackout. Of course, it does exist to protect ticket sales for lower leagues in the football pyramid. And as a former Minister of Sport, he will know it's an issue for the FA. But we do support the current situation as we recognise the importance for the lower leagues. He raised the point around alcohol. He was absolutely right. We debated it during the Football Governance Bill debate.

There are, of course, different views on it. It was originally introduced to protect fans. I recognise the debate that takes place. It is, of course, an issue for the Home Office, but I will reflect the points he makes to the relevant Minister now. Both him, the both the hon. Gentleman and. And indeed, I think the Member for Perth raised the point around the Commonwealth Games coverage. Now, ultimately, again, he will know as a former Minister that this was a decision for Commonwealth Sport as the rights holder.

And it is, of course, a balance between accessibility and commercial considerations. And I know he was in attendance at the Commonwealth Games, and I think that TNT did a very good job of making it accessible. We of course, there was work on radio with S4c's and the BBC and the free to air highlights on channel five. But I do absolutely acknowledge the point. The fact that the BBC didn't cover it means there wasn't as much awareness more widely, but he will appreciate. It is an issue that is independent of government, and the chair of the Select Committee raised the point around deaf athletes and the deaf Olympics and UK sport have met with them, as have I.

As the Minister, I'd like to assure both the committee and the House and anyone watching our proceedings today that we absolutely haven't forgotten the issue. I know, wrote to the Select Committee earlier this year. It's something that myself and the Secretary of State care very much about, and I will update both the House and the committee on that issue. Now, major sporting events can change lives, transform communities and inspire people to get involved in sport. This bill will make sure we are ready to secure more of these incredibly important global events and bring their power to communities across the UK.

We will champion fans, protect commercial rights and give organisers the reassurance they need to come to our country and cement the UK as a world leader in this space, and so I commend this

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Bill to the House. The question is. That the bill be now read a

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That the bill be now read a second time, as many as are of that opinion say aye. of the contrary, opinion say aye. of the contrary, no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Program motion to be moved formally. The question is, as moved formally. The question is, as on the Order Paper, as many as are of that opinion say aye. Of the

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of that opinion say aye. Of the contrary, no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Money. Motion to be moved formally. I beg to move.

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The question is, as on the Order Paper, as many as are of that opinion say aye. Of the contrary, no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. We now move on to the petition, but I'll give the front

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benches a few moments to to vacate. Thank you.
15:47
15:48
15:49
Allison Gardner Portrait Dr Allison Gardner MP (Stoke-on-Trent South, Labour)
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Stoke on Trent's emerging Local Plan under site BL1. I want to make my. I want to begin by making my position clear. I oppose development of this scale in Lightwood. It is the largest single housing allocation in the entire Local Plan and would in practice create a substantial new community on the edge of the city. Like many constituents who have contacted me, I do not believe that the existing infrastructure, public services and transport network can accommodate development of this scale. I have consistently raised objections to the scale of this proposal.

However, I also recognise the reality that development is likely to proceed, particularly given that elements of the site are under council ownership. I also believe the centrally determined housing target for Stoke on Trent of 948 homes a year is a little too high, given the site's tight administrative boundaries and limited land availability. It is therefore concerning that we have reached the regulation 19 stage of the Local Plan process without residents having any meaningful detail about how this strategic allocation of 3000 homes would be delivered.

There remains no comprehensive framework set out setting out infrastructure requirements, no clear understanding of how cumulative impacts will be mitigated, and no shared vision for how a development of this scale will integrate with both the existing community and the wider area. What makes this particularly difficult to understand is that residents elsewhere in Stoke on Trent have been afforded precisely that opportunity. The council prepared a master plan for the strategic site at Patmore, despite it being around a third of the size of the proposed Lightwood allocation.

That process provided a clear vision for the site and enabled residents to engage with the overall shape of development before individual planning applications came forward. By contrast, residents in Lightwood are being asked to comment on a strategic allocation of 3000 homes without the benefit of a comparable master plan and without the same level of consultation on how the site will ultimately be delivered. It is a clear example. Inconsistency in the planning process. Residents should not receive different levels of engagement, transparency and certainty about the future of their communities simply because they happen to live in different postcodes.

When a development is large enough to create an entirely new neighbourhood, it should not be allowed to emerge through a series of disconnected, disconnected planning applications. It should be planned from the outset through a comprehensive master plan that establishes a clear vision for the area and provides a framework for future development. In the case of Lightwood, I believe the local planning authority should be taking a proactive role in preparing and coordinating such a master plan and master plans are not simply about determining where houses will go.

They are about creating successful places and sustainable, accessible communities, both new and existing. They provide the strategic framework that brings together housing, transport, education provision, health care capacity, utilities, mains water from the main water companies, environmental enhancement and design principles into coherent vision for long term growth. Most importantly, they ensure that supporting infrastructure is planned alongside development rather than treated as an afterthought. Once planning applications have already been submitted. In that regard, master plans are entirely consistent with the ambitions of the National Planning Policy Framework, which seeks to promote sustainable development, effective placemaking and infrastructure led growth.

While national policy recognises the value of master plans and design codes, their use remains largely discretionary. The experience of Lightwood and Packmoor demonstrates the inconsistency that can result. That is why I believe there is a strong case for a clearer national requirement that developments above an appropriate scale should be supported by a comprehensive master plan. I am not suggesting that every housing development requires one. A scheme involving a few dozen homes is clearly different from a strategic allocation comprising thousands of properties.

However, where development may be delivered over many years involving multiple landowners or developers and have substantial implications for infrastructure and existing communities, the case for master planning becomes clear in such circumstances. A comprehensive master plan should be established before individual planning applications are determined. Without a clear, overarching framework, there is a real risk of piecemeal development. Individual planning applications may appear acceptable in isolation, but collectively they can create unintended consequences for transport networks, public services, drainage systems and environmental assets.

Opportunities for integrated transport links, coordinated infrastructure and high quality placemaking can easily be lost when development comes forward. Parcel by parcel A master plan does provide a framework that ensures every proposal contribute contributes to an agreed vision for the site. It should establish how movement through the site will work, where community facilities will be located, how public transport will be integrated, where drainage infrastructure will be provided, and how development will connect with surrounding neighbourhoods. It should also identify how environmental assets will be protected, enhanced and connected across the site as a whole.

And that brings me to a particularly important issue green infrastructure. Green space is often treated as a residual development, a residual element of development fitted into whatever land remains after housing numbers have been maximised. A proper masterplan takes the opposite approach. It recognises that accessible green spaces, recreation areas, tree planting, biodiversity corridors are fundamental components of healthy communities. They contribute to physical and mental wellbeing. They create opportunities for recreation and social interaction. They improve climate resilience and flood mitigation, and help maintain a connection between communities and the natural environment.

Green infrastructure cannot be viewed as an optional extra. It is essential and ensures that growth enhances rather than diminishes the places people call home. And of course, infrastructure planning has equally important questions about road capacity, public transport provision, walking and cycling routes, school places, healthcare services, utilities and drainage cannot sensibly be addressed on an application by application basis. They must be considered collectively and the context of both future residents and the communities that already exist around development. This is particularly important in relation to mains and water infrastructure.

I remain concerned that the mains water with the with the water companies do not upgrade their systems to match the new developments and in my village of Upper Tean they have frequently had this problem. The developers meet their requirements in terms of mains water and sewerage and flood mitigations. But when that hits the main systems, this is when we get manhole covers blowing out and flooding happening all over. People's homes get flooded, people's businesses get flooded, play areas get flooded. And of course, that has ensuing problems.

Environmentally. A master plan should also ensure if we are serious about creating inclusive communities, the development of accessible homes and communities, including bungalows, so that they meet the needs of those who are ageing, have disabilities and frailty. The English Home study found that 91% of homes do not meet necessary requirements for wheelchair users to visit, let alone live in them. Data by habitat, Who provides thousands of accessible social homes across the country, shows that wheelchair users could wait up to 47 years for a suitable, accessible property to become available.

Master plans, therefore, can be a valuable way of ensuring that future housing development meets existing local housing needs, including the estimated 2000 wheelchair users nationally on local authority housing waiting lists, and currently, fewer than 2% of new build homes are bungalows, meaning they are not fully accessible. Sites such as Lightwood are not a blank canvas. People already live there. They rely on local roads, footpaths, public transport, schools, healthcare service and community facilities. As we work to deliver the homes that this country needs, we must make full use of the planning tools available to ensure those homes become successful communities accessible by all.

So I ask the Minister to describe to consider strengthening national planning policy so that large scale developments above an appropriate threshold that can be discussed are required to have a comprehensive master plan in place before individual planning applications are brought forward.
15:58
Matthew Pennycook Portrait Rt Hon Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) (Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
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Please. >> Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It's a pleasure to respond to this debate. With you in the chair. I congratulate my hon. Friend the congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke on Trent South on securing this important debate, and I commend her for the compelling argument she has just made about argument she has just made about the importance of planning effectively for large scale residential developments to ensure that they are well connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live with all the infrastructure, amenities and services needed to sustain thriving communities.

While I've noted the comments she has made today, and indeed on previous occasions in respect of the L one greenbelt site in Lightwood that's identified in the draft Local Plan, I know she is cognisant of the fact that I can't comment on specific local plans, specific sites or indeed specific planning applications due to the quasi judicial nature of the planning process. But I will make some general points that I hope will be of use to her. I'd like to start, Madam Deputy Speaker, with plans making, the plan led approach is and must remain the cornerstone of our planning system.

The benefits of an up to date Local plan are significant. I think they're well known across the chamber. Local plans are the best way for communities to shape decisions about how to deliver the housing and wider development areas their areas need. They enable local areas to set the strategy for future growth and their approach to protecting and enhancing the environment, and they provide the certainty and confidence required to bring development forward across the country. In the absence of an up to date Local Plan, there is a high likelihood that development will come forward on a piecemeal and speculative basis.

As she mentioned, with reduced public engagement and fewer guarantees that it will make the most of an area's potential. That's why the government remains determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. In order to achieve our ambition of universal plan coverage, and to ensure that plans contribute positively to increasing rates of house building and infrastructure delivery. She will know that the emerging Stoke on Trent City Council Local Plan is undergoing the regulation 19 consultation. I'd encourage my hon. Friend and her constituents to engage meaningfully with that process, if they've not already done so, to ensure that any specific concerns are understood by the authority, even at this advanced stage, anyone.

Madam Deputy Speaker, who submitted a representation during the consultation on the draft plan may make a request to be heard by the inspector during the examination. Once submitted for examination, it will be for the independent inspector to examine the plan and the proposed site allocations to ensure they're legally compliant and sound. And of course, it is for the inspector to ensure that the plan is in conformity with national policy, which has always been clear that local plans should identify the infrastructure necessary to support the delivery of the Local Plan, providing certainty and better outcomes for communities, businesses and developers.

I just want to briefly mention the interaction between design codes, codes and master plans and local plans. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that local planning authorities can identify and prioritise where design guides, codes and master plans are produced. They can make provision for their adoption as supplementary plans. There's no requirement for them to be adopted as part of the development plan, but where they where they are incorporated into development plans, they are afforded more weight on that basis. So it is important that for those key sites where a local authority wants to see a master plan in place, that they are incorporated into plans and they can also be produced as part of the development management process to support the delivery of larger site allocations.

In the new Nppf that we published on the 17th of August, we included new policy policy L one for those who are interested, which encourages the use of master plans, where appropriate, to optimise the use of site allocations. We did so in response to consultation feedback. My hon. Friend has, in the context of her concerns about the BL, one site made a number of specific points about large scale residential development and the importance of master planning to ensure the best outcomes for communities.

I very much agree with her as to the benefits of those. Delivering at scale. Does provide opportunities for comprehensive development where homes, infrastructure, green space and community facilities can be planned together. From the outset. As I've said, national planning policy has long required local plans to take this joined up approach, including by setting out the infrastructure needed to support growth and clear expectations for the quality of places to be created. This includes using design tools such as master plans and design codes where they are needed.

However, that new NPF that we published on the 17th of August, in response to the specific points you raised, has strengthened national planning policy in this area for future plans and sites, including by introducing a definition of what is called a strategic site. So a site of at least 1500 dwellings, most often to be delivered in multiple phases, significant infrastructure requirements. And through the NPF, we've set clear expectations that such development should come forward in suitable locations, be supported by necessary infrastructure and facilities, address strategic environmental opportunities and I quote from the glossary will require a master plan.

So for any strategic site, over 1500 units going forward and we require a master plan to be taken forward. The new MPP also strengthens expectations for a mix of homes. To her, her point on accessibility and tenures on strategic sites. Now, while it will principally shape future plan making and future site allocations, it does, I hope, demonstrate the direction of travel that this government has taken, ensuring that large scale development is planned, comprehensively, supported by timely infrastructure and capable of being well-designed, sustainable places even where a standalone master plan is not in place.

But I understand her concerns in the context of her draft Local plan being assessed under the old, not the new framework. I just want to briefly touch on design and infrastructure. I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of providing a long term vision to guide the delivery of well-designed, large scale development national planning policy. Again, Madam Deputy Speaker is clear that local authorities should identify in their development plans where master plans are necessary to achieve positive design outcomes, and that they should use master plans, where appropriate, to optimise the use of both allocated sites and smaller windfall sites.

It also requires that master plans reflect a clear understanding of local character and the wider context of an area, and should be informed by effective community engagement. Now we're not complacent. We want to build on what is already in place and our draft planning practice, guidance on design and placemaking, which we consulted on between January and March this year, will go even further to support local authorities to prepare effective master plans in collaboration with communities and key stakeholders. A chief concern my hon. Friend raised was infrastructure, the provision of which, as she made clear, communities across the country rightly expect to be delivered alongside development rather than being an afterthought.

We've been clear that while we need to build many more homes, they need to be supported by the right infrastructure to ensure that we're creating functioning places where people want to live and work. The new NPF has strengthened existing national policy to ensure developers and local plans deliver much needed affordable homes and the infrastructure required to support new development, like schools and GP surgeries. And through the new NPF, we've placed a greater emphasis on upfront clarity on expected developer contributions, reducing the risk of lengthy negotiations and again providing greater certainty for communities more widely.

Madam Deputy Speaker. Our new NPF supports the provision of new community facilities and public service infrastructure, particularly where new development would have a significant impact on the number of people needing to use those services. And the NPF is also clear that in planning for new community facilities and public service infrastructure, authorities should engage proactively with local communities and the relevant service providers, taking into account relevant strategies to improve health, address inequalities, and foster social and cultural wellbeing for all sections of the community.

I finished by just saying. At the same time, the government is backing delivery centrally with the launch of a new National Housing delivery fund. This includes around £5 billion of capital grant funding to address viability challenges across the country, including through remediation of brownfield sites and the provision of unlocking infrastructure. The fund is designed to deliver a range of interventions, including large strategic schemes, as well as faster, smaller sites and via viability gap projects. Its aim is to accelerate housing delivery, increase supply and support our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament.

And it sits alongside Madam Deputy Speaker, the £16 billion of financial capacity that we have available to us through our National Housing Bank, just briefly, on landscapes and green places. Again, it is important for me to say to my hon. Friend the NPF highlights the importance of conserving and enhancing landscape character, the natural beauty of the countryside and higher quality agricultural land. Local plans may designate land as local green space, where this would safeguard green areas of particular value to the local community, and we've introduced a new requirement for plans to set standards for green infrastructure, defined as a multifunctional network of green and blue spaces.

The government is obviously also committed to the ongoing protection of England's green belts, which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades. We've not shied away, however, from the fact that we do need to take forward a more strategic, targeted approach to green belt land designation and release where that is necessary. But we expect local authorities to prioritise in when they have to release green belt under exceptional circumstances. Previously developed and lower quality green belt land within the green belt.

To conclude Madam Deputy Speaker, I'm extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for securing this debate, for bringing this very important issue to the House's attention. I'm very passionate about well-designed masterplans. They can really reduce opposition to development, convincing people that the delivery, the development coming forward is infrastructure led. It's well designed and it's sustainable. The government is committed to delivering the right homes that people need, while ensuring that development is supported by the appropriate infrastructure and working in tandem with local areas.

We have, as I've set out today, taken bold steps to reform the planning system and to drive wider changes across the housing market to improve supply, quality and fairness. I look forward to working closely with colleagues to build a housing system that's both fair and sustainable, and to drive up the quality and indeed the coverage of Masterplans, particularly on strategic sites across the country.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

The question is that this House do now adjourn, as many as are of that opinion, say aye. Aye. The that opinion, say aye. Aye. The
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