Business of the House

Justin Madders Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that in many regards, tradition does matter, but so does accuracy. For clarity, communications teams are advised to use “UK Government” rather than departmental names and logos for announcements, but that does not affect the use of the term “His Majesty’s Government”, which continues on all relevant official communications and records, as it should. The “UK Government” term has long been used in public-facing communications.

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Bromborough) (Lab)]

The £20 million that the Government are investing in Ellesmere Port is so welcome, but it is undermined by news such as that yesterday, that Halifax is closing its branch in our town centre. One of the justifications Halifax uses is that its customers are now using the app; well, I am a customer of Halifax and I use the app, but the reason I am a customer of Halifax is that it has a presence in our town centre. This is just another example of the smoke and mirrors banks are using to justify wholesale branch closures, regardless of the care and attention they should be paying to those who are not able to bank electronically, so can we have a debate about what more we can do to make sure banks serve the communities they are supposed to serve?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

This issue often arises, and I understand the concern of residents. I, too, use a bank app, but other people do not; those people look for a presence on the high street, not just from the perspective of convenient banking but because of the importance of our high streets. I encourage my hon. Friend to seek a debate on this matter, perhaps in Westminster Hall, and I am sure he will find others who want to join him.

For their part, the Government have set a target of 350 banking hubs. Most of those hubs have already been rolled out, but that is not the extent of our ambition—we want to go further. I know from the one in my constituency, in Whitley Bay, that those hubs are very popular.

Business of the House

Justin Madders Excerpts

Thursday 27th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Many constituents will look at what the hon. Gentleman has said and recognise the concerns. I know that face-to-face contact with police officers is very valuable. However, over time, the usefulness of big, and often old, police stations has become questionable, particularly given the use of new technology. It is about balance. As for making decisions about police stations and front counters, that is a matter for the commissioner. I also gently refer to the historical underfunding of the police across our country in general in the last 14 years.

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Bromborough) (Lab)]

I am pleased to see that the Employment Rights Bill is coming back to us shortly. It has been eight and a half months since we first sent it to the other place, and the Lords keep blocking it. Now the Greens have joined the Tories and Lib Dems in blocking our manifesto commitment. I am worried that we will not get Royal Assent in time for the important changes to statutory sick pay, which will benefit millions of people, to come into force in April. Will the Leader of the House look at what he can do this side of Christmas to clear the diary and make sure that we get that Bill over the line, so that we can deliver on our manifesto promises?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his work on the Bill, and on getting it this far. We expect that the other place, which has a right to look into these matters, will respect the judgment of this House and act in a timely fashion. I have announced in future business what the next step will be, and I hope that my hon. Friend’s wish that the Bill will get through before Christmas can be achieved.