Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Absolutely. I invite the hon. Lady to seek a debate when we return after the summer recess, so that she can make the case for her constituency and for this issue. It is vital that young people learn about where their food comes from. Last Friday, I was at Southridge primary school in my constituency, where outdoor education is transforming the lives of young people: not only are they growing their own food, while the importance of that is explained to them, but they have the opportunity to learn and to play. I thank her for raising this matter.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

In my constituency surgeries and on the doorsteps in Erewash, I keep hearing how my constituents have been experiencing significant delays with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, particularly in processing driving licences—very specifically, medical driving licences. At one recent surgery I spoke to Connie Frisby, who had some excellent ideas about how the DVLA service could be modernised and digitised. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the delays at the DVLA and how we might make it better?

Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

It is always an honour to speak in the Adjournment debate in memory of Sir David Amess. As is traditional, I will endeavour to cram as many topics as I can into my contribution before we break for the summer recess.

I will discuss recent knife crime in Ilkeston. While it would not be appropriate for me to discuss any one individual case in detail, some incidents recently have affected my community deeply. As always, my thoughts are with those affected. I will continue to engage with the families of those involved and the wider community over the summer, as well as our local police, our police and crime commissioner, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, and local councillors from across the political spectrum as we work together to make our community safer.

Let me briefly address East Midlands Railway, a service that I use regularly to travel between Erewash and London. This week, EMR has continued to operate a reduced timetable, citing the impact of recent hot weather. While extreme weather can affect rail services, passengers have faced disruption and shortcomings for years, and the hot weather is not going away. The introduction of the new Aurora fleet is very much welcome, but progress has been very slow. In the meantime, passengers are relying on the ageing class 222 Meridian trains, which lack modern amenities such as properly functional wi-fi. Passengers deserve a reliable, modern railway, and I hope the roll-out of the Aurora fleet accelerates to deliver the improvements long promised on the midland main line.

Supporting grassroots music has always mattered to me, both as a former gigging musician and as the MP for Erewash. Last summer, I spoke in this debate about the importance of protecting the small venues that give new artists their first opportunities and bring communities together through live music. Since then, I have been out and seen a stack of bands at grassroots gigs, because those venues and acts thrive only when people show up. Grassroots music is about more than entertainment; it creates jobs, strengthens our communities and gives the next generation of artists somewhere to begin their journey—and, often, it is something for young people to do. However, the problems of venue closures, poor pay for artists and high prices for tickets endures, so, to repeat my sentiment from last time: colleagues and friends, please go and see a band this summer.

I have some quick-fire points. The Big Paddle Cleanup is Paddle UK’s wonderful initiative designed to clean up our waterways, and I thank all volunteers for their work. I am really excited that Bennerley viaduct visitor centre is formally opening this week, and I very much look forward to my first coffee there. I wish a very happy anniversary to Manor fish bar in Ilkeston, which is currently celebrating 20 years of fantastic chips. Treetops hospice in Risley is an amazing local charity that provides hospice at-home support for thousands of Derbyshire families using its innovative provision model, and I hope to engage with the Health Secretary after recess to discuss that model.

Let me give a shout-out to my barber, Ev Swift, who is essentially a core member of my team at this point. He is always there to put a smile on my face, and he is far more famous on Instagram than I am, so do give him a follow—my guy is hilarious. I give an invitation to all Members: they are very welcome to join me for a creamy pint this summer in the Sawley Junction, the Burnt Pig or the Hoptimist over recess. I have one more point: may I beg Reform on Derbyshire county council to sort out the potholes? They are a right state.

I am sure that every Member across the House values the contribution of their own teams; we have heard from various colleagues about them and all the work that they do. I put on record my thanks to my incredible team. To Becca, Curtis, Harrison, Hollie, Jude, Robert, Ruby and Vikki, I express my very sincere thanks for everything that you do. Similarly, I thank my colleagues on Erewash borough council; James Dawson and our mayor, Greg Maskalick, are doing wonderful work.

I have covered as many topics as I can this afternoon— I have several further discarded pages that I would have raised had I had the time. As we head into this recess, I thank again my team, my colleagues on the council, all the staff in the House—particularly those retiring this summer—and everyone who works so hard behind the scenes to keep this place running. I wish all Members a restful and wonderful summer, and I look forward to returning in September to continue making the case for Erewash. Happy recess, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend makes a powerful case for the role that local radio plays in giving a platform to local voices and communities. We have launched our local media strategy, with an increase in community radio funding to £1 million per year. I suggest that my hon. Friend apply for a Westminster Hall debate to discuss the role that radio plays in our local communities, because every constituency will be affected.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

I recently did the school run in Ilkeston with Bebe Newton, experiencing it in the way that she does: in a wheelchair. We navigated broken pavements, uneven crossings and all kinds of poorly placed street furniture. It really showed me the barriers that disabled people face every day of their lives. It was so difficult, mentally and physically exhausting and, at times, dangerous. Will the Leader of the House consider having a debate so that we can examine properly the experiences of disabled people and the barriers that they face in everyday life?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As ever, my hon. Friend is a champion for the rights of his constituents, and I pay tribute to him for that. We are committed to ensuring that streets and transport networks are accessible for everyone, including disabled people. However, the overall responsibility for the management of pavements, crossings and street furniture lies with the local highway authority. I hope that it has heard his powerful representation on behalf of his constituents.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As the hon. Gentleman showed last week, he is very keen—I understand his keenness—to say what happened at the local elections in his patch and to mention the Reform victory. But as I pointed out to him, he should get his campaigning shoes out, because Reform councillors sometimes discover that they do not want to be councillors or that their local authority decides that they are ineligible to be councillors. Collectively across the country, they usually underperform and let people down. I congratulate Reform on its success in the local elections, but I advise the party to prepare for by-elections, as we are seeing elsewhere in the country, particularly when local residents find out what it has done.

The hon. Gentleman made his point about Greater London last week, and nothing has changed between then and this week. His area is still part of Greater London. If he wishes to campaign, that is a fair thing to do—I know he did so when he sat on the Conservative Benches. He has campaigned in order to get an independent voice, and I know that he will always be an independent voice for his area, but it is still part of the same set-up.

The wider point is that it is very tempting to go down the route of the politics of division, but it is not very helpful. I would urge caution.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

Two local sisters in Breaston are seeking to turn the former Hidden Ivy garden centre into a new nursery to provide much-needed childcare for local families, but they face a lengthy and costly change-of-use process, including the requirement for a professional bat survey. Although proper environmental protections are important, many small community projects are being discouraged by burdensome planning requirements and excessive costs. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the planning rules surrounding change-of-use applications and the barriers they create for great projects such as the proposed new nursery in Breaston?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The Government agree with my hon. Friend that there must be a balance between planning rules and practicality, and we did consult on changes to the national planning policy framework to emphasise the need for proportionality in these matters. Through the nature restoration fund, we will also remove the need for site-by-site approaches to mitigation to support protected species at the strategic level. My hon. Friend may wish to raise this issue directly with Ministers at Housing, Communities and Local Government questions on Monday to get the latest thinking.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I offer the hon. Lady a meeting with the relevant Minister to look at the details of the case and see what more can be done.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

Councillor Harry Atkinson recently marked his final day as civic mayor of the borough of Erewash with a visit to this House. At just 25 years old, he was widely believed to be the youngest mayor in the country during his mayoral year. During that year, he raised over £5,000 for charity, including two grand on an incredible journey driving a Reliant Robin across Europe to Erewash’s twin towns—for the record, they are not built for that. I am incredibly proud of Harry and his work in demonstrating that public service, civic pride and democracy are alive and thriving among the next generation. Will the Leader of the House therefore consider granting time for a debate on the importance of youth involvement in politics?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in recognising the exceptional service of Councillor Harry Atkinson not only to his local community but to charity. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for a debate as I believe youth involvement in politics would be a popular topic. As for what we do in that regard, it is important that the House reaches out in all sorts of ways, but we should not forget that we also have the Youth Parliament.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

A very happy St George’s day to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Erewash Voluntary Action underpins dozens of community groups in Erewash, providing governance, safeguarding and volunteer support. Councils for voluntary service like EVA need infrastructure investment to provide support to frontline groups and volunteers. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating EVA on securing more than £400,000 in funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and consider finding time for us to debate the importance of locally rooted voluntary sector infrastructure organisations like the fantastic Erewash Voluntary Action?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to champion the work of the brilliant community groups in his constituency, and I join him in congratulating Erewash Voluntary Action on securing its funding and continuing to support community engagement. There has been a theme this morning, and indeed in other sessions, about the importance of community volunteers, so I will certainly give some thought to his suggestion that we should find a way of discussing these matters further.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 26th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

First, let me express my sympathies for Suzi. We talk about many issues in this place, and it is easy to forget sometimes the impact on people’s lives in our constituencies. I agree with my hon. Friend that cross-departmental working is important. If he provides me with the case details, I will ensure that he gets a response from the relevant Minister.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

Long Eaton Town Deal Board has been accelerating towards delivery of so many projects—a new events field, a new office space, a pair of beautiful bridges across the Erewash canal, and a stunning rebuild of our town centre. So many have contributed, but none more so than our board chair, local business leader and proud champion of Long Eaton Richard Ledger. Last week, Richard was awarded the freedom of the borough of Erewash for his immeasurable service to our patch. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating him on this award, and will he consider granting time to discuss the importance of such awards for our communities?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend on congratulating Richard Ledger and the successes of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board. As he knows, through our Pride in Place programme, we are helping communities to take back control. This goes to show what can happen when communities are in the driving seat, have the resources that they need, and have fantastic individuals like Richard Ledger, who can make best use of the resources and show leadership on these matters. Should he wish to apply for an Adjournment debate on the subject, I am sure that he and other Members could use it to speak about the good things that are happening in many of our constituencies.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 12th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

That issue was raised earlier this week by my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh). I understand the concern. It is important that the Government are changing the law in this regard, and the hon. Gentleman is right to call out people who are acting unfairly in the run-up to that change. It is much more important that we protect the people involved, rather than seek to play party politics.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

In Erewash, we are very lucky to have a fantastic community radio station in Erewash Sound. Thanks to the incredible Jeff Martin, Paul Stacey, Emma Duthie and dozens of other volunteers, we have a proper local radio station that focuses on hyper-local matters, promotes our community and has created a media training pipeline through the Erewash Sound Academy, which creates real excellence. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on community radio, so that everyone can hear more about the magic that my community and many others around the country enjoy?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in thanking all those involved in community radio, including Jeff, Paul and Emma at Erewash Sound. I know my hon. Friend was a keen musician in his youth, and that community radio stations such as those in his community are vital for local and grassroots music. I encourage him to apply for a Westminster Hall debate on the topic, because I am sure others would wish to join in and celebrate what is happening in their areas.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly join my hon. Friend in praising the work of Transform Trade and congratulating it on its 40th anniversary. Let me take this opportunity to thank the founders of Traidcraft and everyone involved over those four decades. It has been very important to her constituency, where it was founded, and to constituencies such as mine. The UK will continue to champion free and fair trade, and Traidcraft—now Transform Trade—has an important part to play in that. If my hon. Friend applies for a Westminster Hall debate on this matter, I am sure that it would be well attended.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

I know from my own time in the air cadets, as well as from hearing recently from 348 Ilkeston squadron and TS Indomitable in Long Eaton, that the cadet movement is an incredible force for excellence in young people’s development. I am sure the Leader of the House will agree that the adult volunteers who drive the movement do amazing work, quietly building young people into pillars of their communities, but will he consider recognising those volunteers and the wider cadet movement by supporting the Government in organising a national cadets week?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is right to champion the work of cadets and the impact that they have on young people. I join him in praising all the volunteers who allow cadet forces to operate; they are so important to our local communities and are of such value to young people’s life chances. I can confirm that Ministry of Defence officials are looking at the viability of taking forward a national cadets week.

Business of the House

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Charities such as the Pilgrim Hearts Trust are the golden thread that runs through our communities, and I thank Elaine and everyone at Pilgrim Hearts for their 25 years of service to the local community. Homelessness is a moral stain on our society, and this Government will not stand idly by and allow it to continue. We are investing £1 billion to give homeless people the security of a roof over their head, to get them back on track, and to end homelessness for good.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

On Monday, Ilkeston’s No.1 tourist attraction, the NatWest hole, was cruelly divided in two by a metal pole, which was installed with no explanation. The hole is a beloved part of the fabric of our town, and its defacement caused significant distress to my community. Thankfully, the pole mysteriously vanished a few hours later, but I have written to NatWest to try to understand what happened. Will the Leader of the House consider scheduling a debate on the protected status of local heritage sites and quirky landmarks, so that we can discuss whether Historic England might grant the Ilkeston hole listed status?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this interesting matter to the House. The UK is full of incredible quirky history, and I will make sure that the relevant Minister has heard his point. I encourage him to seek an Adjournment debate on the issue he raises, and I hope that NatWest has also heard his remarks.