Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Member for raising this. The epidemic of absence in our schools really does worry me. Thanks to the efforts of schools and parents across the country, we have seen over 3 million more days in school this year compared with last, which is really important, but we do know that pupils with special educational needs face more complex barriers in relation to school attendance. We will of course look at all amendments in the usual way, but in this instance I do think we have struck the right balance.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Q8.  May I start by congratulating Sir Billy Boston? Billy ended his career playing at Blackpool, and I know this has been a long campaign by the Culture Secretary, the Speaker, my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Josh Simons) and many in this House—congratulations to Sir Billy.It has been exposed by Shelter that 12,000 people are waiting for council housing in Blackpool. This is a damning indictment of the legacy of the 14 years of the previous Government. Hundreds of families in my constituency are waiting for housing, stuck in a bed and breakfast or, like my constituent Kaci with her two children in tow, are sofa surfing. So will the Prime Minister, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister, commit to a new generation of social housing and council housing in my constituency, and help me build a better Blackpool?

[The Prime Minister]

I join my hon. Friend on his comments about Billy Boston, and I think the whole House will, Mr Speaker.

We are turning the tide on the housing crisis, with the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in a generation. The Chancellor is investing £39 billion over the next 10 years—almost double what we saw under the last Government—and it is no wonder the National Housing Federation welcomed this as transformative, saying it offers “real hope” to the thousands who need safe, secure and affordable homes.