Coastal Communities: Government Support

Debate between Chris Webb and Neil Duncan-Jordan

Monday 1st June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Neil Duncan-Jordan]

I always welcome contributions from the hon. Member, and I often find myself agreeing with him, as I do on this occasion.

The expensive apartments that have sprung up in my constituency and others are unsuitable for young families in the area or are out of the reach of many local people. While I support the Renters’ Rights Act 2026, we must also go further and look at rent controls to ensure fair play.

That brings me to the health challenges that coastal communities face, and the excellent report from the chief medical officer published in 2021, in which he recognised that coastal communities have some of the worst health outcomes in England, with low life expectancy and high rates of many major diseases. While coastal communities are not all the same, many share similar characteristics, which should help in developing some common policy responses. Fishing or port communities such as mine have particular challenges, and a national strategy informed by those common experiences will help reduce health inequalities in those areas. For example, many coastal communities were created around a single industry that has since moved on, meaning that work can often be scarce or seasonal.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Similar to my hon. Friend’s constituency, Blackpool has some of the worst health outcomes in the country. A boy born in my constituency will live 10 years less than a boy born in Hampshire. That is my son, and many others across Blackpool, with a decade lost before they have even started their life. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is about not just additional funding for the NHS, but reducing inequality in the housing and jobs markets, as well as strategic support for coastal communities, where support for the big cities has been for the last few decades?

[Neil Duncan-Jordan]

I absolutely support my hon. Friend’s contribution. Let us be clear that we are not going to get the kind of society that we want until we eradicate inequality. I believe that with a much more equal society, we will see more compassion, care and community.