Business of the House

Debate between Dan Aldridge and Alan Campbell

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating St Mirren football club and Johnstone Burgh FC on their achievements. I hesitate to go further, because what I am quickly learning in this job is to tread carefully where the often tribal matters of local football are concerned.

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

A very merry Christmas to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to everybody in this place.

In a historic win against Chelmsford on 6 December—it is another football success story—Weston-super-Mare football club, for the first time in our history, reached the third round of the FA cup. Like many Westonians, I am really excited to head to Grimsby in January with the fans to cheer on the Seagulls and to show my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn) how impressive our lads are on the pitch. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the whole Weston-super-Mare team, the club staff and the amazing fans who, through their long-standing support, have made this historic game possible?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly respect the huge achievement of getting through to the third round of the FA cup for the first time—a massive achievement. It is good that that is on the record. I wish both the Seagulls of Weston-super-Mare and the Mariners of Grimsby Town the best of luck when they come together for what will be a coastal derby in the new year. The fans, the team and the club staff are all part not just of a local game but a national game, and I congratulate them on that fantastic milestone. I wish both teams well. I wish everyone involved in seasonal matches across the country all the very best for this festive period.

Business of the House

Debate between Dan Aldridge and Alan Campbell

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Ruby sounds like an exceptional individual, and of course I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to her. Our Inclusion 2028 programme will improve opportunities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities to take part in sport. I think that this would be a popular topic for a Backbench Business debate, so she may wish to apply for one.

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

Weston-super-Mare and Worle residents are rightly proud of their community, but abandoned commercial waste and rubbish filling its once proud public spaces undermines our town and civic pride, and the burden of cleaning up has been shifted on to cash-strapped councils and volunteers. Will the Leader of the House allocate time for a debate on how businesses, councils and communities can all help to keep our high streets clean?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I invite my hon. Friend to apply for either a Backbench Business debate or an Adjournment debate on the subject. He is right that everyone has a role to play. Local authorities have a key role to play in using their power to ensure that spaces are kept clean. As part of our pride in place strategy, we plan to bring forward statutory enforcement guidance on things like littering and fly-tipping.

Business of the House

Debate between Dan Aldridge and Alan Campbell

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sorry to hear about Chris’s situation. I understand that my hon. Friend may be in correspondence with the Department of Work and Pensions and either awaiting or have just received a reply. Oral questions for that Department are next week, but depending on those things, I suggest that he either follows up by meeting Ministers in the Department or by seeking a debate on the matter because there will be a shared concern across the House.

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

Many will have been engrossed by the programme “The Summer I Turned Pretty”. Personally, I am team Conrad. He has shown a new audience that therapy is accessible to young men in a world that still shames our emotions. Will the Leader of the House allocate time for a debate on improving access to therapy and mental health support for men?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this matter and to champion mental health for men and young boys, who often find it difficult to open up about their emotions. Our forthcoming men’s health strategy will set out how we can find ways to promote healthy behaviour and improve outcomes for conditions that hit men and boys. Should my hon. Friend seek a debate, he may hear about our plans from the Minister.