Business of the House

Ian Lavery Excerpts

Thursday 12th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I will raise the matter with the relevant Minister and ensure that the hon. Lady gets an update on the important point she raises, but I gently point out, as I do when housing matters are considered, that it is much better if these things are decided locally and communities can go along with them, because we do need more houses. We need more houses for people to live in and to make sure communities are resilient, but I will ensure that she gets a response to the specific point from the relevant Minister.

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

Silicosis is a particularly nasty, debilitating respiratory disease. Alarmingly, it is on the increase in the UK, predominantly in young people between the ages of 20 and 30, so we really need to look at it. It is a preventable disease. The reason it is escalating is the increase in dry cutting of engineered stone. May we have a debate in Government time on how the Government can intervene to prevent this debilitating disease from becoming the next national tragedy like asbestos?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend, as ever, raises an important issue. The Government are committed to increasing the capacity of respiratory services, and the NHS has specialist centres for diagnosing and managing lung diseases that cause scarring, such as silicosis. I will ensure that the relevant Minister hears my hon. Friend’s concerns. If he wants a meeting with the Minister, I will help to facilitate that too. We should use the experience of people like my hon. Friend on these matters, because he brings a loud, strong voice to them.