Drug-related Deaths

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Charlotte Nichols]

I absolutely agree. There are huge regional disparities in drug deaths across the country, and a regional approach need to be taken to tackling them.

While I appreciate that drugs policy and legislation do not fall under the Minister’s departmental remit, I am happy to see her here, as the drugs-related deaths crisis is primarily a public health issue, and must be treated as such if we are to avoid repeating the same mistakes of the last 50 years.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

I am proud to be a patron of Burton addiction centre, a residential rehab centre in my constituency. It is calling for a 2% target across the nation. Does my hon. Friend agree with that target for residential rehab? Perhaps the Minister would like to visit some time, when she is able to.

[Charlotte Nichols]

I completely agree about the role that rehab facilities can play in supporting people into recovery, and about the need for proper, consistent funding from the Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Yvette Cooper]

I agree with my hon. Friend that getting civilian pathways out of the city to safety are urgently needed. We are urging for a ceasefire to take place. We need all sides to pull back from this escalating and incredibly dangerous violence. We are seeing the scale of atrocities at risk of taking place, but the most immediate and urgent thing is to get a safe way out of the city for civilians.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to support the Gaza peace plan.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

7. What steps her Department is taking to support the Gaza peace plan.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jacob Collier]

We are grateful to the United States for its co-ordination. This must not be a temporary peace that fades away. As the Foreign Secretary says, the ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides accused of violations, and fighting on the occupied west bank continues. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the UK will continue to play an active role in supporting the peace plan and holding all parties to their commitments?

[Yvette Cooper]

My hon. Friend is right. Given the horrendous suffering that we have seen over the last two years, we need to ensure that the ceasefire holds. Part of that involves getting the humanitarian aid into Gaza. We are urging for more crossings to be opened and for restrictions on humanitarian aid to be lifted, and we are working on some of the crucial next steps, in conjunction with the US, Arab states and many other states that have been involved in supporting the ceasefire, including through the disarmament of Hamas and the development of new governance arrangements.

Middle East

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Monday 23rd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lammy]

Iran has to recognise that it has lost its air defences, and it is my belief that its friends in Russia and China will not be rushing to its aid. It has to recognise that its proxies are degraded, and that the international community is firm that it cannot have a nuclear weapon and it has now got to come back to the negotiating table. We have to put in place a framework that deals with the stockpiles, with the centrifuges, with enrichment to 60%, and with the problem of ballistic missiles.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement and for his level-headed approach in calling for de-escalation. He has spoken about the threat of further escalation with the closure of the strait of Hormuz, through which—as he knows—a large proportion of the world’s oil supply flows. Can he say more about how he will protect UK householders and businesses from a potential rise in oil prices?

[Mr Lammy]

It is important that we de-escalate at this time and that diplomacy prevails, and of course it is important that we work with our allies for every contingency. I am not in the business of talking up fears of an oil price shock; I am working to reassure the British people that we are doing all we can to see that that eventuality does not come to pass.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Wednesday 4th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

I have seen children in Gaza. My Department was able to get two of them out of Gaza last week. [Interruption.] I understand the frustration of the House, but do not give the impression that what this Government are doing is not deeply focused on the fate of children in Gaza. I hear those on the Opposition Benches laughing; of course getting two children out of Gaza is not enough. We hear the reports across the House, but we are doing everything we can and we will continue to do so.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

The Minister referred to the joint statement with France and Canada on 20 May. Things have got worse since that point. Food distribution has been blocked entirely, hunger is being used as a weapon and innocent Palestinians are paying the price. If that statement is to hold up, will the Minister say what action he will be taking with France and Canada?

India-Pakistan: Escalation

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Wednesday 7th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

I represent a large Pakistani and Kashmiri community in Burton who are watching in horror and fear at the risk of further military escalation. Many have family and extended family in the region, and are understandably anxious about their safety and wellbeing. What assurances can the Minister offer to my constituents that the UK is actively engaging with all international partners to support de-escalation, protect wider regional stability and protect civilian lives?

[Mr Falconer]

I recognise the concerns that will be felt in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as they are felt in Lincoln and elsewhere. I can assure him and the whole House that we will use our full diplomatic weight to try to ensure de-escalation in the region.

Middle East Update

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Tuesday 6th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

My hon. Friend is right about the critical nature of the aid shortages in Gaza. The World Food Programme has been clear that it is running out of all stocks to sustain life, and it is vital that the Israelis reverse their path and allow aid back into the strip.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

The Palestinian people have a right to determine the future of their country. What specific action will the Minister take on the proposed indefinite occupation by Israel of Gaza? It risks eroding the sovereignty of the Palestinian people, sets an extreme precedent in international law, and ultimately jeopardises any path to a lasting peace.

[Mr Falconer]

My hon. Friend asks important questions. We are raising these issues directly with the Israeli Government, and we are talking with our allies about what steps we may take next.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Falconer]

The whole House is engaged in this case, and we are all hoping for Laila’s health. The Prime Minister recently met Laila and the rest of her family—a meeting I was pleased to join—and has undertaken to make every effort to ensure Alaa’s release. We will continue to do so.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

T4. On a recent visit to Camp Viking, I witnessed the vital role that this hub for UK commando forces in the high north plays in our strategic defence efforts. What engagement has the Minister had with our Norwegian counterparts to counter Russian aggression and strengthen our collective security in the region?

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

I am delighted that my hon. Friend has visited those incredible commandos during their training. I, too, have visited our Royal Marines and Army commandos in the high north in Norway and witnessed the vital role that they play in our strategic defence efforts. The UK and Norway work closely together as NATO and joint expeditionary force allies. Our Prime Minister signed a strategic partnership agreement in December, and, last week, the Defence Secretary visited Norway to launch a new agreement on deeper defence co-operation. I and the Foreign Secretary have also visited our counterparts, and I can tell my hon. Friend that security and defence co-operation were absolutely at the heart of our efforts and discussions with our Norwegian friends.

Chagos Islands

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Wednesday 5th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Doughty]

I am not going to reflect on the appalling record of the right hon. Gentleman’s Government on defence and our service people. We are getting around to rebuilding our relationship with our armed forces and rebuilding our defences, in view of the global threats that we face.

The right hon. Gentleman asked about the Mauritian Prime Minister, who is, of course, responsible for his own words. I certainly do not recognise some of the commentary that there has been over the last 48 hours. It is clear that there has been no change in the substance of the deal or in the overall quantum agreed.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

The Minister has described the conversations he has had with American allies, but can he update the House on the conversations he has had with the wider NATO partnership, given the consequences that this could have for them?

[Stephen Doughty]

Our NATO membership is utterly crucial. We have a “NATO first” strategy. The Prime Minister has met the Secretary-General in the last 48 hours, and I was with NATO colleagues at the North Atlantic Council just before Christmas. We are absolutely clear in our commitment to our NATO allies and our commitment to the United States. They form a bedrock of our security in a globally uncertain time, and that is also why we need to secure the base into the long-term future.

Northern Gaza

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

Only 16 of the region’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational, with a collective capacity of barely 1,800 beds to serve a population of millions in dire need. Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza should be a crucial lifeline for countless civilians, but the IDF have forcibly evacuated the hospital, detained its medical staff and disrupted its vital services. What consequences on Israel will there be for that action to safeguard those medical institutions and ensure the uninterrupted flow of medical aid?

[Mr Falconer]

As I have said over the course of the afternoon, we are raising those hospitals and the overall question of medical provision with the Israelis, and we will continue to do so.

Syria

Jacob Collier Excerpts

Monday 9th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lammy]

I reassure the hon. Gentleman that those discussions are ongoing, as he would expect given the extent of the challenges in the middle east, and particularly the challenges previously in Lebanon.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

The fall of Assad’s regime marks a pivotal moment for Syria, offering a chance to end over a decade of brutal conflict and suffering at the hands of a man content with using chemical weapons against his fellow citizens. What steps is the Foreign Secretary taking to ensure that Britain works with international partners to secure a stable and inclusive future for Syria, so that all Syrian people can finally live in peace and rebuild their lives?

[Mr Lammy]

I am grateful for the opportunity to repeat that it is very important for me to talk to Emirati, Turkish and Jordanian colleagues at this time, and for the Foreign Office operation to be engaged with the United States and others to ensure that we see a transition to genuine representation that is inclusive.