Oral Answers to Questions

Keir Starmer Excerpts

Wednesday 21st May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lewis Cocking (Broxbourne) (Con)]

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 21 May.

[The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)]

My deepest condolences—and those of the whole House, I am sure—are with the families and friends of Jennie, Martyn and David, who were tragically killed in the fire in Bicester last week.

I welcome to the Under-Gallery Cheryl Korbel, the mother of Olivia. I am always humbled by those with the courage to respond to appalling heartbreak by campaigning for change. I know that the whole House will pay tribute to her extraordinary courage and extraordinary resolve.

Because of the actions taken by this Government, the UK is now the fastest growing economy in the G7, interest rates have been cut four times, and we have secured our third trade deal in three weeks—deals with India, the US and the EU. These deals are in the national interest and will improve the lives of working people and businesses across the United Kingdom.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Lewis Cocking]

This Labour Government have been in power now for almost 12 months. When will the Prime Minister stop defying the will of the British people, stop dancing around the subject, and stop all illegal immigration into the United Kingdom, which has been rising on his watch?

[The Prime Minister]

It was the previous Government who lost control of immigration; they had record numbers for net migration, and lost control of the borders. We are bringing forward legislation to give law enforcement the greatest possible powers. What are the Conservatives doing? They are voting against it.

[Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)]

Q2. While the economy is showing signs of improving, many pensioners are still impacted by the cost of living crisis. People in Luton who have worked hard all their lives are seeing their precious savings slip away. Will the Prime Minister tell us what measures he will take to help struggling pensioners in towns like mine?

[The Prime Minister]

We all know that the economy was left in an absolute mess by the Tories. We had to stabilise the economy with tough decisions, but they were the right decisions. Because of them, the economy is beginning to improve: there were those growth figures last year—we had the highest growth in the G7; there were four interest rate cuts in a row; and there have been three trade deals. However, I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners, and as the economy improves, we want to make sure that people feel those improvements each day as their lives go forward. That is why we want to ensure that more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments as we go forward. As you would expect, Mr Speaker, we will make only the decisions that we can afford, and that is why we will look at that as part of a fiscal event.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Leader of the Opposition.

[Mrs Kemi Badenoch (North West Essex) (Con)]

It was extraordinary listening to that last answer from the Prime Minister. Inflation was 2% when the Conservatives left office; it is now nearly double that. When will he recognise that it is Labour’s Budget that is driving up inflation?

[The Prime Minister]

What the right hon. Lady forgot to say was that inflation rose to more than 11% on the Conservatives’ watch, and she did not say a word. I am confident that those numbers will come down; the Bank of England is confident that they will come down, too, which is why we have seen four interest rate cuts in a row. I notice that the right hon. Lady cannot resist grabbing any opportunity to talk the country down. She does not mention the growth figures, the interest rate figures, the record investment, wages being up more than prices, the 200,000 jobs created or the three trade deals. The reason is that the Conservatives have not learned and they have not changed. As George Osborne said, the Leader of the Opposition does not have a credible economic plan.

[Mrs Badenoch]

That is laughable from the Prime Minister. He knows that inflation was brought down by us to 2%—bang on target. We were reacting to a war in Ukraine that brought inflation up all over Europe. While he is doing trade deals with countries such as the US and India, their inflation is going down, but it is going up here. Why? The Office for National Statistics says that the inflation figures are driven by significant increases in household bills. We warned him repeatedly that this is exactly what would happen—what his policies would do. We called it “awful April”. The Prime Minister came into office saying that he would tackle the cost of living crisis. He has failed. He has not got a clue, has he?

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Lady talks of the Conservatives’ record. There was the disastrous Liz Truss mini-Budget; inflation was through the roof; there was a £22 billion black hole; living standards were at an all-time low; energy prices went through the roof; and mortgages went through the roof. We are taking measures to bring prices down. The EU deal will bring prices down; that is why supermarkets have welcomed it. What does she do? She opposes measures to bring prices down.

[Mrs Badenoch]

The Prime Minister needs to stop whining about what the last Government did and look at what he is doing. He is the Prime Minister. Look at the numbers this morning. As if inflation figures were not bad enough, we have also learned that the Deputy Prime Minister is on manoeuvres. The Prime Minister has lost control of the economy and he has lost control of his Cabinet. The Deputy Prime Minister is sitting there staring at me. She knew exactly what she was doing when she briefed the papers. She is demanding eight new tax rises—as if we have not suffered enough. People out there are struggling. Businesses are struggling. People are losing their jobs. We cannot have more tax rises. Will the Prime Minister rule out new tax rises this year?

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Lady has not learned or changed. The Conservatives lost the election because of their appalling record on the NHS, on health, on prisons—you name it. Now she accuses everyone of whining about the impact that had on the country. It had a huge impact on working people across the country and they are absolutely right to complain about it. She wants to talk about the Deputy Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister, working with the Chancellor, is building 1.5 million new homes, reforming our planning system, putting £7 billion into our economy, and bringing forward an Employment Rights Bill, which will be the single biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.

[Mrs Badenoch]

That is desperate stuff. The whole House will have heard the Prime Minister refuse to rule out new tax rises. The whole House heard it: he did not rule them out. There is open warfare in his Cabinet. The Deputy Prime Minister is clearly calling the shots. What have we learned? We are heading for new tax rises. We know that inflation is up. It is just more and more bad news from a Prime Minister who has lost control. We heard the Prime Minister’s earlier answer on winter fuel. Let us try to get some more information. I shall ask him a simple question. It requires only one word: yes or no. Is he planning to U-turn on winter fuel cuts?

[The Prime Minister]

I made it clear in my earlier answer that as the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact people’s lives, so we will look at the threshold, but that will have to be part of a fiscal event. The Conservatives lost control of every element of the economy, of prisons, of borders, of the NHS—you name it—and now she has lost control of her party. The Conservatives are sliding into oblivion. They will have to trade on their past, because that is all they have.

[Mrs Badenoch]

I made it really easy for the Prime Minister. It was a simple question—yes or no—and he could not answer it. I wonder how the public feel about a man who cannot give a straight answer to a simple question. Look at the MPs behind him—they are all cheering. When this inevitable U-turn on winter fuel comes, and it will, from a desperate Prime Minister, what will he say to the 348 MPs who went over the top and voted for the winter fuel cut last September? Just like the British public, how can any of them ever trust him again?

[The Prime Minister]

It is only because of the measures that we have taken that the economy is improving, with growth at the highest rate in the G7, four interest rate cuts, and three trade deals, because countries want to trade with us. Those things are because of the decisions that we have made, and all those decisions were opposed by Conservative Members. They have learned absolutely nothing and they are going absolutely nowhere.

[Mrs Badenoch]

This is a Prime Minister who says he is taking measures, but the jobs tax is killing jobs, inflation is up, and business confidence is down. Everyone is worried. He promised to cut bills, but today we see that they are rising because of his policies. He promised not to raise taxes on working people, but his jobs tax means that people are losing their jobs. Every week, we come here with a new company that says it is shedding jobs, and that is on his watch. He promised to protect pensioners, but his winter fuel cut has driven thousands into hardship. His MPs hate this—he cannot see them, but they all look sick just hearing what it he is going to do. [Interruption.] They are laughing—[Interruption.]

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Badenoch]

His MPs are laughing, just as they laughed at the Budget. Hands up who here wanted winter fuel cuts? Not a single one of them. The fact is, this Prime Minister is destroying them. They need to look at what they are doing to the country. The truth is, and we all know it, that it is this Prime Minister, this Labour Government and their policies that are shafting the country, is it not?

[The Prime Minister]

They look in pretty good form to me, and there are lots of them. The Leader of the Opposition talks about business confidence. I did not have time yesterday to read out all the businesses that have come out in support of our EU deal, and I do not have time today—it is a long list. I went immediately to Lidl and spoke to the staff there. They are delighted with the deal we put forward yesterday. Business like the work we are doing, and it is giving them confidence in the EU deal, but the right hon. Lady is opposed to each and every measure.

[Louise Jones (North East Derbyshire) (Lab)]

Q4.   I recently visited Barrow Hill primary school in my constituency—a school in receipt of a new free breakfast club. The team there are doing a fantastic job, but challenges remain. What more can we do as a Government to support both them and local parents to give the children of Barrow Hill the start in life that they deserve?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend; we are united by a shared focus on creating better life chances for our children, and I am delighted to hear that her constituents are already benefiting from our changes. Thanks to our plan for change, we will deliver free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England. I am determined to support parents to give every child the best start in life. That is why we are rolling out free childcare, expanding the first 300 school-based nurseries, and delivering more family hubs.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

[Ed Davey (Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)]

Can I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about the terrible fire in Bicester last Thursday? I know from my hon. Friend the Member for Bicester and Woodstock (Calum Miller) how deeply the close-knit community there has been affected by this tragedy. The firefighters Martyn Sadler and Jennie Logan were true heroes, as was Dave Chester. I hope that the prayers and thoughts of the House are with their loved ones and the two firefighters still in hospital.

The Prime Minister has rightly said that his new trade deals will give a much-needed boost to economic growth, and thus the public finances, but will he make sure that struggling families and pensioners see the benefits of this growth? He teased the House in his answer to the hon. Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen); will he commit now to reversing his cuts to the winter fuel payment in full?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the right hon. Member for his comments about the Bicester tragedy; it is important that in a moment like this the House comes together. We are taking measures to help with the cost of living crisis. The EU deal yesterday was so important because of the impact it will have on prices, particularly in supermarkets. That will directly benefit those who are affected by the cost of living crisis.

What I said before was that the economy is beginning to improve, but people are still feeling the pressure. That is why we are taking the measures we are taking and striking the trade deals we are striking. As it improves, I want people to feel the benefit of the measures we are taking. That is why I want to ensure that more pensioners are eligible for the winter fuel allowance. It is important, as Members would expect, that we are clear that we can afford the decision we are making. That is why this will now be looked at in a fiscal event.

[Ed Davey]

I think that I welcome what the Prime Minister has said, but we will look at the details. I hope that he will use some of these new proceeds to help others, like carers. The Government’s changes to the personal independence payment will have big consequences for family carers like Ginny, who cares for her husband Tim, who has myotonic dystrophy. Ginny holds her husband’s hand to keep him steady as he walks. He falls frequently and chokes on his food. Ginny is the sole earner in the family—she works part time on top of caring for Tim—but she has calculated that under the Government’s cuts her family will lose £12,000 a year. Will the Prime Minister tell Ginny and many family carers like her what he expects them to do?

[The Prime Minister]

We have approached this on the basis of the principle that we must support those who need support. On the question of getting people into work, we should support people into work where they can work—and of course, where they can work, they should—but it is undeniable that the current arrangements do not work and need to be reformed. That is why we are bringing forward necessary reform to ensure that the system works better.

[Anneliese Midgley (Knowsley) (Lab)]

Q5.  Yesterday in this place, I read the victim impact statement that Cheryl Korbel never got to say to her daughter’s killer Thomas Cashman, because he refused to face her in court. I am made up that Olivia’s law passed Second Reading, but until it gets Royal Assent criminals can still not show up, denying victims justice. Will the Prime Minister commit to making sure that Olivia’s law becomes law as fast as possible?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for reading that victim impact statement. I know from talking to Cheryl how hard it was for her to make that victim impact statement in the first place; it took a huge amount of courage, and grief. She wanted to read that statement to the perpetrator, as she should have been able to do. I know from the meetings that I have had with her how visceral the pain is to her of not having been able to do so. I therefore thank my hon. Friend for reading that impact statement out in the Chamber, allowing it to be heard by the whole world.

Cowards who commit these heinous crimes should face the consequences of their actions, which have a huge impact on victims’ lives. That is why we will force offenders to attend their sentencing hearings, with longer sentences, unlimited fines and prison sanctions for those who seek to avoid facing justice. I pay tribute again to Cheryl, who I will meet later this afternoon, for having the incredible courage to push for that change, notwithstanding the incredibly painful impact it has had on her and her family.

[Jim Allister (North Antrim) (TUV)]

The Government assure us that Northern Ireland is still in the United Kingdom’s customs union. If so, how is it that British steel can be sold to the United States tariff-free, but that same British steel if sold into Northern Ireland is subject to EU tariffs? Why on Monday did the Prime Minister not even try to take back control over the trade laws that govern Northern Ireland?

[The Prime Minister]

It is important that we reduce tariffs on steel into the US market and other markets—including the EU markets—for obvious reasons. It is also vital that we seek to ensure that we reduce any barriers in trade within the United Kingdom as a whole. Yesterday was a step towards that. There is further work to do, but we do want to get to that place where we can trade without those barriers in the United Kingdom. We will continue to work on that.

[Andrew Pakes (Peterborough) (Lab)]

Q6. The Prime Minister will know that thriving high streets are essential to local growth, but in cities such as mine, people are increasingly concerned by the uncontrolled growth of betting shops and vape stores. Research shows that that concern is not isolated. Nearly half of betting shops and gambling stores are in the 20% of places that are struggling the most, such as Peterborough. Will the Prime Minister ask his Departments to meet me and campaigners so that we can discuss ways that local communities such as mine can take back control of our high streets?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is an excellent champion for his constituents. We are committed to supporting our nation’s high streets to adapt and thrive. Planning applications are required for any new betting office to ensure that locals have a say on individual cases and that communities can use the planning system to allow for a change of use of their properties. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets the meeting that he has asked for.

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

Q3. On Friday, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published its report on the Government’s vision for agriculture. The Committee agrees with the Government that land purchase being used to shelter wealth from inheritance tax is a problem that needs to be tackled. As a cross-party Committee with a Government majority, however, we took the unanimous view that the Government’s current proposals for inheritance tax reform will catch too many family farms that will simply not be able to pay the bill. We ask for the changes to be paused and reworked. Will the Prime Minister listen to the Select Committee and those on his own Benches who want to tackle tax evasion and support the farmers who keep producing food for the nation’s table?

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Gentleman knows the very limited impact of the inheritance tax, only on farmers at a very high level. He will also know the record amount of money in the Budget that we put into farming and the measures taken yesterday with the EU deal, which will massively help farmers who sell their product into the EU market.

[Julia Buckley (Shrewsbury) (Lab)]

Q8.   The Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway is on track to link north Wales and my Shrewsbury constituency directly to London, with five trains daily, strengthening cross-border travel and fuelling this Government’s mission to drive economic growth. With 15 Members from constituencies along the route already on board, will the Prime Minister support our journey and urge the Office of Rail and Road to give WSMR’s open access application the green signal?

[The Prime Minister]

Our plan for change will see the railways reformed to deliver more reliable and better value services for passengers right across the country. My hon. Friend has been a champion for better railways and easier journeys for her constituents. Open access operators have huge potential to offer passengers more choice. I will be delighted to ensure that she and other interested MPs meet the Rail Minister to put their case forward.

[Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)]

Q7.  I think I am right in saying that the Prime Minister might be a lawyer, trained to review evidence and reach judgment. When he looks at the effects of his decisions—cutting the winter fuel payment and making pensioners poorer, damaging businesses with the jobs tax, decimating rural communities with the family farm tax and risking our food security by selling off our fishing waters—surely he can review the evidence and see the verdict. Will the Prime Minister throw those damaging policies out of his court once and for all, before they do any more harm?

[The Prime Minister]

The evidence is certainly coming in: the highest growth in the G7; four interest rate cuts in a row; and trade deals with countries across the world that want to do deals with this country because they can see the stability that this Government have brought about. Instability with the Conservatives; stability and growth with this Labour Government.

[Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab)]

Q10. It is National Epilepsy Week and we are joined in the Public Gallery by England rugby player Tommy Freeman, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at 19 but who, through effective treatment, has gone on to be selected for the British and Irish Lions. I hope the Prime Minister will join me in congratulating him on that great achievement. For a third of epilepsy sufferers, however, seizures cannot be controlled by medication, as in the case of my constituent Ben Lacey, who suffers multiple seizures every single day. Ben will never be able to work, yet he has been subject to the stress and uncertainty of multiple PIP reassessments. Will the Prime Minister reaffirm his commitment to ensuring that people such as Ben, who have lifelong conditions and who cannot work, will be protected from those damaging reassessments and given the support they need to live with dignity?

[The Prime Minister]

May I begin by congratulating Tommy and everyone selected to represent the British and Irish Lions? It is an incredible achievement and we will be cheering them on.

It is important that we protect those with severe disabilities or lifelong health conditions who cannot work, paying them a premium and stopping those reassessments, which is part of the reform that we are bringing about. Ultimately, we also need to get back to face-to-face assessments by trained assessors and health professionals, which fell to only one in 10 assessments under the previous Government.

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Reform)]

Q9. This Prime Minister keeps telling his gullible Back Benchers that he has deported 24,000 people from this country since he came into power, but he will not say who these people are. It is my guess that they are people who came on work visas or students and that they were simply overstayers, but I am willing to be proved wrong if he can answer one simple question: how many of these people that he has deported are failed asylum seekers that have come on small boats or on the back of lorries? Answer the question!

[The Prime Minister]

I am very proud that we have removed over 24,000 people: the highest record for nearly 10 years. We are taking other measures to get back control of our borders, including the Borders Bill, which gives our law enforcement enhanced powers, including terrorism-like powers. What did the hon. Member’s party do? What did he do? He voted against them, and I will tell you why: they do not want to fix this problem, because it benefits them not to fix it. Party before country.

It is very good that the hon. Member is standing in for the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) today. There was no sign of him yesterday at the EU summit. He was the first through the e-gates to somewhere in the south of France: Nice work if you can get it!

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Q11. I welcome the Government’s investment of £680 million into mental health support. Meanwhile, in Scotland, many children in my constituency are stuck on an NHS Lothian neurodevelopmental waiting list, which only recently has seen patients referred in March 2022. This delay can lead to poor mental health, with children ending up on a child and adolescent mental health services waiting list too. How will the Prime Minister work with the devolved Governments to ensure faster diagnosis and greater support, so that no child across these isles grows up on a waiting list?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend rightly and powerfully raises the broken promises of the Scottish National party on mental health services. This is important, and we will have positive discussions with the devolved Governments to work on addressing mental health waiting times. The SNP promised to invest in frontline mental health services, then cut them by £54 million in real terms this year. With a record settlement in the Budget and two decades in power, the SNP is out of excuses and out of ideas. Scotland deserves better than that.

[Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) (SNP)]

Q12. If the Prime Minister agrees that the Israeli Government starving children to death is monstrous, why does he think it is okay for the UK to continue to sell Israel the equipment for the fighter jets to drop bombs on those starving children?

[The Prime Minister]

What we contribute into a pot is parts for fighter jets, and if we were to stop that, they could not be used by other countries in other conflicts, including those in which we are involved—[Interruption.] The hon. Member does not know the detail at all. They are not sold directly. They go into a pot. If we were to stop that, they would not then be available to others around the world who desperately need them in the conflicts they are engaged in, and that is why we will not do it.

[Cat Eccles (Stourbridge) (Lab)]

Q13.   The dementia gateway in my constituency was recently at risk of closure following £42 million-worth of budget cuts by the Conservative-run Dudley council. The gateway is a vital service for dementia patients and their carers, providing daytime activities and advice and support from trained advisers. Following a well-fought campaign with cross-party support, the dementia gateway has been saved. In this Dementia Action Week, will the Prime Minister join me in congratulating Lisa and the campaigners? Does he agree that such services are essential and that they support the Government’s mission to provide quality care in our communities close to home?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend and celebrate Lisa and all those who have saved this important source of local support. The Conservatives left local councils on the brink, unable to provide these vital services, letting down patients across the country. We are committed to improving dementia care through our plan for change, which is why we provided a £69 billion boost for local government, invested £26 billion in the NHS and made £3.7 billion available for social care, including an £880 million increase in the social care grant.

[Rupert Lowe (Great Yarmouth) (Ind)]

Q14. Does the Prime Minister agree that imprisoning Lucy Connolly, a young mother with a 12-year-old daughter, for one foolish social media post that was soon deleted is clearly not an efficient or fair use of prison?

[The Prime Minister]

Sentencing is a matter for our courts, and I celebrate the fact that we have independent courts in this country. I am strongly in favour of free speech. We have had free speech in this country for a very long time, and we protect it fiercely. But I am equally against incitement to violence against other people, and I will always support the action taken by our police and courts to keep our streets and people safe.

[Mr Paul Foster (South Ribble) (Lab)]

I recently visited St Catherine’s hospice in Lostock Hall, which serves wonderfully my constituents in South Ribble, those of Ribble Valley and some of your constituents in Chorley, Mr Speaker. I discovered that the hospice has to pay an excessive £350,000 a year for medication, which can only be sourced from the private sector, not the NHS. After some investigating, I found that there is a postcode lottery for integrated care boards. Some ICBs are fully funded and supply all medication, some subsidise it and some do not supply it at all. Evidence shows that there is a disparity between hospices in the more deprived areas not being funded and those in the more affluent areas being funded. Will the Prime Minister please speak with the Health Secretary as a matter of urgency and get free medication supplied by all ICBs to all hospices across the country?

[The Prime Minister]

We have put record amounts into the NHS in the Budget, and we are beginning to see the results of that. I accept the point that my hon. Friend makes, and we will look again to ensure that the money is properly used in the most efficient way.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Q15. A month ago, I was denied entry into Hong Kong on a private visit. In the absence of any explanation, this seems to hint at a hidden blacklist aimed to silence any MP from any political party who speaks up against human rights abuses by the Chinese Government. Does the Prime Minister agree that this is an attack on all of us, and will he personally seek reassurances from the Hong Kong authorities that no British parliamentarian will be denied entry in that way again?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady’s experience is deeply concerning, and I know it must have affected her. I think she was hoping to see, and later saw, her grandchild, but it must have impacted on her, and it is deeply concerning—we need to recognise that. Ministers, including the Foreign Secretary, have raised it on numerous occasions with their counterparts both in China and Hong Kong. Preventing UK citizens, including Members of Parliament, from entering Hong Kong without justification or for simply expressing their views is completely unacceptable. It will only undermine Hong Kong’s international reputation and the relationship we have with it, and so we will continue to raise it.

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Ind)]

You will know, Mr Speaker, that I have raised on several occasions in the House the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the British-Egyptian human rights campaigner who has been imprisoned in Egypt for many years, and whose mother Laila went on a 100-day hunger strike. I thank the Prime Minister for fulfilling his promise to contact President Sisi of Egypt to secure Alaa’s release, but unfortunately, months on, Alaa remains in prison and this week Laila started her hunger strike again. Could I appeal to the Prime Minister to again speak directly to President Sisi to secure Alaa’s release?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the right hon. Member for raising this case not just today, but on the many occasions that he has. It is incredibly important that we do everything we can in this case. I have met Laila and given her my commitment to do everything I possibly can. I have had a number of contacts myself, but I will not stop doing everything within my power to secure that release.

[Paul Holmes (Hamble Valley) (Con)]

Will the Prime Minister join me in welcoming my six-year-old constituent, Teddy, and his mum, Laura, to Prime Minister’s questions? Teddy is a self-professed eco-warrior, on a mission to change the world. He started out by saving thousands of plastic chocolate and sweet tubs from landfill, because they are not currently recyclable. Will the Prime Minister commit to asking the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution to meet Teddy and me to discuss how we can make those tubs recyclable? Does he agree with me that no matter how small you are, you are never too little to make a big difference?

[The Prime Minister]

On behalf of the whole House, I welcome Teddy. It is incredible that he has done so much already, and he is in the Gallery today. Many of us struggle for a whole lifetime to make an impact on Government policy, but Teddy is already having an impact aged six. I will make sure that he gets to speak to the relevant Minister.

[Rosie Wrighting (Kettering) (Lab)]

Following on from the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Cat Eccles), this week is National Epilepsy Week, an important opportunity to raise awareness of a condition that affects so many but often remains invisible. Epilepsy comes with fear and uncertainty: the anxiety about having a seizure, the impact of losing a driving licence and the worry about medication shortages. In the UK, one in 100 people live with epilepsy, which works out as up to six of us in the Chamber, including myself. Will the Prime Minister join me and the inspiring campaigners watching from the Gallery in marking National Epilepsy Week, as we continue to raise awareness of seizures?

[The Prime Minister]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on her tireless campaigning on this issue, alongside the campaigners who are with us today. I know the impact that epilepsy has on people across the country, including on over 100,000 children and young people. We are committed to improving care for people with neurological conditions and we are setting up the UK-wide Neuro Forum to improve treatment and care for those with such conditions.