Care Leavers

Debate between Lee Pitcher and Sally Jameson

Monday 3rd November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson]

I agree; I will come later in my speech to a couple of local examples of supported lodgings, which, if applied nationwide, would have a transformative effect on the support that care leavers receive.

These young people often do not have the benefit of family support to help them find accommodation, or with rent and security deposits. Because of that, they are incredibly vulnerable not just to homelessness but to a whole raft of predators who see an opportunity to exploit them. Will the Minister work across Government Departments to increase the setting up home allowance, give priority to care leavers on housing lists in authorities where they have resided for over six months, reform universal credit so that care leavers are entitled to the over-25 weighting, and commit to work with the Department for Transport and regional mayors who have powers in the area to give free bus travel to care leavers up to the age of 25? While I am at it with the asks, can we also include free prescriptions for care leavers? In the context of wider Government spending on the population, the numbers are small, but I think everyone in the Chamber—that includes the Minister—knows that doing those things would make a huge difference to the most vulnerable group in our society, including the young people I have quoted and those on the minds of hon. Members in the Chamber.

There are other areas in which care leavers are often disadvantaged; I have seen them myself. When I worked as a prison officer, I was a single point of contact for care leavers in my jail. I learned that, shockingly, it is estimated that 29% of the prison population are care leavers, and they also make up over 50% of the youth estate. Young care leavers are also 10 times more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence than young people who have not been in care. As a Government, and indeed as a Parliament, we cannot rest while that remains a reality for such a vulnerable group. Will the Minister work with the Prisons Minister in the other place to develop a national care leavers in custody policy, ensuring that support for young people—wherever they move to—is partnership based?

I will take a little time to pay tribute to an organisation in my constituency that has been mentioned previously. Doncaster Housing for Young People, which I am a patron of, provides tailored housing support in the form of supported lodgings with host families as well as floating support to help sustain tenancies. The organisation has shared stories of those who have had to leave foster places when they turn 18. One young woman in that position shared how she was not ready emotionally or financially to live independently, but, thanks to Doncaster housing for Young People, she moved into supported lodgings where she could build life skills, continue her studies and focus on her wellbeing.

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for giving way. Next week marks the first National Supported Lodgings Week. It will celebrate what those lodgings do in offering the wonderful opportunity of a safe, stable home to people who can then grow and have their independence. She and I are both patrons of Doncaster Housing for Young People, and we know that it has lots of experience supporting care leavers. It is going to go big on National Supported Lodgings Week. Does she agree that the Government should treat supported lodgings as part of the core offer for care leavers, and that we should always strive to make sure that that support is a lot more personal and is less institutional?

[Sally Jameson]

I agree completely.

The young person that I was speaking about just before my hon. Friend’s intervention said that they were not ready for their own place but that the supported lodgings made them feel less stressed so that they could relax and get on with what they needed to do. It is quite hard for people who have not been in that situation to imagine what it must be like to be on their own with no support network, no family and often no friends in an area where they did not grow up. When they are out there on their own, those supported lodgings are a lifeline for a lot of young people. I am sure that, when the Minister replies, he will discuss whether we can spread that provision more widely.

Other care leavers have shared how Doncaster Housing for Young People has helped them through linking them up with other agencies, and has offered support and help managing debts and finances. It is that holistic support that is so important to help young people leaving care maintain their confidence and transition into adult life. Doncaster Housing for Young People is one of many charities across the country that offer that tailored support; I thank them all for the work they do for young people. I of course invite the Minister to come to Doncaster to learn from Doncaster Housing for Young People, and to see for himself its incredible work.

Before I finish, I would like to reflect again on this year’s theme for National Care Leavers Month: “Rising as Me: Overcoming challenges, transforming, and finding your identity”. We should all remember that, at the heart of this month, there is a group of young people who innately have the same hopes, aspirations and potential as any of their non-care-experienced peers. They deserve to be ambitious about their future, to realise their potential and to become the adults they want to be.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill

Debate between Lee Pitcher and Sally Jameson

2nd reading
Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for giving way and for what she has said today. Does she agree that there is real potential for farmers to contribute by supporting feed stock from winter crops, creating a circular environmental economy that helps the local economy to grow further with new kinds of jobs, including for people who live in rural areas?

[Sally Jameson]

I absolutely agree. The Bill is not just about the small, narrow element of sustainable aviation; it is about what every industry across the country can do in the shared endeavour to make our aviation sustainable.

If this Government’s growth agenda is to be a success, it must be felt in every corner of the country, including Doncaster and South Yorkshire, and I am pleased that with our airport investment and the backing from the Prime Minister—reiterated just today by the Chancellor—this Government have proved that they will do just that.

As the Secretary of State said, low-carbon fuels could support up to 15,000 jobs and contribute £5 billion to the economy by 2050. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill is a promising boost to our ambition in Doncaster to create a sustainable aviation hub linked to our airport, proving, despite what some on the Opposition Benches may say, that the green agenda and the sustainability agenda are firmly woven into—and are, in fact, essential to—the regeneration of areas that have often been forgotten, such as mine, and to the industries of the future, good jobs for young people and the security of the nation.

The Bill’s revenue certainty mechanism will widen opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs and producers of fuels, propelling our aviation industry to world-class levels and helping us to become world leaders in an emerging market that will benefit our economy, our industry and our climate.

Perhaps most importantly, this critical infrastructure is sorely needed in Doncaster, and indeed across the country, to bring about the high-skill, high-wage jobs for my constituents and for young people across South Yorkshire. I know that our airport will champion the Government’s aviation fuel ambitions, as will I.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Debate between Lee Pitcher and Sally Jameson

Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lee Pitcher]

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention and for the work he does on the APPG to promote everything that is great and needed in Yorkshire. I could not agree more about the economic importance of this airport for us all.

This is not just an airport. This is not just Doncaster. A reopened DSA is also a reopened South Yorkshire, opening the door to inward investment from across the globe. Where once there were fighter planes, now there will be freight planes. Doncaster sits at the heart of our great country. It is already one of our major transport hubs. With DSA open again, South Yorkshire will become home to new industry, cutting-edge renewable energy and technological innovation.

[Sally Jameson (Doncaster Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

As well as the exciting prospect of planes taking off from Doncaster once again, does my hon. Friend agree that this is a significant opportunity to turn both Doncaster and South Yorkshire into a hub for sustainable aviation fuel, creating high-skill, high-wage jobs for our local economy in that industry, in line with the Government’s growth agenda to ensure that economic prosperity is felt all over the country, including in areas such as Doncaster and South Yorkshire?

[Lee Pitcher]

I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for that intervention. I wholeheartedly agree about the importance of looking at sustainable aviation fuel and the opportunities it brings in terms of new jobs, aspiration and a future for our children and young adults in the area. People love to fly, and they will always fly. We need that to bring creativity back to our shores and learn from others, so it is massively important that we continue to promote technologies such as sustainable aviation fuel.

If we are looking for growth and reindustrialisation, and if we are looking to decentralise our economy away from London, where better to look than an airport that sits ready and waiting to serve? The promise of apprenticeships and high-paid, good jobs for our young people is another reason that our airport must reopen and one of my major priorities as an MP. Doncaster, like so many towns and cities in the north, has seen many of its brightest young people leave for prospects elsewhere. The promise of regional economic growth is a promise to our young people. It is a promise that says, “Yes, you can chase that brilliant, bright future, and you can chase it right here at home on your doorstep.”

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet the UK’s youngest pilot trainer, and the world’s youngest flight examiner, Kathan Dudhela. We spoke about Doncaster Sheffield airport, and he told me how excited he was that one day he might get to land on that historic runway. I left that conversation inspired by him, and determined to see Doncaster’s young people follow in his great footsteps. I will continue to fight for the apprenticeships and training opportunities that must come alongside a reopened Doncaster Sheffield airport.

So much has been achieved in the last few months. A £20 million investment has been approved, combining funds from Doncaster city council and the South Yorkshire mayoral combined authority, which will go towards supporting the crucial early stage works that are required to mobilise and reopen the airport. An operator, Munich Airport International, has been announced, and before Christmas I was proud, along with many of my hon. Friends, to witness the first flight back since the closure, courtesy of 2Excel, which remained on the site all that time and never lost faith.

Do not get me wrong: things are looking great, but challenges remain. Important practical steps to make Doncaster Sheffield airport operational still need to be taken, and there are still hurdles to jump. However, none of the remaining challenges are impossible. All that is required now is the political will to seize this opportunity and get us over the line. Right now the stars are aligned. The finances are committed, the operator is secured, the Mayor, combined authority and regional MPs are all on the same page. We cannot allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers. This is a moment to show the world that Doncaster and South Yorkshire are once again open for business.

Doncaster Royal Infirmary

Debate between Lee Pitcher and Sally Jameson

Thursday 30th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson (Doncaster Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

I am grateful for the opportunity to make the case in this Chamber for the repair and refurbishment of Doncaster Royal Infirmary. This is not the first time I have raised this issue in this place, such is its importance to my constituents. Doncaster Royal Infirmary is at the heart of our community in Doncaster. For many of us, including myself, it is where we were born and rely on during some of the most difficult and painful moments of our lives. It is with great sadness that I come to this Chamber to say that after consistent underfunding, our hospital is in dire need of repair.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the NHS staff who have dedicated their careers to caring for the patients at the hospital. When I worked as a prison officer, I spent many hours on escorts at DRI and saw for myself the commitment of its staff. We live in a time where pressures on the NHS are immense, and staff across the country face unbearable conditions as they try to support patients in a system that desperately needs reform. I am pleased that this Government are committed to enacting change within our NHS for the benefit of both patients and the staff who treat them.

In Doncaster, our dedicated NHS staff face added pressure. Doncaster Royal Infirmary faces one of the highest repair backlogs in the country. The East Ward tower block, which houses some of the most vulnerable patients, faces critical infrastructure risks and safety concerns, and therefore is at the very top of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw teaching hospitals’ list of priorities. Other areas with a backlog of repairs include operating theatres, the critical care department and the women and children’s hospital.

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

As my hon. Friend will know, in April 2021 a leak occurred at the women’s hospital at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. The water then flooded the area and went into the electrical systems, and a fire broke out. Some 60 patients were impacted and had to be evacuated, including premature babies. Thanks to the efforts of the amazing hospital staff, as my hon. Friend has mentioned, no one was hurt, but the damage was substantial, and it impacted larger parts of the hospital. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to learn from such incidents, and that it makes absolute sense, both financially and for people’s safety, to proactively manage repairs and do the maintenance that is required?

[Sally Jameson]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that incident showcased how desperate the situation is. It is a testament to the staff and the team at the trust that no one was hurt, and that the repair work that needed to be done happened immediately. Other areas where a backlog remains include the operating theatres. According to the Doncaster Royal Infirmary refurbishment plan, the operating theatres at the hospital do not meet modern standards for space.