Business of the House

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Thursday 26th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am going to allow business questions to run only until 11.30 am, because of the important statement that is to follow, so I ask Members to help each other, and there will be a good example from Afzal Khan.

[Afzal Khan (Manchester Rusholme) (Lab)]

I know that many colleagues in the House share my frustration with the leasehold and management companies that leverage excessive and ambiguous service charges on leaseholders and tenants. In my constituency, I am facing ongoing problems with Glide Property Management, which demands unreasonably large sums from constituents without providing suitable services, and which is refusing to respond to the numerous complaints that have subsequently been submitted to it. Does the Leader of the House agree that such companies should not continue taking advantage of leaseholders and tenants, and must be held fully accountable for all complaints?

[Lucy Powell]

I fully share my hon. Friend’s frustrations with our leasehold system, and the charges and difficulties that many leaseholders face. He will know that we are acting quickly to implement the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and there is more coming on that very soon, including the measures to drive up the transparency of service charges and ensure that they can be challenged more easily by leaseholders.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)]

I join the Leader of the House in congratulating the Deputy Speakers on their birthdays, and in celebrating our armed forces.

Earlier this year, when the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced the welfare reforms, her argument to this House was that they were all about getting people back into work. That argument was undermined somewhat by the timing; in the spring statement the following week, we discovered that the £5 billion saving we achieve from the welfare reforms makes up fully half of the fiscal headroom that the Chancellor is relying on. When we take a closer look at the reforms, we find that most of the savings are generated by changes to the eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment. Entitlement to PIP is given to those in work, those out of work and those unable to work. It follows that many of those who stand to lose out as a result of the reforms will not be incentivised into work, because they will already be in work, or will be unable to join the workforce any time soon. No wonder, then, that when the Bill was published last week, there was condemnation from all sides of the House. If the books need to be balanced, we need to make sure that they are not balanced on the backs of the disabled.

The Leader of the House will be well aware of all the rumours circulating around this place that the Government are preparing to make concessions on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. What is the procedure for doing that? We understand that a reasoned amendment, if one is tabled, would kill the Bill off entirely. What are the options for the Government to make concessions? Will they have to withdraw the Bill and re-present it, or is there some other mechanism by which they can make compromises with their Back Benchers before next week?

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[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend has campaigned on these issues for a long time. We have not yet voted on, or even considered, the Bill. We will have an extensive and, I am sure, thorough parliamentary process in which to do that. I ask colleagues to think about the principles of welfare reform on Second Reading, and to then really drill down into the details of the Bill as it passes through Parliament. We have engaged with the disabled community. We will continue to engage with colleagues from across the House and with stakeholders as we consider not just this Bill but the further welfare reform that is needed, which has to be, as I say, compassionate and considered, so that we have a system that is there for the long term for those who need it most.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

Following the successful seven-year experiment on estimates day debates, the Chairs of the Procedure and Liaison Committees, the hon. Members for Lancaster and Wyre (Cat Smith) and for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Dame Meg Hillier), met me yesterday, and we agreed that we would bring forward proposals for changes to the Standing Orders, which I am sure the Leader of the House will look favourably on.

In addition to the business that the Leader of the House has announced, there will be a debate on Thursday 10 July in the Chamber on the attainment and engagement of boys in education, followed by a debate on children’s health. In Westminster Hall, there will be a debate on regulatory powers over billing of energy supply to businesses on Tuesday 1 July, and debates on the future of music education and on safeguarding children with allergies at school on Thursday 3 July. There will be a debate on alcohol and cancer on Tuesday 8 July, and debates on state support for victims of terrorism and on London’s contribution to the national economy on Thursday 10 July.

Tomorrow, across India, the annual Ratha Yatra festival will take place. In Ahmedabad, the Rath Yatra festival has been held since 1878, and there is a procession through the streets of the deities that Hindus worship. In Harrow, we will celebrate on Sunday, when the annual procession will take place. This year, it will be between Stanmore temple and Kenton temple—a seven-mile route, in 31° heat, taking about four hours to complete. The good news, of course, is that it is downhill this year, and not the uphill route from Kenton to Stanmore. Will the Leader of the House join me in wishing all Hindus celebrating this most important festival Jai Swaminarayan, Jai Shri Krishna and, indeed, Jai Jagannath?

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[Lucy Powell]

Absolutely. We are proud of the free breakfast clubs that we are introducing. We are also proud that we are extending free school meals to all those on universal credit, because it is critical to every child’s learning that they are not going hungry.

[Mr Speaker]

Before I call the Prime Minister to make his statement, I note that it will cover two separate substantial subjects—the G7 summit in Canada 10 days ago, and the NATO summit in The Hague this week. For that reason I will allow a degree of latitude and, unusually, I will allow hon. Members who wish to ask about both subjects to do so. I urge colleagues to keep their questions brief for the benefit of those who are still waiting to be called. I call the Prime Minister.