Business of the House

Debate between Luke Myer and Alan Campbell

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the work of his constituent and the importance of kinship carers, who are selfless in their attitude but do this work at considerable cost. That is certainly not helped by any delay in getting the support that they need. He has raised this matter with me before, and I apologise therefore that it has not been resolved, but I give him my word that I will take it up with the relevant Minister and make sure that he gets a reply to ensure that there is no delay in these matters. Perhaps in the new year, kinship care and payment delays would make a good topic for an Adjournment debate.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

Further to the question from the hon. Member for Stockton West (Matt Vickers), I share his disappointment at the scrapping of Tees Flex, but can I gently say to him that if the Tory Tees Valley Mayor took the buses into public hands, which this Government have given him the power to do, we would not have to fight over the scraps?

I ask my question on behalf of my constituents Rob from Loftus and Hilda from Skinningrove, who have raised with me their really poor experiences with contractors working on the ECO4 scheme. The Government are right to scrap the scheme, but can we secure time to discuss the quality and oversight of the work on such schemes to better serve the taxpayer and constituents like mine?

Business of the House

Debate between Luke Myer and Alan Campbell

Thursday 4th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

There are some opportunities before the Christmas recess—the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is coming back, and we have the pre-recess Adjournment debate—when my hon. Friend may wish to raise these matters. He is right to raise concerns about nature. We are concerned about the natural environment, but we must also ensure that there is a balance between the development that we seek and need and a healthy natural environment.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

My constituent Caroline lost her universal credit transitional protection after her earnings fell below the administrative earnings threshold. I wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions about her case in August, but since then I have received only a holding reply. Could the Leader of the House use his good offices to ensure that I get a reply for my constituent?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this case with me. If he gives the details of the case afterwards, I will certainly raise it with Ministers. Although a holding reply may be sensible at the time, it cannot go on forever, and he needs to get a substantive reply.

Business of the House

Debate between Luke Myer and Alan Campbell

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Local and community theatres are so important to communities in all sorts of ways, not least in giving confidence to young people who come forward and take part in events and shows. My hon. Friend may seek a debate on those matters because I am sure they are shared across the House. I will also raise her concerns with the relevant Minister.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

My constituent Chris is a local police officer who has had to take on vast amounts of overtime to afford his Child Maintenance Service payments. He is one of many constituents who have raised with me the issues in the CMS, so will the Leader of the House secure some time for us to debate this issue to ensure that parents and their children are properly supported?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sorry to hear about Chris’s situation. I understand that my hon. Friend may be in correspondence with the Department of Work and Pensions and either awaiting or have just received a reply. Oral questions for that Department are next week, but depending on those things, I suggest that he either follows up by meeting Ministers in the Department or by seeking a debate on the matter because there will be a shared concern across the House.