Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

I am sure we are all aware of the importance of the role played by civil servants across the whole country. People often devote their whole working lives to these roles, so the least they deserve is to get the pensions they have paid for on time, and for their loved ones to receive their entitlements following bereavement. Sadly, the disastrous performance of Capita saw the backlog rocket to 120,000 in the first four weeks of it commencing work on the contract. I hope the Government manage to get the scheme sorted out as quickly as possible, and suspend payment and all future contract awards to Capita pending a full review. The decision to award Synergy the contract for payroll services across four Government Departments flies in the face of our Government’s commitment to delivering the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation. Could we hit pause and review its ability to deliver before civil servants start to go unpaid, too?

Today, civil servants from the Public and Commercial Services Union are starting strike action at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in a dispute over staff restructuring. We appreciate that internal reorganisation is sometimes required, but too often there has been a failure to consult, including over planned closures to civil service offices, including the Department for Education office in Newcastle. I know other Members will have experienced similar situations with regard to other departmental offices across the country. I hope the Cabinet Office ensures that all Departments have proper discussions with the trade unions representing members affected by changes, especially where the closure of offices would be damaging to local economies and communities. An economic impact assessment really should be conducted before such plans go ahead. Could we also please extend a vote of thanks to all our hard-working civil servants and agree to listen to their concerns? Doing so could have helped to avoid many of the problems in the case of Capita.

Sir David Amess frequently raised the issue of hepatitis, as he was the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on liver health. World Hepatitis Day is on 28 July, and the UK has committed to achieving the World Health Organisation’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a public health concern by 2030. The virus disproportionately affects disadvantaged and marginalised communities. It is preventable and curable. Left undetected, it can cause fatal cirrhosis and liver cancer. I am sure the House will join me in commending the efforts of our NHS, the Hepatitis C Trust, and harm reduction services, which have had considerable success in finding, engaging, testing and treating people who are at risk. Thanks to them, the UK is within reach of meeting the World Health Organisation’s target of hepatitis C elimination by 2030.

Another concern of Sir David’s that I share, as my north-east region is the worst affected in the country, is alcohol harms. I pay tribute to the organisation Balance, which has done excellent work in the north-east to raise awareness that alcohol causes seven types of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer. Last year the drugs, alcohol and justice APPG, which Sir David supported and I formerly chaired, published a paper reminding us that although alcohol misuse costs our NHS an estimate £3.5 billion, there has been no alcohol strategy since 2012.

As we await a new PM and a new senior team to start work, I want to take this moment to congratulate the Minister for Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, for this week completing orders to enact the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission code of practice on services, public functions and associations, which will come into force on 5 August. There are now no more excuses. All service providers, local authorities and organisations, including our Government Departments, must bring their policies into line with the Equality Act 2010, so that women-only services and spaces are exactly that—for biological women only.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

A reminder for colleagues that we do not mention Members’ names directly; we mention them by their constituencies.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 18th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I pay tribute to Councillor Sunderland’s work and send condolences to her friends and family. She and I may not have shared a political point of view, but we certainly respect people who serve their local communities.

It sounds as if the Great Knaresborough bed race is something to behold. I will raise the matter with a Minister, and if the hon. Gentleman wants a meeting with the relevant Minister, I will help him to get one.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

My constituent Abdul faced three on-the-day cancellations of his asylum interview because of challenges securing an interpreter. He then had a fourth interview, in his second language, in which he is not proficient. He is now appealing his decision on the basis that he was unable to answer questions to the best of his ability. With his appeal date next month, he faces his fifth trip to London without an interpreter being present. Will the Leader of the House ask the relevant Minister to make a statement on what steps the Government are taking to tackle interpreter-related interview cancellations for people like Abdul?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises a distressing case. I am not surprised that she does so, because she has an outstanding record of working hard on behalf of her constituents. If she provides me with the details of the case in writing, I will ensure that the Home Office receives them and that she gets a response from the relevant Minister.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

With respect, the hon. Gentleman may be jumping to the wrong conclusion on the matter, but he has been around long enough to know that if he does not get the answer that he wants first time—or indeed second time—he can keep going. It is also up to him; if he wants to hear directly from Ministers on those matters and put those questions to them, then there are Adjournment and Westminster Hall debates. I am sure there would be a lot of interest in the topic from across the House.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

The north-east has the highest number of young people not in education, employment or training anywhere in the country—64,000 in total. I recently joined the Centre for Social Justice and Fenwick Newcastle for a “Big Listen”, with 120 employers and frontline charities all committed to tackling the crisis. The CSJ will publish its findings later in the year, alongside the Milburn review, so will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on youth inactivity, and ensure the House has an opportunity to consider the recommendations?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issue of NEETs. She is a great champion for her constituency, the region that we share, and young people in the area. The Government are committed to taking action, including the biggest reforms to apprenticeships in a decade and extending our youth guarantee, but as she suggests, there is more to be done. We will use Alan Milburn’s interim report to build on our reforms, and we look forward to receiving the full recommendations in the autumn. When that has happened, as I said earlier, the Government will want to update the House and find time for a debate on those matters.

Progression of Bills through Parliament

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Monday 8th June 2026 Westminster Hall

[Lewis Atkinson]

You want me to make progress, Sir Edward, so I will.

The question then turns to what happens now. What does this mean for assisted dying, yes, but also for the British constitutional settlement? As part of my preparation for this debate, I spoke to Tom Brake, CEO of Unlock Democracy, which campaigns for constitutional reform, including of the House of Lords, to address the democratic deficit. He believes that the case for Lords reform has been significantly strengthened by the behaviour of peers in this episode.

In contrast, the Hansard Society’s director, Dr Ruth Fox, to whom I also spoke in preparation for today, reminded me that the Lords is a self-regulating Chamber. It is not subject to the timetable or expectations of the Commons or anyone else and, she believes, nor should it be. But she is also clear that in the current circumstance the British constitutional settlement provides a clear and appropriate response that the Commons could use to assert its primacy—the Parliament Act 1911. That Act was explicitly designed to be applicable to private Members’ Bills. Indeed, when the Parliament Bill was debated back in the 1910s, an amendment to confine it to Government Bills was defeated. The Parliament Act has been used before on issues of conscience—for example, equalisation of the homosexual age of consent in 2000 or the Hunting Bill in 2004, when the Lords refused to accept the decision of the Commons.

The petitioners believe that it is now necessary to use the Parliament Act for assisted dying legislation also. They point out that if the legislation is reintroduced and passed by the Commons a second time, the Lords will again have a chance to do its job properly—to consider the types of amendments that a number of hon. Members have suggested that they believe the Lords want to see. The Lords may pass amendments for Commons consideration, but under the Parliament Act it would be unable to block progress entirely.

I believe that the Parliament Act gives us a way to answer the question whether parliamentary democracy is still fit to tackle the key issues of our time. I am grateful that my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House is here and I look forward to his assessment of the situation in response to this debate. I hope that he will specifically touch on the Government’s assessment of whether the Parliament Act would be applicable should the Bill be reintroduced and, crucially, whether the Government would make appropriate time available for necessary procedures to take place to allow its use.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for giving way while making such an important speech on such an important, but also contentious, subject. We know that the Parliament Act has only ever been used seven times and never for a private Member’s Bill, and in recent weeks leading figures have opposed use of the Parliament Act in this way. Does my hon. Friend think that something so contentious that is a private Member’s Bill should override the present constitution?

[Lewis Atkinson]

I thank my hon. Friend and regional colleague for her intervention. The Parliament Act was explicitly designed to include provision for private Members’ Bills and it has been used on issues of conscience before. I also question the idea of contention. There is no doubt that assisted dying is a really serious matter, but the view of the British public on it is remarkably stable, which makes the resolution through parliamentary means absolutely clear.

As part of my preparation for this debate, I spoke to Sophie Stowers from the polling and insight company More in Common, whose work on this topic, I stress, has been independent and not funded by campaigns on any side. She told me that polling on the introduction of assisted dying has been remarkably consistent from the time of the Bill’s introduction to now, with support levels among the British public of 60%, compared with opposition in the teens. That finding is consistent with work carried out by others, including the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which ran a citizen’s jury on this topic, exposing all the participants to lengthy discussions on arguments for and against a change in this place.

When I speak to constituents, they still think assisted dying is coming into force because people do not understand—perhaps they cannot understand—how in 2026, elected representatives of their country can vote for something and yet it can still be blocked by a small number of Lords who have no accountability to the public. In its insight work, More in Common reports that people do not understand why the Bill fell, they are puzzled about the suggestion that it ran out of time, and they do not believe that it should be the end of the process. In its polling in January, when it was becoming clear that there was a risk of the Bill running out of time in the Lords, more than four in five citizens said that the assisted dying bill should be introduced again in the Session of Parliament that we are now in.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sorry to hear about the case that my hon. Friend raises. It must be a very difficult time for his constituent and her family. I am sure that I speak for the whole House when I extend my deepest sympathies and best wishes to her. If my hon. Friend would like to give me the details after Question Time, I will ensure that he gets a response from the relevant Minister.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

Further to the concerns raised by the hon. Member for Brigg and Immingham (Martin Vickers), will the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero make a statement on the delayed hydrogen strategy refresh? Projects in my constituency, including the Lhyfe Wallsend development, are ready to move forward but face growing uncertainty. Given the importance of hydrogen for jobs and energy security, and in supporting UK industry, will the Government provide clarity on when the strategy will be published and how it will support investment in the north-east and other regions?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is a true champion of businesses not just in her constituency and along the river that we share, but across our region. I pay tribute to her for that work, for which she is widely respected. As I have said, we are committed to building a thriving hydrogen sector in the UK, but we have not been able to move as quickly as possible. We want to renew the hydrogen strategy and see it at work, but we must also give industry the clarity it needs. I hope that work will be completed as soon as possible. Should she wish to make her case to a Minister, I will make the case for a meeting with her and the hon. Member for Brigg and Immingham (Martin Vickers).

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 19th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Gentleman is doing his job, which is to stand up for his constituency. I will certainly look at his suggestion. There is a process under way, and I wish all the best to everyone seeking to get involved.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

A local pharmacy has contacted me regarding the need for a fast resolution to this year’s settlement negotiations. The pharmacy’s leadership tells me that their wage, pension and national insurance costs will increase substantially in April, and as a result they are planning to reduce opening hours and make staff redundant. The sector is set to play a crucial role in the shift from hospital to community, but it remains under enormous pressure. Will the Leader of the House ask the Minister for Care to update the House on when pharmacies can expect to see the new settlement and whether it will be ahead of the new financial year?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for raising that issue; she is a very strong voice for her constituency. The Government are committed to improving access to community pharmacies, and this week we published the neighbourhood health framework, but I will ensure that the relevant Minister is made aware of my hon. Friend’s specific concerns, particularly on the request for an update by the end of this financial year.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is right to champion the work of cadets and the impact that they have on young people. I join him in praising all the volunteers who allow cadet forces to operate; they are so important to our local communities and are of such value to young people’s life chances. I can confirm that Ministry of Defence officials are looking at the viability of taking forward a national cadets week.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

Over recent weeks, students and graduates have written to me about the broken student loans system. They tell me about the mental stress caused by punitive interest rates, and that the planned freeze of the repayment threshold will impact their living standards when they aspire to earn more and spend more in the local community. Regional pay disparities have been a Government focus, so will the Leader of the House relay my concerns to the relevant Minister and encourage them to consider how the freeze will impact disposable incomes in Tyneside and across the north-east?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I said previously, we inherited this system from the previous Government—they designed it and delivered it—and it is not working to the benefit of students. We are making changes to improve the system and make it fairer, and will continue to do so, but I will draw my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour’s concerns to the attention of the relevant Minister, because I know these matters are of such importance in her constituency.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I certainly join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating the Friends of St John’s in his constituency, who do a fantastic job, as do similar groups in many of our constituencies. I thank him for how he phrased the second part of his question, because he is right: the Government want to support heritage, culture and places of religious worship, but he will know that economic times and Government finances are tight. I will draw what he says to the attention of the Treasury.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

Rising employer contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme are mounting significant pressures on post-1992 universities and driving some to cut costs to deliver the same teaching. I have been contacted by staff at Northumbria University who are concerned about the proposed changes to their pay and pension provision. Will the Leader of the House relay my concerns to the Minister for Skills and urge her to update Parliament on what substantive steps the Government will take to address this issue?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend and constituency neighbour raises an important matter, and I will certainly ensure that her concerns are shared with the relevant Minister. Should she wish to have a meeting with the Minister, I will be happy to facilitate that. Because we share this issue as constituency neighbours, I would also be happy to come with her.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join the right hon. Gentleman in thanking Paul Johnson, who I think we all acknowledge has done a commendable job as the director of the IFS over many years, and I look forward to hearing more from Helen Miller, the incoming director. The right hon. Gentleman is right to recognise the challenging economic times that we are in. He will not like me saying this, but we inherited a big black hole in the public finances. Reserves had been spent in the first half of the year, with public sector pay recommendations sitting on Ministers’ desks but without a penny allocated to them. That has meant a very challenging time for us. It is why we have put a premium on financial stability— not because we want to align with Office for Budget Responsibility spreadsheets, but because we know that those on the lowest incomes pay the heaviest price when the economy runs into problems, which we want to address. The House debates those issues regularly, and I am sure that we will continue to do so. Of course, Budgets are delivered to the House first.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

Following yesterday’s “Act Now, Change Forever” mass lobby of Parliament, organised by the Climate Coalition, will the Leader of the House make time to debate the serious nature of developing countries’ debt, which prevents those nations from adequately spending to mitigate a climate crisis they have done the least to cause, and the unique position our Government are in to legislate and bring private creditors to the negotiating table?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issues of the “Act Now, Change Forever” campaign. She will know that tackling the climate crisis and our mission to be a clean energy superpower by 2030 are at the heart of what this Government are about. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero will come to the House soon to make a statement about these issues, and I am sure my hon. Friend can raise those then.

Business of the House

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank the shadow Leader of the House for that tribute to his father, Torquil Norman. I did not know him, but he sounds like a wonderful father—someone who invented children’s toys but also who had great wisdom and gave him great advice. We in this House should all live by those values of positivity, creativity and resilience that the right hon. Gentleman so fondly shared with us. I send him and his family my very best wishes, as I am sure the whole House does, as he comes to terms with that in the coming days.

I want to congratulate Newcastle United—I would not normally, but they did win their first silverware in 70 years. It is also great to see that the Tour de France in 2027 will start in Edinburgh and make its way through England and Wales.

As international events yet again dominate, I am sure we all look with horror at the unfolding situation in Gaza in particular, with aid being withheld and the killing continuing. As the Foreign Secretary will set out to the House shortly, we want to see an urgent resumption of the ceasefire and the long-term peace talks continuing.

In the spirit of the right hon. Gentleman’s contribution, I want to put on the record my thanks to him for the cross-party work that he and I do across the House, not just through the Modernisation Committee but on the House of Commons Commission, chaired by Mr Speaker, and the many other boards that we have to sit on for many hours indeed. He makes a really important point, and it is one of the reasons why I wanted to establish the Modernisation Committee. I could have come into this position as Leader of the House and just laid down motions—which I do on many days—to change the rules of the House, but that is not how I want to work.

I take very seriously my role as Leader of the House, and as such I represent the whole House and want to bring the House together. I want to hear from smaller parties and to work cross-party. I believe that in this place we work best when we work together cross-party, on Select Committees and on issues that unite us. Many of those issues are raised regularly with me in Business questions, and I join the right hon. Gentleman in saying that we could definitely do more to tackle the big issues that this country faces, whether that is our defence and security, the welfare reform that is needed, jobs of the future or social care—that might be raised with me again today. Long may that continue, and we should strive to do more of it.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

I add my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House. Polly Pocket is still going today—my granddaughter is a Polly Pocket fan, and my daughter still has all of hers.

Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating North Tyneside council, the Football Foundation, the Rugby Football League and other key partners that are supporting the new multimillion pound sports hub in Wallsend, which officially opened earlier this week and will serve as the headquarters for Northumberland FA and, at long last, provide a clubhouse for Wallsend rugby football club? Does she agree with the CEO of the Football Foundation that such facilities have a

“transformative impact on physical and mental health, and play in important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities”?

I also thank the Leader of the House for her congratulations on our wonderful Newcastle United.

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in again congratulating Newcastle United, as well as the work that is being done in her constituency to create sports facilities for grassroots football, rugby and other sports. She is absolutely right; those things are vital for our communities and young people. That is why we are reviewing the school curriculum and putting more money into local government. It is also why we are introducing a football regulator Bill to ensure that grassroots football is protected across the country.