Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Jones and Alex Baker

Monday 9th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Alex Baker (Aldershot) (Lab)]

In Aldershot and Farnborough, we have a brilliant police team, but recruitment of officers is difficult because of the pay difference along the Hampshire-Surrey border. Officers can earn more by working just a few miles away, leaving our local police team understaffed and overstretched. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to address those recruitment challenges, to ensure that we have bobbies on the beat in every community?

[Sarah Jones]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. We need to make sure that we are paying our police well, which we have done through a pay uplift, and looking after them. The number of police officers leaving the service—not to retire, nor due to ill health, but because they were fed up with it—tripled under the last Government. We will put a stop to that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Jones and Alex Baker

Thursday 12th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and for his interest in his constituents and their jobs in the steel industry. As he says, we have met to talk about this, and I have nothing new to add today, other than that we continue with our conversations with British Steel. We are working as fast as we can. Obviously, it is ultimately up to British Steel to decide what it wants to do and take forward, but we stand ready to support and work with it.

[Alex Baker (Aldershot) (Lab)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of businesses exporting goods and services.