March 2026

I have to say that I did not hear everything that the hon. Member said, but I think we should do whatever we can to bring the issue to a head, one way or another. We cannot just leave it as it is. I urge the Government to make freedom of religion or belief in China a sustained priority in our diplomacy, multilateral engagement, sanctions policy and trade posture, because if freedom of conscience means anything, it must mean something when it is hardest to defend.

I do agree, and I will come to that later. I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has said more than I was going to say—I thought I was saying too much. Yes, he is absolutely right, and it is dangerous for us all. The situation in Xinjiang illustrates one of the most severe forms of ethnoreligious persecution in China. It is worth pointing out that not all Uyghurs are Muslim, and not all Muslim Uyghurs are persecuted. Independent estimates suggest that between 1 million and 2 million Uyghurs and othe

The Minister is typically generous with her time and courteous in the number of interventions she accepts. May I gently take her back to lines 3 to 4 of the text of the Prime Minister’s amendment on student loans, which state that this House “welcomes the Government’s commitment to make the system fairer and financially sustainable”. To avoid this sounding like jam tomorrow and to reassure young people—I have a lot of respect for the Minister, and I will be generous—can she give one or two concr

I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for freedom of religion or belief in China. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the first time, Ms Jardine. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this important debate on freedom of religion or belief in China. I would like to open with a tragic story. On a hot August day in 2022, in Shanxi, northern China, more than 100 police officers descended on a Christian family summer camp, surrounding the gathering, fo

Parliamentary appearance by Laura Trott

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. The performance of Royal Mail is an issue of significant concern across North Somerset. Issues with deliveries are having real consequences for residents and businesses alike. In the light of concerns highlighted to me, I launched a survey in mid-February to ask constituents about their experiences with Royal Mail. I have also been working constructively with local CWU representatives and meeting staff in sorting offices to understand the

I just told you!

Exactly. The Chancellor gave it all away when she said that young people are at the back of the queue—that tells us all that we need to know about this Government. The Government amendment is the usual mishmash of nothingness, and I suspect many Labour Members are disappointed. The amendment welcomes “the Government’s commitment to make the system fairer and financially sustainable”, even though the only thing that the Government have done so far, which is the threshold freeze, has made the syst

As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises a very interesting point, and I look forward to his bringing it up with the Chancellor at questions.

The history of access to university demonstrates that point well.

Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that applies as much to the online world as it does to the real one. We know that families everywhere are grappling with the impact of phones and social media. That is why we have launched our national consultation, and we have had over 25,000 responses so far. We want to hear from everyone, particularly children and young people themselves, and the consultation—with a child-friendly design—will be one of the first of its kind to hear spe

In the 14 months we have been in government, our AI growth zones have done more to level up the country than Conservative Members achieved in 14 years; these zones are being built in the areas that once led the industrial revolution and will now lead the technological revolution. We are also upskilling 10 million workers with free AI skills, introducing the first dedicated national apprenticeship in practical AI and automation, and delivering our £27 million TechLocal programme to help people fr

Parliamentary appearance by Liz Kendall

Parliamentary appearance by Naushabah Khan

This Government have already launched five AI growth zones, creating 15,000 jobs and unlocking £40 billion of investment in industrial heartlands across the country. The east midlands AI growth zone— a high-potential bid for that is under active consideration —could bring thousands of good jobs to the region, including in Nottinghamshire, unlocking investment, creating opportunities and regenerating the area in partnership with local businesses and universities.

Parliamentary appearance by Liz Kendall

Parliamentary appearance by Derek Twigg

Parliamentary appearance by Derek Twigg

I am grateful to the Opposition for this debate. In the recent Westminster Hall debate on this topic, we heard powerful testimony about the reality that graduates face in making repayments every month and watching their balance grow, with their plans deferred and lives constrained. I am sure we will hear more of that today, and those stories deserve to be heard and to receive a clear response, not a political runaround. Parts of the motion are not wrong. The plan 2 threshold should be unfrozen,

I am glad that the hon. Gentleman raises that point. I totally agree with him that it is something that needs to be looked into and fixed. As I have mentioned, we know that 10 times as many young people want an apprenticeship at 18 as there are places available. The demand is there, but the places are not. To me, it makes complete sense to move from funding dead-end courses at universities to giving young people the opportunity to do an apprenticeship that will get them into a job, and they will