April 2026

I strongly welcome the women’s health strategy, and I congratulate both Baroness Merron and my hon. Friend the Minister on their work on it. Since its publication yesterday, my inbox has received a number of emails from women in my constituency who suffer from endometriosis. I wanted to highlight that, because it is very rare that constituents contact us on the publication of a Government report to comment on its contents so quickly. That shows what an absolute hotbed this issue is and how profo

My hon. Friend is a champion for the great sport of golf, and I commend him for that. We are investing £400 million in grassroots sports facilities in communities across the UK to support the champions of tomorrow. I encourage him to apply for a Westminster Hall or Backbench Business debate, so that hon. Members across the House can raise their voices in support of community sport as he has, but also hear about the excellent work that the Government are undertaking.

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating Labour-led Southend city council on its exceptional work in turning that situation around. We are providing £7.3 billion over the next four years for councils to fix potholes, and I am glad that Labour councils are using that money to improve their communities—unlike, as he points out, some Tory and Reform councils.

That really is a catalogue of errors. I understand how concerned my hon. Friend’s constituent will be. If my hon. Friend provides me with the details, I will raise the matter with the appropriate Minister.

I join my hon. Friend is welcoming the change. As he rightly points out, it will help to protect vulnerable people in our communities. I join him in thanking Jo, Debt Justice and, indeed, Martin Lewis for their work. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for an Adjournment debate on the topic so that he can give further consideration to, and hear from Ministers on, those important points.

Sir David has done wonders in introducing us to, and captivating us with, the natural world. As my hon. Friend will know, we celebrate Earth Day next week, which will also be a great opportunity to better understand our environment and perhaps to appreciate Sir David’s work. I am sure that many Members and communities would welcome the opportunity to celebrate his impressive 100 years and to highlight his many achievements, so I will give my hon. Friend’s suggestion some thought.

This is not the first time that hon. Members have raised concerns about Reform-led Staffordshire county council, which has clearly overpromised and underdelivered. These business question sessions have made it clear to me that Reform is failing in local government and is seeking—perhaps as an excuse—to divide our local communities. We have published our road safety strategy, but I encourage my hon. Friend to seek a Westminster Hall debate on that particular topic, because his concerns are shared

My hon. Friend is a tireless advocate for his constituents on a range of issues, and I join him in commending the work of those who have campaigned on this important issue. I understand that his local Labour councillors have been at the forefront of that. As I have said on many occasions, we have delivered Scotland’s biggest devolution settlement since devolution. I hope that the SNP has heard my hon. Friend’s contribution today and will take note, because his constituents deserve better than th

As my hon. Friend says, the Home Office is consulting on people’s views of changes more widely. I can reassure her that no decision has been made and that children’s welfare and safeguarding duties remain central to this process, as does our compliance with our domestic and international obligations. Any concerns raised by hon. Members will be considered in the consultation, but I will also ensure that the Home Secretary hears my hon. Friend’s concerns.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to recognise the vital contribution of British Sikhs in our communities, which has been raised regularly in these sessions. They are such an important part of the diversity and strength of our communities. I think this would be a great topic for a Backbench Business or Adjournment debate; there are Sikh communities across our country, and I am sure that other Members would also like to praise the work being done in communities in their patch.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising such a serious and concerning case. As he knows, the UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and I can assure him that we are treating this case with the seriousness that it deserves. I will ensure that he gets a response from the Foreign Secretary that sets out the actions we are taking.

My hon. Friend is right to champion the work of Community Rail Network and the dedication of its volunteers. As I said earlier, community groups and volunteers are the golden thread that tie our communities together. I absolutely thank the people he is talking about in Derby, and indeed those in other parts of our country.

I am genuinely very sorry to hear of the constituency case the hon. Gentleman raises. If he will let me have details—I know it has been resolved to some extent—I will make the Minister aware of them. We are busy trying to get on and resolve the situation, but I am sure that when the time is appropriate we will want to return to this issue, debate what has happened and learn lessons from it.

My hon. Friend raises a very concerning matter. We stand for unity, not division. Racism or any other form of discrimination has absolutely no place in our society. There is a real political choice at these local elections. Pride in Britain and our communities up and down the country stand united against those who would exploit division for their own ends. Where political parties are aware of this situation, they should have the courage to stand up to individuals and they should, even at this la

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s frustration if there are railways stations and a railway service that some people are unable to access. The Government have announced an investment of £303 million over four years, via Access for All. I will get him an update from the relevant Minister on what that means for his constituency.

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the action taken by the Government to ensure that councils have the necessary resources to tackle potholes, so it is inexplicable that the performance of Conservative-run councils such as East Sussex on potholes, which has been raised with me on a number of occasions, is falling below the standards we would expect. If they get the resources, they should spend the resources. I hope that residents are making their voices very clear on these matters.

I do not know where we are with the appointments, but I will certainly take that up with a Minister and find out, and I will let the hon. Gentleman know.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to champion community-based organisations, not least those in the fine town of Consett, of which I am a son and very grateful for that. Social enterprises and charities provide essential support to the most vulnerable, and they are the golden thread that tie our communities together. I am delighted to hear of the work of the Foundation For Good and others. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for a Westminster Hall debate or, indeed, an Adjournment debate, so sh

The hon. Member is perfectly entitled to upgrade his geographical reference to “fellow Member from Norfolk”, as a decent quarter of his constituency is in the same county as mine. He will know that a disproportionate percentage of the population in Norfolk is older. There is a tragic, understated reality. When I visit households in my constituency—I am sure he can relate to this—I can just tell whether they are suffering from fuel poverty, because they will be living in one room. That is all too

I think I just heard the Minister say, “We have already solved this problem.” I do not know if any other colleagues heard that. She said that she has written to every headteacher in the country, and it is absolutely the right thing to be in contact with them. Has she heard back from any headteachers or headteacher representative bodies, who say that this ban would be so much more straightforward if it were written into law, because of the difficulties that arise with a minority of parents? Headt