April 2026

I do not always disagree with the right hon. Gentleman, but I disagree with his analysis of where we have got to with this matter. I agree that there should be a voice for residents, but there should also be rights and responsibilities for local authorities, who walk a difficult line. We need to protect our environment wherever we can but, as he recognises, we walk a difficult line because our residents need more houses. Housing is a good thing in driving the economy, provided that the protectio

I thank my hon. Friend for his work in this regard. We celebrate the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which is the biggest reform to renting in a generation, but we realise that there is still more that can be done. The Government stand firmly on the side of renters and I will ensure that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has heard my hon. Friend’s concerns. I will certainly give consideration to his request for a debate at some point in the future, but I also point o

I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and for coming to the House proactively this morning. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my former career in asset management. I very much welcome the Government’s recognition that industrial energy bills remain incredibly high. This is an issue that businesses across the country have been raising for many months. I have heard what the Secretary of State has to say, and there are a n

I join the hon. Lady in paying tribute to Mr Humphrey-Taylor and everyone involved in the work that she talked about. These people are the backbone of our community and we rightly celebrate our industrial heritage, which is so important. I will write to the Secretary of State and find out what the plan is going forward, and I will ensure that the hon. Lady is updated.

My hon. Friend raises a very serious matter, and I join her in thanking Rachel for her dedication to this issue following her tragic loss, and for the work of Sam’s Superheroes. I join my hon. Friend in awe, as I simply do not know how parents cope with the loss of a child, let alone then to go on and campaign—it is remarkable what some people are able to do. Through the UK rare diseases framework, the Government remain committed to improving the lives of people with rare diseases, including con

As has been said on a number of occasions in Business questions and beyond, the Government are absolutely of the view that such delays are unacceptable. This is not the service that people deserve, and resolving it is a matter of the utmost urgency. An urgent recovery plan is under way, and loans are available in the meantime to provide immediate financial support where it is needed. As the right hon. Gentleman reasonably requests, I will write to the Cabinet Secretary and make her aware of the

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating Bathgate railway station, its staff and the volunteers who helped to bring the celebration together. I particularly mention volunteers because they play such an important role in our local communities. It is vital that communities have access to joined-up transport systems. The Government have recently announced the “Better Connected” strategy for England, so we are on the side of the people she is talking about.

This is a frustrating issue for a lot of people, not least in my constituency, and it is a bit of a moving target for legislation. I will draw it to the attention of the Secretary of State and see where we can get.

This week, Telford experienced a major fuel tanker fire near a primary school in Newdale, which affected many children, families and staff. I thank Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for its swift action, together with other blue light services. In particular, I thank Rachel Cook, the headteacher of Newdale primary school, I thank the children for their fast action, and I thank the community for the way in which it rallied around those children to get them away from danger, including PureGym, th

2. What steps the Church is taking to support the provision of activities for children and young people in communities.

In Telford, the Church—through Rev. Laura Lenander at Telford Minster, Rev. Andy Ackroyd at St Michael’s church and Rev. Jo Farnworth at St Leonard’s church—plays a key role in supporting families, including by offering pastoral support and providing spaces for volunteers. What more will the Church do to support these churches and parishes in fast-growing areas such as Telford?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to bring this matter to the House, and I join him in congratulating and thanking everyone who supported the response to the fire and ensured the safety of the local community, including Miss Cook and all the others he mentioned. The contribution of emergency first responders has been raised with me on a number of occasions, and I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for a Westminster Hall debate, where I am sure others will join him, so that he can raise these mat

That is quite a bid, Mr Speaker— I have not heard that one before. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work and the work of the Committee and for updating us on the business. The hon. Gentleman mentioned the Standing Orders. As he knows, we are bringing forward a number of Standing Orders relating to the work of his Committee. I made a commitment that we would do that before the end of this Session, and we are committed to sticking with that. I cannot tell him the exact day, but I am committed to

It is a tempting offer, and I encourage the House to support my hon. Friend’s efforts to demonstrate what a fantastic part of the country he represents. I share his view about counties and county days—they are, indeed, important. I cannot offer him Government time to do this, but if he seeks an application for a Backbench Business or Westminster Hall debate, I am sure that people who represent counties right across the country will come and share his view about the importance of county identitie

I join the hon. Member in wishing the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Bobby Dean) well, and we await news with bated breath—at least he might get the nursery finished by the time of the arrival. The hon. Member makes a serious point about the Sudan civil war. The Government are doing everything we can, not just to help to address the humanitarian situation, but to try to get an end to that war. We have committed £146 million in aid to Sudan and have sanctioned Rapid Support Forces com

I know that my hon. Friend is a keen campaigner on these matters. I am sure that the Met police will have heard her comments. Where there is the threat of a demonstration turning to violence or disorder, the Met police have a responsibility to take that very seriously indeed, even if it takes a while to agree how, or indeed whether, that march will take place. It does not matter which part of the political spectrum it comes from; what matters is security on our streets, and we trust the Met poli

First, my thoughts are with our servicemen and women currently serving in the middle east. As the as the situation unfolds, our highest priority is to ensure the safety of our people in the region. My thoughts are also with those affected by the terrible attempted attack on the Finchley Reform synagogue. I am sure that the House will join me in thanking the police and emergency services for their swift action. This week has seen the 37th anniversary of the disaster at Hillsborough. My thoughts a

The business for the week commencing 20 April will include: Monday 20 April—Consideration of Lords message on the Victims and Courts Bill, followed by consideration of Lords message on the Crime and Policing Bill. Tuesday 21 April—Consideration of Lords amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Wednesday 22 April—If necessary, consideration of Lords message on the Pension Schemes Bill, followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords message on the Children’s Wellbein

I first raised concerns about the Palantir contract in August 2023, in a letter I wrote to the Health Secretary in the previous Government. I am here today to raise my huge concerns again, because I believe that this contract is an affront to the values of our country and the NHS. Palantir’s co-founder and chairman Peter Thiel, a historic Donald Trump backer and donor, has said that the NHS makes people sick and has called for its privatisation. Palantir deals in chaos, oppression and war, all i

We begin with the Select Committee statement. Dame Chi Onwurah will speak on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s inquiry into neuroscience and digital childhoods for up to 10 minutes, during which no interventions may be taken. At the conclusion of her statement, I will call Members to put questions on the subject of the statement, and call Dame Chi Onwurah to respond to them in turn. Questions should be brief and Members may ask only one each.