Category: Speeches

  • Priti Patel – 2021 Statement on Unauthorised Encampments

    Priti Patel – 2021 Statement on Unauthorised Encampments

    The statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 8 March 2021.

    Today, I am announcing the Government’s response to the November 2019 consultation entitled, “Strengthening Police Powers to Tackle Unauthorised Encampments”. The consultation sought views on how to address and prevent the harm and distress caused by some unauthorised encampments and followed a public consultation in 2018 which demonstrated support for more police action.

    The vast majority of travellers are law-abiding citizens. As of January 2020, the number of lawful traveller sites increased by 41% from January 2010. However, there continue to be unauthorised encampments that can create significant challenges for local authorities and cause distress and misery to many. Harmful or disruptive encampments can also perpetuate a negative image of travelling communities.

    I will therefore introduce legislation to increase the powers available to the police in England and Wales. As we pledged in our manifesto, we will create a new criminal offence to tackle unauthorised encampments. In addition, we will give the police the power to seize vehicles, and we will strengthen existing powers.

    The measures complement the ongoing work by MHCLG to strengthen councils’ powers to tackle unauthorised developments—building on land that an occupier owns without planning permission.

    Introduce a criminal offence of residing on land with a vehicle, causing damage, disruption or distress

    A person will commit an offence if they:

    Are aged 18 or over and reside or intend to reside on land without the consent of the occupier of the land;

    Have or intend to have at least one vehicle with them on the land;

    Have caused or are likely to cause significant damage, disruption or distress; and

    They:

    Fail, without a reasonable excuse, to leave the land with their vehicle and/or property once asked to do so by the occupier, representatives of the occupier or a constable; or

    They, without reasonable excuse, enter, or re-enter the land with an intention of residing there without the consent of the occupier, and they have or intend to have a vehicle with them, within 12 months of a request to leave and remove their property from an occupier, their representative or a constable.

    Give police the power to seize any property including vehicles from those committing the new offence

    The police will be empowered to seize any property including vehicles owned or in the possession of the individual on the land if they reasonably suspect that the person has committed the above offence.

    Strengthen existing powers

    Section 61(1)(a) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (“CJPOA”) sets out the power of the police to direct trespassers away from land. We will amend this section to enable the police to direct trespassers away in a broader range of circumstances, including if there is damage to the environment, such as excessive noise, litter or deposits of waste, and if there is disruption to supplies of water, energy or fuel.

    We also intend to increase the period in which persons directed away from the land under section 61 and 62A of the CJPOA must not return—without reasonable excuse—without committing an offence or being subject to powers of seizure from three months to 12 by amending section 61(4)(b) 62B(2) and section 62C(2)of the CJPOA.

    We will in addition strengthen measures to tackle unauthorised encampments on roads by amending section 61(9)(b) to allow police to direct trespassers to leave land that forms part of a highway.

    I am grateful to everyone who took the time to respond to the two consultations carried out by the Government on this issue. The views expressed in response have all been considered and have informed the decisions we have made.

    The measures I intend to introduce are a proportionate increase in powers for the police. I hope they will deter unauthorised encampments from being set up in the first instance but, where that is not the case, they will allow the police to take more effective action in response to an encampment causing damage, disruption or distress, in support of those communities living with or near them.

    I am confident that we have taken steps to ensure those wishing to exercise their rights to enjoy the countryside are not inadvertently impacted by these measures.

    The response to the consultation will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and will also be available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-police-powers-to-tackle-unauthorised-encampments.

  • Anna McMorrin – 2021 Comments on Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

    Anna McMorrin – 2021 Comments on Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

    The comments made by Anna McMorrin, the Shadow Minister for International Development, on 10 March 2021.

    After a decade of death and destruction, the humanitarian crisis in Syria is on the brink of descending to a disturbing new low. Millions of innocent families and children face displacement and unimaginable conditions.

    The UK Government must redouble its efforts to end hostilities, help reauthorise reduced aid routes and protect the many millions caught up in this spiralling conflict, particularly in the North East and North West where regime and rogue forces act with impunity.

    This is a time for leadership not retreat. Any attempt by the UK Government to cut vital lifesaving aid would further signal Britain’s shameful retreat from the world stage at a time when we need the international community to act together.

  • Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Offshore Wind Projects

    Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Offshore Wind Projects

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business Secretary, on 10 March 2021.

    Any investment in the offshore wind industry in the Humber and Teesside is welcome. But the problem is that across our country government is not investing at nearly the scale that is required to deliver the level of employment in the offshore wind industry we need and workers have a right to expect.

    We are way behind even the Government’s target of 60 per cent of offshore wind infrastructure being produced in the UK rather than overseas.

    That’s why Labour has called for a green recovery plan, a £30bn investment in low-carbon sectors to create 400,000 jobs.

  • Toby Perkins – 2021 Comments on Lack of Covid Testing

    Toby Perkins – 2021 Comments on Lack of Covid Testing

    The comments made by Toby Perkins, the Shadow Minister for Further Education and Skills, on 10 March 2021.

    Yet again, it is clear that vocational education is an after-thought for this Government.

    It is simply not good enough that there will be no access to Covid testing at independent training providers until April at the earliest, when Ministers have had months during lockdown to get this right.

    I urge Ministers to act urgently to ensure independent training providers are supported to provide a Covid-safe environment for the young people and adults that they work with.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Speech on NHS Staff Pay

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Speech on NHS Staff Pay

    The speech made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the House of Commons on 8 March 2021.

    I am grateful to the Minister, but where is the Secretary of State? Why is the Secretary of State not here to defend a Budget that puts up tax for hard-working families and cuts pay for hard-working nurses? The Secretary of State has stood at that Dispatch Box repeatedly, waxing lyrical, describing NHS staff as heroes, saying they are the very best of us, and now he is cutting nurses’ pay.

    Last summer, when asked by Andrew Marr if nurses deserved a real-terms pay rise, the Secretary of State replied:

    “Well, of course I want to see people properly rewarded, absolutely.”

    Yet now he is cutting nurses’ pay.

    Last year, the Secretary of State brought to this House legislation to put into law the NHS long-term plan. He said from that Dispatch Box that his legislation represented

    “certainty for the NHS about a minimum funding level over the next four years and certainty for the 1.4 million colleagues who work in our health service”.—[Official Report, 27 January 2020; Vol. 670, c. 571.]

    That long-term plan was based on a 2.1% pay increase for all NHS staff. Every Tory MP voted for it, the Minister voted for it, and now every Tory MP is cutting nurses’ pay.

    The Minister talked about the Budget. Where is the Chancellor? Where are his glossy tweets? Where is his video? Why did he not mention in the Budget that he was cutting nurses’ pay? Why did he sneak it out the day before in the small print?

    This is happening at a time when our NHS staff are more pressured than ever before. In the midst of the biggest health crisis for a century, when there are 100,000 shortages, what does the Minister think cutting the pay of NHS staff will do the vacancy rates? Perhaps she can tell us.

    The Minister talked about the pay review body, but she did not guarantee that the Government will implement any real-terms pay rise that the pay review body recommends. Why is that? It is because Ministers have already made up their minds to cut, in real terms, NHS pay in a pandemic. Our NHS staff deserve so much better. If this Government do not deliver a pay rise, it shows once again that you simply can’t trust the Tories with the NHS.

  • Helen Whately – 2021 Statement on NHS Staff Pay

    Helen Whately – 2021 Statement on NHS Staff Pay

    The statement made by Helen Whately, the Minister for Care, in the House of Commons on 8 March 2021.

    This pandemic has asked so much of our health and care system. The whole country recognises how our NHS workforce have performed with distinction and gone the extra mile throughout this crisis, which has also had a huge impact on our economy. It has been and still is a tough time for businesses and all those who work in them.

    As hon. Members will be aware, most of the public sector is having a pay freeze. However, even against that backdrop, we will continue to provide pay rises for NHS workers, as the Chancellor set out at the spending review. This follows a multi-year pay deal, which over a million NHS staff have benefited from and which includes a pay rise of over 12% for newly qualified nurses. We are also ramping up our investment in our NHS, with a £6.2 billion increase for 2021-22, as part of our £34 billion commitment by 2024-25, and £3 billion for supporting recovery and reducing waiting lists. As part of that, we are increasing the number of staff in the NHS, with over 6,500 more doctors, almost 10,600 more nurses, and over 18,700 more health support workers in the NHS now than a year ago. We are also on track to have 50,000 more nurses in the NHS by the end of the Parliament.

    Last week, we submitted our evidence to the NHS pay review bodies, which are independent advisory bodies made up of industry experts. Their recommendations are based on an assessment of evidence from a range of stakeholders, including trade unions. They will report their recommendations in late spring, and we will carefully consider their recommendations when we receive them.

    I can assure the House that we are committed to the NHS and to the amazing people who work in it. Just as they have been so vital throughout this pandemic, they will continue to be the very essence of our health service, together with all those who work in social care, as we come through this pandemic and build a health and care system for the future.

  • Alok Sharma – 2021 Comments on Hitachi Sponsoring COP26

    Alok Sharma – 2021 Comments on Hitachi Sponsoring COP26

    The comments made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 10 March 2021.

    Businesses have a key role to play in helping us build back greener and Hitachi has shown strong leadership by making a clear commitment to combating climate change through science based measures.

    We know that technology has a vital role in helping us all achieve a low carbon future and Hitachi is at the forefront of this. I am delighted to welcome them as a Principal Partner for COP26.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Zero Emission Vehicles

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Zero Emission Vehicles

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 10 March 2021.

    Investing in innovation is crucial in decarbonising transport, which is why I’m delighted to see creative zero-emission projects across the UK come to life.

    The funding announced today will help harness some of the brightest talent in the UK tech industry, encouraging businesses to become global leaders in EV innovation, creating jobs and accelerating us towards our net-zero ambitions.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on NHS Pay Rises

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on NHS Pay Rises

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 9 March 2021.

    The head of the NHS has confirmed what we already knew: the Conservatives have broken their promise to the NHS and are cutting nurses’ pay.

  • Kate Green – 2021 Comments on Overcrowded Classrooms

    Kate Green – 2021 Comments on Overcrowded Classrooms

    The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 9 March 2021.

    The Conservatives have turned back the clock on education, reversing twenty years of progress to reduce class sizes and ensure every child gets the dedicated teacher attention they need.

    Under the Conservatives the gap in learning between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had not narrowed for five years even before the pandemic. These Conservative choices are holding back children’s education.

    Labour has launched our Bright Future Taskforce to tackle the damage done by these policies ensuring every child can recover from the pandemic and achieve their potential.