Tag: 2026

Jodie Gosling – 2026 Speech on the Property Registration and Valuation Bill

The speech made by Josie Gosling, the Labour MP for Nuneaton, in the House of Commons on 6 January 2026.

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about requirements relating to the registration and valuation of domestic and non-domestic property; to make provision about exemptions from such requirements; and for connected purposes.

Happy new year to you and all your team, Mr Speaker. For thriving communities, we need warm homes, and safe places where people can live, thrive and survive, bring up their children and start their businesses.

We want to see our high streets thriving, with every shop filled, and restored to the proud places they once were as the beating hearts of our communities. My residents in Nuneaton have grown all too used to high streets and residential areas littered with empty properties. Shuttered-up shops and empty storefronts on our local high street deter shoppers and much-needed investment. Vacant homes in disrepair are wasteful and leave hundreds of residents on waiting lists for housing and young families struggling to get on to the property ladder.

The figures for my local area show that Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council has over 1,800 empty properties—that is equivalent to one in every 24. Local leaders in Nuneaton, including council leader Councillor Chris Watkins and Councillor Steve Hey, have fought to address the issue, recognising the deep impact it has on our communities—it is literally a waste of space, instead of providing hope and security. I know that they are supportive of the second-home surcharge, as well as additional charges on long-term empty properties. Those are important levers for local authorities that have been strengthened by this Labour Government. However, those measures alone do not account for the full picture or scale of the problem that local authorities such as Nuneaton and Bedworth face.

When a property is derelict, it is often removed from the valuation list. That is because it is no longer considered habitable or usable; it is no longer an asset. That measure was originally intended to enable renovations to take place on properties without additional costs being incurred. We support some of that and do not wish to remove the legislation as a whole; we merely wish to time-limit the exclusion, because a deregistered property does not appear on the valuation list unless it is brought back into use. That has led to the situation where properties can lie unoccupied for years. Potential is wasted and properties become an eyesore, attracting antisocial behaviour and restricting local authorities’ capacity to transform our neighbourhoods and high streets.

Nuneaton has seen properties left dormant for decades. The former Kingsholme pub has stood empty since 2008 and two houses on Stoney Road were removed from the valuation list in 2000. Those homes have stood empty for a quarter of a century, while we face a national housing crisis and children sleep in temporary accommodation. Nuneaton is growing and the houses we need are being built, but we also have to use the houses and properties that we already have effectively. Nationally, an estimated 260,000 residences are long-term empty. That is a quarter of a million, many of which have been zero-rated and do not pay back to their local councils.

I know that many honourable colleagues have the pleasure of getting the train through my constituency each week as they travel down the west coast main line to Westminster. Those who venture further into Nuneaton will see at first hand the impacts that the regulations are having. Nuneaton’s transformed town centre, Grayson Place, is due to open later this year, which is a real opportunity to redefine our town. Yet at the town end of Coton Road, as people enter the brilliant redeveloped site, there is a row of empty properties with buddleia sprouting out of the roofs. Three of those properties are nil-rated—they hold no value—preventing the council from charging an empty property levy and from holding the owners to account for the neglect of buildings that blight my community.

At the other end of Coton Road, next to the Coton arches, honourable colleagues will find the Cube, which was formerly a church and has been left to fall into disrepair. Despite the property no longer being owned by a church, it still receives its place of worship exemption, again meaning that it pays nothing. There is no incentive to bring it back from the brink or to make such properties the assets that my town needs them to be, and no responsibility for the impact on the area. Further, once a property has left the register, it becomes increasingly difficult to trace those responsible for it.

Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council welcomes the increased powers, but those powers can only do so much. Like many councils, after a decade of harsh austerity, it lacks the financial capacity to compulsorily purchase or restore the sheer number of properties. Nuneaton and Bedworth council leaders view the reorganisation of the Valuation Office Agency as a welcome step forward, but it is clear that the registration and exemption regimes need to be updated to ensure that councils have the power to hold the owners of empty properties accountable for the state of their buildings and turn those eyesores back into assets. That is why my Bill proposes that all properties should remain on the register unless they are demolished, that all properties are given a value, and that all exemptions become time-limited, ensuring that all exempt properties are being used for their exempt purpose.

As has been noted by my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Luke Akehurst), this is an issue that impacts almost all our constituencies. Updating our registration and exemption rules will provide us with the tools to embrace regeneration and remove the barriers that hold us back. I hope that my hon. Friends and colleagues will support this Bill and the measures within it today. We all want to see the effective use of our assets and to ensure that all our buildings are put to use to house our residents who need homes and that our local high streets are open for business.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Jodie Gosling, Rachel Taylor and Cat Eccles present the Bill.

Jodie Gosling accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January, and to be printed (Bill 354).

January 6, 2026
Paul Davies – 2026 Speech on Less Survivable Cancers

The speech made by Paul Davies, the Labour MP for Colne Valley, in Westminster Hall on 6 January 2026.

Forty-seven per cent of cancers diagnosed in the UK are rare and less common cancers, and 55% of deaths are from rare and less common cancers. That means that, every year, around 180,000 people will be diagnosed with a rare and less common cancer, and more than 92,000 people will die from such cancers. Blood cancer is one such cancer, and I recently met the Blood Cancer Alliance to discuss improving access to lifesaving blood cancer treatments across the UK. Over 280,000 people in the UK are living with blood cancer, and every year 40,000 more receive a diagnosis, including 5,000 children. It is the fifth most common cancer, the most prevalent childhood cancer and the third biggest cancer killer in our country. However, despite amazing advances in tech and treatment, our outcomes are falling behind in the nations.

The reason is clear: systemic barriers within the NHS and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal processes are preventing patients from accessing innovative therapies. Between 2019 and 2025, over a third of NICE appraisals for new blood cancer treatments were terminated—more than double the rate for other cancers. Those are not ineffective drugs; many are available overseas, and even privately in the UK. That creates a two-tier system in which those who can pay receive better care than those who cannot. It is unacceptable. I have been told that treatments such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy can transform lives, extending survival and improving quality of life.

The current system, with rigid cost-effectiveness thresholds and inflexible commercial frameworks, is failing patients. That is why I warmly welcome the UK Government’s cancer plan, which represents a vital opportunity to reset our approach to cancer care and to ensure that innovation is embraced, not obstructed. By prioritising timely access to effective treatments and addressing systemic barriers, the cancer plan can help deliver world-class outcomes for patients.

I stand with the Blood Cancer Alliance and Cancer52 in calling for urgent, joined-up action from Government, NICE, the NHS and industry. Together we can ensure that every person with blood cancer has timely access to the best possible care, because survival should never depend on postcode or income.

January 6, 2026
Vikki Slade – 2026 Speech on Less Survivable Cancers

The speech made by Vikki Slade, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, in Westminster Hall on 6 January 2026.

I thank the hon. Member for Southport (Patrick Hurley) for that really moving account. We know that cancer affects us all. In my family it claimed my mum Lin; my sister-in-law Lisa and my stepmum Sally have both beaten it, and now my dad Ray is living with terminal cancer. One of my team is also undergoing treatment for cancer, so we know that it is prevalent among all our lives. All of them were fit, healthy people who did everything right, as are so many others each year who get the horrible news or—worse—turn up in A&E after becoming suddenly unwell. According to a Cancer Research study, many of those patients had visited their GP but had not been referred for tests, either because they did not meet the thresholds or because they had been missed altogether. This is not a criticism of our GPs, who are working in highly difficult situations. Indeed, when I shadowed Dr Wright from Walford Mill surgery in Wimborne, he had the sober task of sharing a diagnosis and undertaking a very personal test during his appointment, which he let me witness.

If diagnosis doubled across the six least survivable cancers alone, an additional 7,500 lives a year would be saved. Each year in my constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole, there are 540 diagnoses of cancer and 300 cancer deaths. Although 85% of them should be starting treatment within 62 days, the number is actually only 60%. What is the Minister doing to bridge that gap? If we met the target in my constituency, 70 additional people would be getting on with their lives. Across the country, 45,000 additional people would be given a greater chance of not just surviving but having a life shared with those they love.

Furthermore, once they get to hospital, patients are faced with out-of-date machinery and not enough specialist nurses. Macmillan Cancer Support says there is an acute shortage and calls for a cancer nurse fund to increase the numbers by 3,700. Will the future cancer strategy include such funding?

I want to speak briefly about pancreatic cancer, which claimed the life of my cousin Colin, a super-fit former Welsh Commonwealth games cyclist who died in his 50s despite the best care available. Many other constituents have written to me about poor prognosis for this treatment. They have flagged that the NHS has approved selective internal radiation therapy, but only for colorectal and liver cancers—not those whose primary cancer was in the pancreas and then spread to the liver. These families are keen for urgent trials to be undertaken to allow the treatment to be used, given the incredibly short life expectancy faced by patients. Will the Minister consider that?

We have been waiting such a long time for this cancer strategy. We need the workforce plan and the road map for the NHS plan. Nine hundred and fifty people will be diagnosed with cancer today, and those people need hope.

January 6, 2026
Patrick Hurley – 2026 Speech on Less Survivable Cancers

The speech made by Patrick Hurley, the Labour MP for Southport, in Westminster Hall on 6 January 2026.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week is an important marker in the calendar, but I want to talk about another important marker when it comes to these cancers—one that is important for me and my family anyway—because this year marks 20 years since I was made unavoidably aware of the devastation of oesophageal cancer. In May of that year, my father developed the classic symptoms: difficulty swallowing, feeling like food was getting stuck, heartburn and weight loss. He was diagnosed in August and died on 23 December: from becoming symptomatic to losing his life was just seven months. The rapidity of the decline was overwhelming. Barely had he been diagnosed than he was given a terminal diagnosis. I must admit, though, that I was not giving my father my full attention during that time. In almost any other circumstances I would have been a much more dutiful son, but my own focus was elsewhere that year. On 1 August 2006, my wife Susan also became symptomatic with oesophageal cancer. She was diagnosed on 11 September and died on 14 November.

The speed with which I read that sentence reflects the speed with which Sue died. There was barely any chance to understand what was happening, to seek help or for the family to manage. That is not unusual with these sorts of diseases. It is the sort of story that thousands of us know. Crucially, for my Southport constituency, it is also a story that disproportionately impacts people from the north-west and from north Wales. For my family, there was not any long fight or slow decline—only shock, confusion, urgent decisions and death. That is what a less survivable cancer looks like.

May I make a clear ask of the Minister today? I am asking for a personal commitment, and a commitment across Government, to drive up survival rates for all these less survivable cancers, but most urgently—for my personal history and for the geographical distribution that shows that my part of the country has higher levels than elsewhere in the UK—for oesophageal cancer. That could mean things such as early diagnosis, recognising that one size fits all does not work. It could mean fast-track treatment pathways once suspicion is raised. Above all else, it should include serious investment in experimental and pre-symptomatic techniques, finding ways to detect cancers before symptoms even appear. These are difficult cancers to deal with, and that is why they need targeted action. I am here today because two people I loved did not get the help they needed, so I urge the Government to help other families avoid that same fate.

January 6, 2026
Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on West Midlands Police and Football Policing Decision

The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 6 January 2026.

West Midlands Police capitulated to Islamists and then collaborated with them to cover it up.

They knew extremists were planning to attack Jews for going to a football match, and their response was to blame and remove Jewish people instead. They presented an inversion of reality and misled a Parliamentary Committee.

We have had enough of this in Britain.

The Chief Constable’s position is untenable.

The British Police serve the British public, not local sectarian interests.

January 6, 2026
Keir Starmer – 2026 Remarks after Coalition of the Willing Meeting

The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 6 January 2026.

It’s important that we are starting the year like this –

European and American allies, side-by-side with President Zelenskyy…

Standing for peace.

And we are closer to that goal than ever…

But the hardest yards are still ahead…

So we’re here today to keep driving that effort forward.

And we’ve had a very constructive meeting…

Which has built on the excellent progress made in negotiations over recent days and weeks.

The purpose of the Coalition of the Willing…

Is to help deliver a peace that can last –

And to work with the US to guarantee Ukraine’s security for the long term.

This work is now more advanced than ever. 

Today’s joint declaration set that out in clear terms –

On top of that, and alongside President Zelenskyy and President Macron,

We went even further today.

We signed a Declaration of Intent…

On the deployment of forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.

This is a vital part of our iron-cast commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long term.

It paves the way for the legal framework…

Under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil –

Securing Ukraine’s skies and seas –

And regenerating Ukraine’s armed forces for the future.

We discussed these issues in detail today.

And so I can say that, following a ceasefire,

The UK and France will establish “military hubs” across Ukraine…

And build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment…

To support Ukraine’s defensive needs.

And with our Coalition partners,

We also have agreed significant further steps.

First, that we will participate in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire.

Second, we will support the long-term provision of armaments for Ukraine’s defence.

And third, we will work towards binding commitments…

To support Ukraine in the case of a future armed attack by Russia.

This is all about building the practical foundations on which peace would rest.

But we can only get to a peace deal if Putin is ready to make compromises.

And so, we have to be frank –

For all Russia’s words…

Putin is not showing that he is ready for peace.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen the opposite:

Further horrific strikes on Ukraine…

Killing and wounding civilians…

And cutting off power from millions of people in the dead of winter.

His forces hit a hospital in Kyiv just yesterday.

And he has tried to distract from peace efforts with unfounded claims of attacks on his residence.

Now this only hardens our resolve.

We will continue to step up our support to Ukraine’s defence in 2026…

To ensure it gets the equipment and backing it needs to continue the fight.

And we will keep up the pressure on Russia…

Including further measures on the oil traders and Shadow Fleet operators funding Putin’s war chest.

We will continue these efforts until they come to the table in good faith…

And until we realise the goal that we all share – of a just and lasting peace.

Thank you, Emmanuel.

January 6, 2026
Siobhain McDonagh – 2026 Speech on Less Survivable Cancers

The speech made by Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, in Westminster Hall on 6 January 2026.

I thank the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) for organising this debate. My purpose is to find a cure for glioblastoma brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, with a life expectancy from diagnosis of just nine months and a five-year survival rate of 5%. The only way to find a cure and improve outcomes for a cancer that has seen no improvement in 30 years is through drug trials.

In the absence of commercial or charitable glioblastoma drug trials, we launched our own trial in memory of my late sister, Margaret, in July last year. The trial is being run by Dr Paul Mulholland, Europe’s leading consultant on glioblastoma, who is based at University College London. It will include 16 newly diagnosed patients at University College hospital. This is a pre-surgery immunotherapy trial focused on patients who have received no prior treatment. The drug is given before surgery, allowing the immune system to attack the tumour before it is removed.

I am delighted to confirm that we have already recruited five patients and, while the trial remains at an early stage, we are encouraged by the early findings. This is only the start. This journey has proven extraordinarily difficult and has been possible only because of an alignment of factors that very few will ever encounter: access to one of Europe’s leading clinicians working from a major London teaching hospital, alongside a world-class university; a group of my sister’s friends who have campaigned tirelessly and raised more than £1 million in two years; and the engagement and backing of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to get the trial over the line.

Our ambition is to establish 10 such trials using 10 different immunotherapy drugs, but ultimately our ability to raise money will end. How can Dr Mulholland apply for funding to support the programme of trials using repurposed immunotherapy drugs? Can the Minister’s team provide a written explanation and a link setting out how a bid can be made to the NIHR to access those funds? It is a straight question, and I would welcome a straight answer.

January 6, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government seeks views to modernise laws on powered mobility devices [January 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 January 2026.

Have your say on how laws around powered mobility devices could reflect modern technology and improve safety by 31 March 2026.
- 40-year-old laws on powered mobility devices to be brought up to date to better support those who use electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters
- consultation seeks to review size, speed and usage rules to better reflect modern technology and improve safety
- this forms part of the government’s wider mission to break down barriers to opportunity and make transport more inclusive and accessible for all
Laws around powered mobility devices, including electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters, could be modernised, as the Department for Transport launches a 12-week consultation today (6 January 2026).

The government is inviting users, accessibility organisations, industry and the public to share views on how outdated rules should evolve to reflect modern technology and improve safety.

Current legislation, which dates back nearly 40 years, does not reflect the technological advances that have transformed these devices. For example, some modern wheelchairs used by adults and children exceed the current maximum legal weight limit, meaning they can only legally be used on private land.

The consultation seeks views on how regulations should evolve to better support people who rely on powered mobility devices, while ensuring safety for everyone who uses our roads and pavements.

Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for Roads and Buses, said:

Powered mobility devices give people independence and freedom and the law should enable their safe use.

This consultation is a chance for users and organisations to help us modernise these outdated rules and ensure they meet today’s needs.

Throughout this consultation, powered mobility device users, accessibility organisations, industry and other members of the public will be able to make their views heard on a variety of areas critical for updating these laws. These include:
- updating terminology in law, replacing outdated terms such as ‘invalid carriages’ with language that reflects modern attitudes and respect for users
- clarifying where powered mobility devices can be used – on roads, pavements, or other spaces
- reviewing size, speed, and age requirements for larger devices
- considering whether 2-person tandem devices should be permitted on UK pavements and roads
- exploring whether other devices, such as powered transporters, should be allowed on public roads or pavements when used by disabled people or those with reduced mobility
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP, said:

We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for disabled people and improving access to assistive technology, as well as making sure that the laws around its use are up to date, is essential to this.

I encourage disabled people to respond to the Department for Transport’s consultation so their views and voices are used to shape this policy.

Isabelle Clement, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing, said:

We are delighted to see the Department for Transport consulting on modernising laws on ‘powered mobility devices’. Over 10 million people in the UK have mobility-related impairments and existing laws create confusion, restrict market innovation and limit disabled people’s freedom to travel.

New high-quality regulations that meet disabled people’s needs will enable millions more disabled people to legally use a growing range of existing and innovative safe, convenient, cost-effective, low-carbon mobility devices to move around our communities.

This has the potential to improve the independence, physical and mental health, employment, educational and social options of disabled individuals and our families across the UK.

Nick Goldup, CEO, Wheelchair Alliance CIC, said:

The Wheelchair Alliance wholeheartedly welcomes this government review of powered wheelchair legislation. For too long, wheelchair users have been sidelined by outdated legislation and offensive terminology. Many individuals using wheelchairs over 150kg have been left feeling anxious and worried about breaking the law.

Having worked closely with Simon Lightwood MP for over a year, we are beyond proud that our campaigning has secured this commitment to change. We will continue to amplify the voices of our community to ensure this review delivers a fairer, more inclusive future for all.

The powered mobility devices consultation will run for 12 weeks and will close on 31 March 2026. A government response will be published soon after.
January 6, 2026
NEWS STORY : Government extends Plug-in Truck Grant with £18m boost, offering up to £120,000 off electric lorries

STORY

Hauliers and fleet operators will be able to claim discounts of up to £120,000 on new electric lorries after the government announced an extra £18 million to extend the Plug-in Truck Grant until March 2026. The Department for Transport said the move is designed to cut the higher upfront cost of going electric and help firms benefit from lower day-to-day running costs compared with diesel vehicles.

Ministers said the funding sits within a wider £318 million green freight investment package aimed at reducing emissions while supporting growth and jobs. Under the updated grant levels, smaller trucks (4.25t to 12t) can receive up to £20,000, mid-sized trucks (12t to 18t) up to £60,000, larger trucks (18t to 26t) up to £80,000 and the biggest lorries (26t and over) up to £120,000.

Alongside the grant extension, the government said it will launch a consultation on a regulatory roadmap to phase out the sale of new non-zero emission HGVs by 2040, which it said is intended to give industry more certainty to plan investments.

January 6, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Boost for British business as government slashes cost of electric lorries by up to £120,000 [January 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 January 2026.

We’re making electric lorries more affordable to help hauliers make the switch, while boosting growth and investment in the sector.
- £18 million to slash up to £120,000 off the cost of green lorries, making it cheaper for businesses to go electric
- part of £318 million green freight investment to cut costs for industry and reduce emissions, delivering on the government’s promise to boost growth and support jobs
- government launches consultation on roadmap to phase out sales of new non-zero emission HGVs, giving industry certainty to plan for zero emission by 2040
Hauliers and fleet operators will access discounts of up to £120,000 on new electric trucks thanks to an additional £18 million announced by the government today (6 January 2026) to increase the Plug-in Truck Grant until March 2026.

The move is part of a £318 million plan for green freight, which is backing British businesses by slashing upfront costs on new lorries and helping businesses to access the lower running costs. This is all part of the government’s plan to reduce emissions while cutting costs, sparking growth and creating jobs as the sector moves to the technology of the future.

See the list of electric and hybrid vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant for more information.

Similar to the government’s Electric Car Grant, which has saved over 45,000 drivers up to £3,750 when making the switch, the Plug-in-Truck Grant enables lorry operators to access savings of up to £120,000 when buying a new electric truck.

New grant levels mean:
- smaller trucks (4.25t to 12t) could save up to £20,000
- mid-sized trucks (12t to 18t) up to £60,000
- larger trucks (18t to 26t) up to £80,000
- and the largest lorries (26t and over) up to £120,000
Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, Keir Mather, said:

We’re backing British businesses to go green by making electric lorries more affordable, helping hauliers to make the switch whilst turbocharging growth, investment and jobs in the sector.

Our proposals will provide the certainty the industry has been calling for so that Britain becomes the best place for green investment.

The funding is set to increase zero emission truck sales to support delivery of the UK’s climate obligations and comes as the government has already invested over £120 million as part of the zero emission heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and infrastructure demonstrator (ZEHID) programme to roll out more zero emission lorries on UK roads.

Backed by this fund, companies like Amazon and Marks & Spencer have already rolled out more electric delivery trucks on UK roads, with ZEHID rolling out nearly 300 zero emission HGVs by March 2026.

Day-to-day running costs can already be lower for electric lorries compared to their diesel counterparts, but upfront vehicle costs are typically higher. The increase to the Plug-in Truck Grant will help businesses access those daily savings, cutting costs for businesses as well as emissions.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon UK:

Amazon welcomes the government’s continued commitment to supporting the electrification of commercial fleets. The UK will be home to the largest number of electric heavy goods trucks in Amazon’s global transportation network and the first of our record-breaking order of eHGVs are already on the road.

We’re investing to help the UK decarbonise and meet our goal of being net zero carbon by 2040. We look forward to continuing to work with the government to ensure the growth of more sustainable logistics.

Alongside increased funding, the government will also launch a consultation on the regulatory roadmap to phase out sales of new non-zero emission HGVs by 2040, giving industry the certainty it needs to invest and plan for the future.

By consulting closely with industry, the government will ensure the road to net zero is one that works for businesses and supports jobs, growth and increased investment.
January 6, 2026