Oral Answers to Questions

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

1. What steps she is taking to help tackle discrimination against trans people.

Trans people deserve to live their life with dignity and respect, and without shame. This Government are committed to protecting and advancing the rights of trans people, including by equalising hate crime legislation, delivering a trans inclusive ban on conversion practices, and improving gender healthcare services.

I recently spoke to a trans woman at my coffee morning. She was in tears, as she feels that life for trans people in Britain has gone backwards. She was always able to live and work in peace and dignity, but feels that her right to do that has been severely impacted, and she is worried about her chances of getting new jobs because of the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on, for example, toilets. Can the Minister reassure me and my constituent that this Government will fight to protect the rights of trans people in Britain?

I am so sorry to hear from my hon. Friend about the experience of her constituent, and I recognise how much anxiety there is in the trans community at the moment. Let me be clear that trans people’s rights against discrimination and harassment are protected in law—a fact that was underlined in the Supreme Court judgment. This Government are committed to defending and extending the rights of trans people in this country, including by equalising hate crime law and improving healthcare, and through our trans inclusive ban on conversion practices.

Since the Supreme Court judgment—and even more so since the code of practice was published—my constituents who identify as trans are contacting me daily. One has told me that he feels entirely pushed out of public life, and has had to leave his job due to customer harassment. He says that finding a new job is nigh on impossible. Does the Minister perceive that to be an intended or unintended consequence of the draft guidance, and will the Government please give Parliament the opportunity to vote on it?

I have said how greatly I recognise the significant anxiety that is felt by some in the trans community at the moment. The Supreme Court was extremely clear that trans people’s rights and protections against discrimination and harassment are protected in law, and the Government will defend and extend trans people’s rights. The draft code of practice is before the House for scrutiny, and Members can apply for additional debates on the subject if they wish.

2. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle antisemitism.

The rise in antisemitism is unacceptable; antisemitism has no place in Britain. It requires a whole of society response. That is why we are strengthening policing, and investing in record protective security funding to keep Jewish communities safe. We are also clamping down on antisemitic extremism, tackling antisemitism in schools and universities, ensuring that Arts Council England withdraws funding from those who promote antisemitism, and accepting all the recommendations in Lord Mann’s review on antisemitism and racism in the health service.

The inaugural Jewish Culture Month has just concluded. More than 100 events took place across the country to celebrate Jewish culture, community and creativity. For example, the Plymouth Jewish community partnered with the Klezmer Village Band to bring traditional Jewish music to local schools and Plymouth Theatre Royal, helping to share Jewish culture with a wider audience. Given that the Prime Minister believes that rooting out antisemitism is a highlight of his tenure, what support was the Minister able to show for Jewish Culture Month, and did she attend any events?

The hon. Lady speaks for the whole House in recognising the importance of celebrating and sharing Jewish culture, and that is why this month has been so valuable. She may be aware that an event was held in the Department for Education. We will leave no stone unturned to tackle antisemitism. Members on both sides of this House are committed to ensuring that no person from the Jewish community feels that they have to change their way of life, or what they wear, in order to be safe.

I welcome the Minister’s comment that no Jewish person should have to change what they wear or how they go about their life, but she will know that this is exactly what is happening in this country, not least because antisemitism is perpetrated online by vile hate mongers who seem to think that attacking Jewish people is fair game. What action is the Minister taking to ensure that those people online who pump out antisemitism and anti Jewish hatred are brought to book very quickly?

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. He is absolutely right that this hate and abuse must also be tackled online; that is why the Online Safety Act 2023 has robust provisions to protect people from online abuse. We have ended the era of self regulation, and are enforcing strict legal duties that compel platforms to design out racial hatred and protect users. It is vital that this work continues, and that we step up active enforcement programmes that have been under way since March last year.

3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

9. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

We have made the landmark commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, and we have begun delivering already; providing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, specialist rape and sexual offence investigation units in our police forces, and £16 million for programmes in schools on healthy relationships and tackling harmful behaviour. Our ambition is clear, but there is much more work to do.

The most dangerous place for a woman is often her own home. That is in part why I have introduced a private Member’s Bill to extend domestic abuse protections to children and young people who may be in abusive relationships. What more are this Government doing to tackle the scourge of domestic violence?

My hon. Friend is right: far too often, the least safe place for a woman is her own home. Children who witness or experience abuse in their home are victims in their own right. This Government are determined to tackle domestic abuse; we are putting domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, prosecutions are rising, and domestic abuse protection orders can provide unlimited duration protection, and are already protecting more than 1,000 victims. I welcome my hon. Friend’s commitment to legislating to protect children and young people who are caught in abusive relationships, and I look forward to working with her on her private Member’s Bill.

Suicides caused by domestic violence are growing at such a rate that a woman in an abusive relationship is now more likely to take her own life than to be killed by her partner, yet we know that there is a significant under reporting of cases, and criminal accountability for the men responsible is all too rare. Could the Minister update the House on what the Government are doing to tackle this crisis, and to bring to justice the men who drive women to end their lives?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this important matter. Where domestic abuse drives a woman to take her own life, it is a profound tragedy and an injustice, and perpetrators must be held to account. Those who drive their partners to take their own life can face prosecution for the offences of manslaughter and encouraging suicide. The Government have asked the Law Commission to conduct a wholesale review of the law of homicide and the sentencing framework for murder, which will include a review of the use, and any obstacles to the use, of manslaughter charges where abuse may have driven someone to suicide. We recognise that there is more to do, particularly on better understanding and preventing suicides linked to domestic abuse, and we will continue to work with experts, frontline services and campaigners to strengthen our response.

The hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin) embarrassed herself and this House when she said that the England football team needed to keep winning to keep women safe from domestic abuse. Does the Minister agree with me and with Refuge that linking domestic violence to football allows perpetrators to avoid accountability for their horrific actions?

I completely agree. Domestic abuse is not caused by football results; it is caused by perpetrators who make the choice to abuse women. Refuge, Women’s Aid and other specialist organisations are clear that suggesting otherwise allows abusers to deflect responsibility and avoid accountability. This Government are clear that there is no excuse, no context and no mitigating circumstances that make domestic abuse acceptable. I hope that the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin) will reflect on the harm that that kind of framing causes to victims.

Does the Minister agree that it is iniquitous that at least one of the doctors responsible for the intrusive examination of young women prior to their rape and sexual abuse by Mohammed Fayed is still practising in London? If she does, would she approach the General Medical Council to ask why that is?

The scourge of abuse, whoever commits it, must be rooted out, across all professions. We are committed, through our violence against women and girls strategy, to halving violence against women and girls. We need to look at healthcare settings as well as everywhere else, and I would certainly be happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman to discuss that issue further.

I recently hosted a roundtable with leading organisations in the VAWG sector to discuss the vile trend of men filming degrading videos of women enjoying a night out, and accompanying the videos with absolutely awful captions. Before she resigned, the former Minister, the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies Jones), committed to meeting me to discuss solutions. I know that the political situation is a little fluid, but can the Minister ensure that her Department takes this very seriously, and will she meet me to discuss solutions?

We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls, whether it happens on the street, in people’s homes or online. In order to tackle abuse and harms online, we have criminalised the creation of non consensual deepfakes and are banning nudification tools. We are also putting a legal duty on platforms to remove non consensual intimate images within 48 hours. There is more that we can do, and I would be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss solutions.

My constituent Paris Shears was subjected to domestic abuse, including coercive control, by her former partner. During his trial, he changed his plea to receive a shorter sentence. Paris’s parliamentary petition to change the law has received over 100,000 signatures. Does the Minister agree that victims of domestic abuse, including coercive control, deserve better?

Our police receive calls relating to domestic violence every 30 seconds. Victims of domestic violence need to be treated well, and to see much more action taken, whether we are talking about our police, our courts, or the services that victims need. This Government are taking that action, not only by putting domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, but through domestic abuse protection orders, but we know that there is so much more that is needed by victims of domestic abuse.

I call the shadow Minister for Women.

As a 16-year old, Kate worked a summer at Harrods. In 2024, she told her story of being raped at work. Intimate medical examinations were carried out on women by senior Harrods staff and security. Hundreds of women’s attacks were silenced. How will the Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors be heard? I met some of those brave women this week. How will they get the whole truth, justice, and systemic change, if the Met police inquiry remains stalled, and if enablers—some of them women—are left at large? Incredibly, over 500 victims still need answers.

I have met victims and campaigners from the al Fayed campaign, as has the Prime Minister. We must ensure that no matter who you are or where you are, there is always justice. I look forward to continuing to work with campaigners to ensure that they get justice.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

The Government’s recently announced social media ban for under-16s will play an important role in tackling violence against women and girls and the online spread of misogyny, but social media bans by themselves are not enough. While we welcome steps to address online harm, the Government’s proscriptive approach simply will not be enough. New platforms and apps will continue to spring up, and the Government are in danger of being a dangerously outpaced competitor in an online game of whack a-mole.

Alongside legislation, we urgently need to give our parents, teachers and schools the tools that they need to ensure that when children come across harmful or inappropriate content, they are equipped to recognise and challenge it, and are ultimately kept safe from it. Will the Minister work with her colleagues in the Department for Education to ensure that teachers have the resources and support in the curriculum to cover that?

The hon. Member is right that we need to not just pursue perpetrators and provide support to victims, but prevent violence against women and girls. That is why this is a cross Government strategy. No one Department can tackle this alone. The Department for Education is piloting programmes with young people in schools. We need to ensure that all Departments are doing their bit—and they are.

4. What steps she is taking to ban conversion practices.

Conversion practices are an abhorrent and insidious form of abuse, perpetrated by people who believe that being LGBT is not only wrong but can be forcibly changed. This Government will ban that abuse.

The work of Cumbria Pride and Pride in North Cumbria in supporting people to feel accepted and confident in their sexuality stands in stark contrast to those who peddle cruel and abusive conversion practices. The last Conservative Government failed multiple times to introduce a ban on these practices. Will the Minister please confirm that this Government will legislate, and will she set out the steps that the Government are taking to do this?

I thank Pride in North Cumbria and Cumbria Pride for their brilliant work. My hon. Friend is right to say that Pride events are a wonderful asset to the community. Given recent decisions to defund Pride events, this is a lesson that Reform councils clearly need to learn. I can confirm that this Labour Government will ban abusive conversion practices, and we will be publishing our draft Bill very soon.

I am mindful of the question asked by the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns) and the Minister’s response. What protection has the Minister put in place for those who actively and honestly seek help and prayerful support, and who are seeking guidance in churches and through Christian and faith based groups? It is always important that people have an opportunity to seek that guidance. I know the Minister will be committed to that, and I would be very pleased to hear her answer.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and I look forward to discussing this matter further with him when we have published our draft Bill. Let me be very clear that what we are talking about is criminalising abuse that should happen to nobody, anywhere, in any situation or setting.

5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce inequalities experienced by children in poverty.

10. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce inequalities experienced by children in poverty.

Tackling child poverty is a moral mission for this Labour Government. Background should not determine what people go on to achieve in life, but we know that inequality and poverty hold back too many of our children. We are improving the life chances of every child by scrapping the two child limit, rolling out free childcare, Best Start family hubs, and free breakfast clubs, and expanding free school meals. Our child poverty strategy will deliver the largest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament. This is the difference a Labour Government are making.

In Stoke on Trent and Kidsgrove, literacy levels among our children and young people fall behind the England average. That can severely impact a young person’s future earnings. Our libraries play a key role in addressing that, yet Reform led Staffordshire county council has ordered them to remove Pride displays. Does the Secretary of State agree that libraries should be inclusive and welcoming to all, and that children and young people should never be placed at the centre of such divisive culture wars?

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. The joy of reading should be open to every child, and that is really important in this National Year of Reading. Local libraries are special places, and Reform should be investing in our libraries, so that children can access them, not shutting down displays that make all families feel welcome. Sadly, this is characteristic of a party that, in my area, let back in a councillor who said that Nigerians should be “melted down” to fill potholes. Not fit for power at any level.

We know that the attainment gap holds back children who grow up in poverty. The gap reached its highest levels under the Tories, and in Scotland the SNP has failed to close it. Does the Minister agree that it is shameful that the Tories’ only policies for children are bringing back the two child limit, plunging hundreds of thousands into poverty, and bringing back tax breaks for private schools?

I am proud of the last Labour Government’s record on tackling child poverty, but this Labour Government are going even further. We will lift the largest ever number of children out of poverty in a single Parliament, in sharp contrast with the Conservative party, which would plunge half a million children back into poverty.

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

The Equality Act 2010 is a monumental achievement, passed by the last Labour Government, that protects everyone from discrimination and harassment. The public sector equality duty makes our services fairer for everyone, and we are bolstering that by commencing the socioeconomic duty. The Equality Act is our quiet guardian—the law that stops bosses overlooking pregnant qualified workers for promotion and that requires shops and transport to adapt for wheelchair users, making their services accessible. To those who want to dismantle those protections, I say that we will not let them turn back the clock. We stand by those rights; we will strengthen them.

I have given Ministers advance notice of this question. Will they do more to better co ordinate support across Government for women and child victims? The abuser of my constituent Caroline Eshghi was granted a lenient sentence because the abuse occurred before 2005, and my constituent Tina Nash, who was beaten, assaulted and blinded, feels insufficiently protected and supported by either the Parole Board or the victim contact scheme. Will Ministers please do more to support them?

The hon. Gentleman raises two incredibly powerful and distressing cases. I share with him my sympathy for those affected, given all that they have been through and the harm that they have suffered. I am more than happy to discuss the matter further with him, or to make sure that a Minister meets him to hear his constituents’ views.

T3. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidelines were to provide clarity. However, washing facilities adaptations will be difficult and costly for businesses, and providers such as Girlguiding risk potentially being sued for being inclusive. Small vulnerable minorities need our protection. How will the Minister monitor the impact of the guidance on trans and disabled people to ensure that they are not left without services and they are not scared to go out?

I thank my hon. Friend for that important question. The code is clear that nobody should be left without the services they need. The EHRC is clear that it will monitor the impact of the code.

I call the shadow Minister.

The Government’s Islamophobia definition is already being weaponised to shut down free speech, just as I warned it would. South Wales police tried to use it to effectively criminalise people for criticising Islam, which Ministers promised us time and again would not happen. Does the Minister understand how divisive that is? If so, will she finally withdraw that dangerous definition?

South Wales police has paused its plans. It is right that it has done so. There are no blasphemy laws in this country, but it is right that we take action against hatred, prejudice and racism wherever we find it. We have seen shocking examples of Muslims in our country being targeted on the basis of their faith and because of who they are. We need look no further than the shadow Justice Secretary, the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), who engaged in appalling racism towards Muslims in our country and, rather shamefully, was not sacked by the Leader of the Opposition for those comments.

Asking officers to record examples of an illegitimate criticism of Islam is nothing short of an assault on free speech. Let me try another issue: last night, Labour MPs voted to give children as young as 11 powerful puberty blocking drugs that could leave them infertile for the rest of their lives. The right hon. Lady is the Cabinet Minister for children and she knows that children in the care system are over represented in that group. This cannot sit right with her. Will she do the right thing and tell the Health Secretary to stop the puberty blocking trial?

When Dr Hilary Cass published her review, we endorsed all those recommendations, as did the Conservatives. An important part of what Dr Cass set out was that it is essential that healthcare is available to children and young people who are experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence, but that it must be safe, evidence based and clinically appropriate. We have always been clear about the red lines regarding the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s trial and the prescription of puberty blockers, and the safety and wellbeing of children must be at the forefront of everything that we do, but the review by Dr Cass concluded that while not enough was known about the safety of puberty suppressing hormones, it was necessary to take forward a trial.

The Prime Minister was asked—

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 24 June.

I start by saying that my thoughts are with all those injured in the rail collision last Friday. I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of the driver of the Corby to St Pancras train. His family have requested privacy, and we should all respect that. I send my deepest sympathies to them at this awful time. My thoughts are also with those injured in the appalling attack in Edinburgh, which appears to have been motivated by anti Muslim hatred. Let us be clear: in this country, an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We will not stand for it, and the perpetrator will face the full force of the law. Let me commend our emergency services, who responded to both incidents with outstanding bravery and professionalism in very difficult circumstances.

One of the greatest privileges of leading this country is meeting our armed forces, celebrating their work and marking Armed Forces Week, and I want to thank them all for their dedication, their courage and their sacrifice to protect our way of life. This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I shall have further such meetings later today.

Did you meet Andy?

Not today. [Laughter.]

I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks. His Government can be really proud of the national cancer plan. Cancer patients in Wokingham and across the country cannot afford for it not to be implemented or regularly updated. Will the Prime Minister leave a lasting legacy and support my private Member’s Bill—the National Cancer Strategy Bill—to ensure that future Governments remain accountable for delivering the plan’s targets and ambitions?

I acknowledge the hon. Gentleman’s personal experience and pay tribute to his campaign. I am incredibly proud of the national cancer plan, which sets out how we are ending the postcode lottery through more cancer specialists, through paying the travel costs of children travelling for cancer care, and through investing in technology to drive research into rare cancers. Thanks to our record investment in the NHS, we have the shortest waits for cancer diagnosis on record. He will be pleased to know that, in his constituency, waiting lists in his local care board are down by 40,000. That is thanks to a Labour Government and Labour decisions.

Q2. Max Hall is 14 years old. He should be worrying about school, football, friends and what he wants to be when he grows up. Instead, he is living with a high grade brain tumour and there is no cure available to him. His parents, Jackie and Steven, want to know why children being diagnosed with brain tumours are still being told that there are no treatment options available. Why does brain tumour research remain so underfunded, when brain tumours kill more children than adults under 40 than any other cancer? Why are families like them left to search for hope themselves? This Prime Minister has done so much to strengthen our NHS, so does he agree that we need to move at pace and do much more to offer hope to Max and his family, and families like his who are facing this unequally devastating disease?

My thoughts—and, I am sure, the thoughts of the whole House—are with Max and his family in what must be the most awful of circumstances. Through our cancer trials accelerator programme, we will make it easier to launch innovative new clinical trials and find new treatment. For people like Max, that will make young people’s cancer a research priority, make clinical trials more accessible and pay for his travel costs for care. I hope that comes as some comfort, but as a parent, I cannot imagine what his family are going through, given the circumstances that he faces. I know that a Minister would be happy to meet Max and his family.

I call the Leader of the Opposition.

I associate the Opposition with the Prime Minister’s remarks on the horrific train crash, the attacks in Edinburgh and, of course, Armed Forces Week.

I want to start by congratulating the Prime Minister: he is the other party leader who won a by election last week, although I think I am much happier with my new MP than he is with his. Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister told the House that the Government were funding defence and that everything was under control. The very next day, the Defence Secretary resigned, saying the Prime Minister was “unable” and the Treasury “unwilling” to fund the defence of our country. What changed?

The right hon. Lady references the by election—I am very pleased with our new Member of Parliament. In Gorton and Denton, the Tories got 1.9% of the vote. I congratulate her because they got 2.2% of the vote in Makerfield, just edging past Count Binface. She says they are winning everywhere. At that rate, it will take them 500 years to get back into power. Meanwhile, back on the Government Benches, we have delivered the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the 1980s—£270 billion over this Parliament. That is a record. The defence investment plan will take that even higher. That is about facing the future. We will finalise the plan with the Defence Secretary, and we will have it published before the NATO summit.

I think the Prime Minister forgot to mention that we got 50% of the vote in Aberdeen South. He says that he is funding defence; the truth is he would not be in this mess if his Chancellor had found money for the defence investment plan. The Prime Minister gave her the second most important job in Britain. She was the first female Chancellor. She lives next door to him, but would not even come out to stand by him during his resignation speech; she was too busy getting ready for a selfie with the new leader. Does the Prime Minister feel let down by his Chancellor?

This is the Chancellor who ended the austerity inflicted on our country for 14 long years. This is the Chancellor who got the economy growing. The Leader of the Opposition does not normally want to talk about the economy. That is because in the first quarter of this year, the UK had the fastest growing economy in the G7. Our growth was upgraded by the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. Last week, unemployment was down and inflation better. That is because with this Chancellor, we have the right economic plan and can weather the global storms of the war that the right hon. Lady wanted to jump into. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”]

Labour Members are cheering so loudly, but if it is all going so fine, why is the Prime Minister resigning? The fact is the Chancellor did let him down. She is the one who snatched the winter fuel payment and who announced a disastrous Budget that killed economic growth. Because of her, a Labour Prime Minister is once again leaving office with unemployment higher than when he came in.

But the Chancellor is not the only person who let him down: the Energy Secretary is putting up bills and killing jobs. [Hon. Members: “Where is he?”] He is not here, is he? He was a failed Labour leader rejected by the electorate, brought back from the wilderness by this man, and when the going got tough, he jumped into bed with the Mayor of Manchester—it is not the first time he has betrayed someone close to him, is it? Does the Prime Minister think that this treachery should be rewarded by being appointed Chancellor?

The Chancellor and I picked up our party six years ago from the worst defeat since 1935. We turned the party around and made it face the country, and we won a landslide general election, giving the Conservatives the biggest drubbing in their history. Thanks to this Chancellor, we have delivered the fastest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years, with new rights for renters and money for working people, and we are lifting half a million children out of poverty. The test for every Prime Minister is handing over the country in a better shape than they found it. I know I can do that, which is more than can be said for the right hon. Lady’s predecessor, her predecessor’s predecessor and her predecessor’s predecessor’s predecessor!

Once again I have to ask: if it is all so fantastic, why is the Prime Minister resigning? It is very generous of him to stick by his Ministers, because they did not stick by him. He can say what he likes, but the people of Aberdeen gave their verdict—they gave their verdict on his Energy Secretary by voting Conservative.

To be fair, the Cabinet are not all traitors and deserters; some of them have been loyal—loyal and incompetent. Hands up if you think that the Education Secretary is doing a good job—[Interruption.] Even she doesn’t think she’s doing a good job, Mr Speaker—[Interruption.] Oh, someone did. For those who raised their hands—the two people who raised their hands—yesterday, a poll found that 0% of teachers think that the Education Secretary is doing a good job. She taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down. It turns out that appointing a spiteful class warrior as Education Secretary was a disaster. Does the Prime Minister agree that he has been let down by her incompetence?

The Education Secretary grew up in poverty. She knows exactly what it means to grow up in poverty. She was once reluctant to tell her story, but I know her story and it is an incredible story of social mobility and success. I am so proud that she is sitting there, as should be everybody in this country who cares about social mobility. She knows that education is absolutely vital for poor children, and that is why it drives every single priority and value that she has. I would have thought that Conservatives would recognise and understand some of that, but they have fallen so low that they don’t.

The fact is that if the Education Secretary knew so much about poor children, she would not have given them fewer teachers. Teacher numbers have gone down—[Interruption.] It is amazing; I have never seen this much excitement on the Labour Benches. They are cheering so loudly, while there are 400 knives stuck in the Prime Minister’s back. Shame on them. They don’t like it up them, but they know that what I am saying is true.

There were times when the Prime Minister tried to do the right thing. He tried—he did try to cut welfare, and who stopped him? Those MPs behind him. In the words of the Welfare Secretary, his MPs only want to know who they can tax to fund more benefits. They are not Labour MPs, they are welfare MPs. Does the Prime Minister feel betrayed by the people he got into Parliament?

Order. We should think about the language we are using. When we leave this Chamber, do not be surprised if constituents feel that they can use the same language against each other. Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect to each other.

Thank you Mr Speaker. I was trying to do all this with as much good grace as I could, but I shall certainly miss these exchanges. I am very proud of every one of our MPs who, with a landslide Labour victory, come from all different backgrounds and different places across the country. We inflicted the biggest loss on the Tories in the history of their party. We have picked up our party and we turned it around. We had to address what went wrong, we turned it around, and we won a landslide victory. The right hon. Lady will not address or even talk about their failure after 14 long years.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman is the one who is resigning because of his MPs. There is no point trying to distract from that. Let’s be honest: the Prime Minister has made many mistakes, otherwise he would not be going, but he has also been let down—I am only saying what his staff have been briefing. He has been let down by an Energy Secretary who is killing industry, let down by a Chancellor who is killing jobs, and let down by Back Benchers who do not understand that government is about tough choices. He U turned again and again and again to appease them, and now they have abandoned him. And for what? A pair of eyelashes and a black T shirt. Is it not the truth that, whoever is in charge, the real problem is the Labour party?

Two years ago, I walked into No. 10 and found a broken economy, broken public services and broken trust in politics. Because of our decisions—my decisions—the country is moving in the right direction: a stronger and fairer Britain, ending austerity, investing in our public services, the fastest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years, more rights for workers, more rights for renters, standing with Ukraine, Britain’s reputation restored, and half a million children being lifted out of poverty. Change promised by a Labour Government, change fought for by a Labour Government, change delivered by a Labour Government.

Q4. My Hendon constituency is proud to sit at the heart of the UK’s largest Jewish community in the London borough of Barnet, but today many of my constituents and many from that community are living in fear. In north west London in recent months, we have seen Jewish charities firebombed, synagogues attacked and Jewish people stabbed in the street, and all that against the backdrop of a daily drumbeat of abuse and intimidation. I know that everyone on the Government Benches is determined to defeat that despicable hatred, and I welcome the actions that the Government are taking to root out the poison of antisemitism. Can the Prime Minister tell the House what the Government are doing not only to protect the Jewish community in Hendon and Barnet, but to ensure that they—we—can live full and proud Jewish lives, free from fear?

Antisemitism is a poison and that is why I drove it out of the Labour party. In government, we are acting to drive it out of society: new powers to ban repeated protests, new plans to root antisemitism out of our schools, universities and the health service, and new proscription like powers to clamp down on malign state activity that incites hatred and violence, and we will take further steps. I am proud to lead this tolerant, decent country, and I will always fight for the security, safety and freedom of British Jews.

I call the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

I associate myself and my party with the Prime Minister’s remarks about the horrifying train crash in Bedford and the appalling attacks near a mosque in Edinburgh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

May I mention today’s review of Nottingham’s maternity services, which is truly shocking? I hope that the Government will rise to the moment and implement Donna Ockenden’s recommendations in full, without delay.

I recognise how difficult it was for the Prime Minister to make the statement that he made on Monday. As we debate issues robustly in this House, it is an important reminder that we are all human—that is something that everyone should remember. [Interruption.] We all know how hard it is when relationships break down with close friends and allies, and when even our next door neighbour barely speaks to us some of the time, so have the Prime Minister’s experiences opened his eyes to the need to rebuild Britain’s relationship with our European friends and allies? Will he advise the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) to put his EU red lines in the past and to adopt our plan for a new growth and defence partnership?

I am very proud of the fact that we have reset our relationship with the EU and we are bringing it closer. That is in the best interests of our country and I know that the right hon. Gentleman understands that. I know that, like me, he has been reflecting on his own career. Given the revelation that he turned down a job with MI6, I think the whole House will be wondering what might have been—“Double O” Davey!

It is very tempting to respond to that, but I have signed the Official Secrets Act. [Laughter.] On Europe, when history looks back at the Prime Minister’s time in office, I fear that clinging to those old red lines will be judged to have been a mistake.

As we swelter through this dangerous heatwave, we see the damage caused by extreme weather and climate change—schools closed, travel chaos, lives at risk, and massive costs to our economy and society. With the Met Office already warning that future summers will regularly break 40°C and bring even greater human and financial costs, is the Prime Minister alarmed that some parties in this House still follow Donald Trump with policies to send temperatures soaring even higher? Will the Prime Minister warn his successor not to listen to Conservative and Reform voices and instead to back our plans to cut bills and tackle climate change?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising climate change, because it is one of the most significant challenges of our time, and the weather today reminds us just how important it is. It used to be common ground across this House that climate change was the generational challenge and that the UK should be a leader on it globally. I remember not so long ago the Conservatives leading in the COP summit—something that we were able to support. It is a shame that in order to chase Reform votes, they have changed their mind, and that we do not have that consensus across the House, but I will always maintain that we must be global leaders on climate change, and we always will be.

Q6. This morning, a mature street tree fell on my house. No one was hurt, but it is another reminder of the results of this extreme heat that we face.Today is the hottest June day ever on record. Extreme heat and flooding are becoming more normal, and the Government need to stay ahead of that in respect of our homes, our workplaces and our farming. As the chair of the all party parliamentary group for the environment, I am conducting an inquiry into Government preparedness. Will the Prime Minister tell the country what actions he is taking to step up our resilience?

It is clear that severe heatwaves are evidence that climate change is impacting our country. We have been working to co ordinate the response, and I urge people to follow the guidance from the UK Health Security Agency. We are making our country more resilient for the future by modernising building regulations so that homes are cooler and better ventilated. We are building nine new reservoirs to protect water supplies and investing record amounts in flood defences and sustainable farming. While Labour is doing that, the Tories and Reform want to rip up the Climate Change Act 2008. That is the wrong approach for our country.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lefarydd. The end of the Prime Minister’s premiership comes close on the heels of the end of Labour’s 100-year dominance in Wales. People simply did not feel that his party stood up for them, and it is irrefutable that that too is part of the Prime Minister’s legacy.

I believe there is a tradition of leaving notes on desks for successors. Will the Prime Minister leave a useful note to the incoming Prime Minister, saying that respect and understanding go a very long way and that democratic choices, including those of devolution, cannot be dismissed?

I shall leave a note saying that what we delivered for Wales in these two years was the largest ever devolution settlement; the UK’s first small nuclear reactor, in Anglesey; investing £14 billion in Welsh rail; and a pay rise for 170,000 workers across Wales. I will end the note by saying, “We are lifting 70,000 Welsh children out of poverty—Keir Starmer”.

Q7. My constituent Jake McGregor How, a 16-year old with everything to live for, has been diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia—a rare neurodegenerative condition that is cruel and swift acting. The average life expectancy of people diagnosed with it is just 37. Despite the NHS’s founding principle that care should be based on clinical need, not ability to pay, Jake’s father is crowdfunding to pay for treatment in Germany with a new drug, omaveloxolone, which has received clinical approval here but is not available through the NHS. Assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has stalled. The condition is not classed as an ultra rare disease, yet it is rare enough that any drug to treat it will struggle to meet NICE’s cost effectiveness criteria.The family constantly have to raise enough money to pay for each round of treatment. Shockingly, Jake has recently undertaken a personal independence payment assessment and been turned down for much needed support. Families should never have to crowdfund for treatment abroad for a life threatening disease. Will the Prime Minister arrange for me and other colleagues who have constituents with this cruel condition to meet the Health Secretary to discuss a way forward?

May I start by sending my best wishes to Jake and his family? The change we have made to the way that NICE evaluates medicines is already increasing access to innovative new medicines. I will make sure that my hon. Friend gets the chance to meet a Health Minister to discuss Jake’s case and the related issues.

Q3. I hope there is still time in which the Prime Minister will be able to enlighten his party as to the moral of the cautionary tale of Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion.

I thank the right hon. Gentleman—he is always most generous. I will never forget when, just a few years ago, I went on holiday in his constituency with my family. I was in the kitchen of the place we were renting when somebody leant through the open door—it was the right hon. Gentleman with a bottle of champagne saying, “Welcome to the New Forest.” He then took time to speak to my family, including my wife’s elderly father and my children. I thank him for his generosity.

Q8. I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership. One of the concerns I hear most often from my constituents across Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale and south Oscott is about the rapid growth of exempt accommodation. In my constituency and across Birmingham, properties refused house in multiple occupation licences are opening anyway as exempt accommodation, with very little scrutiny. This undermines local communities and decision makers, so will the Prime Minister confirm when new legislation will be brought forward and whether it will close the loopholes? Will that legislation and its regulations be applied retrospectively, so that communities such as mine are protected?

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. The Housing Secretary has the power to introduce locally led licensing, and will consult on those regulations in the summer. Under our proposals, national standards for supported housing will be enforced by local authorities. I am proud of the action we have taken to back renters—abolishing section 21 evictions, expanding the decent homes standard, and extending Awaab’s law to cover the private rental market.

Q5. The first duty of His Majesty’s Government, and indeed the Prime Minister’s first duty, is the defence of the realm. The Prime Minister is not responsible for the worsening geopolitical situation, but he is responsible for this country’s reaction to it. It is imperative that at the Ankara NATO summit early next month, we can outline to our allies how we will meet that situation. There were reports yesterday that the Prime Minister was being pushed to delay the defence investment plan again by the outriders of the new right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham). Will he confirm to this House that he will push ahead with its publication and that it is fully funded to the level the Chief of the Defence Staff said is required—not to the level his former Defence Secretary, the right hon. Member for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (John Healey), resigned over—and in doing so, fulfil his first duty to defend the realm?

That is a first duty that the last Government spectacularly failed at, because they hollowed out our armed forces. We have already delivered the biggest sustained boost in defence spending since the ’80s—that is £270 billion over this Parliament—and we will increase that with the defence investment plan, which will be published before the NATO summit.

Q10. Following last Friday’s train collision south of Bedford, the emergency response from Bedfordshire police, the British Transport police, Bedfordshire fire and rescue service, the East of England ambulance service, Magpas air ambulance and other counties’ air ambulances, our local NHS hospitals, and of course railway staff was swift, professional and compassionate in supporting those who were impacted, especially in such distressing circumstances. This was public service at its best. Will the Prime Minister join me in thanking all those involved for their outstanding work in the aftermath of this tragic incident?

The thoughts of the whole House are with the family of the driver who lost his life and those who were injured, some of them extremely seriously. On Saturday, I spoke to the CEO of the East of England ambulance service to thank his team for their professionalism in responding. We talked through the nature and the scale of the challenge that they faced in relation to that crash. They were outstanding in the most difficult of circumstances. When I called him on Saturday morning, he assured me that they were all back at work and back on duty dealing with whatever else might happen that weekend, having delivered those who needed to be delivered to the hospitals. I found that humbling. It is a real tribute to those who responded, as they always do, including, I must say, the local community in this case. I also want to thank the brilliant NHS staff, who are still caring for those who were seriously injured.

Q9. My children, like millions of others, are kicking every ball of England’s world cup campaign, but as a parent I am really concerned about their security in this country, along with other Muslim parents. Let me explain why. When a Sikh lady was raped in Walsall, the perpetrator repeatedly called her an effing Muslim bitch. There was no condemnation by a Minister at the Dispatch Box and no outcry from Members in this Chamber who openly call out these matters when the perpetrators are of a different colour. When we had the Unite the Kingdom march calling openly for the expulsion of Muslims in this country, there was no ministerial statement condemning such statements. This weekend, five members of the Muslim community were stabbed on the streets of Edinburgh. There was no ministerial statement of condemnation, no Cobra meeting and no solidarity. What does this silence say to my children as they wait with bated breath for Harry Kane to bring it home?

I want the hon. Member’s children to feel safe in this country, and I will do everything to make sure that they are. We will all fight anti Muslim hatred with everything that we have got. An attack on one is an attack on all of us. That is what I said at the top of PMQs, and I hope he heard it.

Q13. The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation, a miners’ charity established in the 1920s to support the miners in their communities, has carried out some incredible work with some incredible employees, but the current leadership team is increasingly detached from its founding principles. Miners’ welfare, sporting facilities and community facilities have been allowed to rot and to close with little to no support from CISWO. At the same time, CISWO has amassed £30 million in the bank. Does the Prime Minister agree that it is time that the charity faced not only a Charity Commission inquiry, but serious reform of its policies, practices and finances? It should benefit the former mining communities it was founded to serve, instead of constructing a £30 million ivory tower for the future.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. I know that Members across the House have raised issues with the organisation directly. It is imperative that these communities are listened to. I understand that the Charity Commission has opened a compliance case, but I will get that confirmed for him. I am proud that this Government have stood up for mining communities, including ending the injustice of coal pension schemes, increasing the pensions of more than 150,000 former British Coal employees. I thank him for raising this case.

Q11. US big tech has exploited us for far too long, so I am delighted that the Met police followed my advice and pushed Apple and Google to implement the stolen handset blacklist, curbing resales and cutting mobile theft by almost half. Likewise, does the Prime Minister agree that it is time to stand up to social media companies and reclassify them from platforms to publishers, holding them responsible for the harmful and addictive content that they recommend, promote and profit from?

The hon. Member will have seen the action we are taking in relation to social media—it includes the social media ban for under-16s, which has been welcomed by families across the country; strengthening the Online Safety Act 2023 to tackle intimate image abuse and cyber flashing, and closing loopholes in chatbots; and taking on Grok—but there is more to do.

In Aldershot and Farnborough, thanks to this Labour Government, this week we are bringing the National Armed Forces Day celebrations back to the home of the British Army. However, in a week when we salute those who have served and are serving our country, elderly Gurkha veterans were assaulted in the park by our war memorial and told to go home. Will the Prime Minister and the House join me in standing against that despicable attack, and commend the heroism of our Gurkhas, and does the Prime Minister agree that now is the time to resolve the long standing issues relating to Gurkha pensions that we have been working towards, because the Gurkhas have given so much for our country?

My hon. Friend is a great champion of our armed forces, and the fact that the national celebrations are returning to Aldershot this week is a testament to her campaigning. The racist attack that she described is utterly disgraceful. I condemn it, as I hope the whole House will. We stand with our Gurkhas, who have made an incredible contribution to our armed forces and continue to do so. Ministers have met my hon. Friend, veterans and the Government of Nepal for constructive discussions on Gurkha pensions, and those discussions will continue. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her dedicated work on this.

Q12. May I start by wishing Scotland well in their match tonight against Brazil?Following the conviction of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell for embezzlement, serious questions about governance and oversight remain unanswered. The Scottish Government are refusing to establish an inquiry, despite clear public concern. The law does provide for UK inquiries into devolved matters when there is a wider public interest, so as the Prime Minister prepares to leave office, will he set up an inquiry with the powers needed so that we can uncover the truth?

I, too, wish Scotland well in the upcoming match, and of course I wish England well in the third match—a little better than last night, hopefully.

The SNP and the Scottish Government need to answer a serious set of questions, and they simply refuse to do so. They call for transparency and accountability from everyone else when they have giant questions of their own to answer. “Nothing to see here, don’t want to know, don’t want to have an inquiry”—totally the wrong approach.

This Government’s commitment, under the leadership and influence of the Prime Minister, to tackling violence against women and girls is shared by many of my constituents. On Saturday, I was out in Llangollen for a Welsh Women’s Aid fundraiser organised by the community champion Moira Gleed. Llangollen’s “Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” saw me join more than 230 Cathys, learn a dance routine, while dressed all in red, and take part in a performance that was streamed across the world. We have even been contacted by some fans from Japan. Will the Prime Minister join me in recognising the hard work of Moira, her daughter Rowena and all the organisers, volunteers and, importantly, performers in enabling that important event to happen?

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend and all those who took part. I am really glad that it was noticed around the world, because this is what raises awareness. I thought my hon. Friend was going to ask me to join her in the next dance, but if it is simply to pay tribute, I am very happy to do so.

Q14. Tony Blair suggested that at the beginning of his premiership he was at his most popular and least capable, and talked about ending his time in office at his least popular and most capable. For the sake of people in the south west and across the country, what tips can the Prime Minister offer his successor?

I think the first would be, “Don’t ever inflict austerity on the country.” But since the hon. Gentleman is a Lib Dem, I would probably add, “Don’t wear a wetsuit.”

As you will be aware, Mr Speaker, Monday was Windrush Day, founded by Patrick Vernon to celebrate the contribution of migrants to our community. Will the Prime Minister outline exactly what this Government are doing to recognise and serve the Windrush generation, who did so much to play a vital role in our country’s history?

I join my hon. Friend in marking Windrush Day and thank her for raising it, because it gives me the opportunity to thank a community who made an extraordinary contribution to our country, and to remember the injustice that they faced. I am proud that we have overhauled the compensation scheme to deliver faster access to compensation and justice, providing £1.5 million for organisations supporting claimants, and we have appointed the first ever Windrush commissioner to rebuild trust and deliver justice. I am incredibly proud to lead a country that is built on dignity and respect, where everyone is seen and everyone is valued.

Q15. From slashing winter fuel payments to surrendering the Chagos Islands, this Prime Minister has got every major decision wrong. It is no wonder that even his own MPs are now looking elsewhere for the answers. As this may be one of his final appearances at the Dispatch Box, will he make one final U turn? Will he scrap Labour’s disastrous grey belt policy and help protect the precious green belt spaces and green areas across Aldridge Brownhills? If not, his legacy will be that he was the Prime Minister who destroyed so many of our local communities.

I do like the right hon. Lady. When she talks about destroying legacies, I remember that she was the Chief Whip to Liz Truss. I am very proud that we are building the houses that we need so that everyone has a base camp for their opportunity and aspiration—something the last Government failed on and we are succeeding on.

Gareth Southgate’s documentary last month spotlighted some of the heartbreaking ways that we are failing too many young men growing up in Britain today, but it was heartening to see the inspiring work that Hitchin youth worker Dan Gaze was able to carry out with young men in my community who had found themselves in hard times. Both Dan and the boys at Hitchin boys’ school who were interviewed as part of the documentary were an absolute credit to my town, but how can we make sure that we are encouraging more men into teaching and youth work roles, so that every young man growing up in Britain today can benefit from positive role models across their community?

I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to inspiring community members like Dan, who truly represent the best of Britain. Having an inspiring role model is vital for young men. That is why we are investing £500 million in our national youth strategy, which includes launching 50 new Young Futures hubs, creating more mentoring and youth worker opportunities.