Lucy Powell
MP for Manchester Central · Labour (Co-op) · United Kingdom
“I gave a 10-minute statement to the House last week and I answered questions for 90 minutes. I think that gave a very clear account of what I want to do. The Opposition want to defend their narrowing and narrowing of the curriculum without accepting responsibility for the effects of that.”
“I think we need to do all these things. Alan Milburn was clear that education was “the faltering foundation”. We are seeing too many young people leave school without the qualifications that they need to get either an apprenticeship or into work. That is why there are so many NEETs.”
“I say gently to the hon. Lady that we do not just have more than a million young people not in education, employment or training—most of whom were educated under the Conservatives—but 1.5 million students persistently absent from school; a stubborn disadvantage gap, which did not close on their watch; widening regional attainment gaps; an…”
“Today we are introducing a once-in-a-generation change to school food, making it tastier and healthier and giving over half a million more children free school meals. We have worked with schools, pupils, parents and many more to ensure that these meals are of good quality, attractive to children and deliverable for schools.”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising these issues so frequently. He is right: the current system is not working for parents, and it is not working for children. It is far too adversarial, there are too many delays, and parents often find that they cannot obtain the support that they want at the end of it.”
“As I have said, I am determined that we get these things right. Two things can be true at the same time: I feel the system is unfair and in need of reform, but we also have to put that in the context of the wider public finances and all the pressures and priorities that fall on them.”
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“My hon. Friend is a real advocate and champion for ceramics in his constituency and beyond. I am delighted to hear that, after this issue has been raised with me a number of times, Moorcroft Pottery has been saved by Will Moorcroft. I thank him for doing that. My hon. Friend will not have to wait very long at all for the industrial strategy.”
“I am sorry to hear of that story. Everyone deserves dignity and respect in our society. We committed in our manifesto to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Our immediate priorities for the trans community are a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices and strengthening the protections from hate crimes, which we discussed in the House yesterday.”
“I join my hon. Friend in thanking our carers for all the work they do. This Government have taken a number of steps to support our carers, with the biggest increase in carer’s allowance in generations and many other measures. I am sure that we will debate social care many times in this House in the coming months.”
“I join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those involved in that important event: EFL in the Community, the local authority, the Wolves Foundation and Spectra. We are proud as a Government to have brought forward the Football Governance Bill, which completed its passage in Committee just this week. It will ensure that football is on a sustainable footing and can therefore undertake more activities like the one he mentions.”
“As the mother of a number of teenagers, I recognise the importance of schools being smartphone-free. I know that many are taking steps to achieve that and they have the powers to do so. I am therefore pleased to hear that schools in Basingstoke have prohibited the use of smartphones and are educating parents on their dangers.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issues facing the bioethanol industry. We are working closely with the industry to find a way forward and I will ensure that the House is updated.”
“I know that road tax raises lots of issues with our constituents. I was not aware of the issue that my hon. Friend raises, but I will ensure that she gets a ministerial response.”
“I am sorry to hear of the crime and antisocial behaviour in Falmouth and across my hon. Friend’s constituency. She is absolutely right that we are committed to our neighbourhood policing guarantee, which will put 13,000 more police officers into our neighbourhood policing areas. I am sorry to hear that the funding is not being directed in the way she would want, and I will ensure that the Minister gets back to her about it.”
“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking all teachers for the amazing work they do. I hope that I will still be saying the same after my daughter’s year 10 parents’ evening later today.”
“As we mark nine years since the murder of Jo Cox, I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issue of loneliness, which was an issue dear to her heart. She did much work to raise awareness of the issue. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw the link between loneliness and health and wellbeing, and that is why the Government will continue to support those who want to tackle loneliness.”
“The Government continue to work with the British Horse Society to help deal with those issues. My hon. Friend will be aware that the highway code was updated a few years ago to include the hierarchy of road users, but we will continue to work with the British Horse Society and others to tackle these issues.”
“I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Joe Jackson and all those involved in NPV football. We are committed to grassroots football and grassroots sport, and I am sure that the House will be updated soon on some of those issues.”
“I join my hon. Friend in thanking Lisa Fleming and all those involved in the House of Hope for supporting those with breast cancer at some of the most difficult times in their lives, providing support, hope and all that they need.”
“It is really no mystery why the UK leads in the crime writing genre. Leaders like Sir Ian Rankin build on the legacy of many others, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I will certainly join my hon. Friend in celebrating all our crime writers.”
“We are working hard with industry and health leaders to resolve issues with the supply of those capsules. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets a full update.”
“I join my hon. Friend in wishing the group good luck with the award ceremony and their visit to Parliament next week. We want to see many more young people enjoy the creative industries. That is why our curriculum review is happening at the moment: it is vital that young people get involved.”
“I join my hon. Friend in congratulating those at Eccles RFC and Boothstown FC on all the great work that they do. Grassroots sport is often raised at business questions, so I am sure that it would make a popular topic for debate. We are committed to the “This Girl Can” campaign. I am sure that girls’ grassroots sport would also be a popular topic for debate.”
“I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Chris from Harlow—not him, but the teacher he mentions. As we have heard, teachers do amazing work for all our young people, and we send our gratitude to them daily.”
“Absolutely. I have seen at first hand what a big difference it can make in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour when these powers are used to seize and crush vehicles that are being used for antisocial behaviour in our communities. I thank my hon. Friend for voting for that important Bill last night. We look forward to getting it on the statute book.”
“As I said previously, I am sorry; I know that the small increase we have had to make to the Dart charge is of concern to people. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the last time the charges were increased was 2014, but he is right that the issue of toll bridges, toll tunnels and tolls for infrastructure is of great importance to this House and comes up many times. I am sure that if he were to apply for a debate, he would secure one.”
“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating Anne MacDougall and James McLaren on their honours. I am sure the whole House would agree that our honours system is an opportunity for us to thank and reward all those in our communities who do the work that Anne, Jim and many others across the country do.”
“I join my hon. Friend in recognising this important Roman site in her constituency, which chariot racing took place on—how fantastic. I know that she and her constituents are proud of their rich heritage, and I am keen to see what the future holds for them.”
“Road closures can be a blight on local businesses, local communities and footfall on the high street, and they are obviously affecting my hon. Friend’s constituents. I am sorry to hear that the Scottish Government seem to have mismanaged these roadworks, and I hope they are listening today and get on with the job.”
“Arts and culture play a huge part in all our communities and can play a really important part in economic regeneration, as they are doing in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I join her in celebrating the reopening of those facilities and look forward to visiting soon.”
“My hon. Friend is right to highlight that the irresponsible use of disposable barbecues can have devastating consequences like those he describes. Local authorities have existing powers to apply controls to restrict or ban the use of such barbecues in certain areas, but I will ensure that he gets an update on how we can take this further.”
“My hon. Friend is a great champion for his area, and I am incredibly sorry to hear that his Conservative local authority has decided to close this valuable local garden centre, which does so much for his community. We have given local authorities one of the biggest boosts in local funding that they have had for some time, so they really have no excuse.”
“What a great initiative by Doug Smith to set up Volunteers Count; I am sure we all recognise that it is a really good and important way of collecting this data and information. The subject of volunteering gets raised with me every week, and I am sure that a debate, probably on the Floor of the House, to celebrate our volunteers would be very well attended.”
“I pay tribute to John Gillespie, the former chairman of Unite Scotland. He sounds like someone who did a great deal to fight for people’s rights and for social justice, and a great, trusted leader for his union and the wider workforce.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. Our rural and wildlife crime strategy will be published in due course, and I will make sure that he and other colleagues have a chance to discuss it with Ministers.”
“We still have far too many dental deserts in this country, and I am sorry to hear of the situation in East Anglia. My hon. Friend is right that the Government are committed to creating more dental appointments, but it is also vital that we have dentistry schools to make sure that we can train and retain the dentists of the future.”
“I am pleased to hear that Royal Shrewsbury hospital A&E is doubling in size and about the initiative that my hon. Friend describes to provide a park-and-ride scheme. The issue of hospital parking, particularly for staff, is vexed, and I am sure that we will continue to debate it.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for that important final question. I am strongly in favour of women being far more involved in decision making; when they are, those decisions are often better ones.”
“It will also have responsibility for updating the ICGS procedures document, but only that document.”
“(6) The ICGS Assurance Board shall have authority to approve ICGS Procedures, in accordance with the ICGS Policy Framework, provided that: (a) nothing in the ICGS Procedures document may amend or override provisions in the Policy Framework; (b) procedures cannot create new obligations for individuals’ conduct. (7) The policies and procedures relating to bullying and harassment and sexual misconduct endorsed by the House on 19 July 2018 and amended on 17 July 2019, 28 April 2021 and 26 April 2022 shall cease to have effect on 14 July 2025, save that they shall continue to apply to any complaints received on or before 13 July 2025.”
“(4) The terms of reference of the Assurance Board may be varied by agreement between the House of Commons Commission and the House of Lords Commission. (5) The ICGS Assurance Board shall consist of: (a) the Clerk Assistant, (b) the Clerk Assistant of the House of Lords, (c) the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, (d) the Chair of the Independent Expert Panel, (e) a Member of the House of Commons who is a member of the House of Commons Commission, appointed by the Commission, (f) a Member of the House of Lords who is a member of the House of Lords Commission, (g) a representative of the House of Lords Conduct Committee, and (h) a representative of the human resources department from each House Administration.”
“I beg to move, That this House notes the report of the House of Commons Commission entitled Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme: Policy Framework and ICGS Assurance Board (HC 579), further notes the Decisions of the Commission on 12 May, and agrees: (1) That the ICGS Policy Framework in respect of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct annexed to the Commission report shall have effect from 14 July 2025. (2) There shall be a body called the ICGS Assurance Board. (3) The ICGS Assurance Board shall conduct assurance of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme on behalf of the parliamentary community, in accordance with terms of reference published by the House of Commons Commission on 17 December 2024.”
“Kernaghan’s first recommendation is to consolidate the various policy and procedure documents into one policy document and one procedure document, and that the existing ICGS assurance group should become a permanent ICGS assurance board.”
“The review found that the scheme has continued to take positive steps to improve timeliness and the quality of its service. Of course there is always more work to be done. It should rightly have the ambition to be the gold standard in workplace grievance schemes. In total, the review made 26 recommendations. Of those, eight have already been delivered, and a further eight will be taken forward should the motion before the House be agreed. Work on the remaining recommendations is under way. These are recommendations from an independent review of the independent grievance scheme of this House: they really should not be contentious.”
“These arrangements ensure complaints are investigated fairly, objectively and to a high standard. The ICGS has been an important driver in establishing higher standards and improved culture in Parliament and we should all support it. I thank the ICGS for its continued work, and in particular the contribution of its director, Thea Walton, who will be stepping down from her role later this year. Last year, Parliament published the findings of an independent review into the effectiveness of the ICGS, conducted by Paul Kernaghan. The review broadly praised the ICGS’s performance, with Kernaghan being clear the ICGS is making a difference to standards in Parliament, and has demonstrated its ability to hold people to account for unacceptable behaviour. He said that the ICGS is something “the parliamentary community should take pride in”.”
“The establishment of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, known as the ICGS—the first scheme of its kind in any legislature in the world— was an important step forward in tackling inappropriate behaviour in Parliament. Its establishment was agreed in 2018 with cross-party support. The ICGS provides a dedicated, independent mechanism for handling complaints of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct in both Houses. It deals with those complaints assiduously and anonymously, with a professional, well-resourced team, and has a range of appropriate sanctions and mechanisms at its disposal. The ICGS works alongside the independent expert panel, which determines appeals and sanctions for cases that have been brought against Members of Parliament.”
“I certainly do not think that we need the amendments. The assurance board is made up of representatives of both Houses, the HR department and other appropriate people, which is as it should be. It also includes a Member of this House, who I think will be contributing shortly and who is also a member of the House of Commons Commission. The make-up of the assurance board as proposed is right.”
“I put on record my thanks to Max, Ken and many others who have done great work representing those who work in this House, whether it is for an MP or as House staff. The role that the trade unions play is absolutely important, and their role in this process should be recognised. Both the House staff and Members’ staff trade unions are represented on the ICGS stakeholder group, and the ICGS has an obligation to consult with that stakeholder group before any proposals are brought to the assurance board. I put on record that I hope the ICGS continues to do that very closely, because the trade unions provide an invaluable voice in the operation of the ICGS, and that should continue. The assurance board will scrutinise the day-to-day performance of the ICGS and ensure that investigations are timely and of a high quality.”
“I hope the shadow Leader of the House will take the opportunity to distance himself from those amendments. The reputation of Parliament is low, with poor trust in politics and politicians, and it is for all of us to turn the page on that era. The safety of those who work on the estate is paramount. I am clear, as I am sure everybody is clear, that there is no place for bullying, harassment or sexual harassment in Parliament. Those who perpetrate it should be accountable and sanctioned where necessary. I commend these recommendations to the House and call on all Members from all parties to support these improvements.”
“This is an important moment for the House to come together, I hope, on a cross-party basis, to show that we stand behind the ICGS, what it stands for and the work it does, and to show that we will improve and take forward the independent recommendations to keep improving its work. I am disappointed that Opposition Front Benchers have broken with years of consensus on this matter to oppose some of the changes proposed, which came from an independent reviewer. I see that the hon. Member for Christchurch (Sir Christopher Chope) is not in his place, despite his amendments being selected. His amendments, which are supported by Members on the Conservative Front Bench, undermine the integrity of the Kernaghan review recommendations, and I cannot support them.”
“Recommendation 3, which asks that political parties work more closely with the ICGS when dealing with complaints through a memorandum of understanding, is being taken forward by the Modernisation Committee with the co-operation of the political parties, and I thank all those concerned for that. The House has also taken forward recommendations on behaviour training. As of the end of March 2025, 639 out of 650 new and returning MPs have attended behaviour training. Taken together, the recommendations from the Kernaghan review will improve ICGS performance and accountability, provide greater clarity about where complaints should go and how they should be dealt with, and speed up necessary changes to its day-to-day procedure. In total, they will improve behaviour and culture in this place.”
“To be absolutely clear with the House, the policy framework of the ICGS remains a matter for this House. That includes the definitions, parameters, obligations and key rights and permissions of the scheme as well as its scope. I have laid in the Library and attached to the motion on the Order Paper a letter from the ICGS that sets out the difference between policy and procedure, because I know that is of concern to people. Colleagues may want an update on a couple of other recommendations from the Kernaghan review that are not a matter for the motion today.”
“It is important that we advertise this service—the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to do that. Any member of staff, any Member of Parliament or anybody working in the broader parliamentary community who has been subject to bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct should get in touch. There is a helpline, and there are well-advertised ways of getting in touch with the ICGS, not just to make a complaint but to get advice about whether a complaint is in scope and can be taken forward. As I said earlier, the ICGS has a range of means: it does not always involve a full investigation with sanctions. The ICGS might often come to some resolution, and there are other means through which any such behaviour could be resolved. I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that point, because it is important.”
“That includes the definitions of what might be deemed bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct; the parameters and scope of the scheme at all times; the obligations on people who make complaints and on, for instance, witnesses; the right to make collective complaints; the right to receive draft assessment reports; and the right of decision-making bodies to reject reports. Those all remain matters of policy and not procedure, in respect of which the House will retain a right.”
“As the Kernaghan review found, that is improving significantly and steps have been taken, but I want to make it clear that the motion will accelerate progress in ensuring that processes are as effective as they can be. I expect the Standards Committee to take a keen interest in the work involving the ICGS as part of its remit, and I look forward to any further recommendations that it wishes to make about the make-up of the assurance board or, indeed, any other aspects of its operation. I want to make it clear—and the shadow Leader of the House, the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman), referred to this—that the policy of the ICGS remains a matter for the House.”
“I thank all Members for participating in the debate, and for the spirit in which they have done so. I particularly thank the Chair of the Standards Committee, the hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa), for his work and that of his Committee in this space and, indeed, many other spaces. They do a huge service to the House in upholding standards and ensuring that we are operating under the very best behaviour requirements at all times. I also join him in thanking Andrea Leadsom—who I have a great deal of respect for—for her initial work in setting up the ICGS. The Chair of the Committee was right to say that there have been concerns, especially when the scheme was first set up, about timeliness, about some of the processes and about the quality of some of that work.”