Adam Thompson
MP for Erewash · Labour · United Kingdom
“I am sure that every Member across the House values the contribution of their own teams; we have heard from various colleagues about them and all the work that they do. I put on record my thanks to my incredible team.”
“Treetops hospice in Risley is an amazing local charity that provides hospice at-home support for thousands of Derbyshire families using its innovative provision model, and I hope to engage with the Health Secretary after recess to discuss that model.”
“Let me briefly address East Midlands Railway, a service that I use regularly to travel between Erewash and London. This week, EMR has continued to operate a reduced timetable, citing the impact of recent hot weather.”
“It is always an honour to speak in the Adjournment debate in memory of Sir David Amess. As is traditional, I will endeavour to cram as many topics as I can into my contribution before we break for the summer recess. I will discuss recent knife crime in Ilkeston.”
“Supporting grassroots music has always mattered to me, both as a former gigging musician and as the MP for Erewash. Last summer, I spoke in this debate about the importance of protecting the small venues that give new artists their first opportunities and bring communities together through live music.”
“However, the problems of venue closures, poor pay for artists and high prices for tickets endures, so, to repeat my sentiment from last time: colleagues and friends, please go and see a band this summer. I have some quick-fire points.”
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“T5. This Government have promised to deliver new homes, and I want Erewash to be at the forefront of that delivery, but our road network is overloaded. My constituents are particularly concerned about growing strain on junction 25 of the M1, as I know National Highways is. Can the Minister explain how National Highways and local authorities can work better together to listen to and respond to concerns, and to ensure that new homes come alongside proper upgrades to infrastructure?”
“In my constituency surgeries and on the doorsteps in Erewash, I keep hearing how my constituents have been experiencing significant delays with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, particularly in processing driving licences—very specifically, medical driving licences. At one recent surgery I spoke to Connie Frisby, who had some excellent ideas about how the DVLA service could be modernised and digitised. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the delays at the DVLA and how we might make it better?”
“I wish all Members a restful and wonderful summer, and I look forward to returning in September to continue making the case for Erewash. Happy recess, Madam Deputy Speaker.”
“I am sure that every Member across the House values the contribution of their own teams; we have heard from various colleagues about them and all the work that they do. I put on record my thanks to my incredible team. To Becca, Curtis, Harrison, Hollie, Jude, Robert, Ruby and Vikki, I express my very sincere thanks for everything that you do. Similarly, I thank my colleagues on Erewash borough council; James Dawson and our mayor, Greg Maskalick, are doing wonderful work. I have covered as many topics as I can this afternoon— I have several further discarded pages that I would have raised had I had the time. As we head into this recess, I thank again my team, my colleagues on the council, all the staff in the House—particularly those retiring this summer—and everyone who works so hard behind the scenes to keep this place running.”
“Treetops hospice in Risley is an amazing local charity that provides hospice at-home support for thousands of Derbyshire families using its innovative provision model, and I hope to engage with the Health Secretary after recess to discuss that model. Let me give a shout-out to my barber, Ev Swift, who is essentially a core member of my team at this point. He is always there to put a smile on my face, and he is far more famous on Instagram than I am, so do give him a follow—my guy is hilarious. I give an invitation to all Members: they are very welcome to join me for a creamy pint this summer in the Sawley Junction, the Burnt Pig or the Hoptimist over recess. I have one more point: may I beg Reform on Derbyshire county council to sort out the potholes? They are a right state.”
“However, the problems of venue closures, poor pay for artists and high prices for tickets endures, so, to repeat my sentiment from last time: colleagues and friends, please go and see a band this summer. I have some quick-fire points. The Big Paddle Cleanup is Paddle UK’s wonderful initiative designed to clean up our waterways, and I thank all volunteers for their work. I am really excited that Bennerley viaduct visitor centre is formally opening this week, and I very much look forward to my first coffee there. I wish a very happy anniversary to Manor fish bar in Ilkeston, which is currently celebrating 20 years of fantastic chips.”
“Supporting grassroots music has always mattered to me, both as a former gigging musician and as the MP for Erewash. Last summer, I spoke in this debate about the importance of protecting the small venues that give new artists their first opportunities and bring communities together through live music. Since then, I have been out and seen a stack of bands at grassroots gigs, because those venues and acts thrive only when people show up. Grassroots music is about more than entertainment; it creates jobs, strengthens our communities and gives the next generation of artists somewhere to begin their journey—and, often, it is something for young people to do.”
“Let me briefly address East Midlands Railway, a service that I use regularly to travel between Erewash and London. This week, EMR has continued to operate a reduced timetable, citing the impact of recent hot weather. While extreme weather can affect rail services, passengers have faced disruption and shortcomings for years, and the hot weather is not going away. The introduction of the new Aurora fleet is very much welcome, but progress has been very slow. In the meantime, passengers are relying on the ageing class 222 Meridian trains, which lack modern amenities such as properly functional wi-fi. Passengers deserve a reliable, modern railway, and I hope the roll-out of the Aurora fleet accelerates to deliver the improvements long promised on the midland main line.”
“It is always an honour to speak in the Adjournment debate in memory of Sir David Amess. As is traditional, I will endeavour to cram as many topics as I can into my contribution before we break for the summer recess. I will discuss recent knife crime in Ilkeston. While it would not be appropriate for me to discuss any one individual case in detail, some incidents recently have affected my community deeply. As always, my thoughts are with those affected. I will continue to engage with the families of those involved and the wider community over the summer, as well as our local police, our police and crime commissioner, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, and local councillors from across the political spectrum as we work together to make our community safer.”
“While many of our ongoing discussions in this House rightly focus on decarbonising heating, climate change means that cooling is becoming increasingly important, too, particularly in the context of our recent extreme heatwaves. As these heatwaves become increasingly frequent, homes and businesses in Erewash and across the country increasingly need cooling as well as heating. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that the growing demand for air conditioning is met through energy-efficient technologies and clean electricity, so that adaptation to climate change does not come at the expense of our net zero goals?”
“I recently did the school run in Ilkeston with Bebe Newton, experiencing it in the way that she does: in a wheelchair. We navigated broken pavements, uneven crossings and all kinds of poorly placed street furniture. It really showed me the barriers that disabled people face every day of their lives. It was so difficult, mentally and physically exhausting and, at times, dangerous. Will the Leader of the House consider having a debate so that we can examine properly the experiences of disabled people and the barriers that they face in everyday life?”
“The grant forms a small part of the great expansion in grassroots sports funding that the Government are building into their spending review; £400 million has been committed to delivering new pitches, changing pavilions, floodlighting and facilities to support physical education, health initiatives and community outreach. As we know, for every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity, over £4 is generated for the economy and society. Investment in grassroots sport—it is real investment—supports our local economies and saves the public in NHS spending in the long run by promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. Lots is happening in grassroots sport at the moment, and it is great to see the Government providing the funding that the country needs to make it all happen. Long may that continue.”
“Funding is focused on our most deprived communities, and women and girls’ participation in sports is prioritised. I am very pleased that the Government are focusing so heavily on improving low-cost access to sport in our communities. Erewash was lucky enough to benefit from one of those recent projects, with Long Eaton United football club receiving a Football Foundation grant of nearly £20,000. That contributed towards a £50,000 project to upgrade floodlights on Grange Park, increasing the community’s access to sport on dark winter evenings.”
“As I walked around the park, I was struck by the investment that has been put into the park by our fantastic Erewash borough councillors. There is new lighting and a new events space, and a brand new flagship bridge and waterfront space are currently being built as part of the towns fund deal. That is a strong example of cross-party commitment to redevelopment. The project is going to help reboot the town as a local economic and leisure hub, linking the town centre to the park and making a stunning contribution to improving active transport in the area. All that sits in front of further investment in grassroots sport across the country, such as nearly 1,000 community projects across the UK, which this Labour Government announced in January.”
“It is a joy to speak in this estimates day debate on sport and youth services, particularly after I spent my weekend joining the Furniture Makers’ Company for its annual tug-of-war in West Park, Long Eaton. Erewash has a very long history of furniture making, and our enduring local businesses get together every year to celebrate their industry with their families over a very spectacular tug-of-war. They even let me have a go, and I am very proud to say that my side lost—and I did not do very well at staying on the rodeo rugby ball either. I raise that because the event took place on West Park, which is our local hub for grassroots sport. West Park Leisure Centre, Long Eaton rugby club, Long Eaton cricket club, our skatepark, various football clubs, our splash pad and a very popular parkrun all call it home.”
“In addition to those babies and mothers who lost their lives, it is important that we highlight children like our mate Ryan, who recently turned 18 but who will never be independent because of his acquired brain injury. Can the Secretary of State please reassure the House that he will do everything in his power to support children with acquired brain injuries, such as by recognising their conditions in education, health and care plans?”
“I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and extend my thoughts to everyone who has been a part of the Ockenden review. I also hugely thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) for her unending efforts in campaigning for the families we represent in our constituencies, who have been through so much. Of course, I also thank Donna Ockenden for her work, her amazing support, and her constant engagement with us as the local affected Members of Parliament and with our constituents. In the past two years, I have met so many families who have been harmed in ways I cannot understand or comprehend, and have heard of and seen horrors that I can barely believe.”
“A new Best Start family hub is opening in Cotmanhay, bringing together support for families in one of the most deprived communities in my constituency and across Derbyshire. As the Government roll out the hubs nationwide, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that they improve school readiness and help close attainment gaps before children even reach the classroom?”
“Long Eaton is a railway town. On Saturday, a train driver who lives in my constituency stopped me to say that he had known Shaun Burton, the driver who was killed in the incident, and that he himself had been driving one of the two trains involved earlier that day. Like many colleagues in the House and many of my constituents, my team and I are regular passengers on the line. While we should never speculate on causes, can the Secretary of State please elaborate on the steps that she is taking to investigate what happened and to communicate the findings of that investigation?”
“Before my election, I was a scientist—albeit not in the health sciences. Using that background, however, can I agree with the Secretary of State that healthcare practices and medical trials, like all scientific trials, must be led by expertise and evidence, not politics? Therefore, what precedent is there for politicians, including Members of this House, intervening in a medical trial?”
“15. What steps her Department is taking with international partners to support the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
“The covid-19 pandemic showed us how quickly infectious diseases can spread globally and the importance of acting early to contain outbreaks at source. Given that lesson, can the Minister outline how the UK is working with international partners to strengthen pandemic preparedness through this response, including by improving surveillance, early warning systems and rapid response capacity in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so that outbreaks such as Ebola are contained before they pose a wider global health risk?”
“Two local sisters in Breaston are seeking to turn the former Hidden Ivy garden centre into a new nursery to provide much-needed childcare for local families, but they face a lengthy and costly change-of-use process, including the requirement for a professional bat survey. Although proper environmental protections are important, many small community projects are being discouraged by burdensome planning requirements and excessive costs. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the planning rules surrounding change-of-use applications and the barriers they create for great projects such as the proposed new nursery in Breaston?”
“Particularly for people with a very low body mass index or an eating disorder, the use of app-based fitness classes for hours of ultra-high-intensity exercise every day can lead to addiction. When I wrote to one brand to ask about implementing access limitation tools in its app, it was dismissive. Will the Secretary of State consider reviewing whether such tools could be mandated to support those with eating disorders?”
“Councillor Harry Atkinson recently marked his final day as civic mayor of the borough of Erewash with a visit to this House. At just 25 years old, he was widely believed to be the youngest mayor in the country during his mayoral year. During that year, he raised over £5,000 for charity, including two grand on an incredible journey driving a Reliant Robin across Europe to Erewash’s twin towns—for the record, they are not built for that. I am incredibly proud of Harry and his work in demonstrating that public service, civic pride and democracy are alive and thriving among the next generation. Will the Leader of the House therefore consider granting time for a debate on the importance of youth involvement in politics?”
“Tomorrow I am going to visit my former colleagues at the University of Nottingham to celebrate our first tranche of electromechanical engineering degree-level apprentices as they approach the end of their five-year course. Will the Minister join me in congratulating them and explain what this Government are doing to ensure that people can earn and learn through gold-standard apprenticeships like those being delivered by Dr Liz Bishop and my old team at Nottingham?”
“The Tories oversaw the only Parliament in history where living standards were lower at the end than they were at the start. This Government, by contrast, got wages up more in a year than the Tories did in a decade, with growth and inflation rates better than forecast. Does the Chief Secretary to the Treasury agree that ours is the best possible economic plan when it comes to delivering for my constituents, including their interests as motorists?”
“I thank the Chancellor for her statement, and particularly her VAT cut on theme park tickets. I invite her and all hon. Members to join me on my annual trip to Alton Towers this summer. Erewash has many great summer events for families to enjoy, such as Long Eaton carnival, the classic car show and the Glow festival in Ilkeston, but entertaining kids during the summer months can be daunting and expensive for parents. Can the Chancellor please elaborate on how the measures that she is announcing today will support Erewash families and boost great community events?”
“Britain has been left exposed because we failed to build our own energy resilience. Ilkeston in Erewash is proud of its iron manufacturing heritage, yet we have watched industries like iron and steel decline as production has moved overseas in search of cheaper labour and lower standards. Steel is not just another commodity; its manufacture is strategic infrastructure, in and of itself—infrastructure that underpins our national defence capabilities. That is why it is unacceptable that British Steel has been let down by overseas owners who do not act in Britain’s best interests. We cannot outsource our national security any longer.”
“On behalf of the people of Erewash, I give thanks to His Majesty the King for his Gracious Speech to the entire nation yesterday. This King’s Speech recognises the simple fact that Britain cannot afford to leave its future at the mercy of global markets, hostile states or instability abroad. For too long, Governments assumed that the hand of the free market would always act in Britain’s interests. For too long, we outsourced vital industries without considering the long-term consequences and underrated the ability of our businesses to export physical goods to the world. We have been globally pigeonholed strictly as a post-industrial service economy. When dictators spark conflict abroad, British families feel the impact through rising bills and a falling standard of living. Working people in Erewash know that all too well.”
“These hurdles do not just frustrate exporters; they directly impact their ability to turn a profit. I am glad that in the European partnership Bill we seek to solve that problem, by streamlining trade and making it quicker, cheaper and simpler to do business with Europe.”
“I am not sure the hon. Member and I are necessarily on the same page. I was focusing purely on the renationalisation of the steel industry, which is an important part of the King’s Speech. Indeed, in this King’s Speech, the Government have recognised that markets alone cannot protect the national interest. Sometimes the state must step in to safeguard jobs and to keep Britain safe. Nationalising British Steel means protecting almost 100,000 jobs from unfair foreign competition. I am proud that this Government are going to bring British Steel fully back into public ownership. I have spoken to many businesses and business owners in Erewash, and they report that they have struggled since we left the European single market. They have faced mountains of paperwork and massive delays at our borders.”
“I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Indeed, I am going to talk momentarily about one of the businesses in my constituency. When I discuss this topic, I particularly think of Cluny Lace in Ilkeston—not in the automotive sector, but a brilliant high-end lace manufacturer. It was workers from Ilkeston who produced Princess Kate’s wedding dress and Queen Anne’s tablecloth. Cluny Lace is an internationally renowned producer and exporter of high-quality British goods, supplying the European high-end garment manufacturing industry, in particular.”
“On the ground, that means that families in my constituency—and the constituencies of hon. Members across the House—will no longer wonder how events thousands of miles away affect their bills or their ability to book a holiday. Families in Erewash voted for change in 2024. They are tired of limited opportunities and of feeling vulnerable every time the world becomes more unstable. They want more control over their lives. With this King’s Speech, we are bringing industry home, investing in British jobs, and putting control of our future back into the hands of working people.”
“Ratcliffe was the UK’s last coal-fired power station; it closed its doors for the final time in September 2024. As we move forward, my task as the MP for Erewash is not simply to help the country move on from coal, but to ensure that Erewash is at the heart of what comes next, and that my constituents benefit from the new investment, the new jobs, and the cleaner, more secure energy future that this Government are delivering through this King’s Speech. That is why I am excited about the Government’s energy independence Bill, which will shield our economy from the fossil-fuel price shocks that have caused half of the UK’s recessions since the 1970s. This Government are bringing industry back to Britain, with well-paid engineers working in clean energy, powering steel production in the east midlands and across the country.”
“For businesses across Erewash, whether they are producers, suppliers or distributors, a closer trading relationship with Europe means less time navigating bureaucracy and more time growing their businesses. Businesses in Erewash have also suffered from increased energy costs. If we want lower bills for working people, we must break our dependence on volatile global gas prices. British families will not see meaningful long-term reductions in energy costs until we produce more clean, affordable energy, here at home. In Erewash, such a transition is not theoretical; it is obviously visible on our local skyline. Sawley, in my constituency, on the banks of the River Trent, lies adjacent to the former Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish).”
“The hon. Member raises a point that I was about to touch on. When I met Charles Mason, the managing director of Cluny Lace, he told me at length about how post-Brexit export and import difficulties have caused him immeasurable pain, because the lace that we make in Ilkeston can only be dyed in France, where they have professionals with the appropriate expertise. Moving the lace to France for that part of the process, then back to England for further processing before sale, and then often back into Europe, has become all but impossible for his company. What was once a frictionless part of Cluny’s manufacturing process and sales chain, is now a crippling quagmire of tariffs and business model-breaking roadblocks.”
“Because of the previous Government’s actions, the number of people not in employment, education or training rose by nearly 250,000 between 2021 and 2024, leaving many hundreds of my constituents among the almost 1 million young people in that situation today. I am glad to see, then, that the Secretary of State is taking action to support young people in Erewash through the youth guarantee. Further to that, will the Secretary of State please explain the measures that his Department is taking to address the decade-long trend of growing youth unemployment?”
“Happy St George’s day, Mr Speaker. Erewash is home to many workers whose labour is vital to national security, employed at firms such as Rolls-Royce or at our many small and medium-sized advanced manufacturers, building things like jet engine parts. Although we have broadly been kept out of Donald Trump’s war on Iran, many global threats still loom. What steps will the Government take to protect British workers and secure supply chains for the UK defence industry?”
“A very happy St George’s day to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Erewash Voluntary Action underpins dozens of community groups in Erewash, providing governance, safeguarding and volunteer support. Councils for voluntary service like EVA need infrastructure investment to provide support to frontline groups and volunteers. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating EVA on securing more than £400,000 in funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and consider finding time for us to debate the importance of locally rooted voluntary sector infrastructure organisations like the fantastic Erewash Voluntary Action?”
“I am deeply concerned by today’s statement, not least because I am a former research scientist who is all too aware of the professional ramifications of research institutions breaching data control regulations. I know that the vast majority of researchers would never dream of abusing data in this way. Will the Minister provide a reassurance that researchers will not generally be prevented from accessing and using such data appropriately in the future?”
“What most needs to be recognised is that, for people who have lost their licence and not had it back for months, through no fault of their own, not being able to drive means that their life is put on hold. That is not right, and I seriously hope that the DVLA can get it sorted.”
“We have some good services and connections, but going without a car for months on end is not just an inconvenience for my constituents; it is an enormously disruptive problem that prevents people from getting around every day. Especially in anticipation of new rules to make our roads safer, someone really needs to look at how the DVLA handles health-related cases and interacts with elderly drivers. Clearer timelines would be beneficial, as would improved communication between the DVLA and the people who are forced to rely on its services. I would greatly appreciate it if the Minister could comment on his and the Department’s work on that front.”
“She, too, was quickly okayed to drive again after further medical assessment, only for the DVLA to take seven months to finally return her licence. These are not old cases, and I only picked the three worst from the 18 months that I have been a Member of Parliament. All these cases have been handled by my team in recent months, and they were resolved only because of a Member of Parliament’s intervention. We have heard from colleagues across the House how it is deeply inappropriate that Members of Parliament should have to step in to resolve these cases. It is simply not good enough. In Erewash, four in every five households depend on a car to get around. I am always advocating for more and better public transport, on which I regularly engage with the Minister.”
“I will give three examples of real people living in my Erewash constituency who have had their lives unnecessarily disrupted because of administrative delay and failure, pure and simple. There was a couple in Breaston, one of whom had their licence taken away after a routine medical check-up. They were medically cleared pretty quickly, but it still took the DVLA two months to restore their licence. They had been in the process of selling their car at the time, and the sale was completely disrupted. Similarly, my team recently helped a man in Ilkeston who waited four months after being cleared to drive to have his licence returned. At the most extreme end of the scale, my team recently helped a woman who had had her licence taken away due to moderate sleep apnoea.”
“I thank the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade) for securing this important Backbench Business debate. I am grateful to her and her fellow Liberal Democrat Members, the hon. Members for Guildford (Zöe Franklin) and for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew), for raising issues that I will shortly touch on. Time and again, my office has to deal with people who are having all manner of problems with the DVLA. Like colleagues on the Liberal Democrat Benches, I want to highlight the issue of people—often elderly people—who have had to surrender their licence due to medical concerns and have experienced trouble as a result. Even once they are medically cleared to drive again, it can often take many months for the DVLA to return their licence.”
“Erewash has a proud manufacturing history, from the ironworks, whose grates cover almost every manhole in the country, to our high-end furniture manufacturing industry, whose sofas adorn palaces, to our advanced manufacturing firms and the concrete makers building the tunnels for High Speed 2. As a former manufacturing engineering researcher, I am very proud of this Government’s investment across the advanced manufacturing sector. Can the Secretary of State elaborate on how the action he has announced today will help Erewash’s manufacturers sell their goods to the world?”
“As a trained science teacher, I welcome the Minister’s news that through the strategy, the Government are launching a new programme to improve education for girls about their menstrual health, with additional funding from this year to support targeted work in schools and community settings. Does the Minister agree that this programme will support girls’ knowledge of menstrual health, and when to seek healthcare?”
“Long Eaton Town Deal Board has been accelerating towards delivery of so many projects—a new events field, a new office space, a pair of beautiful bridges across the Erewash canal, and a stunning rebuild of our town centre. So many have contributed, but none more so than our board chair, local business leader and proud champion of Long Eaton Richard Ledger. Last week, Richard was awarded the freedom of the borough of Erewash for his immeasurable service to our patch. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating him on this award, and will he consider granting time to discuss the importance of such awards for our communities?”
“The road under the bridge also regularly floods, which means that people have to take a 15-minute diversion. The infrastructure we need is just not there. In summary, we need proper investment to ensure that the station is accessible every day at all times. Long Eaton is a commuter town, ultimately. It is at the heart of the east midlands, with regular trains running to Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, and it is less than two hours door to door to the House of Commons—which is convenient. But it needs to be modernised, and any project that does that needs to recognise disabled people’s rights to accessibility, so that everyone can use the station to get where they need to go.”