Jo White
MP for Bassetlaw · Labour · United Kingdom
“I refer the House to my entry on the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I have grave concerns about the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire proposal, under which there will be an extreme deficit of a predicted nearly £150 million.”
“Every pound saved can be redirected towards border security and genuine protection. Sixthly, we need safe and legal routes. If we want people to choose safe routes, these routes must be real, reliable and fast.”
“I will be blunt: my constituents have lost faith in the asylum system. Under the previous Government, they watched borders slide out of control, criminal gangs profit and taxpayers face ever-rising costs while hotel use spiralled. Fairness collapsed and public trust collapsed with it. This Bill is how we earn that trust back.”
“Thirdly, fairness means contribution. Those granted protection should work, rebuild their lives, contribute to our society, and help to offset the costs associated with processing their claims. Responsibility must sit alongside rights, and contribution alongside compassion. Fourthly, protection must remain justified.”
“Does my right hon. Friend agree that these agreements have come about through partnership working with our European partners, and that this has been a central part of the negotiations? There is a unity of purpose among other European countries that want to tighten their borders and prevent people abusing the system.”
“Ranby Prison in my constituency is undergoing a £70 million expansion. The main prison car park is across the very busy A620 road. On 1 December last year, prison officer Phillip Tetley was knocked down and killed as he crossed the road to get to work. He leaves behind his wife Eve and seven children.”
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“I refer the House to my entry on the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I have grave concerns about the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire proposal, under which there will be an extreme deficit of a predicted nearly £150 million. Most of our areas, because of the demographics in our post-coalfield communities, are band A with high social care needs. I cannot see how this proposal will cover those costs. The Secretary of State has talked about a rebalance; I perceive it as an imbalance. A city solution will sacrifice my communities, who are an hour away from Nottingham, and will not solve the problems that left-behind communities have experienced for far too long. I ask the Minister to meet as soon as possible the six Labour MPs who have expressed severe concerns about this proposal.”
“Does my right hon. Friend agree that these agreements have come about through partnership working with our European partners, and that this has been a central part of the negotiations? There is a unity of purpose among other European countries that want to tighten their borders and prevent people abusing the system.”
“Every pound saved can be redirected towards border security and genuine protection. Sixthly, we need safe and legal routes. If we want people to choose safe routes, these routes must be real, reliable and fast. Clear criteria, rapid processing, UNHCR referrals and community sponsorship can provide a genuine alternative to dangerous crossings. The legal route must always be the better route. That is how the economic model of the people smugglers can be broken. Those constituents who have lost faith are right to want to control the borders and to want faster decisions, lower costs and rules that are enforced. We need control of the border, compassion where it counts, and contribution and consequences in equal measure. We cannot undo yesterday’s failures, but we can build a system that is fair and credible. That is why I support the Bill.”
“Thirdly, fairness means contribution. Those granted protection should work, rebuild their lives, contribute to our society, and help to offset the costs associated with processing their claims. Responsibility must sit alongside rights, and contribution alongside compassion. Fourthly, protection must remain justified. Refugee status should be reviewed through a clear and streamlined process. If danger remains, protection continues. If circumstances change significantly, the system should respond accordingly. That is how we keep asylum credible. Fifthly, we need honesty about costs and communities. Hotels are a symptom of a system under strain. By reducing backlogs and speeding up decisions, we can lower costs and ensure that outcomes are delivered. If protected, people move into work; if not, they are removed.”
“I will be blunt: my constituents have lost faith in the asylum system. Under the previous Government, they watched borders slide out of control, criminal gangs profit and taxpayers face ever-rising costs while hotel use spiralled. Fairness collapsed and public trust collapsed with it. This Bill is how we earn that trust back. First, we need control at the border. A fair system needs a firm line. We must stop the boats, target the smugglers and strengthen the checks so we know who is coming, how and why. Secondly, we need swift decisions and final outcomes. Endless delays destroy confidence. Claims must be processed quickly. Appeals must be heard promptly by independent adjudicators, with decisions enforced. If someone qualifies, they receive protection without unnecessary delay; if they do not, departure should follow swiftly.”
“Ranby Prison in my constituency is undergoing a £70 million expansion. The main prison car park is across the very busy A620 road. On 1 December last year, prison officer Phillip Tetley was knocked down and killed as he crossed the road to get to work. He leaves behind his wife Eve and seven children. Eve Tetley is campaigning for a crossing to prevent such an awful accident happening again. Will the Minister meet me and Eve to discuss this further?”
“We have tried to support her all the way through, and I am so proud to be with her today. I believe this House should congratulate her on her commitment and dedication, to what happened to her child, and to the lost babies and the support she has given to those families. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] My ask of the Secretary of State is to follow this through, so that the recommendations are implemented, reported on and monitored. I welcome his announcement that he will use the Hillsborough law to ensure that those who have failed to give evidence or to come forward are forced to do so.”
“My mum was a midwife, and as a child I lived vicariously the life on a maternity ward. She worked to the very highest standards possible, and used to come home and talk to me about sloppy standards, falling standards and insensitivity. What happened at NUH is the lowest of the low, and I send my thoughts and condolences, and pay tribute to the families, and to the staff who tried to whistleblow. The memories of the babies must never be forgotten; it is our responsibility to ensure that those memories live forever. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh). She came here with the dedication, commitment and desire to ensure that this report was done. So often she spoke to me about it, and so often she has had conversations with her Nottinghamshire colleagues about what she is doing.”
“When I was elected nearly two years ago, the very first person to contact me was a BCSSS member. There are about 750 BCSSS members in my constituency, and the campaign has certainly been part of my heart ever since I was elected. I know that many BCSSS members will be watching tonight and listening to the debate, and I am sure that the stories you tell will ensure that they are—”
“May I take this opportunity to reassure those BCSSS members that, whoever is the next Prime Minister, this issue will continue to be the No. 1 issue for most of my colleagues and the Members here today?”
“This is about one simple principle: fewer checkers and more doers; less bureaucracy and more patient care. It will create a stronger NHS that delivers for communities such as Bassetlaw and for people across the country. The NHS is facing huge challenges. With the right reforms and leadership, we can build an NHS fit for the future and there for every patient when they need it most.”
“The complex structure created by the 2012 reorganisation has left us with duplication, inefficiency and too many layers of management, separating decision makers from the frontline. Far too many NHS leaders and clinicians tell us that they spend their time filling in reports and navigating bureaucracy, when they should be focused on delivering care. We owe it to taxpayers and patients to change that. These reforms are not about criticism of the dedicated public servants working in NHS England; they are about creating a simpler, more accountable system that supports staff rather than holding them back. By reducing duplication and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, we can redirect hundreds of millions of pounds to frontline services. That will cut waiting times, improve access to care and give local NHS leaders more freedom to innovate.”
“We all know how important our NHS is to the people we represent. I know how frustrated patients and staff have become after years of rising waiting lists, cancelled appointments and growing bureaucracy. Since coming into office, this Labour Government have already started to turn things around by delivering more than 3 million extra appointments ahead of schedule, cutting waiting lists and agreeing a new GP contract that begins the work of restoring the family doctor. However, the challenge remains enormous. We inherited an NHS facing the worst crisis in its history, and public finances under severe pressure. That means that every pound must work as hard as possible for patients. That is why I welcome the decision to abolish NHS England and bring its functions back into the Department of Health and Social Care.”
“I welcome your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for securing the debate. The Home Affairs Committee, of which I am a member, is currently investigating organised crime on our high streets—that is welcome. Across Worksop, Retford and Harworth, there has been a surge in vape shops, barber shops and mini-marts. They are clustered close together and often have barely any customers. Local people are asking a very simple question: how do such businesses survive?”
“We need visible neighbourhood policing back in our town centres, with named officers, a consistent presence and real relationships with businesses. The Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner listened to my call for a police station in Worksop, and I welcome the announcement that it will be opening shortly, but we need simple ways to report concerns, and confidence that those concerns will be acted on. We need co-ordination; at the moment, too much intelligence is siloed. At its heart, this is about fairness—fairness for the businesses doing the right thing—and confidence for the public that their high street is safe and properly regulated. What we are seeing is not tolerated or isolated; it is serious, and we need action right now.”
“First, the Government must give councils real control over their high streets. At the moment, the clustering of such shops just happens and local communities are left to deal with the consequences. Secondly, we need proper regulation of vape and tobacco retailers—a licensing scheme is long overdue. Thirdly, we cannot ignore the harder question. Where we see cash-heavy businesses with little visible trade, it is right to ask whether they have links to wider criminal activity. Such links must be properly investigated, and enforcement needs backing. Licensing fees have not kept pace with other developments, trading standards officers are under pressure and the relevant data is not being used as it should be. This is not just about Whitehall; it is also about what happens locally.”
“I totally agree with my hon. Friend. I strongly believe that such businesses are money-laundering fronts. There needs to be close police scrutiny of them, and greater partnership with other authorities to monitor those shops and shut them down as quickly as possible. Local traders and residents are rightly concerned. Earlier this year, I decided to take a closer look. I held a local inquiry, alongside Julie Leigh, the leader of Bassetlaw district council; Sally Gillborn, the chief executive of our business improvement district; and Michael Bullen, a local businessman. They deal with this issue day in, day out. The message that we received was clear: the system is not working. Planning rules are too weak, licensing is underpowered and enforcement is stretched. We set out some practical recommendations.”
“Q One of the concerns of my local healthcare trust is around the release of elderly patients into the community, as it finds that relations with the ICB are sometimes difficult. How can neighbourhood health plans work well and cohesively with healthcare trusts to release patients into community care?”
“There is a lot of good practice and understanding about good discharge and how you plan from the point that somebody is admitted to when they come out of hospital. The emphasis on integrated neighbourhood teams will be important. It would be helpful if we could all remember that those must include social care and wider local government services and connections in to those, not just integration within NHS teams. It is definitely a positive step forward and, if we can try to make sure that the relationships between health, social care, public health and wider services are brought to life in neighbourhood health, that will help us in this way and in lots of others.”
“I do not know how neighbourhood health will work everywhere, but in our borough we have a step-down unit called Heathlands, which people quite often go to when they come out of hospital and which does quite a lot of rehabilitation. That already starts the plan to get them home: to go from hospital, to the step-down place and then to home. It is about having good systems in place, all of which should hopefully be supported by neighbourhood health, which should have a good knowledge of what is available locally. Sally Burlington: It should definitely help, if it works well; we should see more capability and capacity available in the community, closer to where people live, to help them when they come out of hospital.”
“At the same time, we are seeing some good developments in the NHS, such as frailty teams and hospital at home teams, all of which help to prevent people from being admitted to hospital in the first place, and to ensure that when people come home, there is a team to visit them. You are right about the communication issue, although it has not been an issue where I am, as we have very good communication with our local ICB about the people being discharged, to make sure that someone is there to meet them and that nurses come out to see them when they come home—I cannot remember the word for that. We have the right systems in place and they are working.”
“I was talking about bed-blocking in hospitals and how neighbourhood health plans can work more cohesively with hospital trusts. Councillor Wright: I think we can answer this together. The whole point of neighbourhood health is to bring in everyone in the voluntary sector, your patient transport and all that, so that your joint strategic needs assessment has a good understanding of what is available to someone in the community when they come home. We talked before about having a strong single patient record so that good communication is there, and neighbourhood health is able to strengthen that. Neighbourhood health should be not just about shifting the need from hospital to community, but about reducing that need in the first place so that fewer people need to go to hospital.”
“Ultimately, the benefits of doing it now outweigh the risks and that is the only way to make the system change. We heard from the King’s Fund about opportunity costs and that the benefits do not outweigh the risks—we do not think that is true.”
“I cannot speak for the former Secretary of State, as he is not here, but it did surprise us going into the financial year when, despite very clear direction and expectation about the financial situation that the Government inherited and what needed to happen, we were still faced with a very large projected deficit. The duplication meant that there were a lot of people in the room and clearly things were being handed off and that was not working. Ultimately, this is a question that always lurked. I know that the right hon. Member for Melton and Syston is here, and during the passage of the Bill that became the Health and Care Act 2022, we said to the Department that that might have been the opportunity to act. I think that previous Secretaries of State, as was alluded to earlier, thought that they might do that.”
“Q You are speaking with tremendous passion and I can tell that you see this as an opportunity to make the NHS function far better. You mentioned at the very beginning that it took eight months to make the announcement that you were going to abolish NHS England. How quickly did you realise that NHS England was malfunctioning, far too bureaucratic and not delivering on the priorities for people in this country? Karin Smyth: That is a good question. When I was in opposition, I spoke frequently about accountability and democracy, as the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham was trying to highlight—I am sure that we will hear some more quotes.”
“I thank the hon. Member for Belfast South and Mid Down (Claire Hanna) for her urgent question. People in this House and beyond, including from Moscow, are whipping up hate and disorder in our country, and what happened last night in Northern Ireland was a sickening example of that. Children nearly died. All of us in this House agree that we must secure our borders. Does the Minister agree with my proposal that the sight of people arriving here by boat or by crossing from Ireland could be ended by processing asylum claims at the nearest point of safety? That would be thousands of miles away, thus bringing an end to the people-smuggling trade.”
“I have just had a group of year 8 pupils visit me in Parliament, and many of their questions were about the increasing numbers of young people on benefits, AI sweeping away jobs, and new opportunities and training for young people. The red wall MPs recognise that issues surrounding youth unemployment are not new, but I am hugely concerned that young people now see that as their future. I welcome the Government’s initiative for a youth hub in Worksop, and I am already working on that with partners, but does the Minister agree that we need to work with other partners beyond the DWP to resolve this problem?”
“That is one story; there are many more. While I know that the situation is improving, and treatment is given every time I raise a case with the hospital, there are many thousands of people across my constituency who face this situation. This is a very important issue, and I thank my hon. Friend again for raising it.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House. It is not just Doncaster that is impacted by this issue, because Doncaster and Bassetlaw teaching hospitals NHS foundation trust stretches right across Bassetlaw. I have had similar experiences with my constituents; in fact, every time I have a meeting or a coffee morning, or am knocking on doors, I will find somebody who has been waiting years for treatment. Today, a coach tour of 50 constituents came to the House, and two of them have had problems getting treatment for audiology issues. I will talk about Martin, who I met this morning. He has hearing aids, and had issues with them, as his hearing had changed. He has waited more than three and a half years to get them replaced. In fact, he can no longer use them, because they do not meet his needs.”
“I am concerned about the link between loss of hearing and dementia. If somebody who is experiencing hearing loss goes down that horrible path of dementia and loss of memory, the lack of communication can spiral and make their condition explode. It becomes much more life-changing, much more quickly. Access to audiology services for people with dementia, or symptoms of dementia, is absolutely imperative, and I am so worried that those people are missing out on this very important course of treatment.”
“Sadly, Jonathan’s experience is not unique. Many wheelchair users simply endure these failures quietly, but quiet endurance should not be mistaken for a system that works. With better guidance, timely access, reliable repairs and fair reassessment, we can build a service that supports independence, dignity and opportunity. I believe we have the commitment to do so; what is required now is the will. I end by thanking Jonathan, who helped me with this speech in great detail.”
“That is an unreasonable expectation to make of any wheelchair user. When a wheelchair fails, users are not simply inconvenienced; they are immobilised. There is also a significant inconsistency across integrated care boards. Eligibility criteria and equipment provision vary widely, creating a postcode lottery where access depends on location, not need. There are clear and achievable solutions. First, inexperienced users should receive structured guidance and meaningful trial periods. Secondly, waiting times must be reduced through expanded capacity and better processes. Thirdly, the repair system must be reformed, with stronger accountability and reliability. Finally, eligibility and reassessment criteria must be standardised nationally, so that people with progressive conditions are not left for years with unsuitable equipment.”
“Although NHS targets aim for 92% of users to receive a wheelchair within 18 months of referral, the reality is far less favourable. For many people, the delays they experience are far longer—and they are not minor inconveniences: they can lead to secondary health complications, avoidable hospital admissions and barriers to education, employment and participation. Those consequences are entirely preventable. Even once a wheelchair has been delivered, further challenges arise. Jonathan’s wheelchair repeatedly developed faults, from deflating tyres to loose bolts, which at times made it unusable. Repairs, which should be straightforward, became another obstacle. When engineers did attend to carry out a repair, they sometimes arrived with incorrect parts or relied on Jonathan himself to diagnose the problem.”
“In bad weather, he watched friends and family struggle to lift his wheelchair, an experience that he has described as being both frustrating and deeply uncomfortable. What should have supported his independence instead reinforced reliance on others. Once that decision about a wheelchair had been made, Jonathan was effectively locked into it. Like many wheelchair users, he could not access a reassessment because his condition, although progressive, did not meet the narrow eligibility criteria for a reassessment. That experience reflects a wider, indeed systemic, problem. Without proper guidance or trial periods, people can make choices that they later regret but may have to live with for years. Such issues are made worse by long waiting times.”
“They are often presented with a very limited choice of NHS-approved models, frequently without receiving the guidance necessary to make an informed decision. I want to highlight the experience of Jonathan, a 22-year-old constituent of mine from Bassetlaw. At 18, Jonathan attended his first wheelchair assessment, having never used a wheelchair before. After only a very brief trial, he was asked to choose between two models, with no meaningful discussion about how his needs might evolve. He selected a chair that felt slightly easier to manoeuvre on the day. That single decision had long-term consequences. The wheelchair proved far too heavy for him to manage independently. Everyday tasks such as getting into a car required multiple steps and the help of others.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) for securing this very important parliamentary debate. NHS wheelchair services across England and Wales face serious challenges, affecting hundreds of thousands of disabled people and demanding urgent attention. Access to an NHS wheelchair begins with a referral and assessment by a GP, physiotherapist or social worker. Eligibility is based on clinical need and a wheelchair must be required for at least six months. Yet problems arise even at that first stage. Many first-time or inexperienced wheelchair users are expected to know exactly what they need, despite having little or no prior experience.”
“I welcome the Government’s announcement that there will be eight Best Start family hubs across Bassetlaw—including in Manton, Retford, West Bassetlaw, the Oasis community centre, Hallcroft, Harworth and Bircotes, and Misterton. That is the highest number in the country. Does the Minister agree that this will guarantee an excellent start for hundreds of children across my constituency?”
“Q5. At a previous session of Prime Minister’s questions, I was promised a meeting with the Prime Minister for me and Arsenal hero Michael Thomas. We are still waiting, and I cannot back down. Not only have working-class footballers and others lost hundreds of millions to financial mis-selling, but the members of the V11 group are still being pursued by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for tax on money that they have never had. Action has been taken on the Post Office injustice and other injustices; why has it not been taken on the V11?”
“I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests showing that, last summer, Hull Trains paid for 32 teenagers to travel to London to attend my parliamentary summer school. This time last year, I was advocating for more connectivity for my constituents by backing the application from Hull Trains for a service between Sheffield and London King’s Cross via Worksop and Retford. Despite my disappointment at the refusal, I am keen that companies such as Hull Trains continue to make open access bids. How will Great British Railways ensure independent oversight, and what resources will the Office of Rail and Road be given to guarantee transparency and independence in the decision-making process?”
“Last December, Donald Trump’s media and technology group purchased a Californian-based fusion energy company, putting his son Donald Jr. on the board in a $6 billion deal. The race is on for fusion energy production at scale. Will the Minister join me in welcoming the appointment of ILIOS consortium, led by Kier and Nuvia, to construct a fusion power plant in north Nottinghamshire? I am sure he agrees that will mean jobs and new skills and training for my constituency and beyond.”
“The hon. Gentleman talks about green carbon-neutral schemes coming forward. I welcome yesterday’s announcement of a construction partner for the STEP Fusion plant at West Burton in Nottinghamshire: the consortium known as ILIOS, which is led by a joint venture between Kier and Nuvia, supported by AECOM, A_AL Architects, and Turner & Townsend. This will see the creation of thousands of jobs right across the region. We should welcome that initiative by our Government.”
“The state holds vast amounts of data on all of us from the moment we are born, some of which we never see, are never able to correct and never know who has been looking at it. Does the Minister agree that digital ID provides the opportunity for residents in my constituency and beyond to take back control over their personal data?”
“I recently met Matthew Pendleton, who owns Apawtiser, a high-quality dog treat company. The company grew legs because processed dog food had made his pet dog violently ill. Matthew now needs the finances so that he can continue to expand, employ more staff and get Apawtiser on the national pet food map. I want to see businesses such as these succeed in my area, and Matthew’s small ask is: will the Government step in with the offer of an underwritten loan?”
“What discussions has the Minister had on removing universal credit from convicted killers who are currently serving a sentence in a psychiatric hospital?”
“As a result of the structure and separated command and control of the regional organised crime units, the NCA and the Met, they make decisions and prioritise independently and without deconfliction, in the procurement of tools and data, for example. That means that the same technologies can be acquired multiple times to benefit only a single area. Does the Secretary of State agree that this White Paper will tackle those challenges head-on?”
“I very much welcome these proposals. The NCA is hugely under-resourced, and bringing these elements together will hopefully give it the funding required to do its job properly. The amount of duplication of effort that occurs and the lack of information sharing result in huge inefficiencies. It is struggling with the pace of change in technology, especially because of end-to-end encryption, and it is struggling to hire and retain staff with the technical skills that it requires—people who have those skills are eagerly snapped up by the private sector. It does not have the funding to make the technical investment needed to keep up with the pace of change.”
“As the Secretary of State said, this is evidence that cross-Government working is in action, with the Treasury, the Department for Transport and the MHCLG setting the case, and establishing confidence that the north is open for business as the place to invest, to build and to live. We have a Government who have the self-assurance to shift away from the well-trodden path of growth traditionally centred on London and the south. The record is clear: the Tories under-invested in the north time and again, and Reform has already opposed everything that Northern Powerhouse Rail stands for—”
“Reform’s betrayal of the north must never be forgotten. For this to work, we need our council leaders and mayors to play their part. For constituencies such as Bassetlaw, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield, our East Midlands Mayor must be part of the dialogue on the investment strategy for transport planning and connectivity. We all want to open our doors to businesses on the back of this, so will the Secretary of State ensure that Mayor Claire Ward has a place at the table?”
“As a member of the Home Affairs Committee, I have been following this matter closely. Last autumn, safety advisory groups from Birmingham and Leicester banned or scaled down Diwali events. Does the Home Secretary agree that councillors should be removed from SAGs, and that there should be greater transparency to ensure that there is no reliance on confirmation bias, which is, in my view, intertwined with the risk of predetermination that local authorities have a duty prevent when carrying out judicial duties?”
“The Hong Kong national security law and the conviction of Jimmy Lai are a breach of the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration. It is a politically motivated attack on freedom. Can the Foreign Secretary reassure this House that all possible actions are being pursued, first to ensure that Jimmy Lai obtains his legal access to British consular support, and secondly to push for his immediate release?”