Alex Mayer

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

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257 held · 233 searchable for Alex Mayer. The searchable lines are below in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.

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1. “I personally find the Thameslink boards at Blackfriars to be particularly confusing, and I never know which side the train is coming in on. Great British Railways offers us perhaps a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create familiarity and consistency right across the network. There are reports from Tokyo that on its metro, the Ginza line, colour-zoned boarding areas have been introduced and that has been cited as an example of neurodiverse-friendly design. It is also a design that has improved passenger circulation overall and meant far fewer last-minute dashes by everybody to the platform. Because this is, as the hon.”

   House of Commons26 March 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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2. “I am in favour of unification and standardisation, and I think that Great British Railways offers a real chance to do that in many ways, not least on lost property, which I spoke about on Second Reading of the Railways Bill. I also think that as we establish more and more regional transport brands—the example of the Weaver brand has been discussed—that will be what customers think of as the portal gateway to many different types of transport. Indeed, that may well be the place where people ought to be pointed towards if they want to make a complaint—or, actually, if they are going to give somebody a compliment, because it is not always bad news. I also highlight paragraph 25 of the report, which focuses on neurodiversity. It mentions various issues, including ambiguous signage, which nobody wants.”

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3. “Were that gate to be opened, they would have entirely step-free access to get to the outside world. I know that it is not that simple, because I have had a lot of conversations with people about it—there is some greenery in the way, some cables and there are issues with public rights of way—but it really does not seem impossible. My last discussions were with Network Rail and it said that it was talking to London Northwestern. Given that they are both now in public hands, it does not seem that there are many people to pass the buck between. Will the Minister suggest how we can make best progress on that local issue? Moving on, I will talk briefly about a couple of points in the Transport Committee’s “Access denied” report. The first is the recommendation in paragraph 105 on a unified complaints system.”

   House of Commons26 March 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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4. “I am always pleased to speak in debates about transport. I want to paint a picture for the Minister of Leighton Buzzard station—he is, of course, welcome to visit too. There are two lifts, which is fantastic, and I do not knock those lifts at all, because I know that many people want them. At the moment, a person can walk in from the ticket entrance side, get into one of the lifts, go up, go across and go down again, but then they hit a slight problem. They then have to walk all the way along the platform, passed the locked gate, whereupon there are a few steps to go up and a few steps to go down to get out of the station on to the other side, where many people want to go—it is a place called Linslade. As I said, there is a locked gate on that route.”

   House of Commons26 March 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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5. “Lots of letters are late. One that stood out to me, which a constituent raised, was a parking fine that had almost doubled in price by the time it arrived. Locally, the Royal Mail tells me that it is recruiting 12 new postal workers, but if that does not fix the problem, what should we try next?”

   House of Commons11 March 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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6. “The self-publishing industry is really changing: the number of self-published books now exceeds the number of traditionally published ones. My office manager has penned one called “Ash”, a thriller set in Iceland, and I have a friend called Stephen Rogers who wrote about a nuclear disaster in the Bristol channel. In Dunstable, publishing has truly been democratised. More than a million books have now flown off the printing press there, all proudly saying, “Printed in Dunstable”, which has put the town on the map and is a phrase that I will always enjoy reading.”

   House of Commons5 March 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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7. “I thought, “I know— I am going to write my own book: a little children’s book about a book with an identity crisis, who goes all around the country trying to find out where he was printed.” He goes all the way to the west of England to see if he was born—printed—there, and he goes all the way up to Scotland. He goes to Liverpool and finds out about the Beatles, but does not think he was published there. Finally, the local MP intervenes, and thankfully, the book finds out that he is actually from Dunstable. I sent the book to the Amazon bosses to be printed, and said, “All the best stories have happy endings, so please make my story have a happy ending too,” and they did that for me. Now every single book printed on demand by Amazon proudly says, “Printed in Dunstable” on it.”

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8. “It looks like a shelf, a bookshop or a library, because all those books are different shapes, sizes and colours. I flicked through a book at the facility and it said in it, “Printed by Amazon in the UK.” I thought, “That’s not good enough, is it? I want people to know exactly where in the UK it was printed.” I asked the bosses whether they would change it, and I think they thought I was being a bit daft about the topic. I thought, “Well, I am going to keep on asking about this,” but I kept on being ignored for a little while. Then I stumbled upon an idea.”

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9. “Over the summer I went to Dunstable library, which is a fantastic facility. I met a young girl there who was reading all about Arrietty, star of “The Borrowers”. My constituency also has brilliant bookshops, including Book Leighton Buzzard, an independent bookshop that is bringing authors into classrooms throughout 2026 as part of the Year of Reading. One thing that I do rather a lot is turn to a little part of a book that people may not always read—the bit that says where it is printed. I have a reason for that, which some hon. Members may know about. In my constituency there is a facility run by Amazon, which prints books on demand. When I went there for the first time I found it a fascinating place, because they print lots of individual books.”

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10. “Can the Minister tell me what bespoke help is available for schools that have been let down for decades by Tory Governments and the council’s local education authority? I know from visiting classrooms that the teachers are just as dedicated and the children are just as eager to learn as elsewhere in the country. There are systemic problems that need to be sorted out, including the three-tier system that we have. I welcome the new National Year of Reading. I note that it is the third: there was one in 1998, one in 2008 and now one in 2026. Those years are linked, I think, by the fact that we had Labour Governments in all of them. The campaign asks families across the country to read together for just 10 minutes a day. As has been noted before, there are fantastic places to read, including local libraries.”

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11. “She was Mary Norton, who became the author of the world-famous book “The Borrowers”, putting Leighton Buzzard on the map for readers forever. Today, the house that Mary Norton grew up in is part of Leighton middle school, which I had the pleasure of visiting recently, where I met enthusiastic, curious and thoughtful pupils. I love going to schools across my constituency—it is one of my favourite things to do. In Lime Tree academy in Houghton Regis I recently met Fatima, who told me that she had read every single book in the school library. Sadly, not all her peers are such strong readers. Less than half of white working-class pupils in central Bedfordshire reach the expected standard of reading in year 6—that is the lowest figure in the entire country.”

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12. “It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I want to put it on the record that Paddington is my favourite bear, and I have a large poster of Paddington in Westminster in my office, so I do not want people to get the wrong end of the stick and think he is only liked by certain other parties. In the early years of the 20th century, a young girl was growing up in a Georgian house at the end of the high street in Leighton Buzzard. As a child, she would often wonder why things went missing or were not exactly where she remembered leaving them: a stamp that had disappeared, a safety pin that turned up somewhere entirely unexpected, or maybe a missing potato. She imagined that tiny people were living quietly in the corners of her home, borrowing things.”

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13. “I recently ran a survey in a local school and asked the children what they thought they would be doing if they were not spending as much time on smartphones. About a third of them said they thought they would be reading more if they were on social media less, so I am really pleased that the Government are running a consultation and are about to take serious action.”

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14. “Young coach drivers are severely limited in the distances they are allowed to drive. Trying to get to London from your constituency, Madam Deputy Speaker, they would only make it as far as Sheffield. The Government have recently closed a consultation on this issue. Could the Leader of the House let us know when we will get a response? It seems very strange that people of the same age are able to drive a 44-tonne lorry, but not a coach for any considerable distance.”

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15. “Until local roads are adopted, communities miss out on so much—from having their roads gritted to getting a post box, as I have found out. How can we speed up Central Bedfordshire council and others?”

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16. “I have met lots of apprentices, but none planting trees. How do we make sure that we have a real pipeline of talent in forestry skills and horticultural training? Investment in people is investment in resilience. As the Minister knows, I back the “Strong Roots” report’s recommendation for British-grown tree certification. The idea behind that is to grow market identity, transparency, investment and confidence—and pride, too. It is totally on brand for this Labour Government to establish “Great British Trees”. Will the Minister push that with her Cabinet colleagues as we seek to change the country and create landscapes that endure?”

    House of Commons11 February 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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17. “Success is measured not by trees planted, but by trees thriving. Thinking about the very early years of trees means thinking about having thriving domestic tree nurseries supplying the right trees, at the right time, in the right quantities. With our ambitions rising significantly, domestic supply needs to keep pace to avoid reliance on imports, which increase pest and disease risks and weaken resilience. Planting native species gives the greatest wildlife benefit. How will the Government better align tree supply with planting grants? Given that nurseries need to plan so many years in advance, how do we ensure long-term stability? We also need a focus on skills and workforce. Growing trees is skilled and technical work and the nursery sector faces big skills shortages. This week is Apprenticeship Week.”

    House of Commons11 February 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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18. “The Minister and I recently discussed young tree survival in an Adjournment debate that I very much enjoyed, so I am back for more. That debate focused on urban trees, but I want to talk about woodland trees today. There are a lot of similarities, but also some differences. The similarity is, of course, that we need to get the right tree in the right place. They all need water, though less so in woodland environments than in urban environments because the soil naturally retains more moisture. In woodlands, weed control is particularly important, as is making sure that the saplings are planted well, healthy, British grown and disease free. The first three to five years are so important for establishment. We have to move beyond the “plant, plant, plant” mantra to “establish, establish, establish” because that is what really matters.”

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19. “That is why I back the Labour Government’s ambition to create three new national forests, including one right in the centre of the growth corridor, in my part of the world and that of the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson). That is the kind of growth everybody can get behind—from seed to sapling to towering trees. We can already see the Labour Government’s first new national forest getting under way and taking shape. A friend who lives in that part of the world says that so many fences have been erected to protect the new trees it now resembles a prisoner of war camp. Those fences are really important, because protection in the early years matters for trees. Saplings are vulnerable. They need time, protection and sustained care.”

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20. “It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. Woodland creation is, at its heart, hopeful work. It is about climate action, nature recovery and public good. It is about taking long-term decisions for future generations. I also like that we know it is doable, because we have examples right across the country. At a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group for woods and trees, I saw a fantastic slide that showed the national forest in the midlands going from 6% tree cover all the way to 23% or 24% tree cover. It was fantastic to see that visually displayed. That woodland is supporting animals, birds, walks, trails and 5,000 tourism-related jobs every year.”

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21. “I recently did a survey with local schools. Perhaps the children were more willing to put on the survey how much screen time they had when they were not supervised by their parents, but I was enthused about the things that they said they would do if they were not on social media, including spending far more time outdoors and reading, as has already been mentioned. Does the Minister agree that we need evidence, so we are not doing just what is simple but what is right?”

    House of Commons10 February 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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22. “My hon. Friend talks about bottles, but they are not the only way of packaging up wine. In my constituency, the innovative packaging company ecoSIP makes single serve wine portions but, bizarrely, regulations mean that they cannot sell them in 125 ml containers. Does my hon. Friend think that is a strange anomaly, and would the Minister care to comment on it later?”

    House of Commons21 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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23. “This week, work begins on storage tanks to stop raw sewage pouring into the River Ouzel during periods of heavy rainfall—I know that my constituents and residents welcome that, as I am sure do the fish in the river. Does the Secretary of State agree that since we have had a Labour Government, it really has been all cisterns go on issues such as this?”

    House of Commons21 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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24. “I wonder if my hon. Friend prefers the whoosh as fireworks go up, rather than the bang; I think that is what most people are there for. My constituents get in touch with me to say that when they complain, they feel as if they are passed from pillar to post between the council and the police. Does my hon. Friend agree that it should be easier and simpler for my constituents to know who to make a complaint to?”

    House of Commons19 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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25. “With £1 billion of investment in tree planting and forestry support over this Parliament, and tree planting at its highest rate in over 20 years, with 10,000 football pitches-worth planted last year, “plant, plant, plant” is a good mantra. But we also need to think about something rather less catchy: “establish, establish, establish”. The first three to five years of a tree’s life are critical. That is when trees are most vulnerable to drought, damage, disease and death. Of course, tree and woodland creation will always involve some risk. There will be years when the weather means more trees do not make it, even when best practice is followed, but what we are seeing goes far beyond unavoidable loss—to the planet and the public purse.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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26. “Forest Research estimates that trees deliver over £400 million a year in flood protection. In the summer, the same trees offer vital shade. Crucially, our trees lock away carbon for decades or even centuries. UK woodlands store around 1 billion tonnes of carbon. Despite all those brilliant benefits, as a nation we are under-treed—we are well below the European average. That makes us the second largest importer of timber in the world. I am delighted that the Government have pledged to plant three new national forests. The first, in the west of England, is under way, and next the Ox-Cam growth corridor will see growth of a different kind—from seed to sapling to forest.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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27. “Urban trees, shrubs and hedges reduce exposure to air pollution by dispersing and capturing pollutants such as particulate matter and ozone. Collectively, urban woods in the UK do a brilliant job of removing an estimated 7.5 kilotonnes of pollutants every single year. Trees can also be lifesavers. Research suggests that increasing green space by just 1% in the most deprived urban neighbourhoods in England is linked to 37% fewer preventable deaths. Trees also reduce flooding. I was struck when I visited a local school on a soggy day last year, when many homes and businesses had experienced flooding, and asked the headteacher whether the school had had any problems, and it had not. She pointed to the trees on the surrounding playing fields, which had intercepted the rainfall and absorbed so much water.”

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28. “Trees are woven into the very fabric of our nation, our culture and our heritage —the apple tree that sparked Newton’s revolutionary thinking on gravity; the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ tree, a symbol of solidarity and the birth of the trade union movement; Sherwood forest, immortalised by Robin Hood; and the famous 100 acres, home to Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger and co. Trees are place-makers. I recently visited a new development called Linmere, where trees are quite literally used to sell the place, with marketing material suggesting that residents “stroll through tree-lined avenues and take in the nature around you.” Everyone moving in gets their own new tree in the garden. Trees improve our lives. They improve our health, both physically and mentally.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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29. “Let me begin by thanking organisations including the Woodland Trust, the Arboricultural Association, the Forestry Commission, Highways England, the Horticultural Trades Association and the National Forest Company, and Ness Champion, founder of the Biophilic Design Conference, for their engagement ahead of the debate. I think most people like trees. I go around saying they are great—tree-mendous, indeed—so much so that my mum and dad got me an “I Spy Trees” book for Christmas, which I think will become somewhat easier to complete in the spring and summer months.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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30. “However, with simple policy changes, we can ensure that young trees survive, thrive and deliver the economic, environmental, social and economic benefits that we all know they promise.”

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31. “The excellent “Strong Roots” report has many recommendations to nurture the sector and increase the number of British-grown trees: for example, to better align tree supply with planting grants to give nurseries confidence to invest, so that we avoid situations like the Scottish Government cutting their forestry grant scheme budget by 41% back in 2024, and to boost training, apprenticeships and skills development in tree production. One thing that stood out to me was that the report suggests introducing a British-grown tree certification logo to strengthen market identity. I can very much imagine the Minister launching the “Great British Trees” logo, so I would love to hear her comments on that. Tree planting without establishment is not climate action; it is waste.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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32. “Of course, much of that already exists, for example in the Arboricultural Association, which I know stands ready to support the Government, and Highways England, which learned from its A14 debacle—the survival rate for trees in its 3 Million Trees project now stands at 85%. Maybe there could also be a section on performance-related tree payments—bonds with sums released only when trees are established so that the reward comes not for trees that are planted, but for trees that thrive, so that aftercare can no longer be treated as an after- thought. For the Government’s ambitions to flourish, we will need thriving tree nurseries.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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33. “That is important, as the issue of trees is not just for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; it is also about housing, communities, transport, health and more. However, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government currently lacks an in-house tree expert. It has been over a decade since the Department had an arboriculturist role, which previously provided expertise on urban trees, including tree planting and tree preservation order regulations. The sector says that it feels that gap keenly. Will the Minister reassure me that the welcome England tree action plan will have cross-departmental buy-in? Will it contain best practice, including clear schedules for watering, mulching, pruning and monitoring?”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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34. “I know that this Government are committed to early years, so do we perhaps need a best start tree hub as well where everybody learns about watering, mulching and formative pruning? As I have outlined, the data is patchy. How do we do better as a nation? Does the Minister support mandated record keeping, minimum three-to-five year aftercare plans and reporting requirements tied to planning permission, grants and public contracts? In housing developments, should tree planting and aftercare contracts always be bundled together, so responsibility cannot be passed away? How do we better implement those planning conditions relating to aftercare? I do not expect the Minister to be able to give me answers to all this; she may direct me to other Departments.”

    House of Commons15 January 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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35. “Sometimes it simply is not anyone’s job to remove the stakes and ties after a year or so. We see on new developments that landscaping and management fees often do not translate into tree care at all and, in some cases, actively contribute to tree loss. Another cause of early tree death is insufficient water because young trees are thirsty. Newly planted trees need to be watered two to three times a week. They knock back 50 to 100 pints each time. They need deep and regular soaking. Establishing trees need water once a week in dry weather. Watering in the first one to two years is one of the most important factors in whether a tree struggles long term or goes on to thrive. What needs to change?”

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36. “There can be a tendency to over-prioritise aesthetics, or even a rightful desire to create a sense of place, over choosing trees that will survive and thrive. We need better species selection—the right tree in the right place for the right reason—with climate resilience built in. But even if it is in the right place, research shows that young trees are prone to damage from poorly managed stakes and ties, strimmer damage, soil compaction and, sadly, vandalism. Staking in particular is an issue. It should be a temporary support, not a permanent restraint, but there are too many examples of trees literally being strangled by ties that are far too tight and so restrict the natural expansion of the trunk, so as the tree grows, the ties cut into the bark, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.”

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37. “Around one in five had died or been removed—we might call that a trage-tree—and nearly a third were in poor condition, showing stress, damage or inadequate growth. Very few were growing as we would want them to. The National Audit Office reported that £48 million of Government investment went into the urban tree challenge fund. If these outcomes are representative, around £10 million of that investment may already have been lost—literally dead wood. This is not a marginal issue; it is a systemic value-for-money problem. Why are these young trees dying? The research consistently points to similar causes: the wrong tree in the wrong place. I am struck by how often, especially in new builds, the trees are the responsibility of landscape gardeners.”

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38. “The research found that 39% of the trees were missing or dead. Along the A14, National Highways planted over 860,000 trees in 2020, but the failure rate was 45%. More detailed evidence comes from the evaluation of urban tree planting across four cities—Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds—covering trees planted between 2012 and 2022. The team says that just finding out what was planted and where was far harder than it should have been. Record keeping is not good. Even freedom of information requests did not yield data. “Do the trees exist?” they kept asking. Of the 820 expected trees, they discovered that only 687 were actually planted, so 23% of funded or required trees were never planted at all. Of those that were planted, only 42% were in good condition.”

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39. “T7. AW Group in my constituency has two wind turbines and a solar array, which are creating what I think of as great Bedfordshire energy, but currently it gets muddled in with all the other energy in the area and the company cannot have its own local tariff. Will the Minister consider community energy projects being able to sell direct to local consumers?”

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40. “It takes seven years to grow a Christmas tree to 6 foot. During all that time, they are sucking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and providing a fantastic habitat for wildlife. Trees are not just for Christmas. One of the best things that happened this year, I thought, was the announcement of a second new national forest. I am so pleased that all the new trees are going to be planted in Bedfordshire—that is tremendous news.”

    House of Commons18 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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41. “I would like to raise a festive selection box of issues. First, I am sure Members have seen the recent news that a new post box has been installed in Antarctica among all the snow and ice. I thought that was brilliant, because everyone needs a post box, but unfortunately my constituents in Bidwell West still do not have one. It is a complicated issue, but it stems from the fact that the roads in the area are all unadopted, so residents have to take a 30-minute round trip by foot to post a single Christmas card. I very much welcome the fact that penguins are getting a post box, but my constituents need one too. My message to Royal Mail is that next year I am dreaming of a new post box. On a quick Santa dash to another issue, I want to give a big shout-out to the people who grow Christmas trees.”

    House of Commons18 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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42. “The brilliant news is that the youth scheme has been such a success that now one in five of the volunteers on the steam railway are under 16 years old. I know that they have a bright future ahead of them and it is full steam ahead. On that note, I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and all hon. Members a very merry Christmas.”

    House of Commons18 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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43. “I am pleased that my hon. Friend supports those trees too. Christmas is the season of good will. I was really proud to meet so many volunteers who have been working right across my constituency, particularly at the local food bank, at a local care home, where there was a jolly Christmas jumper day, and at the Leighton Buzzard Railway. Earlier this year, the Leighton Buzzard Railway, which is a steam railway, decided that even though it is a heritage line, it did not think that all of its volunteers needed to be of a certain vintage. It has set up a youth scheme, and this Sunday I will be going on the Santa express with Jacob, who is just 14 years old. He loves getting covered in soot and volunteering on the steam railway.”

    House of Commons18 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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44. “Finally, on data being open by default, will the Minister assure us that all ticket sellers will get exactly the same data that GBR gets? All in all, this is a fantastic Bill, so we are all on track—full steam ahead.”

    House of Commons9 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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45. “Although that might be missing, I very much welcome the inclusion of the phrase “potential users”, which feels very much like the idea of “prospective” passengers that I tried to get into the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill but did not. I really welcome the five-year stability for infrastructure funding, but could we extend that to operations? I would be grateful for the Minister’s views on whether schedule 2 will allow Ministers to cut funding mid-period too easily. On devolution, I hope we will soon get guidance on how mayoral combined strategic authorities will be able to get the necessary powers. How will they get a devolved railway? There are many references in the Bill to mayoral strategic authorities, but perhaps the wording should sometimes be “mayor”, because it is important that we actually consult the democratically elected person.”

    House of Commons9 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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46. “Then, about three weeks later, I received another email, this time from Transport for London—which I had also contacted—telling me that unfortunately my bag had not been found, and they had finished the search for it. That, I think, is just one illustration of the fact that we have a completely un-joined-up railway. I was struck by the five mentions of competition in the Bill and the absence of any mention of standardisation, which is what I think our passengers are really after. I have a couple of other points on which the Minister might be able to provide a bit of commentary. As mentioned by the Chair of the Transport Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury), clause 18 lacks a target for passenger growth.”

    House of Commons9 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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47. “This summer, when I was travelling by train to a bus conference, I managed to lose my bag. I did what everyone in that circumstance would do and panicked slightly, because my purse and my keys were in it, along with my House of Commons pass. I thought, “Who on earth do I contact?”, because I was not entirely sure where I had left it. Had I left it on the train? Had I perhaps left it at the station when I was changing trains—and, indeed, which train might I have left it on? All the station staff were very helpful. They all pointed me to different online forms, and I have to say that my faith in humanity was absolutely restored about two weeks later, when everything was found, all of it still in the bag. I received an email saying “Come and collect it.” I paid my ten quid and got it back.”

    House of Commons9 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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48. “South Side Studios is a fantastic temporary custodian of the old Wilko shop on Leighton Buzzard high street. It has put on some brilliant events, such as salsa, more dancing, painting and Lego workshops—who does not like Lego? While it has had fantastic success in persuading commercial businesses to embrace meanwhile use, it has had rather less success with the local council, which has an old, disused care home that I am told costs £7,000 every week for security. Will the Leader of the House consider a debate on meanwhile use so that we can spread the news about the positive benefits it can bring?”

    House of Commons4 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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49. “I am struck by what my hon. Friend has just said. About eight years ago, during Trump’s first term, I was in the United States with a group of Latvian MEPs. I remember being almost bemused by how often the Latvians wanted to turn whatever discussion we were having to defence. To some extent, it was kind of annoying me by the end, but now I realise that I was completely and utterly wrong; they knew what they were doing in that instance and I did not. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to sell this concept of a peace dividend? I was really sold on it, but it did not exist at that moment, because investment is required first in order to get peace in the long term. What we are really looking for is peace in Europe in the long term, so once again we genuinely do need a peace dividend.”

    House of Commons4 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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50. “Finally, on a sense of place, when I used to think about the wider east of England region and what on earth linked it, I sometimes thought it was only our fantastic local broadcaster “Look East”—”

    House of Commons3 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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