← LEADERSHIP TERMINAL

UK PARLIAMENT · SITTING

Amanda Hack

MP for North West Leicestershire · Labour · United Kingdom

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement confirming the outcome for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. With three very different options on the table, it is inevitable, as we have heard, that there will be opposing views on the outcome.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

One of the things that has always struck me about this law is how we can change accountability. Just a couple of weeks ago, Donna Ockenden’s report about the Nottingham maternity scandal set out the fact that public officials did not come forward to tell the truth about those tragic incidents. Does my hon.

PUBLIC OFFICE (ACCOUNTABILITY) BILL · 2026-07-14 · READ IN HANSARD

The hon. Member is giving an impassioned speech. I share his sadness about the loss of Jay, whom he mentioned in his opening remarks. In my constituency we did a defib dash, where I encouraged constituents to understand where their nearest community defibrillator was. The average return journey was 12 minutes by foot.

DEFIBRILLATORS IN POLICE VEHICLES · 2026-07-08 · READ IN HANSARD

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield (Dave Robertson) for opening the debate, which has been a useful opportunity for us to talk about ceramics. I am also a member of the GMB.

CERAMICS INDUSTRY · 2026-07-06 · READ IN HANSARD

When we talk about concern about ceramics, we need to ensure that we also put that in the context of industries that ceramics directly supports, one of them being construction.

CERAMICS INDUSTRY · 2026-07-06 · READ IN HANSARD

North West Leicestershire has a proud industrial heritage. Manufacturing remains the largest sector of employment locally and we are home to major ceramics employers such as Ibstock Brick. Brick is a key part of the sector. I have three Ibstock Brick sites and have been greatly pleased to meet with people from them on several occasions.

CERAMICS INDUSTRY · 2026-07-06 · READ IN HANSARD

The complete record

Every one of 394 lines we hold for Amanda Hack, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 8.

  1. I know many women who actively choose not to exercise at night because they feel unsafe; suddenly, those 24 hours are limited to when it is light outside. If someone works in an office or during the winter, the hours available to them to go for a run or a cycle can feel even more restricted.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  2. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank the hon. Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asato) for giving us the opportunity to speak in such an important debate for our constituents, but many of us in the room will also be speaking from personal experience and for those people who are close to us. Walking, wheeling, cycling and running are sold to us as sports that are easily accessible, particularly walking and running because there are no monthly fees and many will have the equipment accessible at home—pop your shoes on and off you go—but for women it is nowhere near as accessible as it should be. We hear the phrase, “Everyone has the same 24 hours” a lot, particularly on social media, trying to shame people for not going for a run, going to the gym or choosing to bike to work instead of taking the bus.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  3. My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. Some 58% of women say that their cycle journeys are limited because of safety concerns and the infrastructure provided. As somebody who has run fairly regularly for a number of years, being hassled has sadly been a daytime as well as a night-time experience.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  4. If someone cannot drive, and public transport where they live is not very reliable—as it is in North West Leicestershire—cycling can help open up more doors to work, education, and seeing family and friends. Helping us to feel safe while running, walking and wheeling would mean that women are far more likely to exercise, helping to ease some of the strain on our NHS and other services by keeping women fit and active.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  5. I then demonstrated to the bus company what they wanted us to do: to walk along an unlit path on dangerous roads, to get from where the bus would stop to the place of business where people needed to go to work. These things are baked in, and we have to change them for everybody. Footpaths and cycleways must be built with women’s safety in mind, not with cost-cutting measures putting in fewer lampposts and less lighting, or weaving cycle lanes well away from well-lit main roads because it is cheaper. Those compromises should not be taken. Too often, cost savings prohibit women. Safer streets for us to get to work and exercise on would have huge benefits.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  6. Whether it was a poll on a Facebook group for Leicester and Leicestershire runners, or my running trainer trying to learn more about his female clients, the comments were inundated with women sharing their experiences. We have to start changing the way that we feel. It is no surprise that 20% of women never walk at night, and that 48% of women in the UK feel unsafe while out running according to SportsShoes. That is shameful, and we have to change it. It has been really good to see the Government take such a strong stance on violence against women and girls, but this problem is embedded in our infrastructure. As a councillor, I saw part of a bus route being cut.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  7. Absolutely. That is why this debate is so important. We should not be restricting access to exercise because we do not feel safe. It is frustrating that I have been catcalled both running on my own and with buddies. What was saddest for me was during covid. My 10-year-old daughter had just got on to her big bike and was faster than me while I was running behind her, and we had comments from a car. Thankfully, she did not really understand what had been said, so I will not repeat it here, but I can guarantee that they knew exactly what I thought of their disgusting behaviour. It changed my approach to life, however, and we did not do that again. We both went cycling together instead. This is what we have to do all the time. We are constantly compromising on what we can and cannot do, and when we can and cannot do it.

    WOMEN’S SAFETY: WALKING, WHEELING, CYCLING AND RUNNING · 2026-01-27 · READ IN HANSARD

  8. We know that we are now the outlier in the UK: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already embedded play-based approaches into their curricula at an early school level. We are falling behind and letting our children down. It is important that we value play by recognising it in the curriculum. It would be useful to hear from the Minister on that specific point, given that play is not an added extra but an important part of component learning for our children.

    KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM · 2026-01-26 · READ IN HANSARD

  9. A child wanted to talk about this exciting change in materials. That, I am sorry to say, was not allowed as it did not concord with the Lesson Plan.” The campaign for play-based learning is not about increasing playtime; it is about ensuring that learning is delivered in a way that aligns with how children grow, develop, think and ask questions—just as they asked why an egg had hatched but the others had not yet. One of my earliest memories as a parent is visiting a science museum. The hatchery needed to be visited several times a day, and the excitement increased more and more as the day continued. Children will direct us in how they want to learn, and we have to give them that opportunity to express themselves. Learning through play is not a new idea, but we have been rolling back on its importance.

    KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM · 2026-01-26 · READ IN HANSARD

  10. Worthington primary school in my constituency has rolled out a free breakfast club. But it was not the breakfast that was fascinating; it was the fact that kids were sitting around playing with Lego—they were just expressing themselves without needing to conform. The headteacher said that that is improving their overall behaviour in classrooms, because they are so much more relaxed going into formal lessons. One of my local district councillors, who is a former GP and psychotherapist, shared this with me: “I was sitting in a primary school class as a School Governor some years ago. The topic was ‘materials’ and how they change. The teacher was using ice/water and melted/chilled chocolate to explain the topic. All well and good. In the corner of a classroom one of the hen’s eggs had only just hatched.

    KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM · 2026-01-26 · READ IN HANSARD

  11. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Barker. I thank the hon. Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for introducing this important debate. I know how important this issue is for my constituents from speaking to children, headteachers and parents. Play should not be seen as an enrichment activity; play helps us to learn. The greatest breakthroughs in scientific endeavour, including Einstein’s theory of relativity, came as a result of people being able to think creatively. Physical expressions such as dancing, creating music and making up stories are not childish things to do. For example, there is evidence that listening to music enables children to engage with patterns and sequencing, which are fundamental to the basics of maths. One of the best parts of this job is going to visit my local schools.

    KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM · 2026-01-26 · READ IN HANSARD

  12. Bit by bit, those changes cut off public transport access to healthcare, college, work and leisure. Through new funding, thanks to our Government and our clear commitment to public services, we can restore some of that, although it can be frustratingly difficult to liaise with our county colleagues to get the changes in services that our communities desperately need. It still feels disjointed and patchy, and I know the issue will not be solved overnight. In 2023-24, the east midlands had the lowest transport spending per head of the population at just £368 per person, compared with the UK average spend of £687 and the London spend of £1,313. Between 2019 and 2024, research shows that the east midlands received £10.8 billion less in funding than it would if it had been allocated just at the average, not at the London level.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  13. As North West Leicestershire is also not in the East Midlands combined county authority, it will not directly benefit from the financial settlement allocated to the city regions, so I would welcome the Minister’s view on how the areas within the midlands that are not covered by devolution can get their fair share of transport connectivity. Before I came to this place I sat on the highways and transport committee at Leicestershire county council. I know at first hand how poor transport funding has been under the last Conservative Government, including in Leicestershire, with 62% of services being cut in my constituency alone. As a county councillor, I lost count of the number of notifications of bus service changes I received, which included cuts.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  14. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton) for bringing forward this important debate on transport in the midlands—which is one of my favourite subjects, so I had to be here for it. I represent North West Leicestershire, so my focus will inevitably be on the east midlands. My constituency is at the heart of the national forest, and East Midlands airport rests at the very top of it. However, in tune with other semi-rural constituencies, we have no passenger rail at all, and a pretty poor level of bus connectivity.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  15. “Secondly, the service has on multiple occasions failed to turn up and left her in Loughborough without a way of getting home other than hoping my wife or myself are able to pick her up.” When a young person is trying their best to get their life on track, the very last thing we should be doing is putting additional hurdles in front of them. Yet for too many, transport—or the lack of it—becomes a deciding factor in whether they can engage in their chosen education at all. If we get transport connectivity right, the impact on individuals, families and the long-term prosperity of our regions can be transformational. I cannot continue to accept a situation in which my constituency has an international airport yet has no passenger rail and such poor bus services.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  16. Accessible, efficient, reliable public transport should not be a luxury; it should not be a postcode lottery, but that is what it seems to be. When I meet young people across my constituency, they tell me that the public transport situation is a huge barrier to getting the training opportunities—the apprenticeships and classes—that they want and deserve. Recently, a resident of Ashby-de-la-Zouch got in touch about their daughter’s problems in getting to college in Loughborough. I thought it would be useful to share their words: “The number of buses are extremely limited and this results in her leaving the house at 06.30 am and not returning until 7 pm with several hours waiting in and around bus stops” —for a girl of 16, that is not ideal.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  17. The fact is that my constituents have to make ridiculous, non-efficient journeys just to get where they need to be. I would welcome the Minister’s view on how the difficulties of connecting communities are a real barrier to growth, as my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) mentioned in her intervention. My constituents tell me that they are driving to get to the train station anyway, often in the wrong direction, so they might as well continue by car to their destination and avoid getting on the train altogether. That means more cars on our roads and more pressure on our road network. Obviously, I have given simple examples, but I want to think about what the situation means for my constituents when they are trying to get to work, school or hospital.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  18. From Coalville, the station is about 12 miles away, and it would take an hour on public transport to get to Loughborough or Leicester—far too long; it would be about 30 minutes by car. It would also take about an hour to get from Ashby-de-la-Zouch to Burton train station, but that would include more than one bus, which could be problematic for travellers, who are really reluctant to take multi-bus journeys because one of the buses might fail to come. Residents in Kegworth have the most convenient public transport journey to a train station—to Loughborough, which takes just 36 minutes. However, East Midlands Parkway train station is only a few minutes by car. We are massively underserved as a result of this connection problem between rail and buses.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  19. Some 80% of east midlands commuters drive, and the average number of rail journeys per resident is just seven per year, which is half the rate of the west midlands and a third of the east of England. In fact, East Midlands airport has the highest proportion of travellers getting there by car, at 91%, which is mainly down to it having the lowest connectivity of all airports across the UK. We have to think about transport connectivity—railways, buses—and how we get to our airports. North West Leicestershire has not had a passenger rail service since the Ivanhoe line closed there in the ’60s. My constituency relies heavily on buses, but I will say much more about the Ivanhoe line next week in a dedicated debate on the subject. I have done a little research on how my constituents get to their nearest train station.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  20. The economic benefit of effective and connected transport is there for us to see. Having never worked in London before, it always surprises me how easy it is to get to places—if a bus or train gets cancelled, it is fine, because there is one five minutes away. If a bus gets cancelled in my constituency, people need to get a taxi or they will not get home. That is the inequality that we see. What does this issue mean in my constituency? Around 87.4% of households in North West Leicestershire have access to one car or van, compared with 61% in Manchester and 22% here in London. With the lack of available and reliable public transport, more people are forced to rely on personal transport, thereby increasing the volume of cars and vans on our roads. That also has a devastating impact.

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  21. I want to reflect on those numbers. The east midlands mayoralty is not the east midlands. It covers only Derbyshire, Derby, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. How does the rest of the east midlands fare in terms of funding?

    TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY: MIDLANDS AND NORTH WALES · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  22. North West Leicestershire is home to East Midlands airport, which carries the highest volume of small parcel air freight in the UK. In the light of the new trading agreements with the EU, can the Minister update me on how we will ensure that small businesses can make the most of these additional trading benefits, for current and future agreements?

    TOPICAL QUESTIONS · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  23. I was at Noble Foods last week, as part of the National Farmers Union’s food and farming fellowship programme. The issue, it was explained, is not just lower welfare standards. We need to ensure that eggs are safe. My hon. Friend is too young to remember it, but I remember the salmonella outbreak when I was a teenager. We have to be clear that food safety is as important for imported goods as it is for home-grown produce.

    AGRICULTURAL SECTOR: IMPORT STANDARDS · 2026-01-22 · READ IN HANSARD

  24. I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and his commitment to improve energy efficiency in people’s homes and reduce bills for constituents like mine. As the chair of the future homes, skills and innovations all-party parliamentary group, I would welcome more details on the taskforce identified in the plan, to ensure that we have the skills and innovation to meet the ambition, so that my constituents can benefit from warmer homes as well as the good jobs that the sector can provide.

    WARM HOMES PLAN · 2026-01-21 · READ IN HANSARD

  25. This is a really important debate. One element that is often not told is the number of out of area placements for 16-year-olds. Last year, 1,000 care-experienced children were moved away from home during the three months around their exams. Does the hon. Member agree that we should do everything in our power to ensure that people are able to keep their local connections as far as possible, and particularly those in that vulnerable group?

    TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION: OUT OF AREA PLACEMENTS · 2026-01-20 · READ IN HANSARD

  26. Could the Minister clarify whether that duty to inform also includes the 16 to 18-year-olds, who may well be placed by social services, rather than by homelessness teams?

    TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION: OUT OF AREA PLACEMENTS · 2026-01-20 · READ IN HANSARD

  27. It would also limit the impact of home firework displays, although I agree that we need to look again at the regulations on the sale of fireworks. Ultimately, we must make sure that people are safe. Firework displays can still be beautiful and fun if they are a little quieter. It is about being that bit more respectful to those around us. Imagine if people who are frightened of fireworks could go and enjoy them because they are that bit quieter. That would mean that more people could enjoy what fireworks displays can offer.

    SALE OF FIREWORKS · 2026-01-19 · READ IN HANSARD

  28. Firework displays can be enjoyed without fear, but we must recognise the volume of fireworks, particularly in Leicestershire, where fireworks seem to go on for weeks. After the last fireworks night, when I was back in London in early November, I realised just how quiet it is here compared with my constituency. That is why I supported the Fireworks Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen). I thank her for all her hard work, and share her hope for action going forward. Reducing the maximum noise level for consumer fireworks from 120 dB to 90 dB, as called for in the Bill and as suggested in one of the petitions, seems such a sensible step forward, and could have real, positive impacts on our communities, veterans, vulnerable people, pets, livestock and wildlife.

    SALE OF FIREWORKS · 2026-01-19 · READ IN HANSARD

  29. Animals are at risk of injuring themselves on fencing or farm equipment or on fixtures and fittings in housing if startled. Of course, this issue impacts not just animals, but veterans and vulnerable people. For those suffering from PTSD, the loud bangs are huge triggers. Last year, PTSD UK did a study on the effects of fireworks on those with PTSD; 85% of respondents said that fireworks made them feel unsafe in their homes, and 27.2% had sought medical or therapeutic support due to firework-related stress. Surely this cannot continue. It is not difficult to be a little more thoughtful and kind to our neighbours—to collectively take a step back to think about those loud noises and the impact they have on so many people.

    SALE OF FIREWORKS · 2026-01-19 · READ IN HANSARD

  30. We are here to discuss minimising the impact they have on people, livestock, neighbours and pets, and it is important that we focus on that. Most people use fireworks in a responsible, safe and appropriate manner, and laws are already in place to address the misuse of fireworks, limiting their sale to licensed traders and making it an offence to use them after 11 pm and before 7 am without express permission. However, as a dog owner, I know that that does not go quite far enough. Just yesterday, some loud fireworks went off at 5 pm next to my home, which meant no walk for the dog. Unusually, the cats were also frightened. The issue is not just that animals are scared by the noise, but that horses and livestock are caused distress and harm when fireworks go off.

    SALE OF FIREWORKS · 2026-01-19 · READ IN HANSARD

  31. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Pritchard. I thank the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for leading this petition debate. As the MP proudly representing semi-rural North West Leicestershire—a beautiful constituency at the heart of the national forest, surrounded by countryside and farmland, with an abundance of wildlife and livestock, as well as the main home base for Canine Partners—it is unsurprising that I have been emailed by hundreds of constituents about the need to further regulate fireworks, and that more than 650 constituents have put their signatures to both petitions. Neither petition calls for the banning of fireworks, which is a common misconception around this debate.

    SALE OF FIREWORKS · 2026-01-19 · READ IN HANSARD

  32. Ultimately, the current system of airport drop-off charges is unfair. When we factor in inadequate transport infrastructure, the case for regulation becomes even stronger.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  33. That request was refused, based on fraud issues. Yet such options are common practice. Just yesterday I used the QR code at my local train station—which happens to be operated by the very same parking company. If the company can do that at Leicester train station, it could do it at East Midlands airport with no trouble. That is where regulation could bring merit, with clearer payment methods, reminders and limits on parking charges—not radical ideas, just basic consumer protections. I wrote to APCOA parking to request data on the number of parking charge notices issued prior to and after the introduction of the new system at East Midlands airport. I was refused that data, which is not a good sign. Companies that are privately fining individuals should be subject to data-access rights relating to the schemes they operate.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  34. Thankfully, they remembered, but they felt it was so unfair that they had such a short time to pay. It is possible to set up an account to take automatic payment, but that simply will not be accessible to all, and setting up an auto-payment for a single or twice-yearly event is not worth while. What other service operates a system in which it is impossible to pay at the point of sale? It feels like the system is set up in the hope that people will forget, with fines of £100 if it slips their mind—although, of course, there are no reminders. The fine is reduced only if it is paid within 14 days. Coincidentally, 14 days is the length of many family holidays, which is ironic. I have raised the issue directly with the airport and requested that a pay terminal or a simple QR code be put in the terminal building.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  35. People want the convenience of being dropped off close to the departure gate, and airports know that. Let’s face it: it is a cash cow. It is an easy way to make money. As has been stated, East Midlands airport has recently been made barrierless, which means that someone can only pay online or by using an automated phoneline by midnight the following day. When dropping someone off early in the morning or late at night, it can be really easy to forget. I am sure we all have examples of that. As the airport is in my constituency, I get a lot of casework on this matter that I then field to other MPs, because it generally does not come from my constituents. I was contacted by someone who returned home just after midnight, having dropped off a loved one at East Midlands airport, and they had just 24 hours to pay.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  36. People are also parking in villages near the airport, including in Leicestershire. I was chatting to my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) yesterday, and he said it was a problem in his constituency too. Essentially, to avoid parking at the airport for any length of time, people will get a taxi from a village outside the airport and make their way there, thereby avoiding the weekly charges. Given that there are hardly any alternatives to travelling by car to the airport, we need to look at the infrastructure around our airports, as people feel they have no choice but to drive or get a family member to drop them off. Raising drop-off prices, as we have seen many airports doing, does not mean that my constituents or others who travel to East Midlands airport are suddenly able to magic up a bus or train to get them there.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  37. For those who might not have experienced an on-demand service, a passenger basically rocks up at the train station and rings a number, and there might be a bus available. That is how it operates. It is very good, but the reality is that when someone is going through the stressful scenario of going on holiday with a couple of kids in tow, they are going to get a taxi. The taxi will have to use the rapid drop-off option, so despite travelling via public transport, the passenger will still have to pay the drop-off charge to get to the airport. Some 91% of travellers to East Midlands airport travel by car, leaving just 9% travelling by public transport—a proportion so much lower than for every other passenger airport in the country. The drop-off charges seem so unfair because our choices to get to airports are pretty limited.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  38. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton South and Walkden (Yasmin Qureshi) for securing this debate, which holds such importance for my constituents. My constituency is proud to be the home of East Midlands airport—part of the Manchester Airport Group —from where about 4 million people fly each year. Before I focus on the drop-off charges at the airport, it is important to understand them in the context of a wider local problem. The closest train station to East Midlands airport is East Midlands Parkway, which is a 10-minute drive away. The only bus service from East Midlands Parkway is dial-a-ride only—that is, it is an on-demand service, not even a regular bus service.

    AIRPORT DROP-OFF CHARGES · 2026-01-13 · READ IN HANSARD

  39. This competition will be really important for our towns, and I will encourage my district council and others to consider how we get this amazing opportunity for growth and investment into my towns in North West Leicestershire. Will the Minister consider whether there is an opportunity to expand the competition to a wider range of towns, and perhaps include a UK town of industrial heritage and a UK market town of culture? Then I would be able to pick two towns in North West Leicestershire.

    UK TOWN OF CULTURE · 2026-01-07 · READ IN HANSARD

  40. It was a pleasure to be shown around the original features in the lovely Tap at No. 76, which was built in the era of Queen Elizabeth I. Not long after I was elected, I also had the privilege of visiting the archives at the fantastic volunteer-led Ashby Museum. If anyone makes a pit stop there, I am sure they will enjoy the museum. Ashby’s rich history has been kept up throughout the generations. There is an active business improvement district and a great town council with an annual programme of events. That includes the Statutes, which is now in its 806th year, and the new soapbox derby, which is in its second year, to name just a couple of the great events that happen. I have not had the opportunity to talk about my smaller towns of Ibstock and Castle Donington, but I am sure they will forgive me.

    UK TOWN OF CULTURE · 2026-01-07 · READ IN HANSARD

  41. Coalville’s culture was clear to see at the Midland Red bus 100th anniversary event earlier this year, which was held just a stone’s throw from Marlborough Square, at Snibston, the home of a theatre, a coalmining museum, a café and a park. In the centre of Coalville is the beautiful Mother and Child statue, and there are art installations across the town. Coalville has so much potential to be the UK town of culture. However, it will have to fight off local competition from the second largest town in my constituency, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. A great market town originally known as Ashby in 1086, it was renamed in the 18th century after the La Zouche family. Around that time, Ashby castle was built. The town’s beautiful historic buildings line Market Street, which is a thriving shopping destination.

    UK TOWN OF CULTURE · 2026-01-07 · READ IN HANSARD

  42. As I said in my maiden speech, Coalville is named appropriately, as it is at the heart of the coalmining industry in Leicestershire. The cultural heritage is centred on its industrial past and its hope for the future. The town has invested in the market square, which is called Marlborough Square. It was a central gathering place for the community, initially as a public market for farmers and producers, before evolving into a livestock hub in the 1840s. More recently, this lovely square has hosted some amazing family events, organised and supported by the local district council and our vibrant voluntary sector.

    UK TOWN OF CULTURE · 2026-01-07 · READ IN HANSARD

  43. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for this opportunity for us all to talk about the UK town of culture competition and the benefits it can bring to our communities. It will be a pleasure to speak about my towns and my hope that they will consider a submission, but it has also been wonderful to hear about other towns, and the real pride in our local places. This will be a hotly contested competition—not just in this room, but in my constituency. I have four towns, but I will talk about the largest, Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. They are separated by just six miles and have an amazing opportunity to go forward as a UK town of culture. They are both located in the heart of the national forest.

    UK TOWN OF CULTURE · 2026-01-07 · READ IN HANSARD

  44. I had the opportunity to meet a dairy farmer in my constituency, who explained just how financially challenging things have been. They have diversified, they have a farm shop and they do raw milk vending, but it is simply not enough for them to make a profit on other activities to subsidise their milk production. Will the Minister outline how dairy farmers, who are critical to a vibrant food and drink sector, will be supported in the long term?

    SUPPORT FOR DAIRY FARMERS · 2025-12-18 · READ IN HANSARD

  45. May I take this opportunity to wish you a merry Christmas, Madam Deputy Speaker? It was a pleasure to join Ingles FC, a non-league club in North West Leicestershire, as it hosted the Premier League trophy last weekend. The Premier League has supported the club with a grant of £45,000 to install LED floodlights, as well as previously supporting a defibrillator. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking the Premier League for all the work it does to support grassroots football, as well as the volunteers at Ingles FC who keep the local club running week in, week out?

    BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE · 2025-12-18 · READ IN HANSARD

  46. We also have the opportunity brought by Bardon quarry leasing a private line that connects to the Ivanhoe line, which could potentially be reopened to passengers in the future. In the long term, we need to look at the balance between the resilience that hardcore material provides us and the impact that quarries have on local people. Being good neighbours should be the focus of managing planning going forward.

    QUARRIES: PLANNING POLICY · 2025-12-16 · READ IN HANSARD

  47. These pollutants can cause residents concern, for in addition to the associated dust and the smells generated from this type of heavy industry, nitrogen dioxide levels have been exceeded 216 times on the monitoring site. We need a new planning system, but we must also be able to deal with the impact of existing quarries. I would welcome the Minister’s response on how we deal with that going forward. I do, however, want to give people some faith that quarries can be good neighbours. Whitwick quarry has an understanding with local residents. When there are flood alerts, the quarry will stop pumping water into the local brook. The operators send out text alerts when there are going to be blasts and explosions, and they wash the wheels of the lorries down before they leave the site to minimise the dust dragged on to the street.

    QUARRIES: PLANNING POLICY · 2025-12-16 · READ IN HANSARD

  48. The lack of a response from authorities is frustrating. There appears to be little redress when issues arise, leaving residents worried when new proposals are put forward. On particulates and air pollution, North West Leicestershire district council’s latest air quality report covers data from 2022. It specifically mentions high levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates of PM2.5 near to Bardon quarry. As a former health scrutiny member of Leicestershire county council, I know that this type of pollution is much higher near our quarries in Leicestershire. We must therefore consider the impact on local people when we go through the planning process.

    QUARRIES: PLANNING POLICY · 2025-12-16 · READ IN HANSARD

  49. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa) for securing this debate. It goes without saying that quarries are integral to our infrastructure. My constituency is home to many quarries, and I have been able to visit Bardon Hill, Cloud Hill and Breedon on the Hill. Quarries can be difficult for residents, whether that is navigating the planning process or dealing with issues once they are opened. Lorry queuing dominates my casework at the moment. Since becoming the MP for North West Leicestershire, I have been contacted repeatedly by constituents about huge queues of lorries, sparking safety concerns. Earlier this month, a constituent shared that lorries have been parking on the island of a main road into Coalville, as well as on local pavements.

    QUARRIES: PLANNING POLICY · 2025-12-16 · READ IN HANSARD

  50. Looking at those algorithms is a really important part of the Online Safety Act. When I was a county councillor looking at public health, I did a piece of work on disordered eating, and I was bombarded with content. I am not a vulnerable young person or a vulnerable adult, but my real fear is that that information is seen by people who are not as capable of managing that content. Does my hon. Friend agree that algorithm work is a key part of the Online Safety Act?

    ONLINE SAFETY ACT 2023: REPEAL · 2025-12-15 · READ IN HANSARD