Sally Jameson
MP for Doncaster Central · Labour (Co-op) · United Kingdom
“I present this petition about repairs and refurbishment at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. People in Doncaster deserve a hospital that is fit for the future and the needs of the growing population.”
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and work with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to prioritise the delivery of repairs and refurbishment at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. And the petitioners remain, etc.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I declare that I am also a member of the APPG on racing and bloodstock. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on the future of horseracing. Few places understand the cultural and economic impact of that industry better than Doncaster.”
“I hope everyone, including the Minister, will be able to join us this September. Local success reflects the importance of the industry nationally. Horseracing contributes more than £4.1 billion to the UK economy, supports 85,000 jobs and remains the country’s second largest spectator sport.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for his important contribution on an issue that I know is really salient in his constituency. I also want to raise a growing concern about the black market and the unintended consequences that regulation can create. There is clear evidence that illegal betting activity has increased significantly in recent years.”
“I therefore welcome the Government’s recognition of the challenge, which includes investment to tackle illegal gambling and the creation of a dedicated taskforce. That action is essential to ensure that customers remain in the legal betting market. I hope the Government will do more work in that area in the future.”
The complete record
Every one of 218 lines we hold for Sally Jameson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.
“I completely agree. Whether they will be found innocent or guilty, people are entitled to their day in court, and within a reasonable amount of time, as are the victims who need to have their cases heard. Frankly, that also allows prisons to get on with the important work of punishing those who are guilty and focusing on rehabilitation. I want to take the opportunity of this Bill to push for a further reform of courts policy—I know the Minister is aware of this issue. I understand the reasons it is not in the Bill, but there was a particular case in my constituency. Somebody arrived for their day in court and ready for their trial, but because one of the jurors went sick, the judge decided it would not go ahead, even though the minimum number of jurors was available.”
“We can modernise the system so that justice is delivered swiftly, fairly and for everyone, and that is what I choose today.”
“Yes, as someone who was regularly held back from going on my dinner break because we were waiting for prisoner transportation, I would always welcome further improvement of prisoner transportation. I am all for that. To close, we are not the first Government to change the threshold for jury trials, and because of the scale of the crisis we face, the circumstances demand that we must do so again. I am backing this whole package of reforms, because I know from my constituents that they want a courts system that delivers timely justice, supports victims and, frankly, allows them to move on with their lives. The alternative—and I think it is important that we explore the alternative—is that we manage the slow decline of our courts and watch victims walk away and public confidence drain away.”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that the reopening of Doncaster airport is not only critical so that we are part of the sustainable aviation future, but to create the high-skill, high-wage jobs in the green economy that young people in Doncaster deserve?”
“The fact that it was given another contract is deeply worrying. Will the Minister confirm that Capita will not be allowed to bid for any future Government contracts, at the very least until this issue is resolved and the taxpayer has been compensated for what it has had to pay for to date? As far as I am concerned, this kind of thing should be brought back in house, so I am also interested to know what work is being done to see whether that is possible.”
“I appreciate that it was taken by the previous Government, and that the Minister cannot answer for that, but what official advice was given to Ministers in the previous Government about the contract? In particular, what advice was given about break clauses? This is abject failure and we should be able to get out of the contract. What were officials in the Department advising Ministers about that? I am afraid to say that this level of failure requires accountability, and people who were involved in the procurement should never be involved in procurement for a Government contract again. We need to know who they are and what price they are going to pay, because, yet again, taxpayers are footing the bill for failure, and it is totally unacceptable. This was not Capita’s first rodeo; it has been on the failure train many times before.”
“I am sure that Capita is full of excuses, saying “We had a terrible inheritance, because MyCSP did x, y and z”, and that is true, but Capita has huge resources of people and money, and it should have known what it was letting itself in for. It should have known how bad MyCSP was and how bad the backlog was, and if it could not do the job, it should not have taken on the contract. I have constituents like Billy, who was considering taking partial retirement but now does not want to because he does not know if he is going to get his money. He is scared, and he is denying himself time away from work and partial retirement because of how appalling Capita is. Will the Minister tell us what review will be done of the mismanagement of the contract, but also of how the was decision taken?”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which declares my various union memberships. Many Members have made very valid points, and I will try not to echo them. To follow on from what my hon. Friend the Member for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody) said about MyCSP, I know from personal experience and the experience of my colleagues in the Prison Service that it was absolutely appalling—and, just when we thought its incompetence could not get any worse, it managed to surpass itself. I do not think any of us shed a tear when it had the contract taken away.”
“Having rushed them in the last year and literally left prisons at the point of collapse, the Conservatives have no jurisdiction to talk on this matter in the House today. [ Interruption. ] I thank the Minister for his statement and ask whether he will meet me to discuss what more can be done to increase safety for staff in our prisons. I welcome the decision to introduce PAVA into the youth estate—another decision that was delayed by the Conservative party. I also ask him to look at the national care leavers strategy, because they are grossly overrepresented in our prison system. If we are to reduce the population, we need to look at that in the next 12 months.”
“I remind Members of my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I am a member of the POA. I want to back up what the Minister said in retaliation to the shadow Justice Minister. Prison can indeed work, but words alone are not enough, and when a party is in office, it has to back them up with action and actually run the prison estate properly. I cannot convey in words just how dangerous the overcrowding got leading up to July 2024. I, for one, will never forget it, as I have said in this House many times. I think it is pretty brazen to come to this Chamber now and claim that all these places were a result of decisions taken in the Conservatives’ last year in office. [ Interruption. ] Those decisions should have been taken a decade before.”
“I am pleased that the Government are sticking to their pledge on reducing energy bills, as the Minister rightly points out, with an average of £150 coming off annual bills this April. Does he agree that that is a good start, but that we must continue to work across Departments to ensure that we make further progress on the cost of living in this Parliament?”
“Although the Bill may have been born out of necessity—and, frankly, emergency—at the start of this Government’s time in office, I am proud that it is a Labour Government who are introducing the reform that our justice system has long needed. I am proud to support the Government amendments today.”
“When I was a prison officer, I found it incredibly frustrating how little acknowledgment was given by wider society to the serious assaults and injuries that staff often had to suffer. I will take this issue up with the Minister another time, as I know it does not relate directly to the amendments, but I do think it is important that there is public recognition of how dangerous the job can be, including for probation officers. I pay tribute to Lenny Scott’s family, who have worked tirelessly to advocate for this welcome change. I hope that every Member of Parliament from across the House will support those amendments, which send the clear message that this House backs our police, probation and prison staff, given the particular dangers they face, and that we support them today and every day.”
“It is not that we are not being tough on crime—in fact, it is quite the opposite, because as the Minister has laid out, there will be more people in prison at the end of this Parliament than ever before—but, as has been outlined today, anyone who thinks we can simply build our way out of this crisis is not living in the real world and is not serious about public policy. It is welcome that we are deporting more foreign national offenders and bearing down on the court backlog to reduce remand prisoners. All of that is necessary but not sufficient, which is why this Bill is very welcome. I want to speak specifically about amendments 1 and 14 and the broadening of whole-life orders.”
“Our prisons were brought to the point of crisis; frankly, they only survived until the 2024 general election because, on the quiet, the last Government released 10,000 offenders early, completely undermining public confidence in our justice system. [ Interruption. ] Well, it’s true. The shadow Justice Minister, the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Dr Mullan), is shaking his head. I was working in the Prison Service—I know what went down. I know exactly what happened. While the Bill was born out of necessity, it includes absolutely transformational reforms that Governments of all colours should have introduced in years past.”
“I am pleased that the Bill will deliver long-term and sustainable reform to our criminal justice system and make sure that we never again end up in the position where dangerous offenders are not being locked up, the police do not have the capacity to make arrests and courts are not able to hold trials. It was a breakdown in law and order like nothing we have seen in modern times, because the last Government increased sentence lengths without reckoning with the consequences of doing so, adding just 500 places during their time in office. That was a dereliction of duty beyond comprehension and something that must not be forgotten in the context of this Bill.”
“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I wish to apologise for inadvertently making an error. At the start of my speech on the Sentencing Bill, I forgot to declare that I remain a member of the Prison Officers Association, following my time in the Prison Service. I hope that the record can be corrected.”
“Audiology services in Doncaster have faced huge problems for some time, and while the trust is working hard to improve the service, it is unacceptable that some of my constituents have been waiting years for basic hearing tests, and to have their hearing aid needs met. I pay tribute to Maggie and Paul from the Audiology Action Group, who have done a huge amount of work to raise this issue. Does the Leader of the House agree that this service is unacceptable for my constituents, and will he perhaps make time for a debate in this House to raise awareness of how important audiology is, both in Doncaster and across the country?”
“Junction 3 of the M18 in Doncaster is one of the biggest bottlenecks to growth in our region, so will the Minister meet me to discuss the possibility of its inclusion in the road investment strategy and how the Department can further support the mayoral combined authority and the council to make sure we get this sorted out?”
“Clean Power Hydrogen, a small business in my constituency, is a UK leader in the manufacturing of membrane-free electrolysers for green hydrogen production. It employs about 60 people in Doncaster, and it has the ability to expand that to hundreds by 2035. Will the Minister set out what he and his Department are doing to support companies such as Clean Power Hydrogen in Doncaster and across the country?”
“T6. I welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling the NEETs crisis in this country. Will the Secretary of State work on that with the Department for Education? Doncaster university technical college has been incredibly good at linking industry and education. I hope that, in the near future, the Government will agree to expand such work in my constituency and across the country.”
“I am pleased, if not a little surprised, to see how keen the Conservatives have been to talk about issues of criminal justice in recent weeks, considering they showed next to no interest when they were in government and I was working in the prison system. I believe that the last Government stated that they would bring the Crown court backlog back to 53,000 by March 2025. Can the Minister therefore outline what the backlog was when we took office in July 2024? That figure is incredibly important when we are looking at why we need to take the bold action that has been announced by the Government in the past week.”
“As the Minister outlined, Doncaster was badly let down under the previous Administration, when after much fanfare and promise we were left off the new hospital programme. Since then, the trust has been working on revised capital projects to keep it going in the interim period, including a much-needed rebuild of the east block. Will the Minister continue to work with me and the trust to deal with the critical state of DRI?”
“My constituents know the trouble the water industry is in. I have previously raised in this House the matter of bonuses of being given to Yorkshire Water executives in exchange for poor service. What will the Government do to fix the broken regulatory system so that the failures of the past do not happen again?”
“Q2. I, too, associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister.The Prime Minister will be aware of the campaign being run by the trustees of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme to return the £2.3 billion investment reserve back to its members, 700 of whom are in Doncaster Central. The Labour Government delivered on their manifesto pledge for the mineworkers’ pension scheme last year, so will the Prime Minister also ensure that fairness and justice are delivered to the BCSSS members at the upcoming Budget, and will he meet me and other coalfield MPs to discuss this matter further?”
“9. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of implementing a flat rate of remote betting and gaming duty on the horseracing industry.”
“In Doncaster we have historic links to the horseracing industry, and we know at first hand the economic value it brings to our community and the country. Will the Minister agree to meet the British Horseracing Authority to discuss the potential impact on harmonisation and the impact that an increase in betting duties will have on the viability of racecourses, jobs and levy payments that support horseracing and the wider sporting industry?”
“How can the defence sector make better use of underutilised MOD land and assets to contribute to innovative models of business such as the community energy projects that, alongside initiatives such as the South Yorkshire growth deal, can contribute to local SMEs and energy security?”
“The ages of 16 to 25 are a formative time in the lives of many young people, and care leavers should have the same opportunities to enjoy and explore this period; instead, many face a cliff edge of support and services.”
“Today marks the first sitting day of National Care Leavers Month, and what a way to begin. I am grateful for the opportunity to come to the Chamber and talk about the challenges facing young people once they have left children’s social care, and I very much hope that this month Members from across the House can join together in the spirit of raising awareness of these challenges and working together to bring forward solutions. I welcome the fact that the Minister was the chair and author of the independent review into children’s social care over three years ago. I know that he feels deeply about this area and I am sure he will bring a wealth of experience to his role on the Front Bench. The theme of National Care Leavers Month 2025 is “Rising as Me: Overcoming challenges, transforming, and finding your identity”.”
“I completely agree. As we move through this debate today, I think a theme that will shine through is the need to get rid of what is often a postcode lottery for care leavers. I want to recognise some of the good work that the Government have already done in this area. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill marks an important step forward in ensuring that support for care leavers endures beyond the age of 18. I welcome the requirement for local authorities to publish a full care offer for care leavers, which will offer clarity and direction. I know that there is already some good practice from my own council in Doncaster, with comprehensive offers of support, including the Staying Put and Staying Close initiatives.”
“I agree. I think it comes back to the fact that the offer is very different in different areas, and that is something we all want to address.”
“The recognising of care experience as a protected characteristic is due in no small part to the campaigning that young people like Fay, Caelan and Caitlin have led. It just goes to show that if these young people are given the opportunity to speak out, they will lead the way and show us what they need in order to thrive. It is pivotal that they are part of pushing the change we desperately need. While we have seen some major strides forward, we must recognise the journey still ahead. The state has some responsibilities for care-experienced children until they are 25, but for many, when they turn 18, the support and relationships that have been available to them up to that point are hugely reduced.”
“I do agree, and I am proud that my own council in Doncaster is one of those that has recognised care experience as a protected characteristic. The council also has a supported accommodation service, which includes a rent guarantee scheme and council tax reductions, and a care leaver guaranteed interview scheme. I also welcome the in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill the extension of the corporate parenting responsibility to all Government Departments to ensure a wider net of support and awareness when it comes to care leavers and the unique challenges they face. Earlier this year I attended the all-party parliamentary group for care-experienced children and young people—along with Minister before he was in his current role—where I met Fay, Caelan and Caitlin from Doncaster’s children in care council.”
“I do agree. Having a holistic approach that is the same across all local authorities is really important, especially because children in care often move around a lot and have to get used to new social workers, teams and support systems. We definitely need to move towards having one support package in place. According to the charity Become, nearly 4,000 children nationally either moved home or left care during their A-level exams in the academic year 2023-24, and 60 of those children were in my home city of Doncaster. Accounts that have been sent to me from care leavers in Doncaster show the stark reality of life after care. Young people report losing weight, becoming ill, feeling self-conscious when going to a food bank, and being unable to access regular or healthy meals because they cannot afford them.”
“Would a parent allow a child to go a week without washing their clothes? Would a reasonable parent allow their child to be homeless or not eat?” The answer to that is no.”
“I completely agree. Period poverty can often be overlooked when thinking about the whole system, but for young women in care and leaving care who cannot access those products, it can be debilitating to their ability to access all the other services that we are talking about. One care leaver in Doncaster said: “Even though I’m not homeless now and I’m safe and secure, it worries me that that will be the next step. It has happened before and it could happen again”. Another said: “I don’t think anyone who hasn’t experienced homelessness could understand how scared I was.” Many in temporary hotel accommodation and still under corporate parentship have to face the choice between affording food or washing their clothes. One said: “The government are my corporate parents, and they don’t act like it.”
“One young woman in that position shared how she was not ready emotionally or financially to live independently, but, thanks to Doncaster housing for Young People, she moved into supported lodgings where she could build life skills, continue her studies and focus on her wellbeing.”
“As a Government, and indeed as a Parliament, we cannot rest while that remains a reality for such a vulnerable group. Will the Minister work with the Prisons Minister in the other place to develop a national care leavers in custody policy, ensuring that support for young people—wherever they move to—is partnership based? I will take a little time to pay tribute to an organisation in my constituency that has been mentioned previously. Doncaster Housing for Young People, which I am a patron of, provides tailored housing support in the form of supported lodgings with host families as well as floating support to help sustain tenancies. The organisation has shared stories of those who have had to leave foster places when they turn 18.”
“In the context of wider Government spending on the population, the numbers are small, but I think everyone in the Chamber—that includes the Minister—knows that doing those things would make a huge difference to the most vulnerable group in our society, including the young people I have quoted and those on the minds of hon. Members in the Chamber. There are other areas in which care leavers are often disadvantaged; I have seen them myself. When I worked as a prison officer, I was a single point of contact for care leavers in my jail. I learned that, shockingly, it is estimated that 29% of the prison population are care leavers, and they also make up over 50% of the youth estate. Young care leavers are also 10 times more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence than young people who have not been in care.”
“Will the Minister work across Government Departments to increase the setting up home allowance, give priority to care leavers on housing lists in authorities where they have resided for over six months, reform universal credit so that care leavers are entitled to the over-25 weighting, and commit to work with the Department for Transport and regional mayors who have powers in the area to give free bus travel to care leavers up to the age of 25? While I am at it with the asks, can we also include free prescriptions for care leavers?”
“I agree; I will come later in my speech to a couple of local examples of supported lodgings, which, if applied nationwide, would have a transformative effect on the support that care leavers receive. These young people often do not have the benefit of family support to help them find accommodation, or with rent and security deposits. Because of that, they are incredibly vulnerable not just to homelessness but to a whole raft of predators who see an opportunity to exploit them.”
“We should all remember that, at the heart of this month, there is a group of young people who innately have the same hopes, aspirations and potential as any of their non-care-experienced peers. They deserve to be ambitious about their future, to realise their potential and to become the adults they want to be.”
“Other care leavers have shared how Doncaster Housing for Young People has helped them through linking them up with other agencies, and has offered support and help managing debts and finances. It is that holistic support that is so important to help young people leaving care maintain their confidence and transition into adult life. Doncaster Housing for Young People is one of many charities across the country that offer that tailored support; I thank them all for the work they do for young people. I of course invite the Minister to come to Doncaster to learn from Doncaster Housing for Young People, and to see for himself its incredible work. Before I finish, I would like to reflect again on this year’s theme for National Care Leavers Month: “Rising as Me: Overcoming challenges, transforming, and finding your identity”.”
“I agree completely. The young person that I was speaking about just before my hon. Friend’s intervention said that they were not ready for their own place but that the supported lodgings made them feel less stressed so that they could relax and get on with what they needed to do. It is quite hard for people who have not been in that situation to imagine what it must be like to be on their own with no support network, no family and often no friends in an area where they did not grow up. When they are out there on their own, those supported lodgings are a lifeline for a lot of young people. I am sure that, when the Minister replies, he will discuss whether we can spread that provision more widely.”
“I completely agree with my hon. Friend. I have not touched on this in my speech, but the number of people not in education, employment or training in the care leaver population is higher than the average. That is a fact that we need to take incredibly seriously, because those people deserve to have the same ambitions for their future as everyone else and to be able to realise their full potential. I am sorry to say that just is not happening at the minute, and it is the job of the Government to make sure it does.”
“They are not on all the election leaflets and do not feature in the polls, but if we in Parliament, regardless of politics, cannot protect and improve the outcomes for this most vulnerable group of young adults in our country, we have failed. The Government have the opportunity to let these young people rise as themselves and fulfil their ambitions, so let’s take it.”
“I agree. My hon. Friend’s anecdote and those from colleagues across the House show that there are many examples of good practice across councils and authorities around the country, but it is important to weave it all together to ensure that we have a national strategy and support package so that every care leaver knows what to expect and can access it. Because so many of them have experienced hardship and trauma in their young lives, they probably have—more than most—the drive, resilience and determination to overcome the obstacles ahead, but we need to recognise that the system is stacked against them. Support and policy in this area are often not what grab the headlines.”
“For British Beauty Week last week, I visited the award-winning Doncaster salon Beauty Lounge in Armthorpe. The British beauty industry is a massive success story for business. What will the Minister do in his new role to support the industry and salons across the country?”
“T2. I welcome the Government sanctioning two Russian oil majors around a fortnight ago, but does the Foreign Secretary agree that it is only by increasing the economic pressure on Putin that we will force him to the negotiating table and finally bring an end to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine?”