Anna Dixon
MP for Shipley · Labour · United Kingdom
“I commend the organisers of the national emergency briefing, which I attended last year, as well as the local organisers of the people’s emergency briefing in Shipley. The climate and nature crisis is an emergency.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. She has spoken about some of the impacts of this issue. My 80-odd-year-old mum was recently admitted to Airedale hospital with acute respiratory issues. She had to wait in a chair for over 12 hours, alongside my dad, in a very undignified way. Does my hon.”
“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that it is not about fixing the problem at the front door; it is about fixing the problem at the back door. Does she agree that closer integration of health and social care is part of the answer to enable that flow through hospitals out into the community?”
“I commend the hon. Gentleman for speaking so clearly about why having an independent HSSIB—independent of those providers—to investigate is so important. Time and again, we hear about devastating failings in the NHS. He alludes to maternity services, but we could add to the list infected blood and pelvic mesh.”
“I thank my hon. Friend and her Committee for the excellent work that they have done in preparation for this Bill. Pensioners who bought retirement flats in Aire Valley Court and Sutton Court in my constituency were hoping for peace of mind; instead, they have had rocketing service charges, poor maintenance and a lack of communication and…”
“I was moved to hear about Jo Cox’s life and the impact of her work on women globally in last week’s debate. She was a strong advocate for women’s rights and overseas development aid.”
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“The Leeds and Liverpool canal runs through my constituency of Shipley, and on it is the very famous Bingley Five Rise locks. Because of water scarcity, that lock, and passage through it, has been shut for some time. Does the hon. Member agree with me that as part of managing our water system, it is essential that we keep our canals moving?”
“As the hon. Gentleman may know, the chief exec of Yorkshire Water, while publicly not taking her bonus, took quite a large sum of money from the Kelda Holdings company. Given that lack of transparency at Yorkshire Water, does the hon. Gentleman agree that companies such as Kelda Holdings should not be involved in water, leveraging debt and handing out large secret bonuses to their chief execs?”
“The hon. Gentleman—sorry. As he said, Yorkshire has also experienced water shortages. From July this year, we have had a hosepipe ban and reservoirs remain at critically low levels, given what we should expect this season. It was at about 31% of capacity in September. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that Yorkshire Water, like some of the others he mentioned, has failed to invest in the necessary infrastructure to deal with the impact of climate change, as well as rising demand?”
“As neighbouring MPs, the hon. Gentleman and I have a shared interest in Yorkshire Water’s performance. As he set out, this is not a recent problem; it has been going on for decades. Given his previous role in the last Government, would he take some responsibility for the consequences of the lack of funding for the infrastructure of our water system?”
“I commend the Minister for all she has done so far to address the problems in the water sector, and look forward to the forthcoming water White Paper. I realise she cannot give away too much, but I urge her to look again at some of the recommendations of the People’s Commission on the Water Sector, particularly the idea of a SAGE for water—having an expert advisory panel—and stronger democratic oversight, particularly of catchments. I urge her to look at those ideas again before she finalises her paper.”
“I recommend that the incoming chair, Baroness Longfield, looks at some of what the West Yorkshire police are doing. Since 2016, Operation Dalesway has convicted many defendants, resulting in over 2,000 years of imprisonment. The third thing they asked for was ongoing engagement, so I would like to invite Baroness Longfield to come and listen to the victims and survivors in Bradford and West Yorkshire.”
“I commend the Home Secretary for the tone in which she has approached this very sensitive subject. I met victims and survivors in West Yorkshire, including representatives of the Bradford survivor leadership group, brought together by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and the deputy mayor and police and crime commissioner Alison Lowe. The victims and survivors told the gathered group of MPs that they wanted action. They were very clear that they wanted to ensure the implementation of the findings of past inquiries, and I am glad that this Government have wasted no time in implementing the findings of the Jay review and, as the Home Secretary has confirmed today, the other recommendations in Baroness Casey’s national audit. Secondly, victims and survivors want us to learn from good practice.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. As he well knows, over the last decade, around 185,000 unpaid family carers have been pursued by the Department for Work and Pensions to return overpayments in their carer’s allowance. Through no fault of their own, many working carers have faced bills that have often run into thousands of pounds. It is incredibly positive that, after years of inaction from the Tories, this Government have acted. Does the Minister share my hope that trust might now be rebuilt between the state and the near 6 million unpaid family carers in this country?”
“On Friday, I met senior detectives in Bradford who investigate and bring prosecutions for historical cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse, including group-based abuse. They do all they can to support victims to get justice—in fact, West Yorkshire police were commended by Baroness Casey for its work—but it was clear to me that court delays add to the trauma experienced by victims and survivors who bravely come forward. That is true for those I have spoken to. How will these reforms speed up justice for victims of rape, serious sexual offences and vile grooming gangs?”
“Children across my Shipley constituency see at first hand the impact of child poverty in their schools and communities. I recently visited the Shipley school uniform hub, run by the Salvation Army, which provides pre-loved uniforms to families who can barely afford the essentials. I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the publication of the child poverty strategy. It is bold and morally right, addressing both the causes and consequences of child poverty. Does she agree with me that delivering on this strategy will not only require action across Government, but working in partnership with communities, in particular faith communities?”
“Q13. This week I met my constituents, Mike and Sue. Their autistic son Jimmy was imprisoned as a young man. The judge recommended a sentence of two and a half years. Jimmy is now in his 40s. He has been in prison for nearly 20 years on an indeterminate sentence for public protection. His doctors say that he is safe and well for discharge, and a supported living flat is waiting for him in Shipley. Will the Prime Minister please help by ending the injustice of these IPP sentences and help to get Jimmy home?”
“Last week, I went to Shipley college in my constituency and met some of the students. They asked what the Labour Government were going to do to provide them with training and employment opportunities. Does my hon. Friend agree that giving free training to SMEs to take on apprentices will help to deliver better opportunities for our young people?”
“I represent a constituency on the other side of the Pennines. Does my hon. Friend agree that this investment in transport in the north, linking across the Pennines to great cities like Leeds and Bradford and delivering on Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, including a station in Bradford, is necessary?”
“My hon. Friend speaks with passion about child poverty. The fact that we have so many children in poverty is clearly a legacy of Tory economic mismanagement. Does my hon. Friend agree that the removal of the two-child benefit cap is a victory for compassion, justice and evidence-based policymaking?”
“In addition, I particularly welcome today’s Budget announcement by the Chancellor to scrap the disastrous Tory energy company obligation scheme, which cost more than £1 billion per year and cost many families more money than it saved. All of this will bring down energy bills for the average household by £150 from next April, reducing the cost of living and lifting more people out of fuel poverty. However, there is an urgent need to upgrade our homes. The UK’s housing stock is among the least energy efficient in Europe. According to research by Imperial College London, homes in the UK lose heat up to three times faster than homes in the rest of Europe. Perhaps that is not surprising, given that almost a quarter of properties in Great Britain with cavity walls have no cavity wall insulation.”
“I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of home insulation on energy bills. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. Across the country, 12 million households are in fuel poverty, with almost 5 million of them spending over 20% of their income on energy. Like many other people across the country, my constituents in Shipley face a cost of living crisis, and energy bills are a huge part of that crisis. Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes is a crucial way in which we can reduce bills, yet the rate of home insulation installations declined under the previous Government. I am pleased that this Labour Government have taken positive steps to reverse that decline with the warm homes plan.”
“However, energy companies must also act to support those people who have large unpaid debts, by bringing in programmes such as social tariffs and other forms of fair pricing to help those living in fuel poverty. Poor-quality housing not only harms people’s finances; it also has a severe impact on their health.”
“As a result of the extortionate cost of energy, the unnecessary additional high usage due to poor insulation and the flatlining of living standards under the previous Government, energy debt is soaring. Millions of households across the UK now have a combined energy debt of over £4 billion. To help people to deal with this situation, fantastic organisations such as Christians Against Poverty work to tackle poverty. In Shipley, CAP provides a debt advice service. Across the country, this service has helped more than 20,000 people to become debt-free since 2010. We also have local food banks that offer fuel vouchers to those on pre-payment meters who cannot afford top-ups.”
“It is vital that people in all types of tenure and even low-income households—indeed, everybody—can access modifications that could save them money on their bills. Poor-quality housing particularly traps households in fuel poverty, because people need to spend a fortune to keep warm. Data from Friends of the Earth shows that there are 17 energy crisis hotspots in my own constituency. These are neighbourhoods that have below-average household income but above-average energy bills. In Shipley, we also have a higher than average proportion of homes that are non-decent, which means they do not meet the standards for a warm and dry home. Indeed, 64% of homes in Shipley have an energy performance certificate rating of D or below.”
“I pay tribute to the charity Groundwork, which provides a “warm homes healthy people” scheme across the Bradford district, including in my Shipley constituency. It installs energy efficient measures, including insulation, and offers support and advice on energy bills.”
“The cost of poor quality housing is colossal; it affects the health and wealth of individuals and the prosperity of the country, and it exacerbates existing inequalities. There are also inequalities between north and south. In the north of England 41% of homes were built before 1944, 1.47 million homes are considered non-decent and £1 in almost every £4 spent on household heating is being lost due to poor insulation. The cost to the NHS of those non-decent housing conditions is estimated at £588 million per year, in addition to the societal cost of £7.77 billion, according to the Northern Health Science Alliance. In response to this crisis we see really strong, innovative local efforts.”
“One that is relevant to today’s debate is the suggestion that older homeowners could receive loan guarantees for improvements through the national wealth fund. That would reduce the cost of borrowing for those who want to use it to pay for improvements, as well as crowding in private investment. There are significant inequalities. According to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, 3.2 million of those in fuel poverty are pensioner households, with 964,000 pensioner households in deep fuel poverty. People on low incomes are also at greater risk of fuel poverty, as are renters and households with children, as my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Rusholme (Afzal Khan) mentioned.”
“My hon. Friend makes the point very well, and I absolutely agree that poor housing is part of a public health emergency. Young and old alike suffer from cold and damp homes. At the extreme, cold homes kill. It has been estimated that they contributed to 5,000 excess winter deaths among older people in 2022-23. For me, that figure is shocking and unacceptable. Poor-quality housing affects people differently. The Centre for Ageing Better and the Fabian Society recently published research showing that as many as 80% of owner-occupiers aged over 55 live in poor-quality homes. I probably should have drawn attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Interests in that I am co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on housing and care for older people. I support the proposals put forward in the “Forward Planning” report.”
“I greatly welcome the Government’s warm homes plan, a £13.2 billion commitment designed to improve home energy efficiency, tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.”
“Given the clear evidence of harm caused by poor-quality housing, it is concerning that under the previous Government, we saw measures under the energy efficiency obligation plummet from around 80,000 per month in early 2014 to less than 20,000 from mid-2016 to 2020. The Conservatives significantly reduced the rate of energy efficiency installations. Meanwhile, energy bills rocketed. Between 2020 and 2024, UK-based energy companies made a profit of £420 billion. I am proud that Labour not only proposed imposing a windfall tax on oil and gas companies in opposition, but increased it when in Government in 2024. We should adopt the polluter pays principle and ensure that we continue to tax excess profits.”
“Based on that, the team developed bespoke, heritage-sensitive guidance for upgrading listed homes that were originally built in the 1850s and 1860s, and which are some of the most challenging properties to retrofit. The blueprint and toolkit that it has produced removes both time and cost involved for individual homes to get surveys, and provides confidence that they will get planning permission to retrofit their listed homes. Its work is inspiring and supports our national goals to reduce energy and achieve net zero. I invite the Minister to visit Shipley and Saltaire and see at first hand the great work that it is undertaking—it is a national exemplar of heritage retrofit for homes.”
“I commend the work of local organisations such as Beat the Cold and the charity Groundwork. I also hope that the Minister will say how he can help support those efforts locally. Another local project that I would like to pay tribute to is Saltaire Retrofit Reimagined. It is a community-led home retrofit initiative supported by the UK shared prosperity fund, as well as the Footwork Trust and the Shipley area committee. It has focused on improving heating and energy efficiency in our beautiful listed heritage properties within the Saltaire world heritage site. The project engaged with homeowners, tenants and landlords to understand their perspectives on what effective energy and insulation retrofit should look like.”
“It leads to higher energy bills, higher personal debt and higher levels of destitution. It also leads to increased health problems and increased excess deaths. Home insulation is a critical tool to mitigate those issues, and I am incredibly proud of the work that the Labour Government have begun to do, from the warm homes plan to establishing Great British Energy. In the run-up to last year’s general election, colleagues and I pledged that voting for a Labour Government would lead to a reduction in household energy bills. I am confident that, with the Chancellor’s announcement today in the Budget, we are going to deliver that; I would like to hear from the Minister about how ensuring that our homes are properly insulated is perhaps the best way to deliver that pledge.”
“It is utterly shocking. At the hearing, we pushed Government officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem, the regulator, on how they would fix the problems and ensure that faulty work was put right, without its costing my constituents. Can the Minister please confirm what the Government are doing to address the issue of faulty insulation installations? How will they restore faith in schemes designed to insulate homes, as well as other energy-saving measures? It is vital that the Government rectify the mistakes of the disastrous ECO4 scheme and, more broadly, restore trust in Government-backed insulation schemes. To conclude, poor-quality housing is a huge problem for my constituents in the villages and towns across the Shipley constituency, and for people up and down the country.”
“This meant that, when the cases were lost, the construction companies’ insurers counter-sued for their legal costs, which led to the collapse of SSB Law, whose insurers would not pay out. In response, the construction companies’ insurers directly sued the people who engaged SSB Law. Not only were my constituents let down by shoddy workmanship done under these eco-schemes; they were then chased for large sums of money by disreputable law firms and insurers. I am a member of the Public Accounts Committee; we held a hearing on the last Government’s ECO4 scheme that was frankly jaw-dropping. Some 98% of external wall insulation done under that scheme was faulty, and oversight outsourced to the private sector meant that companies got away with shoddy work and left people, including my constituents, in damp and mouldy homes.”
“Recently, I have been contacted by two constituents who had cavity wall insulation fitted under the Government ECO4 scheme. The work was faulty and caused serious damage to the properties. My constituents then hired the solicitors firm SSB Law, which had gone door to door to look for business in particular areas of the country where problems with faulty cavity wall insulation were discovered. This law firm operated on a no win, no fee basis and took the construction firms’ insurers to court on behalf of the individuals. The firm went ahead with the cases, often without the likelihood of winning, and did not have the appropriate litigation insurance for when it lost.”
“Upgrading our homes not only puts money in people’s pockets but helps us tackle what is perhaps the biggest challenge of our age: climate change. According to the Northern Health Science Alliance, if all homes had an EPC standard of C or higher, emissions could be reduced by an estimated 97 million tonnes of CO2. It is deeply concerning to see the political consensus around climate change fracture, and both the Tories and Reform jumping on board with Trump and climate sceptics, against all scientific evidence and sense. I welcome this Government taking climate action seriously. Labour’s clean power mission is right for both people and planet. It is the long-term solution to tackling energy insecurity. It is vital, however, that the public can trust any support they receive to install energy efficient measures in their home.”
“I absolutely agree that home insulation is essential in tackling not only rising energy bills but climate change. I hope the Minister will confirm the Government’s ambition to upgrade 5 million homes by the end of the current Parliament; it is a fantastic goal that will reduce energy bills. We are also expanding the warm homes discount. I was pleased to see that 2.7 million families across the country will get £150 off their energy bills this winter, doubling the number of people able to access vital support. Around 900,000 families with children, and a total of 1.8 million households in fuel poverty, will receive extra support thanks to this Government, in addition to the winter fuel allowance being reinstated for those with incomes up to £35,000.”
“I thank the Minister for the reassurance that householders affected by faulty work will be getting an audit and that there will be remedies. Can he confirm when those letters will be going out, if they have not already, and whether they will be from Ofgem?”
“We care enough not only to say, “We see you and we thank you”, but to take action and provide meaningful support so that they can care as an act of love and not of necessity and give without suffering consequences themselves. This Carers Rights Day, I urge the Government to commit to tackling the inequalities that affect millions of carers across the UK, without whom many of us would not be able to live a full and happy life or be surrounded by love as we reach the end of our lives.”
“I hope that the Minister can tell us more about the activities of the inter-ministerial group on carers, which I believe is now up and running again. However, there is more to do. As part of the independent commission into social care, led by Louise Casey, I would like to see a more ambitious new deal for carers—one fit for the 21st century that recognises the enormous contribution that millions of people make each day by providing the unpaid care that their family and friends need. I would like to hear how the Minister will ensure that the NHS, local authorities, social care providers, employers and the benefit system will work together to deliver a bolder package of support for unpaid carers. Let us show the millions of unpaid carers that we care about their health, financial wellbeing and ability to work.”
“Closing the carer’s employment gap will ensure that carers are better off and provide a huge boost to economic productivity. I hope that I have made it clear that unpaid carers face inequalities in health, wealth and work, sometimes with devastating consequences. Carers need more support. I am proud of what the Government are already doing for carers: the rise in the carer’s allowance earning limit in last year’s Budget, setting up the independent review into carer’s allowance to hopefully right that past wrong, and the Employment Rights Bill, with its increased rights to flexibility and enhanced rights to sick pay. As I have just said, I welcome the announcement of the review of unpaid carer’s leave.”
“I hope that one of the practical things that comes out of that review is a new statutory right to five days of paid carer’s leave a year to support more people balancing employment and unpaid care to remain in work. In the meantime, I urge the Government to work with employers to maximise take-up of the existing right to unpaid carer’s leave and to continue to promote good practice with regard to supporting carers in employment. The door must be kept open for the carers who leave work to care full-time to return to work. Caring responsibilities are the second leading cause of economic inactivity among the over-50s. As the Government deliver their reform in the “Get Britain Working” White Paper, they must ensure that tailored employment support for carers is available through jobcentres.”
“I’m grateful that TSB supports me with flexible solutions to help me find balance between work and caring for my lovely mum.” Not only do carers benefit from this policy, but TSB does. It says that the policy has had a positive impact on its bottom line and on retaining staff who have caring responsibilities in the workplace. I want to turn to some of the things being done to support workers. I was pleased to speak with the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection, my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Kate Dearden), about the barriers that low-paid workers face in taking unpaid leave. I welcome the fact that the Government yesterday published the terms of reference for their review of carer’s leave.”
“A statutory entitlement of five days’ unpaid care leave was secured through the Carer’s Leave Act 2023, for which I give credit to my colleague, the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain). Some employers already go further, such as TSB, a member of Employers for Carers, which is now a network of over 200 organisations. TSB provides its employees with up to 70 hours of paid leave each year. One in 10 employees with caring responsibilities has taken advantage of that. Employees who are carers know that they can take that time off if they need to and have the confidence to stay on in work. Katie, one of the TSB employees who is a carer, said: “I know of carers who don’t have policies in place at their workplaces and are faced with the additional stress of considering unpaid leave.”
“She has talked about the difference that the support she received at work made to her when her husband had a stroke, and her and her family’s lives were turned upside down. She is now a carers champion in the workplace, supporting others in a similar situation. Her bosses at HSBC recognise that that was not just a kind thing to do; it also made business sense, as part of a strategy to retain talent and enable people to perform at their best. It was great to see the “Keep Britain Working” review, the so-called Charlie Mayfield review, recognise the significant impact that providing unpaid care can have on employees’ health, wellbeing and ability to remain in work. I hope that the Minister can assure me that the Government will take it forward.”
“I will touch briefly on work, which is the third main area of inequality for carers. Unpaid carers encounter significant barriers in the workplace. It is estimated that 5 million people juggle work and care in the UK, which equates to one in seven people in every workplace. Balancing work and care can be stressful, so it is perhaps not surprising that one in six carers give up work or reduce their working hours so they can care for others. For a former headteacher who was a carer for his wife, the support from his employer was crucial. He said that “without the support I received from my employer, it would have meant finishing work. The immediate financial situation of losing both our incomes would have been devastating.” Earlier, I mentioned Anna, who works for HSBC.”
“I also hope that those recommendations will include writing off overpayment debts, clear, transparent and accurate information about earnings rules, and a less complicated system for claimants in the future. I was really pleased to see that the Minister for Social Security and Disability, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Sir Stephen Timms), delivered on the commitment he gave me during a debate on the Universal Credit Bill: that carers will be represented in the review of the personal independent payments working group. Given that PIP is a gateway benefit to carer’s allowance, carers must have a voice in shaping the proposals to reform it. It is vital that we value the contribution of unpaid carers and ensure that their own financial security is not jeopardised by their decision to care.”
“Moreover, my understanding is that those carers in receipt of a state pension do not receive additional financial support as a carer, despite their having additional costs. Sadly, many carers who have been juggling work and care have fallen foul of complicated benefit rules about the earnings limit, and they have built up debts due to overpayments by the DWP. I hope that the Minister will be able to provide reassurances today that the independent review into carer’s allowance overpayments, led by Liz Sayce, will be published soon, together with the Government’s response to it. I hope that the Government say in their response that they will implement swiftly and in full the recommendations of the report.”
“According to Carers UK’s “State of Caring 2025” report, published today, 1.2 million unpaid carers across the UK live in poverty—400,000 in deep poverty—and four in 10 carers do not know what benefits they are entitled to. About six in 10 unpaid carers provide a staggering 50 hours or more of care per week, so they often have to give up work and rely on benefits to make ends meet. Research also suggests that the employment gap between working-age carers and non-carers was 13%. In the words of one woman who gave up her career to become a full-time carer, “My finances are shot to pieces…and there’s no end in sight.” We know that carer’s allowance is a very important benefit. However, it is too low—just £83.30 per week if someone provides at least 35 hours of care a week.”
“First, it is vital that the NHS identifies carers and helps them to access healthcare for themselves as well as for their loved ones. I hope that the NHS, through the delivery of its 10-year plan, takes the opportunity to transform how it interacts with unpaid carers. Improvements could include: better data linkage with the Department for Work and Pensions to identify carers; using digital technology and remote consultations to make it easier to access healthcare from home; investing in a programme to improve carers’ mental health; and preventing carer burnout and breakdown by funding short-term breaks for carers. Unpaid carers also face significant financial inequalities.”
“Unpaid carers face significant health inequalities as a result of the mental and physical toll of providing care. They are more likely than non-carers to have experienced a long-term physical or mental health condition, disability or illness. In addition to caring often being physically and emotionally demanding, carers also find it more difficult than most people to access care for themselves. In the words of one woman who is a long-term carer for her parents: “It was great seeing Dad improve, but it came at the expense of my own physical health and emotional stress…We always put ourselves right at the bottom when it comes to our own needs.” All these issues are not only harmful to individual carers; they also put a strain on the NHS. What can be done?”
“They include Ruth, a parent carer whose child has special educational needs; Nussrat, who cares for her mum with dementia; Michael, who cared for his wife with Parkinson’s until she died and well into his own old age; Ann, in her 70s and caring for her adult son with learning disabilities; and Farzana, a young carer who cared for her mum throughout her time at school, but was recognised as a carer only when she got to university. Sadly, there is often a cost to caring. Unpaid carers face inequalities in their health and finances, and often also additional barriers to work. I will briefly set out some of those inequalities and what I hope the Minister will say about how the Government will address them, because they need to. I will take health inequalities first.”
“According to Carers UK, the average person has a 50-50 chance of caring for a family member or friend by the age of 50. Indeed, almost half the UK population have provided unpaid care at some point in their lives. Yet many people do not identify as carers. They see it as part of being a parent, wife or daughter—as looking after someone or helping out a loved one. I have met carers at every age and stage of life and from all cultures and races.”
“My mum did my grandma’s shopping and banking and took her to the doctor’s, to church and on days out. Thankfully, there were others who helped out; they brought meals, played Scrabble and kept her company. Thanks to the care and support that she received, my grandmother Freda lived a full and fulfilling life. I have seen at first hand the incredible work that unpaid carers do, often unnoticed and at great cost to themselves. Carers are often invisible, unheard and unappreciated. I pay tribute to the 5.8 million carers in the UK. I hope that, through this debate, we can let the millions of unpaid family carers up and down the country know this: we recognise you and we are grateful for all you do. This matters to us all. At some time in our lives, we will need either to provide care or to be cared for.”