Sir Alan Campbell
MP for Tynemouth · Labour · United Kingdom
“I am grateful to her Committee and to her for her work on that Committee as well as more widely. I absolutely agree with her about the importance of protecting Members’ rights. The measures proposed today are about enhancing those rights. As she said, it is about modernising and maintaining integrity.”
“The case was referred to the Committee to consider whether, in seeking to prevent the flow of information to Parliament, the Charity Commission’s action constituted a contempt of this House. As the report outlines, the obstruction of provision of information to Parliament is wholly unacceptable.”
“I have a feeling, but it is no more than that. I obviously hope that these changes will be successful and that when the time comes the House will want to carry them forward. In that case, it would be right for us to review them before that. Finally, I turn to the comments of my hon.”
“(10) The chair of the committee shall resume that function either at the end of the period of leave or after giving at least five sitting days’ notice of their intention to return from a specified date.”
“May I thank all hon. Members for their contributions to the debate? I will briefly respond to them. I am eternally grateful to the Chair of the Privileges Committee, the hon.”
“119 (European Committees) be amended in respect of European Committee C, by leaving out: (a) “Business and Trade” and inserting “Business, Innovation, Science and Trade”; (b) “Culture, Media and Sport” and inserting “Digital, Culture, Media and Sport”; and (c) “Science, Innovation and Technology”. E.”
The complete record
Every one of 600 lines we hold for Sir Alan Campbell, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 12.
“I join my hon. Friend in sending condolences to all the families of those who have tragically died, including David. As part of the Beat the Heat campaign, the UK Health Security Agency promotes safer choices around where, when and how people swim. As my hon. Friend rightly points out, primary schools are required to provide mandatory swimming instructions. Primary school leavers should be able to swim 25 metres confidently; if there are reasons why that is not happening, I will ask the relevant Department to find out what they are. The number of deaths is tragically high and the issue will affect a number of constituencies, so I urge him and others to attend the Westminster Hall debate next Tuesday, to raise questions directly with the Minister.”
“I hear the hon. Gentleman on the business of the House motion and will ensure that that happens. I will announce future business in the usual way but, as he says, we can expect estimates day soon; I will give his Committee as much notice as possible and confirm the dates as soon as I can. The hon. Gentleman has been an assiduous campaigner on smoking, and I thank him and the APPG on smoking and health for all the work that they have done. I will talk to the relevant Minister to see whether we can get the House an update on the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for raising that tragic case with the House. It is important that we have strong and effective gun laws. If she wishes to raise her concerns directly with the relevant Home Office Minister, I will arrange for a meeting. She may also wish to seek a Westminster Hall debate so that she and the rest of the House can hear directly from the Minister about what the Government intend to do.”
“This Government are delivering growth in difficult circumstances—not as fast as we would hope, of course, but we are doing it. We are also building more houses, which is important, because people need somewhere to live and because housing is a driver of growth. The right hon. Gentleman talks about the involvement of various agencies in decision making. The principle from Government is very simple: decisions should be made closer to the people that they affect. It is better that the organisations and agencies that he mentions make those decisions rather than attempts being made to determine those matters here at the centre.”
“I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a champion for his constituents. We are taking action to tackle the lack of social housing, including through the Social Housing Bill, which was introduced to Parliament last month. We are strengthening protections for tenants and giving local authorities the certainty they need to build new and affordable social housing. If he wishes to have a meeting with the Housing Minister to discuss these matters and how they affect his constituency, I will arrange one.”
“I extend, along with the rest of the House, I am sure, our condolences to the hon. Lady’s family at the loss of her uncle, and we certainly wish her father well in his struggle. The Government have published our national cancer plan, and we are investing £2.3 billion to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029. We realise that this is a priority for people, and it is a priority for the Government, too. I will certainly take away the hon. Lady’s request and see if we can provide an update to the House on our plans.”
“Friend would like to apply for an Adjournment debate on this matter, it would be a great opportunity to discuss McDonald’s and to hear from the Minister about our plans for more jobs for young people.”
“My hon. Friend knows that it is a priority of this Government to get young people into work. It is a disgrace that there are nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training. That is why we have set up the Milburn review, which has published its interim findings, and we will come up with some recommendations later in the year. I, too, have a McDonald’s in my constituency—I am probably not alone in that—and I absolutely agree that McDonald’s should be praised for its work experience programme and its progression programme, which trains people to manage outlets and so on. It is a fantastic organisation in much of what it does. If my hon.”
“I certainly join the right hon. Lady in thanking volunteers in Aldridge-Brownhills and across our country. I have said before that they are the golden thread holding our communities together, and it is appropriate this week, and indeed every week, that we thank them for the work that they do and pay tribute to them.”
“I join my hon. Friend in recognising the exceptional service of Councillor Harry Atkinson not only to his local community but to charity. I encourage my hon. Friend to apply for a debate as I believe youth involvement in politics would be a popular topic. As for what we do in that regard, it is important that the House reaches out in all sorts of ways, but we should not forget that we also have the Youth Parliament.”
“I certainly praise the work of the right hon. Gentleman’s canals trust and those elsewhere. I agree with him about the importance of canals for tourism and beyond. I encourage him to apply for an Adjournment debate so that he can make the case and see what the appropriate Minister says about further supporting that. As for joining him on the canal—this is the confession of an MP from a coastal constituency— I have a notoriously weak stomach for water. [ Interruption. ] I am sorry, but I cannot even guarantee that, on a canal, it would not be a problem.”
“Pavement parking is a serious issue, and it has been raised a number of times in business questions. The Government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 gives local leaders power to prohibit pavement parking. Local authorities will be given powers through secondary legislation to tackle the worst instances. My hon. Friend may be able to get an answer to her question directly from Ministers, because we will have Transport orals on 11 June.”
“I absolutely understand the hon. Gentleman’s concern and that of his constituents when faced with such situations. I will offer to help to arrange a meeting with the Minister to make the case, which he makes very strongly, to see what further action the Government intend to take.”
“I pay tribute to Newquay Orchard for the work that it does, which is about not just good outside spaces for people to use, but mental health and other matters. Hon. Members across the House have already raised the theme of volunteering today, so there is scope for someone to seek an Adjournment debate on volunteers and community organisations, including co-ops, so that Members can explore, with Ministers, what further action can be taken.”
“I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman in the terms in which he puts the question, because this is a policy that is evolving and is relatively new, and we expect that services and accountability will improve as we go further. As I pointed out in my opening remarks, eight out of 10 journeys will be taken on railways owned by the Government, and that is the right thing. He also has the Railways Bill and other opportunities to raise those concerns if he is able to do so.”
“My hon. Friend is right to raise her concerns, and the Government are absolutely clear about the challenges that face hospitality in her constituency and elsewhere. We are taking action on those matters, but I understand that there is a great deal more to do. If she wishes to meet with a Treasury Minister to explore some of the options, I will help her to arrange that meeting.”
“If the hon. Gentleman seeks an Adjournment or Backbench Business debate, which happens very often following comments made in these sessions, he will know that others share those concerns, and therefore he will hear not just about those concerns, but from the Minister directly.”
“I certainly congratulate Friars Pride on its success over the years. I absolutely join my hon. Friend in celebrating National Fish and Chip Day. As a coastal MP, I may be averse to leaving dry land, but I am not averse to fish and chips; I know that because I have many excellent fish and chip shops in my constituency, some of which win national awards. I pay tribute to fish and chip shops, not just in his constituency and mine, but across the country.”
“The Government will be determined to do everything we can to support Wiltshire and the right hon. Gentleman’s constituents, and I am sorry to read of the estimated effects of some of the delays that he describes. Should he seek an Adjournment debate or a Backbench Business debate on these matters, he may be able to get greater reassurance from the Minister about the future.”
“I certainly join my hon. Friend in thanking Blackheath rugby club, and congratulating it on its promotion and its work, not just on the field but, I am sure, in the wider community. He will know that rugby clubs and other local sporting clubs are at the beating heart of our communities. Should he get a Westminster Hall debate on these matters, he could make the case for Blackheath, and others could make the case for clubs in their area.”
“The hon. Gentleman raised the point about the election results in his patch with the Prime Minister yesterday. It would be wrong of me to say anything other than that the electorate in his area spoke very firmly indeed. I gently point out to him that given that so many Reform councillors were elected, he should prepare himself to campaign in by-elections, because if things go true to form, a number of those councillors will be surprised that they were elected—or surprised that their position involves any work. A number of them may well end up in court, but all of them collectively will be a disappointment to the people of his area. As for the relationship between the hon. Gentleman’s area and London, he can raise that matter; he raised it before he decided to go off to another party.”
“My hon. Friend is a veritable champion for his constituents and on the matter of the climate crisis; I commend him for that. We are committed to improving air quality, and to delivering benefits for public health, the environment and the economy through new air quality targets, which will cut exposure to harmful particles by nearly a third by 2030. Should my hon. Friend wish, he could seek an Adjournment debate on the subject, in which he could expand further on the points he made.”
“As I have said before, the hon. Gentleman is a real champion on important matters, and I pay tribute to him for his work on the important issue of body image. I will reach out to the relevant Minister and ask them to update him on the Government’s position.”
“My hon. Friend is right to raise the issue of management companies; it has been raised with me regularly. There is a strong case for greater regulation in this area. As he pointed out, we have the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. A consultation on the implementation of that Act closed in September, and we will respond in due course. It is important that we get this right, because these things can have a huge impact on people’s lives. This is not a final step. In addition, we will continue to reflect on Lord Best’s 2019 report, and I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets an update from the relevant Minister.”
“I will help the hon. Lady to arrange a meeting, but I just want to say that the Government absolutely agree with her that no obstacles should stand in the way of young people getting into training and work. As I said before, the Milburn review has published an interim report and will produce recommendations later in the year, but I will get her the meeting she seeks.”
“The disruption will have a significant impact on the children’s education. I remind my hon. Friend and the House that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 includes measures on the inspection of multi-academy trusts to ensure that decisions are subject to scrutiny, but I am happy to raise her concerns with the Secretary of State and will make sure she gets a response.”
“I encourage the hon. Gentleman to apply for an Adjournment debate, or perhaps a Backbench Business debate, because these are indeed matters of concern. The Government are doing all we can, but should there be some use in further meetings, I will help him to arrange them.”
“I certainly join my hon. Friend in condemning the action. I reiterate our continued and unwavering support for Ukraine during Putin’s illegal invasion. He is right to raise the Reform party’s exceptionally poor record on these matters; its candidate in Makerfield said that the Russians were “within their rights” to invade Crimea. Lowering the flag of Ukraine appears to be part of a pattern.”
“It is a portent of things to come. The hon. Gentleman knows the Government are to introduce the EU reset Bill, and central to the discussion of that realignment will be how best to scrutinise it. As he knows, I am giving thought to how best to achieve that scrutiny. We do not need to go back to how things were, but we do need an appropriate arrangement to deal with the challenges that clearly will arise in the future, and to hold decision makers to account.”
“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those who have worked so hard to ensure that Blackpool Pride is a great success this year and in years past, including Councillor Matthew Thomas. I encourage my hon. Friend to participate in the general debate later today, and take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Pride Month this June.”
“Should the Committee wish it, I am sure there will be an opportunity for that report to be debated in the House. We have just had DEFRA questions, but I am sure the hon. Lady will raise at the next DEFRA questions the points she has raised today.”
“I am sure the whole House joins my hon. Friend in sending our condolences to George’s family. Schools are required to provide mandatory swimming instruction. If that is not happening I will take it up with the relevant Secretary of State to determine why it is not happening and what further action can be taken. I encourage him and others to attend next Tuesday’s Westminster Hall debate on water safety.”
“As the right hon. Gentleman knows, the Lord Chancellor is thinking very carefully indeed about how better the courts can work for victims, not least victims of sexual offences. I will raise the points he makes with my right hon. Friend and get an update.”
“Forget Me Not and other hospices do an incredible job in supporting seriously ill children and their families when they need it most. The Government recognise the financial pressures they are facing, and we are providing £80 million for children and young people’s hospices over the next three years, but my hon. Friend may wish to raise this matter and keep the pressure on Ministers at Health questions next week.”
“We are closely watching the situation with Thames Water, and we stand ready for all eventualities. We moved to block bonuses for Thames Water bosses last June, but should the situation change—particularly for the worse—I am sure the relevant Minister will want to update the House.”
“My hon. Friend has been an assiduous campaigner for his local hospital; I know that he has raised his concerns in the House many times, and I pay tribute to him for that. We are committed to community diagnostic services, with a £2.3 billion investment, providing the NHS with the tools it needs to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029, but I will ensure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to bring his concerns forward.”
“I cannot give the right hon. Gentleman that assurance to take back this evening, but I can assure him that if he wishes to raise that directly with Ministers, to put right a wrong, as he describes it, I will arrange a meeting. I should have said this earlier; it was remiss of me not to do so: the shadow Leader of the House and I read out a long list of people who unfortunately have passed, and the common thread that runs through that list is public service. It is a remarkable list of people, and it is sad that sometimes it is only when we are reading out a list of people whose lives have ended that we recognise the importance of public service. There are lots of very, very good public servants out there doing a good job day in, day out, and I pay tribute to every one of them.”
“I am sure that those in Lancashire combined county authority will have heard my hon. Friend’s contribution. The Government are committed to delivering simpler, more reliable and better joined-up journeys for people across England, including in his area, and we have recently published our “Better Connected” strategy. I encourage him to keep up the pressure, and there are Transport questions next week.”
“As the hon. Gentleman knows, we are committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and we are major aid donors to Afghanistan, with up to £154 million allocated in the last financial year. As the Foreign Secretary said in February, “The rights of all Afghans must be protected.” FCDO officials engage with the Taliban Government in Afghanistan and urge them to reverse their oppressive decrees on human rights, but I will make sure the hon. Gentleman gets a response from the relevant Minister to set out all the actions we are taking.”
“I absolutely join my hon. Friend in celebrating the return of the Wanderers to the championship and in paying tribute to Sharon Brittan for the role she has played. The Government are taking action to promote a more sustainable game and ensure the success of English football in the long term, because, as he rightly points out, our local football clubs are absolutely vital to the communities that support them.”
“My hon. Friend has consistently raised his concerns about that case with myself and Foreign Office Ministers, and I pay tribute to him for that. We do continue to raise concerns about Mr Johal’s prolonged detention with the Indian Government and continue to provide consular support to him and his family. I am confident that the Foreign Secretary will want to update the House once she returns from her visit. If you will allow me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to mention one thing before we conclude. The shadow Leader of the House raised in his remarks about the R&R programme the fact that minutes of a meeting had not been published. I can confirm that they have been.”
“With permission, I will make a short business statement about the remainder of this week’s business. Tuesday 2 June—Committee of the whole House for the Armed Forces Bill. Wednesday 3 June—General debate on the Government’s response to the Humble Address on the appointment of Lord Mandelson. Thursday 4 June—General debate on Pride Month. I will announce further business in the usual way on Thursday.”
“I do acknowledge what the right hon. Gentleman is saying, but that is precisely why I just announced Wednesday’s debate, which will be a general debate. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister will respond to some of those points shortly.”
“I will not respond to those empty words. I expect to announce the rescheduling of the remaining stages of the Railways Bill in my statement on Thursday, and I anticipate that the House will be able to consider those stages of the Bill during next week’s business.”
“The business for the week commencing 1 June will include: Monday 1 June—Second Reading of the Health Bill. Tuesday 2 June—Committee of the whole House on the Armed Forces Bill. Wednesday 3 June—Remaining stages of the Railways Bill. Thursday 4 June—General debate on Pride Month. Friday 5 June—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 8 June will include: Monday 8 June—Committee of the whole House on the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill (day one). Tuesday 9 June—Conclusion of Committee of the whole House and remaining stages of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill. Wednesday 10 June—Remaining stages of the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network And Information Systems) Bill. Thursday 11 June—General debate on the legacy of Jo Cox. Friday 12 June—The House will not be sitting.”
“I remind the House that England has only ever won the world cup under a Labour Government, and therefore I look forward to the world cup, which starts shortly. On the other matter that the right hon. Gentleman seems preoccupied with—my candidature to be the Prime Minister—let me say that there is no vacancy for a Prime Minister. I thank him for his endorsement, which I am sure is well intentioned, but I should warn the House that there is a double edge here. Every candidate that the right hon. Gentleman has endorsed for the Tory leadership has either failed at the first hurdle or is failing in their leadership now.”
“This year’s campaign is being fronted by Euan Gray from Gateshead, who with his brother, Andrew, got caught in a notorious riptide off my constituency at Longsands beach in May last year. I pay tribute to the volunteers of Cullercoats lifeboat and Tynemouth lifeboat, and all the RNLI volunteers who tirelessly provide a critical service in coastal towns and villages across the UK. Let me turn to the remarks made by the shadow Leader of the House. I am sure that his gratitude for Arsenal beating Manchester City is genuine coming from a dedicated Manchester United supporter—I am sure that it is genuine. He also reminded us about the heroes of 1966, the last time England won the world cup.”
“Members will also be pleased that we are cracking down on high street crime, rogue barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops linked to organised crime. They will face raids, closures and cash seizures under a new £30 million crackdown targeting money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working. Again, those issues have been raised in these sessions, which underlines the importance of the role that Members play in influencing future policy and decision making. I hope that Members will be able to spend time in their constituencies over the recess and enjoy the hopefully warmer weather over the bank holiday. As an MP for a coastal constituency, I know how dangerous the sea can be and I want to highlight the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s annual “Float to Live” campaign.”
“At the end of last week, the Treasury announced an independent review on access to banking to assess how changes to in-person banking services are affecting customers. The review will be chaired by Richard Lloyd, whom many Members will know. This issue is regularly raised with me by Members, and the Government are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the services that they need. Fly-tipping is also an issue that Members have raised with me frequently. The Government are listening. Laws laid this week will require waste handlers to prove that they are qualified to transport waste. We are tightening the net on waste criminals, with tougher sentences for those illegally dumping waste and advanced background checks to put rogue operators out of business.”
“I see the shadow Leader of the House has had his Weetabix again this morning. I extend my sympathies to the family of Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, who lost her life in a tragic incident last week. It reminds us of the price sometimes paid by the brave men and women who serve our country so well. Tomorrow is the ninth anniversary of the horrific Manchester Arena attack, which claimed the lives of 22 people and left many more injured. I am sure all those affected remain in the thoughts of the whole House. Last year, Martyn’s law received Royal Assent, delivering on our commitment to strengthen security at public events and venues to help to prevent another tragedy from happening. I thank all the campaigners who were pivotal in delivering that legislation.”