Dr Allison Gardner
MP for Stoke-on-Trent South · Labour · United Kingdom
“My constituency straddles both the proposed Staffordshire unitaries quite substantially. I welcome the creation of a North Staffordshire unitary—an area that has a long-held identity and significant growth potential—but opting for the smaller proposal for North Staffordshire and creating one much larger Southern Staffordshire unitary does…”
“Lightwood in my constituency is earmarked in the emerging local plan for a whopping 3,000 new homes. Not only would a development of that size be simply too much for the area, but no masterplan has been brought forward to guide development.”
“My hon. Friend is correct. I recently met constituents in my office who are deeply concerned about the internet blackout. They are unable to find out if their families are okay and have told me some horrendous stories, including—this is unverified—that a two-year-old child has been shot.”
“Some of my constituents have been labelled terrorists because they have spoken out and are now unable to travel to visit their families, even if the blockade should end. Does my hon. Friend agree that that type of draconian abuse of the law must stop and that my constituents should not be labelled as terrorists just for speaking out?”
“The petition asks that ceramics be included in the supercharger scheme, and that is an understandable ask, but it does not solely answer all the challenges faced by the sector; nor does it address the future sustainability and the need for transition to low-carbon alternatives.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank all the people who signed this petition and commend the hard work done by my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Linsey Farnsworth) and all who fought hard for Denby and our ceramics industry.”
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“I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend’s points. The land I mentioned also contains a large quarry full of valuable reserves of Etruria marl. A major concern of mine with new developments is the impact on transport infrastructure. Access roads in Lightwood are minimal: one connects to a route already beset by traffic and speeding, while the other country lanes cannot safely accommodate significant traffic. I have seen that in villages throughout my constituency, where villages are cut in half by major roads but not given safe crossings and speed restrictions.”
“Building is not just about meeting metrics; it is about delivering real improvements to new and existing residents and invoking a sense of civic pride with good-quality and diverse homes in good-quality communities.”
“In addition, although councils have a statutory duty to investigate breaches of planning law, there is no statutory duty to enforce against breaches. I suggest considering a process similar to the decriminalisation of parking enforcement to ensure that there is an impetus for councils to act on planning breaches. In so doing, council sanctions would accrue money that could then be repurposed for our communities. I ask the Minister to consider the merits of introducing statutory ringfenced funding at the local authority level to pay for planning enforcement and a refreshed approach to planning enforcement. Developers must also be held to account when building affordable and accessible houses, but that must not come at the cost of quality infrastructure, green spaces and community character.”
“That is unacceptable when so many constituents are fighting for the correct infrastructure for their communities, yet the money is available. I therefore ask the Minister how we can ensure that section 106 moneys are utilised in a timely and local manner. We must ensure that councils are sufficiently resourced to carry out enforcement against developers not meeting their required duties. My constituent, Dennis Rothwell, has fought a constant battle against dust pollution from nearby development in Trentham Fields, and residents in Broadway have been reduced to tears of frustration at noise and dust. However, councils cannot hold developers to account without sufficient resource. There is a national shortage of planning enforcement officers, and that needs urgent attention.”
“I would greatly appreciate an update on the status of the community right to buy, which was announced in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, and further clarification as to how it can support my constituents in Yarnfield. We must not allow communities to lose their heart and soul. Big developments must not be swathes of housing estates; they must be communities with the right social infrastructure, including pubs, shops and public services. The Home Builders Federation estimates that local authorities in England and Wales held more than £6 billion in unspent section 106 moneys and nearly £2 billion from the community infrastructure levy in 2024. It also estimates that over £800 million provided by developers for affordable housing is held in local authority bank accounts.”
“In redesignating the land as grey belt, I ask the Minister for greater clarification on the meaning of green and grey-belt land, and whether that extends to areas that have agricultural-grade land and minimal built spaces. In such cases, we must consider the delivery of suitable infrastructure, and if a community must be enlarged, we can offer benefits that improve the lives of everyone in the area. For example, in Yarnfield, which has several proposed sites in the local plan, villagers have been in a long battle to gain ownership of their local pub. The owners, Stonegate, seem to prefer to keep a decaying building up for sale rather than allow the village to revive it.”
“I ask the Minister, what additional powers and resources can we give to local authorities to address empty and derelict properties in town centres, hold property owners to account and repossess empty town centre buildings if needed? I acknowledge, though, that reutilising inner urban areas may not meet the full demand for housing and that such areas may not always be accessible for our ageing population. We need large developments in some places, but the new designation of grey-belt land has caused confusion. To many of my constituents, the area in the Lightwood proposal is not grey-belt land; it is the countryside. While much of the land is agricultural, it is a rich area with newts, bats and badgers.”
“I commend my hon. Friend for his hard work on transforming our heritage buildings. Many of those buildings are owned by private landlords who neglect them and they are an eyesore in our towns. Indeed, in Longton we have had several fires in buildings that have not been properly maintained. While I welcome the high street rental auctions, many of those buildings are not fit for use in their current state. I understand that councils have several powers to take ownership of derelict buildings on our high streets, but I am told that the funds required and the time it takes to hold property owners to account is often prohibitive.”
“The growing advanced ceramics industry in north Staffordshire is a key creator of the unique advanced ceramic materials that are required for His Majesty’s fighting capability, including unique armour materials for defence, ultra high-speed munitions, and the detection and security of our communications. There is a time-based opportunity to create a sovereign capability for the development and supply of ceramic matrix composites that our UK defence forces need, and so enhance the resilience of our defence supply chain. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the creation of that sovereign capability, and visit my constituency to see for himself the range of companies and skills on offer?”
“Urinary tract infections are estimated to impact on the lives of up to 5 million women and girls. In 2023-24, there were over 679,000 hospital admissions, and in 2023, 4,323 deaths. Outdated diagnostic techniques and inadequate treatment for acute UTIs results in the condition becoming recurrent and chronic. Better education of clinical staff and updated guidelines, diagnostics and treatments can help prevent the spiral of ill health that destroys so many women’s lives. Will the Secretary of State engage with me and other campaigners to recognise chronic UTIs as a condition and work to prevent this horrendous, pervasive illness?”
“Does the Minister agree that, given the Government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes, it is vital that privatised water companies ensure that they can adequately meet systems demand without sewage dumping, and that they prioritise doing so over profiteering?”
“The village of Upper Tean frequently suffers flooding and sewage outflows, and one reason is that the antiquated mains water infrastructure cannot adequately cope with the increased amount of new housing developments, even when the developer meets all the required mitigations. Recommendation 3 in the report states: “A comprehensive systems planning framework should be introduced”. The report also states: “Plans should consider the region or nation’s spatial development priorities, particularly those which are likely to have a significant impact on the water system, such as housing development”.”
“May I thank the Secretary of State for meeting regularly with me and my colleagues regarding the challenges facing the ceramics industry? I look forward to continuing to work with him to seek solutions for the challenges we face. What assessment has the Department made of the potential impact of its trade strategy on British businesses, and in particular the ceramics industry?”
“For the past year, I have been working with the Midlands Partnership University NHS foundation trust to secure and unlock the funds to build a new neighbourhood health centre in Longton, which, incidentally, is the home of Gladstone pottery museum featured in “The Great Pottery Throw Down”—the Leader of the House is welcome to come and visit. The plan is to deliver better joined-up healthcare in the community. Naturally, I am delighted to see this Government’s commitment to moving healthcare from hospital to community in the 10-year plan. Will the Leader of the House allow for a debate in Government time on how we can deliver a neighbourhood health service as quickly as possible?”
“Friend agree that the report provides clear recommendations to the Government and regulators as to how those platforms should be held accountable, including labelling of all AI-generated content and new regulatory oversight with clear, enforceable standards and penalties? Accountability must have teeth.”
“Our Committee’s evidence supports the conclusion that social media business models, particularly the use of recommendation algorithms that push users to see more extreme content and misinformation, incentivise the spread of dangerous content and, consequently, behaviours. As both a member of the Committee and co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on artificial intelligence— I am another Member who wears many hats—I welcome our Committee’s conclusion that users and social media platforms should be held accountable for the impact that their amplification causes. Does my hon.”
“I commend the Government for their mission to give every child the best start in life. It is critical that all children, no matter where they are born, have every opportunity to achieve their potential. I must mention at this point the number of Staffordshire MPs who are here for the debate, which just shows the importance of this topic to the children in our county.”
“Before I list the statistics, I want to point out that Stoke-on-Trent is also the best place in the country to live and that the people are fantastic. We have been let down and that is by no means the fault of the wonderful people of Stoke-on-Trent.”
“My hon. Friend is right that we hunt as a pack: when the three Stokie MPs get together with our Staffordshire colleagues, we make a formidable bunch, and I am very proud to be part of the team. I am incredibly proud to work for a Labour Government who are breaking down the barriers to opportunity, tackling child poverty and improving early years development through our plan for change. This is certainly a nationwide issue, but I wish to stress the critical importance of this mission in Stoke-on-Trent South and Stoke-on-Trent more widely. Our children were neglected time and again by the previous Government, and we now have some of the worst outcomes for childhood development, health and wellbeing in the country.”
“Local organisations, like Thrive at Five and Stoke Speaks Out, have also run incredible programmes to facilitate a thriving early years network in Stoke-on-Trent to improve children’s early development. However, our city council and our local services have had to work incredibly hard against a backdrop of successive cuts over the past 14 to 15 years that have decimated so many services and forced many to close altogether. Many of our holistic early intervention programmes, where families could get advice, health visitors supported families from pregnancy onwards, and staff could identify families in need and offer early support, have now closed their doors.”
“As has been mentioned, the first thousand days of a child’s life are the most important. What happens during those days can, in many cases, predict a child’s entire life course. It is devastating that for so many children in our city their first few years are marked by deprivation, poor quality housing and incredibly low living standards. Labour Stoke-on-Trent city council is doing excellent work to support our children. It has made major improvements to children’s social care services, focusing on early help and new front-door arrangements, and the family matters programme is a multi-agency programme delivering prevention and support services to give our children the very best start in life.”
“In 2023, Stoke-on-Trent was in the bottom 10 of all English local authorities for the number of children with the “expected” level of literacy, communication and language, and numeracy skills by early years foundation stage. I know that these figures will shock many, but Stoke-on-Trent must be a priority region for tackling child poverty and our related missions. There are children in my constituency who start school unable to speak, use the toilet or brush their teeth, and there are children in our high schools who are still learning phonics, which should have been taught in primary school, as they are struggling with such severe delays in their development. Infant mortality, a topic that is very close to my heart, is explicitly linked to socioeconomic inequalities and persistent inequalities in health.”
“I commend my hon. Friend and her neighbour for those wonderful outcomes, although I am sure she still has issues in her constituency that we need to battle against. As I have said in the Chamber before, child poverty in some parts of my constituency is as high as 76%. In 2022-23, 13 children in every classroom of 30 were living in poverty in Stoke. Stoke-on-Trent has the highest rate of infant mortality in the country, and between 2019 and 2021, babies born in Stoke were nearly twice as likely to die before their first birthday than the national average. In addition, Stoke-on-Trent has the highest number of children in care per head of population in England, and our children face successive delays in early years development.”
“We know that high-quality early years education and support networks for families can completely transform a child’s life chances. We know that early intervention is far more effective and affordable than trying to fix problems later down the line. We need policies that improve neonatal and post-natal health, provide parents with the knowledge and support to give their children the very best start and provide children with support to achieve their early learning and development goals. I am therefore so grateful for the expansion of early years support through the Best Start family hubs and our targets for early years development under the plan for change. This Government will bring about much-needed change for children across the country, and it is critical that that investment is received in Stoke-on-Trent South.”
“I am deeply grateful to the Minister, who is in her place and who has agreed to have a meeting with me to discuss the difficult problems that we wish to solve. The Government are absolutely working hard to address those. As I said, I am incredibly pleased that this Government are expanding the early years offer through the Best Start family hubs model. I am so grateful that the Government have committed to further support the family hub in Normacot, which the community has fought so hard to save, but families in Meir also deserve a Best Start family hub. Residents in Meir are proud of where they live, but they are aware of the challenges in their community, and they too deserve support. Children in Meir would benefit hugely from a centre in their neighbourhood. We know what works.”
“My hon. Friend quite rightly points out the complexities and histories of the issues that we face, which we need to solve with a holistic approach. In the absence of amazing services such as Sure Start, mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (David Williams), the predominant policy route has been to fund reactive services that reach families only at crisis point. Not only is that incredibly costly, but it results in so many children with developmental delays or safeguarding concerns going unnoticed until it is far too late. Early years services provide a lifeline to so many families; in their absence, inequalities have risen and our children have suffered. Stoke’s children deserve better.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning the extra work that so many of our primary schools do. I particularly want to comment on the headteacher of Alexandra infants’ school in Normacot, Adele Lupton, who has for many years had a community room that is open to the community. She has worked so incredibly hard to support children in incredibly difficult circumstances, and has managed to keep her teams together. She is a shining example, as are so many of the wonderful headteachers in Stoke-on-Trent who fight to deliver the services that are so sadly lacking sometimes.”
“As my hon. Friend will know, Stoke-on-Trent sits on a side branch of the west coast main line that feeds a conurbation of over 400,000 people, many of whom work in and travel regularly to Manchester, London or Birmingham. Does he agree that any future development of the line must not impact negatively on direct services from Stoke-on-Trent to London and from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester, which previous plans for HS2 threatened?”
“I welcome the Bill, which offers an entirely reasonable set of steps for researching, reviewing and, I hope, enabling the development of so-called orphan drugs—like my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), I dislike the term intensely. The appointment of a national specialty lead for rare cancers will be so helpful in and of itself. In passing the Bill today, we will start the journey to a world where wonderful people, like Jim’s sister Stella, my mum Breeda and my sister’s mother-in-law Doreen, do not hear the words, “It is inoperable. It is too late to treat. There is nothing more we can do.” I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West for introducing the Bill. I will vote for it today, in memory of Stella, Breeda and Doreen.”
“I cannot stand in this place and debate a Bill on rare cancers and not mention pancreatic cancer, which is a relatively rare cancer and a less survivable one. It is the fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK. My mum, Breeda, died of pancreatic cancer. She fell ill on a Saturday, was diagnosed on the Sunday and was dead by the following Saturday. One week after that, my father died of oesophageal cancer—not a rare cancer, I believe, but a less survivable one. My sister’s mother-in-law, Doreen, also sadly passed from pancreatic cancer after a year-long battle. We are, indeed, surrounded by cancer. The APPG has addressed the issue of the early detection of such cancers, so we hope to one day hear fewer stories like my mum’s. I thank Pancreatic Cancer UK for its support.”
“A national cancer plan is due to be published following the NHS 10-year health plan, and the DHSC has committed more than £1.6 billion for research to the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which is quite rightly treating cancer as a major priority and allocating funding accordingly. As an officer of the all-party parliamentary group on the less survivable cancers, I am particularly grateful for the commitment to tackling brain cancer, which I have heard a lot about in this place today, in partnership with organisations such as the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission and Brain Tumour Research. I also welcome the funding call for the brain tumour research consortium, which I read about recently.”
“Guts UK states that the cause of bile duct cancer is unknown in six to seven out of 10 patients. It is a rare cancer that is increasing in prevalence, often with causes unknown, and nearly 3,000 people a year die from it. Would it not be better therefore not only to prevent this cancer from increasing in prevalence, but to make it even rarer and more curable? The Bill opens the door to that. It will allow for more focus on rare and less survivable cancers. Research is crucial in tackling cancer, and I am heartened by this Government’s commitment to tackling all cancer types.”
“Stella Gilbert, née Forster, was a much-beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister to my partner, Jim. She died of a rare cancer. Stella was great—my partner’s only sibling, a huge matriarch and, as we found out at her funeral, given to bossing her local vicar about. She had bile duct cancer, which affects approximately 2,000 people a year in the UK. In the Bill’s terms, bile duct cancer is a rare cancer; the Bill classes rare cancers as those that affect no more than one in 2,000 people, and bile duct cancer affects 0.06 in 2,000. Worryingly, research suggests that that incidence is increasing. I am grateful that the Bill allows for some flexibility, because if bile duct cancer were to pop over that cut-off of one in 2,000, it would go into a different category. That flexibility is appreciated.”
“I really welcome the statement today, as I am sure do the residents of Normacot, whose excellent family hub they fought hard to save many years ago. But we need more in my constituency of Stoke-on-Trent South. Stoke-on-Trent consistently lags behind the national average. Many children start school unable to speak, and infant mortality rates are the highest in the country. We consistently rank highest for the number of children in care across England, and in some parts of my constituency, child poverty is as high as 76%. Stoke’s children deserve better. The Best Start hubs offer an opportunity to improve health, to help children reach their development goals and to improve parental wellbeing. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the critical need for more of these hubs in my constituency?”
“I am really heartened by clause 11 and I welcome it. I am sure the Minister agrees that consulting people who live with disabilities is vital for any future public transport service. Even with the best of intent, one cannot plan accessible services without understanding the lived experience of disabled users and the associated infrastructure.”
“The industrial strategy rightly recognises the role of ceramics as a key foundational industry and, of course, the central role of Stoke-on-Trent not just historically but in the exciting new world of advanced ceramics—providing parts for wind turbines and even small modular reactors, if we get the investment our way. As the Secretary of State has mentioned, ceramics has the additional challenge of being a gas-intensive industry. As such, I welcome the Government’s commitment to the energy-intensive industries compensation scheme—a snappier name would be nicer—particularly in supporting decarbonisation and technological innovation. May I ask the Secretary of State what specific support is planned to aid the ceramics industry, not only in managing its energy costs but in supporting its decarbonisation?”
“The most recent data, from 2023, showed that 25% of manufacturing jobs in Stoke-on-Trent were in ceramics. Ceramics—especially advanced ceramics—is critical to strategic industries such as defence, nuclear energy and steel. Does my hon. Friend agree that the industrial strategy must recognise the foundational industry of ceramics, which is vital for the future not only of Stoke-on-Trent but the country?”
“There are concerns that, when there is a commercial relationship between providers, there will be a gaming of the system. That risks compromising the relationship between the co-ordinating doctor and the independent doctor. Likewise, the existence of such providers does not allay concerns about doctor shopping, as was raised in the previous debate. Hence amendment 15 will require private providers to be transparent and provide reports on service members, service numbers, costs and revenue. In previous debates and in the public discourse I have found it very disconcerting that, in response to legitimate concerns, all that we have been offered—as we have seen today—are some promised, unspecified future regulations that will fix the gap—[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”]”
“Hence new clause 4 requires an annual report to include “information about the application of the Act in relation to— persons who have protected characteristics, and any other description of persons specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.” I fervently hope that that includes domestic violence victims. Amendment 13 very sensibly adds the requirement that the commissioner appointment is not the sole remit of the Prime Minister at the time, by requiring the consent of the Health and Social Care Committee. This provides a safeguard against ideological and politically motivated appointments, and I would be very critical of anyone who would want to prevent that. Amendment 15 addresses the significant concerns about the involvement of private—for profit—providers of assisted dying.”
“New clause 4 returns the safeguard of independent oversight, which is sensible given the significant concerns expressed by many experts and organisations, which were often neutral on the principle, but concerned about the Bill. They include the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Association for Palliative Medicine, the British Geriatrics Society, the Royal College of Physicians and many experts such as Professor Jane Monckton Smith, a leading criminologist, Baroness Finlay, Parliament’s leading expert on palliative care, Sir David Haslam, former head of the British Medical Association and of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence—my previous employer—and many more. All have expressed concerns, even when neutral on the principle of the adequacy of the Bill.”
“I rise to support a number of new clauses and amendments to the Bill. The common thread running through all of them is a need to address some of the gaps in the safeguards and oversight. Should the Bill pass, I at least want to ensure that we improve its protections and remove some of the risks that it contains. New clause 4 requires the chief medical officer to monitor the operation of the legislation, rather than depending solely on the assisted dying commissioner. Alongside the requirement for a High Court judge, oversight by the CMO was removed during the Committee stage. This means that, essentially, the assisted dying commissioner would mark their own homework.”
“Research has shown that painful and protracted deaths via assisted dying drugs are not uncommon, with deaths ranging from three minutes to 137 hours—nearly a week— with up to eight hours to lose consciousness. Furthermore, serious side effects disproportionately affect younger people. Amendment 27 will help to ensure the safety and efficacy of these substances. I will close by quoting Sir David Haslam on how we balance some of the individual stories used on both sides of the debate with the good of society. As we know, NICE has to make the difficult decision to approve or not approve medications and treatments based on a cost and clinical effectiveness model. It is experienced in weighing up societal good— [ Interruption. ] I will be quick, Madam Deputy Speaker—versus the needs and wishes of individuals.”
“Similarly, but fundamental to the society in which we live, amendment 12 protects the status of our most dear institution, the NHS. The Bill before us provides Henry VIII powers to amend the National Health Service Act 2006 without limit, which could include a specification of charges. If, as Labour MPs, we are committed to the NHS remaining free at the point of use, then amendment 12 is vital, as it will require any changes to the 2006 Act to be made by an Act of Parliament. The future is uncertain. We must build safeguards in the Bill to protect us from measures that fundamentally alter the fabric of our society. Briefly, amendment 27 requires the MHRA to license the drugs used for assisted dying.”
“I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. To expect MPs to improve the Bill without clarity as to what the regulations are or what they will be, and how the service will be delivered without rigorous regulatory oversight is fundamentally wrong. Furthermore, the fact that the implementation of the Bill will be automatic in 2029—a general election year, incidentally—is not realistic when reflecting on the many areas that still lack detail. Hence I support amendment 42, proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee), which allows the Secretary of State to determine the appropriate date for the Bill to be implemented. This would allow time to make the NHS fit for purpose, to strengthen palliative care, and for Parliament to draft and scrutinise adequate regulations without being rushed.”
“Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. In my Stoke-on-Trent South constituency, businesses such as the Bestway Group, which owns Well healthcare in Meir Park, and Goodwin International in Newstead are keen to invest in rooftop solar, but they cannot get national grid connectivity. In the case of Well healthcare, it will have to wait until 2032. Meanwhile, residents in my village areas are frustrated at the growth of solar farms on agricultural land when there are acres of empty flat roofs on industrial estates. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss the many challenges and opportunities for transitioning to clean energy that businesses in my constituency face?”
“Child poverty rates in Florence in my constituency have reached over 60% in recent years—the highest rate across Stoke-on-Trent, which routinely scores highest for infant mortality rates. Does my hon. Friend agree that as we publish the child poverty strategy in the autumn, Stoke-on-Trent South needs sustained investment to tackle high rates of child poverty?”
“It is proud of the fact that its products are made in the UK, from clay to table. People buying products produced by Duchess, for example, will see that they say on the bottom, “Fine bone china made in Staffordshire”. The phrasing is deliberate; it clearly informs the purchaser not only of the product’s country of origin, but the precise part of the country that it comes from. Most of our ceramic products contain these backstamps to mark authenticity, and many include a reference to Stoke and Staffordshire. As I have before, I invite all colleagues to join the “turnover club” and check the backstamp on the chinaware here. They will probably find it was made in Stoke.”
“I rise today in support of new clause 1, which deals with a country of origin marking for ceramic products and which my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) so eloquently introduced. My constituency is home to “The Great Pottery Throw Down”, based in the wonderful Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, and I am so proud to have many great pottery firms in my constituency. Those include Wedgwood, which is famed for its iconic blue jasperware, and Duchess China, which has factories in Longton and Newstead that I was honoured to visit recently. There, I met Jason Simms, who is a 100-mph visionary for the future of ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent and the world. It was a really interesting visit. Duchess, founded in 1888, produces the tableware used in the House of Commons.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for that timely and right intervention. I join him in his campaign. We do not always have the level of detail needed in this country, and we need to address that nuance so that consumers know exactly what they are buying. That is important, because the pottery industry is at great risk from cheap imports, which are undermining our British-made products and creating unfair competition for our better-quality products made in our own country. This china-dumping of products often falsely pretending to be made by our Staffordshire firms—Dunoon being one example—must be stopped. We must back our British industry and our British workers and do what we can to resist such unfair competition.”
“The hon. Member is right to point out that Stoke and Staffordshire are not the only places that produce wonderful ceramic and other products. I understand that new clause 4 is broad in scope. I am speaking today to new clause 1, which relates to ceramics. I hope he will indulge me. A few months ago, I was proud to meet GMB representatives for the British pottery industries here in Parliament, along with my hon. Friends the Members for Stoke-on-Trent North (David Williams) and for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell). That included the formidable Sharon Yates, who is one of my constituents. They have real pride, real passion and real skill in what they do.”