John Whitby
MP for Derbyshire Dales · Labour · United Kingdom
“This Government are rightly committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, but care leavers still face disproportionate challenges as they move into independent adulthood.”
“It would be helpful if the Minister can say when the Government will respond to the Whitehead review and what their position is on two key recommendations from the report.”
“I welcome the Government’s support so far, and the National Wealth Fund’s investment announced last year—that support has been important—but if we are to unlock the full potential of projects such as Peak Cluster, industry needs certainty, investors need confidence, and businesses need to know that there is a clear route to market for car…”
“Every tonne of carbon that we do not emit is better than having to remove it later, but it is increasingly clear that emissions reductions alone will not be enough. Some sectors will remain difficult to fully decarbonise. If we are serious about reaching net zero, greenhouse gas removals will have to play a crucial role.”
“It is fitting that we are debating carbon budget 7 on the hottest June day in our history. I am sure that there are a few contributory factors to the latest heatwave, but we all know that one of those factors is that there is simply too much carbon in the atmosphere as a result of mankind’s activities since industrialisation.”
“It states that the Government should also accelerate decisions on the future carbon capture, usage and storage clusters. We have one of those right on the edge of my constituency. The Hope valley is home to the Peak Cluster, the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project.”
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“10. Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that all care leavers are entitled to the same standard universal credit allowance.”
“This Government are rightly committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, but care leavers still face disproportionate challenges as they move into independent adulthood. Will the Minister commit to reviewing the universal credit age-related rates for care leavers, with a view to ensuring that all 18 to 24-year-old care leavers receive the same rate of UC as those aged 25 and over?”
“I welcome the Government’s support so far, and the National Wealth Fund’s investment announced last year—that support has been important—but if we are to unlock the full potential of projects such as Peak Cluster, industry needs certainty, investors need confidence, and businesses need to know that there is a clear route to market for carbon capture projects beyond the existing track 1 and 2 programmes. The carbon budget process makes the Government of the day think in the longer term, because addressing climate change cannot be done quickly, but we need to stick to the path for our food security, our national security, our public health and our economy. I encourage the Government to match their ambition with the urgency that this moment demands.”
“By capturing carbon emissions from cement and lime production and transporting them for permanent storage, the project has the potential to decarbonise about 40% of UK cement and lime production, while protecting the thousands of jobs currently in the sector and adding new skilled green jobs. It will prevent 3 million tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere per year. Let me put that in context: it is about a quarter of the emissions from the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire. This is exactly the kind of project that shows how climate action and economic growth can go hand in hand.”
“It states that the Government should also accelerate decisions on the future carbon capture, usage and storage clusters. We have one of those right on the edge of my constituency. The Hope valley is home to the Peak Cluster, the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project. If we are to build the 1.5 million homes that we need and all the roads, bridges and workplaces to support them, we will need cement, but it remains one of the most difficult industries to decarbonise, because much of the carbon dioxide is produced through the chemical process of making cement itself. For that reason, carbon capture is not an optional extra; it is essential.”
“It would be helpful if the Minister can say when the Government will respond to the Whitehead review and what their position is on two key recommendations from the report. First, the report suggests changing the sustainable aviation fuels mandate to become a net zero aviation mandate, using greenhouse gas removals to ensure that by 2045 “all flights taking off from the UK are made climate-neutral.” With the Government not focusing on demand management and clearly looking at airport expansion, and not assuming the same level of behavioural change that the Climate Change Committee is expecting, even more weight should be thrown behind removals and specifically direct air capture. To enable more greenhouse gas removals, the report recommends that the Government accelerate planned policies to enable non-pipeline transport.”
“Every tonne of carbon that we do not emit is better than having to remove it later, but it is increasingly clear that emissions reductions alone will not be enough. Some sectors will remain difficult to fully decarbonise. If we are serious about reaching net zero, greenhouse gas removals will have to play a crucial role. I am pleased to say that since coming to power the Government have commissioned the independent review of greenhouse gas removals, chaired by Alan Whitehead. The Whitehead review stated that greenhouse gas removals have “a supplementary but essential role in achieving net zero”. The Climate Change Committee has made it clear that we cannot get to net zero without greenhouse gas removals.”
“It is fitting that we are debating carbon budget 7 on the hottest June day in our history. I am sure that there are a few contributory factors to the latest heatwave, but we all know that one of those factors is that there is simply too much carbon in the atmosphere as a result of mankind’s activities since industrialisation. I am pleased to say that there has been a great deal of activity in this space in the previous two years, in particular on renewables. Our territorial emissions, according to Carbon Brief, are now the lowest since 1872. We are now halfway to getting to net zero, but the low-hanging fruit has been picked and the harder-to-decarbonise sectors are still emitting.”
“Cromford Mills in Derbyshire Dales was the world’s first water-powered cotton spinning mill and the birthplace of mass production. In recent decades the Arkwright Society has transformed this UNESCO world heritage site into the much-loved tourist attraction it is today. However, the renewal of the site is not yet complete, with another £1.2 million in match funding needed to help secure its financial viability. Will the Minister therefore agree to officials meeting the Arkwright Society to see what support the Department can give to help Cromford Mill secure this much-needed financial support?”
“Q6. A film called the “People’s Emergency Briefing” is being shown in communities up and down the country. I recently attended a screening in Wirksworth, and there is another one next week in Bakewell. The film educates us and reminds us of the climate emergency that we all face. Yet, inexplicably, the Conservatives have basically given up on the climate, and Reform continues to act like modern-day flat-earthers, refusing to accept science and to accept the bleeding obvious. Will the Deputy Prime Minister please assure me that this Labour Government will continue to do everything they can to combat man-made climate change?”
“At COP29, an agreement was reached to provide $300 billion of international climate finance annually to developing countries by 2035 to help them pursue green growth pathways, access clean energy, reduce deforestation and so on. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that this commitment is delivered in full by our international partners, and will the Government press for that finance to be provided predominantly as grants rather than loans to avoid increasing debt burdens on developing countries?”
“There has been a lot of talk for a very long time about additional money being needed for defence. What would the Minister do with more money that he cannot do now?”
“The hon. Lady asks what is in it for the residents of Cheshire. The scheme—if it goes ahead, of course—will capture 3 million tonnes of carbon every year. That is the equivalent of a quarter of all the emissions from the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire every year, so that is a benefit for the residents of Cheshire, as it is for the residents of Derbyshire and everyone else’s constituencies in the country. Does she agree?”
“3. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the victims’ right to review scheme pilot on victims of rape and other serious sexual offences.”
“I welcome the steps that the Government have taken to improve the conviction rates for rape and other serious sexual offences, including announcing a new independent legal advice service for rape victims, changes to stamp out rape myths in court, and expanding the victims’ right to review scheme, which is particularly significant given that only about 3% of recorded offences result in a suspect being charged or summoned. Could the Solicitor General provide a progress update on the victims’ right to review scheme pilot for victims of rape, and indicate when the scheme might be rolled out nationally?”
“Peak Cluster in the Hope valley is a cement decarbonisation project looking to prevent 3 million tonnes of CO 2 from entering the atmosphere every year. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear route to market for industrial carbon capture projects beyond track 1 and track 2 clusters, which would offer projects like Peak Cluster greater certainty?”
“T9. I welcome the fact that since this Government took office, defence funding has increased by more than 7.5%. Ukraine maintaining its sovereignty against Russia is vital for European, and therefore British, security. Are the Government committed to increasing the proportion of defence spending going to Ukraine to align with the increase in defence spending more generally?”
“I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Children in care have often faced significant trauma, instability, neglect or abuse. As a result, many of them end up in the criminal justice system, and care leavers are 10 times more likely to end up in prison. Counselling has been shown to help keep children in care out of prison, which is obviously better for the young people, and saves the state money in the long term. Will the Minister consider changing national protocol guidelines to ensure that trauma counselling is provided to children in care who are identified as being at risk of engaging in criminality?”
“According to modelling from the National Energy System Operator, gas will still set the price of electricity 30% of the time by 2030, despite most of the energy being produced from renewables. Solar and wind are far cheaper than other forms of energy, and it is right that households across the UK, and in Derbyshire Dales in particular, can benefit from the lower prices. Will the Chancellor therefore outline what steps she is taking to decouple the price of renewables from the price of gas and to drive down energy prices for homes in Derbyshire Dales?”
“We need action on empty properties. We need to increase the housing supply, of affordable housing, in the communities that need it most and we need to invest in the services and connectivity that are needed.”
“It is therefore a struggle for the number of new builds to outstrip the number lost to second homes and holiday lets. In the parts of the constituency that sit outside the national park—and I am sure this applies right across the country—we regularly see developers try to wriggle out of their obligations to build affordable and social housing. We end up with yet more four-bed and five-bed properties because that is presumably where the big bucks lie, but that does little to help our young people get on to the housing ladder. We need a mix of housing but it has to include starter homes, affordable homes and social housing. It is clear that young families are being squeezed out. Time will tell whether more action on second homes will be required, beyond the doubling of council tax and the increase in stamp duty.”
“The challenge of affordability is exacerbated by the supply challenge we face, especially in the national park. There is a clear and ongoing need for affordable housing, especially homes for social rent, but it has to be in the communities that need it, not just where big developers will make the most money. Some villages in the national park are crying out for housing, most clearly where ageing populations see declining numbers enrol at local primary schools. Without affordable housing and additional investment in transport links and connectivity, there are few pull factors for young families or professionals. In many areas we also see the impact of high numbers of second homes and holiday lets: they make up a quarter of all residential properties in some villages in my constituency, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) for securing this important debate. Young people face challenges with housing in every part of the country, and in rural communities such as Derbyshire Dales there are compounding pressures of exorbitant prices, high rents and a lack of access to jobs and public services. I have heard from many constituents, whether parents or young people, who fear being priced out of the communities that they grew up in. As in all areas of the country, house prices in Derbyshire Dales have risen significantly in recent years, far outstripping local wages and leaving many young people unable to buy—and increasingly unable to rent in the few available properties.”
“I would be more than happy with local authorities having the capacity to limit holiday lets and so on—that is not a bad idea at all. It should not be too much to ask that a young person can live in the community that they grew up in.”
“It is right that laws keep pace with technology; it is right that we consider whether stronger protections for under-16s are needed; it is right that phones should play no part in school life; and it is right that the Government ensure that any legislative changes are legally robust, compatible with existing law, and capable of standing up to scrutiny in the courts. I welcome Government amendment (b) in lieu of Lords amendment 38, which will require a statement on progress within six months if no regulations have been made. We need to get on with it. I urge everyone to complete the consultation and I urge the Government to act with haste following the consultation’s closure on 26 May.”
“The results were staggering: those fictional 13-year-olds were receiving, on average, one piece of concerning content a minute. To reinforce the point, the group put together a reel of the worst bits so that I and other Members could see the racism, sexual violence and misogyny that children are witnessing. We will never stop violence against women and girls until we stop feeding this hate to our children. Parents up and down the country are in the impossible position of exposing their children to that content or having their child be the one who is missing out. I therefore support the Government’s ambition to act.”
“It is therefore not a surprise that there has been a 118% rise in children and young people accessing mental health services in England just in the last decade. In all child-related matters, we need to listen to the voice of the child. In a recent Harris poll, 39% of Gen Z respondents said they wished that social media had never been invented. There is a significant rise in three to five-year-olds using social media, with 37% doing so, according to Ofcom. A group called Big Tech’s Little Victims, in association with the National Education Union, recently conducted a social media experiment. It created accounts for four fictional 13-year-olds, signed them up to the main platforms and had a researcher scroll the accounts for 30 minutes a day for a week.”
“I strongly welcome the Government’s amendments and support the live consultation on these matters. Social media has unfortunately become central to childhood, and the negatives are massively outweighing any positives. Even when social media is at its most benign, children are spending 40, 50 or maybe 60 hours a week on it. It is intentionally addictive—of course, since we last debated these amendments, a US court has made that determination—and affecting children’s sleep, concentration and wellbeing. Of course, it is much worse than that, with relentless bullying; the promotion of self-harm, eating disorders and suicide; sextortion; misinformation and disinformation; envy and comparison; as well as a significant dose of misogyny and porn.”
“Sure Start delivered long-term health benefits, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies finding that it reduced the number of hospitalisations of young people with mental health-related causes by 50%. It is therefore appropriate for the Department of Health and Social Care to support our Best Start family hubs. Healthy Babies funding enables that and ensures that family hubs can deliver sessions on topics such as parent and infant relationships. Will the Minister confirm when Derbyshire will be able to benefit from Healthy Babies funding?”
“In areas such as the Derbyshire Dales, they make a real difference to people’s lives. I will not add to the Minister’s growing workload by inviting him to the Derbyshire Dales, but he will always be welcome there.”
“The lido plays a role as not just a community space, but a direct provider and supporter of jobs, both in maintaining and running the pool, and a provider of secondary employment in the hotel, pubs, cafés and restaurants that benefit from tourism in the area. In many parts of the country, especially rural areas with underfunded public transport, lidos are now under real pressure from rising costs, ageing infrastructure and shrinking access to funding. If we lose them, we do not just lose a pool; we lose something that holds the community together, brings in tourism and has real historical value. I simply urge that when we talk about investment in public health, local infrastructure and community assets, we recognise the value of facilities such as those in Matlock Bath and Hathersage.”
“It is vital that we protect historical facilities such as the outdoor pool at Hathersage by minimising barriers to achieving listed status, therefore giving more access to grant funding so that they may continue to play a central role in community life for many years to come. Similarly, the lido in Matlock Bath plays an important role in supporting both residents and visitors, who contribute to the local tourist economy and travel from far and wide for the unique experience that Matlock Bath has to offer. The outdoor pool at the New Bath Hotel is fed directly by the site’s natural geothermal spring—in fact, it is the only lido in England heated by spring water, with temperatures naturally reaching up to 23°C.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes) for giving me the opportunity to talk about our public baths and lidos, and the positive effect they have on our local communities. This year, the outdoor swimming pool in Hathersage will be celebrating its 90th anniversary, an incredible achievement for a community asset that has faced many challenges. In 2014, Hathersage parish council agreed to pursue listed status for the pool, a process that locals described as time-consuming and arduous.”
“Towns across Derbyshire Dales such as Bakewell lack any connection to the rail network, leaving the 13 million people who travel to the Peak district mainly reliant on cars. Reinstating the peaks and dales line would be more environmentally friendly, help young people to get to work and education, and make it easier for millions of tourists to travel to the national park by creating a direct link to Manchester, Derby and then onward to London. Given those major benefits, will my hon. Friend join me in urging the Minister to look closely at the forthcoming feasibility study on the reinstatement of the peaks and dales line?”
“To deliver them, we need to support our industries and provide them with the infrastructure they need to thrive, but we also need to protect our residents. All we ask is for the playing field to be levelled.”
“The project would safeguard our cement industry for generations to come, support over 13,000 jobs and attract £5 billion of private investment. I urge the Government to provide a clear route to market for carbon capture and storage projects beyond track 1 and track 2 clusters. If we do secure the future of our cement and lime industry through carbon capture, which in turn will help to build the 1.5 million homes, there will be even more freight, much of it coming through the town of Ashbourne. The lack of a relief road has been a problem for decades. Already, around 700 heavy goods vehicles a day pass through the town, which causes major road safety issues and results in levels of air pollution above the legal limit. The Government have set ambitious housing targets.”
“It would bring major benefits for young people looking for work or education, for the transportation of freight from our quarries, for the millions of tourists coming to the area for its hospitality offer, for regional connectivity, and for small businesses that would warmly welcome commuting employees. We wait in anticipation of the Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership’s feasibility study, which we expect by the end of this month. Aside from transport, there are other projects that would deliver major economic benefits. Peak Cluster based in the Hope valley is the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project and has the potential to decarbonise 40% of the UK’s cement and lime production.”
“Two transport-related projects in particular highlight the need for additional investment. Today, there is no direct train line from Derby, Nottingham or Leicester to Manchester. The map of the rail network has a Matlock-to-Buxton-sized hole in it, meaning that people from the cities of the east midlands have to travel via Stoke or Sheffield to get to Manchester. Reinstating that line would act as a catalyst for economic growth and increase productivity across our region. It would deliver major economic gains, connect tourism hotspots such as Bakewell to the rail network, and connect places such as Matlock and Matlock Bath to Manchester.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing the debate. In Derbyshire Dales, we quarry the stone used to build new homes, produce the cement that keeps our buildings standing and have the outstanding natural landscapes that support a vibrant visitor economy. Derbyshire produces 85% of the UK’s limestone, and that raw material is essential for construction, infrastructure and manufacturing industries across the UK. However, as my hon. Friends have said, the east midlands’ economic growth has been held back by decades of under-investment. I therefore strongly welcome the £2 billion of transport funding for the East Midlands combined county authority, which should, in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at least, start to redress the balance.”
“I very much welcome the Government listening and acting so quickly on this subject. On 5 March, one of my constituents had an order of 500 litres of heating oil cancelled and was invited to remake the order, but he was then told that it would cost around twice as much as the previous order. Rob, who is on the state pension and is a wheelchair-user, could not afford to remake the order and therefore has had no central heating from 5 March. Does the Minister agree that all providers should be honouring contracts previously made?”
“What assessment has been made of the magnetic lockable pouches that are being used in some schools as a way of preventing any smartphone access during the entire school day, including lunch time and breaks? Could a national roll-out of those be considered?”
“T4. A growing number of ex-footballers are suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a form of dementia caused by repeated heading of the ball. These ex-players feel let down by the Professional Footballers’ Association, which has only provided support for those suffering from CTE once funding from the NHS, social services and family assets has been exhausted, leaving taxpayers rather than football bodies footing the bill for care. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that our heroes of the game are given appropriate support in their hour of need and that competition organisers provide adequate funding for ex-players with CTE?”
“I have spoken to groups across my constituency such as Transition Crich and Derbyshire Dales Community Energy, which are working to create new community-owned energy projects in order to cut bills and drive down emissions. The £1 billion announced today will significantly help with their aims. However, these groups will grow faster if they are able to sell their energy directly to households in their communities. Could the Secretary of State therefore update us on what plans he has to implement local supply rights for community energy schemes?”
“T4. Tideswell brook was deemed to be the second most pharmaceutically polluted river in the UK, despite being a site of special scientific interest and in a national park. Concentrations of some chemicals are currently more than 2.8 times higher than annual average environmental standards. Will the Government therefore follow the example recently set by the European Union, and require sewage treatment works to treat pharmaceutical micro- pollutants?”
“What assessment has the Minister made of the adequacy of housing provision for military veterans, particularly those with service-related injuries or disabilities, in rural areas such as Derbyshire Dales, where there is severe pressure on our affordable and supported housing stock?”
“New requirements will ensure that all local authorities offer family group decision making—a move that will keep more children out of care altogether, and which in turn will save authorities money. We are opening new Best Start family hubs in all English local authorities—something that we have really missed. Taken together, the changes will alleviate pressures on local authority children’s services and give greater protection to our children and greater support to carers. It will, of course, take time for many of these changes to be felt. However, having been on the frontlines of children’s social care for more than two decades, I know that these changes will make a real and tangible difference to our most vulnerable and at-risk children.”
“That was all off the back of the public purse. It is therefore welcome that, as a result of the Bill, large children’s placement providers will have to give regular financial information to a newly created financial oversight scheme. I am glad that the Bill will give the Government the power, if necessary, to cap the profits of private children’s home providers. There are many other positive changes to highlight, including those ensuring greater oversight on home schooling for children subject to a child protection order. The roll-out of the Staying Close programme will give care leavers from residential care—the number of whom has grown significantly—extra support to stay in housing and to get education and work.”
“Therefore, I welcome the additional £40 million that the Government are investing in children’s social care, which is helping to ensure that programmes such as Mockingbird continue to be rolled out across the country. If we cannot attract enough new foster carers—and that is always a challenge—then we need to keep hold of and support the ones we have. Secondly, the Government are bringing in important changes in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that will protect local authorities from paying exorbitant fees to large, privately run children’s home providers. As I have said previously, many more children are living in residential care due to the placement sufficiency crisis. As has been mentioned this morning, in 2022 the largest 20 providers of children’s residential placements collectively made £310 million in profits.”
“Every day that the previous Government were in power, an average of 140 children—equivalent to nearly five full classrooms—entered poverty. We now have a Minister for Children and Families who understands the problems we face, as he delivered the independent review of children’s social care. I will focus on some of the changes Labour has made to improve children’s services thus far. First, the continued roll-out of the Mockingbird programme, which brings new foster carers together with those who are more experienced, helping to create an extended family-like community around foster families, providing advice, expertise and support. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a group of foster carers about their experiences. Many told me of the positive impact the Mockingbird scheme had had on them.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Western. I thank the hon. Member for Woking (Mr Forster) for making a powerful speech. As a foster carer, a member of an adoption panel and a former lead member of a tier 1 local authority, I have seen at first hand the damage that austerity has caused to local authorities across the country, in particular to children’s services. The lack of resource and support has contributed to the number of children in care rocketing. That in turn has created a placement sufficiency crisis in children’s social care. The number of children in residential care more than doubled between 2010 and 2024. That has presented extra pressures on authorities, as children have to be routinely placed at a distance from their local area.”