Contributions
1,006 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionThere has been almost daily communication with the council, and the trade unions have made representations, too, but we need to be clear about appropriate roles and…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilIndustrial action continues to affect waste disposal services at Birmingham city council. The Government have repeatedly called for Unite to call off these strikes, and accept the…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionI am sure that sounded a better question when it was being drafted this morning. I do not think anyone takes pride in the strike action and the waste that accumulated on the…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionI share the hon. Member’s appreciation of community volunteers who are cleaning up the streets, just as I welcome the hard work of hundreds of frontline council workers who have…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionI think I have covered this at least a couple of times. As I said, we are grateful to our colleagues in the Ministry of Defence for the logistical support they have provided. We…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionWe have been here repeatedly for questions, statements and even urgent questions in the House, and on not a single occasion has the shadow Secretary of State or shadow Ministers…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionIt is clear from the negotiations that there are a number of moving parts. I should declare that we are not replicating those negotiations in this Chamber; they should be between…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionAs things stand, a normal service has returned to most streets at most times. The accumulated waste that was building up—which was not acceptable at all—has been removed. Some…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionIn a way, that question shows a misunderstanding of why Birmingham is in the situation it is in. It makes no more sense to say that Birmingham’s problems are because of its size…22 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionI am usually a bit suspicious when somebody starts their question with “This is a genuine question”, but that was actually a proper question. Members could learn from it. […22 Apr 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Gentleman does very well to go from zero to 100 pretty quickly on the issue, but let us step back from the immediacy of it. Clearly, we want all parties to be in the room…07 Apr 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI pay tribute to local leaders in Essex and other places for the leadership they have shown to make sure that there is sustainable and accountable local government at the end of…07 Apr 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsAll of us understand how difficult things are in Birmingham, and it is the Government’s job to support Birmingham to recover and get services back to normal. There are three…07 Apr 2025HANSARDSEND Funding: Council InsolvencyAs my hon. Friend says, this issue requires a whole-of-Government approach. When Governments work in silos, it is those who need support the most who fall through the gaps in the…07 Apr 2025HANSARDSEND Funding: Council InsolvencyFirst, we need to repair the system of SEND provision and deal with its impact on local authorities. The system is not sustainable in its current form, and we must reform it from…07 Apr 2025HANSARDSEND Funding: Council InsolvencyThe Government recognise the impact that spending on special educational needs and disabilities is having on council finances. A £1 billion increase to SEND and alternative…07 Apr 2025HANSARDTees Valley Combined Authority: Best Value NoticeTaxpayers expect and deserve well-functioning local and combined authorities which provide essential statutory services for local residents. This Government’s manifesto committed…03 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilWe both share the intention and ambition that it will be cleared as soon as possible. There should not be any further delay in reaching an agreement when it is quite clear that…31 Mar 2025HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilThe hon. Gentleman is trying to set up the good council and the bad council by party politics, but I am afraid that has been exhausted. The previous Government did this all the…31 Mar 2025HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilThere is a difference in tone between resolving the strike and breaking the strike. We absolutely stand ready to support the council and the workforce more generally, who do want…31 Mar 2025