Speeches by Vince.

“I welcome the Home Secretary to her place. My community in Harlow has been let down by the lack of neighbourhood policing. What will the Home Secretary do to address this issue, both through police on the streets and through the resources they have?”

“4. What steps her Department is taking to improve neighbourhood policing.”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that the principle should be that drivers should be licensed by the local authority for the area in which they are operating. Cross-border hiring is undermining high standards, and it strips councils like Harlow of the power to oversee and enforce proper regulations. A driver who …”

“I agree. We are talking about passenger safety. If somehow we could set aside the issue of safety—I believe we cannot—there are other grave consequences of the legislation. It is undermining the livelihood of our taxi drivers. Drivers operating under cross-border licences often lack the local knowledge necessary to pro…”

“I will carry on with this bit of my speech. This situation erodes trust in industry at a time when we should champion local businesses. Instead, we are creating obstacles for them. How can I or anyone in this Chamber look our local taxi drivers in the eye and tell them that we are truly on their side? Right now, I cann…”

“I agree—that is part of what I am talking about. We want to support our local taxi drivers.”

“I am going to make some progress. I have heard first-hand accounts from Harlow’s taxi drivers. Will the Minister commit to take action? Will he consider reforming the law to introduce national minimum standards, empower councils to enforce regulations across borders and ensure that private hire journeys either start or…”

“My hon. Friend is right to say that different authorities have different standards. One issue is not being licensed in the authority where that taxi operates.”

“My hon. Friend is right; covid hit tax drivers in my constituency very hard, and we should do what we can to support them. Repealing some of the legislation would help to do that. I am on my final paragraph, you will be pleased to know, Madam Deputy Speaker. This is not just about needless red tape but—”

“No, I am going to finish. This is about essential regulation that protects lives and livelihoods. The hard-working taxi drivers, on whom so many of us depend, deserve a level playing field. Above all, passengers deserve to know that when they step into a taxi, they are safe. I urge the Minister to consider these propos…”

“My hon. Friend is right; this is not just a bureaucratic oversight, but a public safety crisis waiting to happen. Vehicles are not being inspected regularly enough and drivers are not being vetted thoroughly enough. Passengers, who trust that any taxi they step into is safe, are the ones left exposed. Taxis often serve…”

“I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will take this as a friendly intervention, as he knows what I am going to say. He talks about family carers and mentioned teenagers who support loved ones, which is important, but does he agree that we should recognise the role of young carers? Having worked with them, I know that t…”

“As I have already mentioned a few times in this place, carers played a significant role in my journey to this Chamber. I worked at first hand with young carers for two and a half years until I was elected. I really welcome the use of the term “family carers” in this debate, because the charity I worked for was called A…”

“Will the Minister update the House on the wider reforms that our Government are seeking to introduce to the House of Lords, and why these reforms should not be delayed by this specific Bill that, as the right hon. Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson) said, was widely supported by the elec…”

“Ultimately, I want to do what I can to support people who have pets in their home, and my hon. Friend is right to say that we do not want people to face the anxiety of potentially being in a situation where a pet could be forced out of their home. As I was about to say, 62% of homeowners in the UK have a pet, and as wa…”

“Does the Minister agree that this legislation will help not only the many people in the private rented sector, but charities, such as the one I worked for in Harlow, which helps people who are homeless to get into the private rented sector? Would he also agree that this legislation could have come much sooner?”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to contribute to this important debate and speak in favour of this Bill. Before I do so, let me take the opportunity to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven (Chris Ward) for his excellent speech. As the Member for Harlow, I live in a town …”

“I will.”

“I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way on the point of farmers’ mental health. As my constituency neighbour, will he join me in championing YANA—You Are Not Alone—a local charity that is now stretching into Essex, and supports the mental health of farmers and rural workers?”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak in this debate. I find it incredible that, after 14 years and an abysmal record on education, Conservative Members want a debate on education, but somehow I am not surprised. I often joked that, if they had the opportunity, they would blame teacher…”