Speeches by Uppal.

“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement. Cuts in social security for disabled people under the last Government led to their living in poverty with little or no increase in employment rates. What assessments have been made of the impact of these changes on their income, and will the Secretary of State ensure th…”

“Tackling climate change should matter to all of us because it affects all of us. At COP29, the UK led the way on setting strong climate targets. How is the Minister ensuring that measures are in place to track progress against our COP commitments? How is she working with businesses, local authorities and industry to de…”

“I recently met a constituent who is a former postmaster affected by the Horizon scandal. He has applied for compensation but feels that the process is taking too long, with unreasonable asks. Given the legal ruling that postmasters should be afforded the benefit of the doubt, what steps is the Department taking to ensu…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) for securing this important debate. It is with huge pride that I stand here today as the first woman MP for Huddersfield—[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!]—but hopefully not the last. Female leadership continues in my local area, with a female leader of the counc…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan, and I give huge thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Sarah Smith) for securing this important debate. As other colleagues have said, in 2019 India made the unilateral move to downgrade Jammu and Kashmir to two union territories, revoking arti…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I thank the Father of the House for bringing forward this vital debate. The already strained Palestinian healthcare system in the west bank has been further weakened, and is facing significant budget constraints stemming from Israel’s increased withholding of …”

“The TransPennine route upgrade is the biggest rail infrastructure project in the country, and my constituency is at the centre of it. One of the main benefits for passengers will be faster and more reliable trains. Will the Secretary of State update the House on the project, and tell us what steps are being taken to en…”

“12. What steps she is taking to improve passenger rail performance.”

“I support my hon. Friend’s call, and it is disappointing that we do not have any Members from the official Opposition present. Research shows that, for every £1 invested in youth work, the return to the taxpayer is between £3.20 and £6.40. Additionally, for every £1 invested in child and adolescent mental health servic…”

“I have had the privilege of witnessing at first hand the exceptional work of my local hospices, Forget Me Not children’s hospice and the Kirkwood. However, as my hon. Friends the Members for Rushcliffe (James Naish) and for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill (Kate Osamor) have stated, they are also struggling with long-term f…”

“20. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of long-term funding for hospices.”

“I am sure the Minister has heard what the hon. Lady has said. I am proud that the Government are developing a national youth strategy, which has not happened before. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that the closure of youth clubs led to a 4% drop in GCSE performance at age 16, with even greater effec…”

“Yes, I do agree. If we want the young futures hubs and other youth initiatives to succeed, we need to invest in training and development for youth workers. I urge the Government to consider a national training programme for youth workers to ensure that we have safe, effective and impactful youth provision. Good youth s…”

“I do agree that we need more protections, and I am sure the Minister has heard my hon. Friend’s point about statutory protection. I, too, urge hon. Members to sign up to my hon. Friend’s application for a Backbench Business debate. As hon. Members have said, providing youth services reduces the need later in life for m…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and I hope we can work together on that issue in the future.”

“I agree with my hon. Friend that we need more investment in youth services, and I am sure the Minister has heard the point about statutory provision. I know from recent meetings with incredible organisations working in this space that the young futures hubs pilot is hugely welcomed, and they would appreciate confirmati…”

“My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We must make sure that young people play a part in the programmes that are delivered for them. While 22 young futures hubs are being piloted through the shared outcomes fund, they are only funded for one year. To recover from years of Conservative neglect, youth services need su…”

“I agree with my hon. Friend. I will make a bit of progress before taking more interventions. More than one in five children now have a diagnosable mental health condition, and many wait over a year to access a mental health specialist, with nearly 40,000 children waiting more than two years in 2023-24. Research shows t…”

“The hon. Member is quite right, and I am coming to that point now. Unfortunately, we are seeing the consequences of reductions in youth service provision across the country, as organised criminal gangs lure children and young people into county lines networks and organised criminality. Too many communities have seen ch…”

“I do agree. I will now take the intervention from the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire).”