Commons Debates Security, Baby Loss and UK–EU Relations
High-Level Summary
The sitting opened with Sagal Abdi-Wali taking and subscribing the Oath as the Member for Holborn and St Pancras. Oral questions covered youth employment, welfare, pensions, parental leave, rural employment and employment support, followed by statements on international affairs, national security and the Drumcree parade. Members also heard Select Committee statements on written parliamentary questions and international climate finance, and debated Baby Loss Awareness Week. The House agreed the Baby Loss Awareness Week motion; the transcript records no division, and the sitting concluded with a petition on Cubert Crossroads and an adjournment debate on Amber Valley high streets.
Detailed Summary
New Member and Work and Pensions questions
Sagal Abdi-Wali took and subscribed the Oath as the Member for Holborn and St Pancras: “Sagal Abdi-Wali, for Holborn and St Pancras.” Work and Pensions questions then covered youth guarantee trailblazer areas, apprenticeships, support for women born in the 1950s affected by state pension changes, statutory paternity pay, welfare spending, rural employment, youth employment, the Alan Milburn report, beauty-sector training, pension scheme surpluses and youth hubs. Ministers described early evidence from the youth guarantee trailblazers as encouraging and said that a full evaluation would be published the following year. Pat McFadden referred to an additional “£2.5 billion” for the youth guarantee, creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
The exchanges also covered disagreements about welfare policy, youth unemployment, disability benefits and the cost of employing young people. Ministers emphasised local and tailored employment support. Torsten Bell said legal proceedings prevented further comment on the position concerning women affected by accelerated increases in the state pension age; Stephen Timms confirmed that “self-employed parents are explicitly covered in the terms of reference of the current review.” Other stated next steps included the final Personal Independence Payment review before the end of the year, the parental leave and pay review early in the new year, a White Paper on English devolution later in the year, and promised letters, visits or meetings on constituency issues. The Minister for Employment also said that a full evaluation of the jobs guarantee would be published.
International update: Ukraine, security and the UK–EU relationship
Andy Burnham reported on the United Nations General Assembly and related international events. He reaffirmed support for Ukraine, referred to new funding and sanctions, supported an energy ceasefire, addressed Iranian and Russian threats, confirmed plans for a national centre for information defence, and announced that the UK–EU summit would take place in Brussels on 20 November. He said the summit could cover food and drink trade, emissions trading, energy links, a youth experience scheme and immigration co-operation, describing it as an opportunity for “boosting UK growth and controlling illegal immigration.”
The principal exchange concerned whether closer UK–EU co-operation would improve growth and security or reopen disputes about Brexit. Kemi Badenoch criticised the Government’s focus and negotiating approach, while other Members argued for wider co-operation, including on youth mobility and trade. Burnham said the referendum was legitimate and would be respected, while advocating a pragmatic agreement to reduce trade friction and improve immigration data-sharing. He said freedom of movement was “not on the table, and it is not up for discussion.” Other issues included defence, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, the Falkland Islands, Sudan, artificial-intelligence governance, energy prices, Russian interference and British manufacturing. Stated next steps included work towards the November summit, consideration of proposals raised by Members, and developing global AI principles during the UK’s 2027 G20 presidency. No longer-term change to the UK–EU relationship was decided in the statement.
National security statement
Shabana Mahmood outlined the Government’s response to terrorism, state threats, attacks on public figures, threats to Jewish communities and incidents at military bases. She announced the immediate expansion of police support to former MPs, peers and party spokespeople, and an independent review of protective security led by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, reporting within six months. She also announced a public inquiry into the deaths of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby at the Heaton Park synagogue, additional policing funding for Jewish communities, sanctions against two individuals connected with Iranian activity, and further measures on state threats, cyber-security and disinformation. In discussing protection for people in public life, she said: “It is a fragmented system.”
Members supported the police and security services but questioned the handling of the RAF Fairford arrests and bail decisions, information given to MPs and former MPs whose names appeared on a list, and the security of military bases. The Home Secretary said that bail decisions were operational matters for the police and declined to comment on live investigations. She confirmed that “No one had or has diplomatic immunity”. She said the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the earlier incident involving the Member for Clacton was expected to conclude early the following year, and that the Government would keep responses to hostile-state activity under review. Further next steps included discussions with the Speaker and Lord Speaker, a meeting for RAF Fairford residents with the Security Minister, improved agency co-operation, and ensuring that the review covered devolved Administrations, councillors and other elected officials.
Drumcree parade
Chris Bryant reported his decision under section 11 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 to prohibit the Drumcree procession after the circumstances had changed since the Parades Commission’s original determination. The Court of Appeal had refused leave to appeal and confirmed the Commission’s determination of 25 September, which allowed 35 members of the Portadown lodge to walk along the Garvaghy Road without music. An unlawful protest then prevented the procession. After negotiations with the Portadown lodge and the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition failed to produce an agreement, the Chief Constable advised that facilitating the procession carried “an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder and a wider contagion affect across Northern Ireland.” Bryant said he had acted on the statutory process, police advice and the changed circumstances, while maintaining that unlawful conduct should be dealt with by the police and prosecuting authorities.
Opposition Members argued that the decision rewarded unlawful obstruction and could weaken respect for lawful parades and independent adjudication. Bryant rejected the accusation that he had surrendered to mob rule, said that the Court of Appeal’s decision concerned a different question from his assessment of the situation on 9 October, and emphasised that events had remained peaceful. The stated next steps were police action concerning unlawful protesting, continued co-operation with the courts and the Parades Commission, the existing inquiry led by Justice O’Hara, and work to rebuild cross-community relationships. The transcript records no division.
Select Committee statements: written parliamentary questions and international climate finance
Cat Smith presented the Procedure Committee’s review of written parliamentary questions (WPQs). She said the system was under pressure from rising numbers and concerns about the quality and timeliness of responses. The recommendations included personal Member approval of staff-submitted questions, retaining the limit of 20 questions per Member per sitting day, introducing recess limits, renaming “carding” as “querying”, establishing a 4 pm Monday-to-Thursday cut-off, renaming named-day questions as “priority questions”, and creating a public monthly departmental performance dashboard. The Committee recommended that the Government bring forward a motion endorsing the report as a whole: “We hope that colleagues will support that motion when it comes before the House.” The transcript records no questions after the statement and no decision on the recommendations that day.
Sarah Champion presented the International Development Committee’s report on international climate finance. She argued that reductions in official development assistance had affected the transparency and credibility of climate-finance commitments, and called for funding that was accessible to local organisations, inclusive of women and girls, and directed towards climate-vulnerable countries. The Committee accepted a role for private capital but said it should complement rather than replace grant-based finance. Members called for clearer information about the recipients and effects of funding; Champion said that without it, “it becomes impossible to see the impact we are having.” No decision or division is recorded for this statement.
Baby Loss Awareness Week
The Backbench Business debate addressed maternity and neonatal safety, miscarriage care, bereavement support, inequalities, staffing, accountability and the implementation of recommendations from recent reviews. Andy MacNae, Michelle Welsh, Jeremy Hunt, Alicia Kearns, Helen Morgan, Dr Caroline Johnson and other Members called for measurable national targets, a properly independent maternity and neonatal commissioner, improved miscarriage and baby-loss data, continuity of care, better co-operation between midwives and obstetricians, protection for staff who raise concerns, and specialist long-term mental-health and bereavement support. Members also raised baby-loss certificates, Group B Streptococcus screening, maternal blood clots, CPR training, post-mortem delays, support for non-birthing partners, historical forced-adoption records and maternity-service pressures in North Devon. MacNae summarised the concern about implementation by saying: “Families have heard promises before.”
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government were developing a national action plan and a modern services framework, and intended to legislate for and appoint an independent maternity and neonatal commissioner. She also referred to expanding Martha’s rule to maternity and neonatal services, additional investment of £9 million in bereavement suites, the inclusion of miscarriage in the framework, action on ethnic and deprivation inequalities, and a Group B Strep trial whose evidence would be considered by the UK National Screening Committee. She gave Cat Smith a personal undertaking to follow up cross-border baby-loss certificates with the Scottish Government and said that North Devon’s workforce issues were being examined. The motion was agreed: “That this House has considered Baby Loss Awareness Week.”
Cubert Crossroads petition and Amber Valley high streets
Jayne Kirkham presented a petition signed by more than 1,000 people in two villages concerning highway safety at Cubert Crossroads. It cited visibility below national standards for a 60 mph road, increased seasonal traffic and possible measures including average-speed cameras, restrictions on turning, traffic lights or a roundabout. The petition requested Government support for appropriate safety measures: “The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to support the campaign to ensure that Cubert Crossroads has appropriate highway safety measures in place”. The petition was recorded as P003243. No ministerial response or decision on the requested measures is stated in the transcript.
In an adjournment debate, Linsey Farnsworth raised pressures on the high streets of Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley, including vacant premises, crime and antisocial behaviour, business mix, parking, and the closure of Denby Pottery, which had resulted in the loss of 350 jobs and around 250,000 visitors a year. She sought support for Alfreton regeneration, a £21,000 feasibility study for the Premier Electric theatre in Somercotes, and completion of the Heanor science-block and cinema project. Jim McMahon referred to the £210 million derelict-buildings fund, high-street rental-auction powers, a community right to buy, action against organised high-street crime, business-rates measures and a forthcoming high-streets strategy. He said that the strategy would be published “later this year”. He invited further discussion of the Amber Valley projects. The motion to adjourn was agreed and the House adjourned; the transcript records no division.