Speeches by Blundell.

“Many people across the country will be watching the debate with real interest. I welcome the thoughtful contributions of colleagues across the House, including my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed), who I thank for securing the debate. From the outset, I express my solidarity with both Pales…”

“The past week has been profoundly difficult for constituents in the communities I represent—communities that still bear the scars that Shabir Ahmed inflicted from takeaways in Heywood. Over the past week, I have spoken with the family members of one of his victims; they are understandably fearful and deeply let down by…”

“11. What fiscal steps she is taking to help develop transport infrastructure in the north-west.”

“As the Chancellor will know, northern powerhouse has been spoken about since 2014, which is 12 years ago. If we are to get Northern Powerhouse Rail off the ground and delivered, we cannot let valuable land that could create tens of thousands of jobs and boost the northern economy be used as a cheap option. What recent …”

“As I made clear on Second Reading, this crucial Bill is about undoing the immeasurable damage done to our rail network, to passenger confidence and to economic prosperity after decades of privatisation and woeful mismanagement. I will focus on rail devolution. I commend the Transport Committee on its incisive report on…”

“I welcome the publication of the men’s health strategy, especially the measures in it designed to improve mental health outcomes. In a report that I recently sent to the ministerial team following an event I held with local charities and mental health service users, it became clear that the recommendations of the strat…”

“14. What steps he is taking to improve men’s mental health care provision in the north-west.”

“Pupils at St Cuthbert’s school are currently without teachers and support staff during their GCSEs. This follows prolonged industrial action at the St Teresa academy trust, where staff are opposing a potentially damaging restructuring of the school. As far as academies are concerned, the Department for Education appear…”

“3. What recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the adequacy of its service levels in Greater Manchester.”

“Last week, I held a meeting at the fantastic Burnside community centre in Langley with representatives from Royal Mail and constituents, including those who have had to deal with a substandard postal service resulting in crucial correspondence arriving weeks late, if at all. To many people in Heywood and Middleton Nort…”

“As we know, enforcement is generally funded by licensing revenue. However, in Greater Manchester, around 50% of private hire vehicles are licensed elsewhere to avoid our rigorous standards and fees, thus limiting the revenue that could be used for enforcement. Will the Minister please also set out how the Government wi…”

“My constituents in Heywood and Middleton North are tired of top-down policy making, and I hope that this Bill will be implemented with the backing it needs so that we can finally dismantle the structures that have failed our regions for decades. Further progress in areas such as ending out-of-area private hire vehicle …”

“Devolution has been a bedrock of growth in Greater Manchester, and going further can only help us go faster, from transport policy to regeneration and the co-ordination it takes at regional and local level to keep my constituents healthy and safe. As I made clear in my opening remarks, the more autonomy we obtain, the …”

“As I made clear on Report, the private hire and taxi sector is critical to our regional economies, but for too long the safety of passengers and the ability of licensing authorities to do their job has been undermined by a model that is not fit for purpose. I hope that the measures being considered today will be a step…”

“The implications of this legislation will be significant for communities across the country. It is therefore crucial that we get it right. I pay tribute to Eamonn Boylan, who sadly passed away earlier this month—a pivotal figure for Greater Manchester’s devolution journey. During his time as chief executive of the comb…”

“Even now that there will be a clearer line of communication between licensing authorities, a lack of local knowledge, context and history will mean that decisions could still be made in a vacuum. My constituents would agree that local enforcement measures are best carried out by authorities who have local understanding…”

“12. What steps his Department is taking to improve support for people with eating disorders.”

“Too many people affected by eating disorders are not receiving the help they need—help often comes too late, with serious physical symptoms overlooked or misattributed. It is clear that those on the frontline must have the training they need to identify early warning signs. What further steps are being taken to ensure …”

“I commend the bravery of the constituents I have met who have endured decades of anguish as a result of this harrowing chapter in our country’s medical history. The Minister will know that there are those across the country with legitimate claims under this scheme, but because some NHS trusts are claiming that their lo…”

“As the Minister knows, since my election I have been campaigning for an express bus service from my constituency to Manchester city centre. Following key improvements to the network across Greater Manchester, a consultation that I did across my constituency shows that we still need the introduction of that express bus …”