It was another busy week in Parliament. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill passed through all its legislative stages in the House of Commons this week and will now be read in the House of Lords.
This bill delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitment to ban the live export of animals for slaughter and fattening. It will prevent animals from undergoing unnecessary long export journeys, instead using shorter and less stressful domestic journeys, and will also ensure that animals are slaughtered domestically, in high welfare UK slaughterhouses.
Although no animals have been exported for slaughter from Britain since the Government announced its intention to bring forward a ban in 2021, this Bill makes this permanent. I look forward to it now passing through the House of Lords and becoming law.
The government’s flagship Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill also passed its legislative stages in the House of Commons this week.
The UK has a proud history of supporting those in need of protection. However, the numbers crossing the English Channel illegally via small boats reached 45,000 in 2022. This is simply unsustainable - placing significant strain on public services and impacting our ability to help those who are genuinely in danger and have come via our safe and legal routes.
As such, the Rwanda Bill, which builds on previous government legislation to tackle this issue, will deter and prevent unlawful migration and will enable the removal of illegal migrants to Rwanda. This will help deliver on the Prime Minister's priority to stop the illegal, and dangerous, Channel boat crossings and will ensure that people know that if they come to the UK illegally, they will not be able to stay.
On Monday, I also attended a Parliamentary meeting with the Mathematics Education for Social Mobility and Excellence (MESME) charity. Thankfully, English pupils have rocketed up the international maths rankings from 27th in 2009 to 11th in 2022. The Prime Minister is determined to continue helping our children excel in maths, ensuring that they will one day be able to take advantage of the future growth in high-tech jobs.
The Government also announced a new £2 million Government fund for domestic abuse victims this week, which will provide one-off payments for victims to help them leave their tormentor and rebuild their lives. The money, which will be delivered by over 470 support services, can be used for essential items such as groceries and nappies, or support with new accommodation to help victims and their children flee to safety.
Locally, I have worked closely with Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service and have seen the amazing work it does to support victims of domestic violence. This funding will help them continue to deliver vital support to vulnerable families.
Finally, I was delighted to hear that Gorse Hill Baptist Church has been awarded £59,000 from the Government's Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund.
The church and its volunteers do amazing work to support the local community, and throughout the world, through initiatives such as Operation Agri, which raised £1225 to help farmers in Tanzania; and the Boxes of Hope Project - which delivered 1200 food parcels to families in Swindon during the Covid pandemic.
I am delighted the Government has recognised the fantastic work Gorse Hill Baptist Church does and is providing additional funding to ensure that it can continue to deliver vital support.
