Chris Webb

I am grateful for the opportunity to hold the final Adjournment debate of 2025. I thank everyone for staying behind to join me, and I thank the Minister as well. From what I have seen in the headlines, I believe she had a busy morning. People in Blackpool often feel forgotten by national politics, so it matters that their experience is the last issue debated in this Chamber before Christmas. Whereas colleagues in the House will be returning home to spend time with their families, this time of year is a period of struggle, rather than celebration, for many in my constituency. Throughout 2025, this Government have begun to show Blackpool that they understand the scale of our challenges, but belief takes time when a place has for so long been held up as a symbol of decline, a poster child for deprivation and a stark reflection of the pressures facing our country as a whole. I hope the Minister will join me in demonstrating to my home town that it is not forgotten, and it is no accident that we have saved this issue till last. In October, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government updated the English indices of deprivation for the first time since 2019, marking a rare and important moment to reassess Government action. The indices rank small areas in England according to deprivation across multiple domains. They look beyond income alone, taking account of housing, access to services, education, employment, health, crime and the living environment. Although it may feel like it for local people when their town is splashed across newspaper headlines, the indices are not a league table for shame; they are a tool for targeting Government action. If the 2025 indices do just one thing, they should convince the Government that action must focus on Blackpool.