Commons
Westminster Hall
21 October 2025
Ending Homelessness
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing the debate. Does he agree with me that, difficult as it might be, the key to the problem that he has correctly outlined is the availability of lower-cost, good quality social housing? We must aim to expand that as quickly and successfully as possible in the…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
15 October 2025
Defence Industrial Strategy
I welcome both the Minister to his place and the defence growth deal. Does he agree that he now needs to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that the supply chain in Northern Ireland extends beyond Harland & Wolff and the greater Belfast area, so that everyone in Northern Ireland …
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 October 2025
Knife Crime
My hon. Friend talks about putting words into action. Does he agree with me—this has been expressed in the debate—that it is good, proper and appropriate that we have a debate like this on the increasing prevalence of knife crime? It would be better to see the result of this debate in Government act…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles
The Secretary of State indicated that the Government are introducing what he described as “strong safeguards”, and he says that the legacy commission will be
“under a duty not to duplicate aspects of any previous investigations unless there are compelling reasons that make it essential.”
What will…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
Warm Home Discount: Fuel Poverty
Despite the oil price being at a six-month low this week, energy prices remain stubbornly high. Given the onset of winter, what further steps will the Minister and his Department take by way of a warm home scheme?
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
16 September 2025
Court Estate: Restoration and Renewal
Does the Minister agree that access to justice is very important, particularly in rural areas, where sometimes witnesses or those offering family support have to travel to court appearances? Is it not vital to maximise accessibility for such people?
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 September 2025
2 contributions
International Day of Democracy
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. Does she agree that our democracy, and wider democracies around the globe, need to be sufficiently strong, wide and deep to tolerate views and opinions that we may fundamentally disagree with, but are allowed to be expressed peacefully and democra…
The murder of Charlie Kirk shows the most concerning aspect of democracy in the United States, but almost as concerning was the aftermath, when a number of people sought to justify his murder, and to explain it and define it, by quoting—sometimes in context, sometimes out of context—something he is …
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2025
2 contributions
Windsor Framework: Internal Market Guarantee
rose—
I thank the Minister for giving way. Things have improved only marginally, and not at sufficient speed. I suppose that those of us who live in the real world will say that things would have been much worse if Stormont had not been back up and running. However, I will give an example of the issues.
…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2025
Equality Act 2010: Impact on British Society
On the issue of the opposite to what is intended happening in practice, does my hon. Friend agree that, particularly with DEI-related matters, although legislative changes seek to protect those who have genuinely been affected and feel they must seek redress, they often attract people who will malic…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
Planning Reform: Economic Growth
As the Chancellor tries to cut through the bureaucratic red tape around planning outlines, can she undertake that, if successful over the course of the next six to 12 months, she will share that success with the other regions and nations in the United Kingdom, so that we can all benefit from simplif…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2025
Hydrogen Supply Chains
The hon. Member refers to geography. In Northern Ireland, particularly in my adjoining constituency of North Antrim, hydrogen buses have become a phenomenon that was unheard of 15 or 20 years ago. This week, with the tube strike taking place, buses are being used inordinately in London and are makin…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Use of Drones in Defence
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. He is outlining accurately the issue in Ukraine, where the Russians are deploying drones to devastating effect. Does he agree that, unfortunately, the west has not armed Ukraine sufficiently to counter that threat and ensure there is a pushba…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
Topical Questions
The Secretary of State reiterated the issue of the conditional recognition of the state of Palestine. If the Government want to do that, would it not be better equally to make it a condition that any future state of Palestine does not threaten the right of the state of Israel to exist, and that if a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
The Battle of Britain
I congratulate the hon. Member on this debate and his magnificent introduction. I am sure he spent some time preparing it, and it is a tremendous introduction. Would he agree that what he is outlining, and I think we all have to commit ourselves to this, is not just that our generation remembers the…
Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
Mental Health Research Funding: Eating Disorders
The eating disorder issue is escalating, as the Minister rightly points out. Will he agree to hold discussions and consultations with the devolved structures in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so this issue goes to the top of the list of issues that have not really been dealt with in the past …
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 July 2025
Black Country Day
I congratulate the hon. Lady not only on securing the debate, but on the magnificent job she is doing in selling the Black Country to Westminster Hall and the wider community. Does she agree that her celebrating Black Country Day and others celebrating other days demonstrates the diversity across th…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 July 2025
Financial Services Reform
In her statement, the Economic Secretary was right when she alluded to the FTSE being at a record high yesterday, though many international indices, whether in the US, the far east or Europe, are also at record highs since the April low. She also alluded to the cash ISA problem. What will be done to…
Commons
Proceedings
16 July 2025
Sudan
The unfolding scenario in Sudan almost defies description. The Minister has quite rightly spoken about the importance of accessibility. Does she agree that, for accessibility to work in terms of aid, resources and assistance, there needs to be a comprehensive international approach in order even to …
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Credit Unions
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate; many of us have been involved with credit unions for a number of years. She has spoken about the diversification of credit unions. Last night, the Chancellor said she is trying to encourage more people into market-based savings products. Does the…
Not quite!
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 July 2025
Further Education Institutions
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. Regional colleges such as the North West regional college and the Northern regional college in my constituency do exactly what the hon. Lady outlines. Particularly, the likes of apprenticeships are the future for many young people, especially thos…
Commons
Oral Questions
15 July 2025
Warm Home Discount
The Minister will be aware that many homes, particularly in rural areas, are older properties that are difficult to insulate. Does she agree that we all need to concentrate on those older types of properties, many of which are the homes of elderly people who cannot afford expensive energy? We need t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 July 2025
5 contributions
British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the implementation of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. At the centre of the issue that we are debating today is how successive Governments—Labour, Conservative, Conservat…
I thank my hon. Friend for that. Indeed, of the passports that I held, the British one was mine. The other one was not—I can reassure him of that. I acquired it temporarily for the purpose of this debate; I will hand it back to its rightful owner. My hon. Friend is right: we have at long last seen a…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2025
Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution
On that point, would the hon. Gentleman agree that what we must avoid at all costs is equating those who went out meticulously planning—over days, weeks or even months—to take innocent life with the split-second decisions, as he alluded to, made by the forces of law and order, which may have resulte…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
9 July 2025
Broadcasting: Scotland
There have been a number of co-productions by BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Does the Minister agree that we should develop and promote co-productions throughout the nations and regions of the United Kingdom, so that we can see excellence and best practice everywhere in the UK?
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 July 2025
Glaucoma Awareness
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. He rightly alludes to the issue of regular eye testing. Although we obviously want a response from the Minister, does he agree that if nothing else is achieved from this debate but raising people’s awareness about doing exactly as he recommen…