Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
29 January 2026
5 contributions
Trade with the EU
Some 46% of the UK’s trade is with the EU, but we want to do far better, achieving trade with the EU that is as frictionless as possible. We are in the process of fine tuning the deal that we reached last year on food and drink, and negotiating on joining the single electricity market. We want to im…
On touring artists, we are absolutely determined to secure that—not least because I have personally promised Elton John that we will, as has the Prime Minister. [ Interruption. ] I see the right hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) chuntering. I think he is bidding to be a trade envoy for som…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
29 January 2026
3 contributions
Support for Pubs: Fylde
From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill, on top of the £4.3 billion of support announced in the Budget. Bills will then be frozen in real terms for a further two years. We have also raised the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, meaning that 8…
I note the hon. Gentleman’s support for pubs in his constituency. It is obviously intense—he basically took us on a pub crawl there. If he is looking for a Valentine’s day dinner, perhaps with his wife, the Coach & Horses in Freckleton is offering two mains and two drinks for £25.99. But we will…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
13 contributions
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.
We want businesses to grow, innovate, expand, invest, find new markets here and overseas, develop new products and new services, and bring them successfully to market. That often requires two forms of financial support from Government: grants …
Oh, all right.
+11 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
11 December 2025
12 contributions
Topical Questions
I apologise on behalf of the Secretary of State, who is striking deals in the United States of America. In recent weeks, we have announced £2.5 billion of investment in the UK’s first small modular reactor site at Wylfa, launched a critical minerals strategy and done a deal with the US on pharmaceut…
Yes.
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
11 December 2025
8 contributions
Economic Growth
We are championing investment across every nation and region. At the recent regional investment summit and Wales investment summit, we showcased the strengths of our world-leading sectors and secured billions in private investment and commitments. We are making the UK the best place to start, scale …
My hon. Friend refers to his long and proud career in the industry. It can’t have been that long, because he is so young— [ Interruption. ] I am being nice.
One thing I have felt very strongly about for a long time is that the hospitality industry in the UK needs to consider a job in the industry a…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
11 December 2025
11 contributions
Small and Medium-sized Businesses
Without our small businesses, we as a country are nothing, which is why we have published the first small business strategy in 10 years. We are going to change the law to tackle late payment, unlock billions to support businesses to invest, and revitalise the British high street.
When I visited those at the de-alcoholisation unit at another brewery, the Budweiser factory just outside Newport, last week, they said that one of the really important things was being able to diversify, because of changing drinking habits in the UK. However, they also want the British Government t…
+9 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 December 2025
4 contributions
Fairtrade Certification
It is British.
I am not sure how long you think I will go on for, Mrs Hobhouse, but I will take that admonition in the way I think it was intended. It is obviously an enormous delight to have you in the Chair, notwithstanding your admonition. It is also a great delight to have this debate, which plays an important…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
9 September 2025
27 contributions
Jaguar Land Rover Cyber-attack
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I fully recognise the anxiety and deep concern that employees at Jaguar Land Rover and across the supply chain will be feeling. The Government and the National Cyber Security Centre will do everything in our power to help resolve this as soon as possible. We are engaging with …
First, I commend my hon. Friend on seeking this urgent question and you, Mr Speaker, on granting it. My hon. Friend makes the important point that Jaguar Land Rover is not only an iconic national brand, but a very significant employer—it employs 34,000 people in the UK, including in his constituency…
+25 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
21 contributions
Hospitality Sector
If I might, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will start with an apology. As I told the shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the hon. Member for Droitwich and Evesham (Nigel Huddleston), last night, I am not able to be here for the end of this debate—I do apologise.
Well, I am glad that people like me being here—that is very kind. I am not going to be kind for the rest of my speech, so the shadow Business Secretary, the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), should not get used to that.
What an absolute joy it is to see the shadow Business …
+19 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 July 2025
17 contributions
Music Streaming: Label-led Principles
And now for something completely different. With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement about the Government’s progress with industry on the remuneration of artists in the music sector.
Music is not just the food of love. It does not just set our hearts dancing and express our de…
Incidentally, I see that the former shadow Secretary of State is here, the right hon. Member for Daventry (Stuart Andrew), now shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We wish him well in his new job.
It is a great delight to hear from the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr Fren…
+15 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 July 2025
7 contributions
Information Commissioner’s Office: Relocation
As usual, it is a great delight to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg.
I warmly commend the right hon. Member for Tatton (Esther McVey) for doing something perhaps intrinsic to our political system—because, unlike in many other systems around the world, we have a constituency model—and standin…
I will not give way to the right hon. Lady for a moment, because she has posed quite a lot of questions that I need to answer.
The right hon. Lady asked about funding. A statutory instrument was laid to change the ICO’s funding arrangements, because successive Governments have loaded it up with mor…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
14 July 2025
7 contributions
Royal Albert Hall Bill [Lords]
Well, this is a rum old affair, isn’t it? I think we can definitely put this down as one of the recondite moments of parliamentary democracy. A number of people have asked me today, “What on earth is all this about?” and then said, “What is an opposed private Bill?” or “What has the Chairman of Ways…
Yes—well, it would have been endlessly hard rock, wouldn’t it, if it was just to please him?
Of course, this debate is timely because the Proms are about to start. The Proms are one of the most renowned British cultural institutions in the UK, where the BBC meets the public in a more open way than …
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
Topical Questions
The hospice sector is not specifically my responsibility, but of course I value hospices. To go back to the earlier point about the state of the finances in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this is the first Secretary of State who has managed to get £3 billion for investment in capital f…
Commons
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
3 contributions
British Musical Acts: International Promotion
The new music growth package will invest up to £30 million to help emerging British artists access international markets with support for touring, showcasing and export promotion.
If only the right hon. Gentleman had been a Minister in the previous Government, when they failed to take the deal that was on offer from the European Union. I am absolutely determined to get this sorted. We got something— [ Interruption. ] If he wants to start promoting creative industries abroad, …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
4 contributions
Heritage Sector: Impact of Spending Review
I want to pay tribute to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the way she conducted the spending review. In the words of Diana Ross, she reached out and touched our Department with £8.2 billion, meaning we can make this world a better place. For the heritage sector, the Department for Culture, Media …
Did you say Ben Hur, Mr Speaker? I do not think we are going to enact Ben Hur.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 July 2025
Space Weather
It is a delight to see you in your place, Mr Turner, and to take part in this debate.
Given the weather we have been having, it is somewhat ironic that we are worrying about space weather. People sometimes think the sun is a wonderful thing and a delight when it comes out in the UK. It also helps i…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
6 contributions
Topical Questions
The Department is determined to make the UK the best place in the world for science and technology. Last week, the spending review committed £86 billion to research and development, enabling every aspect of our tech economy to start firing on all cylinders. Building on that, we published the digital…
I know that that is an issue in my hon. Friend’s constituency because he has tabled at least 10 questions to me on the subject over the last week, all of which we have answered in time. I am keen to ensure that we as MPs persuade the mobile companies to invest more in getting better mobile coverage …
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
2 contributions
Digital Inclusion: Southend East and Rochford
The digital inclusion action plan is one of things I am proudest of. Only this morning I launched the “IT reuse for good” charter. One thing that is really problematic for many families who do not have access to the internet is that they simply do not have a device. I urge every Member of the House …
My hon. Friend makes a strong point: we need digital inclusion for every community. If we are going to have a digital Government, we need to have a digital nation, and we cannot have some people excluded from that future. That is why we have announced £6 million in this financial year for the innova…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
3 contributions
Health Science and Innovation
From the development of vaccines to the discovery of the structure of DNA, British medical innovation has played a fundamental role in changing the lives of people globally and extending the UK’s global influence. Our industrial strategy and forthcoming life sciences sector plan will put the UK at t…
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is absolutely essential, not only for other countries in the world, where we have managed to save many lives by introducing vaccines, but for UK innovation. We are fully committed to Gavi. We will be producing our life sciences sector plan soon, and we want to celebrate th…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
3 contributions
Science and Innovation Funding
The Chancellor has announced that the Government’s research and development spending plans go through to 2029-30 and that our R&D budget is rising from £13.9 billion in 2025-26 to £15.2 billion in 2029-30—a real-terms increase—and will total £58.5 billion over the spending review period. I am su…
My hon. Friend is right that it is a brilliant project, and it is precisely the kind of thing the UK excels at: we manage to get the private sector working with Government and local government to deliver not only jobs but real innovation. As the Secretary of State is not here today, I am sure I can …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
3 contributions
Artificial Intelligence: Legislative Proposals
As soon as we have legislative proposals on AI, we will introduce them to the House and let the right hon. Member know in the usual way.
The right hon. Member has become terribly Eeyore-ish of late—he has been eating too many thistles, I think. The truth of the matter is that this is a really good idea. It is only at an embryonic stage. It was consulted on in the creative industries taskforce, which is led by Baroness Shriti Vadera a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
3 contributions
Rural Mobile Coverage
Rural mobile coverage just is not good enough, which is why we have committed all the money needed to complete the shared rural network, with new masts coming online every month. I can also announce that Ofcom’s new coverage checker will come online tomorrow, and I urge every single Member to check …
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. The new checker comes online tomorrow—I know that many hon. Members will have looked at the checker in the past and thought, “That simply doesn’t bear any relationship to my lived experience.” From tomorrow, it will. The new checker is much better; Members will be …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
25 June 2025
2 contributions
High-speed Internet
The Secretary of State is in Singapore celebrating 60 years of diplomacy between our countries and drumming up investment, so I am afraid you have the deputies today, Mr Speaker.
Access to high-speed internet is essential and we are determined to take everyone with us into the digital age. I am gla…
Funnily enough, the statistics in the hon. Member’s constituency are better than the national average—just very slightly, by a smidgen—but I am very happy to meet him. More importantly, he could come into the Department and meet Building Digital UK so that we can explain exactly what needs to happen…
Commons
Proceedings
23 June 2025
16 contributions
Pride Month
Not Secretary of State, Mr Deputy Speaker—well, I don’t think so.
And the things you do not know, Mr Deputy Speaker—anyway.
I beg to move,
That this House has considered Pride Month.
I should start by declaring an interest in this Pride debate. The Daily Mail once referred to me as an “ex-gay vicar”. I am an ex-vicar, but the other stuff is coming along quite n…
+14 more contributions in this session