Commons
Westminster Hall
22 January 2026
7 contributions
International Day of Education
It is a great privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I put on the record my thanks to the hon. Member for Southgate and Wood Green (Bambos Charalambous), who secured this timely debate to coincide with the International Day of Education.
Over my 25 years as a Member of this House, I ha…
That was a fine intervention and I entirely endorse everything the hon. Gentleman said. One of the reasons Britain has had so much outreach around the world is because of our Christian foundations. It is so important to uphold and cherish our Christian heritage. Of course, Christian missionaries hav…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 January 2026
9 contributions
Local Government Reorganisation: Referendums
I agree with every word the hon. Gentleman says; he speaks absolute common sense. An even better example is what has happened in Greater London, where the borough of Havering, which has always been in Essex, is being sucked into Greater London and paying huge sums of money to subsidise inner-London …
The right hon. Member for Newark.
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
This has been fundamental to everything I have ever stood for in this House as a Member of Parliament. This Bill did not have its origins in this Government; these were originally the proposals of the previous Conservative Government. No Government have ever given the right of self-determination to …
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
Topical Questions
Will the Foreign Secretary explain why, if she rightly supports the self-determination of the Greenlandic people as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, she does not support the self-determination of the Chagossian people to remain a British overseas territory?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 January 2026
Business of the House
The Leader of the House needs to be aware that London Councils is considering scrapping the older persons’ freedom pass, which has left my constituents shocked, angry and dismayed. The freedom pass is a lifeline for many, providing access to free transport and enabling older people to live active li…
Commons
Proceedings
15 January 2026
Digital ID
This has been a costly shambles, and my constituents see it as an attack on their fundamental freedoms and privacy, so I am glad that the Government have done another U-turn. Will the Minister guarantee, however, that this so-called voluntary scheme is not suddenly going to turn into a mandatory sch…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
15 January 2026
2 contributions
Persecuted Christians Abroad
3. What steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle the persecution of Christians in other countries.
I thank the hon. Member for her answer, but she will be aware that in past decades over 50,000 Christians have been inhumanely slaughtered in Nigeria by murderous Islamist groups, namely Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. These attacks have only intensified in recent months, targeting vulnerable groups…
Commons
Debate
14 January 2026
Ukraine
We are at a crucial juncture in this conflict and the stakes could not be higher. It has been nearly four years since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, a period nearly as long as the duration of the first world war, with many of the same horrors that our soldiers witnessed in those days—trench warfare…
Commons
Debate
8 January 2026
2 contributions
High Street Gambling Reform
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
I thank the Minister for giving way. Does he accept that freedom of responsibility, when it comes to gambling, is exactly where we should be, rather than restricting people from taking part in activities such as greyhound racing at Romford greyhound stadium in my constituency? It is a part of our lo…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 January 2026
Road Safety Strategy
I welcome all efforts by the Government to make roads safer for pedestrians and motorists, but I heard nothing about roadkill of wildlife, horses, pets, and other animals that can also cause collisions involving the deaths of human beings. In my constituency, Havering-atte-Bower is a rural Essex vil…
Commons
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Business of the House
Happy new year to you, Mr Speaker, and to all of your staff in the Speaker’s Office.
I would like the Leader of the House to know that I am very concerned to hear that several police and community support officers, who are currently under transport policing command in the Metropolitan police, are b…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 January 2026
Myanmar: Religious Minority Persecution
It is a pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts.
Like other Members, I sincerely congratulate the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) on securing this important debate and on his long-standing and tireless commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief around th…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
2 contributions
Prison Security
7. What steps he has taken to improve the security of prisons.
I thank the Minister for his helpful reply, but as he knows full well violence, illegal drug dealing and escapes are on the rise in prisons, with a shocking 12% increase in breakouts across England and Wales since 2024. That is risking the safety of all our communities. Dangerous criminals are also …
Commons
Proceedings
11 December 2025
Business of the House
I want to urgently draw the attention of the Leader of the House to the appalling situation at the Queen’s hospital in Romford, which serves the boroughs of Redbridge, Barking, Dagenham and Havering and the wider Essex area—in fact, it is the hospital that serves the constituents of the Secretary of…
Commons
Proceedings
4 December 2025
Local Elections
I disagree with all of this. I believe in strong local councils that are truly democratic and reflect local communities. My amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill last week was about my borough of Havering, whose identity is linked to Essex. Will this delay allow the Mini…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
4 December 2025
2 contributions
National Infrastructure: Cyber-security
14. What steps his Department is taking to help improve the cyber-security of national infrastructure.
The United Kingdom is increasingly and uniquely vulnerable to malicious cyber-activity targeting national infrastructure and democratic institutions, including Parliament itself. That poses a serious risk to our national security. Experts have warned of a critical data leak, a new scale of severe bl…
Commons
Oral Questions
2 December 2025
2 contributions
Topical Questions
Last month, the Government buckled under pressure about their lack of consultation with the Chagossian people on the shameful handover of sovereign British territory to Mauritius. If the process is genuinely intended to inform policy, what steps will the Minister take to ensure that the views expres…
I hope the Minister will check that there are actually Chagossians and not outsiders taking part in that consultation. Anyway, let us try something else.
Given last week’s report that the Chancellor had a £4 billion surplus rather than a £20 billion deficit as previously suggested, will the Ministe…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
It is a privilege to follow the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah), but I am afraid that I have to disagree with what she has said this afternoon. I am sorry to say that this Budget will not improve the lives of my constituents in Romford, who are hard-working pe…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Business of the House
May I also wish you a happy Lancashire day, Mr Speaker? I thank you for ensuring that the historical county flags are flown from New Palace Yard. It is great to see the Lancashire flag flying today.
If I may go on to an Essex question, the Leader of the House should be aware that the Metropolitan p…
Commons
Debate
25 November 2025
4 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
I like a lot of what the hon. Lady is saying, because I believe in communities, towns and villages being properly represented. However, names are important, too. Does she, as a Surrey MP, agree that instead of east Surrey and west Surrey, perhaps west Surrey and south Middlesex would be the correct …
I rise to speak in support of my new clauses 85 and 86. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin), my right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale), the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 November 2025
2 contributions
Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations
Thank you, Ms Butler, and Ms McVey before you, for chairing the debate; it has been a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon. I also thank the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for bringing this debate to the House on behalf of the vast numbers of people—198…
I hate what I have seen on our television screens for more than two years. I condemn all unwarranted acts of violence—self-defence, we understand. We are deeply sad to see what is happening. We all want to see an end to this, so I absolutely respect the hon. Gentleman’s position and agree with him.
…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
Animal lovers across the country— most especially Katie Amess, the daughter of our late dear friend, who is continuing the battle for animal welfare across the country—are raising concerns that after the seven-day statutory period, many healthy dogs are not being offered for adoption and are instead…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Topical Questions
T4. The Secretary of State will know, because I have raised it so many times, about the appalling situation at the Gallows Corner A12-A127 junction. It is affecting everybody on the east side of London and well into Essex, including all my constituents. It is total incompetence by Transport for Lond…
Commons
Debate
18 November 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill
The IRA’s campaign of terror against the British people was one of the darkest chapters in our history; the shields of Airey Neave, Ian Gow, Robert Bradford and Sir Anthony Berry demonstrate that. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the armed servicemen represented here today defended us, and it is t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 November 2025
Gaza and Sudan
I thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of her statement. His Majesty’s Opposition welcome the passing of the US-drafted resolution at the United Nations Security Council yesterday. The US has shown consistent leadership on the middle east, and for that we are grateful. Hamas must now releas…