Commons
Westminster Hall
14 October 2025
4 contributions
Criminal Courts: Independent Review
I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called in the debate. I call the Chair of the Justice Committee, Andy Slaughter.
If we are going to get everyone in, we will have to stick to about four minutes each. I am not going to put a hard time limit on at this stage, but please bear that in mind.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
13 October 2025
Digital ID
I recall the debate about the previous attempt to bring in ID cards, when people were concerned about having to produce them if demanded by authorities such as the police. I too have been to Estonia, and I understand that the argument has moved on—we now have apps on our phones such as the NHS app a…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Manchester Terrorism Attack
I commend my right hon. Friend for her statement and also for her prompt response, which I know was appreciated by people in Manchester on the very day.
I believe that people should be able to pursue all religions, or none, without intimidation or fear of being attacked. I also believe in freedom o…
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
16 September 2025
Topical Questions
Further to Ministers’ earlier answers about waiting lists in Crown and magistrates courts, coroners courts also have a large backlog. I have a constituent who has been waiting nearly three years for an inquest to be completed. What can be done to relieve the pressure on grieving families who have be…
Commons
Proceedings
4 September 2025
Business of the House
I wonder whether my right hon. Friend was as shocked as I was that a Member of this House went to another country and, in front of its Parliament, started to run this country down. What is the point of being elected to this place if Members are not prepared to bring these issues to the Floor of the …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 September 2025
Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement. This is yet another example of the state turning its back on working-class people—in this case, young girls. I also welcome the fact that cold cases are going to be investigated and that those cases will be reopened if there is any evidence of criminal activity,…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Middle East
I have known my right hon. Friend for more than 25 years, and I know that if he was up here on the Back Benches, he would be as angry and frustrated as we are. It gets frustrating coming here and expressing our concerns when, with all due respect, he wrings his hands and says, “We are doing all we c…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Borders and Asylum
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, and I commend her for the way she is working with our neighbouring countries to deal with this problem. The approach of the previous Government was basically to stand on the cliffs of Dover shouting abuse across the channel and to tell them that they shoul…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 July 2025
Infected Blood Inquiry: Additional Report
On behalf of the APPG on haemophilia and contaminated blood, I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. It is a major step forward. As he knows, the issue of engagement with the affected and infected community has been a major bone of contention since the expert group set the tariff. For over 40 ye…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 July 2025
Independent Water Commission
What has happened to our waterways is a national disgrace. The state in which the Conservatives left our rivers, our lakes and the seas around Britain epitomises what they did to public services in general. Does my right hon. Friend agree that what has been lacking over the past 35 years of privatis…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 July 2025
Future of the Post Office
I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement and the consultation on the Green Paper. Does he agree that we should see the withdrawal of banks from high streets like mine in Eltham as an opportunity for the Post Office to expand what it can offer, not just to individuals but to small businesses in local com…
Commons
Debate
14 July 2025
UK-France Migration: Co-operation
I congratulate the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary on succeeding in agreeing a deal with France. It just shows that treating people with respect can result in positive action, and treating them with contempt, as the Conservatives did throughout this issue, was never going to provide a solution…
Commons
Proceedings
10 July 2025
Business of the House
My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General has given a commitment to respond to Sir Brian Langstaff’s report, which was published yesterday, before the recess. I stressed to him earlier that the community out there who are campaigning feel wounded by the way they have been treated since the final re…
Commons
Oral Questions
10 July 2025
Topical Questions
Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General regarding the contaminated blood inquiry, I welcome that he will update the House when he has had an opportunity to digest yesterday’s report, but can I have an assurance from him that it will not be on the last sitting day before recess?
Commons
Oral Questions
10 July 2025
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
Sir Brian Langstaff was particularly critical of the engagement with the infected and affected community since the publication of his final report in May last year. In particular, he was critical of the way the expert group was set up with the explicit instruction not to engage with the community. D…
Commons
Debate
8 July 2025
Football Governance Bill [Lords]
I congratulate the Secretary of State and the Sports Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), on bringing the Bill to this point. I also congratulate them on listening to arguments about how we treat the vast resources that come in through TV deals and distribute t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 July 2025
Post Office Horizon Inquiry: Volume 1
I associate myself with the comments of the Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (Liam Byrne), about the involvement of the Post Office—I hope the Minister has checks and balances in place to test what information it …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. Yesterday was one year to the day since I completed my radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. I was very lucky—my cancer was caught at stage 3 and was treatable—but I had to ask my GP for the prostate-specific antigen test that got me my treatment. I …
Commons
Debate
1 July 2025
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
I never expected to be standing here opposing Labour Government legislation that seeks to impose changes on disability benefits that will put 150,000 people into poverty. The Government’s own poverty assessment states that the concessions mean there will be a “negligible” impact on pensioner and chi…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Welfare Reform
This is a relatively small Bill, but one core part of it has now been delegated to the PIP review and that will not report until November 2026. Can my right hon. Friend say just how many disabled groups have indicated they want to participate in the PIP review? She has set out a number of red lines …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
G7 and NATO Summits
I welcome my right hon. and learned Friend’s statement and his commitment to increase defence expenditure, but given that we are looking to improve public services—the health service, social care, education and the police—is it realistic to do that within the current tax envelope? Has the time not c…
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 June 2025
Legislative Scrutiny: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
We begin with a Select Committee statement. Alex Sobel will speak on the publication of the fourth report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, “Legislative Scrutiny: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill”, HC 789, for up to 10 minutes, during which no interventions will be taken. At the co…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 June 2025
HS2 Reset
I commend my right hon. Friend for the swift actions she has taken to try to put right this disastrous situation, created by the previous Government. The parallels with the fast-track contracts for personal protective equipment cannot be ignored. I understand that contracts were signed when appropri…
Commons
Debate
16 June 2025
Air India Plane Crash
This is truly a terrible tragedy. As an elected representative in Greenwich where we have a large Gujarat community, over 40 years, both as a councillor and an MP, I have got to know many people from the community, particularly those who are members of the South East Gujarati Association. Like all o…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 June 2025
Child Sexual Exploitation: Casey Report
I am shocked that the Conservatives do not seem able to recognise that they were in power for 14 of the 15 years to which Louise Casey refers in her report. If they had had any kind of enthusiasm for an inquiry when they were in government, they would have called one—so we can dismiss them.
Is my r…