Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
14 July 2026
Health of Children and Young People
One of the best ways to improve the health of neurodiverse young people is high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments. The Government are proposing to cut substantially the amount paid to providers. Will the Health Secretary speak to providers in this area, because …
Commons
Proceedings
14 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Now that the new Prime Minister’s special advisers have removed by diktat the opportunity for the Opposition to hold a debate about allowing him to be scrutinised on Monday, can you provide the House with clarity on what other routes might be available for us to hear…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 July 2026
Historical Forced Adoption
May I thank the Prime Minister for the incredibly powerful statement? I was lucky enough to bring forward legislation for victims of institutional child abuse in Northern Ireland. As part of that legislation, there was an apology. Those people, like the victims in this case, waited decades for peopl…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
2 June 2026
Topical Questions
T7. Small businesses across Yorkshire are really struggling with energy costs. We have talked about the local power plan, and the ability of communities to sell power to small businesses—the question just came up. That has to happen. We must do everything we can to lower the costs for rural and smal…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
1 June 2026
2 contributions
Lead Ammunition
2. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of lead ammunition for defence purposes.
I thank the Minister for the answer. According to the ammunitions industry, the upcoming ban on lead in commercial bullets is going to cause significant problems for the police and armed forces, in terms of cost and supply. Viking Arms, in my constituency, which supplies the military and the police,…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
21 May 2026
Topical Questions
T3. JB Springs in Skipton has been in touch on the issue of quotas. It imports steel and is worried about the cost of steel and the future of the company. Personally, I do not have an issue with many aspects of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, but the quota issue is really causing problems…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
21 May 2026
2 contributions
Opt-out Collective Actions Regime
8. When he plans to publish his Department’s review of and consultation on the opt-out collective actions regime.
As the Minister says, it is really important that the collective regime continues—we have a great reputation globally for our opt-out regime. The litigation finance industry is vital to supporting claims from consumers. The Government said last year that they would proceed with a Bill to restore a l…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 April 2026
Synthetic Chemicals
I commend the Committee Chair and the Committee on the report, and I commend the Government on the PFAS plan. I thank him and the Committee for attending the location in my constituency that has suffered from this issue. Realistically, I cannot see this Government or a future Government being able t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 April 2026
NHS Federated Data Platform
One of the issues that the hon. Gentleman has not discussed in his excellent speech is governance. The commissioner of the contract is the NHS, and it is also the main oversight body. He has put forward a black-and-white solution—end or maintain the contract—but is there not a case for a more robust…
Commons
Debate
15 April 2026
Strategic Defence Review: Funding
On the key recommendation of a national conversation to build support and understanding among the population, it is all very well having debates here or in Whitehall, but what conversations are the Government having with the Departments for Education and for Culture, Media and Sport, the BBC and soc…
Commons
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
Topical Questions
The Government are rightly focused on bus services, but can I urge them to also think carefully about safety in bus stations? We have a big problem at Skipton bus station at the moment and there is no CCTV. I encourage the Minister to focus on local authorities and mayors to get obligatory CCTV in o…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
25 March 2026
Good Friday Agreement
May I add to the tributes paid to the Table Clerk? Among all the advice he has given in the last 40 years, he gave particularly good advice on the meaningful vote, which left many of us traumatised, but he developed great expertise in that.
As we celebrate the Good Friday agreement, may I urge the …
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 March 2026
2 contributions
Proposed Visitor Levy
UKHospitality talks about this tax being
“the wrong policy at the worst time”.
One of my worries is that entrepreneurs in the tourist industry in North Yorkshire and elsewhere are on their knees due to post-covid issues, national insurance, rates and a whole range of factors. Would my right hon. F…
I am a big supporter of the hon. Lady, and I do not want to attack her personally, but we have a big issue in York and North Yorkshire. The Mayor is proposing this tax, which will clobber my constituents’ businesses in North Yorkshire. It may be a benefit for York, but it will cause a massive proble…
Commons
Oral Questions
19 March 2026
Sustainable Farming Incentive
I am pleased to hear that answer, because farmers across Skipton and Ripon are really concerned about the fact that, having recently signed mid-tier agreements, they will not be eligible for the new SFI window. If the Secretary of State could push further on that and try to find a way through, farme…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 March 2026
Business of the House
Manufacturers and distributors of bullets in the UK are extremely concerned about the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ban lead bullets in 2029. The EU was about to make the same decision, but pulled back from it. Can we have an urgent debate about the impact of …
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address Motion
Two Global Counsel clients benefited from direct Government defence awards and Global Counsel staff flew to Washington parties to join Peter Mandelson. Will the Minister confirm that, either in this bundle or in future documents, there will be a rigorous report to Parliament of the background to tho…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 March 2026
Energy Markets
I thank the Secretary of State for his update. I echo the calls for support for business and keeping an eye on the impact of this crisis on business. For areas like mine in North Yorkshire, off-grid gas and oil customers do not have the same protection as many other energy customers. Will he and his…
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
I welcome the section on training in the SEND consultation, but much of it is not statutory. Will the Secretary of State confirm her thinking on that? Will she also confirm that autism and profiles of it such as pathological demand avoidance will be at the centre of that training?
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
Topical Questions
T7. Small businesses across North Yorkshire are under massive pressure from national insurance, the workers’ rights Bill, rates, energy costs—the list goes on. Now that the consultation on the tourist tax has closed, will the Minister put that tax on pause in the interests of job creation for young …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 February 2026
Local Power Plan
The Secretary of State will be aware that small businesses across the UK are really struggling with energy costs, particularly in communities in rural areas like North Yorkshire. What can small businesses get from this plan to lower their costs as quickly as possible? What role will the plan play in…
Commons
Oral Questions
10 February 2026
Court Reporting Data
I accept what the Minister is saying, but I do not understand why the dispute resolution has not worked and why there is still no opportunity for it to work. I should appreciate it if she could clarify that for the House. May I also ask what will be new and different about the next procurement? What…
Commons
Oral Questions
10 February 2026
Ministry of Defence: Palantir Contracts
The Minister and the Secretary of State have said that Peter Mandelson was not involved in the decision on Palantir. However, the issue is not the decision itself but the run-up to it. We know that Peter Mandelson, or executives from Global Counsel, were flown into embassy parties, and we need to un…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
9 February 2026
2 contributions
Policing: Rural Areas
2. What steps she is taking to help ensure effective policing in rural areas.
The reorganisation of policing proposed by the Government risks a double whammy for areas with already under-resourced policing, as they face further distance between themselves and decision makers. May I urge the Minister to look carefully at how the reorganisation will impact the sparsest areas of…
Commons
Oral Questions
5 February 2026
2 contributions
Farming Sector Productivity
2. If she will take steps to help increase productivity in the farming sector.
The Batters report included a number of good recommendations about productivity. North Yorkshire farmers want to produce food; they are obviously worried about the environment, but the priority is food. After covid, we talked about more UK food resilience, so may I urge the Minister to press forward…
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
4 contributions
Lord Mandelson
Humble Addresses are very difficult for the Government of the day and for Chief Whips. The Minister for the Cabinet Office, who has just left the Chamber, tabled many Humble Address motions that I dealt with. They are difficult from a legal point of view, and from the position of protecting the righ…
I am not going to give away.
We heard earlier about a discussion between members of the ISC and the Government, and I know that conversations are taking place via the usual channels, but I say to Government Front Benchers that what I have heard from the House today is that it wants the Government t…
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