Commons
Debate
11 September 2026
2 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
The hon. Lady is setting the scene for what the Bill hopes to achieve, but she cannot ignore the overwhelming 68% of the public who believe that it must be paused, or the 73% of people who say that it should be rejected outright. The public see the danger. This House must halt the process, pause the…
I quote the story of one of my constituents, a motor neurone disease sufferer. He said that, if he had had the option of assisted dying two years ago, he probably would have taken it. But, in his words, “I would have missed out on the most fulfilled two years of my life and the knowledge that I can …
Commons
Debate
11 September 2026
25th Anniversary of 9/11
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward the debate. It is only right on this day that we remember all those who lost their lives, in particular the 67 British citizens. As someone who represents a constituency in Northern Ireland that knows all too well the cruel, devastating scourge of te…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
10 September 2026
Lobbying: Ethics and Integrity Commission Report
When it comes to lobbying, Northern Ireland has a peculiar circumstance where one party can be involved in politics in Northern Ireland and at the same time be involved in politics in the Republic of Ireland. When it comes to the accountability that the hon. Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe …
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2026
2 contributions
Vascular Sector Reform
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the potential merits of reform of the vascular sector.
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. Last night, you were in the Adjournment debate, and today you are chairing a Westminster Hall debate. Your talents are incredible—well d…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. He has rightly said that, when it comes to vascular disease, while it is equal with cancer in its severity and in the numbers who lose their lives, it is not treated the same. Today’s debate perhaps gives us a chance to illustrate that, and I am hope…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2026
Fathers and Positive Male Role Models
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for leading the debate and sharing some of his childhood experiences. I think he has turned out all right, by the way; I think we probably all think that, and we congratul…
Commons
Debate
10 September 2026
Water Management
I commend the hon. Gentleman on introducing the debate. Is it not time to ensure that developers with a number of projects—many of them building hundreds of houses—start paying towards the upgrading of waste and water management? They often have big profit margins on their houses and such a policy w…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2026
2 contributions
Public Confidence in the Police
Thank you, Sir Alec, for calling me to speak. I also thank the hon. Member for Pendle and Clitheroe (Jonathan Hinder) for his introduction. The debates he brings to the House, and to Westminster Hall in particular, are usually on policing matters. He and I resonate in our comments, support and the t…
I thank my hon. Friend and colleague for highlighting that matter. A two, three or five-second clip sometimes gives an impression of what is happening, but a wee bit more discretion and sight of what happened beforehand would be useful.
Commitment alone cannot fill the gaps left by a lack of fundin…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2026
Bus Stops
I commend the hon. Lady for securing the debate. It might be her first Westminster Hall debate but it will certainly not be her last—there is another on 2 November and more to come. I congratulate her on addressing the importance of improving the accessibility of bus stops. We need to ensure that ol…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2026
Pica Eating Disorder: SEND
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this issue forward; she is right that the ailment is not well recognised. Like her, I did some research on the issue and found out that it is a UK-wide problem. Last year in Northern Ireland, there was a tragic incident involving a care home resident with a cogni…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2026
Youth Parliament: Government Support
The hon. Gentleman may have come third that time, but he came first in the last election—well done. The National Youth Agency does magnificent work in delivering the programme. These brilliant young minds need certainty and sustainable funding, not just allocations handed out year by year. Does the …
Commons
Debate
9 September 2026
Ticket Price Regulation: Live Events
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate; I am always encouraged by her energy and enthusiasm for the subject matters that she brings forward. Is she aware of action taken against the company Starhub in 2024, following concerns that customers were initially shown artificially low headlin…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 September 2026
World Suicide Prevention Day
I thank the hon. Lady for securing this debate on World Suicide Prevention Day. The Farm Safety Foundation has surveyed some 450 farmers under the age of 40, of whom 92% identified poor mental health as one of the leading hidden problems facing farmers today. Those challenges can be further compound…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 September 2026
Vehicle Theft
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing forward the debate. In 2025, 154 aggravated vehicle-taking offences were recorded across Northern Ireland. Stolen vehicles are often driven dangerously, which places the public and emergency services at risk. In June 2026, a man was charged with attempted murder …
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 September 2026
Media Green Paper
One aspect of the media Green Paper for us in Northern Ireland is similar to the position in the rest of the United Kingdom, in that it will directly threaten not only our local broadcasting sector but the connectivity of our rural and most vulnerable communities. The 2034 switch-off of digital terr…
Commons
Debate
8 September 2026
Retirement Property Management Companies: Regulation
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. Vulnerable retirees in Strangford are facing experiences and anxieties that mirror those he has referred to. While we do have the Ground Rents Act (Northern Ireland) 2001, it lacks a statutory cap on ground rents and it is not possible to regula…
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 September 2026
Surrogacy Law and Legal Parenthood
The hon. Gentleman is putting the case very well. There are also very practical hurdles, such as registering the child with a GP, the child’s medical circumstances and applying for a passport. The whole thing is illogical. The practicalities add to the timescale, and it is time that the Government a…
Commons
Debate
7 September 2026
VAT on Medication: Compassionate Access Schemes
I commend the hon. Gentleman on bringing forward the debate. He has hit the nail on the head on an issue that is a matter of life and death for families right across the United Kingdom. For His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to sweep in and penalise that relief is a disgrace. Does he not agree that, …
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Family Hubs and Community Cohesion
6. What steps the Church of England is taking to work with local authorities to help church communities to support family hubs and community cohesion.
I thank the Second Church Estates Commissioner very much for her answer. St Mark’s church in Newtownards, in my Strangford constituency, held a brilliant summer scheme this year, offering games, songs and crafts for children from the local community. The church has the facilities and capacity to pro…
Commons
Oral Questions
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
3 September 2026
Access to Culture
I thank the Minister for that answer. Castle Ward, a local National Trust site in my constituency, puts on a host of cultural and creative activities throughout the year to allow locals to engage with the arts. Bus services are needed so that people in urban and rural areas can access those activiti…
Commons
Proceedings
3 September 2026
Jackdaw and Rosebank Oil and Gas Fields
Our long-term goal must be energy independence so that we are never again at the mercy of volatile foreign regimes for our basic power needs. National Energy Action Northern Ireland has highlighted that roughly 39% of households in Northern Ireland are currently living in fuel poverty. That is compo…
Commons
Proceedings
3 September 2026
Bluetongue Virus in Livestock
I thank the Minister for his positive answers, which I think we should be encouraged by. Although Northern Ireland thankfully has no reported cases of bluetongue, the Ulster Farmers’ Union—I declare an interest as a member—has issued an urgent warning that vaccine supplies are under severe pressure …
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2026
Children in the Social Care System: England
I thank the Chair of the Select Committee and other hon. Members involved for their recommendations. Some of the stories that the hon. Gentleman referred to in setting the scene are indeed harrowing and incredibly worrying, and yet transparent and physical change can be made. Things can get better.
…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2026
Vaccination Rates: England
As always, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker—you are certainly earning your money, because you were here yesterday and are back again today. I congratulate the hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Danny Beales) on introducing this debate, and I thank him for setting t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2026
3 contributions
EU Membership Referendum: Impact on the UK
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I thank the hon. Gentleman for Perth and Kinross-shire (Pete Wishart) for securing this debate. He and I know that we will not agree on this subject, but we are good friends and Gaelic cousins. I appreciate his point of view; my point of vie…
I absolutely agree. I was going to come on to that issue, but he has done it for me so I will leave it at that.
The hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire is a friend of mine, but we fundamentally cannot agree on this issue. I believe in accepting a democratic vote, not ignoring it. When we believ…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2026
2 contributions
Disability Living Allowance: Qualifying Period for Children
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. It is debates such as this that remind us of our job as MPs. Does she agree that when a family receive a devastating diagnosis, whether that is of a terminal illness, a severe disability or an aggressive childhood cancer, the financial shock and c…
If I have correctly understood what the Minister is saying, if a consultant, GP or other doctor sent a letter confirming that the condition started way before the application was made, that would be the qualifying period, and that would be done by a medical person. Am I reading it right?