Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Child Maintenance Service
I thank the hon. Member for securing the debate. This is a massive issue in my constituency, as it is in hers. In Northern Ireland, a large proportion of parents relying on the CMS face difficulties in receiving timely maintenance, which directly impacts child poverty and family stability. Does she …
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Rural Roads
I commend the hon. Gentleman. I spoke to him beforehand about this issue. Insurance claims due to potholes, damage to car rims and tyres, and bicycles driving into potholes and riders going over the handlebars and getting injured—those are just some examples of what has happened back home in my cons…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
2 contributions
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer: Compensation Act 2006
rose—
You are very kind, Madam Deputy Speaker—I ran the whole way. I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on bringing forward the debate. Over the years as an elected representative—as a councillor and as an MLA back in Northern Ireland—I had a number of constituents who had unfortunately succumbed to mesothel…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill
I thank the Secretary of State for the sombre and appropriate way he proposes the Bill. Although the memorial is important and should be tasteful and poignant, the best memorial is the lessons learned so that no other family has to suffer as these victims’ families have suffered, and the lives that …
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Heating Oil Support
I thank the Minister very much for his announcement—the £17 million for Northern Ireland, as part of the £53 million package, is welcome. That recognition and funding is important, given the price of home heating oil. Some 62% of people across Northern Ireland have heating oil, including almost 80% …
Commons
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
GP Contract
I thank the Minister very much for his positive answers, and I thank the Minister and the Government for the giant steps they are taking to improve the NHS; we are encouraged by that. While the Government have rolled out major changes to the GP contract in England to improve access to same-day appoi…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister for making himself available on every occasion that the House asks him to come along and answer questions. As each week passes, the attention on this matter is not diverted but intensified, and with each seeming redirection, the British public become…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
Strait of Hormuz
I thank the Minister for his answers, for his tone and for his careful use of words. I am very clear on my stance on the principle of the war against the terrorist regime in Iran, but this is not about principle; it is about practicality. Some of my constituents are on the poverty line, and the wage…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
16 March 2026
Military Personnel: Pay
I thank the Secretary of State for his answers. Personnel and families from Northern Ireland face exceptional costs if they are stationed here on the mainland. If they want to meet up with their family or go home again, there are extra costs for them. What has been done to ensure that personnel from…
Commons
Debate
12 March 2026
International Women’s Day
Talking of strong women, there is my mum, my wife, my three daughters-in-law and my three grandchildren. Those three wee girls are at a very young age, but I tell you what: they have the potential to be leaders as well. They are fierce women and they are strong, and I am very pleased to see that.
E…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 March 2026
Defending Democracy Taskforce
I thank the Minister for his statement, and the Speaker’s Conference for bringing forward recommendations—they are really important. Operation Ford, which is mentioned on page 2 of the statement, will cover England, Scotland and Wales. Will he clarify why Northern Ireland is not included? Perhaps so…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 March 2026
Business of the House
I want to bring to the attention of the Leader of the House the recent visit to the UK by Nigeria’s President Tinubu. There are concerns about the ongoing harassment, persecution and killing of Christians in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians have been killed, abducted or unlawfully detained in Nigeri…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
12 March 2026
Parental Rights at Work
I thank the Minister for that very positive answer. There is nobody in this House or further afield who does not welcome the improvement of parental rights at work. I had a chance to speak to the Minister beforehand, so she will know where my question is coming from—I ask it on behalf of the small a…
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
2 contributions
Commonwealth Day 2026
May I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate? It is important that we remember Commonwealth Day, and he is right to mark it. Commonwealth Day is more than the hon. Gentleman says. We celebrate a network of 56 nations with shared values, but for Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth also of…
A good choice!
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 March 2026
Protest Policing
I stand, and we stand, for an Iran free of the ayatollah, free of the IRGC, free of a despotic regime that carries terrorism all over the world, and free of the regime that killed 35,000 of its own citizens in January this year. With that mind, may I thank the Home Secretary very much for her decisi…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 March 2026
Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation
I want to make a quick point about hospital appointments. When someone misses their hospital appointment, they go to the back of the queue and start again, and might have to wait another two years. When the Minister has his meeting with Royal Mail today, can I ask him to convey to its representative…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
11 March 2026
Children in Poverty
I thank the Minister for her answers, her positivity, and her commitment to making the necessary changes. When it comes to inequalities in the home, cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and behavioural issues, are so much higher in number than they ever were in my day when I wa…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
Disability Equipment Provision
It is again a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts—it has been a long afternoon for you and for me. We have been here together all this time.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan) for leading the debate. Debates in Westminster Hall give us a ch…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
Public Body Data Collection: Sikh and Jewish Ethnicity
I commend the hon. Lady on all that she does on behalf of the Sikh community. I am very happy that we have developed a friendship over the years through freedom of religious belief and that we are able to stand together for each other, and that is something that always encourages me.
Does the hon. …
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
2 contributions
UK-based Tech Companies
As always, it is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts; thank you for all you do for us in relation to Westminster Hall. I also thank the hon. Member for Bromley and Biggin Hill (Peter Fortune) for raising this issue and thereby giving us all an opportunity to participate in this d…
I thank the hon. Gentleman very much for that intervention; it is always good to get an intervention that reinforces the point of view that I am putting forward. Obviously, he has a personal knowledge of this issue and we thank him for that, too.
Due to the dedication and focus of universities in N…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
2 contributions
Rough Sleeping: Families with Children
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) for leading the debate. She often brings important debates to the House, especially on issues such as this. I welcome her contribution. She showed passion and understanding fro…
That is very clear for everyone, and I thank the Minister for it. One example from Northern Ireland that I did not get a chance to mention in my speech was the case of a mother with two children who were sleeping rough in the square. The reason they could not get temporary accommodation was that the…
Commons
Debate
10 March 2026
Extreme Climate and Weather Events: National Resilience
I congratulate the hon. Lady on bringing forward the debate. She is right to refer to the terrible weather we have had. Before Christmas, I think we had 43 days in Northern Ireland when there was no sunshine. Flooding incidents are not just happening in her constituency; they are also happening acro…
Commons
Debate
10 March 2026
Courts and Tribunals Bill
The Minister and the Government are caught between a rock and a hard place. They have to address the backlog while trying to ensure that jury trials are retained. The general public have deep concern that speed cannot come at the expense of fundamental rights. I know that the Secretary of State will…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 March 2026
Digital ID: Public Consultation
There is a clear and growing concern across the United Kingdom, including with myself and my constituents, regarding digital ID. The general public seek firm assurances about their personal autonomy. The Chief Secretary is a very honourable man and very much liked in this Chamber, but he will know—a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
2 contributions
Technology Sovereignty
Will the hon. Lady give way?
The hon. Lady is terribly kind and it is always a pleasure to come to a debate that she has secured. Recent studies indicate that AI-powered tools have already been used in phishing, ransomware, and social engineering attacks, making breaches faster, more targeted and harder to detect. The National …