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 …
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
English Rugby
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing this issue forward for debate. It is not just about the clubs; it is also about those who inspire. One of those who perhaps inspires is the pop culture sensation Fury, a former English rugby player who is now a Gladiator. We watch her—on a Saturday night, no…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Local Government Reorganisation: South-east
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. I spoke to him beforehand, so he knows what I am going to say. I want to support him—that is the reason why I am here—and I want to give an example that happened in my constituency and which is similar to what the hon. Gentleman is referring to.…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Adult Cerebral Palsy: National Service Specification
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate, and I thank him for sharing his personal story. That personal knowledge adds to the debate.
Studies by Queen’s University Belfast indicates that adults with cerebral palsy often struggle to navigate adult health and rehabilitation services…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Fur: Import and Sale
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank the hon. Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) for highlighting this topic, which is important to many of my constituents. I get regular comments and queries about it.
I put it on the record that it is wrong to kill …
Commons
Debate
9 March 2026
Funeral Directors: Regulation
I commend the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage) for securing the debate. She is right to raise this issue. In Northern Ireland, we are fortunate to have a number of funeral directors of long standing who have impeccable reputations and integrity. However, funeral directors in Northern…
Commons
Debate
9 March 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
There is much positivity in what the Government are bringing forward. Back in Northern Ireland, Minister Paul Givan has brought forward a pilot scheme to take smartphones out of the classroom while children are in school. Has the Minister considered that positive strategy? If it is a positive in Nor…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 March 2026
Social Cohesion Action Plan
I thank the Minister very much for his positive statement, in which he described the society we all wish to live in. It is the society that I wish to live in, too. As he will know, I chair the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, which speaks up for those of…
Commons
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
Immigration Policy
Some time ago, there was a debate on fisheries in this Chamber. The Minister who replied for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that she would meet those of us who represent fishing villages. There is a need for visas for fishing crews, and it will not cost this country any …
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
9 March 2026
Worker Protection: Hazardous Medicinal Products
I thank the Minister for his answers. I do not know whether he had a chance to see in the paper last week some figures for poisonings of those over 50 years of age on a number of occasions, although whether those were the unexpected effects of medicinal products or arose from lifestyle is not yet kn…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 March 2026
Energy Markets
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. As soon as the first missiles were launched over Iran, those working in the energy sector were already warning that prices would escalate. The public can little afford the price gouging that took place when Russia invaded Ukraine, so what steps will …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 March 2026
Consular Assistance
I thank the Minister for his answers, and I also thank his Department. I have some constituents who work for Bombardier and were in Malaysia. They were returning home to Northern Ireland via the middle east but found themselves restricted by the events taking place there and unable to travel. They g…
Commons
Proceedings
5 March 2026
Business of the House
It is always a pleasure to ask a business question. I want to raise concerns regarding the detention of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, the leader of Zion church, who was arrested during co-ordinated raids across several cities in China. Zion church is an unregistered Protestant church that was previously c…
Commons
Oral Questions
5 March 2026
Official History Programme
When we go to get tickets on a Wednesday for PMQs, we see the story of the suffragette movement on the walls. What assessment has the Minister made of the importance of teaching the women’s suffrage movement as a compulsory component of the Official History Programme, particularly given its role in …