Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
Village Schools
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing forward the debate. Not one of us does not have a small rural school; that is really important. I think of Loughries in my constituency—I mentioned it to her before the debate—which is a small hamlet just outside Newtownards. A few years ago, Loughries primary sc…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
AI Safety
As always, Ms Butler, it is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I thank the hon. Member for Dewsbury and Batley (Iqbal Mohamed) for securing this debate and for his opening speech, which was absolutely superb.
Although there is no doubt that AI is becoming the future—and we are becomi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
Small-scale Fracking Ban
I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate. The Government must commit to ensuring that local people have the final say. In terms of buying property or businesses in a certain area, fracking should be unable to go ahead without the say-so of the entire local community and the Government must a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
2 contributions
Kashmir: Self-determination
It is a pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I thank the hon. Member for Bradford East (Imran Hussain) for bringing this issue to the House. He spoke to me last week, and I am happy to support him. Indeed, I think I have supported him every time he has brought this issue to…
I made a specific request in relation to the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Kashmir. What has been done to assist them?
Commons
Debate
9 December 2025
Illegal Migrants: Unknown Whereabouts
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate. He has illustrated with the story that he has related, and by citing the evidential base, how bad things are. Data from the Home Office—I checked this before the debate—shows that, as of October 2025, 53,298 migrants had breached their immigratio…
Commons
Proceedings
9 December 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Kenova
Mine is always the final, final question, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of State very much for his answers. I also thank all of the security forces, the Army and the RUC for all they did to save lives. I think this House, the nation and Northern Ireland owe them a great debt for all they have do…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
Network Rail Timetable Changes: Rural Communities
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. If there is a change in the rail service and how it works, there has to be something to take its place, at least in the short term in the rural communities that he and the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead (Rachel Gilmour) represent, and in those that I re…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
Creative Education
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this debate; he is right to do so. Creative education is so important. Creative education will give thousands of children the opportunity to thrive, and will be the tool that gets them the careers for the future. Those children who have special educa…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
4 contributions
Water Scarcity
It is always a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. I particularly thank the hon. Member for Horsham (John Milne) for setting the scene so incredibly well and giving us all a chance to participate through his choice of debate today. It is always a pleasure to see the Minister in h…
I certainly do. I know the Minister is equally concerned about that, and I am hoping that the Minister’s response will give reassurance to the hon. Lady, and indeed to all of us, in relation to that. I think there is something obscene and immoral about these executives getting large sums of money—wh…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
Medal for Wounded Service Personnel
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward the debate. I spoke to him beforehand. Obviously, I am a Northern Ireland MP, and I declare an interest as someone who served in the forces in Northern Ireland for some 14 and a half years. I gently remind Members that many soldiers were wounded in c…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
5 contributions
Net Zero Transition: Consumer-led Flexibility
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I thank the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) for leading this debate and for setting the scene incredibly well. It is always a pleasure to see the Minister in his place; I look forward to the helpful and positive rem…
No, no—upwards! Everything upwards. It is also a pleasure to see the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith), in his place and I look forward to his contribution as well.
Consumer-led flexibility is so important. It refers to ordinary households and small businesses ad…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Self-employed Adoptive Parents: Statutory Support
I commend the hon. Lady on securing this debate; I spoke to her beforehand to ask her permission to intervene and to very quickly give her a Northern Ireland perspective. In Northern Ireland, shared parental leave and pay—SPL and ShPP—are entitlements as financial support for adoptive parents. If on…
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Mental Health Bill [Lords]
First, I welcome what is coming forward. I ask for clarification on something that has been brought to my attention. I seek the Minister’s advice and support. Lords amendment 19B relates to the appointment of a nominated person where no local authority holds parental responsibility for the patient. …
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Everybody recognises the importance of 1.5 million houses being built, given the need for social housing that many people have and the need for houses that people can afford with a mortgage. However, does the hon. Gentleman feel that to move forward in the correct way, there must be discussion with …
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Employment Rights Bill
Under Lords amendment 1, the duty would be shifted to the employee to request guaranteed hours, as opposed to it being down to the employer to offer hours. That means that the employee can request hours, and then the employer can cancel them at the last minute. Can the Minister reassure me that prov…
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Child Poverty Strategy
I thank the Secretary of State and the Labour Government for their statement on a strategy to reduce child poverty. The announcement on the two-child benefit cap is welcome, and it will potentially take 103,000 children out of poverty in Northern Ireland. However, as the Prime Minister said, it is i…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 December 2025
Ajax Armoured Vehicle
I thank the Minister very much for his answers, and for his clear commitment to do better and to solve the problems. We appreciate his honesty in this House. It is understood that some 6,000 vehicles, some of which have been in service for two decades, are being fitted with replacement parts and tha…
Commons
Proceedings
8 December 2025
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban
I thank the Minister for her thoughtful answers. Last week, Chief Constable Craig Guildford told the Home Affairs Committee that the decision “was not taken lightly” and that the police had “taken a careful approach” when making the decision. Once again, I want to raise a concern about how this so-c…
Commons
Proceedings
8 December 2025
Restriction of Jury Trials
I thank the Minister for her answers. Rape victims must be paramount in all that happens. Rape and sexual assault trials are already lengthy and very emotional for victims. Juries signal a public perception of justice, and highlight the importance of the community and the average person. What assess…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
Topical Questions
The highest level of pensioner poverty in the UK is in Northern Ireland. One way of lifting pensioners out of poverty is through pension credit applications, which require a one-to-one conversation. Will the Minister undertake to ensure that pensioners are able to have such conversations during the …
Commons
Debate
4 December 2025
4 contributions
War in Ukraine
It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin) on setting the scene incredibly well. As the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis) said, all the speeches have been incredible, and the ones that follow will b…
Yes, I agree with that. I wish that the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) had been able to be here today because she has spoken valiantly in this House about bringing back the 30,000 children who have been kidnapped and undergone Russification. The Russians are trying t…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 December 2025
Northern Ireland: Legacy of the Past
I thank the Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and its members for all they have done. In the last paragraph of her statement, she mentioned the “people who matter most”. I believe that those who matter most are those who served and died in uniform and sacrificed themselves for freedom …
Commons
Debate
4 December 2025
Camden Nursery Sexual Abuse Case
I thank the Secretary of State for her clear and reassuring commitment to take the necessary steps, which everybody in this House and everybody out there who is a parent, or who looks at this case, wants to see. It is almost impossible to comprehend what has happened—I just cannot take it in—but our…
Commons
Proceedings
4 December 2025
Business of the House
May I thank the Leader of the House for his positive answers about the persecuted across the world each week? They are much appreciated. I am deeply concerned by the increasing targeted attacks on Christians in northern Mozambique, with more than 20 Christians killed in the past month. Will the Lead…
Commons
Proceedings
4 December 2025
Local Elections
There are deep concerns about the postponing of local elections—democracy has been in place for centuries. What impression does the Minister think this announcement gives to the general public, who have every right to exercise their civic responsibility in a timely manner? Is she not concerned about…