Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
Local Media
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan—and that is not baloney, because I mean it.
I congratulate the hon. Member for Bromley and Biggin Hill (Peter Fortune) on leading the debate. Local media is so important, especially for our communities. I have listened closely to what Me…
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
Government Procurement
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate on an important subject. He always provides much detail and information to help us. When it comes to procurement, cheapest is not always best. We should consider the very thing that he refers to—the social value—to ensure that we support local bu…
Commons
Oral Questions
2 December 2025
Jammu and Kashmir
There are repeated claims by community leaders and religious freedom groups that Christians in Kashmir face harassment, social pressure, threats, discrimination, surveillance and sometimes violence. What steps is the Minister taking in conjunction with her international counterparts to support the p…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
Catapults and Antisocial Behaviour
I commend the hon. Gentleman for introducing this debate. Every one of us can remember the stick that we cut off a tree and the inner tube of a bike that we used to make the stretch, which helped us to have the best catapult in Ballywalter—there were many people in competition. However, it seems fai…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
Women and Girls: Isle of Wight
I commend the hon. Member for securing the debate. The stats in a recent UK-wide report were really interesting, showing that every abuse victim may experience around 50 incidents of abuse before they first report it to the authorities. By that stage, much damage has been done. For all of us, no mat…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
Gambling: Regulatory Reform
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard) for leading this important debate, and for setting the scene so well for all of us. What brings me here, like many others who have spoken, are personal relationships with those who …
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
2 contributions
Homelessness: Funding
Thank you very much, Mr Vickers, for the chance to speak; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairship. I thank the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) for leading today’s debate. He always leads on homelessness issues, whether in this Chamber or the other, and we thank him for all that he …
My hon. Friend is right. I have been presented with those cases in my office many times. People want to get a mortgage and cannot get one, because of the price of houses in Northern Ireland. In my constituency, they are the highest in all Northern Ireland; indeed, they are comparable to other parts …
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
Pandemics: Support for People with Autism
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing this issue forward. I always try to be helpful by mentioning some of the things we have done in Northern Ireland, and the Minister may find it helpful to know that many universities, including Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, offer work-base…
Commons
Debate
1 December 2025
2 contributions
M6: Junction 38
rose—
It is more than that, Madam Deputy Speaker; it is about the main thoroughfare for lorries and traffic going to Stranraer and then to Larne. It is about that road and that junction. [ Laughter. ] No, it is a fact. I have talked to those who transport agrifood goods from Northern Ireland to the north …
Commons
Proceedings
1 December 2025
3 contributions
Budget Resolutions
I thank the Secretary of State very much for what he is saying, but on the £150 energy dividend for people across the United Kingdom, the Red Book lacks detail about how the policy will work in Northern Ireland. Perhaps he could indicate whether the support will be £150 in Northern Ireland, as it wi…
Will the hon. Lady give way?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 December 2025
Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts
The Chancellor announced that her plans aim to fund public services, avoid austerity and invest for the future, portraying a positive future and spending that seems manageable. Meanwhile, the OBR forecasts that if borrowing increases in the short term, it could have a potential impact on future spen…
Commons
Oral Questions
1 December 2025
Topical Questions
The NSPCC revealed that in 2022-23 some 9,000 sexual abuse offences that were recorded by police involved an online element. What has been done in schools to improve children’s safety online and to ensure that whatever changes need to be made are made now?
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 December 2025
Evacuation Chairs: Schools and Colleges
It is nice to see you in the Chair, Sir Alec. I did not know that you would be chairing Westminster Hall. I wish you well.
The provision of evacuation chairs is imperative—all schools and colleges, across the whole of the United Kingdom, must have them for pupils, staff and visitors. Furthermore, w…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
While I am not churlish about the extra money that the Labour Government have given to pensioners, the fact is that they have pushed more people beyond the threshold, meaning that pensioners will pay more tax than they have ever paid. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that when it comes to helping…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Business of the House
I am deeply concerned by the growing and systematic discrimination faced by Christians in Algeria, including the closing of churches and the aggressive abuse of blasphemy legislation against Christian converts. Will the Leader of the House urge the Foreign Secretary to outline what concrete actions …
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Right to Trial by Jury
rose—
I thank the Minister for her answers. However, it is confusing just why this proposed decision is being considered. She talked about solutions, and I refer to Northern Ireland. More than 99% of Crown court cases in Northern Ireland are heard by a jury, and only in exceptional cases is a jury not use…
Commons
Oral Questions
House of Commons Commission
27 November 2025
Palace of Westminster: School Visits
It is important that all children of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland get an opportunity to come here, because it broadens their horizons and gives them an idea of how decisions are made here. However, children from Northern Ireland cannot just jump on a coach or a train; the…
Commons
Oral Questions
27 November 2025
Resale of Concert Tickets
I am aware of tickets for the Belsonic event at the Boucher Road playing fields in Belfast previously appearing on secondary sites at more than four times their original price within minutes of going on sale, so I welcome the news from the Secretary of State. What progress has been made on perhaps i…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Packaging: Extended Producer Responsibility
It is a real pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank the hon. Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) for setting the scene so well, as always.
EPR is a UK-wide strategy aimed at addressing issues with waste and improving recycling. I often give a Northern Ireland perspec…
In my contribution I referred to DAERA in Northern Ireland. Can the Minister engage with them—I know she probably does already—so that we can work together on progress going forward?
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Domestic Abuse: Children
The hon. Lady is giving some personal stories, which are always very hard to tell because their seriousness and trauma always lies with us in our hearts. I wish the hon. Lady well as she pursues her case, and I support her.
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. Many thanks to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) for leading this debate on a difficult subject.
Sometimes debates like these are a realisation of the sad reality of life across the United Kingdom. I will try to give…
Commons
Proceedings
26 November 2025
Grove Park Railway Station
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this issue forward. She is right to highlight the condition of the station. It was great when it was first built because it suited the times, but today’s times are different. I spoke to her beforehand about this issue. My concern is that many stations across the …
Commons
Debate
26 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
I want to confirm my party’s support for the Government’s change to the two-child benefit cap. Child poverty levels in Northern Ireland are some of the highest in all of the United Kingdom; between 30% and 35% of children are in poverty. This change will bring them out of poverty and mean a better l…
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 November 2025
Young People not in Education, Employment or Training
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Linsey Farnsworth) for setting the scene so well. Education and career prospects are so important. They affect confidence, mental health, opportunity and long-term economic wellbeing. It is imperative …
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 November 2025
Home Insulation
First of all, I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate. I spoke to her beforehand. The problems that she is outlining in her own constituency of Shipley are similar to those we have in Northern Ireland, where 65% of dwellings have full cavity wall insulation, 15% have partial cavity wall ins…
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 November 2025
2 contributions
1994 RAF Chinook Crash
May I say what a pleasure it is to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd? You are known as probably the most friendly Chair in the House, so we are pleased to have you here. We all enjoy your company. I certainly did last night; you and I had a good time together. Thank you very much for that.
I also…
Was it 2001? My goodness! There we are—that is how long ago it was; I was not sure. I was really pleased to see the hon. Member set the scene so incredibly well today.
As I listened to the hon. Member’s speech, my mind—my memory—went back. Last night, Mr Dowd, we talked about things from many years…