Commons
Westminster Hall
25 June 2026
2 contributions
National Lung Cancer Screening Programme
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. We will be together all afternoon if you are here for the next debate as well. I welcome this debate on the national lung cancer screening programme. I thank the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) for securing it, and for his dedication …
This debate is about lung cancer, but I noticed a story in the paper today about an increase of between 5% and 10% in the number of people who now have breast cancer. Does the Minister agree that that underlines the issue that while there are many advances in cancer, and we welcome all of them, ther…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 June 2026
Ports and Port Connectivity
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I want to say a special thank you to the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham) for highlighting this important topic.
The title of this debate is “Ports and Port Connectivity”, but from Northern Ireland’s point of view, perhap…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2026
4 contributions
North Sea Oil and Gas
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) for introducing the debate and support his ambitions to take this issue forward. It is no surprise that the hon. Gentleman and his party have been at the fore in pressing it, including…
My hon. Friend and colleague brings forward the exact motivations of many people who speak to me. I endorse what he says, as I am sure others will.
When it comes to our national future, security must always come first. Global instability proves that we cannot simply rely on foreign regimes for our …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2026
Animal Shelters: Regulation of Euthanasia
First, I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing this issue forward. I spoke to him beforehand, to make him aware of my intervention. He will not be aware—indeed, nobody will be—that my wife has been a volunteer in animal shelters for a great many years, so we have had the cats and dogs that could n…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 June 2026
Conversion Practices Ban
I am mindful of the question asked by the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns) and the Minister’s response. What protection has the Minister put in place for those who actively and honestly seek help and prayerful support, and who are seeking guidance in churches and through Christian and faith-based…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 June 2026
Discrimination against Trans People
I am mindful of the question asked by the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns) and the Minister’s response. What protection has the Minister put in place for those who actively and honestly seek help and prayerful support, and who are seeking guidance in churches and through Christian and faith-based…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2026
Public Libraries: Bournemouth East
My Newtownards library has been allocated funding by the relevant Minister. Understanding that a warm library is a place of knowledge, friendship and community, does the Minister also agree that the benefit to communities is more than the ability to borrow a book and is in fact the ability to connec…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2026
Farming: Financial Sustainability
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Turner. I thank the hon. Member for North Northumberland (David Smith), who set the scene incredibly well. I have four points of 30 seconds each. When we talk about farming in Northern Ireland, we are talking about family farms. Over 27,000 farming …
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
3 contributions
Fly-tipping: Residential Areas
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn) for setting the scene incredibly well. I welcome the Minister, who we are very fortunate to have. She is committed to the very things that we are asking for. I wish he…
I certainly do. It is an absolute disgrace that, across Northern Ireland, we see fewer than six successful illegal dumping prosecutions per year. Criminal fly-tippers are treating minor fixed penalties as nothing more than a business expense. That must change. We need to back our local authorities i…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
Border Security: UK-Ireland Co-operation
I commend my hon. Friend for securing this debate. The party that she and I belong to has been highlighting this back-door approach for a number of years, but the Government have refused to act. The people recently took to the streets in their thousands to tell their Government peacefully that actio…
Commons
Proceedings
23 June 2026
Defence Spending and Readiness
I commend the shadow Minister and the Conservatives for what they are bringing forward today. Warfare is changing, and the shadow Minister knows that. As an example of how warfare is changing, the papers today are talking about warfare that could be done by artificial intelligence, with maybe some 1…
Commons
Proceedings
23 June 2026
Puberty Blockers
I just say this to the hon. Lady and, perhaps more importantly, to the Secretary of State, who is very genuine, personable and easy to speak to. In Northern Ireland, the Assembly and the Minister there have taken a decision not to pursue this. Would the hon. Lady agree that, when the Government purs…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
Prison Safety
I thank the Minister for outlining the issues. One of the critical problems in prisons is the mental health crisis. People are coming in with complex needs, including complex emotional needs; sometimes they have addiction issues; and they may have experienced abuse in the past as well. Those things …
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
3 contributions
Environmental Sustainability: UK-Indonesia Collaboration
I commend the hon. Lady for rightly securing this debate. She has given us some of the problems and, in her intervention, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) suggested some of the things that could happen to solve them.
Back home in Northern Ireland, we have a number of small …
If Members have not had the chance to go to it already, I will just let them know that the British Red Cross is holding an event in a dining room A or B today. Earlier, I was talking to a young lady who is doing some work in Nepal on water issues, including water shortage. There is flooding in Nepal…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 June 2026
2 contributions
Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Newborn Screening Test
I commend the hon. Gentleman for, as he often does, leading this debate on a petition that has generated a lot of interest. I understand that the one of the life-altering gene therapies for SMA, Zolgensma—I hope that I have pronounced it correctly—is available on the NHS, but such gene therapies onl…
On 23 March, Scotland rightly introduced routine screening. In October, babies born in England will benefit from the in-service evaluation framework. Yet families in Northern Ireland do not qualify whatsoever. Does the hon. Member agree that the Government must commit to working across jurisdictions…
Commons
Debate
22 June 2026
2 contributions
Armed Forces Bill
On reservists, I am sure that the hon. Member will be aware that the maximum age of recall is being increased from 60 to 65, and the threshold for mobilisation is being lowered. The problem in Northern Ireland is that our reservists are overwhelmingly employed in civilian jobs in our small and mediu…
I thank the shadow Minister again for all his endeavours on behalf of the defence forces. He is an example to us all.
I understand that the Government have extended the armed forces covenant to Northern Ireland, but there is a question mark over the responsibility of local borough and district coun…
Commons
Debate
22 June 2026
British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
I commend the hon. Member for Ashfield (Lee Anderson) on securing the debate. I think it is the third time that he has brought the issue before the House, and I congratulate him on that. The issue is a matter of basic dignity and fair play, because this is about the miners’ own money, paid in from h…
Commons
Oral Questions
Electoral Commission Committee
18 June 2026
Polling Stations: Blind and Visually Impaired Voters
I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that answer. The RNIB has been in touch with me in relation to an issue in Northern Ireland. Access to elections is imperative if we are to encourage true democracy, and there must be confidence that any and every polling station has easy access. Will…
Commons
Oral Questions
Culture, Media and Sport
18 June 2026
UK Artists Touring in Europe
I am very fortunate that I have exceptional talent in my constituency, and for those who wish to take their talents across Europe and other parts of the world, the opportunity is there. The Minister was positive in his answer to the hon. Member for Manchester Withington (Jeff Smith). Will the same e…
Commons
Debate
18 June 2026
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
I commend the hon. Gentleman for setting the scene so well, and I am sure that everyone in the House is committed to the same objectives. The hon. Gentleman is right to underline the issues. My constituents back home face significant stress over delays, and unfair deductions when compensation is pas…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 June 2026
Courts and Tribunals Bill
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his recommendations. Many are specific to England and Wales, but could be helpful for us in Northern Ireland. I always ask this question, because it is important that it be put on record: has the Committee suggested that the recommendations could be helpful to us in No…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 June 2026
Human Rights: Supply Chains
First, Mr Dowd, I commend you for taking the Chair and saving the debate. It is said that you never go home, so perhaps that is why you were able to get here.
I thank the hon. Member for Southgate and Wood Green (Bambos Charalambous) for securing this incredibly important debate. He has outlined a …
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 June 2026
4 contributions
Stoma: Public Toilet Provision
I beg to move,
That this House has considered public toilet provision for people with stoma.
Thank you for standing in, Mr Dowd. It is much appreciated by us all. It is always good to have you in the Chair, no matter what, but today is a special occasion. This is not what I would call a particular…
I thank the hon. Gentleman, and I will take advantage of that opportunity if it comes.
More than 200,000 people across the United Kingdom live with a stoma. For some, it may be a short-term issue, their body may heal and they will recover—that is to be welcomed. However, there is a lot of anxiety f…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2026
Transport: Marston Vale
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. I very well understand the absolute devastation caused by bad management. As I said to him beforehand, I have similar problems in my constituency in relation to the Ballynahinch bypass. We must have robust Government involvement in prioritising …
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
17 June 2026
Defence Spending
The increase in spending for Wales should encourage us all, as it does across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Does the right hon. Lady agree that the extra money for defence spending underlines the importance of being a member of the United Kingdom of Great Britain a…