Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 October 2025
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
I thank the Minister for his commitment to finding solutions, and for his incredibly compassionate demeanour in handling these issues. I think we all thank him for that. The streamlined scheme for compensation opened just three weeks ago; can the Minister confirm that it is indeed now easier for peo…
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
Monday 27 October marked International Religious Freedom Day. In the UK, we are fortunate to enjoy the freedom to believe or not to believe without fear of persecution, but sadly in countries such as Nigeria and Sudan, which was mentioned this morning, many religious minorities continue to suffer ap…
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Sudan: Protection of Civilians
I thank the Minister very much for his well-chosen words. I thank the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) for securing this urgent question. Other MPs and I have long been highlighting the atrocities taking place in Sudan, including stomach-churning terrorist attacks, and rapes and m…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
30 October 2025
Industrial Strategy
I welcome the Minister and, indeed, the whole Front-Bench team to their places—well done!
On the industrial strategy, what steps have been taken to fund high-quality workforce apprenticeships in sectors such as technology, manufacturing and hospitality, to provide young people with opportunities fo…
Commons
Westminster Hall
30 October 2025
Moles: Histological Testing
I wanted to be here at the beginning, but unfortunately I could not because I had other things to do in the Chamber. I declare an interest—like the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough), I am going to get one of mine done very shortly, but in Northern Ireland the wait list is 56 weeks. If…
Commons
Debate
29 October 2025
3 contributions
Offshore Wind Supply Chain: Tyneside
Will the hon. Lady give way?
I spoke to the hon. Lady before the debate and explained the connection between her constituency and mine, and why it is so important. I also want to encourage the hon. Lady, who has been a great friend of mine in the House in all the time I have been here. We share many things, including an interes…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
29 October 2025
Privileges
I thank everyone involved in producing the report and the Leader of the House for bringing it to the House for us to consider. I recall very well where I was on that fateful day when the news came through. It has always been very important to me, and indeed to everyone in this House, to ensure that …
Commons
Proceedings
29 October 2025
Asylum Seekers: MOD Housing
I thank the Minister for his answers and his dedication to finding the answers that we need. While it was good to hear that there is a plan to house asylum seekers more cost-effectively, the Government must ensure that those areas do not become states within this state. What steps have been taken to…
Commons
Proceedings
29 October 2025
Gaza and Hamas
I thank the Minister very much for his answers, his tone and his well-chosen words; we appreciate them. The moment that there were reports of shots fired at Israeli soldiers in Rafah and of an IDF soldier being murdered, my heart sank—as the hearts of many others probably did—because I knew that the…
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Vehicle Headlight Glare Standards
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I commend the hon. Member for Crawley (Peter Lamb) for setting the scene so very well. This is an important issue as road safety is important to us all. Keeping ourselves, as well as other motorists safe, is part of that. There have …
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Civil Justice Council Review of Litigation Funding
I commend the right hon. Gentleman for securing the debate; he was right to do so. Although no win, no fee seems like the only reasonable option for those seeking compensation in the civil courts to fund their cases, they can be easily taken advantage of, so does he agree that we need a framework th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Independent Lifeboats: Government Support
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I commend and congratulate the hon. Member for Hamble Valley (Paul Holmes) on bringing this debate to Westminster Hall and thereby giving us all a chance to participate.
As the MP for a coastal constituency with a very large length …
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Wet Wipes: Plastic Ban
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this forward. She is right to mention the four regions. Back home in Northern Ireland, wet wipes are a major cause of what are referred to as fatbergs of non-biodegradable waste in local sewers, which leads to pollution and costly clean-ups. Although the regional…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
2 contributions
Support for Disabled Veterans
I commend the hon. Lady on bringing forward this debate. The armed forces covenant in Northern Ireland needs to be upgraded as well. The covenant is only as good as the authority that implements it. Does she agree that a review must be carried out to ensure improvements in how our veterans are helpe…
I thank the Minister for all her answers, and I wish her well in her new position. She will be aware of the charity Beyond the Battlefield in Portavogie, in my constituency, which looks after soldiers across Northern Ireland who fall between the cracks. May I extend an invitation to her? It would be…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
Stamp Duty Land Tax
I commend the right hon. Gentleman for what he is saying, and I commend the Opposition on bringing forward this debate. In Northern Ireland, house prices have risen by 7.7%, which is the highest in all the United Kingdom. What is happening in my constituency—I suspect other Members have had this—is …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
Gaza Peace Plan
I thank the Secretary of State very much for her responses. The peace plan can succeed only if Hamas are not part of it. Hamas need to return the dead hostages to the families, and they need to be disarmed. We also need to ensure that they are not carrying out summary executions of fellow Gazans, as…
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
2 contributions
World Stroke Day
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz.
I thank the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson), both for setting the scene and for sharing the story of her mum, because such stories always give a very honest and true perspective. My own mother is now 94. When she was 93, she had …
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention, and he is right.
Whether it is our lifestyle, what we eat, the way we live, or whatever it may be, it is really important that we address these things. Recovery can take years and some people find it completely life-altering. Over the past 10 years, the…
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
Lasting Power of Attorney
I commend the hon. Gentleman for all his hard work in the House. I do not think anybody in this House is not impressed by his dedication, interests and commitment, and this debate is another example.
In Northern Ireland, the enduring power of attorney is a legal document that lets us choose someone…
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
3 contributions
Connected and Automated Vehicles
It is as always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. It is nice to see you again and catch up. I thank the hon. Member for West Bromwich (Sarah Coombes) for leading today’s debate and I congratulate her for doing well. I am not a petrolhead but I love a gear stick—I love going through t…
Now, will that ever happen? Who knows? But we are talking about driverless cars.
I want to refer to Northern Ireland, of course. First, the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 does not apply to Northern Ireland and, furthermore, there is as of yet no comprehensive legislative framework in Northern Ireland …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
Family Farming in Northern Ireland
I commend my hon. Friend for that point. She is absolutely right to underline the impact on family farms of the Chancellor’s proposals. In tandem with decisions being made by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister in Northern Ireland, they will leave many farmers feeli…
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
2 contributions
Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Member for Worthing West (Dr Cooper), who is co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on liver disease and liver cancer, for setting the scene incredibly well. I thank her for the detail and for her requests to the Mini…
That has never been a problem in the past, Mr Efford. Do I need to lift it up to my mouth? I thought it was good enough to carry my voice; apologies if it is not. This would be the first time it has not worked.
Two thirds of adults are overweight or living with obesity, and one in three children ar…
Commons
Debate
27 October 2025
Regulation and Inspection of Funeral Services
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate. This is the second Adjournment debate of his in which I have been involved in the last six months. He brings to the House subjects that are pertinent not just to North Dorset but to every constituency across the whole United Kingdom of Great Brit…
Commons
Debate
27 October 2025
Prisoner Release Checks
The fact of the matter is that some 262 prisoners were freed in error in the year to March, which is almost an epidemic. That is compared with 115 in the previous year—a increase of 128%, according to data from the Ministry of Justice. The Justice Secretary knows that I have absolute respect for him…
Commons
Debate
27 October 2025
North Sea Oil and Gas Industry
I have a number of constituents who depend on the North sea oil and gas industry for their employment. The Minister will be aware that if a buyer is not found, the knock-on effect will not be limited to those families facing redundancy, but will affect our nation’s energy security. Does the Minister…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Scheme
I welcome the Secretary of State to his place and wish him well in his new role. I am quite confident that he will give us all the answers we wish to have. Northern Ireland continues to have a higher proportion of young people not in employment, education or training—some 11% to 13%—compared with th…