Commons
Westminster Hall
4 September 2025
Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
It is, as always, a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell— I think I have done so three or four times this week already. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) for bringing this issue to the House and for the passion she obviously has for this subject. She brought that t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 September 2025
2 contributions
Procedure Committee
I thank the Chair and the Committee for their hard work in releasing this. I have a simple question. Some of us sitting here today could, in three months’ time, find ourselves seriously ill suddenly and unexpectedly. I presume that would need to be backed up by a letter from a consultant, a doctor o…
The brief question is: has the Committee considered that?
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
Diabetes in Sport
I commend the hon. Member for bringing forward this debate; he is right to highlight these issues. I want to tell him about a young boy from back home. I recently read an article on diabetes.co.uk about a young man called Ryan Nixon-Stewart from Lisburn in County Down who has his sights set on Olymp…
Commons
Proceedings
3 September 2025
Property Taxes
I commend the shadow Chancellor for bringing forward this subject for debate. He clearly shares my deep concern that I have, and that I think everyone in this Chamber should have, that the Government are considering a further tax on property, despite the fact that the Prime Minister committed to not…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Young Disabled People: Labour Market Inequalities
5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle inequalities faced by young disabled people in the labour market.
Research by the national disability charity Sense found that more than half of disabled benefit claimants with complex needs between the ages of 18 and 34 say that there are few jobs that meet their needs as disabled people. What steps can the Minister take to ensure that more employment opportuniti…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Pavement Parking
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I commend the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for securing the debate.
Pavement parking is a nationwide issue that impacts constituencies across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Every week …
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Living Standards: East of England
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate. He is right to underline the issue of low income; the quality of life for working families on low incomes is the worst that it has ever been. When I spoke to him beforehand, I referred to my constituency, and indeed all Northern Ireland, where I …
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne). I remember his debate in the main Chamber well; it was highly emotional. I am pleased to see his continued passion for justice, openness and transparency—well done.
It may int…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Covid-19 Vaccination Harm
This is not just about the damages figures; it is also about those who do not qualify through the vaccine damage payment scheme, which states they must have a 60% permanent disability. I have spoken to the hon. Gentleman about this. Many of my constituents have serious but not qualifying conditions.…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
Use of Drones in Defence
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship again, Ms Lewell. I commend the hon. Member for Bromley and Biggin Hill (Peter Fortune) for setting the scene so well. I had hoped to see more people at this debate; I expected a full house. This is about modern technology—this is the future—and so…
Commons
Debate
2 September 2025
2 contributions
Solar Development: Newark
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
This is not just about Newark; it affects its neighbours as well. It is an issue across the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and these large-scale plans will definitely affect us all. I understand the need for renewable energy, but our farmers and their needs, and t…
Commons
Debate
2 September 2025
Speciality Steel UK: Insolvency
I thank the Minister for her statement and for her commitment. On anything that I have ever had to speak to the hon. Lady about, she has always been willing to try to achieve something to give security for jobs, and I thank her for that personally. The fact that some 1,450 jobs are on the line is de…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
Gaza: Ceasefire
The Secretary of State was very clear yesterday that if we want peace, we must ensure that the hostages are released. If we want peace, we must ensure that Hamas are ousted from Gaza. If that happens, we will have a peace that will last. I know that he is committed to that, for he said so yesterday,…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Eating Disorders: Prevention of Deaths
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I congratulate the hon. Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) on securing the debate. In the short time that I have, I want to make three points about Northern Ireland.
Stats show that 22 individuals—20 women and two men—died from ea…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Violence against Women and Girls: Pornography Prostitution
First of all, I commend the hon. Lady on bringing this forward. I spoke to her beforehand to ensure that my thoughts are similar to hers. There is no doubt that online platforms such as OnlyFans pose a potential threat to how young people perceive sexual relations. Does the hon. Lady agree—the Minis…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
The Battle of Britain
Thank you for giving me the chance to speak, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Cameron Thomas) for allowing us all to sow into this debate, and boy did he set the right tone for it. Every one of us respects him for that—well done to him. I am pleased to see the hon. and gallant Mi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Pony and Trap Racing: Regulation
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this issue forward. She is right to highlight it. The reason is quite simple: there is no doubt that there are significant safety risks that come along with it, especially for young drivers. As an example, in 2023 on the Antrim Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, …
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Defibrillators
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for setting the scene so very well and for his generosity in allowing time for us all to participate.
My interest in defibrillators goes back to an incident outside a school in m…
Commons
Debate
1 September 2025
Lisbon Maru Memorial
I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate. She has put forward this story with so much passion and interest in the people, and I congratulate her on that. Again, I remember and pay tribute to the victory over Japan. I commemorated it at an event just last week, and so this is a timely debate.…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Transnational Repression in the UK
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I do not usually get called first, so thank you very much for that. Can I first of all thank the Chair of the Committee and the Committee for all that they do in relation to this issue? I know that the hon. Member for Leeds Central and Headingley (Alex Sobel) has bee…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Ukraine
I thank the Secretary of State very much for his statement. I look forward very much to his statements in this Chamber, because he invariably brings us good news, and today he has done so again with the order of five frigates for Norway worth £10 billion. As a farmer, I am minded that while someone …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Middle East
I thank the Secretary of State for his clear commitment to delivering help and assistance and to finding a lasting solution. Does he accept that the retrieval of two more dead Israeli hostages, while 48 are still being held either dead or alive by Hamas, indicates the unwillingness of Hamas to bring…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Borders and Asylum
I thank the Home Secretary for her statement. Does she accept that the frustration many feel about illegal immigration must never be confused with opinions about those who come and add to our society in the NHS, in agriculture and in many other jobs where we rely on help from foreign nationals? Does…
Commons
Oral Questions
1 September 2025
Data Sharing: Local Authorities
I thank the Minister for his reply; as always, he is very positive in his responses. He referred to the anti-poverty strategy. What discussions has he had about the anti-poverty strategy for us in Northern Ireland? Levels of poverty and mental health issues have risen dramatically, and young people …
Commons
Debate
22 July 2025
Changing Places Toilets
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this debate. I spoke to him beforehand to get an idea of what he was trying to achieve, and I want to congratulate him on his campaign—well done! Every one of us in our constituency wishes we had someone pushing as hard as he is with his campaign. I …