Commons
Westminster Hall
12 June 2025
2 contributions
Long-term Medical Conditions
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) for securing the debate and, like the hon. Member for South West Norfolk (Terry Jermy), I thank him for his service. I did not know he was a surgeon —I thought he wa…
If I could ask for one thing in this debate, it would be that—it is important.
I should have welcomed the hon. Member for Wellingborough and Rushden (Gen Kitchen) to her position; apologies for not doing that at the beginning of my speech. It is a real joy to see her there. It is better than whippi…
Commons
Debate
11 June 2025
British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. I would never have known about what happened in the mines, but for the stories that he has told us. He has told those stories in debates in this House in the past. I thank him for his service. We congratulate the Nationwide building society for …
Commons
Debate
11 June 2025
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill
We cannot help but be excited about the Bill because of its potential to deliver. The Minister is a good friend of us in Northern Ireland, and a good friend of all of us in this Chamber and across this great nation. There are innovative people in Northern Ireland who have the technology, and they wi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
NHS Funding: South-west
I am here to support the hon. Gentleman; I congratulate him on bringing this subject forward for debate. He is right to highlight issues with cancer care. It is the same for us back home: only a third of those referred by GPs begin treatment within the target time. Does he feel that there is money t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
11 June 2025
Defence Spending: Wales
I welcome the Government’s increased spending in Wales. First, it is good for jobs and opportunity, and secondly, those in uniform, whether in the Army, the Royal Air Force or the Royal Navy, come from all over the United Kingdom—from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Does the Minister acknowled…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
2 contributions
Outdoor Education
Will the hon. Member give way?
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate. He is absolutely right, and I support his endeavour to ensure that the Minister will respond positively to him. In February 2025, the Education Minister in Northern Ireland launched the outdoor learning project to enhance pupils’ experience of ou…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
2 contributions
Child Poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I give special thanks to the hon. Member for Sheffield Hallam (Olivia Blake); this debate is so important—that is why we are all here—and she set the scene incredibly well. She was a sponsor of early-day motion 1317, which called for great…
It is wrong that that happens—I always say that—but the food bank brings together the church, Government officials and people with good will. It is about the generosity of people. I hope that that does not sound negative to the hon. Lady, because it is not supposed to be, but I see the positives of …
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
Theft of Tools of Trade
I commend the hon. Lady, who is absolutely right to raise the issue. I am sorry to say that tool theft is a critical issue in all our constituencies. In my constituency we have a tradition of working in construction, but vans are regularly broken into. Does she agree that there is a cost to this dis…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
3 contributions
Space Industry
What a pleasure it is to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. I thank the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mark Garnier) for leading the debate. He obviously has an incredible interest in the space sector; if he ever appears on “Mastermind”, this will be his chosen subject. I mean that in a nice way, b…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. In fairness to the Minister, I feel that her intention is to ensure that that will happen. I hope she will confirm that today. It is important.
Our aerospace heritage brings more than 8,000 jobs to Northern Ireland. I am sure—indeed, I know—that the Minister is v…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
10 June 2025
Grenfell Tower Fire: Eighth Anniversary
May I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this issue? It is appropriate and right that this House should recall the tragic events of 14 June 2017 and pay tribute to all of the 72 innocent lives that were lost—I think the House is united in thinking of those families. Although the fire ha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The Minister is much respected in this House. He has been at pains to emphasise that these sanctions are being placed on the people, not the Government, yet already media headlines out there are creating the image that Israel is being sanctioned. Will he underline and state the unwavering support th…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Nuclear Power: Investment
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and the clear positivity in every word he has said. I very much welcome the news that nuclear energy is to be secured for the United Kingdom, bringing job security and many contracts, and we look forward to seeing how we can all benefit across this gr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
10 June 2025
Warm Home Discount: Extension
Happy birthday, Mr Speaker! Like me, you don’t count the years; you make the years count. You are doing very well at that.
I welcome the Minister’s answer. She has in the past been keen to ensure that Northern Ireland does not lose out on schemes. Yesterday, the decision on the winter fuel payment …
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 June 2025
Mass Transit: West Yorkshire
I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this welcome debate. I spoke to him earlier, and I know that this has been a passion of his since before he became an MP. I am pleased to see the Minister in her place, and I am sure she will not let him down when she replies—no pressure, Minister! D…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 June 2025
Prostitution and Sex Trafficking: Demand
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this debate forward. It is a hard subject to speak about and it is incredibly hard to listen to—not because of the hon. Lady, but because the subject content is so graphic. I know that the hon. Lady is aware of the Northern Ireland legislation, but does she agree…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 June 2025
3 contributions
USAID Funding Pause
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse.
I thank the hon. Member for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew) for leading the debate. He and I have talked often about his previous job before he came here. I put on the record my thanks to him for what he did. His heart is in this deb…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. His comments about what we should do are incredibly wise, because there would be benefits. Sometimes the full appreciation of that is not known.
I was at a Samaritan’s Purse charity event last Friday in my constituency, where I was quite critical of USAID. The Bi…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
9 June 2025
Breast Cancer Screening: Bassetlaw
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this debate forward. I spoke to her before the debate and her concerns are those of us all, and that is why we are here—to try to make lives better. Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland breast screening coverage remained relatively steady over time until 20…
Commons
Debate
9 June 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
I declare an interest as a member of the Ulster Farmers Union, the mother body of which is the National Farmers Union. Others will comment on this, but the UFU has told me that it is concerned about losing farmland for housing. Should it not be the policy of Government to ensure that brownfield site…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
I thank the Minister for his statement. I very much welcome the decision to give the winter fuel payment back to pensioners. Raising the threshold to £35,000 means that many will now qualify, and I thank him for that. On behalf of all of those pensioners who have struggled for the last 10 months, wi…
Commons
Proceedings
9 June 2025
Chinese Embassy Development
Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker—I am somewhat thrown off there.
I thank the Minister for his answers. He will be aware of concerns that Chinese-born residents in my constituency and across Northern Ireland have about the reach, and indeed the overreach, of the Chinese Government in the Un…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
9 June 2025
2 contributions
Regeneration Funding: Scotland
rose—
The Minister is right to point out the need for regeneration for towns in Scotland. Last week, the Government agreed in this Chamber to funding for England and Wales. That leaves only one part of the United Kingdom left out: Northern Ireland. [ Laughter. ] What will be done to ensure that Northern I…
Commons
Debate
5 June 2025
Battery Energy Storage Sites: Safety Regulations
I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate. He is right to highlight the issues around lithium-ion batteries and thermal runaway; we are all reminded of explosions and fires in Liverpool in 2019 and in Kilwinning, in Scotland, in 2025. He referred to the need for legislation for the whole …
Commons
Debate
5 June 2025
2 contributions
Bank Closures and Banking Hubs
I congratulate the hon. Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery) on setting the scene and on his introduction of the issue. As an MP for an area that has been hard hit by the removal of 11 banks, first in rural villages and now increasingly in even the main towns of Strangford, the issue is incre…
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right; that is replicated not just in his constituency and mine, but probably in those of everyone here today. Those in rural areas are twice as likely as those in urban areas to depend on their local post office branch for cash and banking services. With 11 ba…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 June 2025
Governing the Marine Environment
I thank the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee for introducing the report and for mentioning bottom trawling. My understanding from speaking to the fish producers’ organisations in my constituency and across Northern Ireland is that they are committed to the vision of stopping bottom trawlin…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 June 2025
Criminal Cases Review Commission: Leadership
I thank the Chair of the Select Committee for his presentation. In his introduction, he referred to the input from Northern Ireland. Did that involve the policing and justice Minister and all the major political parties to ensure that we have a collective point of view on the delivery of the recomme…