Commons
Debate
27 October 2025
North Sea Oil and Gas Industry
Every single one of us has been criticising Government policy, not criticising Petrofac, the expertise and workers at Petrofac, or any of the workers in our oil and gas industry. The Minister says that he has been spending time in Aberdeen. Does he have any idea how it feels to be in Aberdeen just n…
Commons
Debate
23 October 2025
6 contributions
Black History Month
I appreciate that the draft will be published in this Session, but when the Minister has more information on the timeline for its publication—before or, as is more likely, after Christmas, for example—will she update the House so that we can get ready to scrutinise it and assist with her work, which…
It is quite scary to follow the hon. Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) and the right hon. Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott), who are both formidable advocates against injustice. I have done several debates with the hon. Member for Brent East, and I have so much respect for h…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
Child Poverty Strategy (Removal of Two Child Limit)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish a child poverty strategy which includes proposals for removing the limit on the number of children or qualifying young persons included in the calculation of an award of Universal Credit; and for conn…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
3 September 2025
Topical Questions
Have the Government done an equality assessment on how cancelling family reunion differentially impacts those from ethnic minority backgrounds?
Commons
Oral Questions
1 September 2025
Topical Questions
Scotland is the only part of these islands where child poverty is falling, as a result of the Scottish child payment and the mitigation of the bedroom cap. When will the Labour Government move from empty words to actual action to take children out of poverty?
Commons
Proceedings
21 July 2025
Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity
We have a responsibility to deal in the truth and to counter plainly false narratives. The Minister talked about the fact that this protest crossed over into mindless thuggery. Every one of us should stand up here and say that to our constituents or to anyone who gets in touch. People are spreading …
Commons
Debate
9 July 2025
6 contributions
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
We are at a really interesting point with this Bill: a year’s worth of politics happened last week, and it feels like there is more to come. Like the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams), I begin by thanking all the disabled peop…
I thank the hon. Member for clarifying that. It would be great if the Minister could clarify from the Dispatch Box that there is no requirement on him or his review to save money. If the hon. Member can give that commitment on behalf of the Minister, that is great, but has the Treasury asked the Min…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
7 July 2025
6 contributions
Pension Schemes Bill
Obviously that can happen only where there are surplus funds, and there may not be surplus funds in all circumstances. I just want to give the Minister a heads-up in relation to the questions about employee benefits. It would be useful in Committee to have more information about the Government’s ana…
On auto-enrolment, the other missing group is those aged under 22. Auto-enrolment seemed to be set up with the view that people would go to university before entering the jobs market, but that is not the case for many people. It is possible that starting auto-enrolment earlier would mean much more a…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
1 July 2025
2 contributions
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
Too much of what we have discussed today has not centred disabled people, the Bill or the changes that we are being asked to vote on. We are being asked to vote on the Second Reading of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. We have had some reassurances from the Government and…
If November 2026 is not a hard deadline any more, why do the Government need to push this Bill through today? Why does it have to get through before the summer recess so that it can go to the Lords in order that it can be in place before November 2026 if that date no longer matters?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 July 2025
Parental Leave Review
Only 3% of women surveyed by Maternity Action had no financial worries during the course of their pregnancy. Given how awful that statistic is, will the Minister commit to listening to people with lived experience and co-producing the outcomes of the review with them?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Welfare Reform
If this is what Labour thinks people voted for and what people wanted when they voted in July last year, why was it not in the Labour manifesto? Why did Labour not put in its manifesto that it was going to cut the winter fuel payment, keep the two-child cap and push 150,000 more disabled people into…
Commons
Proceedings
23 June 2025
2 contributions
Pride Month
Happy Pride to everyone in Aberdeen, in Scotland and in every part of these islands. The world is a pretty scary place right now in a huge number of ways. As the Minister said, LGBT people are normal just like the rest of us, and they are similarly feeling scared about the state of the world, not le…
I congratulate the hon. Member on taking this opportunity to say what she has said. It is not easy to say something like that in a Chamber like this. Having done something similar not that long ago, I absolutely respect her, and I join her in celebrating Pride month.
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
23 June 2025
Topical Questions
Matching the Scottish child payment by raising the child element of universal credit would bring more than half a million children out of poverty. The Secretary of State has been clear that a lot of issues are being considered by the child poverty taskforce. Is raising the child element of universal…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
6 contributions
Child Poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds
It is a pleasure to take part in the debate and I appreciate your chairing of it, Dr Huq. I congratulate the hon. Member for Sheffield Hallam (Olivia Blake) on securing such an important debate. The subject has been one of my hobbyhorses for a significant number of years.
In Aberdeen, we have seen …
I would be quite happy with that. I have no issue with it. I think that no recourse to public funds should not apply to anyone. I especially do not think that it should apply to any family with children under five. So many issues are created by no recourse to public funds.
Obviously, there are elig…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
11 June 2025
2 contributions
Devolution: Crown Estate
1. What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential merits of devolving the Crown Estate.
In contrast to that, recent research by the Crown Estate Scotland has revealed that in one 12-month period, the Crown Estate helped its tenants to generate an economic impact of £2.1 billion, and supported almost 17,000 jobs. A decade on from the devolution of the Crown Estate’s assets and revenue, …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Nuclear Power: Investment
This £14 billion splurge on English nuclear power plants comes on top of £22 billion for English carbon capture and storage, while there is nothing for Scotland’s Acorn project. With Grangemouth allowed to close and the fiscal regime ruining the north-east’s energy jobs, this latest announcement sho…
Commons
Debate
5 June 2025
Battery Energy Storage Sites: Safety Regulations
I congratulate the hon. Member for Horsham (John Milne) on securing this important debate. Some of the newer Members may not know quite how much I love the geekiest possible debates. I have not had as much time since I became SNP Chief Whip, so I cannot reach the geeky heights managed by the right h…
Commons
Debate
5 June 2025
Bank Closures and Banking Hubs
I thank the hon. Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery) and the right hon. Member for Tatton (Esther McVey) for bringing this debate before us today. I want to make a few comments.
I agree with the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) that access to banking services is a major issu…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 June 2025
2 contributions
Free School Meals
The Minister has today made a big thing about every family in every corner of our country, and he has talked about how widespread this change will be. A small number of additional people in England will be able to get additional free school meals. I am glad that the Government have extended eligibil…
When?
Commons
Proceedings
5 June 2025
Business of the House
Tackling child poverty is incredibly important. On Monday, the Leader of the House told me:
“I will ensure that she and the House are updated on the timings for the child poverty taskforce”. —[ Official Report , 2 June 2025; Vol. 768, c. 33.]
I would appreciate an update on the timings. When will …
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
5 June 2025
Relocating Civil Service Roles
My party was pleased to hear the announcement that GB Energy is coming to Aberdeen, which we have consistently said is the only sensible place for it, as Members would expect an Aberdeen MP to say. Given that GB Energy will bring a maximum of 1,000 jobs over the next 10 years, will the right hon. Ge…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
2 contributions
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
In 10, 20 or 50 years, none of us wants to look back and say that we could have done more. As of December, there were 191 licences for the export of military equipment to Israel. Fewer than half of them were for the IDF and the Israeli Government. What comfort does the Minister have that the militar…
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. We have had an hour and a half of questions. It is very unusual for almost every Member in this House to be speaking with one voice. I wonder whether she could give me some guidance. When something is the preserve of the Executive, meaning that it is only t…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Arms and Military Cargo Export Controls: Israel
The hon. Member for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Steve Witherden) mentioned the Government’s red lines. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade said that there were red lines that would make the Government stop sending F-35 parts, but the Minister has just been clear that it is not possible to…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Strategic Defence Review
There is a serious lack of answers here. Apparently there is going to be further clarity in the forthcoming defence industrial strategy, financial services strategy, defence diplomacy strategy, reserve personnel strategy, defence housing strategy and defence estate optimisation programme. The Secret…
Commons
Proceedings
2 June 2025
Government Announcements
On 30 January, the Leader of the House said,
“we will publish the child poverty strategy in the spring.” —[ Official Report , 30 January 2025; Vol. 761, c. 442.]
The Guardian broke the story on 23 May that the child poverty strategy will not be published in the spring. I cannot find a written stat…