Commons
Oral Questions
19 June 2025
Animal Disease Outbreaks
I am deeply distressed that the Government are planning to extend the badger cull, because the evidence shows that with good testing and biosecurity, we can bring down rates of tuberculosis. I heard what the representative from Gatcombe farm said when they visited Parliament just a couple of weeks a…
Commons
Debate
18 June 2025
2 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, as a proud member of the trade union movement.
No one should go to work with the uncertainty each day that their safety might be put at risk. We as a Government clearly support that for emergency workers, and of course we are legi…
I welcome the hon. Member’s intervention. This just goes to show the extent to which our public servants put themselves in harm’s way, often running towards danger on our behalf. When people are serving us—our constituents—day in, day out, they deserve the protections that we are aiming to introduce…
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
If this is about safety, then we also have to think about the safety of the baby. In my constituency, a baby had a live birth at 30 weeks’ gestation. Tragically, that baby went on to live for just four days, struggling over that period, and then died. Must we not consider the baby’s safety as much a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2025
Disabled People in Poverty
The diagnosis is wrong and the treatment is no cure; all these cuts will do is to displace the cost and displace the problem. It was not disabled people who broke the NHS waiting lists. It was not disabled people who removed the access to mental health services. It is not disabled people who are exp…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 June 2025
Child Sexual Exploitation: Casey Report
I welcome the pace and focus that the Home Secretary has brought to Baroness Casey’s report. She is right to highlight the risk of the online space and the rapidity with which it has become a focus. Can she give assurances that protocols will change accordingly, so that we look for the information t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
16 June 2025
2 contributions
SEND Strategy
12. What steps she is taking to develop a SEND strategy.
Given the sharp rise in diagnosis in York of children with SEND, we have established a SEND-focused family hub. We are also reviewing other services. I am particularly concerned about the culture within schools. We need nurturing and inclusive education, so that we have a therapeutic learning enviro…
Commons
Debate
13 June 2025
4 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
I do not know whether the hon. Member has yet had time to read the report from the independent commission on palliative and end-of-life care, which goes into how pain and symptoms can be palliated. Ultimately, the problem at the moment is poor care and poor provision of specialist commissioned palli…
On that point, will the hon. Member give way?
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
SEND Funding
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for leading the debate. I am conscious that York is in the bottom third, and that the level of children being diagnosed with SEND is rising sharply. Does he agree that in order to future-proof the system, we need to look at a more holistic, therapeutic and n…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Industrial Strategy
I thank the Chair for the report, particularly for the framing in which it lands the industrial strategy. From reading the report, I believe there could be greater emphasis on the convening role of higher education—universities—not just as a driver of R&D and skills, but for the industrial clust…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Spending Review: Health and Social Care
The Minister has demonstrated the difference that a Labour Government make to our NHS, and to the people of our country. As she mentioned, reform is needed. May I draw her attention to the report by the independent Commission on Palliative and End of Life Care? Around 100,000 people cannot access ho…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 June 2025
Spending Review 2025
Despite being the lowest-funded unitary authority in the country, we are doing everything possible to drive down inequality in the city of York, but the differential has stayed at 13 years. Today’s announcement of investment in health, investment in social housing and investment in education will ma…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
If the UK Government fail to recognise the state of Palestine next week, what message will it send to the perpetrators of this genocide and to the suffering Palestinians?
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
10 June 2025
Topical Questions
Happy birthday, Mr Speaker.
The York Central development site at the heart of my constituency has been found to be a rich source of deep geothermal energy. Will the Minister meet me to look at how we can bring this on stream to heat the 2,500 homes and support the 12,500 jobs there will be on that …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for ageing and older people, I really do welcome the reinstatement of the winter fuel payment for 9 million pensioners, but since the announcement to remove it, the energy price cap has gone up £281, so will the Minister take a look at the value of the w…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
It is clear that this House has no confidence in the Government’s handling of the F-35 programme. I ask the Minister the following question: what is to stop the Government withdrawing from the programme and then bilaterally selling the parts to countries excluding Israel? This would ensure that we a…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
Regional Growth
I note that York did not feature in the Chief Secretary’s statement. However, I recognise the outstanding connectivity in York. Today is about creating jobs, and adjacent to York station, the York Central development—the gateway of the economy of the north—will create 12,000 jobs. Will he ensure tha…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Arms and Military Cargo Export Controls: Israel
I want to understand who is making the rules about the spare parts pool. Surely if we are trading into that pool, we have a right to set the rules. If those components are going on to F-35s that are being bought by Israel, we have a right to block those parts or to kick Israel out, as we did with Tu…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Strategic Defence Review
The 1st Division, which is headquartered in my constituency, impressed on me the importance of our diplomacy and soft power and the excellence of the training provided to our armed forces. We have heard a lot about hard power today, but will the Secretary of State ensure that we put serious resource…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
UK Nuclear Deterrent
The UK is one of five nuclear countries that are members of the non-proliferation treaty. Will my hon. Friend tell the House what steps his Government are taking to reduce the number of nuclear deterrents that our country carries, which is one of our obligations under the treaty?
Commons
Debate
22 May 2025
2 contributions
Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords]
rose —
I do take a word spoken at the Dispatch Box as a commitment, so I really welcome what the Secretary of State is saying. Will he ensure that, beyond transparency, there will be accountability? That is the missing element in the Lords amendment in particular. We need accountability for those businesse…
Commons
Proceedings
22 May 2025
School Teachers’ Review Body: Recommendations
Rather than the synthetic outrage from the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Laura Trott), who served in a Government that brought cuts to schools, I really welcome that the Government are serious about addressing the regression teachers faced in their pay,…
Commons
Debate
20 May 2025
Victims and Courts Bill
My hon. and learned Friend is making an excellent presentation to the House. My constituent Kevin Curran has campaigned all his life in memory of his brother Declan, who tragically took his own life. He was a victim of child sexual abuse. The ability to access therapeutic services is one issue, but …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 May 2025
UK-EU Summit
Although residents and businesses in York will welcome this deal, our university sector is our second largest export. Will the Prime Minister say more about how this deal will benefit higher education, not least in our research base but also in being able to attract the very best into our country?
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
20 May 2025
Vulnerable Families: Tax System Support
This is not an issue on which to make a party political point. The reality is that a 40% cut to the adoption and special guardianship support fund will be deeply impactful for young people who have experienced significant trauma—abuse, neglect and so much more. Given that our mental health services …
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 May 2025
2 contributions
Adoption and Kinship Placements
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I congratulate the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) on her speech.
This is difficult: because of the Minister’s professional background, I know that she will know everything we are going to say to her in this debate. I k…
The bottom line is that there is insufficient money for specific therapeutic interventions for those young people. Will the Minister commit to go back to the Treasury and make the case for ensuring the full funding of therapeutic interventions so that no child misses out?