Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 June 2026
East Midland Railway Collision
I express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Shaun Burton. As a train driver, he carried enormous responsibility and we should remember his dedication and service. I also wish a full recovery to those who are injured. This was a tragic incident, but it was genuinely movi…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 April 2026
Knife Crime
Bedfordshire police welcomes the Government’s plan to refer all child knife possession cases to youth justice services, building on its work with the NHS, schools, charities and community groups to discourage under-16s from carrying knives. Can the Minister outline how the new national co-ordination…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 April 2026
Middle East
I commend the Prime Minister on his efforts to keep the UK out of Donald Trump’s latest dangerous attempt to end a blockade by creating another. I also commend Pakistan’s attempt to broker peace and the UK Government’s work with over 30 countries to pursue a diplomatic solution. However, if the stra…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
Topical Questions
For as long as the UK depends on oil and gas, global conflicts will continue to drive price hikes for my constituents in Bedford and Kempston, who face soaring bills when the price cap ends in June. Does the Secretary of State agree that lower bills should come before company profits, and will he le…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Middle East
One of the clearest lessons of the Chilcot inquiry was that the UK must be prepared to say no to the US when British interests, legal standards and global stability are at risk. Will the Government hold firm and not be drawn further into this conflict by a so-called ally whose conduct is unpredictab…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
11 March 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
The latest report from Endometriosis UK shows that the average diagnosis time in the United Kingdom has risen to eight years and 10 months. Constituents of mine in Bedford and Kempston, including a staff member with a rare form of the condition, still face long delays for treatment. Will the Ministe…
Commons
Debate
9 March 2026
Middle East: Defence
US and Israeli strikes on Iran have pushed the region into deeper instability. More than 1,000 civilians, including children, have been killed, Britons remain stranded, and the shock to fuel prices is already being felt at home. The Government were right not to join this illegal war, but will the Se…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
2 March 2026
2 contributions
Student Loan System
21. What steps her Department is taking to improve the student loans system.
Student loan problems long predate plan 2 loans. I welcome the Government’s commitment to making the system fairer after previous Governments ruined the university funding model. It is wrong that generational inequality is baked into the system, which leaves young people with debts for which they ca…
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
Parents, teachers and children recognise the need for SEND reform and stronger inclusion, but can the Secretary of State confirm that inclusion will not mean conformity, that children who do not meet the EHCP threshold will still receive full specialist support without a fight, that the fully funded…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
2 contributions
Leasehold Reform
1. What steps his Department is taking to reform the leasehold sector.
With service charge inflation rising by 50% and leaseholders, freeholders and tenants even facing 80% increases, this is a growing scandal. Too many of my constituents are trapped under charges they cannot afford, paying for defects caused by poor construction and stuck with properties they cannot s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
2 February 2026
2 contributions
Armed Forces Housing
9. What steps he is taking to improve armed forces housing.
I welcome the new publicly owned Defence Housing Service, which is already improving conditions for service families by bringing 4,688 of the 5,088 military homes in the eastern region back into public ownership for upgrade and renewal. Does the Minister agree that we must continue investing in our …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 January 2026
Police Reform White Paper
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I welcome the Government’s reform agenda in support of our mission for safer streets. In Bedfordshire, Operations Boson and Costello—tackling guns, gangs and organised drugs crime—have driven major arrests and a 15% fall in antisocial behaviour in Bedford town centre…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 January 2026
Water White Paper
I welcome the Government’s action to reform water regulation after years of neglect during which my constituents have endured leaks, outages and sewage pollution for far too long. Can the Secretary of State confirm that the new independent water ombudsman will deliver swift, binding redress for cons…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 January 2026
Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children
As a signatory to a letter calling for an Australia-style model that places responsibilities on tech firms to block under-16s from social media, I welcome the Government’s consultation. Families in Bedford and Kempston are very clear that platforms are harming our children now. I am pleased that the…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
5 January 2026
Care Companies: Exploitation of Migrant Workers
My constituent, a migrant care worker, was asked to pay £3,600 to her employer, a private care company, for a sponsorship application that never happened. The company is now keeping the money, with no legal reason, and refusing to engage with my constituent. This is not the only case I am aware of. …
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 January 2026
Free Bus Travel: Over-60s
It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I thank the 148 constituents in Bedford and Kempston who signed the petition in support of the introduction of free concessionary travel for people over 60 across England.
Concessionary travel is an important issue for older residents, m…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
Local Government Finance
I thank the Government for delivering an early Christmas present to my constituents in Bedford and Kempston. The granting of planning permission for the Universal Studios theme park is a landmark moment not just for the eastern region but for the whole UK, as it will bring in around £50 billion of i…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
10 December 2025
2 contributions
Tackling Violence against Women and Girls
4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.
Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner is working hard to deliver the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls, tackling complex domestic abuse cases and driving a 250% increase in Clare’s law disclosures. Yet women and girls face serious online harms, including violent p…
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Child Poverty Strategy
The child poverty strategy includes welcome measures for families in Bedford and Kempston, from removing the two-child limit to expanding free school meals, childcare support and family hubs. These are all fantastic, but one of the most urgent issues affecting children’s wellbeing is the rise in fam…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
Topical Questions
T2. A constituent of mine who is in his mid-50s wrote to me about the flagrant and extensive age discrimination he faces looking for work, citing a job advert seeking applicants with under 15 years’ experience. His case reflects the Women and Equalities Committee’s “The rights of older people” rep…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner) for securing the debate, and the East of England all-party parliamentary group for its report “Opportunity East: One Year On”, which rightly highlights our region’s huge potential.
The Oxford-Cambridge arc is already an innovation en…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
Local Media
It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan.
The future of local news in the UK stands at a critical crossroads. I recently heard from the editors of two Bedford publications: the Bedford Independent , an online locally owned newsroom, and the Times & Citizen, with its digit…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 November 2025
Gaza and Sudan
I thank the Foreign Secretary for the increased aid to Sudan and for confirming that no UK military equipment is known to have entered the conflict. As the UN penholder on Sudan, what early discussions have the UK Government had with the ICJ to ensure that those responsible for war crimes—especially…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
17 November 2025
2 contributions
Neighbourhood Police Officers
5. What steps her Department is taking to introduce more neighbourhood police officers.
I welcome the Government’s decision to phase out police and crime commissioners, with the savings reinvested into frontline policing. I also warmly welcome the recent grant for additional wardens to tackle antisocial behaviour hotspots. The partnership between the council, community groups and the p…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 November 2025
Parkinson’s Disease
I want to thank my constituent Ruth, who attended my recent drop-in surgery and asked me to speak today about an issue that is personal not only to her, but to my family and thousands of other families in my constituency and across the country. Ruth was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in March 2023 after…