Commons
Proceedings
5 March 2026
Business of the House
One of my Bath constituents who is a leaseholder in a housing association-managed development has received sudden and extremely high major works bills without warning. There is currently no statutory requirement for landlords or housing associations to operate sinking or reserve funds to spread the …
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 March 2026
2 contributions
Local Museums
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. What a wonderful debate we have had this afternoon. From Egyptian mummies and vampires to castles and royal pump houses, from the history of textiles and shipbuilding to Captain Cook and the Cutty Sark, the whole colourful history of our co…
Since we have a little time, we should congratulate the whole sector for making museums so much more engaging and fun. I remember being dragged to museums when I was young. They were boring places to be, and I could just about survive for half an hour. These days, museums are places where people rea…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 March 2026
World Book Day
I sincerely hope that was not AI-generated; it was a very special effort. Follow that, Minister!
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
3 March 2026
Hong Kong: Human Rights Situation
Bounties have been placed on the heads of pro-democracy activists living in Hong Kong—a shocking act of transnational aggression. May I add my voice to that of the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith), and ask: when will the Government use our Magnitsky sanction…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 March 2026
2 contributions
Small Charity Sector
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I thank the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) for securing this important debate.
I hear time and again from local Bath charities that they are disadvantaged due to their size. They are incredible, c…
Does the Minister agree that small local charities cannot compete with national charities? We have made that point time and again, but she has not made any comment on how competition can be achieved or how local charities can get priority. I have many examples in Bath where a national charity gets a…
Commons
Debate
2 March 2026
Representation of the People Bill
Does the Secretary of State agree that the same arguments that were made over 100 years ago about women not being fit enough to vote are now being repeated for 16-year-olds? The success that ultimately came from including women in the franchise should give us confidence that this is the right thing …
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
2 March 2026
Phone Use in Schools
I was a secondary school teacher before I came to this place, and even 10 years ago, although the school guidance was that mobile phones should not be in classrooms, enforcing that was a daily struggle. The presence of mobile phones undermines what schools are trying to do, causing distraction, pote…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 February 2026
Business of the House
Lib Dem-run Bath and North East Somerset council is deeply concerned that the Government’s proposed reforms to the national planning policy framework will cap local ambitions on meeting net zero through sustainable development. National minimum environmental standards must not become a ceiling that …
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 February 2026
7 contributions
Eating Disorders Awareness Week
I beg to move,
That this House has considered Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026.
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Vaz. This year, Eating Disorders Awareness Week is centred on the theme of community. Over the past six years, as chair of the eating disorders all-party parliame…
It is also worth mentioning the many people who have come forward to bravely tell their stories, raise awareness and take away the stigma. We know how much courage it takes to come forward. I want to collectively thank everybody who does that. We need more people to come forward and talk about their…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
6 contributions
Online Harm: Child Protection
Will my hon. Friend give way?
I do not know where the Minister has been, but my inbox has been inundated by families and parents who are calling for action. We are responding to the request of our constituents to take action. Do the Government not see the urgency with which we need to take action?
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
Children with special educational needs, particularly neurodiverse learners, thrive in creative subjects, but over the past decade, music, drama and art have been severely cut from the curriculum. How will the White Paper ensure that we broaden our curriculum to bring back the power of creative subj…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
Leasehold Reform
These sharp practices are not down to just one management company—a lot of companies are at it. A leaseholder constituent wrote to me to say he feels “abandoned and angry”. His property is leaking, but the freeholder is not interested in helping, and his ground rent will double in 2030. Can the Secr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
12 February 2026
Rail Transport and Economic Growth
Bath’s hospitality sector depends heavily on weekend services, but Sunday services on Great Western Railway continue to be extremely unreliable, with long delays, packed trains and cancellations. The previous Transport Secretary, the right hon. Member for Sheffield Heeley (Louise Haigh), rightly sai…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 February 2026
Local Power Plan
I welcome the publication of the local power plan and I honestly recognise the Government’s commitment to community energy. However, I think there is still a piece missing—namely that properties in the vicinity of a community energy generator can ultimately benefit by being directly supplied, rather…
Commons
Oral Questions
10 February 2026
Topical Questions
T5. The environmental impact assessment for the Rosebank oil field shows that its emissions will be enormous—equivalent to 70% of the UK’s annual total emissions. However, the developer claims that the environmental impact is not significant. The Minister may not wish to comment on Rosebank specific…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
9 February 2026
Violence against Women and Girls Strategy
Around one in eight women were victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and stalking in the year to March 2025. Victim Support is concerned that there is not enough focus in the strategy and, in particular, that funding is not matching increasing demand. What assurances can the Minister give victim…
Commons
Oral Questions
5 February 2026
Business of the House
Nearly four years on from the outbreak of the war, our Ukrainian friends have formed ever closer bonds with our communities. Last week I was at the opening ceremony of Bath’s Ukrainian education hub, which is part of a global network of 84 such hubs. The hubs are places for classes and courses, but …
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
3 February 2026
Victims of Domestic Abuse: Criminal Justice System
I recently brought together domestic abuse charities in Bath, such as Developing Health and Independence, Voices, and the Nelson Trust, which provide services including how to navigate the complicated justice system. They all agree it is critical that they all work together and that there are joined…
Commons
Debate
21 January 2026
5 contributions
Antisocial Behaviour on Canals and Rivers: Bath
Our waterways in Bath are the envy of the country. Across England and Wales, more than 30,000 boats are licensed to navigate our canals and rivers, and Bath stands out as a particular hotspot. Many boaters choose to make Bath their home, whether moored permanently or passing through as part of a lon…
Let me first express my condolences to the family of the hon. Gentleman’s constituent who drowned so tragically. Such tragedies demonstrate that antisocial behaviour often constitutes thoughtless vandalism. People do not understand what they are doing. We need to make people think about what they do…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 January 2026
Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children
After more than a year of raising the issue in this House, illegal drugs including spice are still being brazenly sold to children online. If that is not harm, I do not know what is. What are the Government doing to ensure that all powers under the Online Safety Act are being used by Ofcom to stop t…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
Topical Questions
Through his new folly over Greenland, President Trump is increasingly bringing the UK closer to Europe. At Denmark’s request, would the UK allow European forces to use the UK’s command infrastructure for operations in and around Greenland?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
Madam Deputy Speaker:
“I will happily accept tariffs to oppose Trump and his corrupt regime.”
Those are not my words, but those of a Bath constituent who emailed me today. Does the Foreign Secretary not recognise the strong feelings of so many of our constituents? They are ready to stand up to the…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
19 January 2026
Ukrainian GCSE
Bath has proudly welcomed hundreds of Ukrainian refugees, and we stand in full solidarity with the people of Ukraine, especially in Oleksandriya, which is our partner city. It has been concerning to hear that, in some parts of the country, Ukrainians have been encouraged to learn Russian as a GCSE, …
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
Local Bus Services
The bus grant announced for the west was portrayed by the Government as a win, but in reality it was a real-terms cut. The three-year bus grant settlement announced by the Labour mayor last month is down 35% on the previous three-year allocation, and will result in real-terms cuts. How can the Gover…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
6 January 2026
Gas-fired Power Stations
According to Government figures, output from new solar projects costs around £41 per megawatt-hour compared with roughly £140 per megawatt-hour for the lifespan costs of new gas power. I know the Secretary of State agrees with me and RenewableUK that clean energy remains the energy with the lowest c…