Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Maritime Sector: Decarbonisation
3. What steps her Department has taken to help support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.
UK ports are clear that large-scale electrification is essential for maritime decarbonisation, but the required grid capacity is severely lacking. The Transport Committee has urged the Government to provide planning authorities with clear guidance to facilitate grid and substation upgrades. Will the…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 November 2025
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
I hear from so many constituents that, out of those suffering from any condition, people suffering from ME have the lowest quality of life. Is it not also the case that people simply do not understand what ME is?
Commons
Debate
12 November 2025
4 contributions
Energy
Is it not the truth that the reason energy bills are still so high is because we still produce a lot of electricity by burning gas? Burning gas, which is sold on the global market, keeps energy prices high. That is the main problem. We need to decouple electricity from gas prices, and particularly t…
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
2 contributions
Drug Dealing on Social Media
6. What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in tackling drug dealing on social media.
Drug dealing is absolutely rampant on social media. The Minister might be aware of the campaign I lead, together with the University of Bath, against spice-spiked vapes in school and the terrible harm they are causing. We are increasingly frustrated that Ofcom does not use its power under the Online…
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
BBC Leadership
There are certainly many questions—particularly for those who deliberately set out to destroy the BBC—but I want to ask the Secretary of State this one. In the absence of the ability to remove certain members from the board, will she make a commitment that all future appointments should be conducted…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
Topical Questions
T4. Following on from that, still less than 3% of rape cases result in a charge. It takes 400 days for resolution—painful delays for the victims. We have talked about this for so long, so often. What are the barriers to change?
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 November 2025
3 contributions
Support for Dyslexic Pupils
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Butler, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) and the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Juliet Campbell) on securing this important debate.
On a conservative estimate, there are on average three children with dyslexia in eve…
Is it not the case that people just become better at bluffing and finding coping strategies? But that does not really deal with the dyslexia.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 November 2025
Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights
The UK was instrumental in the creation of the ECHR. The Council of Europe now says that it is ready for reform. Is it not time for us to shape the future of human rights legislation in Europe, and absolutely the wrong time to abandon our place at the table?
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
Houses in Multiple Occupation: Planning Consent
As a university city, Bath has an increasing number of HMOs, not only but mainly because of increasing numbers of students. As we have heard, constituents living around HMOs face increasing pressure on parking, noise issues and waste collection issues. Meanwhile, more and more valuable family homes …
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
In Bath we are so lucky to have three independent bookshops: Topping & Company, Persephone Books and Mr B’s. Proposed changes to maximum payment terms risk devastating the independent book industry, forcing it to be much more cautious and less willing to take on debut authors. May we have a deba…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
30 October 2025
Investment in Businesses
One change that would encourage significant investment is UK participation in the EU’s internal electricity market. Energy trading with our closest neighbour is currently hugely inefficient, which only adds to the burden of energy costs that our businesses face. Will the Government put real pressure…
Commons
Westminster Hall
30 October 2025
2 contributions
Moles: Histological Testing
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Jardine. I congratulate the hon. Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) on securing this important debate—I call him a friend, because we are working on quite a lot of issues together. He told the courageous story of Zoe, her family and their c…
I called for teledermatology on another occasion because it absolutely works. Does the Minister have any figures on how many GPs are using that as the basis of their diagnosis? My husband recently went to our GP and he was still referred to the hospital, so I am not confident that a lot of GPs are m…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 October 2025
4 contributions
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay
Order. I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called in the debate. It is a very popular debate, for good reasons. I will impose an informal time limit of two minutes per speaker. I intend to call the Front Benchers at 6.58 pm, so you can make the calculations yourselves. As we get…
I remind Members to please stick to the informal time limit. If they do not, I will have to make it a formal time limit.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
23 October 2025
Business of the House
Last week I visited ReMind, a dementia charity in Bath. In an earlier answer, the Leader of the House mentioned the modern service framework for dementia and frailty that was promised in the NHS 10-year plan. Can we have a statement from the Health Secretary when that framework is forthcoming, given…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 October 2025
NHS Workforce Levels: Impact on Cancer Patients
I remind all Members that they should bob if they wish to speak. The debate will run until 3.10 pm, and I intend to call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson at 2.38 pm.
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 October 2025
3 contributions
Work of the County Court: Government Response
We begin with a Select Committee statement. Andy Slaughter will speak on the publication of the second special report of the Justice Committee, “Work of the County Court: Government Response”, HC 1387, for up to 10 minutes, during which no interventions may be taken. At the conclusion of his stateme…
I remind Members that we have to finish the statement at 1.50 pm. Anyone who wishes to speak, please bob—including the Minister, if she wishes to ask a question. Please keep comments short, and Members can only ask one question.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
20 October 2025
Higher-level Learning Target
Bath college offers more than 1,000 courses up to degree level and is home to 10,000 learners. Its alumni include gold medal winner Jason Gardener and drum and bass producer Danny Byrd. I heard the Secretary of State speaking this morning about the vital importance of vocational training. What can t…
Commons
Debate
16 October 2025
3 contributions
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
I am just wondering whether the hon. Member finds himself in the wrong debate?
Less than 1% of the high seas are fully protected; there could not be a more important time for this treaty. It is the world’s only viable pathway to meet the global biodiversity goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s ocean before 2030. Along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues, I welcome th…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
16 October 2025
Business of the House
A couple of weeks ago, I spent a fabulous day at the races at Bath racecourse. For centuries, horseracing has been part of our national sporting history, and it is part of our DNA, yet across the industry people are deeply concerned about the threat that harmonising tax rates will have on the sustai…
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
Ambassador to the United States
The right hon. Member has rightly pointed out Lord Mandelson’s murky attitude towards money, but does this not also shine a terrible light on his attitude towards women, which, by contrast, does not look good for the Government?
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
16 September 2025
Topical Questions
Voices—a domestic abuse charity in Bath—has created a guide to family court proceedings to support survivors to navigate the family courts without legal representation. The pilot was rolled out in the south-west and in Yorkshire. Will the Government work with Voices to roll it out nationally?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 September 2025
Business of the House
I too welcome the Leader of the House to his place.
Just three days ago, the BBC revealed how effortlessly an illegal vape laced with Spice can be purchased through Snapchat. One in six confiscated vapes in schools now contains Spice, which is described as a zombie drug—a prison drug. That is poten…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 September 2025
Driving Test Availability
One of my constituents wrote to me this week about the difficulties she is facing rebooking her driving test. The nearest slot that she could find was in Swansea, two hours away from Bath. When she tried the 6 am rush, she faced a queue of 22,000, and when she finally reached the front, the site fai…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2025
4 contributions
Hydrogen Supply Chains
Thank you, Mr Betts; it is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing the debate—I supported the application—and the hon. Member for Worcester (Tom Collins) on introducing it so competently.
The UK has established strong founda…
I am glad the hon. Member clarified that. He also made a point about mixing hydrogen. Hydrogen is possibly not the end destination for heating in this country, but it will be extremely important to continue looking into it as a transition and to ensure that the Government do not miss an opportunity.…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
4 September 2025
Business of the House
May I express my sympathy? No woman in this place will not feel deeply horrified and touched by what we have just heard.
I will not invite the Leader of the House to visit Portals paper mill in my constituency, although she should because it is an amazing company that is 300 years old and manufactu…