Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
10 September 2026
2 contributions
No. 10 North
12. What estimate she has made of the cost of setting up No. 10 North.
I thank the Minister for that answer, but of course for my constituents it is not No. 10 North, but “No. 10 Midlands”. According to a freedom of information request, tens of thousands of pounds have already been spent setting up No. 10 North, including £10,500 on branding, £1,700 on crockery and nea…
Commons
Proceedings
3 September 2026
Bluetongue Virus in Livestock
Bluetongue is causing considerable concern among livestock farmers in Scotland and the Scottish Borders, with cases increasing and restrictions affecting livestock movements at a critical time of year. Indeed, the important Kelso ram sales are due to take place next week in my constituency. Given th…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
2 September 2026
2 contributions
Strengthening the Union
9. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.
Strong transport links between the nations of our United Kingdom are vital to strengthening the Union. However, since Loganair withdrew its regular Cardiff to Edinburgh service earlier this year, there is now no direct air link between the Welsh and Scottish capitals. Does the Secretary of State agr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
15 July 2026
New Nuclear Energy Projects
Many of my constituents work at Torness power station and are deeply disappointed that the SNP Government are blocking new nuclear development in Scotland. Does the Secretary of State agree that the nuclear industry provides highly skilled jobs and that it is a grave mistake by the SNP Government to…
Commons
Debate
15 July 2026
3 contributions
A1: North Northumberland
It is a pleasure to speak in this important debate, and I congratulate my neighbour the hon. Member for North Northumberland (David Smith) on securing it. I understand that a football match is taking place tonight, and I want to reassure colleagues that I will not detain them until 7.30 pm—it will b…
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Part of the reason why the Scottish Government have not invested in the route—I notice that none of the Scottish National party Members are present—is that they see it as a road going to England. Perhaps they make decisions to invest in other parts of the…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2026
Support for Pig Farmers
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) on securing the debate. We do not hear about pig farming as much as we hear about other farming sectors, but it is essential to our food system and rural…
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 July 2026
2 contributions
Illegal Immigrants: Offshore Detention and Deportation
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 737105 relating to offshore detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Twigg, and to open this debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. I will speak today in my role as a member of the C…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right: it is about a sense of fairness. The system is not working in the best interests of our constituents, and I am sure that his 1,138 constituents who signed the petition feel that unfairness.
With the incentive of guaranteed mainland accommodation removed, the numb…
Commons
Oral Questions
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
9 July 2026
2 contributions
Pig Farmers
6. What steps she is taking to support pig farmers.
Will the Minister join me in praising all of our fantastic pig farmers—including Adam Marshall from Berwickshire—who do an incredible job in very difficult circumstances? The National Pig Association believes that independent pig producers are currently losing as much as £50 per pig, which is clearl…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
7 July 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The cost of heating oil remains a major concern for many residents in the Borders, particularly as families plan for the autumn and winter. The Government promised to cut energy bills by £300, yet since they took office, bills have risen by £300. What more will the Government do to support household…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 July 2026
3 contributions
Public Office Disqualification: Terrorism Offences
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 759385 relating to disqualification from election candidacy for terrorism convictions.
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Allin-Khan. I begin by thanking Richard Donaldson for creating this petition and the more than 200,000…
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for making that point. I will come on to that individual’s case shortly, but I do share his concerns. Indeed, there were cross-party concerns at the time of that individual’s candidacy—both Labour and Conservative politicians expressed concerns about that. A…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
23 June 2026
2 contributions
Household Budgets
1. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department’s policies on household budgets.
The Chancellor has overseen huge tax rises for those who work hard and do the right thing. Now they have been hit by soaring energy bills—a situation that is even more acute for many of my constituents who rely on heating oil. How does the Chancellor think that squares with the Government’s pledge t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 June 2026
3 contributions
UK Politics: Pro-Israel Influence
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 752646 relating to pro-Israel influence on UK politics and democracy.
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Harris.
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir Andrew Mitchell) for his point of order. As he will discover during the course of my contribution, I have a great degree of sympathy with his remarks. I refer hon. Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Int…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 June 2026
2 contributions
State Pensioners: Personal Allowance
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 740671 relating to personal allowance for state pensioners.
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Dr Huq. I pay tribute to the petitioner, Tim Mason, and the 120,000 people who have signed the petition, including hundreds in my constitue…
I did not anticipate having 45 minutes to speak, but I will do my best to fill the time. I thank Mr Mason for starting this petition and the 120,000 people who signed it. I also thank the right hon. and hon. Members who have participated in the debate; there was perhaps more quality than quantity on…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
11 June 2026
2 contributions
Timetable Changes: Berwick-upon-Tweed
7. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of timetable changes on passengers using Berwick-upon-Tweed station.
In a survey I conducted in the Borders about Network Rail’s new timetable changes, more than 70% of residents said they were now less likely to use Berwick-upon-Tweed station as a result. The timetable changes mean fewer direct services to London, with many passengers having to change trains. This i…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
2 contributions
Cross-border Healthcare
9. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on improving cross-border healthcare.
For my constituents in the Scottish Borders, accessing NHS treatment can sometimes be more complicated than it should be. Some residents in the Scottish Borders are registered with GP practices in Northumberland, but their medical records are not always shared properly between NHS services in Englan…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
8 June 2026
Topical Questions
T5. Immigration, especially non-EU migration, remains too high. Many of my constituents across the Scottish Borders want to see a cap on the number of people who can come into the United Kingdom. Will the Home Secretary introduce a binding cap, set by Parliament, to bring down immigration once and f…
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 June 2026
Child Sexual Offender Data
As a fellow Scottish MP, the hon. Member will know that, sadly, these gangs operate across all parts of the United Kingdom. Does he accept that we need consistency in the collection of data in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland?
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
19 May 2026
Topical Questions
T7. We know how grooming gangs regularly trafficked young, vulnerable girls across borders, but survivors of these appalling crimes are deeply concerned that the UK and Scottish Governments’ separate inquiries will not investigate cross-border grooming gangs. What is the Minister doing to ensure tha…
Commons
Debate
28 April 2026
2 contributions
Referral of Prime Minister to Committee of Privileges
I am not quite sure how to follow that speech, but I hope that the Whips were listening to that job application by the hon. Member for Bolton West (Phil Brickell).
In the history of Leaders of the Opposition in this place, no one was quicker to demand investigations, no one was more willing to take…
If this motion is passed by the House, it will allow an investigation into the integrity of the Prime Minister and the decisions that he has made, and it is Labour MPs and the Prime Minister who are blocking that investigation. We are grateful to Mr Speaker for allowing this motion to be debated tod…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 April 2026
Animal Testing
The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech and making her points very clearly. Like many Members, I have had hundreds of emails encouraging me to take part in the debate, and there is particular concern about the use of dogs. Does she support the calls for Herbie’s law, to stop animal testing by 20…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
2 contributions
Business of the House
Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?
May I start by congratulating the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Bobby Dean) on the birth of his daughter, baby Lyla? I am sure the whole House will join me in wishing him and his family well.
Last weekend, I met the friends and family of Jamie Tweedie as they walked the St Cuthbert’s W…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 April 2026
3 contributions
Wind Farms: Protected Peatland
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech and rightly highlighting the concerns about these developments. In my constituency in the Borders, we have wind farms, battery storage proposals and solar farms. As my hon. Friend said, developers talk at length about the supposed environmental benefits, …
Will the hon. Member give way?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Security Vetting
The Prime Minister has said various things about Peter Mandelson’s vetting process over the past weeks and months that have now turned out not to be true. Does he accept that he inadvertently misled the House of Commons?
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
20 April 2026
School Food Standards
I am concerned that we do not serve more British-sourced food in our schools. Indeed, it is estimated that between 20 million and 40 million chickens are imported each year from China. That number has gone up 172% since the general election. What are the Government doing to ensure that our young peo…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 April 2026
Middle East
May I ask the Prime Minister about one particular consequence of this war in the middle east, namely the rising cost of heating oil, diesel and petrol? Everyone is struggling—I have spoken to many businesses and people who are really struggling to pay their bills—but the support from the UK and Scot…