Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
BBC Charter Renewal
The National Union of Journalists wants an inquiry into allegations of inappropriate interference by current politically appointed board members in BBC editorial matters. The right hon. Gentleman said that there are only two such members. Does he think that an inquiry is necessary to restore public …
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
I have worked extensively with the National Farmers Union and its Welsh branch, and with the Ulster Farmers’ Union in Northern Ireland. These changes are very much welcome, but I say to the Minister—and to the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, who is sitting next to him—that it is import…
Commons
Proceedings
9 December 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Kenova
As my Committee’s report on legacy last week outlined, information disclosure has been, and remains, one of the biggest challenges with legacy investigations. The Kenova report outlines the failure of MI5 to disclose all relevant material pertaining to Stakeknife in a timely manner. The chief consta…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 December 2025
10 contributions
Northern Ireland: Legacy of the Past
I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for granting me the opportunity to make this statement, following the publication on Monday of our report, “The Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland”.
Getting the approach right is key to protecting more…
With regard to veterans going on trial, we did take evidence and heard those concerns, and it is reflected in our report. I would happily have a conversation with the right hon. Member to pursue that further. His expertise in this field is welcomed by all members of the Committee from across the Hou…
+8 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
I am really pleased that the Chancellor has announced that the Government are clamping down on illegal high street activity—let us call it “shop a shop”. My constituents Stuart Evans and his son, who run a fish and chip shop in Gorseinon, have raised concerns that other high street shops are exploit…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 November 2025
3 contributions
Packaging: Extended Producer Responsibility
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of extended producer responsibility for packaging.
This is particularly relevant to pubs and breweries, but the EPR scheme extends wider than that sector. I thank Tata Steel, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, British Glass and the Metal…
My hon. Friend is right. I am quite jealous that he has all those wonderful breweries in his patch. The pub and brewing sector is fantastic, and I really enjoy working with it, but I know how hard it is finding things and how it is striving to get to net zero. It wants to be part of this conversatio…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Petition
25 November 2025
Pornography and violence against women
I rise to present a petition on behalf of my constituents regarding pornography. On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and day one of the United Nations’ 16 days of activism, the reach and influence of online pornography is bigger than ever. We know that sexual coercion …
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
19 November 2025
Businesses with Supply Chains in Great Britain
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has taken evidence from Lord Murphy on his review of the Windsor framework, which has made important recommendations that could support GB businesses moving goods to Northern Ireland. Will the Secretary of State update the House on his considerations on the Mur…
Commons
Debate
18 November 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill
In December last year the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which I chair, launched an inquiry into the Government’s emerging plans. Since then, we have received nearly 80 pieces of written evidence; held eight evidence sessions with representatives of victims and survivors, veterans, retired poli…
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
BBC Leadership
I am no BBC basher; I want to protect it. This morning, along with a number of cross-party MPs, I wrote to the Secretary of State asking if she would ask the BBC board exactly why it delayed issuing an appropriate apology over the “Panorama” Trump edit, because, as we know, that delay inflicted furt…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
Topical Questions
My constituent Richard Pyke was the victim of a violent attack at his workplace in March of this year. He was given his victim impact statement when he met the Crown Prosecution Service barrister five minutes before going into court on the day of sentencing. It had been amended: he was not allowed t…
Commons
Debate
29 October 2025
Privileges
I thank the Leader of the House for bringing this motion to the House, and I thank the hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa), Chair of the Privileges Committee, and the Committee’s members for the work they have done on this matter.
On 9 July, I presented a petition from Tim Suter, t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
15 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
A number of the core provisions of the previous Government’s legacy Act have been deemed by the Northern Ireland courts to be incompatible with our human rights obligations. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is little wonder that the legislation was so widely opposed, and does this not make …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles
I am pleased to see from the joint framework that the Government have listened to some of the key concerns voiced by stakeholders during my Committee’s inquiry into legacy. Those stakeholders will no doubt want to study the detail of the proposals that my right hon. Friend is publishing today. To th…
Commons
Petition
9 July 2025
Omagh Bombing Inquiry
I rise to present a petition on behalf of the Omagh bombing inquiry, which is seeking access to unreported oral evidence given to my predecessors on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in 2009. The petition states:
The petition of the Solicitor to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, Tim Suter
Declares t…
Commons
Oral Questions
8 July 2025
Violence against Women: Criminal Justice System
I welcome all the work that the Secretary of State and her team are doing in this important area, for instance through the Women’s Justice Board. At least 57% of women in prison and on probation are victim-survivors of domestic abuse, and in many cases their alleged offending is directly linked with…
Commons
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
2 contributions
Major Sporting Events
4. What steps her Department is taking to support the delivery of major sporting events.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you personally for hosting the women’s rugby world cup reception in Speaker’s House yesterday evening. It was a magnificent event. I took part in the competition in 1998—not this year, dash it all! With England hosting the women’s rugby world cup it is vital and wom…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
2 July 2025
Investment: Technology Businesses
As Chair of the Select Committee and the ITV all-party parliamentary group, last night we hosted an event in Parliament with ITV and UTV there. What conversations is the Minister having with public sector broadcasters like ITV about future investment in Northern Ireland?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Welfare Reform
I have conducted a survey of my constituents on the subject of welfare reform, and I submitted the findings to the consultation. I have also met disability groups across Swansea and disabled constituents to hear their concerns. The problems that I have found to be the most prevalent in Gower are the…
Commons
Debate
18 June 2025
5 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
I am proud to have stood on a manifesto pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and I know that colleagues on the Front Bench take that extremely seriously. There are significant measures in this Bill on intimate image abuse, stalking, spiking and the sexual exploitation of chi…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
12 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
Nearly five years ago, having suffered a rare complication in her abortion treatment, Nicola Packer lay down in shock, having just delivered a foetus at home. Later arriving at hospital, bleeding and utterly traumatised, she had no idea that her ordeal was about to get profoundly worse and that her …
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
11 June 2025
Devolution: Crown Estate
Devolving the Crown Estate sounds like such a wonderful idea, but the truth is that it really is not, and the continued lobbying and loud chat about devolving the Crown Estate is jeopardising future investment in Wales, and jobs. Does the Secretary of State agree?
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 June 2025
2 contributions
Decriminalising Abortion
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I pay tribute to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) for opening this very important petitions debate. I thank the petitioner, Gemma, and everyone who signed the petition. It is a real privilege to …
This is not a competition between my hon. Friend and me—we both have the same aim—but it is interesting that more than 115 MPs have signed new clause 1, and it has been endorsed by the whole industry. Everyone has signed up to it. Has my hon. Friend had conversations with them about why they have no…
Commons
Proceedings
8 May 2025
Business of the House
As the chair of the medicinal cannabis under prescription all-party parliamentary group, I have worked closely with Hannah Deacon, the mother of Alfie Dingley, over the past eight years. This woman has changed the law, but, sadly, she lost her fight with cancer the day before yesterday. Will the Lea…
Commons
Debate
7 May 2025
Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords]
I appreciate that the shadow Minister is making an important point on the Sullivan review and the Supreme Court judgment, but there are conversations in Government and with Labour Members to ensure that the Supreme Court judgment and the Sullivan review are implemented properly across all Department…