Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
New Social and Affordable Housing
As the House will know, local plans are the method by which we can identify affordable homes and make sure that they are built in the right place at the right time. Since I was elected back in December 2019, I have consistently asked the Liberal Democrat Three Rivers district council to get on with …
Commons
Oral Questions
12 February 2026
Pharmacy First: Withholding Payments
In the past year, I have spent time visiting pharmacies across my constituency, undertaken work experience at Riverside pharmacy in Rickmansworth, and communicated regularly with Community Pharmacy Hertfordshire. It is clear that our pharmacies are under unsustainable pressure from rising costs, esp…
Commons
Oral Questions
12 February 2026
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address Motion
The Minister is well regarded on both sides of the House, so I am hoping that he will give us a clear and honest answer to this question—I am sure he will do. In his long years working for the Prime Minister—as adviser, staffer and latterly as a Minister—did he voice any concerns in private post the…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
26 January 2026
2 contributions
PIP: Number of Claimants
8. What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of claimants of the personal independence payment.
One of my constituents in Abbots Langley, Darren, suffers from a very complicated congenital heart condition, which, alongside his hyperthyroidism and obstructive sleep apnoea, significantly restricts his ability to perform everyday tasks including work. Despite that, Darren has recently had his ent…
Commons
Debate
19 January 2026
Local Elections: Cancellation
As the House may be aware, I was a local councillor at three different levels: parish, district and county. Several right hon. and hon. Members have referred to the proposals as being either single tier or two tier. I gently remind them that parishes and towns will remain, so two tiers is the minimu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 January 2026
2 contributions
Sale of Fireworks
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Pritchard. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) on opening this important debate and thank the many petitioners who have brought this issue before Parliament. It is nearly a year since the hon. Member fo…
The hon. Member is 100% correct. None of us is looking to be a killjoy. We are trying to balance the requirements of all parts of our communities, so that people who wish to enjoy the lights and noise associated with fireworks are not doing so to the detriment of vulnerable humans or animals.
The G…
Commons
Debate
8 January 2026
Post Offices: Cheshire
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does she agree that individuals such as Sasi in Croxley Green and Usman in Maple Cross are not just sub-postmasters but community champions, and that, like the village pub, they remain a critical asset in our communities?
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
Local Bus Services
I receive regular correspondence from constituents raising concerns about unreliable bus services. These are especially problematic in areas like Croxley Green, where residents are already suffering because of limited bus routes and late-running services. Given that many people rely on buses to trav…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
Topical Questions
To build on the excellent questioning by the shadow Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick), how many prisoners have been mistakenly released, and how many will it take before the Justice Secretary considers his position?
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
11 December 2025
Small and Medium-sized Businesses
Businesses of all sizes across my constituency are struggling due to the strain of Labour’s increases to national insurance contributions and the pressures created by the Employment Rights Bill. Many tell me they are questioning their viability or even considering relocating overseas. Will the Minis…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
3 contributions
Digital ID
Will the hon. Member give way?
The hon. and learned Gentleman is making an excellent contribution, as always. If this is such an important issue, why was it not in the governing party’s manifesto at the last general election?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 December 2025
Criminal Court Reform
In the event that a volunteer magistrate makes a mistake and jails someone for two years, that person’s automatic right to a rehearing will have been removed. Can the Justice Secretary confirm whether he believes this is efficiency, or just easier wrongful imprisonment?
Commons
Oral Questions
1 December 2025
Reading: Pre-school Support
Reading to children at the start of nursery and school is especially important for those who suffer from special educational needs. As we heard last week, the Office for Budget Responsibility has questioned the £6 billion that has been taken away from local authorities. I know that the whole House w…
Commons
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
2 contributions
Cancer Services: North-west London
Mount Vernon hospital is a cancer specialist hospital in north-west London. Following the recent closure of the Mount Vernon urgent care centre and the delay to the new Watford general hospital until at least 2032, both of which I have previously raised in the Chamber, uncertainty regarding the futu…
Mount Vernon is next door.
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Topical Questions
T8. Many of my residents rely on Transport for London services to travel every day, yet they are not entitled to concessions enjoyed by those who live literally hundreds of metres away. I have raised this issue before in the Chamber. Will the Secretary of State advise me of any way, besides turnin…
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
2 contributions
Broadband Coverage
2. What progress her Department has made on reaching its target for full gigabit coverage by 2030.
I thank the Minister for that answer, but it was the Conservative Government who brought forward Project Gigabit in order to ensure that everyone had access to a decent level of internet access, and some of my constituents continue to write to me saying that they do not have access in their areas. T…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
Topical Questions
Two weeks ago, at the statement on prisoner release checks, the Secretary of State called my question “ridiculous”. Let me try a different tack: has he spoken to the affected family in Epping?
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
3 contributions
Supporting High Streets
As many have said, our high streets are the heart of our communities. From small retail and hospitality ventures that allow people the opportunity to own their own business, to post offices and pharmacies where the more vulnerable can go to see a familiar face and get support, to our pubs, where peo…
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. The small businesses that I speak to say that they feel abandoned by this Government. They face high energy bills and rents, and poor footfall. They have been harmed by Labour’s decisions, and have ever-growing worries about the Budget later this month.
We a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
30 October 2025
Property Service Charges
As a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, I want to bring the House’s attention to the work we did in the summer looking into property management companies. The Chair of the Committee, the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi), would have bee…
Commons
Debate
27 October 2025
Prisoner Release Checks
As the House will be aware, I was once an Epping Forest district councillor and an Essex county councillor, so I know both Epping and Chelmsford. Given the high-profile nature of this case, public confidence is at an all-time low. Did the Justice Secretary consider his position? If not, why not?
Commons
Proceedings
11 September 2025
UK Ambassador to the US: Appointment Process
While the whole House welcomes the withdrawal of Lord Mandelson as head of mission, can the Minister confirm whether he is still being paid as a civil servant?
Commons
Debate
10 September 2025
Urgent Care Centres: Hillingdon
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this Adjournment debate. He has highlighted the issues in his constituency, and he is lucky enough that Hillingdon hospital is going to be refurbished. Given the delays to the Watford General refurbishment, where spades will not be in the ground until 2032 a…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
8 September 2025
2 contributions
NATO Defence Spending Target
3. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on meeting the NATO target of spending 5% of GDP on defence.
Tomorrow we will vote on a Bill that shamefully gives up the sovereignty of our military base in Diego Garcia. Given the commitment to spend more on defence, will the Secretary of State confirm if the money spent on Chagos will be included in our declared NATO spend?
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Hospitality Sector
May I first thank Alex Leitch from my office for helping me to research what was going to be a long speech? I will use just little bit of it, given the limited time that I have in which to speak.
I spent weeks in my constituency over the summer recess, as other colleagues did in theirs. I spent one…
There is not enough time.
Others have already spoken about the retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme in 2023, so I will not dwell on that. Let me just say that the hospitality businesses I speak to remain disappointed that the 75% discount applied previously has not been adhered to. Small i…
Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
Topical Questions
The House has already heard the recent announcement about the closure of the urgent care centre at Mount Vernon hospital. My hon. Friends the Members for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (David Simmonds) and for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey) and I are all concerned about the quality of healthcare for ou…