Commons
Debate
13 July 2026
4 contributions
Embodied Carbon: Buildings
I thank the hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Dr Chowns) for securing the debate, and for the constructive and consistent way in which she has pursued the issue of embodied carbon in buildings. I know that this is an issue of particular interest to her and to many other Members, including my hon.…
What I will say is that despite those challenges, the Government recognise the excellent leadership already being shown by parts of the sector—which the hon. Member has described—in tackling embodied carbon. Parts of the construction supply chain are already working to measure and reduce whole-life …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
6 July 2026
Foreign Interference in UK Politics
With permission, Mr Speaker, I shall make a statement about foreign interference in UK politics.
Genuinely free and fair elections are the bedrock of our sovereignty. They are how our people in this country choose their Government and hold power to account. But we have seen our democracy under atta…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Fire Response Times: Poole
My hon. Friend will be aware that response standards and resource decisions are set locally by fire and rescue authorities, which understand their risks and communities best. We will continue working with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to support the delivery of improved services for P…
I recognise the very real concerns that my hon. Friend raises, including heathland fires, flooding and seasonal traffic. The variable nature of those risks is exactly why such judgments must be informed by local fire and rescue authorities, using local risk and operational evidence. As he set out, D…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
I know that my hon. Friend has been working hard to support his constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme on these important issues. I am happy to meet him, but let me also reassure him that work to improve the performance of the Building Safety Regulator is ongoing and is bearing fruit.
Buildings between 11 and 18 metres may be able to enter the cladding safety scheme, but I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter further.
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Pre-candidacy Donations: Safeguards
We have introduced the Representation of the People Bill, which will close loopholes that could allow foreign money to enter UK politics and undermine trust. Alongside those measures, we are considering the Rycroft review’s recommendations, including on candidate donations, and we will set out our f…
The Government are clear that the integrity and transparency of our political system must be protected. The rules we have in place are designed to ensure that political donations come from legitimate sources and are properly declared. However, we recognise the need to ensure that our rules remain ef…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Building Safety Regulator: Critical Infrastructure
We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to make sure the Building Safety Regulator aids the delivery of critical NHS infrastructure. That includes introducing a dedicated team within the BSR to focus specifically on hospitals, as well as producing targete…
I am sorry to hear about the delays and problems in my right hon. Friend’s constituency and I want to reassure her that we are taking serious action on that particular matter. I will work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as the BSR, to try to improve the situation for h…
Commons
Debate
11 June 2026
Grenfell Tower Fire: Ninth Anniversary
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe Powell) for raising this truly important issue. The ninth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy will be, above all else, a day of remembrance, shaped by loss, love and the enduring strength of this community. I want to begin by …
Commons
Statutory Instrument
8 June 2026
2 contributions
Draft Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026.
It is a pleasure to serve under you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. The draft order was laid before the House on 21 May 2026.
Over the course of the past year, Parliament has deb…
I thank hon. Members for their contributions. I note the comments of the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. He is quite right: the arguments for and against this particular move have been rehearsed elsewhere in this House. I note, too, his intention to press for a Division.
With regard …
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 April 2026
6 contributions
Fire and Rescue Services: Funding
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison, particularly given your specific interest in this matter. I thank the hon. Member for Stockton West (Matt Vickers) for securing this important debate, and for the consistent way in which he raises the issue in the House in his role as shad…
I would like to point out to my hon. Friend the speech that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made at the recent FBU conference, announcing welfare checks for fire and rescue service members. That significant move will protect the workforce for the future. That is really important, a…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
14 April 2026
17 contributions
Representation of the People Bill (Seventh sitting)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. I will be guided by you, but I do not intend to speak to new clauses 13, 32 and 52 at this stage. However, to respond to a number of points made during the debate, particularly by the hon. Member for North Herefordshire—
In the interests of time, I will continue.
On the other remarks made by the hon. Member for North Herefordshire, I hear her point about profit and revenue, and it is highlighted in the Rycroft review. As I said many times this morning, we will carefully consider the Rycroft review and respond to it…
+15 more contributions in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
14 April 2026
19 contributions
Representation of the People Bill (Sixth sitting)
I will speak first to clause 48 and associated schedule 3, before addressing Government amendments 14 to 17 and new clause 40, tabled by the Opposition.
The current legislative framework for absent voting was designed for a very different electoral landscape. Today, far more people vote by post; su…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. It is appropriate for electoral registration officers to use their discretion in the circumstances that he describes. They can do that already, and should continue to do so, rather than the Government prescribing the route that they should follow.
Finall…
+17 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
Through the Representation of the People Bill, we are significantly lowering the threshold for when unincorporated associations register with the Electoral Commission, and we will require them to publicly identify a responsible person who is legally accountable for compliance with electoral law.
I am so sorry to hear about that terrible incident. I will, of course, meet my hon. Friend. The local resilience forum in Derbyshire has worked really hard to respond to the event; I will work with her and with others across the country on resilience and recovery.
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
3 contributions
Family Voting
Any form of coercion at the polling booth is unacceptable and undermines confidence in our democratic process, as the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 makes clear. The Government will continue to work closely with the Electoral Commission and administrators to ensure that polling station staff are confident …
Greater Manchester police has completed its investigation and found no evidence of family voting. I thank the police for their careful and diligent work investigating this matter, as well as the Electoral Commission and the local returning officer for their support. As I said before, coercion in the…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
24 March 2026
30 contributions
Representation of the People Bill (Fourth sitting)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Siobhain. I have covered clause 7, so if Members will indulge me, I will turn to clause 8.
Clause 8 sets out five specific circumstances in which the prohibitions put in place by clause 7 do not apply. The first circumstance in which the regis…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, but I will return to that point when we debate the relevant clauses.
+28 more contributions in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
24 March 2026
18 contributions
Representation of the People Bill (Third sitting)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I look forward to discussing the finer details of this important Bill with members of the Committee.
Clause 1 extends the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds for UK parliamentary elections, Northern Ireland Assembly elections, local el…
Which is the point.
+16 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill
Clause 1 is the core operative provision in the Bill. It provides the Government with the statutory authority required for expenditure on the construction and long-term management of a Grenfell Tower memorial. It also authorises expenditure on preservation, archiving and exhibiting at any site where…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill
I begin by thanking right hon. and hon. Members from across the House for the way in which they have approached today’s debate. The care and seriousness with which Members have spoken reflects the weight of Grenfell’s legacy—for bereaved families, for survivors, for the local community, and for the …
Commons
Debate
12 March 2026
2 contributions
Fire Station Closures
I thank the hon. Member for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew) for raising this important issue and setting out his concerns so clearly. I acknowledge the firefighters who have attended and welcome them to the Gallery. I am mindful that this is an issue of significant concern to many, including tho…
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his points. I look forward to discussing them with him further, as I will no doubt be representing the Prime Minister in our meeting. In line with usual practice, and in recognition of the views raised, the Government will continue to keep our methodology under r…
Commons
Debate
2 March 2026
Representation of the People Bill
I thank right hon. and hon. Members for all their contributions. The right to participate in our democracy is a defining aspect of our national identity, and one that we need to protect and uphold. The Bill marks a landmark moment in that process. I welcome the strength of feeling expressed by all M…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
5 contributions
Building Safety Regulator
On 27 January, the Building Safety Regulator became an arm’s length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This was a major step towards creating a single construction regulator. The BSR continues to make strong progress on overhauling its operating model. Only the mos…
The Government recognised last summer that the Building Safety Regulator needed to be reformed and brought in new leadership, and there has been a marked improvement in performance. Performance data is published monthly, so there is transparency on how the Building Safety Regulator is performing. In…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Statutory Instrument
21 January 2026
3 contributions
Draft Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2026
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2026.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship for the first time, Mr Turner.
On 1 April 2026, business rates bills will change as a result of the 2026 revaluation of al…
Today’s debate illustrates clearly how passionate Members are about their local high streets and the businesses in their constituencies, which I completely recognise. I will try to address Members’ comments.
The introduction of the permanently lower rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisur…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
12 January 2026
3 contributions
National Register of Electricians
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require people to be competent or under supervision, while building regulations require domestic electrical work to be conducted safely. The Government see no need to establish a statutory national register of electricians, who may be listed on the registered…
The Government take electrical safety very seriously, but the risks with gas and electrical work are different. Circuit breakers can shut down electrical systems in milliseconds, protecting people from shock or fire, whereas the consequence of a faulty gas system could be an explosion or carbon mono…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 December 2025
12 contributions
Quarries: Planning Policy
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa) for securing the debate, his constituents for attending, and all hon. Members who have spoken. A number of hon. Members have raised concerns about the development of quarr…
If the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I will carry on.
In relation to decision making, the framework requires mineral planning authorities to
“ensure that there are no unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment, human health or aviation safety”.
The cumulative effect of m…
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
2 contributions
Planning: Floods Resilience Taskforce
This Government are making a record £10.5 billion investment to deliver the largest flood and coastal investment programme in history. The floods resilience taskforce brings together experts and decision makers from across the UK Government, as well as from non-government and industry organisations …
This Government will maintain the highest levels of flood protection, while taking decisive action to fix our broken planning system and to deliver 1.5 million homes through our plan for change. We will consider whether further changes are necessary to manage flood risk when we consult on planning r…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
Houses in Multiple Occupation: Planning Consent
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) on securing today’s debate. I appreciate his speaking about this important issue with force and passion on behalf of those he represents. I thank all hon. Members for their…