Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
16 June 2026
Topical Questions
T7. Recently I came back from Canada with the Business and Trade Committee, and we were impressed by the opportunities presented by middle powers. Last week the midlands had its first defence procurement conference. What opportunities are the ministerial team trying to develop in region, so that we …
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 April 2026
5 contributions
UK-India Technology Security Initiative
What a wonderful speech my hon. Friend is making about this important connection that our two countries can have! Similarly, I pay tribute to my constituency; it might not be associated with a huge Indian community, but it does have one, and they contribute a lot to the UK, and certainly to our medi…
My hon. Friend is correct that we had a wonderful trip to India as part of the Business and Trade Committee’s work. One thing we looked at was the joint value of the free trade agreement that we have recently signed, which sends a powerful signal about the future and how our countries can benefit ea…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
27 April 2026
Topical Questions
As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for small and medium-sized enterprise house builders, I regularly hear about the growing skills shortage, and the urgent need to change perceptions about careers in construction, which is a highly skilled, rewarding industry that offers strong career pro…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
21 April 2026
2 contributions
Gulf Conflict
7. What steps her Department is taking with international counterparts to restore freedom of navigation through the strait of Hormuz.
My constituents in Tamworth are already paying the price for the blockade of the strait of Hormuz, with fuel costs soaring. My logistics sector is also facing the brunt of those fuel costs, which ultimately will be passed on to consumers. While I welcome the Prime Minister’s refusal to drag Britain …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 March 2026
Engagements
Q12. On 16 July 2005, Private Leon Spicer and Private Phillip Hewett, both from Tamworth, and Second Lieutenant Richard Shearer from Nuneaton, were tragically killed in Iraq. More than 20 years on, our communities continue to remember their service and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice they made. Th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 March 2026
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing forward such an important debate. Constituents of mine have asked me to attend not just to thank him, but to support his calls for a co-ordinated strategy. They lost their son when he was three, so they share all such families’ feelings that more needs to be done …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 February 2026
Engagements
Q13. Prime Minister, I need your help. Today, alongside leading trade bodies, including UKHospitality, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Startup Coalition, I am launching the TNT charter—trust and transparency in business energy—to blow up the status quo and support SME access to fair contr…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
Topical Questions
T5. My constituents are forced to travel to Burton, Derby and Sutton Coldfield for their NHS treatment, which cannot be provided at the local community diagnostic centre. Some travel up to 30 miles for chemotherapy, with little or no public transport. What is the Minister doing to deliver healthc…
Commons
Proceedings
12 February 2026
3 contributions
School Minibus Safety
It is good to see so many hon. and right hon. Members present to take part in this important debate on school minibus safety. No family should ever have to question whether their child will return home safely from a school activity. For my constituents Liz and Steve Fitzgerald, that unthinkable fear…
That is precisely my concern. It does not make sense at all given that failure means an inability to drive safely. We should surely apply the same standards or higher when children are involved.
Under the current school system, a teacher over the age of 21 who holds only a standard category B car l…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
12 February 2026
Rural Mobile Connectivity
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Similarly, in my constituency, I surveyed residents in a number of villages such as Edingale, Clifton Campville and Harlaston to ask how bad the situation was. Some 49% said that their mobile connectivity was so bad that they could not work from home or …
Commons
Proceedings
12 February 2026
Business of the House
South Staffordshire Water is forcing water meters on homes in my constituency, stating that it is “necessary for sustainability”, but residents were never properly informed, with some only discovering the meters after they were installed. My constituents and I find this unacceptable. Can we have a s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
12 February 2026
Topical Questions
T9. Residents in my constituency have faced years of disruption from High Speed 2, and the saga continues. Upcoming works on the A38 include an 11-day closure at the Swinfen interchange and a year-long closure of the northbound slip road at Streethay in neighbouring Lichfield. These measures will in…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
11 February 2026
Engagements
In my constituency, the beautiful grade II listed Chetwynd bridge on the A513 between Edingale and Alrewas has been restricted to cars and light vans since October 2023, so farmers face a 25-mile diversion. With severe flooding hitting Edingale multiple times a year, this vital route risks being cut…
Commons
Proceedings
19 January 2026
Business Rates: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure
Two weeks ago, I held a roundtable for hospitality businesses in Tamworth to discuss the broken business rates system, and I then wrote to the Department about their preferences for support. The rates are crippling, and those businesses asked me to ask the Minister when reform is coming and how they…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 January 2026
Sale of Fireworks
I am so glad that we are having this important debate, because my constituents have contacted me to say how concerned they are about the decibels issue. The hon. Lady’s proposal to limit displays to a certain number of days a year, which everybody can plan around, is important, and we should conside…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 January 2026
Road Safety Strategy
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and happy new year.
Although I welcome the road safety strategy, it sadly ignores school minibus safety, despite my raising this issue with the Department last year. I have been campaigning with my constituents Liz and Steve Fitzgerald since 2023, following the trag…
Commons
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Business of the House
Happy new year, Mr Speaker.
Access to a local GP is vital for every community, and residents in Shenstone and Stonnall are rightly concerned about a consultation that proposes reducing services at Westgate surgery from five days a week to three. That raises concerns about the long-term future of th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Digital ID
Will my hon. Friend give way?
My constituents have also raised concerns, particularly around cyber-security. One of my constituents was told by the DWP that they were defrauding the child benefit system when they were not, because they had had data stolen. I am concerned that our Government systems need to be far better, so that…
Commons
Debate
15 September 2025
Employment Rights Bill
I commend my hon. Friend for the work that he has done and that the Department continues to do on this. One of the interesting things about this provision is that, in 2013, the Conservatives changed the period from 12 months to 24 months. They increased the amount of time that people were in an inse…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 September 2025
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
I thank the hon. Lady for her fantastic speech. In Staffordshire, I met representatives of one of my local specialist schools, who said that it receives 200 applications for just 20 places. On top of that, many of our state schools and those who wish to provide support to students with special educa…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Industrial Strategy
3. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the industrial strategy, published on 23 June 2025, on Wales.
Like many Members in this House, I welcome the Government’s industrial strategy and its focus on growth for our local communities. Across Wales, we have a number of former mining towns, which face the challenge of retraining and upskilling their local workforce. My constituency of Tamworth, a former…
Commons
Debate
9 July 2025
Birmingham Pub Bombings
I thank my right hon. Friend for securing such an important debate. As others have said, an inquiry is absolutely crucial. Last November, I added my name to the calls for an inquiry for the families, for the victims and also for the city. This has been a cloud that has covered Birmingham for 51 year…
Commons
Oral Questions
8 July 2025
2 contributions
Prison Security
13. What steps she is taking to improve prison security.
There has been a spate of attacks at Swinfen Hall Prison, which holds young offenders, in my constituency. Drugs, phones and weapons are often dropped in by drone. The families of prisoners are concerned for their safety, and prison officers are at risk. What steps are the Government taking to preve…
Commons
Debate
7 July 2025
4 contributions
Pension Schemes Bill
I am delighted to speak in this debate. In a former life, I was a trustee of a pension scheme and sat on its investment sub-committee. In my new incarnation, I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on pensions and growth.
Pensions sound boring to many, and they sound far away to the you…
I thank my hon. Friend for that contribution. It is absolutely essential that we ensure that investment is getting to our high streets and towns, not just our cities, and that people see that change when they walk around.
I urge the Minister to take a supportive approach towards pools that are curr…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
I thank the Secretary of State for this welcome news. The Sir Robert Peel centre, part of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS trust, is now running at full throttle, with a range of diagnostic services and treatment options. I congratulate the trust and the Minister on opening that comm…