Commons
Proceedings
13 January 2026
Chinese Embassy
This debate on the mega-embassy is not just about a building and 208 secret rooms; it is primarily about national security and the safety of those from the Hongkonger, Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan diasporas in the UK—approximately 700,000 people. We have learned that in 2018, the then Prime Minister …
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 January 2026
9 contributions
Universities: Statutory Duty of Care
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the potential merits of a statutory duty of care for universities.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Christopher. I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for granting time for this important debate, which follows an e-petiti…
Yes. I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. Undoubtedly, “consistency” is a key word. It is about how we ensure that these issues are dealt with, through universities or associated support services, in a proper and consistent way, no matter where someone is at university. I am not surprised …
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
7 January 2026
Rural Communities
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
Too often, rural Britain has been spoken about and taken for granted, no more so than by the Conservative party, which over 14 years left many rural businesses—including family farms such as my own—operating on life suppor…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
2 contributions
Future of Thames Water
Will the hon. Lady give way?
I think it was more a turn of phrase than anything else, but it was suggested earlier that customers were being treated as cash cows for servicing the debt of Thames Water. Will the Minister confirm that that is not the case, either for Thames Water or for other companies, because investment is ring…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
BBC Charter Renewal
I am MP for Rushcliffe in the midlands. Is my hon. Friend aware that, according Equity, the midlands generates 25% of the licence fee income, but less than 3% of it is spent in the region? Does he agree that regional disparities need to be looked at in the charter renewal process?
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Rights of Women and Girls: Afghanistan
Earlier, my hon. Friend mentioned Fawzia Koofi, who spoke to the International Development Committee. In her evidence, she told us that
“the main Taliban agenda is women.”
Does my hon. Friend agree that that point, and the point that she is making, demonstrate why the UK Government and our interna…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Middle East and North Africa
On behalf of my constituents, I welcome the establishment of the Palestinian embassy in London today.
Syria’s long-term stability depends on protecting its long-standing diversity and preventing sectarian violence, as the Minister said. In the light of recent violence and the lack of progress this …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 January 2026
Venezuela
I read this morning that a former Under Secretary of Defence for Personnel and Readiness has said that he is not aware of any plans for how the next few days will be managed by the US. May I ask the Foreign Secretary what specific reassurances she has received from US counterparts that that is not t…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I thank the Minister for his engagement on this issue over recent months—it has made a real difference. Given his engagement on this matter and rural issues, does he agree that this country needs a rural strategy, which t…
Commons
Debate
17 December 2025
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill
I understand the justification for making changes to the salary sacrifice arrangements. The Minister mentions higher earners. Can he explain a bit more about the breakdown of those who are benefiting under the current system as a percentage of the whole? I do not know whether he has that data with h…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
Local Government Finance
On behalf of Nottinghamshire county council, I thank the Government for a £234 million—or 30%—increase over the course of this Parliament, which will make a huge difference, and for the 4.6% increase in core spending for my area, Rushcliffe. I previously raised with the Minister in writing the need …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations
I saw a good joke earlier—a one-liner—that says, “Lib Dem campaigning works!” I do not think so: it is this Labour Government who have delivered the change today.
University of Nottingham staff in my constituency face considerable pressure due to ongoing restructuring. What would the Minister say t…
Commons
Petition
15 December 2025
Radcliffe-on-Trent to Cotgrave Greenway
I wish to present this petition on behalf of my constituents in Rushcliffe, especially those in Radcliffe-on-Trent and Cotgrave, who have signed it to signal their desire to see the public path and cycleway between Radcliffe-on-Trent and Cotgrave reopened. The public greenway linking Radcliffe-on-Tr…
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
NHS: Winter Preparedness
At a Hanukkah event in Nottingham last night, I spoke to a medical undergraduate who welcomes the Government’s commitment to halving competition, and the offer that was put to the BMA. Lots of medical professionals, be they hospital doctors, GPs or allied health professionals, are struggling to find…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
2 contributions
Net Zero Transition: Consumer-led Flexibility
I declare an interest: I worked on RIIO-ED2 for the Northern Powergrid and on its business plan for the current price period. The hon. Lady mentioned the pace and speed of flexibility, and the whole concept behind that plan was flexibility-first. Flexibility has been talked about for a long time in …
The hon. Gentleman is outlining a range of issues that make it difficult for people to reduce their bills. Does that not highlight the benefit of flexibility, because it would give people greater control, empower them and give them information, so that they can control their bill as best as possible…
Commons
Proceedings
3 December 2025
Official Secrets Act and Espionage
In the light of the important issues being discussed today about the concerning activities of China in the UK, can I ask the Minister what additional steps he is taking or planning to take to protect Hongkongers, Tibetans and Uyghurs from any form of transnational repression?
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
2 contributions
Budget Resolutions
I appreciate the announcement about the 250 new neighbourhood health centres, but I am concerned for my constituency—a more affluent constituency that has health centres that were built in the ’60s. They are genuinely falling apart and need significant investment to ensure that GPs can continue to d…
Although the new measures for farmers announced by the Chancellor have been welcomed by the industry, as Labour MPs we were advocating not for reduced revenue but for ensuring that the wrong farmers were not hit. Does my hon. Friend therefore share my view that Labour Members have fought hard for fa…
Commons
Oral Questions
2 December 2025
Topical Questions
T4. The Minister will be aware of the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and other organisations like it, which seek to strengthen democratic governance around the world. As has been clear today, however, malign actors all over the world seek to erode political systems that promote dem…
Commons
Proceedings
1 December 2025
4 contributions
Budget Resolutions
The hon. Lady and I have had exchanges on this issue before. At the start of the year, the CEO of Centrica recognised that it was the lack of gas storage that was putting £100 on electricity bills and £100 extra on gas bills, and that was down to the decision, in 2017, of the Conservative Government…
I want to acknowledge my hon. Friend’s own leadership on this issue within the House. There are almost 200 former British Coal staff living in my constituency who will see a 41% uplift in their pension, and my hon. Friend has played a large part in that, so I thank him on behalf of the House. [Hon. …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 November 2025
9 contributions
Immigration Reforms: Humanitarian Visa Routes
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the potential impact of immigration reforms on humanitarian visa routes.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward, and I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting time for this debate. I will focus today on two groups, Hongk…
I will come on to five groups who need to be given special consideration, including those that the hon. Member has just mentioned.
Over the weekend, more than 5,000 BNO visa holders completed a survey about the proposals. The results show that if the requirements outlined were strictly applied with…
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
24 November 2025
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
I am a member of a new combined authority in the east midlands and there was no referendum on that. I do not believe that there was a referendum on the North Yorkshire combined authority either. Does my hon. Friend agree that there are different ways of engaging on this issue, and that putting counc…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 November 2025
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
I thank my hon. Friend for her work chairing the two all-party groups. My constituent Janet contacted me about her son Richard, who was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome six months ago. He is still waiting for a proper referral. Does my hon. Friend agree that an early pathway is vital, and wou…
Commons
Proceedings
17 November 2025
Illegal Waste: Organised Crime
There were 868 cases of fly-tipping in 2023-24 in my constituency. We saw a particular rise in on-street fly-tipping, and in Nottingham there were over 30,000 incidents of fly-tipping within the urban space. What work will be done to help bolster the power of local authorities to make sure that both…
Commons
Debate
12 November 2025
Nolan Principles
At the end of August in Nottinghamshire, where I am a Member of Parliament, the leader of the county council banned the Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live from speaking to him and his local authority, representing a dangerous moment where local accountability was not being adequately recognise…