Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 January 2026
Local Government Reorganisation
As the Secretary of State knows, I am a very strong supporter of local government reform, especially for cities such as Exeter. It is not just about waste; it is about being held back within a two-tier system. It is also worth pointing out that all parties represented on Exeter city council are in f…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
22 January 2026
Topical Questions
On Tuesday, the Chief Secretary set out plans to “promote the doers” across the civil service by establishing the new national School for Government and Public Services. Will he tell the House what steps he plans to take to ensure that Whitehall is focused on delivering services that actually work r…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 January 2026
Water White Paper
This is the second major programme of business we have seen in this Parliament, which shows that the Government are getting on with cleaning up our rivers and sorting out the water sector. That will be very welcome in Exeter, where the River Exe has borne the brunt of agricultural run-off and pollut…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
21 January 2026
2 contributions
Clean Energy Projects
11. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.
I, too, congratulate the Government and welcome last week’s announcement of the most successful European auction round to date. It is great news for the UK and for our action on climate change, and it bodes well for the full Celtic sea floating offshore wind opportunity, which is important for Exete…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
I welcome the calm and robust approach to our American allies from the Foreign Secretary, and from the Prime Minister this morning. State sovereignty, respect for territorial integrity and the right of self-determination have been the bedrock of global affairs since the end of world war two; indeed,…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 January 2026
Iran
I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s statement and condemnations. Some Exeter residents are desperately worried about family members in Iran, as will I. The Iranian regime is one of the chief exporters of violence and instability in the region. Of course, as the Foreign Secretary set out, we are not im…
Commons
Debate
12 January 2026
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
The South West Grid for Learning is based in my constituency, and it does some really important work in keeping people safe online as part of the UK Safer Internet Centre. It also runs a programme called “Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse”, which people can access to stop these images from be…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
I welcome this sensible compromise, and thank the members of the NFU in Devon for their work and for talking to me, both here and in Exeter. The Government’s support for nature-friendly farming through environmental land management schemes is to increase from £800 million a year to £2 billion a year…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
Local Government Finance
I welcome the multi-year settlement, and I thank the Minister and the Secretary of State for their engagement with me and Members from across the House as we make the case for our local areas. It looks like Devon county council will get a significant uplift over a period of years. If that is true, I…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations
As a Member of the UK-EU PPA, I absolutely welcome the statement, particularly that we will be rejoining the Erasmus+ scheme to the benefit of young people in Exeter. We should never have left, and this is the next step in rebuilding relations with our closest neighbours after such a catastrophic pe…
Commons
Debate
9 December 2025
Railways Bill
I thank the Secretary of State for her work on this vital legislation, which will bring the railways back together into one cohesive system, which should allow better planning and use of capacity, and should increase passenger satisfaction. I am pleased to see this Labour Government making good on t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Child Poverty
5. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty.
I recently held roundtables with Exeter residents to discuss child poverty, which in some of our neighbourhoods runs as high as 30%. All the evidence suggests that ingrained poverty cuts across a wide range of policy areas, so I was delighted by the publication of the child poverty strategy and the …
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 December 2025
Homelessness: Funding
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I thank the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) for initiating this debate. I ask Members to note my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests; I am a patron of my local homelessness charity, St Petrock’s.
As the larg…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 December 2025
Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts
First, I express my concern about the findings of the leak report, which are completely unacceptable, especially as they are apparently so systemic. The OBR productivity downgrade reduced revenues by £16 billion. Why does my right hon. Friend think productivity growth has, since 2010, so consistentl…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown), and a great pleasure to speak in this Budget debate. I direct Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
This is the second of what will be many Labour Budgets that will help this …
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Right to Trial by Jury
I recently met the local Crown Prosecution Service in Exeter, which informed me that, as has been discussed, defendants who have the choice often choose a jury trial to delay their case and game the system. Because of that, 10% of adult rape cases are stopped after a defendant has been charged, as t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Identity, Sexuality, Relationships and Marriage
4. What discussions the Commissioners have had with the House of Bishops on the decision to move to a two-thirds majority requirement in Synod to progress the recommendations of “Living in Love and Faith”.
I thank the Leader of the House for that answer. I wonder whether the Second Church Estates Commissioner might make it clear to the House of Bishops and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, whom I welcome, that the Church of England is accountable to Parliament, and that going backwards on very modest …
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 November 2025
Immigration Reforms: Humanitarian Visa Routes
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing this debate and on making such a powerful case. First, I welcome many of the Home Secretary’s announcements from last week about reforms to the asylum and …
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Asylum Policy
Exeter is a proud city of sanctuary and has welcomed communities of Hongkongers, Ukrainians and Afghans over recent years. Many of my residents will be pleased with and welcome this re-establishment of safe and legal routes for refugees, which were long forgotten by the Conservatives. Does the Home …
Commons
Proceedings
17 November 2025
Illegal Waste: Organised Crime
Residents in Exeter have raised with me the appalling fly-tipping in the glorious countryside around our city, particularly in Stoke Woods. As we have heard, it is rarely individuals; this is about dodgy cowboy operators who are ruining our countryside. I am pleased that the Government are cracking …
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Power Station: Wylfa
I welcome the announcement of the new SMRs at Wylfa. This is British innovation we can be proud of, leading to decarbonisation of our electricity grid, and helping to combat climate change. It is exactly the sort of policy that my Exeter constituents want from this Government. Does the Minister agre…
Commons
Proceedings
5 November 2025
Conflict in Sudan
I thank the Government for the leadership they are showing on Sudan, including last week’s statement at the United Nations. The Minister is right to stress both the urgency and the horror of the current situation in El Fasher and beyond, but can he set out what is required next at the UN, in terms o…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 November 2025
Bronze-age Heritage: Cambridgeshire
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate. Devon also has one of the highest concentrations of bronze-age settlements in the country. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter plays host to the Pinhoe and the Dawlish hoards, two fantastic bronze-age treasures for residents and visitors t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
I am delighted that the Prime Minister has chosen to co-host the eighth replenishment of the Global Fund, alongside the Republic of South Africa. I put on record my thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Michael Payne) for working hard over the last year to corral myself and other colleagu…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
2 contributions
Employment: People with Health Conditions
4. What steps he is taking to support people with health conditions into work.
I recently visited Pluss in Exeter, which supports people living with physical disabilities and mental health conditions back into employment. I met some of the fantastically committed mentors, who provide tailored training and support, helping hundreds of people who have been long-term unemployed i…