Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
May I warmly welcome the Government’s commitment to the reform of business rates to boost our high streets? In Uttoxeter, one street faces much higher rates than other parts of the high street, where other businesses are exempt. That is negatively affecting owners such as Joe, who runs Fueled Coffee…
Commons
Proceedings
20 November 2025
Ukraine: Forcible Removal of Children
All of us want to see peace in Ukraine, but it must be on the terms of the Ukrainian people—terms that they are fully behind. Russia cannot gain, or be seen to gain, from its illegal and unprovoked invasion. What assurances can the Minister give that the Government will stand fully behind Ukraine in…
Commons
Proceedings
20 November 2025
Russian Ship Yantar
I thank the Minister for his statement and join him in thanking the Royal Navy and RAF personnel, and the civilian staff, who have been involved. There is a possibility that vessels such as the Yantar could be used to launch drone attacks on the UK. Will the Minister reassure us that he is working t…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Transport System: Economic Growth
14. What steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth.
Fragmented bus services, trains that refuse to show up before 3 pm on a Sunday in Uttoxeter and Tutbury and an east-west road network that needs upgrading—all those things are holding back my constituents and economic growth in our region. Can my right hon. Friend say how she will unleash the kind o…
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Asylum Policy
The Home Secretary has outlined common-sense measures to ensure that the British public are no longer asked to fund or accommodate foreign national offenders. At the same time, she is right that our country has a proud, long-standing tradition of offering sanctuary to those fleeing persecution. Can …
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Budget: Press Briefings
The Chief Secretary will be aware of the vital role that beer and pubs play in my constituency, the beer capital of Britain. As the Chancellor finalises the Budget, will she ensure that this sector, which faces significant pressure, receives the support that it deserves in order that it can thrive a…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
17 November 2025
Topical Questions
T5. In Staffordshire, there are proposals to limit the hours of police community support officers in the evening. I welcome the named police officers returning to my constituency, but will the Minister ensure that the neighbourhood policing guarantee will mean more PCSOs on our streets, not fewer?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 November 2025
2 contributions
Points of Order
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition recently visited my constituency for her tool theft campaign, but I do not think that she has been informed that my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) has already secured changes through the Sentencing B…
indicated assent.
Commons
Debate
5 November 2025
Drug-related Deaths
I am proud to be a patron of Burton addiction centre, a residential rehab centre in my constituency. It is calling for a 2% target across the nation. Does my hon. Friend agree with that target for residential rehab? Perhaps the Minister would like to visit some time, when she is able to.
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 November 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review
At a recent Burton and District chamber of commerce meeting that I hosted, businesses raised the importance of financial education for young people about mortgages, savings and pensions. It appears that the Secretary of State was listening. What support she will give teachers, so that they can deliv…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
2 contributions
Gaza Peace Plan
2. What steps her Department is taking to support the Gaza peace plan.
We are grateful to the United States for its co-ordination. This must not be a temporary peace that fades away. As the Foreign Secretary says, the ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides accused of violations, and fighting on the occupied west bank continues. Will my right hon. Friend assure the …
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 October 2025
15 contributions
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse, and a privilege to open this very busy debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. Calling for statutory maternity and p…
I agree, and those are some of the themes that I will come on to. We know, from parents such as Grace and from the stories that we will hear throughout today’s debate, that the current system leaves huge gaps and does not support families or children in the way it should.
+13 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 October 2025
Heathrow: National Airports Review
I thank the Transport Secretary for her statement and recognise the national importance of this project. As she said, we must ensure that the whole of the United Kingdom benefits from the project, should it go ahead, and I am particularly keen that firms across Staffordshire and the midlands are inv…
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
7 contributions
A50/A500 Corridor
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the important issue of the A50/A500 corridor, a route that is vital to our industry and people in both Staffordshire and the wider midlands. May I welcome the new Minister to his…
I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend has been a great champion for improvements alongside me. Congestion around Uttoxeter, Blythe Bridge and Sudbury undermines productivity and growth and turns commutes into nightmares. Queues stretch for miles at peak hours, average speeds fall below 20 mph and local…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy
In my constituency, major employers offer excellent apprenticeships, but the number of places is limited. They have told me that they would welcome the ability to share unsuccessful applications with similar employers, such as small and medium-sized enterprises in their supply chains, rather than th…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
2 contributions
Great British Energy: Public Sector Renewable Energy Use
11. What steps Great British Energy is taking to help public services use more renewable energy.
Thanks to Great British Energy and this Government, Queen’s hospital in Burton will get solar panels, which will save the trust money that can be ploughed directly into the frontline and be spent on patients. Does the Secretary of State agree that there is significant opportunity to expand that prog…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 September 2025
Suicide Prevention
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher), and I congratulate my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Samantha Niblett), on her powerful speech.
I welcome the conversation that we, as a country, are having about men…
Commons
Debate
10 September 2025
Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords]
The shadow Minister talks a lot about price, but he is defending a system in which my constituents must get three buses or more to get to their destination, and pay individual fares on those buses. Under the integrated system proposed in the Bill, we could have a price cap, like the one here in Lond…
Commons
Proceedings
10 September 2025
Russian Drones: Violation of Polish Airspace
I join the Minister in his condemnation of this clear escalation against our Polish allies. He will know that my constituency has a large Polish diaspora, who are extremely concerned about their country and fearful of further Russian attacks. What assurances can he give the Polish community in my co…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Borders and Asylum
Much has been said about the role of the European convention on human rights, and it appears that the party of Churchill is seeking to abandon his legacy in its lurch towards the right, just as there is a growing consensus among European nations that we need to modernise it for today’s times. Does t…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 16 July.
Families in Burton and Uttoxeter are watching their smart meters like hawks, and dreading the moment when their energy bill lands on the doormat. I therefore welcome Labour’s warm home discount, which will mean £150 off energy bills for millions of people across this country, providing meaningful su…
Commons
Debate
14 July 2025
UK-France Migration: Co-operation
Under the Tories, we had Liz Truss question whether France was actually an ally, so it was nice to hear in President Macron’s words last week that Britain has friends once again. In the 340 weeks that the Conservative party was in charge of the small boats crisis, it sent no one back to France and j…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 July 2025
State of Climate and Nature
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and the fact that my local hospital will have solar panels on it thanks to this Labour Government, saving thousands of pounds that can go directly back into frontline services. What more can he do to ensure that public buildings like hospitals and prisons…