Commons
Westminster Hall
10 June 2026
Child Contact Arrangements
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House and for mentioning the so-called experts. We know that accusations of so-called parental alienation are too often used against mothers who are trying to protect their children, but because so few family law cases are publicly available, we…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 June 2026
Children: Development of Essential Skills
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow) for securing this debate. I feel it is my duty as someone sadly nearing the end of parenting a child in nursery to talk specifically about early years.
When we talk about c…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
Topical Questions
T3. Short waiting lists for cataract surgery are a success story, thanks in part to the partnership between the NHS and providers such as SpaMedica, headquartered in my constituency. However, ICB indicative activity plans could see waiting lists increase from weeks to over four months. How will cata…
Commons
Debate
25 March 2026
Victims and Courts Bill
It is a pleasure to speak in today’s debate. I first spoke on this Bill on Second Reading, when I said that victims in Bolton had waited far too long for a system that truly works for them. This Bill delivers critical reforms to protect victims and rebuild confidence in our justice system, from powe…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 March 2026
Topical Questions
I am currently supporting a constituent who, after leaving her abuser, was locked out of her home, left with thousands of pounds of arrears that had been run up in her name, and denied access to her own bank account. Does the Minister agree that post-separation abuse is too often overlooked and stil…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Although I am proud of the steps that our Government have taken to advance online safety, we are merely playing catch-up. What more are the Government doing to ensure that we keep pace with the reality facing women and girls and how will they address emerging technologies such as AI smart glasses, w…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
11 contributions
Child Maintenance Service
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I declare an interest, as I am currently involved in a tribunal with the Department for Work and Pensions concerning my own child maintenan…
That is exactly why this debate matters. I will come on to some of the points my hon. Friend raised.
When a public service not only allows, but actively facilitates, the continuation of abuse and fails to recognise the realities of coercive control, it is not just flawed; it is unjust. The national…
+9 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
10 March 2026
4 contributions
Courts and Tribunals Bill
Will the hon. Lady give way?
Too many women have told me that the family courts felt like an extension of the abuse that they were trying to escape. Does my hon. Friend agree that ending the presumption of parental involvement is a crucial step towards ensuring that children’s safety, not the automatic assumption of contact, is…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
9 March 2026
2 contributions
Child Poverty: Bolton North East
10. What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of child poverty in the Bolton North East constituency.
I am proud that this Labour Government will lift more than 4,500 children in my constituency out of poverty by scrapping the two-child limit, but what further measures are the Government implementing to tackle child poverty and support families in my constituency?
Commons
Debate
3 March 2026
SEND Provision: Local Authorities
At my online advice surgery yesterday, I met constituent Jenny Wilson, who has fought tirelessly for her son Maxwell to receive support from their local authority—he is without a formal diagnosis. Jenny and other parents in my constituency would like to know what more the Government are doing to hel…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
2 contributions
Support for Ukraine
11. What steps her Department is taking to support Ukraine.
The Bolton branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain is situated in my constituency and helps families to settle and keep community ties strong. As the UK marks the first anniversary of the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership, what more is the Foreign Secretary doing, working across Gover…
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 January 2026
Domestic Abuse-related Deaths: NHS Prevention
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Opher) for securing this important debate, which has crucially focused on the important fact that prevention has to work across the NHS.
When domestic abuse escalates towards serious harm or d…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 January 2026
Northern Powerhouse Rail
I welcome the fact that we are delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail—promised by the Tories, abandoned by the Tories and now delivered by this Labour Government. It will make a big difference to my constituents. However, it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to put on the record my ask…
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
At a time when communities already feel divided, the leader of the Conservative group on Bolton council recently branded a motion on the horrific suffering in Gaza “sectarian” and suggested that Muslim councillors cared only out of prejudice against Israel. Such language not only threatens and under…
Commons
Debate
29 October 2025
Sentencing Bill
My father is a retired senior prison officer, and I know at first hand the devastation that 14 years of the Tories brought on our prison system. Does the Minister agree that it is incumbent on us as a Government to clean up the mess they left and fix the system urgently through reforms?
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 October 2025
Engagements
Q13. I thank the Prime Minister for his strong words at our party conference in calling for unity at a time when many feel that our country is divided, and in rightly calling out racism. I am a second-generation immigrant, born in this country, and people like me and so many of our constituents ha…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 October 2025
3 contributions
Healthcare: Bolton
I beg to move,
That this House has considered healthcare in Bolton.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I declare an interest as a member of the Women and Equalities Committee. Improving the quality of healthcare is a cause close to my heart, and I am pleased to be joined by…
I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman, and I will come on to GP surgeries in more detail.
None of this is from a lack of effort. Our GPs and practice teams are working flat out. What is needed is joined-up care with real accountability. When a discharge is planned, the equipment and care packa…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
16 September 2025
2 contributions
Support for Victims of Rape and Sexual Violence
8. What steps his Department is taking to support victims of rape and sexual violence through the court system.
May I welcome our new Minister and Justice Secretary to their places? I have heard far too many stories from constituents who have endured sexual violence and rape. They tell me how isolating and intimidating the court system can feel and how difficult it can be to get the support they need. Will th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2025
Occupied Palestinian Territories: Humanitarian Access
The United Nations estimates that more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed in Gaza over the last two years. We know from recent events that international pressure is not working. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must go further to ensure that aid is allowed to flow in freely and lasting pe…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
3 September 2025
Topical Questions
T6. Parental leave is just as essential for families who adopt as it is for those with biological children, giving vital time for bonding. However, many adoptive families cannot access the same paid leave. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure equal parental leave for adoptive parents?
Commons
Debate
8 July 2025
Football Governance Bill [Lords]
Does the Secretary of State agree that this Bill puts fans at the heart of where they should be, and that had the Bill been in place earlier, clubs like mine—Bolton Wanderers—would not have come close to collapse?
Commons
Debate
26 June 2025
3 contributions
Armed Forces Day
I rise to pay tribute to our armed forces personnel. May I associate myself with the Minister’s remarks? I start by recognising veterans for their past service and their contribution to society. They continue to serve society with their skills and leadership, shaped by their unique military experien…
My hon. Friend raises an important point. Our cadets provide a good opportunity for our young people, and they should be supported and backed as much as possible.
I am proud to have attended Monday’s flag-raising ceremony in Victoria Square, in my constituency of Bolton North East. I was proud to s…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
18 June 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
I rise to speak to new clause 44, otherwise known as Banaz’s law, tabled in my name and in memory of Banaz Mahmod. I am grateful for the cross-party support that I have received for the new clause from 54 Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Members and for the opportunity to continue the work …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
18 June 2025
Engagements
Q11. Since becoming an MP, I have received thousands of pieces of casework from constituents who are stuck on social housing waiting lists. I recently had an email from a woman with severe mobility issues who is effectively trapped in her front room while she waits and waits for suitable social hous…
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
I rise to support the Bill and to speak to amendment 20, which stands in my name and is supported by more than 50 Members from across the House. The measures in the Bill represent the most significant package of crime prevention and policing reforms in a generation. From strengthening action against…