Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
6 July 2026
Topical Questions
T2. My constituent Clint is a veteran who suffered blast-related traumatic brain injuries during his service. Clint and his partner, Carol, are campaigning to get the MOD to recognise such injuries and provide more support to veterans. What is the Minister doing to address this issue, and will he pl…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 June 2026
East Midland Railway Collision
I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, and I thank Ministers for briefing me over the weekend on this tragic event. I also thank all the emergency services, railway staff and volunteers in Bedfordshire who worked so tirelessly and professionally in response to the collision in my constitu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2026
4 contributions
Transport: Marston Vale
I beg to move,
That this House has considered transport requirements in the Marston Vale.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I hope this can be a constructive debate. I am not here to bash the Government or to stand in the way of progress; I am here to open a dialogue with…
I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman. With the scale of the change that we are discussing, particularly in my constituency and also in his, it is vital that the proposals are done with, not done to, the residents of the Marston Vale and Strangford, in order to retain public support.
That means …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2026
2 contributions
Improving the UK Visa System
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of improving the UK visa system.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. Immigration is one of the defining policy challenges of our time. It determines who our neighbours are and with whom we share our country, our cul…
I agree that we have a thriving university sector, and we must maintain it. However, the reality is that many students arriving in the UK are doing so to attend poorly performing universities, and not just the best ones. That is doing long-term harm to our country and our economy. We must close down…
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Victims and Courts Bill
I will speak to Lords amendments 5C and 6B. Before I do so, may I thank the Minister for working in a collaborative and cross-party way on this issue? I congratulate hon. Members who spoke before me so passionately on behalf of their constituents.
I pay tribute to my constituent Tracey Hanson, who …
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 April 2026
Rail Prices: Contactless Payments
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this very important debate. There are issues with people who rely on super off-peak tickets, particularly at the weekends. Contactless has been introduced to Harlington in Mid Bedfordshire. It is valuable for commuters, but there are families who rely on the super…
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
2 contributions
Leasehold Reform: Integrated Retirement Communities
7. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of planned reforms to leasehold on integrated retirement communities.
Wixams retirement village in Mid Bedfordshire is a wonderful, integrated retirement community, but I understand from the sector and the industry that that business model is under threat from the Government’s leasehold reforms. Given the important role that these communities can play in reducing soci…
Commons
Debate
18 March 2026
Fuel Duty
Is it worth emphasising that the Conservatives froze fuel duty for 14 years, which took £100 billion off the cost of driving? That is an example of taxes that we cut over those 14 years. In contrast, this Government have increased taxes by £66 billion in the past two years. Is it not outrageous?
Commons
Oral Questions
17 March 2026
Topical Questions
First, I thank Ministers for inviting me to a meeting yesterday on unduly lenient sentences. My constituent, Tracey Hanson, and other campaigners like her continue to raise powerful points on the need for victims to have parity with offenders on rights and support. Will the Minister assure the House…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
3 contributions
Immigration Reforms
I congratulate the hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire (Pete Wishart) on securing this important debate. Immigration is one of the defining issues of contemporary politics. Polls regularly show that it is one of the most important issues for the public. Much like my right hon. Friend the Member …
I could not agree more. That is clearly a back door to Britain, and we need to close it.
Our public sector is dependent on a huge number of worker visas, while we debate—even today, in the Chamber —record youth unemployment. As my right hon. Friend said earlier, we need to get those young people in…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 March 2026
Social Cohesion Action Plan
The Secretary of State said:
“There is a direct link between declining high streets and a sense that the country is going backwards.”
I agree with those sentiments. Will he therefore consider encouraging the Chancellor to reduce taxation on high street businesses to support job creation and help t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 March 2026
Consular Assistance
I thank the Minister for his statement. I have a constituent who has a 16-year-old daughter in Dubai seeking repatriation to the UK. May I put on the record my thanks to the officials for all the work they are doing? I have heard the Minister today say that the advice now is not to travel by land fr…
Commons
Oral Questions
5 March 2026
2 contributions
Civil Service Visa Sponsorship
8. What guidance his Department issues on civil service sponsorship of visas.
Hundreds of public sector bodies, including a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies, are registered to sponsored visas, as the Minister will know. Does she agree that the public sector should lead from the front and sponsor visas by exception only in the cases of hiring truly world-class tal…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 March 2026
5 contributions
Healthcare in Rural Areas
I beg to move,
That this House has considered healthcare in rural areas.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I hope that this debate can be a constructive discussion of the particular challenges that rural communities face in accessing healthcare. In that spirit, I will open th…
I know Lyneham quite well; it is a beautiful part of the world—although of course, Mid Bedfordshire is far more beautiful. I have to agree with the hon. Lady. The situation is deeply concerning for those in rural communities who are struggling to access GPs, and, given the growth and development in …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
3 March 2026
2 contributions
US Tariffs
4. What discussions she has had with her US counterpart on tariffs.
Given that the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran without British involvement, and that this Government seem increasingly at odds with the US in relation to Diego Garcia, can the Minister assure me that the Government’s actions are not damaging the special relationship and increasing the likelih…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 February 2026
3 contributions
Firearms Licensing
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I thank the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for introducing what has been a really balanced and thoughtful debate. I hope that the Minister has found it useful and will take lots of useful comments from it as the Government…
I absolutely agree. My constituents, like the hon. Lady’s, want a system that works, that is swift and that is safe.
The delays coincide with rising licensing costs, meaning that responsible, law-abiding certificate holders are paying more while receiving a poorer service. That is not sustainable, …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
11 February 2026
Local Government Finance
I declare an interest: I am a Central Bedfordshire councillor. Central Bedfordshire will have to find £17 million off the back of this so-called fairer funding formula. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is nothing short of pork barrel politics?
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
11 February 2026
2 contributions
Economic Impact of Government Policies
6. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government policies on the economy in Northern Ireland.
While the rise in the agricultural property relief threshold to £2.5 million is a welcome step for farmers, does the Minister recognise the broader economic concern shared by the Ulster Farmers Union that inflation and steadily rising asset values will over time pull more family farms into inheritan…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 February 2026
2 contributions
Woodland Creation
It a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. It is also a pleasure to follow my constituency neighbour, the hon. Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard (Alex Mayer).
I congratulate another constituency neighbour, the hon. Member for Milton Keynes North (Chris Curtis), on securing t…
The hon. Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) mentioned the potential introduction of the lynx as an apex predator, but active deer management is already under way in my constituency through culling. Do the Government have a preference on culling versus introducing an apex predator, or a combination of t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
Independent Water Commission: Final Report
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy, on my first outing on behalf of His Majesty’s official Opposition. I congratulate the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) on securing this important debate, and I join Members who have welcomed the work of Sir Jon Cunliffe. I th…
Commons
Committee Stage
29 January 2026
Finance (No. 2) Bill (Fourth sitting)
Like quite a few members of the Committee, I represent a rural constituency. We have a lot of villages that are not connected to our towns, and a lot of elderly people who need to get to appointments. There are also a lot of children with special education needs and disabilities who get to school vi…
Commons
Committee Stage
29 January 2026
2 contributions
Finance (No. 2) Bill (Third sitting)
My hon. Friend talks about fairness in relation to amendment 41 on uprating in line with CPI. Is it also worth considering the importance of certainty, particularly for people on fixed incomes who will benefit from this measure? Uprating by CPI would give them certainty into the future that they are…
The Minister says that the measures that the Government are using are appropriate, but can he explain, in response to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk, why adjusted income was not used and why it is not appropriate?
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
2 contributions
Chagos Islands: Marine Protection
6. What assessment she has made of whether the Mauritian Government are able to effectively protect Chagos’ marine environment.
I thank the Minister for his response. A recent Yale University report ranked Mauritius last out of 131 states for stringency in relation to its marine protected areas, and a woeful 173th out of 180 for the protection of biodiversity. Mauritius has even admitted that it does not have the capacity to…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
The western world must remain united to keep us all safe from both Russia and China. Regrettably, we are far from united right now, and many of our constituents will be concerned about the risk to our country and critical infrastructure. At the same time as trying to reinvigorate our relationships w…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
19 January 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Following the curriculum review, will the Secretary of State outline how the Government will support teachers to deliver financial education in the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire and, of course, right across the country? Will financial education form part of initial teacher training?