Commons
Ministerial Statement
24 November 2025
Critical Minerals Strategy
I was delighted to see the prominence given to County Durham in the strategy, as Weardale, which I represent, has the highest density of lithium currently known in the UK. Will the Minister support me in working with the businesses in Weardale that are trying to extract lithium? Does he agree that w…
Commons
Debate
20 November 2025
International Men’s Day
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for leading this debate and for his powerful and courageous speech.
We have come a long way in 12 months. Twelve months ago, as the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on men and boys’ issues, it was my privilege to lead t…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Bus Services
20. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services.
I welcome the new powers relating to buses, and the new funding for them that the Government are giving, but the problem is that what this Labour Government are giving, our Reform local authority is taking. It has announced plans to cancel the 35A out of Coundon, and the 104, which connects Canney H…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
19 November 2025
2 contributions
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
4. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
I am proud to represent a community with a lot of veterans, many of whom served in Northern Ireland. Who is the Secretary of State engaging with to ensure that the protections for our veterans in the legislation are as strong and effective as possible?
Commons
Debate
12 November 2025
17 contributions
Taxes
Child poverty increased enormously on the Conservatives’ watch. [ Interruption. ] Yes, it did. Where was their political will to deal with it?
I would also like to thank the Opposition for giving us this opportunity to set out two competing visions for Britain: growth, modernisation, new infrastructure and stronger public services under Labour; or a return to austerity, Government waste and decline under the Tories—of both their shades of …
+15 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
Prisoner Releases in Error
At the weekend, I was visited in my constituency surgery by one of the many hard-working prison officers from Durham—himself a victim of the chaos in the justice system that the previous Government left behind. Before he left, he wanted me to know just how bad it is and why people are being released…
Commons
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
Topical Questions
People in Crook and Tow Law are excited by the £20 million that the Chancellor is investing in our area through the pride in place scheme. After years of decline under the previous Government, which failed to spend most of the levelling-up money that they promised our community, what assurance can s…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 October 2025
2 contributions
Youth Services: Deprived Communities
1. What steps her Department has taken to support the delivery of youth services in deprived communities.
As a young man who owes as much to youth theatre as to my schooling for giving me the confidence to speak in this place, I know the importance of youth services. I am really pleased that the Government have the better youth spaces fund, which organisations in my constituency have been engaging with,…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 October 2025
Engagements
Q11. Between 2021 and 2023, 41 mental health patients in the care of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust lost their lives. That led to a damning report from NHS England and calls from my constituents for a public inquiry. This is not just historic; my surgeries are still filled with …
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 October 2025
Child Risk Disclosure Scheme
I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent speech. Like all people around Durham, I have been deeply touched by Maya’s case. When I first heard about it, I have to admit that I asked myself whether the guidelines had been incorrectly followed or whether we needed a new law. My hon. Friend is making th…
Commons
Debate
15 September 2025
9 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
Does the shadow Minister understand the difference between fair dismissal and unfair dismissal?
I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—like most Labour Members, I am proud to be supported by trade unions. Others have mentioned the absence of Reform Members from this debate, and of course we know why they are not here: they do not support the me…
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 September 2025
Early Education and Childcare
While the leader of Reform UK, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), is off in America encouraging them to ruin the livelihoods of families in Bishop Auckland, I am really pleased that this Government are saving my constituents thousands of pounds in childcare, but this is not just about child…
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Hospitality Sector
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Small businesses in my constituency often tell me that they want to be really good employers. That is something that they take great pride in, but they get undercut by some of the bad employers. Does she agree that the Bill is good not only for the worke…
The hon. Member mentioned costs on businesses. One of those costs is the cost of sick days, which has increased by £30 billion since 2018. I visited a business recently in my constituency, and I am not going to lie: they said, “Yes, it’s a bit of a squeeze having to pay an increase in national insur…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
2 contributions
Defibrillators
I beg to move,
That this House has considered defibrillator access.
I thank everyone for being here. We often hear it said that people are generous with their time when they take interventions, but I think it is extremely generous for everyone to show up at 9.30 am for a debate like this. I will d…
I thank everybody who has participated today. There have been 22 Back-Bench contributions from across six political groups, all in broad agreement with each other. We have heard some strong calls about VAT; I am grateful for the Minister’s commitment to raise that with Treasury colleagues, but that …
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 July 2025
2 contributions
Freedom of Religion or Belief: UK Foreign Policy
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith) for securing this debate. I was with him the day that his appointment was announced. It was after many weeks of us all wondering whether Downing Street would appoint an envoy. He kept it quiet until it was announced, but I was …
Apologies—I have almost finished. Members of my own church, the Latter-day Saints here in London, give out copies of the Quran to refugees. As we do this, let Britain continue to be a beacon for religious freedom around the world in an active sense.
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 July 2025
RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. She has said that approximately one in two of those in the reconnaissance unit lost their lives. Of the two from the Bishop Auckland constituency, one did not survive: 20-year-old Flight Sergeant Peter Charles Wells from Whorlton village. He…
Commons
Debate
11 July 2025
Rare Cancers Bill
I rise to support the Bill, which will make a real difference by improving the detection and treatment of rare cancers. We heard really moving contributions on Second Reading, particularly from my hon. Friends the Members for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) and for Calder Valley (Josh Fe…
Commons
Proceedings
10 July 2025
7 contributions
Educational Attainment of Boys
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the attainment and engagement of boys in education.
I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting the debate, and I thank colleagues from across the House for their interest in what I believe is one of the most overlooked and consequential chal…
I do share that concern. We should have a debate about the way in which we address that issue, as well as about the issues facing young care leavers. The hon. Lady makes an excellent point about what the prison population looks like.
The issue is not just about adolescents, because the problem begi…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
I thank the Secretary of State for this wonderful statement, delivering on a commitment that we made together at the Richardson community hospital in Barnard Castle two years ago to move services back into the community. I want to ask him about the use of bank staff in the NHS: not only is it a mass…
Commons
Debate
30 June 2025
22 contributions
Road Safety Powers: Parish and Town Councils
Before I begin my speech, let me pay my respects to my constituent Curtis Davies, who was a resident of Shildon and worked for Durham police, who sadly died yesterday in difficult circumstances. I know that he will be missed by his colleagues in the police force and by his family. My thoughts and pr…
I give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince).
+20 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
30 June 2025
2 contributions
Driven Grouse Shooting
I have supported animal welfare since I was a teenager, when I first visited the Redwings horse sanctuary in Norfolk, where I learned about battery farming. At college, I set up an animal welfare group, and I used to work for an animal welfare charity. I care about the welfare of all animals and bir…
I thank the Minister for his balanced approach to this subject and for protecting the livelihoods of my constituents. I agree with him that we need to look after animal welfare. I do not think the economic arguments we have been making today apply to trail hunting. Will he confirm today that it is s…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 June 2025
Warm Home Discount
I thank the Minister for this announcement. As she will recall, we met back in September to discuss my concerns about fuel poverty in my constituency, including the number of children living in cold homes. We specifically talked about this measure. She has taken it away, done the hard graft and deli…
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I agree with my hon. Friend that these women need help, but I cannot imagine a more lonely and difficult experience than being a woman who has an abortion under the circumstances she is outlining, and I think that is a problem with new clause 1. Would it not actually make abortion much more dangerou…
I recall, a few years ago, supporting a woman in a hostel who was traumatised by her own decision to abort a child. Does my hon. Friend agree, in the context of this language about protecting people, that we also need to protect people from these decisions when they are not made with the proper safe…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 June 2025
Spending Review 2025
A third of children in Bishop Auckland live in poverty, so I welcome today’s spending review, which set out how they will benefit not just from the free breakfast clubs, but from the extension to free school meals, warmer homes, more access to sports and the arts, and their parents getting the pay r…