Commons
Westminster Hall
19 March 2026
Banking Services: Accessibility
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this debate. He makes a really pertinent point about the issue of transport. One of the most frustrating elements for me, apart from the initial announcement of a closure of a bank on my high st…
Commons
Debate
17 March 2026
Youth Unemployment
I am always happy to be last on an announcement such as this. The businesses and young people in my constituency strongly welcome what the Secretary of State has announced today. As I listened to those on the Opposition Front Bench, I was reminded of the statement by Senator Moynihan of New York:
“…
Commons
Debate
17 March 2026
Middle East
I reiterate the thanks to the Foreign Secretary for reconfirming that Britain will make independent foreign policy decisions in the interests of our own people. Many of my constituents are still stuck in countries in the middle east and the surrounding areas because of the closure of airspace, and s…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 February 2026
Business of the House
My constituent Bethany is 27. She has spent time in various residential care units and with at-home support provided by Worcestershire county council. During that time, she has experienced unexplained injuries and neglect, resulting in health problems and weight loss. Her family have submitted vario…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 February 2026
Local Transport: Planning Developments
Although it is a pleasure to be called, Sir Desmond, I did not intend to give a speech. But I was planning to intervene, so I will quickly say that I recognise the points made by the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted (Victoria Collins). I come from the generation that has really struggled to…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
2 contributions
Private Rented Sector
8. What steps he is taking to help improve the private rented sector for tenants.
The Minister knows that the Renters’ Rights Act will be transformative, especially for my constituents, but will he reassure me that the Government recognise the urgent need to improve safety and standards in the private rented sector, and will he act to drive down rates of non-decency?
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 February 2026
Educational Outcomes: Disadvantaged Boys and Young Men
Redditch was a town built on unionised workers, needle making, aerospace and engineering, and that heritage matters. Too many boys now leaving schools in my area leave without a clear vocational route into decent jobs. Does my hon. Friend believe that the industrial and skills strategies should be p…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
29 January 2026
2 contributions
Single Worker Status
12. What recent progress he has made on the implementation of single worker status.
I thank the Minister for her answer. She will know that too many parcel couriers in my constituency and across the country are on bogus self-employment contracts and worse terms and conditions, with no holiday pay or sick leave. That is driving down standards across the sector and, of course, robbin…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
19 January 2026
2 contributions
Statutory SEND Duties: Intervention Powers
6. What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of powers to intervene where local authorities are not meeting statutory SEND duties.
I thank the Minister for her answer. She knows that Worcestershire county council has repeatedly failed children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Many parents report persistent failures to meet statutory duties and experiences of being dismissed or gaslit, causing …
Commons
Petition
15 January 2026
Postal services in Inkberrow
I rise to present a petition about postal delivery services in the village of Inkberrow and to thank the hundreds of constituents who have also shown their support by signing online. A reliable and regular postal service should be a basic expectation, yet my constituents are missing vital healthcare…
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
New Towns
Let me begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) on securing this debate and on her tireless advocacy for her community.
Sixty-two years ago, Redditch was selected as the west midlands’ second mark two new town after somewhere called Telfor…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 January 2026
Prisons: Illegal Drugs
I pay tribute to the Chair and his Committee for their report, and I am grateful to the staff at HMP Hewell on the edge of my constituency for all the work they are doing to support prisoners. I would be interested to know what metrics he will use to measure progress on meeting his report’s recommen…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 January 2026
Business of the House
Worcestershire county council has repeatedly failed children and families with special educational needs and disabilities. Many parents report persistent failures to meet statutory duties and experiences of being dismissed or gaslit, causing prolonged distress to families already under extreme press…
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 January 2026
UK Town of Culture
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. He has given an eloquent appraisal of why Halesowen is such a beacon for culture, and I note that Morgan Rogers, who plays for Aston Villa, was born in Halesowen. Will my hon. Friend join me in saying that this competition is not just about cele…
Commons
Debate
9 December 2025
Railways Bill
I must declare an interest: I have been a railway geek since childhood, travelling up and down the country, and I am a member of my local rail user group. I personally kept both Hornby and Bachmann train models alive for several years, and I now torment my son by taking him on the Severn valley rail…
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
Will the hon. Lady give way?
I thank the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney) for letting me intervene. She must realise that it is macroeconomic conditions, not improving employment rights, that affect a company. What is certain is that when people have zero-hours contracts, they cannot pay their mortgages when downturn…
Commons
Debate
8 December 2025
Child Poverty Strategy
Before I came to this place, I assumed it was a shared fundamental principle that all hon. Members wanted to ensure that today’s children had more than they had. The Conservatives do not want to talk about the 900,000 children they plunged into poverty. I commend the Secretary of State for her strat…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 December 2025
Northern Ireland: Legacy of the Past
I thank my hon. Friend, who chaired the process diligently, often in receipt of very difficult evidence from those who served and also those involved in the reconciliation process. On our visit to Dublin, it was great to understand how much of an improvement there has been in relations between the U…
Commons
Debate
20 November 2025
3 contributions
International Men’s Day
I begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) on securing this debate. He is a man I deeply admire, and the bravery he has shown in retelling the story of what happened to him is extraordinary. I am proud to be his colleague, and this House is unquestionably be…
Tank.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
Gerry Marsden has been collecting for the poppy appeal in Redditch for 40 years. Since becoming the poppy appeal organiser, he has helped to raise over half a million pounds. At the same time, he has readily stepped in to lead the local Royal British Legion, to ensure that our town celebrates and ma…
Commons
Debate
19 November 2025
Northwich Railway Station: Accessibility
The Minister is making a compelling case for why the Government are so insistent on making all stations accessible to ensure that everybody has access to public transport. In my home town of Redditch in Worcestershire, the plan for a newly redeveloped station has been cancelled by the local Reform-l…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
17 November 2025
2 contributions
Police Officers: Redditch
11. What steps she is taking to improve public access to police officers in Redditch constituency.
I thank the Minister for that answer, and for the extra £39 million given to West Mercia police. But residents in Redditch have told me clearly that they want to be able to walk into their local police station and speak to an officer face to face. Does the Minister agree with me, and the many hundre…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 November 2025
2 contributions
Parkinson’s Disease
Will my hon. Friend give way?
As the son of someone suffering from Parkinson’s—both my uncles have Parkinson’s and my grandad sadly died of Parkinson’s complications—I was struck by the fluctuating nature of the condition. Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the best parts of the Parkinson’s passport is that people will not ha…
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
Hot on the heels of Redditch Scare Fest put on by the excellent Redditch borough council, we are swapping masks and pumpkins for Christmas jumpers as Gareth Gates, “Pop Idol” runner-up and west end star, joins us to switch on the Christmas lights on 29 November. If the Leader of the House cannot joi…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
Support for Disabled Veterans
I congratulate the hon. Member on holding such an important debate. A veteran in my Redditch constituency lives with severe PTSD and finds everyday noise—banging, shouting and even children playing—deeply debilitating. He would greatly benefit from a service dog, but his accommodation is too small a…