Commons
Debate
16 December 2025
Vacant Commercial Properties (Temporary Use)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable local authorities to allocate for temporary use by charities, community organisations and small businesses any vacant commercial properties during the period of their vacancy; to provide for certain obligations on landlords of commerci…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
4 December 2025
2 contributions
National Resilience: Public Consultation
18. What steps he is taking to consult the public on his Department’s policies on national resilience.
Will the Minister explain to the House the importance of exercises like Pegasus, and outline how Pegasus has supported this Government’s efforts to improve our national resilience for future pandemics?
Commons
Debate
26 November 2025
3 contributions
Budget Resolutions
The right hon. Gentleman mentions taxpayers in his Hertsmere communities, which I have visited and know. Does he accept that among his constituents, there will be families who receive benefits and have more than two children, and who will be positively impacted by today’s Budget? Could he at least n…
If the right hon. Gentleman were to look at the Budget book, he would see that the graph that shows the progressiveness of this Budget shows that, in every decile, it is redistributive. He might be correct about the impact of the specific measures he has spoken about, but the overall impact of the B…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
26 November 2025
Engagements
Q10. Is the Prime Minister aware that, because of the decision by Reform’s Durham county council to scrap support introduced by Labour in 2013, a typical working family in Stanley will be £170 worse off? How would the Prime Minister contrast the values of this Labour Government with a Reform party d…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
24 November 2025
Critical Minerals Strategy
Does the Minister agree that, in an increasingly uncertain world, ramping up our domestic critical mineral production and diversifying our supply is critical to the defence of our country?
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Asylum Policy
I wholeheartedly welcome the measures which I believe will tackle a failure by the previous Government to maintain one of the most basic fundamental functions of government: control of our borders. My constituents are worried and angry about the proliferation of houses in multiple occupation to hous…
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 November 2025
Typhoon Fighter Sovereign Capability
It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I was going to make some points about the industrial case, but those have been made very well by Members with a direct constituency interest in this programme, so I will talk about the role of Typhoon in air and missile defence. I ha…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
Human Rights Laws
Because of our proud history and our commitment to the rule of law, the UK is a global leader in legal services, with our courts garnering respect across the world. What does the Lord Chancellor think would be the impact on our reputation should we begin ripping up our international agreements and o…
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
4 contributions
Welfare Spending
It is beyond belief that Conservative Members have chosen today to shine a spotlight on the subject of welfare, when their record on it is one of failure, chaos and incompetence. Under the previous Conservative Government, welfare spending ballooned out of control. The final Office for Budget Respon…
Obviously, the pandemic was a factor, but the right hon. Gentleman cannot blame every Government policy failure on external factors. All Governments must deal with external factors.
Unpaid carers are having to leave their jobs because the Conservatives never fixed social care. Behind every one of t…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Civil Justice Council Review of Litigation Funding
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way at such an early stage in his speech. I want to highlight another positive example of the use of litigation funding. It was essential in helping 52 former franchisees of Vodafone—essentially, small business owners, including one in Chester-le-Street in…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
Hong Kong: Human Rights Violations
Two pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong have disbanded recently, activist Joshua Wong was rearrested and faces further charges under the national security law, and Jimmy Lai remains in prison. Does the Minister agree that the national security law continues to be used to erode the rights and freedoms…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
20 October 2025
Topical Questions
T10. Sacriston academy, a primary school in my constituency, has ceilings held up by scaffolding joists. The classrooms, built in 1910, are unusable due to water penetration through the ceilings and walls. Can the Minister say when the funding might be available to repair the school, after 14 years …
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
2 contributions
Infrastructure Strategy: Economic Growth
16. What steps she has taken to increase economic growth through the 10-year infrastructure strategy.
Can the Chancellor outline the impact on economic growth in the north-east of England she expects from the record-breaking £1.85 billion spending package awarded earlier this year for transport infrastructure in the region?
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
8 September 2025
NATO Defence Spending Target
I welcome the leadership displayed by the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary and our commitment to the historic 5% pledge. What steps will NATO take to further strengthen our response to growing Russian aggression?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 September 2025
Early Education and Childcare
I am looking forward to visiting Bloemfontein primary school in my constituency, where a new school-based nursery is about to open. Can the Minister outline what the measures announced today will mean for hard-working parents in North Durham who are trying to juggle work and family life?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 July 2025
Independent Water Commission
It is a shame that no one is here from the Reform party to explain its proposals for the water companies; its Members might have managed to be more eloquent than their leader was on TV yesterday. Reform’s unfunded spending commitment would send mortgages through the roof and take money away from the…
Commons
Proceedings
21 July 2025
Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity
I welcome the shadow Home Secretary’s concern about crimes linked to the asylum system—that is a concern held across the House. Why does the Minister think the Conservatives and Reform voted against the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which allows the tagging of asylum seekers who pose…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 July 2025
6 contributions
RAF E-7 Wedgetail Programme
It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (John Cooper) on securing this debate and on his well-informed speech. There were some fantastic world war two metaphors and terminology in it, which I will not be able to emul…
I welcome the right hon. Member’s making that point. From my reading of the timelines of who was in office and when, I am very clear that this decision came after his time as a Minister and during the time in which he was scrutinising decisions by other Conservative Ministers.
The extraordinary, de…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
15 July 2025
2 contributions
Warm Home Discount
12. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the warm home discount to all households in receipt of means-tested benefits on people receiving those benefits.
Will the Minister confirm how many residents in my North Durham constituency will benefit from the extension of the warm home discount to all households in receipt of means-tested benefits?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 July 2025
Future of the Post Office
I thank the Minister for his statement. He knows from previous questions I have asked that I am concerned for the future of the Chester-le-Street post office, which is moving from having directly managed branch status to franchise status. I also welcome what is going on with the post office in Stanl…
Commons
Debate
7 July 2025
Government Performance against Fiscal Rules
The Opposition have opposed all the tough decisions this Government have made to raise revenue, from VAT on private schools to the windfall tax. Has the Chief Secretary heard anything from the shadow Chancellor about how their plans would interact with the fiscal rules, if they plan on having any fi…
Commons
Debate
2 July 2025
2 contributions
Corporate Businesses and Franchisees: Regulatory Environment
I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on securing this important Adjournment debate. Like him, I have met Vodafone franchisees in my constituency, particularly the Chester-Le-Street former franchise holder, whom I met again today. I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for setting out the legal…
Is the Minister aware—this is my understanding from the franchisees—that Vodafone left the BFA, and walked away from its self-regulatory framework and code of conduct?
Commons
Debate
2 July 2025
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
The Minister will remember a Westminster Hall debate—I think it was last week—in which I inaccurately and over-optimistically referred to this as the Armed Forces Commissioner Act, not realising it was still going back and forth between here and the other place. I was corrected by the shadow Defence…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
30 June 2025
UK-Mauritius Chagos Agreement
Is it not the case that our closest allies—the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even India—have all welcomed this deal, precisely because they recognise the irreplaceable role of Diego Garcia in global security? What does the Minister think is going on with the Opposition, who think…
Commons
Proceedings
25 June 2025
Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement
I welcome the news that our deterrence capability will be enhanced and made more flexible as we take another step on the escalatory ladder. We are talking about a US aircraft with substantial UK industrial participation, a US weapon, US-UK decision making and a NATO mission. Does the Minister agree …