Commons
Proceedings
10 July 2025
Business of the House
The maritime sector offers very rewarding careers, particularly to people like me, who get quite excited by large-scale engineering projects. I think someone in the Department for Transport shares my enthusiasm, because they have awarded funding to set up the Tees maritime cluster, which is training…
Commons
Proceedings
10 July 2025
UK-France Nuclear Partnership
A much stronger relationship between the UK and France in this area will require a deepening of our commercial collaborations in our respective industrial bases, particularly in the supply chain. Will the Minister comment on how the Government’s own procurement policies will help to support this col…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 July 2025
LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme
The Minister may recall that in an earlier armed forces debate, I raised the case of Kate Green, a Royal Military Police veteran who felt compelled to leave the service just before the ban was lifted. Will he join me in highlighting the fact that the impact scheme makes provision for people who felt…
Commons
Debate
7 July 2025
Government Performance against Fiscal Rules
In the last 12 months, the Government have invested £5 million in North Tees hospital, £20 million in Billingham town centre and another £20 million in Stockton town centre—with police patrols seven days a week—£1 billion in local transport in Teesside and £4 billion in carbon capture and storage, a…
Commons
Debate
1 July 2025
2 contributions
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
I was pleased yesterday to hear the Secretary of State acknowledge the anxiety of disabled people in her comments from the Dispatch Box. If we really want to understand why changes such as this cause such anxiety and fear in the disabled population, then just sit and listen to the speech that was co…
I agree that accessibility to work is important, both through buildings and transport, as well as Access to Work. It is not just about supporting people to get into work but whether they can physically get into work.
To reiterate, people’s lives have equal value regardless of whether they work, and…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 July 2025
Parental Leave Review
In his statement, the Minister mentioned the very low level of take-up of shared parental leave. Would he agree that that is partly due to the gap in pay between men and women, and that if we can normalise paternity leave in our society, that will help to make sure that both mams and dads have equal…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Welfare Reform
I thank the Secretary of State for acknowledging at the Dispatch Box the anxiety of disabled people. I am also grateful for the time of the Disability Minister in listening to my concerns about the PIP assessment process—concerns that I now see reflected in the Timms review. I am sure the Secretary …
Commons
Debate
26 June 2025
5 contributions
Armed Forces Day
I thank the shadow Minister, the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), for sharing with us those powerful words by Kipling, which have sunk into our national consciousness. I appreciate the cordial nature of the debate between the Minister for the Armed Forces and the shadow Min…
I would. I may go on to develop this point, but that role creates for members of the Royal Military Police a unique duty and a serious responsibility that puts them in a slightly different position from their comrades, which must be quite difficult. That is why I wanted to highlight the role of the …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
G7 and NATO Summits
I found the Leader of the Opposition incredibly disappointing, so goodness knows what those on her own Benches think. While she is talking Britain down, may I commend the Prime Minister for the leadership he has shown this week? Could he say a little more about how businesses in the defence supply c…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
Business of the House
My border terrier, Jack, always receives a very warm welcome in Stockton North, but too many pet owners are choosing to have their animals put down for fear of sky-high vet bills. I received a positive response from the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs on 8 May to my request to review th…
Commons
Proceedings
25 June 2025
Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement
I welcome the acquisition of the F-35As, not least for the impact it will have on industry and jobs in my constituency. In answer to the question about refuelling, the Minister described very well how this new capability meshes with existing NATO capability. Will she say a little more about how this…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 June 2025
Flags: Public Buildings
Many towns and boroughs, such as Stockton and Billingham in my constituency, have achievements of arms featuring important emblems of the past of the town. In Billingham, we have a ship as our crest; in Stockton, there is an anchor and a sea lion, celebrating our shipbuilding and maritime past. Does…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 June 2025
5 contributions
Armed Forces Recruitment: North-east England
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. I congratulate my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (Alan Strickland), not only on securing the debate but on his doughty championing of the armed forces in our region and around the …
My hon. Friend is right that aftercare is very important. On why recruitment levels have fallen, I would expand on the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor made about the recruitment process and criteria, such as the medical requirements.
When Admiral Sir Tony Rad…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2025
Unadopted Estates and Roads
I commend my hon. Friend for showing leadership on this issue and supporting not only his constituents but mine in Stockton North. I have seen high service charges in my constituency at Willow Sage Court and Wynyard, and unadopted roads on the Queensgate estate were left for four years before my int…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
19 June 2025
Immigration: Government Legal Advice
Counter-terrorism powers could optimise the effectiveness of the Border Security Command. Could the Solicitor General advise on how the Crown Prosecution Service is being empowered to tackle illegal migration and people smuggling?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 June 2025
Iran-Israel Conflict
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his commitment to de-escalation and I particularly thank my hon. Friend the Minister for the middle east, who has worked so hard over the last few days. Could the Foreign Secretary say a little more about our commitments to our long-standing friends and allies in th…
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
8 contributions
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
I thank the Minister for what I think is her triple shift at the Dispatch Box today.
A few months ago, I met three really great young lads—Benjamin, Eli and Jack. We had a great conversation, and they had me laughing and joking along with them for a very long time. I slightly disappointed Eli when …
Yes, I do agree with that very timely intervention. In fact, the slogan of Duchenne UK is “Time is muscle”, and it is absolutely right that every day and every week makes a difference to these boys.
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
12 June 2025
Business of the House
On Friday last week, a mass brawl broke out outside a primary school in my constituency, with children as young as four and their families witnessing violent acts, and they were understandably scared. Will the Leader of the House join me in condemning this disgraceful behaviour and in commending Cle…
Commons
Debate
11 June 2025
3 contributions
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill
We heard earlier from my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson) how proud the people of Doncaster are of their airport, but I challenge her to a “pride in your local airport” competition, because nowhere is more proud of its local airport than Teesside—to the extent that whethe…
I could not agree more. As my hon. Friend the Member for Dover and Deal (Mike Tapp) said, we are indeed an island nation, if anyone had not spotted that, and the quickest way to get about is to go by air. What everyone wants is to wake up on a morning in Stockton and then be sat on a beach in Benido…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 June 2025
Spending Review 2025
The Chancellor of the Exchequer may remember that the last Conservative Prime Minister boasted about moving funding from Teesside to Royal Tunbridge Wells. I am pleased to see that her statement plugs places such as Stockton North back into our economy. I thank the Chancellor for agreeing to make St…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
Space Industry
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. When we think about space, it is a natural instinct to look towards the skies, but actually someone wanting to find out a lot about what is happening up there could do much worse than dive one mile underneath the North York Moors—something…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
The decision to restore the winter fuel payment to those earning under £35,000 a year is the right decision. I thank the Minister and his predecessor for their constructive engagement with representations from my constituents in Stockton, Billingham and Norton on the threshold issue, but does he agr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
9 June 2025
2 contributions
Leasehold Reform
2. What steps she plans to take to reform the leasehold system.
I thank the Minister for his positive engagement with me on the issue of a safe crossing at roads on the Wynyard and Queensgate estates in my constituency, but can I also bring to his attention the issue of service charges at the Willow Sage Court estate? Does he agree that our leasehold reforms mus…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
5 June 2025
2 contributions
Relocating Civil Service Roles
18. What steps he is taking to relocate civil service roles to locations outside London.
I particularly welcome the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster saying that he would like to hear more accents from different parts of the country in the civil service. Billingham in Stockton North is home to the UK’s biggest biomanufacturing cluster, and we are also somewhat exposed to internationa…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
Regional Growth
I thank my right hon. Friend for listening carefully to the representations of our Tees Valley Labour MPs, and for delivering fully the biggest transport settlement for our region. There is enough money here to deliver a safe crossing over the A689 in Wynyard, buses in Port Clarence, more trains in …