Commons
Proceedings
17 July 2025
Business of the House
I thank the Leader of the House for confirming the recess dates for the next 12 months, which my wife has already messaged me about to say thanks.
The Leader of the House will be aware that, despite important draft Government legislation banning single-use vapes, vape shops masquerading as candy st…
Commons
Proceedings
17 July 2025
Strategy for Elections
Having spent more than a decade tackling financial crime before I came to this place, I welcome the Minister’s remarks and the strategy on elections, which will protect our hard-won democracy from foreign interference and which also incorporates demands from the all-party parliamentary group on anti…
Commons
Proceedings
16 July 2025
Sudan
In response to an urgent question in April, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer) confirmed that the London Sudan conference included a commitment from the UK Government to provide a further £120 million of…
Commons
Debate
15 July 2025
6 contributions
Taxes
It is a pleasure to speak in the debate, and I do so on behalf of my constituents, who dutifully pay their taxes in the expectation that they will receive a fair deal in return. Today’s motion from the official Opposition implies that the efforts that this Government have undertaken to deliver that …
I will make some progress given the time limits that will be put in place on other Members.
That finally put us on a strong footing to move on from the irresponsible and reckless chaos of Liz Truss’s mini-Budget and the litany of unfunded spending commitments left behind by the previous Administrat…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 July 2025
Victims of Terrorism: State Support
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) for securing this hugely important and timely debate. As chair of the recently constituted all-party parliamentary group on terrorism and security, he is a dedicated …
Commons
Debate
4 July 2025
Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill
The Minister talks about economic growth. I recently met a Mongolian lady working at the Satellite Applications Catapult, which exists to grow the UK space sector. We have heard about Buzz Aldrin and Buzz Lightyear—I am afraid I have a pun coming. With that in mind, will the Minister set out in furt…
Commons
Debate
4 July 2025
2 contributions
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill
I rise to support the Bill, and I commend the hon. Member for Chester South and Eddisbury (Aphra Brandreth) for bringing it to Parliament.
I want to make some brief remarks about what is sometimes perceived as a tension between those who wish to responsibly enjoy the countryside, and both the econo…
Does my hon. Friend agree that it is vital to have farms in built-up settings in order to give a connection to people who perhaps do not have the good fortune of being able to get out into the countryside, to enable them to understand how crucial farming is to this country and also, frankly, so that…
Commons
Debate
4 July 2025
2 contributions
Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill
I rise to support this vital Bill, and I commend the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) for bringing it to the House. As all Members will know, animal welfare is a major concern for our constituents, and nowhere is that more true than Bolton West. The Bill has been long awaited, and I am delig…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to talk about the critical work of animal welfare charities across the country. They can make such a difference.
Diane in Ladybridge emailed to say:
“This Bill is a major step forward in improving the lives of animals.”
She is delighted that it will make it
“mu…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
Business of the House
Joanne, a constituent of mine, has been badly affected by a botched botox treatment she underwent to help her scoliosis pain, which sadly has left her almost paralysed. The doctor who carried out the procedure did not have the correct licence to practise at the time; had only done a one-day course o…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2025
British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty
On a recent visit to Washington with the Foreign Affairs Committee, I was struck by the support expressed by the US Government for the deal to secure the long-term future of the military base on Diego Garcia. Alongside the US, our Five Eyes allies support the deal, NATO supports the deal, and India …
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 July 2025
Whistleblowers
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Turner. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Lloyd Hatton) on securing this important debate, during which I wish to talk about the contribution of whistleblowers through the specific lens of tackling economic crime—an endeavou…
Commons
Debate
19 June 2025
2 contributions
Water Safety Education
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton Itchen (Darren Paffey) for leading today’s debate. As many Members of this House will know, I am someone who spends many hours out and about on Britain’s rivers and lakes as a keen whitewater kayaker. Regardless of whether it is on moving wa…
I entirely agree with my hon. Friend’s remarks about improving education and how fundamental it is to do so.
Indeed, I support calls from the Outdoors For All campaign to ensure our young children learn essential outdoor life skills such as risk-benefit assessment, self-sufficiency, navigation and …
Commons
Oral Questions
19 June 2025
Topical Questions
Following last month’s Supreme Court ruling about wild camping on Dartmoor, will the Secretary of State confirm whether he believes that responsible wild camping should be permitted in the other national parks?
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
16 June 2025
2 contributions
Outdoor Education: National Curriculum
10. What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of outdoor education provision in the national curriculum.
Learning in the outdoors allows children and young people to build their confidence and push their boundaries in a safe but challenging environment, yet all too often young people from more deprived communities, including in my constituency, do not have access to opportunities such as the Duke of Ed…
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
2 contributions
Covid: Fifth Anniversary
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham and Beckton (James Asser) on securing this debate. It may be five years since the pandemic began, but those years cast a long shadow. Regrettably, the effects will be felt for many years to come. Across my constituency in and around Bolton, the p…
I welcome my hon. Friend’s contribution. We should thank not just GPs, but all the key workers who were vital in ensuring that our country could keep going, and who kept us safe during those terrible years.
Returning to the point about Government procurement, the VIP lane disproportionately favoure…
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
SEND Funding
I congratulate the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) on securing the debate.
It is clear that the special educational needs and disabilities system is overstretched, underfunded and increasingly out of step with the reality faced by children, parents and schools. I will …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Gibraltar
May I congratulate the Foreign Secretary and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo on getting this landmark agreement over the line? The agreement further cements Gibraltar’s place as an integral part of the British family. Will the Foreign Secretary confirm to the House what further measures he is taking t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
Outdoor Education
I commend the hon. Member for securing this debate. He mentions the joys of spending time in the great outdoors, and I thank him for mentioning Patterdale Hall, which is a truly excellent outdoors centre that I benefited from a great deal. Last month’s Supreme Court judgment, upholding the right to …
Commons
Debate
20 May 2025
Victims and Courts Bill
It is a privilege to rise in support of the Government’s Victims and Courts Bill, an important and overdue piece of legislation that puts victims where they should always be: at the heart of our criminal justice system.
For too long, victims in towns such as Horwich, Westhoughton and Bolton in my c…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 May 2025
UK-EU Summit
I put on the record my thanks to the Prime Minister and the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office for this landmark first step in the Government’s reset with the European Union. As the Government remove barriers to trade, what further information can the Prime Minister share with the…
Commons
Proceedings
13 May 2025
UK-EU Summit
The hon. Member talks about the official Opposition’s motion being precise, but that is factually incorrect, in that the motion conflates freedom of movement with youth mobility. If youth mobility is good enough for Australia, Canada and Uruguay, it does not run against the red lines regarding freed…
Commons
Debate
12 May 2025
2 contributions
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
Will the right hon. Member give way?
I am pleased to speak in support of the Bill, because for far too long, criminal smuggling gangs have operated with virtual impunity, ruthlessly exploiting men, women and children and putting their lives at risk for profit. That is why I am encouraged to see a Government being honest with me and my …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 May 2025
Trade Negotiations
I commend the Minister for his statement, and I wish to put on record my thanks to him, the Prime Minister and our excellent trade negotiators. The Minister has spoken a lot about tariffs so far, but might he talk about the non-tariff and non-quota trade barriers to further economic development betw…
Commons
Debate
8 May 2025
Brain Tumours: Research and Treatment
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) on securing this important debate. She is a tireless campaigner on this issue, which is clearly very close to her heart. I thank the hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard) for co-sponsoring the debate. Their j…